The Elements of Zion: the Vine, the Branch, and the Thorn

We sail

The Azurians lowered their swords in unison, their eyes still locked on me. I mirrored their action, albeit reluctantly, my fingers still twitching with adrenaline. I stood there, water-logged in my armor feeling out of place in the grandeur of their ship. I opened my mouth to speak, to explain myself, but words failed me.

The Azurians lowered their swords in unison, their eyes still locked on me. I mirrored their action, albeit reluctantly, my fingers still twitching with adrenaline. I stood there, water-logged in my armor feeling out of place in the grandeur of their ship. I opened my mouth to speak, to explain myself, but words failed me.

He swaggered forward, a mischievous smirk dancing on his lips and his eyes glinting with amusement. "Well now, young twig, you've certainly made quite the entrance. Care to share why your kind is lurking in these treacherous waters and what brings you to my vessel unannounced?"

I swallowed hard, my throat as dry as the desert sands. "I... I am..." I stammered, my voice barely able to escape. The words hesitated to leave my mouth, and instead, my fingers moved to the buckles holding my breastplate together. As the cold metal fell away, the gasp echoed around the silent ship. On my chest, over my heart, was the mark of my forefathers - the three-leaf symbol.

Prince Liamaris's eyes widened as he took in the sight of the three-leaf symbol, his gaze fixed to the marking. There was a moment of silence as he stood transfixed, his jovial demeanor replaced by an expression of awe and reverence. "Mennun! Kneltun!" he roared, his voice echoing off the ship's walls. "Vyr'kin sahver presensit Kungun! His command was met with silence, and then the clatter of armored knees hitting the deck as the Azurians obeyed.

Prince Liamaris himself stepped forward, his jade eyes never leaving mine. He slowly bowed his head, his green locks falling over his face. He dropped to one knee, bowing before me, the unthinkable sight of a prince kneeling before a foreigner. His next words were barely a whisper, meant only for my ears, "Son of Adam, we are at your service."

I blinked in surprise, taken aback. "How do you know who I am?" I asked. Prince Liamaris rose to his full height, his figure imposing yet not threatening. His hand moved to his chest, fingers grazing a pendant hanging there. With a swift movement, he unclasped the pendant and held it out to me. It was a miniature replica of my three-leaf symbol, beautifully crafted and glistening in the now faint sunlight.

"My father was a great ally of your forefather, Adam," Prince Liamaris began. His eyes bore into mine, filled with an intensity that stilled the air around us. "Adam saved the life of my father and our people, at Castle Siege against the Thorned ones. He gave him this pendant as a symbol of their camaraderie, a symbol of the debt we owe to your bloodline."

My grandfather, Adam, was here? Engulfed in a war between the Azurians and the Thorned ones, standing shoulder to shoulder with Prince Liamaris's father?

"Issac," I declared, my voice finding its strength. "That's my name. Adam, my grandfather, well... he passed before sharing many details about his adventures."

A low murmur broke amongst the Azurians, their expressions a mix of shock, reverence, and...was that fear?

"Listen up," I continued, my voice gaining strength, "Here's what I do know. The Thorn King is back, " As soon as the words left my mouth, the murmurs grew into a cacophony, the Azurians exchanging alarmed looks. "And guess what? He's got a whole army of thorns ready to stomp all over Zion." I added, my gaze fixated on Prince Liamaris, who stood as still as a statue, his eyes reflecting the gravity of my words.

Before I could elaborate further, a deafening roar echoed from above, shaking the ship beneath our feet. Panic ensued. The Azurians, once stoic and composed, were now a flurry of motion and chaos. Commands were shouted over the din, echoing off the ship's walls as crew members scrambled to their stations. The once grand and majestic ship now resembled a disturbed hornet's nest, its inhabitants buzzing with frantic energy. Above us, the dragons roared again, their cries a terrifying symphony of destruction that played havoc on our nerves. Yet, despite the noise and the fear, the skies remained clear, devoid of anything.

The deafening roars intensified while my breath caught and I grasped onto the railing of the ship, eagerly scanning the horizon for even the slightest trace of them. Suddenly, it seemed as if the world went dark. I looked up, squinting against the sudden absence of sunlight. It took a moment for my eyes to adjust to the sudden darkness, and when they did, I realized it was not darkness at all. It was a shadow, a massive one that blotted out the sun. My sap turned ice-cold as the realization set in. The shadow was not a cloud, not an eclipse, but them. The Thorned ones, their massive wings spread out, casting a monstrous shadow upon us. The dragons were here. The Thorn King was here.

The crew, as one, reached for the torches and arrows, their faces set in grim determination. I watched in awe as they moved in swift unison, their practiced hands lighting the arrows and setting them into their bows. Their actions were swift, their aim true, their resolve unbreakable. Yet, despite their best efforts, the arrows fell short, their flaming tips barely grazing the dragons' thorny hides before plummeting into the sea below.

With a bone-rattling roar, the dragons retaliated, their fiery breath lighting up the smaller ships. The Azurians aboard cried out in alarm as the flames consumed their vessels, turning them into massive, floating infernos. The heat from the burning ships reached us in waves, the acrid smell of burning wood and flesh filling the air.

The dragons turned their attention to our ship, their eyes gleaming with malicious intent. I could see their chests expanding, the flames within flickering ominously. This was it. They were going to set us ablaze. But before they could unleash hell upon us, Prince Liamaris stepped forward. His voice rang out, loud and clear over the chaos, "Nehal vyr'kin!" With the wave of his hand, a wall of water surged from the sea, creating a barrier between us and the dragons. The fire collided with the water in a hissing explosion, steam billowing around us and obscuring the dragons from view.

Prince Liamaris held his stance, the water wall holding steady under his command. His face was a mask of concentration, beads of sweat trickling down his forehead. But his eyes...his eyes held a fierce determination, a silent promise that he would not let us fall.

And with that, under the prince's command, the ship began to transform. The hull shrank in on itself while the masts folded neatly into the deck. In one fluid movement, the ship closed up entirely, becoming an enclosed vessel. With another wave of his hand, Prince Liamaris plunged us into the depths of the ocean, escaping from the fiery onslaught.