The Battle for the Forest -- The Gathering by Tito Bellic

The Wind howled through the leavens and branches of The Great Tree. Ancient and Wise were Her branches. She has felt an uneasiness growing over the centuries. Winter was approaching again, but this was not that cause of Her unease. The changing Seasons were the Natural Order of things. No, the coming cold winter or the falling leaves from Her branches were not the cause of Her unease. The Humans were drawing closer. Too close for Her comfort.
The machines and buildings the humans were bringing with them would mark the end of Her Forest. There was much preparation to undertake. She would have to call on Her children for aide. Her Roots quivvered at the thought of the destruction the humans would cause, all in the name of 'progress'. The Call would be easy enough, the Forest provided for that. Her Will was still as strong as ever, as Her thoughts went out, stretching to the creatures that shared Her World. Many would answer and come to Her aide, this She knew from past experience.

First, She would call the Guardian of the Forest, The Earth Guardian, Bringer of Light and Life. She would be Her Emissary. She would bring the Children together to protect Her World. She had always appeared when She was needed most. Focusing all Her Will, She sends out the first Call. A blinding light fills the clearing near Her Roots as an angelic figure appears before Her. 'What is Thy bidding, Mother of The Forest?', She asked. 'I have called You here to bring My children to this place to defend the Forest against the encroaching threat of the humans. They are destroying the trees and killing The Forest. This cannot be allowed to continue', She replied. The Light clad female nodding solemnly, 'I understand, Mother. I will deal with them. The Call will go out to all the tribes of Fae and they will come to Your aide.'

The Light clad Female closed Her eyes, Her arms outstretched, Her thoughts sent out in all directions on beams of light emitting from Her fingertips: The Call to all the Children of the Forest. Slowly dark, slender figures emerged from the trees, each clad in the Colors of Nature. They each knelt before the Great Tree and the Light clad Female, bowing their heads in deepest respect. Once there were just under one hundred Souls present, The Forest Guardian called two to come closer, one Male, clad in Armour of Nature, and one Female, draped in the moss of a tree. Then knelt almost prostrate before Her, awaiting Her first command. 'I have summoned you children here to help Us protect what is Naturally OURS: The Forest. The humans are expanding too far into the Trees and there are not enough left for Us to live in anymore. This cannot be allowed to continue. If it does, our World will be gone in less than fifty years. They MUST be stopped. Our very survival depends on the outcome of this war. Yes, I said 'WAR'. For that is what it is. Many warnings have been sent to try to convince the humans to stop destroying our World, and yet they turn a blind eye and deaf ear to the Cries of Nature. It seems all these creature understand is WAR.' She pauses a moment to let that heavy message sink in.

The two before Her nod their heads slowly, considering all that was said. They lift their eyes to meet Hers and then glance at The Great Tree. They turn to the Gathering, eyes filled with anger. Magic was in their blood. They reached for the fallen leaves on the ground and they became bows, arrows, daggers, and other such weapons into their hands. As one body, they quickly and gracefully rose to their feet, weapons in hand, ready to do Battle. As they blended back into the Forest, their numbers seemed to blur, it was hard to count them as they blinked from Tree to Tree. They descend as one person onto the unsuspecting town near the edge of the Forest. Night was falling. Perhaps the last Night this town would ever see.