We are now in China, a land known for its dangers, with bandits and robberies plaguing the villages. The innocent villagers often fall victim to these attacks, but they find solace in the presence of Kung Fu Masters who protect them. However, these masters cannot always be there when needed.
In the heart of a dense forest, there stands a small house. Laughter and giggles fill the air, emanating from within.
"Cobra, remember, your sister is smaller than you. Don't be too rough when you play with her," a female cobra advises a young golden-scaled cobra who is chasing after his smaller sister, adorned with purple scales and turquoise spots.
"Yes, Mom!" Cobra replies, his voice filled with enthusiasm.
His mother chuckles as she continues cooking. Suddenly, a knock on the door interrupts the joyful atmosphere. A large cobra enters, removing his hat as water drips from his scaly body, a testament to the heavy rain outside.
"God, it's cold out there," he mutters, stowing away his hat. "I'm home!"
"Daddy!" the two young cobras exclaim, slithering towards their father and embracing him tightly.
"Aww, I missed you two," he says affectionately.
"How was work, honey?" the mother asks, carefully placing the food on the table.
He sighs and slithers over to her, wrapping his coils around her from behind.
"Same old, same old. You know, since I'm a snake," he explains, and she nods in understanding. "Well, I've prepared the food. You should rest after eating," she suggests.
He nods and sits down, sighing once more. However, his attention is soon captured by the sound of his children's laughter. He turns to see Cobra playfully pinning down his sister, Aurora, and chuckles softly.
"I got you!"
"Oh, come on, Cobra! That's not fair! Why am I always the one running away in tag?" Aurora protests.
"Kids, the food is ready. Sit down!" their mother calls out, placing drinks on the table. She then notices Cobra pinning down Aurora and scolds him. "Cobra, get off your sister!"
He immediately releases her, and they both settle down in front of the table. Cobra grabs a piece of bread and starts munching on it.
"What's for dinner? Did you make noodles again?" he asks between bites.
"We don't talk with a full mouth, Cobra. And no," his mother replies, placing two bowls of soup in front of the children. "Today, we're having soup."
The two snakes groan in disappointment. "I hate soup," Cobra mutters.
"Me too," Aurora adds.
"Well, you need to eat it and then go to bed," their mother insists, hoping to end the meal on a positive note.
But the two younglings groaned once more and began eating their soup. "Darling, do you think you could put the children to bed this time?" the father asked his wife, his eyes scanning the newspaper.
"Why? Is there finally something new in the newspaper?" she asked, a mischievous smile playing on her lips. "Alright, but you owe me a back massage tomorrow for that."
"I can't promise you that," he replied, and they both chuckled.
Time Skip
"Alright, enough of this, you two. It's time for bed!"
The two cobras slithered around their room, their mother finally catching Cobra, who groaned in annoyance. "Mom, you know I hate being picked up like this!"
"Well, you both aren't listening. It's bedtime."
"But we're not tired!" Aurora protested, keeping her distance from her mother, who let out a frustrated sigh. "Darling, can you help me over here?"
"Kids, do what your mother tells you!" he yelled from another room.
"Very helpful," she muttered under her breath.
She then put Cobra to bed and turned around to grab Aurora, gently placing her in bed as well. "Mom, can you tell us a story?" Cobra asked from his bed.
"A story?"
"Oh, yeah! One about a Kung Fu Master!"
At the mention of a Kung Fu Master, their mother's face slightly frowned.
"You both know that we don't talk about Kung Fu Masters in this house."
"Why is that?" Cobra asked, tilting his head.
His mother smiled and kissed his forehead. "I'll explain another time."
She slithered towards the door before turning back.
"Goodnight, my sweet noodles!"
"Goodnight, Mom!"
She closed the door and slithered towards her husband, who was still sitting on the couch, engrossed in the newspaper.
"And?" he began. "How did it go?"
"Well, they wanted to hear a story about Kung Fu Masters again," she explained, and he scoffed. He had his own reasons for hating Kung Fu Masters, which his wife was well aware of.
"Hey... maybe it's time we talk about... you know...?" his wife suggested, and he immediately understood what she was referring to. He sighed and nodded, setting the newspaper aside. "We should probably forget about it," he said, gently holding her tail.
"I know, but... it's just too hard to forget him," she confided, and he nodded once more. "We'll talk about it another time."
Time Skip
It was now the middle of the night, and the only sounds that could be heard were the rain and the rustling of leaves. However, deep within the forest, a dark presence lurked, fixating its gaze on the small house in front of it. With a smirk, it made its way towards the house.
Inside the house, Cobra was still peacefully asleep in his bed, slumbering under his blanket. Suddenly, a loud bang echoed through the air, jolting Aurora awake. She looked around, confused, until another banging sound made her jump, prompting her to slither off her bed and towards her brother.
"Cobra..." she shook him gently, but he didn't respond. "Cobra!" she shook him again, receiving a small groan of annoyance.
"Aurora... stop it, I'm trying to sleep..."
"There was a loud banging sound..."
"No, there wasn't... you probably just dreamt it..."
But then, the loud banging sound came again, accompanied by a small scream. Cobra immediately sat up, his attention drawn towards the door, with Aurora by his side. They exchanged glances before Cobra slowly slithered off his bed towards the door, with Aurora following closely behind. He cautiously opened the door, only to be met with a terrifying sight. A snake, dressed in black clothing, was attacking their father.
