First steps

,,hmm.. come on , AHA FINALLY, YES ITS OVER,,

After several grueling weeks of trial and error, and what felt like days of splitting headaches after each session slowing the process to a crawl, he managed to shape his body into something that resembled an ent. At first, the process seemed easy, the powerful feeling and the connection he had with the Essence still lingered in him, but as time passed that feeling became more of a distant memory like a dream after waking up.

Still, he remembered enough to slowly shape himself, the process was fairly simple yet very time-consuming, first, he envisioned the changes he wanted and then guided the flow of essence within himself towards the desired part, the actual challenge was controlling the flow to little and it won't do anything, too much and he would coil over as a headache hit him. From time to time in his sessions he could feel something external helping him develop his body , each time this happend he grew faster, and felt more in sync with the forest around him.

And now, it was over. As David strolled through the forest, a sense of liberation overwhelmed him, free from the chains of his immobile body he started exploring the forest. Unable to contain his joy any longer, he let out a low chuckle, his walk transforming into a skip. All the sleepless nights, all the painstaking effort, had paid off.

,,Haah, after all this time i can finally walk on my own two feet, hmmm, walking who knew i would miss it so much,,

,, I cant hear a river nearby, maybe its clear enough so i can see how i turned out,,

"Hah, after all this time, I can finally walk on my own two feet. Hmmm, walking... who knew I would miss it so much?"

As he continued his stroll, something caught his attention. The familiar sound of a nearby river something he hasn't heard in what felt like an eternity. Wanting to take a look at his glorious new body, he decided to seek out a reflecting pool, eager to catch the first glimpse of his transformed self.

After a short search he found it and what he saw exhilarated him further, his human features where nowhere to be seen, instead he saw a human-like tree, more human and different from the ones he read about in Tolkien's works.

He was at a wild guess around 3 meters tall, his body was supple with little branches growing here and there, pretty ordinary. But it was his face that captivated his attention the most, he had dull crimson eyes, no ears to speak of just a small hole like birds have, his mouth was adorned with sharp teeth while his hands were equipped with pointy crimson ends, not like claws but something made more for stabbing rather than slashing, same for his feet.

However, the weirdest and most fascinating change was in the middle of his chest, where a heart-shaped crystal was calmly pulsating with a soft, ethereal glow.

,, I'm pretty sure that Old Ent didn't have this crystal, she had what resembled like claws made from bent branches but not this,, he said while brushing his supposed heart.

,, Better hide it, lest it gets me into trouble, she did mention something about a Huron, hmm, I mean when you look at me I kinda resemble one in some ways,,

Channeling his power he covered it up, now after months of training he could use essence more easily, he could for example make his body grow slowly for about 20 minutes straight or rapidly for about 8 minutes. If he overdid it he would be rewarded with the familiar headache.

.. Now what...,,

After a short period of deliberation and admiring the scenery with its many weird and fascinating features he seemed to slowly come to a conclusion

,, This is a second chance of sorts, why not just explore the forest , see what i can find, I dont need to build a shelter since i can just become a tree, I should just enjoy myself,,

,, Maybe I can go on one of these adventures where I become a hero and slay the demon lord and on the way score all the baddies,,

Buahahahaha

Crossing the small river that twisted through the forest, David felt a surge of excitement coursing through his veins. The cool water refreshed his body, invigorating him for the journey ahead. As he stepped onto the other side, he found himself standing at a crossroads, with what looked like animal made paths stretching out before him.

With a slightly creepy grin, David chose the path that seemed to call to him the most. It twisted and turned, disappearing into a dense thicket of old trees and vibrant foliage. As he ventured deeper into the forest, he marveled at the sights and sounds that surrounded him, blue glowing moss on trees, strange glowing mushrooms, flowers that felt like silk to the touch, and birds that sang their tunes some familiar some completely new.

Stopping before a fruiting tree he plucked one of the nut-shaped fruits, cracking it open he saw a round brown ball, with a subtle caramel fragrance, popping it in his mouth completely disregarding the thought of maybe it was poisonous he happily chewed on and continued his exploration.

,, That was so good, it tasted like chocolate caramel,,

As the taste still lingered on David's tongue, a strange noise echoed through the forest. CLINK, CLINK it was a sound that did not belong in the forest, the sound of clashing metal.

Startled by the unfamiliar sound, he tapped into the flow of Essence, feeling a familiar warmth David's senses sharpened, and his body tensed stealthly going towards the sounds. His ent body allowed him to blend seamlessly with the surroundings, and he moved silently toward the source of the noise.

