Part I: Six Packages, Six Journeys, One Big Wooden Door

130 131 The Chosen: Battle with a Cerberosian Prince Entering the Forbidden “That indeed. The legacies of our families, and the many honorable men and women that have gone before us, are the reason we are able to play our part.” The two spoke amongst themselves before Mrs. H continued addressing everyone else. “Well done on making it this far. Every time you make it through to the next part of the journey, you are one step closer to being ready,” Mrs. H said. “Ready for what again?” Ethan asked. “Ready to take on the Destroyers, and free the Guardians.” “Oh, this is what that big dude from the cave was talking about, right. So… who exactly or what exactly are these Destroyers? And what exactly do they destroy?” “At the beginning of existence as we know it, Guardians and Destroyers were at war with one another. Destroyers’ main objective is to destroy all creation, to corrupt and contaminate the purity and goodness of creation. While the Guardians have the mandate of defending and helping preserve the true Essence of creation.” “Woah, no lies, but that sounds epic!” TJ said. “That actually does,” Tumi echoed. “It may sound like stuff from a fairy-tale or a movie, but it’s devastating. Every once in a while, the battles between the Destroyers and the Guardians get intense, and despite the Guardians’ attempts to keep things as least chaotic as possible, given the destructive nature of the Destroyers, it gets very bad.” “So, if these powerful and non-human Guardians couldn’t fight against and defeat these horrible creatures you are describing, what are we expected to do?” Pippa asked in a slight panic. “Now, that is a good question, young lady,” said Mrs. H. “Part of the answer to your question lies in your presence in the Forbidden Kingdom, behind this big, wooden door.” “The answer is always ‘after this,’ or ‘once you’ve done this well,’ or any other difficult yet never-ending thing,” TJ said in frustration. “It will be over sooner than you realize,” Mrs. H responded. “I mean, remember how climbing Mt. Everest ended up feeling once we got to the other side, despite the fact that it felt like it took forever. This will probably be like that,” Ana said. “So, yes, well done for making it this far,” Mrs. H said. “My role in your journey towards readiness is to facilitate your combat training.” “Um, did she just say combat training?” Pippa asked looking around. “As in, like, fighting?” “Yes, Pippa, that is correct.” “As in, with our hands?” “Yes, Pippa, with your hands. And with other members of your body.” Pippa was still in shock, surprised at the prospect of learning how to fight. Pippa had grown up in what many would refer to as a sheltered life. Of the entire team, Pippa was the one member of the team who came from a wealthy family. Generational, trust-fund kind of wealth. So she never had to learn how to fight or take care of herself in the “combat” sense of the word. Her anxiety, given her background, was