Eternal Forest [Episode 17]

The 5th Compass | Book Two [2,655 words]

The Eternal Forest is the second book in The 5th Compass series. Daxton and his best friend, Barton, are looking for the other compasses while fending off an immortal foe. Nelle takes Adelaide under her wing, to help her develop her untapped power. Meanwhile, the most hated pirate in all of Stonehaven must decide whether to stand and fight or flee from the Paragon. This book delves into the life of the Paragon and the many lives it touches and destroys.

The steamship broke through the water at a fast pace once Jynx saw his friends on shore. When he left them earlier, after their great escape from the king’s castle, he returned in the hopes of being allowed back into the royal army. He was not met with the warm welcome he hoped for, especially since he returned with the king’s most prized horses. He tried to explain that he went after the ones he suspected of starting the fire inside of his stable but was unable to catch them once they boarded a steamship, leaving his horses behind. Rather than continue his pursuit he thought it best to report back what he knew.

The king believed Jynx immediately, but some of the guards recognized him as being the roommate and close friend of the ones who fled. Not sure who to believe, the king put Jynx in the dungeon until the Paragon could evaluate him. He was then swiftly taken to the dungeon where he found Griggs locked away in a neighboring cell. Against his better judgement, he was able to escape his own cell in order to finish the job Griggs could no longer do. During the fire, he was caught before he could flee with Nelle’s body. They took him to the dungeon and tried to beat a confession out of him. He refused to speak, mostly because the injuries he sustained were so severe he could hardly find the words to speak and before they knew it, he was knocked unconscious.

Griggs woke hours later to find himself locked in a cell and a man by the name of Woodvale, standing over him. He was helped into a seated position by this man and given food and water. Not long after, Jynx was brought into the dungeon as well and Griggs wasted no time making him feel guilty for having left them.

Now Jynx is sailing this ship to shore, along with Nelle’s body resting by his side. He feared bringer her back her body because of where he found it, but he had to at least try.

The ship swayed side to side as it climbed onto shore and came a complete stop. He looked over one side and saw Daxton and Barton knelt beside two people on the ground. He quickly left the wheel, climbed down to offer his help. “What’s happened?”

“Jynx?” Daxton asked, shocked to see him back so soon. “Is Griggs with you?”

Jynx stood in front of him and his face fell. “He couldn’t make the trip. I had to leave him behind. But, where’s Nelle? I brought her body.”

Barton pointed down at Wendynn. “She’s there. Don’t ask.”

“Do you think we can carry them on the ship?” Jynx asked, looked back and forth at Adelaide and Wendynn on the ground. He was rather small and knew he would not be much help to them if they had to carry either.

“You will not need to carry me,” Adelaide said, her voice groggy as she sat up and gently touched her throbbing head. “What happened? How did we get here?” she asked, looking past them all to see the steamship with the large body of water behind it.

“You don’t remember anything?” Barton asked, raising his eyebrows at her in disbelief. She shook her head at him and winced as the motion hurt both her head and her eyes as well. “Can you stand?” Barton tried to help her, but she backed away from him on the ground and stood up on her own. “Good, help us with him then.”

All three of them stood around Wendynn’s body and each taking a deep breath, bent down to lift him. He was actually much heavier than he looked, and they moved as quickly as they could towards the ship. Daxton volunteered to take him on his shoulders as Jynx and Barton climbed up first in order to help hoist him up and on board. It took much longer than any of them would’ve liked, especially Adelaide who began to feel dizzy just behind her eyes.

Once they got Wendynn’s body securely on board, Jynx slowly walked them towards Nelle’s body. “I have to warn you, she isn’t exactly how you left her.”

As they climbed the steps up to the helm of the ship, they saw her legs first. They were completely covered in dirt and mud. The closer they got the most dirt they saw on her clothes and smudges on her hands and face.

“What happened?”

“I had to dig her up,” Jynx replied. They all turned to him with shocked looks on their faces. “Griggs told me when they caught him, they found his body hidden in the back of his wagon. She looked dead to them so they buried her. She’s lucky they didn’t decide to burn her, knowing she’s a witch. I had to dig up several unmarked graves just to find her.”

