Lesson Thirteen: “Rolling Earth”

The inky blue night melted into misty gold. From beneath her furry blanket, Queen Sofia awoke with a jolt. A low rumble buzzed in her chest, like a warning whispered across the kingdom. But a warning of what?

Her mind went back to her fading dream.

“Maybe it wasn’t just a dream,” she thought. “Wait, what is that!?!” Something strange moved beyond the balcony doors.

Throwing off her blanket, she rushed outside.  A cool mist curled over the kingdom. On the horizon, the ground rippled like waves crashing on the beach. Her brown mane stood on end.

“Zazi, wake up! ZAZI!!”

Her sister stirred. “Sofia? It’s barely dawn…”

Sofia threw her scarf at her. “To the King—now!”

The fear in her sister's voice shook Zaziwe into action.

Together the Queens darted through the garden maze. Their hooves clattered against the cobblestone path as the distant rumble swelled.

“Please let me be wrong,” Sofia whispered to herself.

A thunderclap split the sky. The ground trembled. The castle appeared through the fog, just in time.

Inside, chaos reigned. Loud voices shouted orders. Supplies flew across the room. And King Mateo, red-cheeked and breathless, spotted them.

“Queens!” he called. “You felt it too? There’s an earthquake coming. And our friends… we haven’t found them yet!”

He sprinted toward the royal wagons, or as he called them, the Landys. “To the Magic Four!”

A cold snow fell fast as they sped towards the mountains. King Mateo squinted through the windshield.

“I know we’re close, but I can hardly see,” he muttered.

As if confirming his worst fears, the Landy’s GPS announced, “Unexpected weather is creating whiteout conditions. Proceed with extreme caution.”

“We can’t go on. It’s not safe,” said the King with a sigh. Signalling to the others, King Mateo brought the caravan to a stop, then he opened the driver’s door and stepped out, into the storm.

“It’s so thick I can’t see my own hand!”

Suddenly, a sharp call pierced the wind.

“Check!” Zaziwe’s voice ricocheted off the storm’s billowing walls.

King Mateo spun towards the Queen’s clear voice. Frozen, he began to panic. “Now we’re in danger! And I don’t know which way to go. What if I choose wrong and we become trapped?”

"I see you from above!” Sofia’s soothing voice cut through the cotton candy air, reaching the King. “Remember, if you’re ever in check, try not to panic. Instead, pause. Then ask yourself, how can I best escape this danger? But for now, I’ll guide you. Trust me.”

"Ok! Ready when you are!" he said with a wobbly voice.

"Take one step to your left.” A loud boom followed by a scraping sound filled the air. 

King Mateo stumbled. A massive stone wall loomed where open space should’ve been. 

Zaziwe called from a ledge above, “No, your other left!” 

“Right, silly mistake. I must think before moving. If I’m aware of my surroundings and coordinate my moves, I’ll stay safe. Speaking of surroundings… this shouldn’t be here!” King Mateo stumbled backward and confirmed his suspicion. “This mountain range has moved.”

Lightning flashed. Thunder cracked. And high above, behind the cloulds, appeared a bird-shaped stone peak. The first marker leading to the Magic Four.

“There! The Bird’s Opening!” King Mateo shouted. 

He turned to his team. “Don’t be afraid, it’s just like in chess when a piece flies forward to claim its place! Well, we can’t fly but we can climb! Let’s get our climbing gear on!”

“But… how do we know it’s safe?” asked Luca.

“We don’t,” King Mateo said. “We’ll trust the Queens to keep us safe.”

At that very moment, Zaziwe pulled Sofia to the side. “I feel something shifting. The earthquakes, they're not over. There's more to come.”

Just then - CRACK! The ground shook violently beneath their feet.

“GO! UP THE MOUNTAIN! NOW!!”

Harnesses clipped. Ropes tightened. They climbed fast—up the steep stone ridges to safety.

At last, they reached an overlook. Snow whipped around them, but something below caught King Mateo’s eye.

“Shhh… look there. Footprints.”

He summoned the Bull Rook, the Bishops, and the Queens. A cold vapor escaped his mouth as he spoke, blurring the picturesque mountain view.

“We made it. The Magic Four.”

“What’s the Magic Four?” asked one of the puppies.

“These four peaks form the heart of the kingdom. Whoever stands atop them gains vision, mobility, and strength. From up here, we can spot distant movements, anticipate threats, and position ourselves with precision. Just like the center of our chessboard. Control the center, and you control the game.”

The wind howled, interrupting the King with its jagged cries. 

“But for now,” he resumed, “let’s examine these footprints. The real question is: do they belong to a friend, or a foe?"

