Blood and Ruin

It's calming here...

I sat underneath a large oak tree that overlooked a lush field of tall grass. My ears were filled with the singing of the local birds, a quiet hum of a lonely cicada and the grasses swaying along with the wind. I closed my eyes to enjoy this peaceful isolation. The warmth of the afternoon sun resting on my face made this day even more relaxing. I took a deep breath to enjoy this moment as I opened my eyes. Over the grass and beside the forest I could see the humble little village of Oberos, a town of dragon-kin, my home.

The peaceful silence of my solitude was broken as a faint yell echoed from a small grove to the right of the field. In between the trees, a woman in a modest white dress and long, braided, black hair and a bright red scarf covering a silver necklace could be seen waving at me. It was my mother.

"Mileena! Come now, your breakfast will be cold if you take long!"

She called out. I smile at her direction as I stood up.

"Coming mother!"

I raised my arms while arching my back slightly to stretch. I let out a satisfied sigh and a confident smile before rushing over to where my mother was. I pushed through the last patch of grass, eventually seeing my mother.

"You always wander off to that tree, why is that place so special anyways?"

She asked. I looked at her, giving a warm smile in her direction while placing my hands behind me, answering her question.

"It's calming, that's all."

My mother simply laughed softly. She then had a charming smile on her face, the same smile that would warm my heart every time without fail. I walked over to grab her hand as we started to walk back towards Oberos.

"Come now, your father has been waiting..." She spoke. She then leaned in closer to my ears and whispered.

"Your father prepared the meals today."

I stuck a tongue out in reply to her whisper.

"I bet the food will taste bad again..." I spoke under my breath as my mother giggled.

"Don't tease your father like that, he tries his best and that is all that matters..." Mother responded as I looked up at her.

Minutes passed by as we passed though the grove and entered the streets of Oberos. The village was busy with people tending to their own tasks.

"Oh, hello there Mrs. Alena. Out for a morning stroll?" A villager called out to my mom.

"Oh, Mr. Kim, working early again I see?"

"Yeah, it's my wife's birthday today, I wanted to giver her something special, y'know?"

"There are always days like that... Don't stress yourself too much okay?"

"You care too much Mrs. Alena. You know I don't"

My mother giggled as they waved goodbye to each other. We continued walking towards our home, which was put on a nearby hill, not far from the town square. My mother and I took careful steps on the wooden stairs leading to our house. I jumped over the last three steps as I looked up to see a man with sharp, fiery, hair wearing an apron and humble clothing that would show some of his muscular build.

"There's my sweet little rascal, come here!" The man walked over as I ran to greet him with a hug. The man was my father. My mother told stories of how my father used to be a knight at the kingdom of Eryvistus, a kingdom that was once said to have housed many species, including us, the dragon-kin. However, mother told stories of the new king's reign. When the new king was crowned, Eryvistus was shut off from the world and the other species. That is why my father is now with us everyday.

My father hugged me tightly for a few seconds before standing up and going over to my mother to kiss her in the cheek. I smiled as I savored this moment. My parents then gestured me to come over to the house as they walked towards it. I let out a quiet giggle whilst running over.

The day quickly went by as the sun slowly hid behind the tall mountain range. Mother was washing the dishes as Father swept the boards of the house. I, on the other hand, was outside, enjoying the sunset. I let out a relaxed sigh while closing my eyes.

"Enjoying the view again dear?" Mother whispered into my ear.

I jumped in fright as I had a startled look on my face. I turned to face her to see her giggling. I pouted, turning to the sunset once more. My mother sat down beside me as she looked at the same direction.

We kept quiet for a moment before my mother carried me and placed me on her lap. She then tended to my long, fire-colored hair.

"You always enjoyed the sunset. Aren't you too young to be like this?" My mother teased as she smiled. I looked at her with the same warm smile before turning back to the sunset.

"I like the sunset because it's like my hair! Also, it feels calming..." I replied in a quiet tone as my mother nods in agreement.

"You really are my daughter..." She spoke under her breath. She then finished tending to my hair, tying my hair into a fishtail braid.

"Done!"

I took a peek on my hair as I looked at it in amusement. I stood up and twirled to show how proud I was of it. My mother giggled as she clapped. Just then, My father called us over since the sun had already hid behind the mountains, revealing the night sky. I quickly ran inside while my mother followed at her own pace. My parents followed behind as I lay on the wooden bed we had. Father stood by the door as Mother sat down beside my bed. She sang a quiet and peaceful lullaby as she tucked me in.

"Good night, my little princess..."

She spoke in a charming and quiet voice as she kissed my forehead. The lights dimmed as my parents waved good night by the slowly closing door. I adjusted myself to a comfortable position as I slept soundly with a smile on my face.

Faint sounds of rumbling thunder and screams filled my ears as I woke up, startled and scared. Rain poured over the town as lightning and thunder accompany the showering droplets. I turned towards the window, only to see the sky filled with a purple glow. I looked over towards the town to see panic fill the streets. I looked closer to see blackened figures with ominous red eyes. The figures had the shape of our kind, however, their intent was not of dragon-kin origin. The figure was filled with rage and hatred, it wanted to slay anything near it. These...monsters roamed the streets of Oberos, they chased after every dragon-kin, slaying them as they ran for safety. I watched in fear as my body froze.

My door soon flew open, I turned around to see what it may be. It was my mother. I immediately ran over towards her, clutching her dress as tears fell down to my cheeks. My mother knelt down to recieve my hug. My body trembled and shook under fear. My mother held me close as she carried me up. I buried my face on the crook of her neck as I sobbed. My mother rushed downstairs to meet with my father. They spoke for a while before they ran outside.

As my parents ran to the far ends of Oberos and into the harbor, a loud explosion rose up from the center of town, making my parents stop and look at the direction of the source. A massive blue mist enveloped the whole town. The mist was cold but calming in a way...

As the mist slowly grew, a red glow appeared at the same spot where the explosion occured. Soon, the red glow slowly swallowed the blue mist, as if it were corrupting it. However, the blue mist seemed to respond to the red glow and tried to escape it. As I watched this unfold from the arms of my mother, my father yelled out to her as they continued running. As they did so, a small ball of light travelled towards us in a fast pace. I tried to warn my parents about it until it hit me right in the forehead. The ball dispersed into a similar mist, but this time it was white. I tear up as I rubbed my head from the pain. I looked around to see that the mist had disappeared and started to wonder if that was only a piece of my imagination. My mother looked at me as they ran towards some small boats docked at shore.

My mother boarded the boat and sat me down by a nearby chair. I looked towards the town as I saw the glow of the roaring fires and the smoke stacks that cover it. My mother sat beside me, hugging me to reassure my safety. However, that feeling of safety was short lived when a sudden chill went down our bodies. My father, who was preparing the boat, turned towards the land. With shaky hands, he quickly finished the preparations. I turned towards the direction he looked at and saw where I truly felt what fear was. On the hill was someone...or something in a tattered cloak, slowly approaching us. The figure had a black fog surrounding his feet as well as a hand that seemed rocky and scaly.

As he slowly walked towards us, a splitting headache had arrived, followed by ominous whispering. My mother went to comfort me as my father had barely finished the preparations and set sail. As we left, the figure stood at the end of the docks, looking at our direction. The headache went on as we disappeared into the dark ocean. Visions and whispers flood my head, until I couldn't take the pain anymore. I dropped to the wet boards of the boat as everything slowly faded into darkness. I could hear both my parents run towards me as their voices faded away, along with my consciousness.

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