You know how sometimes your instincts aren't always the smartest in the world, and they lead you to do the illogical thing when your brain knows the smart thing you really should do?
Sadly, this is one of those moments.
Instinctively, as the vines silently encircle my throat, I reach up and try to pull them off with my hands. I didn't think, Oh I have a really sharp sword I can use to cut them. Instead I tried to stupidly use my unsharp fingers, giving the vines their chance to lift me off the ground. My air flow is completely cut off as I hang there by my neck, and I can't help but try to make a sound to alert Luxa and Kel up ahead. Neither of them knows I hung back to tie my shoe because I didn't want Kel to make fun of me. Now my pride will kill me.
I close my hand around my sword hilt, but before I can draw the blade another vine wraps itself around my wrist and silently jerks my sword arm away. I go for the hilt again with my left hand but the vines are faster. Several wrap around that arm and straighten it out at my side before drawing it back. I can feel my tendons stretching and muscles tearing as the vines unnaturally bend my limb. I would scream if my throat wasn't closed off. Then I feel the pop as my shoulder comes out of place.
The vines release my now useless left arm and start restraining my torso, drawing me up into the jungle canopy a few inches at a time. The forms of Luxa and Kel in front of me continue to move on like nothing's wrong, and black spots swim across my view as I look at them longingly. If I could only make a sound, snap my fingers or kick the ground, they would hear and turn. But these vines were too smart for me, and they've taken away any possible way I can get my friends attention.
My vision starts to go fuzzy and the black spots now dance across a sea of red. I need oxygen or I'm going to die.
I kick my legs weakly, not expecting anything to happen. But then I feel my untied tennis shoe slip a little farther off my foot at the movement. My shoe! The darn thing is about to fall off my foot, the laces are so loose. And I can take advantage of that. Before the vines notice anything strange, I draw my foot back carefully, hoping the shoe won't fall off before I'm ready, then kick forward with all my might.
The shoe lands with a thud that bounces around repeatedly in my fuzzy brain, overly loud in the silence of the uninhabited jungle. I hold my breath, hoping one of my two companions will notice--although it's not like I have a choice with my windpipe flattened.
Kel keeps walking, not even flinching and probably assuming the sound was me tripping. Luxa does turn however, her mouth opening and her expression exasperated. That fades to fear the moment she sees me tangled in the vines several yards away. Her mouth moves again to shout something, probably Kel's name, but I can't tell for sure because my ears are ringing with the thumping sound the shoe made. My vision goes dark for a split second, until I again feel the ground beneath my feet. Luxa cut me free.
I tear at the vines around my throat with my good hand and choke on the first breath I'm able to take.
I hear shouts close by and know that Luxa and Kel are keeping the vines at bay. I'm the Warrior, I should stand and help them, but I can barely get any oxygen through my crushed windpipe. Then I feel hands take my arms and lift me to my feet. My left shoulder screams in protest and I would fall if Luxa wasn't supporting my weight.
Then we're hurrying through the jungle, down the path and away from the vines. The two Underlanders practically carrying me since I still can't breathe. Luxa is to my right, my arm over her shoulders, and Kel to my left in the same manner. This makes every step painful as Kel unknowingly pulls on my dislocated arm.
Several minutes later we enter a small clearing. "We're here." Kel says quietly, and they gently help me sit down. I just sit there for a moment, catching my breath, until I finally feel like I have enough oxygen in my lungs to talk.
"Are you alright, Gregor?" Luxa asks worriedly, her face inches from mine.
"So--" I start, but choke on the blood I now realize coats my throat. I can taste it now, metallic and gross. "So much for being the Warrior, huh?" I manage to finish, my voice hoarse and scratchy.
Luxa laughs and kisses me on the cheek. "Even the Warrior cannot always win. You died remember?"
I grin back at her, loving how she can still joke around in such circumstances. She wasn't as carefree before.
"Can you walk, Overlander?" Kel asks quietly, intruding on the moment. He looks a little lonely standing there watching us, like he wants to be a part of our friendship but knows he doesn't fit. I fee bad for him, knowing who he lost in the jungle.
"Yes." I reply. I start to push myself to my feet and gasp as I forget my dislocated shoulder.
"Your arm." Luxa instantly identifies the problem.
"Yeah, I think it's dislocated." I croak, grimacing as every word hurts to speak.
"Like Aurora's wing."
I nod, remembering holding down her flier while Hamnet painfully popped Aurora's wing back into place. Neither Luxa or I knows how to do that and we both look at Kel questioningly.
His expression of longing is gone in an instant. "Do not look at me. I was never as clumsy as you in the jungle and had no need to learn how to put bones back into position."
I grimace and nod, not expecting any kinder response from the unfriendly boy. "Let's go on then." I get to my feet and tuck my arm against my side so it'll move as little as possible. "How much further to this Greenthorn anyway?"
"He is not far. In fact, he should have heard us by now. Come with me."
With that, Kel disappears into the vines, and we follow him.
Less than a minute later, Kel stops in front of a strangely piled mess of vines and branches. "Greenthorn." He calls softly. "Greenthorn, it is I. Kel, son of Merdus."
Only silence from the jungle around us. Then from inside the pile of vines comes a voice so creaky with age that I wouldn't be surprised if it happened to be a skeleton talking.
"Is that really you, Kel?" A strange figure emerges from the pile, slowly pushing its way out. I'm horrified to see that the creature named Greenthorn is in fact a fly. A giant, four-foot-long fly. I shudder as the think speaks again. "You return after months now that I am on my deathbed. I thought your father cared more about me than that."
"Merdus is dead." Kel says coldly. "We came to get information. Have you still been visiting the Overland sewer tunnels recently?"
The fly is silent for a moment, watching Kel's cold expression with an unreadable one of his own. "Yes."
"Then you would know of the Overlanders who are there?" Luxa cuts in impatiently.
"Yes I do know of them, Queen. Those dark, sneaking little men have no idea what destruction their greed will cause."

The killing greed must be undone
It will split the under apart.

      The line from the prophecy echoes in my mind, Nerissa's haunting words aligning with Greenthorn's description. And from Luxa's expression I know she recognizes it too.
      "What are they doing, Greenthorn?"
      The fly turns to me dully. "That arm's not looking so good boy. Better get it fixed soon." He waves one of his legs in dismissal, answering my question. "The men said something about gems or such. And they have been breaking at rocks near the Waterway. They called it 'mining' or something like that. I saw one such gem they found, and it was bright as day when they shone lights on it. They were cheering at the discovery. Saying something about being rich. Although I don't know how a shiny rock can make you rich."
Shiny rock. Gems. Bright as day. Mining by the Waterway.
      Suddenly several lines of the prophecy click into place, making perfect sense, and I mutter them aloud. "Besieged by the diamond will
Beset by a flimsy, green wish
Careful or stones will come raining
And gasping will come the fish."
      I meet Luxa's eyes and see that she understands too. Kel however looks confused, so I elaborate for his sake.
"The Overlanders found diamonds in the Waterway tunnel. They're mining the gems and breaking away at the walls in the process, all for a few flimsy green bills. And if they keep it up, the wall will eventually break, sending raining stones, gasping fish, and a flood into Regalia."