Navigating through the dense undergrowth, he finally found the small clearing where the sound was coming from. Peeking through the foliage, he witnessed a scene that sent a shiver down his spine. Two groups were fighting, the first was a human party of what looked like adventurers and the second was a group goblins.

Only that they weren't the goblins he remembered from novels, these weren't the small child-sized, big-nosed dum creatures, with green skin, rusty weapons, and just a bit smarter than a 5-year-old. These looked to be around 1.50 meters tall, with dark brown skin or light brown, short stubby bodies with well-defined muscles, hands that reached down to their knees and ended in sharp claws made for slashing, a mouth packed with razor-sharp teeth, black greasy patches of hair and a look of pure hate and malice in they're beady eyes.

Curiosity and fear mingled with adrenaline as David observed the two parties engaged in a kill-or-be-killed scenario. The movements of the goblins were swift and precise taking full advantage of their longer reach, top that with the fact that their equipment looked to be made of a spear with a large dagger made for a terrifying combo.

But the adventurers weren't doomed yet, they had a considerable advantage, teamwork. Where the goblin's attacks were random and uncoordinated, the human party's teamwork was smooth with a strong defense. Still, they were being pushed back, counting 5 against 3 and they still were slowly losing.

The 3 hateful creatures were cunning, never stepping into the enemy's reach, only fainting an attack and then quickly dodging making them waste stamina and grow increasingly frustrated and desperate, slowly chipping away with their spears, slowly opening the formation, slowly until they broke and doom would fall upon them.

Watching the intense battle unfold, Davids's mind was racing unable to decide what he should do, leave and let the humans be slaughtered and defiled or jump to their aid. Slowly his mind leaned towards the first option after all it was the safest, what would they think when they saw a human-like tree that looked more like a Huorn that an ent?

Alas, the last fragments of his human nature flared igniting a deep sense of camaraderie and a desire to play the coveted role of a hero, coming to the aid of those in distress.

/But I'm still not fully used to this body, I doubt that I can engage in melee combat. I know let's just use that/ he thought

Back when he was a tree he had discovered the extent his body could be manipulated, and so he discovered that he could send his roots beneath the ground, stealthily maneuvering them towards a desired location. Patiently, he waited for the opportune moment to strike, suddenly piercing the ground to create spikes that would impale his target. That's how a chunky squirrel met his end.

As his roots delved into the earth, David focused his attention on the closest goblin, his gaze fixated on the unsuspecting target. Time slowed down as he anticipated the perfect instant to unleash his attack and end him.

With a surge of power, David's roots erupted from the ground, transforming into deadly spikes that shot towards the goblin with lightning speed. The goblin had no chance to react as the element of surprise was on his side. The spikes impaled the unfortunate creature, lifitng him from the ground, slowly dying in a mess of spasming muscles and gurgling screams ending its existence.

The surrounding chaos momentarily halted as everyone turned their attention towards the grotesque scene, a mixture of fear and fury etched across the goblin's faces scanning the edges with hard eyes. Unfazed, David stood still further blending in with his surroundings.

,,GYAHHHH Ki kiii ki ,,

A moment of distraction is all it took for another one to be cut open. While the last one fleed into the forest running for his life, but never forgetting this day and the strange magic that looked to be Ent made.

,,Kiii kiii ki kiii,,

Stepping out of the clearing's edge he made his way towards the group.

Emerging from the shadows of the clearing's edge, his ent form towered over the fallen goblins. Cautiously he approached the group of adventurers who were catching their breath after the intense battle.

The party members stared at David in disbelief, their expressions a blend of astonishment and fear They had narrowly escaped their demise, and now, before them stood a creature twice their size with weird and powerful magic.

Rising his hand to greet them David opened his mouth to speak

,,Hello, how...,,

Shaa THUD!

He didnt even manage to finish his question when an arrow sprang from David's shoulder, causing him to stagger back in pain. The party members quickly getting into formation and shouting orders.

,,Sasha, get the oil! Burn him!!"

"FUCK, FUCK! Goblins, and now a damn Huorn!"

,, Wha.. wait Im,,

The female archer wasted no time throwing a small flask towards David, but before it could reach him, it shattered with a sharp "crack" mid-air. Protruding from the ground was a wooden spear.

"Ahh, manlings again," the newcomer spat.

"When will your kind stop tainting the forest? BEGONE, you sacks of flesh, before I reap your lives away."

As the words echoed through the clearing, a sense of danger filled the air, and David braced himself for the impending clash. But it never came, the humans turned tail and ran.