• The creature stirred, it seemed others had entered his forest and he could feel the harm they were causing it, the trees groaning meekly under the growling teeth of the human's chainsaws. There was no way he could permit this, he would not simply accept death, nor the pain they were causing him. Rising to his feet, the God of the forest stood firm, his body form almost humanesque, though also anything but. His ears long and pointed, twitching and alert to the sounds of the forest, antlers donned in a glorious but deadly rack upon his head, vines and flowers giving decoration. His body was furred, a light soft brown that contrasted with the ruff of dark fur that grew in a garland around his neck and down his stomach, covering his intimacies. Markings and patterns laid upon him neatly, spots and stripes over his limbs and across the small tail that flicked as he ran toward the intruders.

    As he broke into the clearing, there were stunned shouts and wide-eyed looks of shock, all eyes on him as he stood with a furious gaze. "I am the God of this pl-" His words did not even finish before a man fired upon him, sending him reeling back in surprise, he had never seen such insolence in his duration upon this Earth and he would not stand for it. Eyes narrowed, he charged at the human, shouts and shots firing off as he skewered the man and ridded the world of him. The others fell one by one, firing upon him and sealing their fate until there was nothing left, their forms littering the ground and soon to be giving back the nutrients they owed him.

    He turned to walk away, to continue living in peace, when instead a noise roused him from his thoughts. Someone was still alive, unaware of the horror that had just taken place. Leaning down, he traced the noise to a man asleep in a tent, curled into himself in a completely tranquil slumber. The God could not kill him like this, it showed cowardice to kill whilst they slept, whilst they were unable to reason for their actions or perhaps repay him. "Little one.." he muttered, huffing out a small breath, the man not stirring. "Little one, it is time for you to awake!" Even his shout did not stir the man and the God was baffled, looking over him in curiousity. Perhaps he was deaf, one would have to be surely to not notice the earlier battle that waged outside. So, instead of words, he reached forward and brushed his fingers gently through the man's hair, almost in a fond motion. This man was not proved to be guilty yet, he would not treat him as such.

    With a groan, the blonde man sat up slowly, rubbing the sleep from his eyes and pulling the earplugs out that he had used to dampen the roaring sounds of the chainsaws. Quickly he was made aware something was wrong, a shadow looming over him, the form certainly not human and he considered grabbing for something to defend himself. "Are you going to fight me, little one, as the others did? That is a certain death." The God informed, no tone of fear in his voice and that only made the human more nervous. "N-No, I.. I wouldn't dare.." Was the breathed response, drawing back as the furred hand reached up to cup his cheek. "Give me reason not to kill you, human, you come to my wood, you tear at my skin with your snarling machines, give me reason to not kill you." His tone was imploring, almost as if begging the man for some reason to spare him killing again, he respected life too much to end it but he would do so to protect himself.

    "I-I'm just t-the doctor! I.. I never used a saw in my l-life, I just f-fixed the men up, I swear!" The man practically shouted, not wanting this to be his demise, his end. Fear was coursing through his veins and the God could hear it thrumming in the air. "The little one is only a doctor?" With a fond smile, the God nodded, his tail batting behind him in joy. "Only a doctor, you shall be spared, you have caused no harm to me nor did you ever intend to. Come now." Before the man knew what was happening, he was picked up into the arms of the creature, his eyes wide and breath uneven. "W-What are you doing?!" He practically squeaked, his arms looping around the furred neck by instinct, fearing being dropped. "I am defending you, the shadows, the God's of the dead will be here soon and I do not wish for them to devour you, little one.."

    Already the bodies in the clearing were being swallowed by the forest, most appearing as nothing more than grassy lumps, the smell of decay on the air. "I'm not 'l-little one'." The man protested, face pressed against the creatures body, fingers gripping handfuls of fur. "My name is John." With a chuckle, the God slowly walked into the woods, the sun falling below the skyline behind them and darkness creeping between the trees in the steadily dimming light. "I only call you little one as the eldest of your species would still be but a young one to me. I am known as the Schwarzwald or 'Black forest' in your tongue, I believe." Fireflies began to gather around them once darkness had truly engulfed the forest, many settling upon his antlers like glowing jewels. "Can I call you 'Black'? It's a bit easier for me.." John muttered, earning another small deep chuckle. "Yes, you may call me that if you wish."