It Was I Who Laid the Egg!

“Wait! If I come along, will you leave my family alone?”

I don’t want Mom or Dad to get hurt. And the count just wants to talk, while I don’t trust them at all... it might be the best choice.

“...”

He looked me up and down before sheathing his sword.

“Fine. Let’s get going, the count doesn’t have all day.”

“Are you sure, Kurenai?”

Mom and I whispered to each other.

“Yeah, I’ll just quickly talk to him and be back as soon as I can!”

“Hehe.”

She patted my head.

“I’ll make you your favorite dish for dinner.”

“Potato Mochi!?”

While nodding at me, she added.

“Maybe even with a little cheese.”

Yaaaay, yaay, yay.

“But, be careful. Who knows what the count is thinking.”

Ah hum.

Next I turned back to face the knight.

“So, you won’t hurt them if I come along, right?”

He started getting even more annoyed from having to wait for me.

“Yes.”

“You promise?”

“Agh. Yes, I promise.”

With newfound encouragement I followed him, who I assumed was the head knight. When I looked back, I noticed the other two knights weren’t coming with us.

Are they staying behind in case I try to run? How evil...

Bump!

I walked straight into him, because he stopped and turned around.

Huh?

“Elias, Thorsten, discipline the parents thoroughly.”

“What!? You promised that you wouldn’t hurt them!”

“You are right, I did promise that I wouldn’t hurt them. Hence why we aren’t going to hurt them.”

Eeeeeh?

“We are going to kill them. It’ll be painless, at least if they don’t resist.”

Is he serious? No way, right?

I whipped my head back and forth between him and the other knights.

“...”

The next second, I saw them getting into fighting stances.

My mind raced and my feet moved on their own. But, before I could make it anywhere, he grabbed me by my shoulder.

“L-let go!”

Thrashing wildly, I struggled to break free from his grasp. All I could do was watch as my mom ran inside, but the knights followed her.

“That’s life. Facing the consequences of your actions.”

“Hyaaaaaaa. Nooooo.”

Hearing my mother’s blood-curdling screams from inside made me drop to my knees.

Am I dreaming? Yes, this has to be a nightmare. Weird, so shouldn’t I be waking up now?

I felt something hot well up inside me.

“Oh water spirits...”

Facing the consequences of my actions? But what did I do wrong? Or does he mean my parents? But then what did they do?

“What are you trying to do?”

“Lend me thy strength...”

The water ball formed in my palm.

Why are they treating us like that? Is this really what we deserve... for merely existing?

“All your efforts are futile!”

“And bless him with, water!”

I aimed the ball right at him.

Plop.

My face contorted in pure despair as the ball just popped, splashing my hand.

“Hahahaha! Did you try making me a drink to quell my thirst?”

“Water! Water. Water...”

Why? Mom... Dad...

A tear streamed down my face.

I failed...

To become a hero...

Crack.

To protect not just anyone, but my own parents...

Crack!

This time the ground rumbled a little.

Someone... help me.

Boom.

Suddenly my hideout exploded, and something flew super fast out of it towards us.

“Ugh! What are you!?”

Heeeee?

“Squeer! Piyu, piyu!”

Slowly I looked up, just to question whether my eyes were playing tricks on me.

A black and purple baby dragon!?

“You evil spawn!”

He shouted as he struck the dragon, sending it straight into the ground.

My chest burned even stronger.

This feeling... and that dragon... Could it be?

“Eggy!”

“Kyuuuuu!”

I dashed straight for Eggy and picked it up, holding it tight. At this point tears streamed uncontrollably down my face.

“E-eggy...”

Eggy placed its forehead on mine. Just as Eggy did that, the fire inside my chest burned so strong that I could barely contain it.

“Fire?”

Right then, our bodies erupted in flames, but it didn’t hurt.

“Thank you, Eggy.”

“You think you’ll be safe hiding inside a tiny fire like that?”

