I inhaled smoke, thick and scented. Startled I awoke, coughing as I clutched my chest. "What..." I tried to cry out, but once again collapsed in a fit of choking. Where am I? Trees surrounded me, leaves shaped differently. Each tree was unique. Everyone their own their own shade of colours, their own shapes to their leaves. What was I doing? Something was wrong. 

"Are you afraid?" A voice called out, loud, yet creaking and slow. "You need not fear." It was above me. Looking up, bright eyes stared back at me from the tree. 5 of them, each glowing brightly. Then, the tree trunk next to me moved. "Peace shall be upon you soon." The eyes. They were the tree. 

"Please..." I coughed again. They should terrify me, yet they calmly reached down with a branch arm, and I was not afraid to reach out. 

"I am Arbotris. We are the Unfallen." Arbotris reached another arm, spreading it out across all the other trees. "And we shall soon bring peace to the galaxy."

"What do you mean?" I could speak now, the coughing had passed, and the smoke was almost like air to me.

"There are beings out their that seek war, that seek the end of others. This is not they way to live. If you kill, maim and harm others, they cannot grow. Look upon us," Arbotris gestured around again. Now more lights lit in the treetops. Not lights... eyes. Each one was one of these Unfallen. "We have lived in peace for so long and see how we grow. To you, we are goliaths; yet to us, you are the insects on our branches."

-----------

I followed Arbotris for some time, as he led me among his people. These forests, they were crowds to him. Each one a person each one a... No. I remember. The sound of splintering wood. The crack as the tree fell. They sought resources, they only wanted to build simple homes. With dread and guilt, we reached a clearing of chopped down trees. To Arbotris, this must have been a massacre. I looked at my giant companion. I could garner no expression from him. "Do you know where they live?" Arbotris simply said. Rather reluctantly, I pointed beyond a hill.

-----------

I awoke once again to smoke. I had rested on the hill, overlooking the simple colonist town. At the centre, several large trees stood around a large fire. The Unfallen, they were burning one of their own, and I could see the “heads” of them bowed, almost as if in prayer. “It is a noble thing, to give one’s life to the fire. Now, those who harmed will feel only peace.” Villages stepped out of their huts, and soon joined hands around the fire, humming a sad, yet peaceful tune. The smoke! I thought. They way they moved as one in the circle. It was terrifying, yet serene as well. “Soon, the galaxy will feel the Peace”. Arbotris stated.

Crystion wrote:

"I am Arbotris." 

What you did there. I see it.

radlawnmower wrote:

Crystion wrote:

"I am Arbotris." 

What you did there. I see it.

If in doubt, grab something Latin

Mmmm, interesting.

Its rather nice that you explored the concept of "Peace Burning" from the game design concept for your story in your own way and the perspective you choose for the narrative. 

Nothing really wrong here, just a couple of spelling mistakes.

Sooooo, good job!

May the Unfallen BLAZE their way to victory.

Only criticism I have to offer: Arbotris sounds like what an Autobot tree would call itself.

Frogsquadron wrote:

Only criticism I have to offer: Arbotris sounds like what an Autobot tree would call itself.

You're welcome to change the name! It was the only thing I could think of at the time.