It was just past dusk, the silence of the forest only disturbed by the clicking of insects and the occasional birdcall. A small breeze flew past, the trees responding with a light rustling of their leaves alongside the hushed calls of their inhabitants. At this late time, just as those who had been foraging throughout the day were preparing for sleep, the land painted a tired, ephemeral picture.

This gave rise to an atmosphere of fatigue; what little sounds that remained of the day forming a gentle lullaby, at the same time rousing the dwellers of the night from their slumber. Soon this transition would be complete with the sun being replaced completely by the moon, and the night would reign until the dawn. However, unlike most days, this transition was not fated to be quite as smooth as usual, nor the night as inactive.

CRRAAAAAAAAAAAAASSSSSSHHH

All of a sudden a great thundering reverberated throughout the lands, shattering the tired mood present. Alongside this disturbance, a short rumbling could even be felt within the earth, further disturbing the tired wildlife, which could be seen panicking, fluttering toward the sky or jumping amongst the trees in an attempt to escape some unseen threat.

The original sound was actually rather short, but its echoes could be heard bouncing off of hills and over treetops with wild abandon for some time afterwards. Even when these echoes had finally run out of energy, the wildlife took no comfort in their end. The previously sleeping or tired beings were full of life, as well as fright, resulting in a cacophony of birdcalls, bestial howling’s and more, filling the land and showing no signs of stopping anytime soon.

Of course, the cause of this disturbance was the struggle between the Great Tree and a certain Plain One, who was now little more than paste beneath many tons of wood. This result could hardly be considered surprising; the branch of the Great Tree dropped upon the man was itself the size of a common tree, and after falling from such a great height, it had reached a very high speed. However, regardless of this, the scene atop the hill was still shocking.

Where previously the man was being held down could now only be found a wide crater; the impact of the branch was actually so great it had actually displaced the earth, throwing soil around in an explosive fashion. Within the crater could be seen the impressive branch, which was just barely able to fit inside. Presumably the ‘remains’ of the Plain One were also within, but finding them would be a very difficult task. Luckily the Great tree was able to use its senses to peer directly past the debris, swiftly verifying its enemy was indeed exterminated.

As for the dismembered branch itself, the surface of its bark was twisted and covered in cracks. Splinters could be seen sticking out all along its length, and there was more than one location where the branch was almost further bisected, but in the end it could at least be said that it remained in one piece. After all, despite being disconnected to the Great Tree, it had still been nurtured for many long years, so retained durability comparable to steel.

The atmosphere of the hill seemed to still be under pressure despite the seeming victory. Although the Great Tree had removed the immediate threat, it knew that the child was not yet safe. The Plain One’s compatriots may have decided to head towards the hill, which would be disastrous for the child. Normally the Great Tree would have been able to simply check if this was the case, but unfortunately, it was utterly exhausted.

The extended struggle, controlling the thousands of thread like roots to bind whilst simultaneously manipulating its own aura to sever its branch was simply far to taxing. This was especially the case considering the Great Tree had only recently awakened to its new state of mind, with little time to adjust.

In fact, the severing of the branch itself had also been very painful. Unlike the tiny threadlike roots which were severed by the dozen whilst trying to bind the Plain One, this was an ancient branch which had been a part of the Great Tree since shortly after its inception. The loss this time was equivalent to the loss of a limb, even if the Great Tree had dozens of similar limbs.

Yet this pain was forcibly ignored alongside any thoughts of celebration by the Great Tree. In fact, after the severing the Great Tree had had virtually no thoughts, its determination and exhaustion had meant that it was only capable of pouring all its effort into a single action. Afraid that attempting to search for signs of further enemies would be the last action it was capable of, the Great Tree instead focused only on moving its roots making up the small hole the girl was taking refuge in, trying to close the opening, praying that this task would be complete before new enemies arrived.

Thankfully, it did not have to wait long.

The branches collision with the earth could be heard almost throughout the entire forest, but the nearby village of Green Ones, who were so close that they could actually see the Great Tree, quite literally felt the impact. It would be strange if they were to ignore such a startling event; a dozen or so of them headed in the direction of the sound to investigate the cause, with appropriate caution. When this group reached the top of the hill and saw the sight there, the crater full of shattered splinters and fallen leaves, they were utterly shocked, stupefied at the destruction.

Meanwhile, ever since the impact the Green One child had been very quiet, with the exception of only a few nigh inaudible whimpers. She was in fact rendered almost catatonic from the fear produced by the deafening sound, the vibrations of which she could still feel in her bones. She was after all so very close to the impact, the small hole she had taken shelter in now actually opened into the crater itself. Luckily, despite her silence, she was quickly discovered by her Green One elders.

When they found the small girl in a hole right next to the crater, shock was once again painted on the faces of the newly arrived Green Ones, but they quickly regained their senses and attempted a rescue. Far too little time had passed for the Great Tree to block the opening, so the girl was soon safely in their hands. Considering the average speed and strength of a Green One, at this point even if new enemies showed up it would be of no consequence.

…finally…safe…

Ensured that finally the child was in safe hands, the Great Tree allowed its mind to fully fall from consciousness.