The Fall of the Dragon

Pov: Kai

- Where am I? - I asked myself.

I was in a dark forest, it was clearly night, without even the moon illuminating the surroundings. I tried to use my flames, but they wouldn't come out.

- I can't use fire, so I must be in the spirit world. - I looked up and saw a big tree and quickly climbed to the top. - Nothing in sight, how strange, I thought there would be more animals or mystical beings in a place like this.... What is that? 

When I turn around, I see lights on the horizon, clearly a sign of civilization to the north of my position.

- It doesn't make sense, why would there be a village in the spirit world?

I climb down cautiously from the tree, I can't afford to meet any hostile beings until I can bend fire. I walk with my senses alert in case I'm attacked, minutes go by but nothing happens.

- I confess I'm disappointed with the spirit world....

A tremor made me fall to the ground, a big bang and a flash in the forest that made me cover my eyes with my hands. I was a little dazed by the strange phenomenon until I heard: ROOOAAAARRRRRR! 

The roar made my eardrums hurt, but strangely, as frightening as it was, I could understand it perfectly.

- Jun? What or who is Jun? 

I was confused, not understanding why I understood or found the roar familiar, so I looked up at the sky and noticed that two huge clouds of smoke covered a certain part of the forest.

- I'm an idiot... let's see what happened. - I ran into the smoke as fast as I could. 

The further I got into the forest, the more surprised I was to see the trees destroyed, as if they had been crushed by something huge. When I arrived at the impact site, at first glance I found nothing but a crater. 

- Whatever it was, it was gone. - I observe the area, walking around, until I see a golden liquid and huge footprints.

I kneel down to examine the gigantic footprints and watch them disappear over the horizon towards the other smoke, at least 300 meters away from where I was standing.

- What kind of creature is this? - I ask, deciding to walk towards the monstrous footprints. - It looks like it's badly injured.

Following the tracks wasn't difficult, but what surprised me was that the footprints got smaller with each step until they resembled a human form. I couldn't help but marvel at the obvious transformation left as evidence. 

Passing by more crushed trees, I glimpsed another crater, with a huge dragon with scales and a white mane, with a golden liquid oozing from various parts of its body, like blood. Near the head of the great creature, a naked woman with white hair was hugging him and crying, apparently wounded with the same marks as the dragon.

I wasn't sure what to do, so I approached slowly so as not to frighten the woman.

- Hello, are you all right? - I asked the woman, worried about scaring her.

Strangely, the woman didn't even seem to hear me, she just leaned her head against the dragon's mane.

- Hi! Can you hear me? Can you understand me? - I speak up, but I'm still ignored.

I got close enough to see the woman's face, which made me lose my balance, perplexed, afraid it was fake. 

- Mom? It's YOU! - I ran to hug her, but, strangely, I passed by her and the dragon's body as if it were a mirage. - WHAT?

I got up from the ground and tried to touch my mother's shoulder, but my hand went through her skin as if I didn't exist. 

- How is this possible? What's happening? - I looked at my mother and felt terrible for not being able to help her.

- I'm so sorry. - said Katsu, shedding tears, with a devastated expression.

Katsu's hair was as white as snow and her eyes were the most scarlet color possible, surpassing Kai's. Her body was covered in wounds. Her body was covered in wounds, as if she had been attacked by a wild animal, but strangely, her open wounds were covered in a golden liquid that glowed faintly in the dark.

- I'm sorry Jun, I'm sorry. - Katsu was so desperate that he didn't notice her sorry state.

I watched the dragon closely, one of its wings was torn off, its legs visibly broken, not to mention the obvious bite marks and a few dark spots that made me feel uncomfortable.

- What happened to you? Damn it, I can't just stand here! - I looked around for anything that could help me communicate with my mother.

As the minutes passed, the dark spots began to spread across the dragon, slowly transforming it and making it lose its majestic form. 

- You... you have to run... - said Jun in a draconic voice. - I can't stop the darkness. 

- I can't leave you! - Katsu wrapped his arms tighter around the dragon's head.

The dragon's scarlet eyes faded, its skin turned black as night and its wounds looked rotten. The draconic creature's breathing stopped, leaving only the pitiful sight of the huge creature.

