The thunder cracked loudly as the rain poured onto the ground. It was already morning, but the darkness of the clouds made it look like night. For some reason, the rain was so merciless that a person could get a headache if they were out there.
Inside the hut, little Kael stood up from his bed. He had woken up to the rain. His bare feet made a slight noise as his hands moved to his eyes. He squeezed them and squinted before blinking; the blurriness slowly cleared.
He turned, but his mama was not with him. He walked out of the room and raised his hands to the other door to open it, but it was too high for him, he couldn't reach it.
"Mama… mama," he spoke, his voice slightly crackly. He tiptoed again, there was no way anyone could hear him; the rain was so heavy and loud that it was nearly impossible. He did not want to stay alone in his room.
His gaze moved around the house, searching for something. Calmly, he walked to the dining room and pushed the dining room chair. As it scraped across the floor, it made a deafening screech. He stopped, stood still, and brought his hands up, growling while twisting his muscles.
"I am stronggg," he said loudly, as if that would help. He tried to carry the chair, but his hands grew sore. He blew on his hands and pushed again, not minding the screeching sound at all that was the only way. He stopped just as the chair hit the door.
He yawned, then moved his foot to the footrest to climb. He pressed his foot to climb the other, but his feet scraped a nail. He winced softly as the sharp pain shot through him, but he held on and climbed onto the main chair.
"Don't cryy… big boys don't cry," he said to himself, tears surrounding his eyes. A small smile rested on his lips as he moved his hands to the handle and turned the doorknob. Just as he did, he raised his hands to wipe his eyes.
Mrs. Martins, who was already up, turned quickly, surprised to see her son at the doorway atop a chair. She rushed over, her motherly instinct urging her to check on him.
"It seems a mother's instinct really should not be ignored," she muttered, lifting her son into her arms. But then her eyes fell on the chair, noticing the blood.
He was injured. Mr. Martins was already awake; he stood as Mrs. Martins spoke hurriedly, her hands moving to her son's foot and squeezing gently to stop the bleeding. Her eyes scanned his face; he looked calm.
"Get a towel," she spoke.
Mr. Martins handed her one. She walked to the bed and sat her son down, she knelt carefully tying the towel around his foot. She muttered curses at herself for her carelessness, then turned to her husband, who was cleaning the chair.
There was silence..
Just then, they heard a loud sound. The woman's head snapped to her husband, who raised a brow as if questioning it, an expression she had never seen before…this had never happened before. She quickly moved her gaze back to her son, who was now watching her curiously.
"Mama, what is that sound?" he asked.
Mr. Martins' face turned cold as he walked to the door. Mrs. Martins quickly carried Kael in her arms, her breath shaking slightly as she forced a smile; she didn't want to scare her son.
"Mama…" he called again as she carried him to the living room.
"My son, it is thunder," she cleared her throat before adding, "Remember, the rain brings thunder." She turned her gaze to the door as her husband began to unlock it. When he pushed it open, no one was there. The air felt suffocating; his eyes were empty as he looked around. The rain fell, the clouds dark, but there was no one at all.
"I need to take a look," he said, turning to his wife, who nodded frantically, her hands tightening slightly around her son.
Kael turned to the door where his father had just left, then back to his mother, who still held him.
"Mama, where is Papa going? It is dangerous to go out in the rain," he said, remembering what she always told him when it rained, when he begged to play outside. She nodded quietly, her eyes turning watery as she lied.
"Ah, that is because only Daddy can go out in the rain." He nodded at her words.
"Then I want to become a daddy," he said. The woman froze, turning to her son. But before she could say anything, a loud growl echoed. The floor shook, and the lantern resting on the wall crashed to the floor, extinguishing its light.
Another growl followed. The woman ran to the door, her eyes wide in panic, her heart pounding violently against her ribcage. She rushed outside with little Kael, the cold rain hitting them both.
Kael raised his head, and everything came to a halt. Up in the sky was his father in dragon form, trapped in a net. Another growl escaped the dragon's lips as he spat fire, trying to break free. But the net seemed poisoned; his fire was weak from the rain.
His sharp dragon eyes spotted his son below, staring in shock and fear. He thrashed, but the more he moved, the tighter the net became. He could not spit fire.
The woman ran forward, holding her son tight. It must have been a trap. The rain poured over them, but the cold meant nothing.
"Papa! Papa!" the boy cried his name. Just then, men in black began emerging from the trees, holding arrows.
"NOOO!" the woman screamed, dropping her son and hiding him under a tree flower. Kael trembled, eyes wide with horror.
"Hide here, Kael. I will be back," she whispered, giving him a reassuring nod before running to the men. The little boy stood trembling, watching her disappear.
"Papa! Mama!" he quietly called out as tears ran down his cheeks. Goosebumps covered his skin, the sharp wind and heavy rain making everything worse.
"No, don't pull!" The woman said again, the men were holding arrows and poisonous bullets.
"Woman, get out of there!" one of them barked, eyes still on the dragon. Fear gripped their faces as the dragon growled on the air.
"The dragon is breaking free… we need to shoot now!" one uniformed man shouted. Rain entered his mouth as he shouted he spat out saliva.
"Please don't shoot! He would do you no harm!" the woman pleaded, running toward the captain. But it was too late. The captain raised his hand, and arrows and bullets flew straight at the dragon. The weapons slashed through his scales, piercing his body—a testament to years of their planning.
The dragon fell from the air, crashing to the ground with a massive BOOM.
The floor shook as more arrows targeted him. The woman screamed as she ran to her husband's dragon body which seemed unmoving. Before she could reach him, an arrow struck her twice, and her body fell atop the dragon's tail. Another bullet hit her.
Little Kael, hiding in the back, cried and ran from his hiding place. The cloth wrapped on his foot loosened, and blood gushed out.
"Mama! Papa!" he shouted as he ran out of his hiding spot. One of the men spotted him and raised his hand. The shooting stopped.
"A boy! Take him! The dragon must have trapped him to eat!" he shouted, and they ran toward the boy. Some men stared in shock.
Little Kael sneezed, the rain hitting his face. He wondered why his parents were lying in the rain. Tears rolled down his cheeks. Just as he was about to reach them, he tripped on the slippery soil. His head hit a rock, and everything turned black.