Daxton knelt beside her and took her hand in his, trying to feel for a pulse but could not find one. Instead, she was stone cold to the touch. Dirt caked under her fingernails came of easily onto his hands. “She’s dead.” He released her hand, letting it fall back onto her stomach.

“What do you mean?” Adelaide asked, keeping one hand pressed to her forehead as she joined Daxton. “Who is she?”

“She’s a witch,” Barton blurted out, “maybe you know her?”

“Do you have a problem with me, Barton? Ever since we’ve met, you’ve been rude and condescending. If there is something you wish to say just come out and say it, because I have had enough,” she shouted at him. Her eyes began to glow a bright orange as his body left the ground and he was suddenly flung backwards, down the stairs and onto the deck of the steamship.

Daxton quickly sprang into action. He knew her actions came from a place of anger and sorrow and wasn’t afraid of her or what she could do to him. “Adelaide, wait, he doesn’t mean the things he says,” he reasoned with her, standing in front of her to block her view of Barton who appeared to be completely out cold. “I think he may harbor some feelings towards you and just doesn’t know how to express them?”

“He’s a pompous fool. You all are fools.” She turns her glowing orange eyes on Daxton this time and sends him flying as well, only he managed to land in a better position that Barton did, preventing him from being knocked unconscious. Before she could turn her attention to Jynx, he had already unsheathed his sword and turning it swiftly in his hand he knocked her in the back of her head with its hilt. She fell to the floor, out cold.

Daxton ran back up the stairs to help his friend but found he was not needed. “Thanks, Jynx.”

“It’s what friends do for each other.” He shook Daxton’s hands in a show of camaraderie. “What is she, a witch like Nelle?”

“I’m not sure. She’s been making this happen, but she doesn’t seem to have complete control over her actions. I think Nelle knows more but we haven’t been able to get through to her since she’s been out of her body for so long.”

A moan was heard where Barton laid unconscious on the deck. It was Wendynn, disoriented but alive. Daxton and Jynx ran to help him sit up.

“Are you alright, Nelle?” Daxton asked cautiously, unsure if she was still in there.

“I’m fine. Where are we?”

“On Griggs’ steamship,” Daxton answered, Wendynn’s eyes lighting up and he could see Nelle’s joy hidden within them. “But he isn’t here. Jynx has come back to us and he’s brought your body…” His voice grew faint as he struggled to find the words to tell her the current condition of her body.

“Where is it? Take me to it quickly. There may still be enough time,” Wendynn said, sounding nothing like the broken man they first met at the tavern. Nelle grew stronger within him when she knew her body was nearby.

Jynx and Daxton helped her up and led her up the steps towards the ship's wheel where they found Adelaide crouched over Nelle’s body. Jynx looked at her in disbelief for he knew he hit her rather hard and fully expected her to still be lying on the ground unconscious. Instead, she appeared to be fully alert and angry.

“Who hit me?” she asked, turning towards the three of them, her eyes glowing orange again. “And why is there a dead body on this ship?”

“Dead? Impossible.” Wendynn pushed past Adelaide and found the body of a woman she hardly recognized. Her hair was caked in dirt, face drawn so much it was skeletal, and her clothing all tattered and torn. “Oh my. Look at me…” Wendynn said, tears streaming down his face as he dropped to his knees and hung his head in an all too familiar way.

Hearing him crying distracted Adelaide enough to stop her glowing eyes and quell her anger. “What was she to you that you cry so? Your mother?”

Insulted at this child for assuming the body on the ground was old enough to be a mother, she rounded on her angrily. “She is not my mother. She is me. Or at least she was.”

Confused, Adelaide turned to Jynx and Daxton for clarification. Daxton spoke up first, “She is a witch who for one reason or another, needed to use the body of others. Now, if she doesn’t get back inside of hers she will be trapped inside of him and lost forever.”

“I’ll be dead is what will happen. Unless…” Wendynn turned to Adelaide, a look of desperation in his face. “You could help me.”

Adelaide took several steps backwards as she became surrounded by all of them. “I can’t. I don’t even know what I’m doing half the time.”

