The King of Moonward had lent us his personal hovercraft. He had told us just after our conversation the day before, after we had told him the story about the Guardian of Light. Moonward, being a kingdom including a number of small island towns and villages scattered around the continent, used to need the hovercraft for royal visits and the like, but now, he had said, he had no use for it.

"Take care of it!" the King said, standing with a couple of other soldiers and Shayla.

"Don't worry!" Aunt Angelina called back with a wave. We needed to take care of it; the only way to get to the Monument of Light without an aircraft was to cross the shallows of the northeast and head over the small eastern landmass, home to the cities of Adumon and Glacia. However, there was one small problem.

We had been moving along at a fairly good clip, nearing the small, bustling town of Melfort, when Lily cleared her throat to address it. "Mmm- we still haven't discussed one thing. Adumon and Glacia--"

"They're at war," Sly broke in. "Yes, it'll be tough to find our way across."

I had learned in a history class not long ago that Adumon and Glacia have been perpetually at war for the last hundreds of years. The war was, in fact, over the encapsulated Thermos and Frigozo, the Elemental Guardians of Fire and Ice. As the natural climate of the area was very cold, Adumon originally claimed Thermos in order to have direct control over the temperatures of the region. However, only a few years had passed and the people of Adumon realized that the land around them was quickly becoming desertified. After a famine and a panic, a few treaties had been hastily signed with Hillstad Castle, the original bearer of Ice Guardian Frigozo, and Adumon gained possession of *both* Guardians. With both under the control of Adumon, the temperatures were more easily regulated, and a pleasant, tropical environment was quickly attained- one that was highly favourable. Nearby Glacia was, both figuratively and literally, left out in the cold, and it wasn't long before the two cities were bitter rivals. A couple hundred years ago, after a few large-scale battles, Glacia wrenched control from a devastated and weakened Adumon and seized control of them both. Since then, they had been stolen back and forth several times; Glacia was the current holder of them both, if I recalled correctly. As a result, despite the ongoing battles, the city had become a popular resort town for those oblivious to the events around them.

"We've got to be careful," I said. "Gorex battlefield, at the centre of the continent- that's where the tanks and soldiers are lined up. If we're seen in the wrong place at the wrong time..."

"...they might think that we're spies for the other side," Sly finished. "We need to think of a plan before we get there- some diversion- so that we can cross the continent and arrive at the Monument."

"One thing we also need to be careful of," Wooley spoke softly, "is that since this fight is over Elemental Guardians... is it not possible that Mazell could show up there too, to wreak havoc? He's shown up everywhere else we've gone."

Sly brushed his hair back. "If those Guardians go out of control, a whole lot of people could be in grave danger. We've got to be ready to take action if anything goes wrong."

Angelina cleared her throat. "Yes... yes, we do. But, first and foremost, we need to concentrate on getting to the Light Monument. A great seal of Light must be broken there, and then we can finally meet this sacred Guardian. This is the path that we must take if we ever want to end this cycle of destruction- we can't just spend these precious minutes chasing after Mazell and destroying the very creatures that hold our world together."

"Yet," Wooley continued, "We cannot just afford to let the Guardians run amok, either. Thus, we must move as quickly as we possibly can to the Light Monument!"

Sly went into the cabin as I sat out on the deck of the hovercraft, continuing to chat with Veronica, Lily, Seth, my dad, and my Aunt. We had a lot to do...

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The strange door has appeared again!