Chapter 43 – The Boreal Forest

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Day 7

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The first light of dawn crept through the dense canopy, painting the forest floor in soft shades of gold and green. Princess Selena stirred, the gentle warmth of the sun on her face coaxing her awake. As she blinked away the remnants of sleep, her gaze drifted to the camp. The stillness was interrupted only by the rhythmic sound of Shawn methodically closing the shallow graves of the soldiers from the previous night. His every movement was precise, his face a mixture of concentration and quiet reverence, a stark contrast to the violent battle that had taken place.

Makara, on the other hand, remained lazily reclined against a tree, comfortably nestled in the shade, arms crossed with his usual air of nonchalance. His eyes were half-closed, but he was far from asleep. Noticing Princess Selena’s stirring, he broke the silence with a teasing smirk. “Ah, looks like her highness has finally decided to grace us with her presence,” he said, his tone light but laced with playful sarcasm.

Shawn paused in his work, glancing briefly at Princess Selena before offering her a respectful nod. The camaraderie between them had grown in such a short time, though the weight of their journey still pressed heavily upon them all.

As they gathered around the remnants of their campfire, the last of the embers faintly glowing amidst the ashes, Shawn stood, silent and thoughtful. It was Makara who spoke first, his voice laced with curiosity and a hint of concern. “Princess, we were given strict orders by your father. Once your mission of guiding us was complete, you were to return home immediately. Why didn’t you go back to your home?”

Princess Selena met his gaze, her eyes reflecting a mixture of determination and vulnerability. She took a deep breath before speaking, her voice soft but firm. “I’ve spent my entire life bound within the walls of Atlantis, sheltered from the world beyond. When my father asked me to guide you, it was the first time I was allowed outside those walls. I didn’t want to let that chance slip away. My curiosity—the desire to see the world, to understand it—drove me to follow you.”

Makara, now more serious, leaned forward, his arms resting on his knees as he spoke. “Curiosity is understandable, Princess, but we can’t overlook the consequences. You didn’t follow your father’s orders, and that could lead to problems. King Atlann’s wrath… well, that’s something we really don’t want to deal with right now.” He paused, brushing a few stray leaves from his cloak before standing. “And since you didn’t return home, it seems we’re all in this together.”

He turned to Shawn, smirking as he added, “Looks like we won’t be getting any invitations back to Atlantis anytime soon, huh?”

Shawn chuckled softly, though his gaze remained focused on the ground, still considering the weight of their current predicament. “It seems that way.”

Makara continued, more pragmatic now. “We’re in a difficult spot, Princess. We can’t send you back alone, especially without knowing where we are, and we cannot accompany you either, since the war is in 3 more days and we have an important mission to complete. So, you’ll have to come with us, but understand this—going forward, we don’t know what dangers lie ahead. We may not be able to protect you like we did before.”

Princess Selena’s expression shifted, a glimmer of pride flickering in her eyes. Her posture straightened, and her voice took on a new edge. “I understand, but I’m also the daughter of King Atlann, the Kraken Slayer, and I was trained by General Kelathor himself. I wield the ancient weapon of Atlantis. And above all…” She smirked, the confidence radiating from her. “I’m the best navigator you’ll find. There’s no one better to guide you through these lands.”

Shawn and Makara exchanged a glance, amused but impressed. Makara raised an eyebrow, his tone teasing but genuine. “Well, I can’t argue with that, Princess. Your skills are impressive, but these lands… they’re unknown to us all.”

Before he could finish his thought, Princess Selena interrupted, her voice filled with certainty. “We’re far north–east in the Azurian Kingdom. This is the Boreal Forest, a dense and ancient woodland. Its towering trees stretch for miles, and navigating it won’t be easy.” She hesitated before adding, “But as far as I know, there are no castles or villages within this forest.”

Shawn and Makara exchanged a concerned look. The absence of landmarks made them question their mission. Had Prince Zhao deliberately sent them to an isolated location to mislead them? Or was there something else at play?

Makara was the first to voice their shared doubt. “Shawn, didn’t you say yesterday that the sword piece was resonating… can you sense it now in which direction it is resonating from?”

Shawn’s expression sharpened, and with a nod, he extended his hand. A swirl of dark blue smoke curled around his arm as the broken sword materialised in his grasp. The blade’s jagged edge shimmered in the morning light, glowing faintly as it resonated with an unseen pulse. Princess Selena, seeing this for the first time, was visibly taken aback by Shawn’s power.

“Let’s see,” Makara instructed, gesturing for Shawn to test the sword’s resonance. Shawn did a slow rotation, the blade pulsed like a heartbeat as he turned toward the west. A strong pulse radiated from the broken sword, clearly pointing in that direction.

“The west,” Shawn confirmed, lowering the sword as its light dimmed. “It’s resonating strongly in that direction.”

Princess Selena’s eyes narrowed as she considered the terrain. “That leads to the heart of the forest. There’s nothing there… except an enormous ancient tree. It’s as tall as a mountain and said to be older than any kingdom.”

Makara grinned, “Well, you are not wrong about that.” As all three can see the ancient tree from their camp, visible to their eyes.

With that, Shawn retracted the sword, as it changed into dark blue smoke that dissipated into the air. Makara and Shawn exchanged a nod before turning to Princess Selena. “Lead the way, Princess,” Makara said with a grin.

