(M)As We Fall: Part 1

[Average Hero]

The stage was set, the mannequins were all in perfect play, and the coating of dark colors fell over the horizon like a curtain, only dotted quietly by the light of flames that tore into the sky. The moon hung overhead and a cry across the tangled webs of trees echoed for miles. A sense of sorrow joined into the noise like a low tune symphony, and it was enough to make stop and think. The clouds had all but rolled in to bring the rains as the season had begun.

Aetherius, the Wolf god lay on his perch scanning all the valley with his ever watchful eye. Even as he did, it was apparent that in comparison to the years before, there wasn't much to watch over. Still however, the wolf's pride was justified as the spirits began to come awake for the night. A light clacking of hollow wood sound erupted from the spirits of the trees, like the sounds that begged for rain from the old humans that had died of decades ago. At this point, he almost longed for their neediness.

In the few years up till now, a new group of humans had sprung from hell and high waters to in a certain way, terrorize the beasts of the forests. But it wasn't their guns and bombs that they feared. It was the hatred and darkness that followed in their wake, that left even the strongest of beasts acting like nothing more than a mere pup fighting for its meat that evening. It truelly was something you could see just by the light of their over-built cities.

"Disgusting." Aetherius' lips curled as his teeth bore at the thought of them walking into his forest. He was more than sure many of the gods and goddesses felt the same. But what lengths were they willing to go to protect their home? This he did ponder on quiet nights such as these, they didn't have the wolf pride, and so was it easy for them to walk away. Even as a God he didn't understand all things and their actions, and while willing to learn, certain attitudes were at best difficult for him to perceive.

The winds blew, and dying petals and the smell of burning wood as well as ash peppered his nose and caused a stir of discomfort as he snorted and turned his head away from them.

[Rho Aias VII]

Disclaimer: I write in first person, it’s who I am. I can understand it can be breaking in flow, since so many people write in third person, but this is how I express my characters best. I’m sorry if it creates any problems in advance.


Many, many seasons ago, I had crawled out of my den and into the surrounding clearing, soaking up the final rays of the sun’s warmth in my fur. As time went on, that warmth began to feel less and less comforting to me, as slowly, humans began to cut their way into the forests in their hunger for expansion. Life retreated back into the shade of the trees in the centre of the forest in a vain attempt to escape the oncoming death that they knew was coming for them. I was one of the stubborn ones, staying in the clearing I’d set for myself millennia ago, close enough to the centre to be safe, and far enough away to feel as though I had freedom from the other Gods.

Through my stubbornness, I’d managed to put myself so close to the edge of the lining of trees that sometimes I thought I could hear the humans arguing and fighting. Sometimes I’d found myself contemplating whether to walk out of the forest, despite what any other Gods would think, to hit some sense into these ignorant mortals. Yet every time I actually considered it, my body wouldn’t obey my mind, and I would slowly crawl back into my burrow. It was like a recurring dream, happening every few days over the past two seasons.

And I was getting sick of it.

Worse yet was the particular scent tonight, the burning of wood from trees that had protected me for my entire existence. Not just trees that took up the fringe, but trees that had spirits of their own, ones that were filled with their own memories and grew as they wished. They were beautiful things, and these people felt they could just take it for themselves. Before my hot blood could cause an outburst, I pulled all of my concentration together and, coincidentally, my body as well.

Fur pulled itself into skin, paws turned to feet and hands, and my entire anatomy shifted into that of a human. Recently, I wasn’t sure many Gods were interested in taking human form, due to the recent problems that had been occurring, but it was peaceful, sometimes. There was less of me to show to the world, and for that, I was willing to make the sacrifice of looking like something that so many others seemed to despise.

Out of boredom, I began padding my way towards the centre of the forest, and towards anyone else who would be bothered to wake to the beginning of the change of the season. Even now, it was sad how many could ignore what was happening, and just continue on with their immortal lives.

“The biggest problem with eluding death for millennia,” I murmured to myself.

[Wintersend]

Aryin the Falcon goddess walked among the ruins of a once beautiful land, now ravished by the destructive nature of the humans. She was angry with them for destroying what she and so many others had so kindly provided for the mortals; who now took what they pleased. Aryin felt sorrow for those that were lost to the illness of human corruption. Beasts and Gods alike were changing, and there was nothing to stop them beside those few who chose to fight back. She was one of those few, but she would never harm the little ones among the devils. She knew not why she couldn't hurt them, but something within herself wouldn't allow it.

