Chapter 183: Prep For War; Feeling (P3)

It's more of a surprise to me the voice the Giant tree creature uses than the fact that it speaks at all.

The sound I hear are of several voices in a loud, resounding chorus, all of them beautiful things that cause the surrounding grass life to shiver and grow. Even the ones squashed beneath my butt struggle to stand upright, I can clearly feel them squirming and shifting, and see them growing from underneath me.

I give them the space they need and sit on a rock instead.

The giant tree creature does not smile, not actively. The faces on its several heads seem to be embedded there permanently, I suppose those will no shift. Even the mouth where one would suspect a voice would come through doesn't move.

I'm left staring at a beautiful tree root sculpted face as I speak with it, but I don't mind, it's a marvel anyway.

Anselm nearly falls out of the sky freaking out at the sudden movement of the giant he'd been circling and studying. He soon retreats to my side and stutters, "So, I assume this has something to do with you?"

I chuckle, still a bit breath taken, "Yes, I would think so as well, but we should hear from it first."

Anselm nods and looks towards the giant expectantly, as expectantly as everyone else woken up by the fuss of a tree standing outside the camp, all including Piol.

Finally, it speaks again, "Do you know who we are?" its chorus of voices support the fact that it is indeed a collective and not just an individual. 

Though, that little uncovered fact prompts a new question of its own – a collective of what?

Already, with what I've seen and felt, of what I still see and feel. I would accurately and confidently declare this creature as not a creature at all, but rather a spirit. 

"I think I have a rough idea. You're a spirit, aren't you? The spirit of that forest." I point behind it; in the direction it came from where the trees are plentiful and the shrubbery is thick.

It's giant head creaks as it nods, "Indeed. But you are wrong in assuming that the forest is simple where the trees and creatures are. The forest is here as well, that is why the grass before you grows long and strong."

True enough, the grass, previously simple a carpet height now dares to swallow me and everyone in its thickness. In the time after it spoke for the first time and just now, the grass has managed to grow up to my waist, even as I stand on a rock.

I nod, impressed but hoping it won't grow any longer than it has, lest we get lost in the thick. "So, what do you want with me then?" I urge. It's always one thing or another with spirits and beings that have powers like this.

Either they want me to serve them, or they want to kill me and then have me serve them. So many egotistical beings of power.

"I was the one who sent the little ones after you." It booms, I wonder a bit if its manner of speech is telepathic.

"Yeah, I figured."

It nods again, branches falling off and fresh fruit dropping to the ground from its head. 

"I would need you to die or leave this place." 

I blink. It says this so plainly it almost sounds like a request. Not a threat even, just like someone listing out the options you have in regard to something mundane.

I nearly choke as I try to reply, "Y-you want me dead? Why?"

Slowly, the giant raises its long arm, curves the thin, sharp branches that act as fingers until it's left pointing, pointing at Panda.

"You have birthed a little one as well."

"Uhh…yes."

"To achieve this, you have summoned and used not just your own foul power but that of a terror laying deep in the recesses of the Reais."

Here Anselm finally speaks, "You mean. There was another presence, another power during that ritual?"

My eyes widen and my jaw hangs open, "I mean…I thought." Wait…what was I thinking? I clearly felt it, flowing through me and into Panda.

The giant drops its arm and inches closer to Anselm, "Yes, child Frozia. There was indeed another presence feeding the birth of the little one."

"Who was it? How do I stop it from happening again?" I demand. My head suddenly aching. 

How is it that I was perfectly fine with this? Power from an unknown source? I mean…what are the consequences?

"We do not practice these dark arts. We are the protector of the forest and all it's inhabitants from the outside."

It begins to stand, but it's head is still focussed on me, "We have simply come to request that you leave the forest on your own accord. We realize it would be far too costly to drive you out ourselves, even if we were to be successful, the loss to the forest is unacceptable."

Right.

"But…I can't leave just yet." As I utter these words the ground erupts with several plants with egg shaped heads and purple skin.

Even without confirmation, I can already tell that this spirit has taken my words as a declaration of war and these purple pod plants contain poison.

And just as its feet begin to crack open and more of its little ones creep out I yell out, "Wait! Wait! Wait! I don't want to fight!"

I definitely don't want to fight with a forest whose only inhibition is the fact that some of its plants might die. I've got it pretty lucky already, best not screw it up.

"But you do not wish to leave."

"Yes," I yell, my hand up in surrender, not that it might understand what the gesture means anyway, "But I have things to do in that settlement."

The giant turns, facing Demme, "The nest of humans that caused my forest to stop growing without my active presence." It sounds pained and full of rage. "They continually slay my creatures…but then, my creatures seek them out as food, survival."

It almost seems like it is debating whether or not to walk over to Demme and start a new forest right in the centre. At the moment, the crimes of humans in there seem to tie with the aggression of the forest creatures it protects.

I realize a tip might cause it to go mad.

"Yes, I just want to help them out. I won't perform that ritual here again, nor will I hurt your forest!" I mean this to my very core. I haven't the balls to try something so stupid.

The Giant pauses for a moment, a long moment.

"Very well." I speaks at last, "If you do not abide by your word, I will kill you."