Man vs. Nature

Green leaves clapped with the direction of the wind. Their applause becoming louder the faster the mighty gusts tried to blow past them.

“This way,” their branches warn with a groan.

The leaves chirping along with them, “hurry, Hurry, HURRY,” they began to urge with more vigor; their whispers turning to roars.

Trees pull their roots up; tucking them away with their main anchor located directly beneath them as the forest’s brawn shifted to cut through the soft dirt. Jagged rocks and river boulders alike crested out of the soil showing only a fraction of their girth as they cut between the trees headless of any straggling roots. The trees forgave any strikes as they herded their less stationary brethren toward their assailants.

Around the north edge of the forest the gust died away signaling a halt near a clearing. Hard peaks nestled in the shadows of tall oaks, girthy cedars, and prickly pines or camouflaged themselves against the albino bark of birches. There they laid in wait and bore witness to why they were summoned.

Before them a willow stooped into the large spring’s opening at its base. Its dewy flowers quivering a painful lament as an unknown entity beneath its branches carved into its body. Another of the unearthly creatures stood on the banks drinking in the living waters being tainted by the willow's sour tears. Both monsters’ forms were unfamiliar. They stood like trees but were almost limbless like rocks. They also were able to move across the land like wind or water but did not need a vessel to stop their progress. Worst of all, the ghastly beasts were clad in polished shells made from earth’s veins. All the forest shivered at the strength the evil beasts must have possessed to commit such an atrocity.

The site of their dead being used as cover whilst the oafs violated their kin enraged the rocks more than it struck fear. Together they were one body. Where one hurt, they all hurt and if one part died, the rest would surely fallow. A need to protect almost circumvented reason, but they remembered they must wait for the signal, so they remained with vengeance in their thoughts.

The creature, not tasting the curse he sipped, uttered ghastly noises, “Sire, I don’t think we should be here. Something is not quite right about this place. The villagers say it is cursed.”

Its companion beneath the branches emerged a moment to say, “Superstitious nonsense spread by the nobles to stop poaching. Besides, the wizard says its here and he has never lead me astray.”

The reassurance was not enough to shake off the uneasy feeling the other had. The quiet unnerved the two legged beast on the shore. It looked around noting the lacking signs of animal occupation. “Well, It must not have stopped them. I don’t even hear a bird your majesty. I really think we ought to leave.”

“Nonsense, squire, I know for a fact. I ordered it myself. Why don't you finish carving this marker for me, so that we might get back to our quest.” The carver bellowed in the base of the trunk; still pressing into his work.

The willow shrieked a cry for help and the forest tensed at the ready.

The surrounding trees trilled their leaves in a hiss, “Now.”

Rounded rocks rolled out of the soil and knocked behind the beasts legs, toppling it onto the bank. The jagged stone came to slice at the gaps in the beast protection. All the while the monster writhed and attempted to stab them with a honed bit of their deceased brethren. The object glanced off the hard stones in a shower of sparks. The beast let out a cry for help but was quickly smothered into the dirt; finally subdued him.

Together the forest used the creature’s body and weapons as retribution for its trespassing. The trees reached out with their roots twining themselves around appendages and pulling their share of the creature towards themselves. Its rotting flesh would be used to restore damages sustained in the attack. The rocks tamped the husk and blade left behind back into the warm recesses of the earth where it might be smelted into new life.

The confrontation lasted only a few moments and all the remaining monster heard was a squeak from his squire. He paused at the odd noise and held his breath. He listened, a seed of doubt at his own words growing panic inside him. All he heard was the rustle of leaves and groaning of rock. Then, nothing.

“Squire?” he called out with a hitch, he covered over with the bellow of his own propaganda, “Do not toy with me boy! I am King and have been placed over these lands by the gods themselves. I now deem it that pranks are treason!”

Still, no answer.

The fiend peered between the long strands of greenish yellow foliage and across the other side of the clear waters where he left his squire. He saw a formation of rocks clustered near where he left his underling. Had that formation been there? The creature furrowed its brows in confusion. His thoughts so deep in contemplation it did not register the lithe branches coiling like roots around its ankles.

The willow, emboldened by its friends around it, took control of its own fate. The tree hulled the beast upside down; letting its face smash and drag a bit on the ground as it yanked it’s attacker up in the air. The beast screamed in horror and slashed at the air with a weapon similar to his squires. It managed to hack a branch before the willow plunged it into the water.

The waters also angry at being taken from and upset over their friend’s savaging poured themselves into the monster till he was close to bursting. The water bonded with the water it found in the creature and implored it to flee with them. The waters of life receded together.

The willow pulled up a dripping husk. The shell he wore slid off with ease and fell into the water with a waveless plop. The water let the shell sink to the bottom as its own trophy for helping. The willow tossed the body onto the waters shores allowing it to lap it apart with its occasional waves; slowly wearing it away to sand and minerals for the willow to use in later days.

The forest settled back into itself. With their foes vanquished they could continue on in peace and in the balance of life’s slow journy.