Troubled she took to the night sky in a single bound changing shape into the beautiful Gerfalcon;letting out a piercing screech to signal her place among the skies. The moon hitting her form, at just the right angle that it seemed she was a miniature star herself. Her sharp eyes watched for any hint of danger as she soared at peace among the stars. Often, when troubled she would take to the skies to clear her head; not knowing what it was that brought her to do so. Only that it brought her peace that could not be matched anywhere else she would have been.

But, what she truly yearned for was a storm. A storm to wipe away the damage that the humans had wrought. She wanted to be able to take what they did back, and fix it all. But, that was not within her power. She had many powers, but the one she wanted most would never be possible. She took notice of Aetherius, but made no notion to speak with him. She wanted to soar among the stars and feel the wind in her feathers. She wanted to forget all the problems of the world, and go back to the way it was before. Would that even be possible? She thought to herself.

She caught scent of burning wood and spotted fires raging in camps and her fury escalated. One could tell by looking at her flight pattern. When calm it would seem as if she were floating in the clouds, but when angry it was like she was fighting storm winds. She would scare these humans if it was the last thing she did. She may not want to destroy them, but making them fear was a completely different topic.

[Preach]

Ute's lake was still tonight, and the waterfowl that lived there were all asleep on the fringe of the water, nestled in reeds. Ute couldn't sleep though. The smell of burning trees was in the air, she paddled in the water restlessly. For the past few months, more and more humans had found their way to the lake she considered her home, and she had done her part to scare them away, going as far as drowning one or two who got too confident. It was warranted though, at least in her mind, they had come here intending to kill her birds- it was done more as a form of defense rather than revenge. Once upon a time she wouldn't have minded hunters, it was part of the natural cycle, after all - humans needed to eat too. However in recent years, she found the presence of these hunters, few and far-between as they were, absolutely unbearable. The lake was nearer the center of the forest which meant she had less of them to deal with than the other Gods who chose to stay on the edges, but it still annoyed her terribly.

A southerly wind blew and carried with it a shrill screech, as well as intensifying the burning smell. It sickened her. She considered for a moment taking flight to get a better view of the damage, but decided against it, what destructive act could be seen that she hadn't already seen before? The last time she had flown for surveillance, she had seen humans putting up some sort of structure on the edge of a river - soon after, the water flowing downstream from the structure had turned putrid and murky, most of the fish had died and many other animals had to abandon that river completely.

Ute let out a hiss -the closest she could get to laughter in this form- as she remembered flying low over it in the daytime, how scared the humans there had been! She had heard rumours about the consequences later, that they had abandoned the building for three days out of fear. Though she knew if she tried that again, they would likely try to kill her, which meant she would have to fight them on their own turf - an occurrence she didn't anticipate eagerly. Off in the distance, she heard the sound of gunfire, closer than it had been the previous nights. It worried her. She wondered if the other Gods heard it, too.

[Heroic Hope]

Mallesti held back her head and squinted her eyes shut in disgust. The smell of human sweat and the burning of sacred trees was too much, too hateful, and too putrid. Her eyes, reflecting in the night she loved so well, darted about as the python weaved about on the forest floor to move away from the horrid human population edging in. The thought of them made her sick, even to the point of aching a bit. What could they hope to gain by destroying everything and making the animals seem to be nothing but raging beasts? Perhaps one could do nothing but wonder and hope the absolute worst of things upon them.

After wandering a bit, the smell and taste of the tainted air had gone down to a bearable level. She could now properly gauge her surroundings and get off the ground or closer to water. She let her tongue flick about, tasting the air for the downstream muck that had ruined a further down lake. When she could, Mallesti moved to intercept any clean flowing water, and found it. She slithered into a nearby stream, her body laying from end to end in the cool, flowing water, relaxing for just a moment. Just a little calmness...

And then she heard gun fire. For her own protection, she morphed her body into her smaller human form, seeming to shrivel up in the stream. She knew that humans, at this point, only empathized with their own kind. She searched about in the night, hoping to catch a glimpse of one. She grumbled, "For too long has this continued." Mallesti wanted to break them down from the inside out. She wanted humans to realize all they had done to our Mother, and destroy their methods, rid them of their own plague. Unfortunately, she knew better than to assume humans could find their greed so flawed. She let out a soft sigh and released her body back to her preferred form, then swam upstream a bit to a close collection of taller trees. She wrapped around a trunk and moved her way up to a branch where she coiled, hanging a bit from and waiting for anything to happen.

