“Huff! Huff! Huff!…GRRRAAHHH! CRACK!”

The forest is ancient.

“Huff! Huff!…UUGGHHAAA! CRACK!”

It is peaceful.

“Huff! Huff! Huff!”

It is home to many races.

“Guhh! Huff! Huff!”

There is harmony.

“AAAAHHHH! CRACK!”

It has been broken.

As the strained screams and labored breaths continue, they are carried far by a gentle breeze.

They float across the tops of mossy stones that dot a flowing brook.

They weave up and over the thick snaking roots that have broken through the forest floor.

They climb the bodies of mountainous trees as they push through their swaying leaves.

They dance and spin, tumble and dip until they tickle the tips of a pair of long ears.

Resting high upon the branch of an elder tree was a Wood Elf who should have been hard at work.

Known for their unwavering dedication to the Mothers, Wood Elves are revered by many. Though not as powerful as the Ents or Dryads, they do share a passion for tending to the forest children.  

Unlike his dutiful kin, this particular Elf has a peculiar habit of slipping away between meals to sleep off his full belly.

 The tickle becomes an annoyance as it moves down his ears before settling deep inside his mind.

“Mmm!” the Elf grunts as he furrows his brow and rubs his ears, trying to subdue the fluttering buzz to reclaim his nap.

He wakes when the noise finally registers.

In a panic the Elf jumps up and starts frantically searching for the noise.

“What was that?!” He thinks to himself as his ears flick and turn.

“There!” He shouts as he locks onto a location miles away.

The swaying branches and roaring leaves fall silent as he closes his eyes to focus on the sound.

It is foreign.

It is new.

Never before has he heard such screams come from within the forest, and never had he felt such fear from the unknown.

The Elf opens his eyes and looks back at the village he had slipped away from.

Though it is hidden by the thick crowns of leaves he hears the chattering of villagers. Ever so gently subtle whiffs of baked breads and cooked meats fill his nose as the wind blows

He knows he must warn the others, but he takes pause as terrifying thoughts fill his mind.

The angry faces and sharp words of his brothers send a shiver down his spine. His backside begins to burn when thinking of the thrashing his father will administer when he returns home.

The Elf shutters as he turns back towards the noise.

“…Maybe I should investigate first.” The Elf says to himself.

“I would look a fool if it turns out to be nothing.” He says before jumping from the tree branch.  

…

Down on the forest floor, a Faun is slowly making her way towards the mysterious noise. The breeze had met her ears moments before, alerting her to the far-off sounds.

Having lived a life of caution, the Faun had felt a brief tinge of bravery that no other from her clan had felt before. Not wanting to let go of such an exhilarating feeling, the Faun took it upon herself to chase it down.

It took only a few shaky hooved steps before the feeling was gone, and she was left with sweaty palms and the desire to run and hide.

“Come on! Just one more step! You can do it! Just one more!” The Faun says to herself.

“You are stronger than you think! And braver than you know!” She says as she pulls herself onto a large boulder that is wrapped tight by a tree root.

“See! I can do this!” The Faun says standing atop the boulder with her arms raised high in celebration.

Suddenly the Elf lands on the boulder in front of the Faun.

“AAHHH!” The Faun screams in terror as she falls to the ground and curls herself into a ball.

“AAHHH!” The Elf screams as he turns around, startled by the Faun’s scream.

“By the Mothers, you scared me something fierce!” The Elf says, as he clutches his chest.

The Faun whimpers softly as she remains in a tight ball.

“Uh, hello?” The Elf says as he bends over to look at the Faun.

“Are you ok?” He asks.

“…I’m… I’m fine.” The Faun says in a soft voice while keeping her eyes closed tight.

“Oh no, did I hurt you?!” The Elf asks as he examines her body.

“Nope. I’m fine, thank you.” She says.

“Oh good. Here let me help you up.” He says with a relieved sigh while extending his hand down towards the Faun.

The Faun opens her left eye and looks up to see the Elf standing over her with his hand inches from her body.