Princess Selena nodded, her confidence unshaken. Together, the trio prepared for the next leg of their journey, packing up their things from the camp and refreshing themselves before venturing into the towering trees of the Boreal Forest. The shadows beneath the thick canopy loomed larger as they moved deeper into the wilderness, the undergrowth rustling underfoot.

Their destination: to find the second son of King Azure—though none of them knew where he was in this unfamiliar land. But as they journeyed into the unknown, a subtle disturbance lingered in the air, a presence unseen yet ever-watchful, high above, hidden in the endless expanse of sky.

As they started walking through the forest filled with towering trees, Princess Selena’s thinking of many ideas that would make things easy between Shawn and Makara, as they are worried about the wrath of her father because of a decision she made. She paused, turning to face both Shawn and Makara, her gaze steady and serious.

“Before we continue,” she began, her voice clear and deliberate, “I need you to understand something. I may be the Princess of Atlantis, but out here, I’m not wearing that title. I’m just your guide and part of the trio, so please, call me Selena from now on.”

Makara raised an eyebrow, his lips curling into an amused smirk. “Just Selena, huh?” he teased, the corner of his mouth twitching upward. “I suppose we can manage that. No need for royal formalities in a forest.”

Shawn simply nodded in agreement, his usual quiet understanding showing through his expression. He wasn’t one for many words, but his respect for Selena’s choice was clear.

With that understanding in place, the trio began their journey deeper into the heart of the Boreal Forest. Their steps were softened by the moss-covered ground, their movements careful as the forest thickened around them. The further they walked, the more the trees seemed to stretch into the sky, their trunks impossibly wide, like ancient sentinels guarding some forgotten secret. The canopy above grew so dense that only fleeting rays of sunlight broke through, casting ethereal beams of light across the shadowed path.

The atmosphere shifted. Where the morning had once seemed calm and serene, an eerie twilight now surrounded them. It felt as though the forest was drawing them into its depths, swallowing their presence whole.

Selena, usually so sure of herself in unfamiliar terrain, began to slow. Her sharp eyes scanned the environment, noting the unsettling similarity between every tree, every path. Her confidence faltered, and her brow furrowed in thought. The farther they ventured, the stronger the feeling grew that they weren’t making any progress.

“Something feels wrong,” she muttered, her voice barely above a whisper as she glanced at the others.

Makara, ever attuned to his surroundings, was the first to voice what they were all thinking. “Looks like we’re moving through the same area, but it doesn’t feel like it.” His tone was grim, his usual humour absent as his eyes narrowed. He looked to Shawn. “Shawn, which way is the sword fragment resonating now?”

Shawn didn’t summon the sword this time. Instead, he closed his eyes, focusing on the resonance that he had felt before. “It’s still pulling in the same direction,” he said slowly, though his voice was lined with uncertainty. “But it feels… wrong. It seems closer at the same time everything seems off.”

They decided to push forward a bit more, but exhaustion began to weigh on them. After what felt like hours of navigating the increasingly bewildering forest, they paused beneath a massive tree, its big roots twisting up from the earth like the claws of some ancient creature. The silence around them was heavy, broken only by their laboured breathing.

Selena stared into the distance, her mind racing to make sense of the forest’s maze-like pattern. But nothing added up. “This place… It’s not natural, it feels like it is shifting,” she murmured.

Makara, ever perceptive, spoke softly to Shawn, though his tone was laden with meaning. “Shawn… do you feel it too?”

Shawn’s eyes flickered with understanding. He nodded, his voice low and calm with his tone heavy with meaning. “I can feel it. It’s faint… far and all around, but not able to predict it from where?” He glanced and leaned towards Selena, making sure not to alarm her. “We’re not alone,” he said simply. “We’ve been watched for a while now. So keep calm, but stay alert.”

Selena’s expression didn’t betray any fear, but her posture shifted subtly. She nodded in acknowledgement, her hand instinctively hovering near the hilt of her weapon. There was a tension now, a silent understanding that they were walking on a razor’s edge. As they resumed their journey, the feeling of being observed persisted, but more pressing was the growing realisation that they weren’t making any progress. The trees seemed to shift, their positions altering when they weren’t looking, and each turn brought them back to the same ground.

Selena, her frustration barely concealed, spoke what everyone was thinking. “We’re moving in circles. This place seems odd…. but there is nothing here except trees.”

Shawn’s brow furrowed in concentration as he focused on the broken sword piece. “The sword’s resonance is stronger now, but…something is not right,” he hesitated, his frustration growing. “The sword is resonating forward, but as soon as we walk forward, it shifts and resonates backwards, and it is the same for left and right also. It’s like every direction is leading us back to this same point.”

Selena’s eyes darted around, suspicion creeping into her tone. “So if we’re at the point where the sword resonates strongest, but there is nothing here. If this is where it’s leading us, there should be something here. But…” she trailed off, scanning the area. “It’s like a mirage. Or maybe it’s hidden. Underground, perhaps?”

The forest fell silent around them, an unnerving quiet that pressed against their senses. The thick trunks of the trees loomed like silent witnesses, their branches swaying gently with a faint breeze.

Suddenly, the trio sensed a great gust of wind whipping through the clearing, swirling around them in a powerful current. Leaves and dust lifted into the air, creating a chaotic dance around the trio. The force was unnatural, and it struck them all at once—this wasn’t a mere gust of wind.

Makara’s eyes widened in realisation. “It’s not beneath us,” he muttered, his voice low but resolute. “It’s above us… from the sky.“