[SilverAce]

Xyrin the cheetah goddess burst through the trees. The torch light had barely touched her spotted hide, and she had managed to run out of the human's way...
Their wretched stench had infected the pure forest air...
The goddess stopped by a river far enough a way and dipped her head to the water to lap at the crisp clean taste. She lifted her head up at the moon, and her eyes seemed to sparkle in wonder at it's glorious sight. Her ears were pricked up as she heard the human voices mutter and yell throughout the night.
Xyrin backed away from the water, for she was in clear sight of the moonlight, and she stalked off through the underbrush. She scampered up a tree farther away from teh water, and she laid her body down, still in her animal form. She felt a growl creep up her throat, and mustered all of her strength not to give out it's warning tone, afraid of drawing the creatures to her. She flicked her tail back and forth in annoyance of the noise that they made...
A disgrace they were to this planet... Yet why they were chosen almost ultimate mamals of the earth remains a mystery. But some while wonder. While others will challenge.

[Car'mael]

Hari the Wild Rabbit God peered around a burnt tree trunk at the humans, watching them a long moment before speeding off through the ashy and blackened stumps, taking a roundabout route back to the main Forest to evade the fire and the worst of the Men. He had been watching this one human party, usually from the brush and scrub, observing as they burnt the woods and used fire-sticks on the animals fleeing. He had a lead shot in his left thigh, luckily a flesh wound that healed swiftly, to prove their intent was not kind. No, they seemed... mad.

Madness...

The Demons had taken over Mouse. He had turned and fought Men out of the blue, after a long time of watching as Hari had. Together, many an evening, they had worked together to sneak about, consuming the very grain they had once helped teach Men to sow to save that species from starvation, trying to understand what had led to Men turning against the Mother, against the Forest, in such a fierce fashion. And then, one day, Mouse did not act like Mouse, savagely slaughtering back only to die at the hands of Men, her head cut off and put on a spike on their walls. The humans had acted like her death was a major triumph that day. They seemed almost as happy with the destruction and death they had caused today.

Was the madness, these Demons, contagious, perhaps? Were Men spreading it, a foe they were not even aware they carried like a parasite?

Was Hari already infected?

By the time he returned to the Forest, Hari was soul-saddened and limping still. His leg hurt, for all it had healed. He needed to stop and get the lead out. There had been a day the humans revered the Gods, made tales over his cleverness and Bear's strength and Owl's wisdom. Hari and others had pitied the humans, barely surviving, and taught them to plant seeds for more food in winter, a time when the death of an animal was respected with prayers and thanks for the life-giving meat. Those days were gone. And he missed them.

Hari decided he was safely deep enough amid the trees for now, and reclined against the base of one to rest and examine his wound. This great tree might not be around tomorrow, but for now it was his shelter. It would do well enough for him to take the time to deal with it. So there he took his human form and pulled out a sickle, biting his lip in pain and concentration as he started removing the lead piece from his flesh.

The Rabbit God wasn't sure if he cared if another God, one of the predator ones he usually disagreed with, killed him right now. Was that better than always running, fearing he too would be overcome by the Demons and die a beast gone mad?

Was apathy to his own fate the first sign?

[SikstaSlathalin]

-Devlin and Reynard-

"RUN IT'S THE SCALED DEMON!" The Humans screamed dropping their firearms as Devlin burst from the woods roaring his rage. The scales of his half form glistening evilly in the fires of their slash and burn policy. Swords and axes didn't work firearms didn't even work, the wounds seemed to spit out the bullets and heal on the spot. He was massive and his saliva was like acid melting the weapons turned against him and putting out the fires they set to try and scare him. Soon more humans joined in the panicked yells dropping their tools and running back to the safety of their guarded villages with Devlin chasing them his swords swiping and cleaving tree limbs and the unlucky fool that fell too far behind his comrades. This was the Komodo Dragon's job every night along with Reynard the Fox God scaring off the humans and stopping their rampant destruction.

Devlin did the scaring and Reynard using all his foxxy wiles put out their fires and destroyed their fields all with never being seen. Devlin chased the humans all the back to their villages then hissed and roared at their walls acting like they could stop him then snarling and spitting he returned to the forest. In reality this was all an act, by rights he could go through their defences and kill every village within the forest but he wanted to keep his sanity intact. His becoming a mad beast would cause as much damage to the other gods as it would for the humans. With his job for the night done he changed into his massive animal form it being a more comfortable way to travel through the brush. He particularly loved feeling the cool leaves rub down his hot scales. By the time he lumbered his way back to the clearing the fires were put out and he saw Reynard in his fox form shaking soot from his blazing red fur.
"Another good nights work Rey." He hissed shaking dew from his body.

