[Episode 1] Eternal Forest

The 5th Compass | Book Two [2,184 words]

Spire and the Dragonwood Affair is the first of five novelettes in The 5th Compass series. Captain Silverblade, the most feared and hated pirate in all of Stonehaven, has put her life in the hands of four of her most trusted pirates. Their mission is to each take possession of an enchanted compass and hide them where no one can ever find them. This is the story of Spire and how he got on with hiding the compass given to him.

Discussions about dragons and their history would normally interest anyone within earshot of Professor Engle and his unorthodox way of teaching, but not Stephan, and not today. Instead, he sat on a most uncomfortable tree stump, avoided by the other students, near the back. Stephan attended Woodvale Academy, though it was called by many other names before his time and as less appealing names by those who wanted to destroy it. Because the Academy, by any name, has always been synonymous with witchcraft and evil, it was best if they remained hidden. For a while, this was easy to accomplish as they admired the previous headmaster in certain royal circles. But the era of Tobias ended many moons ago, and Woodvale had since taken over. Not well liked by anyone, their only means of hiding became a mountainous region, the backdrop of Nightthorn, and an area few would dare tread.

This mountain area was called the Hex Mountains. A group of six that formed a circle with some flat land and brush in the center. The villagers who lived on the other side of each mountain had their own stories and beliefs for what or who lived in the Hex center, and some knew full well it was Woodvale with his gifted group. But fear kept the villagers at bay and allowed Woodvale Academy to enjoy many years in safety.

Stephen, being one of the less gifted students, sat alone in every class. They all knew he wasn’t one of them though he tried to prove he belonged.

It was his uncle’s idea to send him there, calling in a favor with Woodvale to take his nephew off his hands. Stephan knew it was because his family, the family Kreyden, were running out of money and his uncle could only afford to keep one of his brother’s two children. Stephen wishes it was his sister who was chosen to attend Woodvale Academy and not him. She was always smarter than he and would easily make friends with everyone here.

The stump was slightly damp from the trees overhead dripping their morning dew on it, but Stephan would much rather soil his trousers than risk being harassed by one of them. It also kept him out of Professor Engle’s line of sight. Stephan had important things on his mind, namely the assembly that everyone else were talking about.

Stephan took the words of the great Woodvale, Headmaster of Woodvale Academy, more seriously than everyone else. He heard how the students talked about him. A washed up old man whose last hope of power and respect rests on the shoulders of this academy. An academy that many still believe belongs to Tobias even though he is gone and a new headmaster has taken his place. Stephan admired Woodvale and saw a lot of himself in this man. From what Stephan has learned during his brief time at Woodvale Academy, Woodvale has had to endure explaining his position and rightful title to just about everyone.

Ever since he arrived at Woodvale Academy over a year ago, no one liked him. For one thing, he comes from a rather poor family. If you could call what he has a family. He and his older sister were taken in by their uncle Kray, short for Krayden. In centuries past, back when dragons still roamed the earth, and whose history Professor Engle was very animatedly describing, the family name of Krayden would strike both fear and envy into the hearts of all who heard it. Now, the family has been driven into hiding and his uncle, feeling charitable in his old age, agreed to take in his brother’s children when he was killed in battle. Their mother died while giving birth to Stephan, leaving him neglected by his father when he was alive. If not for his sister, Sara, who cared for him when their father went off to war, he may never have survived. When Stephan heard of his father’s noble death in battle, he was overjoyed. Finally, he would be able to step up as the man of the house and no longer need to live under the thumb of his sister who was becoming more and more overbearing and less nurturing the longer she was the oldest in charge. But now that Stephen would be the only male in the house, their age would mean nothing. His dream was short lived when his uncle, who he had never met but only heard about, showed up unannounced to take them back with him to Malithorn.

Stephan had only heard of Malithorn from his sister and the few times his father would speak about it when he was in the same room. Everything he had heard was that it was a terrible place to be. Malithorn was where all the bad people went to hide and all the good people who wanted to do bad things went to hire someone else to do it for them. Malithorn was synonymous with evil and when Stephan’s uncle arrived, revealing to them he lived in Malithorn, it explained a lot about why they had never seen him.

Immediately after they were ushered away in the night to uncle Kray’s home, he enrolled Stephan in Woodvale Academy. He could not understand why he should have to do to that school since he showed no sign of having any sort of gift or special ability needed to attend. But his uncle insisted, claiming his brother had a gift and attended Woodvale Academy before deciding to turn traitor and join the Pradore Army. It was unheard of for any graduate of Woodvale Academy to do anything with or for any member of any royal family as they are the largest enemies of Woodvale himself and all he stands for. Stephan hated his father, but even he understood why he joined the army. He had a family to take care of and the menial jobs Woodvale Academy graduates were given would not be nearly enough. Stephan felt going to Woodvale Academy meant turning against his father, but at the same time he wanted to find out more, if he could, about his father. Going to where he spent a majority of his boyhood seemed like the best place for him. Also, his uncle drank, even more than his father long after his mother died giving birth to him. And when he drank, he would become loud and angry. Stephan’s only regret about going to Woodvale Academy was that he could not bring his sister with him. But Uncle Kray was barely able to convince Woodvale to let Stephan in. If it wasn’t for his family lineage, he might not have succeeded all together.