"Where are they?!" the attacker demanded, pulling out a dagger. But Cobra's father managed to grab hold of the attacker's tail, preventing him from using it. "There is no need for this!"
"Kids!" Cobra heard his mother's voice as she slithered towards them. "Mom, who is that...?"
Their father successfully disarmed the attacker and sliced his eye, causing his mask to rip slightly as he clutched his wounded eye, blood dripping from the scar. He released his grip on the tail, revealing his black and red scales. He looked only to see the father holding the dagger and chuckled.
"Very well, then we'll resort to the old method."
In an instant, the attacker lunged at him, attempting to use the dagger. But the attacker was quicker, coiling his body around the father's and opening his mouth, revealing his sharp fangs as he bit into the father's neck.
"DAD!" Cobra yelled, capturing the attention of the attacker, who glared at the three snakes in front of him.
"Kids, quickly, get inside!" their mother urged, pushing them back into the room. The attacker let go of the bitten corpse, which fell to the ground, and slithered towards the door.
He began trying to pry it open, while on the other side, the mother fought to keep it closed.
"Cobra, take your sister and go as far away from here!"
"But... but..."
"It's okay..." she said, cupping his cheek and smiling. "Take good care of your sister."
He hesitated for a moment but then nodded.
"Alright... now go!" He immediately turned around, grabbing his sister's tail, and jumped out of the window. He turned around and swiftly caught his sister, and together they slithered away from their home, raindrops falling on their scales. They heard a loud bang and quickly turned to look, only to resume their path. But suddenly, a knife whizzed past their faces, embedding itself into a tree in front of them. They turned around to see the attacker slithering towards them. Cobra wasted no time and continued leading his sister to a safe location.
Apologies for the excessive detail. Here's a revised version with a little less detail:
He continued slithering forward, then turned left, only to be startled by another knife flying dangerously close to his face. Letting out a surprised yelp, he quickly retreated, unintentionally tumbling down a nearby hill. His sister clung to him tightly as they both fell into a river.
The snake that had been pursuing them slithered to the edge of the hill, scanning the river for its prey. Failing to locate them, it chuckled to itself and turned away, unaware of what had just occurred.
Unbeknownst to the snake, Aurora emerged from the water, gasping for air. Cobra, her brother, managed to keep her afloat before swimming to the shore and placing her safely on land. Both of them were panting heavily, exhausted from their ordeal. Cobra anxiously approached his sister to check on her well-being.
"Aurora, are you alright?" he asked, concern evident in his voice. Weakly, she looked at him and whimpered, "I'm cold..." Cobra glanced around, quickly deciding to find shelter for them. They were still unaware of the danger they faced, as a mysterious snake had not only taken their parents' lives but also posed a threat to their own existence. Cobra knew they needed to find safety. Feeling Aurora shiver once more, he knew time was of the essence.
"Cobra... I'm so cold..." she whimpered again. Spotting a small village nearby, Cobra slithered towards it, hoping to find refuge. The rain had driven everyone indoors, making the village eerily quiet. They found solace in an alleyway, shielded from the downpour.
"Here, we'll be safe," Cobra assured Aurora, his voice filled with determination.
Aurora curled up, seeking some respite in sleep. Despite her efforts, she continued to shiver. Not wanting to see his sister suffer, Cobra wrapped himself around her tiny body, providing warmth and comfort. Eventually, exhaustion overcame them both, and they drifted off into a deep slumber.
Time Skip
"Move, you damn snake!"
Cobra let out a yelp as a random villager slapped him to the ground. It had been quite some time since they had arrived in the village, desperately searching for scraps and begging for food, but their efforts were always met with distrust and indifference. The villagers never bothered to look their way, simply because they were snakes. Exhausted and panting heavily, Cobra found himself on the ground, feeling utterly defeated.
But then, a familiar voice broke through the crowd. "Big brother!" Aurora called out, slithering swiftly towards Cobra. She helped him up and offered him a small jug of water, which he eagerly accepted. After taking a long sip, he sighed and weakly looked at his sister, who guided him towards their secluded alleyway.
Cobra always prioritized Aurora's well-being, often sacrificing his own needs to ensure she had enough to eat. This selflessness had taken a toll on him, leaving him in a worse state than his sister. Suddenly, he collapsed onto the ground, sending Aurora into a panic.
"Cobra, Cobra!" she cried, shaking him desperately, but he didn't respond. Frantically looking around, she called out for help, tears streaming down her face. "Please, someone help! I think my brother is dying!" Her pleas fell on deaf ears as people simply passed them by. Clinging onto her brother's body, she hugged him tightly, feeling utterly helpless.
But then, a figure approached them, slithering over with a cloak draped over their body. Aurora looked at the stranger with fear, holding onto her brother even tighter. The figure observed the dire situation before removing their hood, revealing a female white serpent whose eyes were filled with pity.
The white serpent pulled out a piece of bread and offered it to the small snake. Cobra sniffed it and opened his eyes, taking a bite. "You poor, poor things," the white serpent said softly. "You must be starving." Cobra looked at her weakly before his eyes closed yet again and he fell unconscious.