Tower of Fangs Tower of Thorns Volume V Chapter 4

 

Chapter 4  The God in the Spruce

(Meanwhile In the past timeline)

The forest seemed endless. Moon loved it. Three days had passed since he descended into Elyria. Three wonderful days. Three days spent wandering without purpose. Without destination. Without responsibility.

The young celestial explored everything. He floated across Streams. Flower fields. Ancient ruins swallowed by moss. Silver lakes hidden beneath towering trees. Every new discovery filled him with excitement.

The world felt alive. Far more alive than the heavens. In the heavens everything had its place. Its purpose. Its order. But Elyria was wild. Unpredictable. Beautiful.

Moon drifted effortlessly through the ancient forest, layers of white celestial fabrics floating around him like drifting clouds. Long ribbons of silver silk trailed behind him, catching sunlight and moonlight alike.

His long black hair flowed nearly to his ankles. Birds occasionally landed on his shoulders. Butterflies followed him. Animals rarely feared him. The young celestial greeted everything with the same curiosity. Even spiders.

Though admittedly he kept a respectful distance from those. Today the forest felt different. The deeper he traveled, the older the woods became. Trees grew larger. Thicker. Older. The sunlight struggled to reach the forest floor. Roots as large as castle walls twisted through the earth. Ancient mushrooms glowed softly beneath shadowed branches.

The air smelled of pine and rain. And something else. Power. Moon slowed.

His black eyes scanned the forest. The sensation grew stronger. The world watched him. Not hostile. Not yet. Aware.

The celestial smiled.

"A spirit?"

He hoped so. The spirits he had encountered so far had been small creatures. River nymphs. Wind sprites. Fox spirits. Beautiful little beings. This presence felt much larger. Much older. Moon continued forward. Hours passed. Then he saw it. The tree stood alone at the center of a vast clearing. Moon stopped floating and slowly landed on the soft earth. A few steps then Moon stopped walking entirely.

The spruce was enormous. Not merely large. Impossible. Its trunk was wider than a fortress. Its roots spread across the clearing like sleeping serpents. Its branches stretched so high they vanished into the heavens.

The tree appeared older than mountains. Older than rivers. Older than memory. Silver-gray bark shimmered beneath shafts of sunlight. Animals gathered peacefully beneath its branches. Deer. Foxes. Rabbits. Birds. None feared one another. They simply rested. As though protected. As though sheltered.

Moon stared upward.

His expression filled with wonder.

"What a beautiful tree."

The forest immediately became silent. Every animal froze. The wind ceased. The birds stopped singing.

Moon blinked. Something had changed. Then the tree opened its eyes. Two enormous green eyes appeared within the bark. Ancient. Watchful. Powerful. Moon stared. The tree stared back. Several moments passed.

Then Moon smiled brightly.

"Hello."

The tree did not return the greeting. The green eyes narrowed. The forest groaned. Roots shifted beneath the earth. The entire clearing trembled.

Moon tilted his head. Confused.

The tree's voice arrived like distant thunder.

"Another one."

The words rolled across the forest. Ancient. Heavy. Filled with bitterness.

Moon blinked.

"Another what?"

The tree's eyes narrowed further.

"Celestial."

The word sounded like an insult.

Moon looked surprised.

"That's correct."

The tree growled.

A sound like mountains grinding together.

"You come from the heavens."

Moon nodded.

"Yes."

The growl deepened.

"You come to replace us."

Moon frowned.

"No."

The tree immediately roared. The forest exploded. Roots burst from the earth. Massive wooden tendrils erupted from beneath the clearing.

Moon's eyes widened. The roots struck. The celestial vanished. The roots shattered the ground where he had stood.

Moon reappeared twenty feet away. Floating lightly above the grass. His expression wasn't angry. Only confused.

"Why are you attacking me?"

The tree's eyes blazed.

"Because your kind always lies."

The ground split apart. Dozens of roots erupted simultaneously. Huge. Powerful. Faster than arrows.

Moon moved. His body danced through the attacks effortlessly. One moment he stood upon the ground. The next he balanced upon a twisting root no wider than a finger. Then another. Then another. He moved impossibly lightly. Like drifting moonlight. Like a falling leaf.