Professor Engle began to weave in and out and around the students all seated on their stumps. He was talking so rapidly that Stephan couldn’t catch one word of what he was saying. Whenever the professor got this animated, Stephan knew it was because he was talking about yet another war. It seemed to him all of the history of Stonehaven was made up of war after war and if not for the occasional addition of dragons; it bored him to listen.

Stephan smiled to himself as he watched the way the professor’s long blonde hair bounced about his head and became disheveled the more he spoke. Professor Engle was several hundred years old, though he didn’t look that old. And at least once a week he talks at length about his secret discovery. With just a few simple words and an assortment of ingredients he mixes, his youth and exuberance remain intact. He claims he stumbled upon this potion by accident and now must suffer the burden of consuming the vilest concoction known to man in order to remain alive. When he told Stephan this, he found this hard to believe. How could looking young forever and never growing old be a burden?

Stephan likes Professor Engle because he was so eccentric, and like himself was often teased by the other students for being a bit different. When he first arrived at Woodvale Academy, it was Professor Engle who greeted him and showed him around. It made sense as the professor is the foremost authority on the entire history of Woodvale Academy. If there is any question anyone ever has, including Woodvale himself, they would go to Professor Engle. But, and he’s told this to Stephan often, there are some questions he will not answer, because some are meant to be left unknown.

This particular war the professor was discussing was known as the Great Dragon War. He claims it lasted so long he could teach it for an entire academic year and still have material to delve into years after. It is his favorite war and it would be Stephan’s as well if he did not insist on retelling the same bit of it over and over again as if he’s telling it for the first time.

In his mind, Stephan could hear the words of Woodvale as he discussed some important and academy changing news.

“I have brought you hear to talk about my dear friend and partner, Tobias. By now you all know of his untimely demise, struck down by one of ‘them’ during one of his well-known walkabouts. I miss him still…” Woodvale became choked up for a moment and took a sip of water to steady is nerves as he continued. By now everyone who was in attendance had stopped their side conversations to hear what he had to say. Woodvale Academy, known for its secrecy and ability to move whenever danger was present, currently resided in the mountainous region separating Malithorn and Ebonthorn. Within those mountains Woodvale discovered caverns he believes were once used by the dragons of old to house their slaves. One of those caverns, the largest, was where everyone was gathered to listen to Woodvale speak.

“Why I have brought you here today is because I have recently learned of a child. This child is destined, not only to carry on the teachings of Woodvale Academy when I am no longer with you—” At this everyone began to speak out in protest. Even Stephan couldn’t help but groan at the thought. Aside from Professor Engle, Woodvale was someone he looked up to the most and would often dream of the day he would work up the courage to introduce himself. How could he speak of leaving? “Please, please, you misunderstand me and my purpose.”

Woodvale took another sip of water and Stephan noticed his hand was shaky as he brought the cup to his lips. Something was wrong, but he could not tell what it was. He only wished everyone would be quiet, so he could hear what Woodvale had to say. Finally, after much shushing from the professors who were standing around as well, he continued.

“My hour is fleeting,” he said, and raised his hands to silence everyone before they started up again. “But I am not disheartened. Not anymore. For as I have said, there is a child. This child is most important to the future of Woodvale. It will unite us with those who would seek to make us as extinct as our dragon descendants.” Again, the uproar of arguments rose from the crowd. Even the professors joined in this time. Woodvale waited for the room to return to silence so that he might continue. “We cannot go on in hiding. I know that, but I am not the one to bring us out of the darkness. I have lived in it for too long. It is home to me now.”

He stopped and looked around at everyone. For a fleeting moment, Stephan felt as if Woodvale was looking right at him as his eyes swept across the room. Stephan held his breath, waiting for the next words to escape Woodvale’s lips.

“The child I speak of. A child born of light who will bring us out of the dark forever. This child is born of Tobias!” Gasps echoed throughout the cavern. Everyone spoke to each other, and no one noticed him walk unsteadily out of the cavern. He needed fresh air.

Stephan felt himself become dizzy with excitement as the cold air from just outside the cavern hit his face. He took in a deep breath and smiled to himself before whispering, “That’s me. The child he seeks. It has to be me.”

“What’s that you say, son?”

Stephan opened his eyes quickly. Till the sound of someone’s voice just beside his cut through his dream he had not realized his eyes closed. He looked around himself, unsure of where he was. He spotted Professor Engle working himself up into a frenzy with his lesson and sighed, relieved that no one was noticed he had actually fallen asleep. He then turned to see who had just spoken to him and was shocked to see it was Woodvale himself.

“S—Sir?”

“No need to be afraid of me, Stephan. I thought you might join me for a walk?”