“She’s right,” Daxton replied. “Just look at Barton over there. She threw him clear across the ship. I’m sure if she had given it some thought and calmed her anger she wouldn’t have.” Jynx smirked at Daxton, knowing full well she would’ve thrown Barton farther if she knew the extent of her own strength.

“What exactly happened while I was out cold?” Wendynn asked, getting help from Jynx to get up on his own two feet.

“From what I can tell, she must have magic same as you, except she has no control. We’ve had to stop her whenever we could.” He stepped away from her when he spoke those last words. He’d seen that look before, not too long ago. Just after Barton said something to anger her, her eyes began to glow and before any of them could react he was flung through the air like a rag doll. He did not wish to meet the same fate as his friend, and took another, even larger side step.

“It was you who hit me over my head?” she asked, looking directly at Daxton. He remained quiet as he noticed Jynx get up behind her like he did before. Just when he was about to strike her like he did the previous time, Wendynn hit her instead. He reached his arms out to catch her fall as he propped her up against a mast. He went quickly to work looking for something to bind her hands together. Daxton looked on in amazement, but Jynx seemed to catch on rather quickly and started looking himself.

“I know where they are…” Without waiting to find out if he was heard, he ran down below and came back seconds later with metal cuffs. “I’m not sure if these will hold her.”

Wendynn snatched them from Jynx’s hand and held them up to get a better look at them. “These will do just fine. I’ve got just enough power to make it so these won’t open unless by my own hand.” She placed them on Adelaide’s wrists behind her back and tilted her head backwards against a post. She looked like she was fast asleep.

“Why did you lock her up like that? She’s not dangerous. Is she?” Daxton asked. Before Wendynn could answer they heard Barton finally showing signs of life as she sat up. He looked around frantically till he found where Adelaide was placed. He stood up quickly and moved as far away from her as he could.

“We need to get going. The Paragon and your father could be here any minute,” Daxton said, trying to distract his friend from the obvious fear he had in his eyes.

Wendynn could tell from the look on Jynx’s face that he wanted to speak on something but chose to remain silent and help Daxton get the steamship ready to set sail. Barton was still nursing a large bump which grew on the back of his head as he remained staring at Adelaide.

“She can’t hurt you,” Wendynn assured Barton, sitting beside him.

“I know you’re Nelle in there, but seeing you this way is going to take some getting used to. It was bad enough when you were inside of Krieger. But now to be inside of a pirate—.”

“Ex-pirate.”

“Once a pirate, always a pirate. My father taught me that. They are never to be trusted. Pirates are only ever out for themselves and their own self-preservation. Why did he even come back?” Barton asked, his eyes never leaving Adelaide’s sight. He swore he saw her move slightly and grabbed for the sword at his side in defense. Wendynn grabbed his forearm to stay his instinct to knock her out again.

“I assure you, we are safe from her.” Wendynn smiled as he watched Barton sit back down but keep his hand on his sword.

“You yourself seem unsure of her abilities and as long as your own are not where they could be if you were in your own body, I will be wary of her movements. Have you come up with a way to get back in your body or is it hopeless?”

They could feel the wind kick up around them as the sails pulled the steamship away from shore. Jynx remained at the wheel, with the newly acquired compass that appeared to be telling them where to go next. Daxton was still learning to be comfortable with the sea, and although he was cured by Nelle of his sickness, he still did not know the first thing about ships and a part of him did not want to learn. He left Jynx to navigate the sea and rejoined Barton and Wendynn who were still discussing how to fix their more pressing predicament.

“You intend to use her to put you back in your body? What makes you think she can do it or that we can trust her?” Barton argued.

“He makes a good point. We’ve had to knock her unconscious on more than one occasion and now that we’ve cuffed her I don’t see how any of this is a way to get her on our side, or even yours,” Daxton added, for the first time agreeing with his best friend.

Wendynn knew they were both right, but she was desperate to find a way back inside her own body. Living outside of it gave her a sense of youth and strength she had not known in a long time, forced to live out her life in the body of a hag, but it also gave her renewed determination. She wanted back in her original body. Not the hag she was turned into by the Paragon, but the beauty she once was and the power she once commanded.

The three of them were so busy talking they did not notice when Adelaide woke up. “I want to help.”