Severance

A hush took over the officials as Hera gripped her staff tightly.

The golden metal began to hum, and a warmth spread throughout it, searing into her palm until a thin line of blood had formed. 

The familiar power began to course through her veins. 

She began to speak the line. A chant that she'd practiced since she was a child. 

"By ember and ash, by the star that shattered, I sever the bonds of the divine."

The creature eyed the staff, golden eyes now wary. 

"Do you understand what it is you hold?" He asked, a tinge of fear in his voice. 

Hera smiled but didn't respond. That fear was enough motivation for her. This creature understood what was about to happen. 

She lunged forward, bringing the staff around in a wide arc. 

The trees and vines curled away from her as she flew toward the creature.

He threw up his arms to block the swing, but it was too late. 

The staff struck true, slamming into the creature's side. 

A roar of agony tore from his throat as the energy burned through him, scorching divine essence from his form. 

The wound did not heal. The damage did not mend.

It had worked. 

This…god was no longer a god. He was just a mortal creature in the presence of this weapon. 

*******

The forest god held back a second scream. He could not show weakness in front of these humans. 

But his body seemed to be faltering. 

His connection to the forest snapped, and for the first time in his existence, he felt vulnerable.

The woman smiled at his reaction, twirling the staff in her hands. "Not so untouchable after all," she murmured, stepping forward.

The god of the forest tried to regain control. 

He reached out to the trees, the vines, the roots. But they did not answer. They did not hear him. 

The staff had severed their bond.

Another strike came out of nowhere.

He barely managed to avoid it, twisting away, but the energy still grazed his arm, sending another wave of searing pain through his body. 

He stumbled back, golden ichor dripping from the fresh wound. 

He had been foolish.

This was not a battle he could win. Not now.

With a final glare at Hera, he whispered into the wind, calling upon the last remnants of his strength. 

The trees shuddered and a powerful gust of wind rushed through the clearing, carrying his body upward, deeper into the safety of his domain. 

His form flickered and disappeared into the canopy.

But before he was gone, his voice echoed one last time, directed at Kael.

"She carries the star's wrath. If you wish to live, run away as fast as you can."

His kingdom was doomed now. His power was gone. 

The god closed his eyes as the energy continued to drain from him. 

If the forest died, he would let himself die as well. 

*******

A hundred meters out, just beyond the edge of the torchlight, Kael and his friends watched in horror. 

The forest god's final whisper had reached him just a moment before. 

That staff.

What had he meant by the star's wrath?

Whatever it was, it was strong. How had one weapon been able to repel a god?

It seemed impossible. 

But the god's statement had held one truth Kael was sure of. If they wished to live, they needed to run away. Now. 

Doing so would mean leaving behind this forest, who's life was present and real. 

The whispers that were carried on the wind, the way the forest moved. It was a living creature. 

A tinge of guilt ached in Kael's stomach. They had been too careless leaving tracks for the officials to track. 

He had thought most of them would've been covered by the rain. 

Kael had been wrong. It was a grave mistake, and this forest would suffer for it.

And still, the god wanted them to live? He didn't want them to pay for bringing such a destructive force into his kingdom?

None of it seemed right. 

Kael stood up, readying his pickaxe. 

"Kael?" Elysia asked. "What're you doing?"

"I'm buying time. I want the rest of you to run. This was my mistake, and I intend to deal with it. I'm going to stop them from destroying this forest."

Elysia's eyes darkened. "You're out of your mind."

"We don't have time to argue." Kael turned to her, his gaze unwavering. "I won't let another place be burned to the ground. Not again."

She clenched her jaw, torn between stopping him and understanding him. But time was slipping through their fingers.

The ground trembled. The sound of advancing officials echoed through the trees.

Elysia cursed under her breath. "Then we fight."

"No—" Kael started, but it was too late. She had already drawn her weapon.

Ryker stepped up beside them, bloody but standing. "We all do."

Kael let out a slow breath. This time, they wouldn't run. Even if it meant certain death.

Starting forward, Kael led his friends toward the officials, head on. 

It was too late to turn back now. Their decision had been made. 

Hefting his pickaxe, Kael charged forward.

The battle for the forest had begun.