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

Chapter 18

Dust blasted against my face as Trose's wings surged, lifting us from the crumbling temple. "Hold onto her, lad!" he shouted over the roar of collapse. The deafening sound of destruction followed us as we soared through the storm of dust and debris.

As the dust shooting out from the temple quickly embraced us, Trose struggled to navigate and suddenly began descending. We held our breath as the dust swirled around us and obscured our vision. Finally, after what felt like an endless eternity, a small patch of clear ground came into view and we quickly landed.

As we made our escape from the crumbling temple, a hulking monstrosity materialized in front of us. Its scaly hide bristling with vicious thorns that glinted in the dim light. The dragon's malevolent gaze locked onto Rose's motionless body, hunger and malice burning in its eyes. But I couldn't let it take her. Not after all we had been through. Steeling my resolve, I raised my sword and prepared for one final battle.

"Watch out!" Trose's shout jolted me into motion. My legs moved on instinct, carrying us clear just as the dragon's jaws snapped where Rose had been moments before.

"I won't let you have her...," I gasped, feeling the rush of air from its missed attack. The beast recoiled, ready to strike again, but Trose was quicker, his form blurring into motion. With a mighty flap of his wings, he thrusted us out of harm's way.

"Not this time!" Trose growled. The creature's hiss clawed at my nerves, a reminder of war's haunting echoes.

"Let's move, Isaac!" Trose commanded, and I followed his lead, running with everything I had left. Our escape was a blur, a dance with death where the music was the rumbling of the earth beneath our feet, and the flickering of a dragon's rage close behind.

There's was no time to think, only to act, with The Rose of Life clutched in my arms and the prayer that we would see this through together.

The ground trembled with the temple's final shudder. I clenched Rose tighter, her limp form fragile in my arms, as the world crumbled beneath us. Then, with a roar that split the chaos, the mighty Oak of Truth, rose from the rubble, his bark oozing sap-blood.

"Stand back!" His voice was a deep thrum, commanding and powerful even in this dire hour. Oak faced the second Thorny dragon, an unyielding force against the onslaught of malice. The beast reared before him, its vicious spines bristling, eyes aflame with the promise of destruction.

Oak's branches stretched wide, reaching into the storm-ridden sky like spears forged from the very heart of Zion itself. Despite the fresh wounds that marred his bark, he stood unyielding, every creak of his limbs a promise, a testament to the strength of those who came before him. My chest tightened as I turned to flee; guilt clawed at me, leaving a bitter taste. He was ready to die to protect us, to protect her. And here I was, running from the fight, hoping that somehow we could still be enough to justify his sacrifice.

I stole a glance at the fray, my breath catching as Oak swung a mighty limb, the sound of wood cracking against scales like a distant thunder that shook the core of my being. The dragon recoiled, but not before leaving fresh gouges along Oak's bark, sap bleeding where thorns had torn his ancient form. Watching him, I felt both awe and a sharp, helpless pain—as if those wounds were mine to bear too. This wasn't just a fight; it was a sacrifice, and every scar he took on his trunk felt like a piece of Zion he was willing to surrender to save us.

"Rose... hold on," I murmured, my voice nearly lost in the roar of battle. Her form felt so small, so breakable in my arms—a delicate flame flickering against the darkness. Oak clashed with the beast before me, each strike a testament to the roots that ran deeper than the city's foundations. As I watched him, a painful resolve settled over me: we couldn't let Rose's light die here, not after all that had been sacrificed to keep it alive. She was Zion's last hope, and in that fragile heartbeat I held, I felt the weight of everything we were fighting to protect.