The roots crashed through the clearing. Moon never touched the ground. The celestial's long silver sash floated around him. The heavenly robe. A strip of divine silk draped across his shoulders. Beautiful. Elegant. Harmless. At least it appeared harmless.

Another root lunged. Moon flicked his wrist. The sash moved. The silk suddenly hardened. The root shattered. The ancient tree paused.

Moon blinked.

"Oh."

He looked mildly surprised.

"I didn't mean to break that."

The tree roared louder. Branches twisted. The forest awakened. The battle escalated. Thousands of vines erupted from every direction. Not ordinary vines. Divine vines. Ancient roots infused with the power of a god.

Entire hillsides exploded apart. Trees uprooted themselves. The earth cracked open. Gigantic wooden tentacles thicker than castle towers burst from beneath the clearing. They writhed through the sky like living dragons.

Moon's eyes widened.

"That's a lot."

The tentacles descended. The heavens vanished beneath wood and leaves. The impact shattered the landscape. Mountains of earth erupted upward. Shockwaves flattened forests for miles.

Moon vanished in a flash of silver. The wooden tentacles collided with one another. The explosion echoed across the wilderness.

Moon appeared high above the battlefield. His white fabrics billowed around him. Dozens of silver ribbons spiraled through the air. The celestial looked almost like a living star.

Below him the forest god unleashed his true power. The entire forest moved. Millions of roots awakened. Ancient trees bent toward the sky. Wooden serpents emerged from rivers. Towering giants formed from bark and stone. The clearing transformed into a battlefield between gods.

Moon sighed softly.

"Please stop."

Tapio answered with action. A colossal wooden arm rose from the earth. Larger than a mountain. It swung downward. Moon raised one hand. Silver light erupted. His flowing fabrics expanded. Thousands of glowing ribbons unfurled behind him like celestial wings. The wooden arm collided with the silver cloth.

The impact split the clouds. A shockwave blasted across the horizon. Forests bent beneath the force. The silver fabrics wrapped around the gigantic arm. Moon gently pulled. The mountain-sized construct unraveled instantly. Reduced to harmless petals and leaves.

Tapio's eyes widened. Then narrowed. The forest god stepped fully into battle. His colossal spirit emerged from the spruce. A towering deity formed from bark, roots, antlers, leaves, and living forests.

His body stretched hundreds of feet into the sky. Green divine fire burned within his eyes. Wooden tentacles erupted from his back. Dozens. Then hundreds. Each one capable of crushing castles. The sky darkened. The forest deity roared. The world answered.

Moon floated silently before him. Tiny by comparison. Fragile. Beautiful. Then silver light exploded from his body. The heavens opened. Moon's robes transformed. Layer upon layer of celestial fabric unfurled endlessly around him. White silk. Silver ribbons. Flowing veils of moonlight. They spiraled through the sky like rivers of stars.

The battlefield became a clash between forest and heaven. Wood against moonlight. Roots against starlight. Ancient god against celestial wanderer.

it is battle between gods, a celestial versus earthbound deity. It was a beautiful battle, heaven versus wilderness, elegance versus raw force.

The sky is filled with hundreds of gigantic wooden tentacles, roots, vines, and living branches erupting from the earth. Entire hills split apart as colossal roots twist through the landscape. At the center floats Moon, an androgynous celestial child with snow-pale skin, long flowing black hair, and countless layers of white silk robes and celestial veils swirling around him. His silver heavenly sash expands into thousands of glowing moonlit ribbons stretching across the sky. The fabrics dance like living stars. Across from him stands Tapio's divine spirit form: behind him formed from bark, roots, leaves, antlers, moss, and living trees. Emerald fire burns within his eyes. Massive wooden tendrils erupt from his back like divine serpents. Moon gracefully dances between mountain-sized attacks while white and silver fabrics bind and redirect the forest god's power. 

Tapio attacked first. Hundreds of wooden tentacles struck simultaneously.

Moon moved. The world slowed. Silver fabrics danced around him. Every ribbon became a weapon. Every veil became a shield. The celestial weaved through impossible attacks.

