Whispers in the Forest (Part 3)

The god of the forest was just that—a god. 

A being woven from roots and shadow, his existence tied to the heartbeat of the land.

He had long since forgotten his name. Hundreds of years had passed since he had walked as something lesser, something fragile. 

The forest had reshaped him, molded him into a higher being. He was no longer a man, nor a creature—he was something far greater.

And yet, despite all those years, he had never lost his purpose.

This land was meant to be untouched, a place where life flourished in perfect harmony. 

The roots of the trees stretched for miles, forming a vast, interwoven network that pulsed with ancient knowledge. 

They whispered to him, carrying messages of rain and growth, of the creatures that thrived beneath their shade.

It was balanced. It was perfect.

Then the humans had come.

The forest god clenched his jaw, the scar across his face throbbing with the memory. 

The last time men had entered his sacred land, they had left nothing but ruin in their wake. Great walls of fire had swallowed his trees, devouring centuries of life in mere hours. 

The screams of the burning forest had echoed in his mind long after the flames had died.

And so he had torn them apart. He had bathed their bones in the ashes of what they had destroyed.

But time had passed. The land had healed, the roots growing stronger, the trees reclaiming what had once been theirs. For the first time in years, he had felt peace.

And now—humans, once again.

Were they here to finish what the others had started? Were they here to burn, to destroy?

He had felt the defiance in their leader—the dark-haired one with fire behind his eyes. 

That one had struck at the trees, had challenged the very heart of the forest itself. The god had seen the fight in him, the unwillingness to bend.

Foolish.

And yet….

A whisper of uncertainty ran through his mind. 

They had not set fire to the trees. They had not razed the land. They had fought against the forest, yes, but not with malice—only desperation.

Was it possible… that these humans were different?

The vines writhed beneath him, waiting for his command. The roots ached to pull them under, to bury them in the soil as nourishment for new life.

He could end this now.

But then, would he be no different than those who had come before? Would he not be the destroyer, rather than the protector?

His purpose had always been to ensure life flourished. He had killed to preserve that balance.

But needless slaughter? That was something else entirely.

Now, the questioning could begin. He had one of the humans right in front of him. 

He was young, strong—yet fear flickered behind his eyes like a dying flame. 

The god had seen that look before, in the final moments of men who had realized they were at the mercy of something far greater than themselves.

Good. Fear made creatures obedient. Fear made them honest.

He willed the vines to tighten their grip, pulling the man closer, until he hung just before him, face pale beneath the flickering shadows of the leaves.

"What are your intentions, human?" he asked, willing the vines to bring the man closer to him. 

The man, the one they called Ryker, no longer put up a struggle.

"Intentions? What intentions?"

The forest god frowned. Were all humans this dull-witted? Or was this one playing at ignorance?

He changed his words, shaping them into something this fragile mind could grasp. "Do you wish harm upon my sanctuary?"

Ryker blinked, confusion momentarily overriding his fear. "Your sanctuary?"

The forest god gestured around them. "My kingdom. My home. What does your leader plan to do?"

"We were seeking protection from the storm," he stammered, voice hoarse. "That's all. We—we didn't know this place was yours."

The forest god studied him, searching for deception. He had been lied to before, tricked by smooth-tongued invaders who spoke of peace while hiding blades behind their backs.

But this one—this one only reeked of fear.

"What…what are you?" Ryker breathed.

The god tilted his head slightly, golden eyes glinting like sunlight through leaves.

"I am a god," he said simply. "I protect this dominion that you and the other humans have intruded upon."

A silence fell between them, Ryker's fate hanging in the air.

"I believe you, unfortunately," the forest god said. "Let's return to the forest floor. I would like to meet your leader."