“No! Um, sorry, no thank you. I’m ok down here.” She says as she closes her left eye and squeezes her body tighter.

“Oh, come now! I promise I won’t bite.” He says looking at the lump laying in front of him.

“Please I feel horrible for startling you. The least I can do is get you back on your feet.”

The Faun remains motionless for a moment before reaching out her left hand. She keeps her eyes closed as she blindly swings it around until the Elf grabs it and pulls her to her feet.

“Huh, now why would you be so far from the village? Did you perhaps get separated from your kin?” The Elf says as he watches the Faun fiddling with her bag strap.

“Yes, I mean no. Well, I mean, you see I heard something.” The Faun says in a meek voice as she tries to avoid eye contact.

“You did? And what was it you heard?” The Elf says, curious with what the Faun will say.

“Oh, um, I’m not sure... It sounded like screaming. Well, faint screaming, but I couldn’t say for certain.” The Faun says.

“You heard it to?!” The Elf shouts.

The Faun looks up, startled by the Elf’s large voice.

“Y-Yes.” The Faun says, fighting the urge to run.

“Then shall we search together?!” The Elf asks excitedly.

The Faun stands silent as she looks at the smiling Elf. The urge to run is growing stronger.

…

Throughout the forest there are rare breaks within the thick canopy. These spots of unobstructed sunlight are known to birth the most beautiful glades. Regarded as blights on the Mothers’ design, the Ents are tasked with protecting the forest inhabitants from these hazardous locations.

Viewed as an honorable duty, individuals of all races are recruited to help support the Ent’s efforts to secure peace within the forest. With exposure to danger high, those who take up the calling forfeit their normal lives for one of solitude.  

It is a sacrifice that many are willing to make.

In one such glade a fallen tree is laying bare in the warm light of the sun. It is surrounded by rich green grass that spreads in every direction, stopping only at the edge of the forest.

Near the tree is a beautiful pond with crystal clear water. It is filled with vibrantly colored fish that cut and dive beneath the lily pad homes of chirping frogs.

At the center of the pond is a brilliant rainbow that dips itself deep within the water before climbing up towards the sky.

It is the most wonderous sight as blooms of flowers spread throughout the rolling grass, as flies of butter and dragon dart through the air above.

Many would confuse it with the heavens if not known to be a place of pure hell.   

On top of the fallen tree is a human man who is straddling its round body. He is breathing heavily as his body sways with every deep breath. Laying on the ground a few steps away is a robe made of green fabric.

“Huff! Huff! Huff!”

“GRRRAAGH!” The man screams as he raises both of his arms into the air. Hoisted high above his head is a large stone that he grips tightly with both hands. A clear liquid is dripping from the stone and landing back on the man’s body.

The man pauses momentarily before bringing the stone down on to the fallen tree.

“CRACK!”

“Huff! Huff!” The man takes a moment to catch his breath.

“What is he doing?” The Faun whispers, confused at what she is looking at.

Behind the man, on the opposite side of the glade, the pair are peeking out from behind a tree.

“I don’t know?... What do you think?” The Elf asks.

“I’m not sure? Maybe he is…” The Faun’s words stop short.

The Elf stands quietly as he waits for the Faun to finish what she is saying.

“Where you going to say something?” The Elf asks as he leans back to look at the Faun.

She doesn’t respond.

The Elf leans back further and sees the Faun standing motionless. Her eyes are open wide, and her mouth shut tight.

“Hey! What’s going on?” The Elf whispers.

The Faun slowly lifts her right hand and points a trembling finger into the glade.

The Elf looks back around the tree and squints his eyes as he scans the glade, trying to figure out what the Faun is pointing at.

Then he found it.

Lying face down in a patch of white flowers is the lifeless body of a female Dwarf. She is wearing the same green robe that is on the ground near the man. The Dwarf’s long red hair is twisted and matted with blood, as clumps of it are scattered around the flowers.

The Elf’s eyes grow large as his blood runs cold.   

