A Red Dragon!? Yay!

Ko-ke-kok-ko-o!

“Kurenai! Time to wake up.”

Mom walked over to my room.

“Kurenai? Didn’t you hear me?”

She looked inside my room, just to find it empty.

“Leaving this early, without even eating breakfast? Haaaaaa. She really has too much energy in the morning. Wonder who she got that from...”

Well, that’s what she didn’t know, though. I had an important reason to get up as early as possible! You guessed it, Eggy!

I rushed over before even the rooster woke up.

After all, I do have to make sure that it’s safe!

Digging through the bushes, I was relieved when I found it.

Pheeew.

“It looks the same as yesterday.”

Placing my hand on it, I could feel quite a bit of warmth coming from it.

“Good morning, Eggy. I’m sorry for leaving you outside like that, but I didn’t really have a choice. If others find you... they’d cook and eat you!”

“...”

Hmmm...

“Feels weird talking to myself like that. Hehe.”

After brushing off the dirt from Eggy, I picked it up and carried it to my small secret hideout. It wasn’t anything special, just a small space hidden between big hay bales, with a roof made out of hay.

At first glance it’d be hard to spot, and I was really proud of it!

Carefully setting down Eggy inside, I covered it with hay to keep it warm.

“Kurenai! Do you want to help your dad out on the farm?”

“For now I have to go help my dad. See you later, Eggy!”

Quickly crawling out of my hideout, I ran towards him.

“Yes! Let me help you, Dad!”

The next couple of days were uneventful, despite the warning, everything stayed peaceful. Yet my parents still wouldn’t let me go out on my own.

So I kept helping them out while visiting Eggy multiple times a day. Especially in the evenings, where I would always tell it about my day and what I had done!

Then after a week of boredom, I was sitting with my head on the table while Mom was cooking breakfast.

“Mom?”

“No, no more milk for you today.”

Eeeeh!?

“Stingy! But that’s not what I wanted to ask... When are the adventurers going to arrive?”

“I’m not sure, as things are, they might not arrive at all.”

“Because they are looking for the dragon?”

“Exactly. Isn’t it better if everything stays peaceful?”

Mmmmmm...

“I know... but I want to meet them...”

“What’s up with this sad mood here, this early?”

“Dad! I want to meet the adventurers!”

He knelt down beside me and petted my head.

“How about instead, you help me fetch some water?”

“Okay...”

We quickly headed over to the river. Since my dad is so perceptive, he of course just had to notice that I was still quite down. So, he decided to try something.

While slowly filling the bucket, I spaced out staring into it.

Splash!

He used that chance, snuck up on me, and dumped a whole bucket over me.
Kyaaaaah!

“Hey! What was that for, Dad?”

Yet, before I could even shake off the water, he used the opportunity to push me into the river.

Hng!

“Now, you’ve made a mistake!”

I stood up, scooped up water, and splashed him right back.

“Right back at you!”

He purposefully jumped in right next to me.

“That’s not fair! You’re way bigger than me.”

“You think that’s not fair?”

That smirk on his face... I knew right away.

I’m done for.

Picking me up, he threw me deeper into the river.

So unfair! I don’t stand a chance, physically... hehehe.

Standing up, I smirked at him.

“You forgot one thing, Dad. Two can play that game!”

“Huh?”

“Oh water spirits, lend me thy strength...

“Using magic isn’t fair!”

“...and bless my dad with, waterfall-”

Roooooooar!

We both jolted, my spell missing completely. Then a big shadow flew over us.

“Kurenai! We need to run!”

“Dad...”

He grabbed my hand and dragged me along with him out of the river.

“We’ve got no time. Let’s go!”

“Was that...”

“Kurenai-”

“The dragon that the adventurers are hunting!?”

I looked at him with gleaming eyes, ecstatic that it finally arrived.

Since that means one thing... the adventurers are nearby!

We arrived back at the village, finding just a few royal knights shouting at everyone.

“Either you take your important belongings and escape, or you band together and fight to defend your village!”

