The Tree stands tall noble Just as he has for a hundred years Just as he will for a hundred more. But time passes differently for a tree
He looks upward his boughs his branches They touch the sky Brush the clouds Forming their own cloud
His leaves are the purest verde a halo a crown He is lord of the oaks King of the trees Pride of the forest
He looks down at the common folk the maples the birches Their stature only a fraction of his own He looks down kindly at his subjects All is well
He sees something else small deformed Stubbier than even the shortest willow It has probably come to pay homage to him Bow before the King of Trees
But it just stands there hands on hips chin raised The very picture of defiance He just stands there Looking at him
The King bristles the impudence the impertinence How dare this little sprout The King thunders at this puny creature His commands go unheard
The creature takes something from its back is that... wood? It looks like a branch Has this beast dared to form an object From the flesh of a tree?
There is something attached to the branch sharp shiny He's never seen anything like it What blasphemy is this? What could such a thing be for?
The creature pulls back the branch aims swings It connects Against the Tree There is a dull chuntk
All of a sudden pain pain Unimaginable pain What just happened? He screams
(chuntk)
The King of Trees is screaming crying begging His subjects watch in silence Stunned to see their lord behaving like this This creature must be a demon
(chuntk)
The Demon swings again again again He does not hear the King's cries He continues with his work Whistling a merry tune
(chuntk)
The Mighty Oak feels only pain Inescapable Inexorable His branches shake in agony Some of his jadey leaves fall to the ground The Demon tramples them
(chuntk)
The King feels his sap rush out burbling gushing Staining the earth blow Pumping wildly from his death wound He is sapping to death
(chuntk)
Time crawls past weeks years Or maybe just minutes Time passes differently for a tree Especially when he's being tortured
(chuntk)
The Tree shudders leans falls What's happening? The impact is the worst part He lands with a bouush
What just happened? he fell he landed He looks down his trunk He sees a stump HIS stump
The King of the Forest screams a curse a blight A plague upon this thrice acursed demon May a thousand locusts eat his leaves May his roots rot into dust for what he has done
The other trees join him mourning weeping Lamenting their fallen leader But the demon ignores them Pretending not to hear
The lord of the oaks yells at his subjects commanding pleading Telling them to shut their eyes They should not witness this Should not see their King in such a state
They obey eyes shut backs turned They will not embarrass their king Will not cause him any more humiliation Will not watch him die
He knows he is dying water nutrients They came through the earth Through his dismembered roots Without them, it's only a matter of time
Under the pain, he feels something else thirst hunger Without his roots, he cannot pull in water Cannot initiate photosynthesis Cannot live
The Tree lies there low humiliated For how long, he doesn't know But then, Time passes differently for a tree Especially when he's dying