The Giraffe Queens scanned the mountain paths for answers. 

The Bulls activated their force fields, the light beams cutting vertically and horizontally. The Bishops stood ready to cover the diagonals, shining their force fields like moving searchlights across the snow.

Sofia, remembering her responsibilities, stepped forward. “The prints are fresh. We think they may lead to the lost animals. We’ll guide you.”

“Everyone, let’s stick to the center path. Stay in the Magic Four. If we hold to the center, we give ourselves the best chance of completing this mission! Now, Puppy Pawns, to the front!” King Mateo called out, gesturing toward the trail. “Remember, form pawn chains as you follow the footprints! Strong chains means more protection on these icy slopes!”

“Pawn chains… got it!” barked Olivia.

The King continued, “And Knights, stay at the ready. We may need you to jump over unexpected obstacles.” 

Suddenly the winds picked up, and in a flash, he saw Olivia lose her footing.

“Whoah, whoah, HELP!” shrieked the tiny Puppy Pawn, as she disappeared over the ridge and down the icy mountain.

King Mateo lunged to grab her, but it was too late.

The group scrambled after Olivia, the wet snow slowing their progress.

Cupping his hands around his mouth, King Mateo shouted, “Form chains!” But it was all for naught, our adventurers were already scattered, sliding down the mountain’s face.

King Mateo's heart thumped. It was chaos. A bead of cold sweat dripped down his worried face. “This is all going to bits. I don’t know what to do.”

“Then I’ll remind you,” came a voice beside him.

Sho the Rook, ever the steady sentinel, stepped forward. Next to them stood the loyal Queens. The powerful storm raged all around.

“King Mateo, we, the Queens and I, we’ll find Olivia. And the others. We’ll bring them home.”

The King blinked, steadied by Sho’s certainty and the Queens unblinking sense of duty.

Looking again, he saw more than the storm and snow-capped peaks. He saw their team, small, cold, and afraid—regrouping, one pair at a time. Two by two. Over and over. Pawn chains. Ridges of strength. A team united. 

“We can do this,” he whispered.

But the mountain had other plans.

The ground shook like a thrashing beast. An avalanche tore free, roaring down the slope.

“CAVE!” Zaziwe shouted, spotting a dark hole in the mountain’s side.

They ran, diving for cover as the snow bit their heels. One by one, they slipped into the sunless cave and collapsed, breathless and shivering against the stone floor.

The snow and thunder continued to hammer the mountain, but within the cave its roar faded to a whisper. Sofia placed her hoof on King Mateo’s shoulder as he closed his eyes and let out an exhausted sigh of relief. “We made it… together.” she said. King Mateo nodded and pressed his forehead against hers.

In that moment, even the storm seemed to rest.

A small voice brought them back to the present. “Are we all here?”

“Roll call,” suggested Henry.

King Mateo called each name. Relief grew with every answer.

“All here,” he sighed. “But we lost the trail… we were so close… our dear friends...”

“Checkmate!”

A booming voice echoed from the darkness.

King Mateo spun towards the sound. Was it an enemy? A trick of the wind? The team jumped to their feet and slid into protective positions. 

Then from the shadows came laughter. And so emerged a tattered but happy group of animals.

“King Mateo! We knew you’d come!”

Cheers erupted. Tears flowed. Without realizing it, our adventurers had stumbled into their missing friends.

“You remembered our special meeting place! Just like on the chessboard, when we hold to the center, our futures blaze bright!” said King Mateo.

King Korben closed his eyes in relief. At last, all the kingdom's animals were together again! 

Bertie, one of the missing animals, nodded slowly. “We believed in you, Your Majesty. We knew you’d come for us. You always said a mission could succeed, so long as its people stood firm within the Magic Four.”

King Mateo smiled. “Well, when we stay calm and work together in the center, we always find our way, just like in chess.”

Sho, reluctant to cut in, put on his serious voice. “I hate to throw a damper on celebrations, but it’s too cold to stay here. Our gear’s gone. We need to get back."

King Mateo straightened. “You’re right. And if I remember correctly, there’s a hidden door nearby that’s part of the underground Royal Tunnel System. As long as it’s intact, we can travel home via Royal Raft.”

Queen Zaziwe poked her long neck outside. “The snow’s easing. We should move before the mountain shifts.”

Harry turned towards the large group and grinned. “The Royal Raft’s a wild ride. You're going to love it.”

And so, our adventurers prepared for their journey home—through snow and stone, together once more.

Will they reach the castle? Will the mountain check our Kings—or will they find their winning move?

Only time will tell.

Join us next time for another royal adventure.