Tentacles shattered mountains. Moon slipped between them. Roots split valleys. Moon danced across them. Branches pierced the clouds. Moon spun around them. His movements resembled a graceful dance rather than combat. The silver fabrics wrapped around attacking roots. Redirected them. Bound them. Disarmed them. Never killing. Never destroying more than necessary.

Tapio grew furious. The forest deity slammed both hands into the earth. Entire forests rose into the sky. Wooden dragons emerged from rivers.

Living mountains charged forward. The battlefield became chaos. Moon finally stopped retreating.

His black eyes softened. Then he raised both hands. The silver fabrics behind him expanded. Miles of celestial cloth filled the heavens. Moonlight poured from every strand. The sky became white. The forest became silver. For a brief moment it looked as though the moon itself had descended.

The celestial ribbons surged forward. Not violently. Not cruelly. Gently. Beautifully. They wrapped around every dragon. Every root. Every giant. Every tentacle. The entire army froze. Bound by moonlight.

Tapio stared. For the first time he understood. This child could have destroyed him from the beginning. Yet he refused. The realization struck harder than any attack. Still his rage remained.

"STOP MOCKING ME!"

The forest exploded. Every root. Every branch. Every vine. Attacked simultaneously. Moon finally sighed. His black eyes softened. Then he raised one hand. Silver light gathered. Warm. Gentle. Beautiful. The world became still.

A thousand feathers erupted from Moon's back. The forest froze. The feathers drifted through the clearing like snow.

Then light condensed beside him. A small figure appeared. A child. Tiny. Radiant. A cherub.

Platinum hair shimmered beneath the sunlight. Small white wings fluttered gently behind his back. His blue eyes glowed softly. The cherub looked no older than eight.

Moon smiled.

"Hello, Anri."

The cherub smiled back. Then looked toward the forest god. The next attack arrived. A tidal wave of roots and spikes. Anri clasped his tiny hands together.

A sphere of silver light expanded instantly. The roots struck. Nothing happened. The barrier didn't even tremble. The forest god stared. For the first time he felt fear.

The little angel closed his eyes. His hands remained folded together. Then he began singing. The song wasn't loud. It didn't need to be.

The melody drifted across the clearing. Gentle. Beautiful. Ancient. And suddenly the forest god remembered.

A little girl. Long ago. Very long ago. A child bringing cloudberries to the sacred spruce. A small smile. Tiny hands placing offerings among the roots. Her laughter. Her gratitude. Her love. More memories followed.

Hunters thanking him for successful hunts. Families praying beneath his branches. Children playing in his forests. People. Mortals. They had loved him once. Before kingdoms. Before wars. Before forgetting. The forest god trembled. The rage vanished. The roots stopped moving. The vines fell lifelessly to the ground.

The song continued. Soft. Comforting. The old god closed his eyes. When he opened them again he remembered who he had once been. Not merely a survivor. Not merely a forgotten relic. A protector. A guardian. A god.

The massive spruce groaned. Its bark cracked. Silver light spilled outward. Moon watched curiously. The tree began changing. The ancient trunk opened. Peeling apart like a shell.

Something stepped forward. A man. Tall. Magnificent. Powerfully built. His skin was fair as moonlit birch. Long brown hair fell across broad shoulders. Green eyes shimmered with the depth of endless forests. A crown of roots and autumn leaves rested upon his head. Antler-like branches rose from the crown. Making him appear both kingly and wild. The scent of pine and rain surrounded him. Every step caused flowers to bloom.  

Moon stared. Fascinated. 

The forest god stared back.

Then sighed.

"You truly are different."

Moon smiled.

"I keep hearing that."

The ancient god laughed softly.

The sound resembled rustling leaves.

"My name is Tapio."

Moon's smile brightened immediately.

"My name is Moon."

Tapio studied him. This strange celestial. This foolishly kind child from heaven. Then finally the old god smiled. The first genuine smile he had worn in centuries. The forest breathed once more. Birds returned. The wind moved through the branches. And beneath the ancient spruce the first friendship of Moon's journey quietly began.