Turning around, I faced him while holding Eggy in my arms.

“Oh ancient dragon, lend us thy strength, and destroy-”

“Kyu kyuuuu, kyu piyu, piyu kyu-”

I raised my arm, a dark purple flame building up in my palm.

“Tsk, tsk, tsk. What an unruly child you are.”

The girl from earlier? I almost forgot about her...

“You’re still here?”

“Yes!? How rude!”

Suddenly my heart sank, and I felt lightheaded.

“Stop that spell! Immediately!”

“But! He’s the reason that my mother... got hurt?”

“Get out of our house!”

Dumbfounded, I just watched as my mother threw those two knights out of our house.

But seeing my mother unharmed, I lost control of my body and collapsed to the ground.

I’m glad... Did she protect my mom?

Eggy cuddled against my cheek, trying to comfort me.

Hehe-

“My, my. So you prefer her over your mother?”

Huh!? She’s Eggy’s mother?

I looked skeptically at her, then at Eggy, and back at her.

A dragon, a human, a dragon?

“Impossible.”

“Kyuuu!”

Eggy shouted at her before going back to cuddling me.

“Are you trying to anger me?”

Annoyed, she glared at us, her eyes narrowed.

Just like back then-

“That blood red hair and those yellow dragon eyes... Why are you here!?”

“Oho. You must be Olar, leader of the royal knights.”

His face turned sour.

“So it really is you... Crimson Dragon!”

“Maybe... maybe not. Who knows.”

“Stop with your games, what are you doing here!?”

“I think we both know exactly why I’m here.”

Her gaze turned to him, but this time there was a lot of bloodlust behind it. So much so that it was almost visible as a dark purple aura around her.

“Elias, Thorsten. Let’s go, we are retreating for now!”

Exhausted and confused, I watched as they all ran with their tails tucked between their legs.

Please tell me it’s over... I can’t anymore...

“And now back to you, you little rascal.”

“Piyu!”

Eggy quickly hid underneath my shirt.

“Hey! That tickles, Eggy! Hahaha.”

“You really think you can hide from your mother!”

Ohoh.

She looks angry! Help!

“I think it would be better if we talk inside. Wouldn’t you agree, Mrs. Crimson Dragon?”

Mom! Perfect save.

“Hmmm... You’re right.”

So we headed back inside and sat down, Eggy still kept hiding underneath my shirt.

“I’ll go make some more tea for you two.”
“Where is dad?”

“Don’t worry about him, he rushed in to save me... but tripped and knocked himself out.”

Hehehe.

“That’s just so like Dad. At least he tried, though!”

“Yeah... and failed spectacularly.”

With a smile on her face, she disappeared into the kitchen.

I bet she’ll also check in on dad.

“Ah hum. I’m still here.”

“The Crimson Dragon, huh? But you’re a human?”

“Do you want me to transform back? Though, I assumed it would be easier to talk to you in this form.”

“No, no, no. It’s all good. Soooo, why are you here?”

“Isn’t it obvious?”

“...”

“...”

“I’m not giving you Eggy!”

“Piyu!”

“...”

“Exactly! Tell her, Eggy.”

“Piyu, piyu!”

“That’s my child, you know!?”

“Nuh uh! I found and hatched Eggy!”

“And who do you think laid the egg!?”

Eggy’s and my gazes locked before I looked back at her with a serious expression.

“I did!”

“Kyuu!”

“You can’t even lay eggs! Let alone dragon ones!”

“Yes, I can, as you can see.”

“Ugh... She really took a liking to you, huh?”

She?

I took a closer look at Eggy, who looked at me with big, cute puppy eyes.

“See! You didn’t even know that Eggy is a girl!”

“My, my. What’s going on here? I could hear you from the other room.”

“Just your daughter explaining to me how she laid and hatched a dragon egg.”

“Eh...?”

Thud.

I turned around, only to see my mom had fainted.