Katsu's eyes hardly shone, as if he had lost a part of his soul, his eyes were red from crying and his suffering was greater than his physical pain.

For some reason, I began to shed tears, feeling terrible mentally, as if I were reliving the day my mother died. 

- Why am I crying? - I looked at the tears on my hand. 

In an instant, the bones of the draconic corpse seemed to break, the legs struggled to lift the body, a clear sign that the bones were too broken to support the weight of the body, the open wounds poured blood everywhere. The dragon's body rose to its full height with an agonizing roar, completely out of tune and macabre. 

I was intimidated by the roar, but unlike the first time, this time it sounded like a plea or desperation. However, I didn't mind when the giant corpse slammed its front paw into Katsu, knocking her into several trees.

- Mother! - I tried to shoot my fire at the dragon, but my flames wouldn't come out.

I ran towards the dragon to hit it with a punch, but I ran through it like a ghost, which made me even more frustrated. 

Katsu lifted a tree that had fallen on him with one hand, he was breathing hard while his left hand was on his stomach, with a worried expression.

The dragon ran towards my mother, but she remained motionless with her head down. Just as the corpse was about to devour Katsu, the dragon was instantly flung in the opposite direction, destroying part of the forest.

Katsu's right fist glowed with an imposing golden light, his scarlet eyes shone brightly, but with a hint of sadness, and his hair was completely golden.

- Get ready, Jun, I'll save you from the darkness even if I lose my light! - Katsu roared like a war cry. 

The dragon lunged forward like an uncontrolled beast, with part of its jaw broken by the impact, continuing to roar, only more out of tune. Katsu waited patiently for his opponent.

What happened in Kai's eyes was a fight of brute force, with an enormous amount of destruction; within minutes, half the forest was destroyed.

Katsu's right arm was completely broken and she was dizzy, almost falling over from exhaustion. Meanwhile, the dragon she was facing was in a worse state, but somehow managed to keep fighting, as if searching for something, despite the damage it had suffered. 

Both were at their physical limit, but the dragon ignored its pitiful condition and ran, bones piercing its flesh mercilessly. Katsu raised his broken arm and waited for the monster to attack.

- This will be my last move, break free, son! - Katsu shouted and threw a punch that caused a pillar of light to envelop the two fighters, opening the very sky with its enormous power.

The explosion blinded me for a moment. I had to wait for the light to dissipate to see the result of my mother's last attack. The next thing I knew, the other part of the forest had been destroyed in one movement. Turning my head slightly, I was stunned by the sight of an entire mountain broken in half. As surprised as I was by the destruction, I was even more shocked by the revelation.

In the center of the destruction, Katsu was panting and holding his stomach in fear, while the dragon seemed to have finally been defeated, with more than half of its body destroyed.

Kai ran towards the center of the impact, completely frustrated at not being able to do anything in this situation.

- Mom... you used up all your light... - said Jun weakly, unable to move a muscle.

- It's better than being carried away by the darkness, it's my duty as a mother. - said Katsu and gave the dragon a motherly smile.

Golden particles began to emanate from the dragon, which gradually disappeared like desert dust, while Katsu lost the golden color of her hair, which was taken over by a color as black as night, leaving only her scarlet eyes.

Katsu placed his left hand on the dragon's disfigured face and shed sad tears. 

- Are you my brother? - I said, hoping to get an answer. 

I had so many questions in my head, but the sadness that overwhelmed me was stronger. I knelt down next to Jun and put my hand next to my mother's, knowing that it made no difference.

- Have you... chosen... the name? - Jun asked, feeling his strength fading.

- I thought of several, I was undecided between Fuve or Jon, but I decided on Kai.

- Kai... it's a good name for my little brother. 

- Listen, Jun, I promise he'll survive, no matter what. - Katsu promised in tears. - Your sacrifice won't be in vain.

- I... know. It's a shame, I really wanted to teach him to hunt. How strange... I feel like I can sense it. - whispered the dragon, who seemed happy. - Hello little brother... 

Without Kai realizing it, his hand emitted a faint golden glow. The dragon disintegrated into particles in front of his devastated mother and little brother, who were unable to say anything.

- Hell, I just met you and I feel like we've known each other forever. - I gave myself over to Sadness as I watched my mother lovingly hold her womb. 