But no one would respond to them, everyone just hid inside their homes.

We made it home just in time. Because just shortly after, the massive shadow circled over our village.

“Look, Dad! The dragon is here. So we’ll get to see the whole fight go down.”

Eeeeh?

Why does he look so tense? Aren’t we about to witness history? Fights just like in those fairy tales my mom read to me before going to sleep.

“Dad...?”

“It’s okay, Kurenai. We’ll protect you.”

“Wha-”

“I think it would be best if she hid in her secret hideout.”

“H-h-how do you know about my secret hideout, Mom!?”

“Hehe. I’m your mother. Of course I know.”

She gently caressed my cheek.

“But I want to see the adventurers!”

They both looked at each other with worried faces. Just like that night when I found Eggy.

“They aren’t coming.”

“Why not!?”

“...”

“Tell me! Why? Why won’t they come!?”

“Because... this is just a small, insignificant village.”

“So!? They are adventurers, heroes, meant to protect us!”

“...”

“No! You’re lying! They would never abandon people in need!”

Pushing past them, I sprinted outside straight for the royal knights.

If mom and dad won’t tell me the truth, then I’ll just ask the knights!

“Hey! Where are the adventurers?”

“What are you talking about?”

The knights turned to face me, looking down on me.

“The ones who are hunting this mean dragon! They are nearby, right?”

“There is no one coming. So you better run if you value your life.”

Huh?

Why aren’t they coming? So they’ll just let the dragon rampage? Then what about our village... about us? I don’t understand it. Are those fairy tales lies?

“Kurenai! Come back, it’s not safe there!”

My parents chased after me to take me back.

But I just stood there, frozen in place. My whole childhood just collapsed.

Are we not worth saving? Even though we work so hard, every single day?

Why...?

Trying to understand everything I just stared at the knights who got ready to leave.

Even they won’t-

Rooooooooar.

I slowly looked up, just to see the giant red dragon descending towards me.

It spewed fire above itself, seemingly like a warning or maybe to intimidate us?

“Kurenai!”

“Kurenaiiii!”

None of this makes sense, real heroes are strong! Meant to protect the weak, go on journeys to find treasure, and defeat evil!

The dragon flew closer, his wings blew strong wind at me.

“Where is the hero!? The knight in shining armor? Or at the very least a strong adventurer!? Come out and do your duty!”

Suddenly the dragon locked his gaze onto my parents, inhaling mana and getting ready to let out a massive breath of fire.

“Hey! I’m the damsel in distress here, stick to the play.”

I shouted at it, my emotions going haywire.

Am I mad? Sad? Angry? Disappointed? All of them at once?

Hmmm...

I swung my arm down, creating a massive water slash that hit the dragon, making it jolt back.

“Where are they!? You dare attack and rampage like that and no one stops you!?”

Swinging my other arm up, I hit the dragon with an even bigger water slash.

Quickly recovering, the dragon dashed towards me. Opening its mouth wide.

“Stay away from me! Your breath stinks!”

Throwing both arms down, I made a massive waterfall hit it from above, sending the dragon crashing into the ground.

My parents watched this whole thing unfold, questioning reality and what they just witnessed.

In the meantime, the dragon got up, shook its head and stared right at me.

“Weeeeeeeeeeeh.”

Tears streamed down my face.

Meanwhile, the dragon slowly limped away. Before spreading its wings and flying off, it turned around and looked right at me, its pupils sharpening.

“Kurenai!”

My mother just ran straight for me, hugging me tight, as I sobbed into her shoulder.

“T...this is just all wrong!”

“My, my, Kurenai. It’s okay.”

“Bu-but!”

Somewhere else, inside a mansion, a man sat reading through documents.

“She single handedly forced a red dragon to retreat?”

“Yes, milord. I saw it with my own eyes.”

“That’s so absurd, but I can’t deny the evidence.”

“Do you think she might be-?”

“Maybe there is only one way to verify it.”

He rested his head against his hands.

“Get everything ready.”