To the right he sees the large dead body of a Centaur propped up against the base of a tree. It too is wearing the same green robe as the Dwarf. The Elf notices the Centaur’s front two legs have been snapped above the knee, while large bloody dents cover its body.

His eyes then dart left towards the pond, where he sees three dead fairies floating in the water. Their wings are broken and bent as they are kept submerged by the heavy green robes that cover their tiny bodies.

The Elf watches as the breeze pushes one of the fairies into the glow of the rainbow.

The moment the fairy touches the rainbow the man sitting on top of the tree quickly turns his head to look at her.

“Hey!” The man screams.

“Get away from my rainbow!” He shouts as he slides off the tree, landing on the ground with both feet. The rock held safe in his left hand.  

As the man trudges towards the pond, the Elf notices his tunic is covered with blood. It drips from the man’s clothes with every step he takes.  

“We need to leave!” The Elf whispers to the Faun.

The Faun mumbles something under her breath.

“Did you hear me?!” The Elf whispers again as he steps around the tree towards the Faun.

“Hey! We need to get out of here!” The Elf whispers as he grabs the Faun’s shoulder.

“It’s not a tree.” The Faun says as she keeps looking into the glade.

“What?!” The Elf asks softly.

“It’s not a tree.” The Faun says again as she looks up at the Elf.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about, but its… not… important….” The Elf stops talking as he looks at the fallen tree.

As he stares a face appears. It is broken and smashed in, but he still recognizes it as a face.

He then examines the rest of the tree and sees a twisted arm and two legs.

“It’s an Ent! By the Mothers it’s an Ent!” The Elf shouts.

The man is standing waist deep in the pond, tossing a dead fairy onto the grass. As he reaches for a second, he hears the Elf shouting.

He snaps his head up and sees the Elf standing near a tree at the edge of the glade.

“Hey! Get out of here!” The man screams as he steps out of the pond.

The Elf turns to see the man running towards him. Next to the man he notices a strange object floating in the air.

“What?” The Elf says bewildered, before he is struck in the face with the man’s stone.

The man runs up and picks his stone from the ground before scrambling on top of the Elf. He then starts smashing the Elf’s head with his stone.

“It’s my rainbow! You hear me?! Mine! Don’t you dare look at it!” The man screams.

“Those colors belong to me! They are mine!”

The Faun has crumpled to the ground on the other side of the tree. She is terrified as she hears the man screaming at the Elf.

The urge to run has left her body.

All she can do is hide.  

…

Humans could always hear the whispers.

They came from the eyes in the night sky.

They came from deep down where the fires burned eternal.  

They came from smoke, and they came from venom.

The whispers spoke of a time before the forest. A time when the Mothers were not as tall, and their children not as plenty. It was a time when the skies were free of leaves and the lands were wide and expansive.

As the whispers grew louder, they screamed their pains of stolen histories and long forgotten Kingdoms. They cried tears for the countless dead that were consumed when the forest spread. They spat angry words and cursed the Mothers misdeeds.

The humans only knew of the Mothers love so this burden was too much for them to bear. In an attempt to ease their suffering, the humans searched out the most pious and faithful. They prayed on bloody knees and clutched onto long robes for salvation, but there was none to be found.

Instead, they were given smiles of pity, and words of false hope.

But the whispers would not go away. They kept clawing at the human’s minds, searching for something deep inside.

Then one day a rainbow appeared, and they finally found what they were looking for.

It was a hunger.

A desire to own.

To control.

To rule.

Because of that rainbow the forest began to burn.

Its trees cut down to clear way for new Kingdoms.

Its wood used to construct thrones for new Kings.

Upon their seats, these new Kings covered every rock, stream, and hill in blood before they claimed it for themselves.

The Mothers were overwhelmed as they fell hard to the ground.

The whispers became silent as they watched with joy.

Then once there was nothing new to claim, the Kings turned their attention to each other.  

With their crypts already overflowing with treasures, they still coveted what others had.

It was never enough.

So, the fighting continued without end.