For some reason, I felt that Jun's soul had disappeared, as if it had never existed, a kind of darkness I never wanted to experience.

- I'm sorry, Jun... - said Katsu. - My light isn't strong enough to save you from the oblivion of darkness.

Katsu stayed on the floor crying for minutes until he got up and walked towards the highest concentration of spiritual energy he could feel.

- I promise Kai, I'll make sure you survive, I won't fail you like I did as your big brother.

***

When I opened my eyes, I realized I was in the spirit cave and noticed that I was trapped thanks to the water bend.

- I'm glad you're awake! - Ayumi has released her hold on the water. - What happened?

I was still disoriented, gasping for breath and with a few tears falling from my eyes. 

- Kai... are you all right? - Ayumi approached me, worried. - Do you need anything?

- I'm fine. - I got up and headed for the exit of the cave. - I need some time alone. 

Kai spent the rest of the day wandering around his territory, absorbing the information in his mind. The shock of discovering he had a brother was a low blow for him, since Katsu had never mentioned it. Another blow was the confirmation that he was a dragon. Of course, he trusted Azula's words, but some things were still hard to believe.

This mystery tortured the albino, he wondered why his mother and brother were injured, perhaps they had been ambushed by something? He had no way of knowing, but the truth was that the only way to find out was to go back to the cave.

The thought of going back to the cave made him hyperventilate, his body trembled with fear. He knew instinctively that what had happened to his brother was not a simple death, but something much worse. 

Thoughts of terror haunted him until he looked up at the sky and finally realized that it was dark and that he felt unprotected without the sun shining in the sky. Following his instincts, he decided to follow the path back to the village.

- *sigh* Damn... how I wish you were here, Azula. - I let off steam and used my mastery of fire to create artificial light to cross the forest.

- Aah! Help me! Help me! - A child was screaming desperately.

Kai heard the voice calling for help, a part of him wanted to ignore the voice and continue on his way, but his willpower was stronger, he ran through the forest as fast as he could, stumbling and bumping into branches until he reached his destination.

A small child was crying, hugging his knees under a tree. Once again, Kai felt the sensation of Fong threatening Azula, the responsibility to protect her igniting like a flame. 

- Hi little boy, what are you doing here? - I knelt down, keeping my distance so as not to frighten him. 

- *Snif* Miss Ayumi told me not to talk to strangers. - said the child carefully.

- She taught you well, but I won't hurt you, my name is Kai. - I introduced myself and held out my hand.

- Kai? Are you Uncle Huzo's right-hand man? - said the child, getting a little more comfortable.

When he said that, I remembered that Ayumi is adored by the local children and that Huzo must want to use this trick to ask her on a date.

- [I'll have a serious talk with that pervert later] - I thought. - Okay, now it's your turn... What's your name? 

- My name is Jefh *Snif*.

- So Jefh, how did you get here? The village is a long way from here.

- I played hide-and-seek and hid in one of the soldiers' boats, and when I tried to walk back across the river, I got lost.

- *sigh* [ take note: Order the soldiers to check the loading of the boat from today] - I thought, frustrated that my soldiers hadn't noticed a simple lost child.

I couldn't help but get annoyed, with a lack of attention like that it's unforgivable, even the soldiers could fail to notice a flying bison on top of their heads. 

- Someone will have an extra shift today. - I whisper to myself, already wanting to find the person responsible.

I approach Jeph, open my hand and start using my fire bending to create animal figures like birds and fish to make him stop crying.

When Jeph finally gained confidence in me, I carried him on my shoulders so that he could enjoy the journey safely. To keep him entertained, I continued to put on the little light show for him.

As the minutes passed, I felt that Jeph had finally fallen asleep on me, so I changed his position and carried him in my arms. The arrival in the village was uneventful, but I saw that everyone was worried and looking for the child in my arms. 

I let out a tired sigh, I had many things to think about, but bringing this child home safely gave me a new goal.

I may not know my true past, but I have a future to create, I will not allow children to go hungry or fall into darkness, I will never allow death to befall those who have entrusted me with their lives. My hands are full of blood, this is my burden, if it means protecting what I love, I will reduce this world to ashes. 

Next chapter: New responsibilities