The Wildfire and My Family's Death

Days passed of the encounter with my estranged father, as the sun rose slowly across the dawn sky, the sound of birds chirping in the distance, just a normal day, group of Brachiosaurus marching pass, triceratops lowered it's frill, staring at it's eggs as a small crack appeared from the hard surface, small head poked out, chirping, followed the rest of the eggs.

I stared at my surroundings, guardian—keep an eye from the intruder, my ears perked up at the sound, I immediately draw myself closer at the nest. I kneeled down to see several juvenile triceratops emerged from the eggs, making my heart softened despite guarding if there was an intruder luring us. The mother Triceratops allowed me to inspect and pating the head of it's childrens.

The hatchlings chirped, shaking the remnants of shells, pounced at my form, letting a soft chirps, their frills nudging my side, but until the sound of crunching and the scent of something burning through my nostrils. They came again…?! I thought to myself, clenching my teeth furiously, group of Brachiosaurus fled, Stegosaurus roared, the sound of the burning trees falling in the ground causing the flames to spread from other woods.

My heart quickened, Oh no. My family!? I thought to myself, panicked send through my mind as I immediately dash away deeper from the woods, where my family live. As the flames growing bigger almost burning the entire forest whole, dodging some broken trees, my reptilian feet tapping against the damp earth beneath, leaving a footprints trail behind.

~~~

The clearing where me and my family lives has been torn apart, our shelter we've made from a long time ago has been shattered. The world around me from a peaceful life with my family into disaster and even death, the trampled earth, broken trees, oil and crimson fluid splattered across the ground, the bark of the tree cover in red, flames reflect in the flowing water from the river nearby.

"Mom…? Dad…? Guys?! Where are you!?" I called out with tears flowing silently across my cheeks, making my breath shuttered, silence. But then I heard a loud guttural howl in pain, reverted through the burning woods. No, it can't be… I thought to myself with my eyes wide in terror, I bolted towards the source, clutching the staff of my spear as the trees around me, blurring from speed.

~~~

I arrived lately, breathing heavily with my reptilian pupils slitted, wander my head, still holding my spear. My eyes suddenly wide in terror, at front of me; a massive creature lay still on the ground, eyes was flowing in crimson, it's mouth half-open but lifeless, it's body was riddled with bullet and a single arrow on it's thigh part, my breath shuttering. I draw myself closer, inspecting the corpse, I've realized… it was my mother.

"M… Mom…?" I mumbled her name, tears slowly flowing on my cheeks, my throat clenched, but… she's no longer breathing as she lay still on the ground, it's claws reaching something desperate to protect, already sleeping; forever. "M-MOM!! Wake up!! Please! Don't leave me alone!" I cried, pressing my forehead against the massive snout, sobbing violently, my whole body trembled. "Mom… please… wake up..." I murmured under my breath, forehead still on the rough scales of my mother's snout, sniffled.

"You've sacrifice yourself to protect this place without me... I—MOM, please! You have to wake up! I can't become a queen, and I cannot rule the territory without your guide! Mom, please… wake up…" the forest remained silent, except the sound of cracking flames from the distance and the sound of helicopter from above. I pulled my forehead away from my mother's snout, my gaze landed on her razor sharp teeth. With a silent nod from grief, I immediately used my spear to plucked the sharpest tooth from her corpse as honoring her braveness. I pressed my forehead one last time in a bittersweet goodbye.

"Goodbye, Mom... you may rest now, thank you for accept me, raised me as your first daughter, I hope we've met again." I whispered, tears flowing continuously, dropping on the earth beneath me, I sobbed harder, I've already honor my mother's death, but I'll never forgive who killed my family. I pulled away, wiping the stray tear from my eyes, I darting my head around to find the rest of my family.

The king Rex, my father didn't get down easily, his body lay a short distance away from my mother, he was also slain by several hunters,
Trees uprooted where he fought until his last breath.

I sank beside his lifeless body, pressing my forehead against the cold rough scales.

"You tried to protect her, dad… even her death." I mumbled under my breath, tears starting to flow on my eyes, mixing the crimson on the ground. I lift my head, I removed his sharpest tooth from his lifeless body, honoring his sacrifice to protect his kingdom.

I pulled away from his snout, glanced around, as I saw my four juvenile siblings, I grew up playing with them… lay motionless in the trampled earth, their bodies riddle in deep cuts and tranquilizer dart, the one is missing. I collapse on my knees, claws digging against the soil, my eyes wide in both terror and anger.

My entire family… was gone…
Forever, alone to rule this territory without my family who stand on my side…

~~~

A single sound make my one of my ears perked up, but weak, before my mind slipped into numb terror. A soft weak chirp, I snapped my head at the source. My youngest sibling, the smallest one of the hatchlings, my timid brother limped forward, emerging from the thicket, shivering. He was covered in cuts, bruise, damp earth and ash from burning leaves.

He looked at me with wide, terrified eyes, crying, I rushed towards him, wrapping my arms around his weak form without hesitation as the little rex pressed his snout against the leather texture of my cape.

"It's okay… I've got you… you're big sister's here…" I whispered softly as I hugged him tighter, my tears dropping onto his snout. My gaze darkened, my voice dropped into a whisper.

"They did this…"

The grief of my family's death still haunting my mind, the feeling through my chest sharpened. My youth version of me replacing something—Revenge, Hatred, Purpose.

I wiped the stray tear from my eyes, my gaze shifting into cold, pupils molding back into slits. Holding my survived brother protectively, stepping out from the ruins, with the tooth of her family tucked on the bundle, stepping out from my childhood days, turning into begining of my unforgivable vengeance.

"I'll make them pay. For what they have done to my family, my territory, my kin."

To be Continue…