As his terrifying partner in crime scared off the humans Reyanrd was waiting in his Hybrid form waiting for all of them to leave before quickly grabbing the heavy buckets of water the humans dropped and began putting out all the blazes before they took the whole forest. Moving with the speed and agility his children were famous for. Making sure to not loose a single drop of the precious cornerstone of all life even though the humans have lost the reason why it's so precious. His extremly keen ears could hears Devlin's thundering steps and the humans screams of horror all the way to the village like they were right next to him. Soon the fires were put out and he was stomping out and tossing dirt on any cinders that were left behind. He could feel the ashes and soot from the slash-and-burn sticking to him like a second coat he'd have to take a bath later. Changing into his more natural Fox form he listened as Devlin came crashing back through the trees trying his best to not knock any over but being the one of the biggest gods in the forest comes with mobility problems sometimes.
"Yes indeed my gigantic reptile friend, did you kill any this time?" He asks his voice smooth and cultured. Dev nodded his tongue flicking out lightly trying not to taste the heavy smoke in the air.
"They didn't run fast enough, though I did stop myself from eating them. Humans just have a horribly gamy taste." He said giving what passes for a smile in the lizard world. Rey laughed shaking another layer of soot from his fur.
"I'll take your word for it friend, now let's get out of this fire pit. I need a good long bath." He says to Dev walking nimbly back to the heart of the forest with Devlin lumbering on past him.
"You go bathe Rey I'm gonna find a nice warm rock to sleep on. I think I'm getting too old to chase humans." He laughed waddling toward the rocky hills to the north.

"Bye Dev." Rey says waving the big monster off with his tail before padding along his way towards some place to bathe. Soon he heard human footsteps, they must've been separated from the main body. Crouching low he transformed into his hybrid form again knowing how much it scares the humans to see a 6'3 feet tall fox on two legs dressed like an Indian. They came close and he could see they were carrying torches. They must've heard the screams of their friends because they seemed to be in haste well Rey will help them move with even more haste. Stepping onto the little path they were on he walked towards them stopped just short so his eyes would glow orange in the light. They stopped looking fearfully up at the God who growled and spoke in a low voice.
"Leave before I destroy your souls." The screams of their friends really must've rattled the human because they didn't even aim their loaded weapons or draw their long swords they just ran having at least the common sense to keep their torches a loft so they don't fall into their own tiger traps. Which has never caught Tiger or the offspring of tiger yet to his knowledge with a shrug he listened to the humans run back to their village and changed back into his Fox form walking the rest of the way to the river nearby. His ears picked up the sound of leaves rustling above his head taking a quick sniff his natural dog nose picked up one of his fellow Deities.
"Hello Xyrin, planning to stay up in that tree all night?" He said climbing into the water to wash the soot off.

[SilverAce]

"Planning on scaring the human's all night?" Xyrin said, showing her golden yellow eyes at him.
She jumped down from the tree, still in her animal form. She landed lightly, and calmly walked to the water's edge to have a discussion with her fellow friend.
"Quite the performance, Reynard... But loud, I might add..." Xyrin said, licking her paw clean. Her eyes suddenly grew worried, and she felt a shiver go down through her spotted coat...
She looked at the fox god, and a question was pushed to the forth of her mind.
"Rey, many other deities were discussing a war... among the humans and the gods. Shall this come to be? Should it come to be?" Xyrin said, her eyes falling upon the fox. "They are very much a disgrace, that I am aware of, but what if we give them a chance. A single chance to again prove themselves worthy. We all lived in harmony with the very parents of humanity, but a single mistake of curiosity killed all connections between us all. Shall we destroy them?" The goddess said the last part with passion and sympathy. Wars were not a symbol of luck or good being...

[SikstaSlathalin]

Rey dove under the water scrubbing his fur with his paws freeing it of soot before bobbing up listening to the Cheetah Goddess thinking.This was a question he's often asked himself and the others no on really seemed to have a solid and assured answer. Going for another dive he rinses off the rest of the soot and climbed back onto the back shaking the water from his fur trying not to spray the water at Xyrin.
"I think it's possible Xy, the humans don't know respect any more they know only fear and death at this point. I think that's the only thing we can do and not lose ourselves to the Rage, if all the Gods and Goddesses go on a killing spree chances are we'll win. We know the woods better than them, our bodies are better suited for battle. But our children are not sadly they lack most of our intelligence. In the end I think the losses won't be worth the victory, all we can do is scare them off for now." He sighs shaking the last of the water from his fur. He felt the wind shift and air dry the last of his fur. We've given them plenty of chances, we even tried talking to them as both humans and animals both times we got only insults and hostility in response. I don't think there's much hope for them." He sits on the bank looking into the Cheetah's eyes.