Magda

Broken and damaged as she was, Magda struggled to travel away from her past. One step at a time she put distance between her and the pain she ran from. Through darkness and plague, she hid behind rocks and plants where she could, tried to hide among the denizens. She was running and she was not going to be caught.

The moment her foot touched down among the earthen dragons, Magda kept a watch for spies and other dragons that would relay back to her torturer where she was. He was originally an earth dragon, fearsome and strong. She fell for his charms the minute he turned his sweet smile to her. However, he lied.

No amount of clawing could keep her away from his grasp. She had finally decided she had had enough and ran one night as he slept. She left her stuff, her keepsakes, her life behind for safety among the nature dragons. She had heard of a kind satyr taking in lost dragons. And Magda just knew if the satyr knew her story she would be accepted.

She just had to make it to her glen.

Magda was within running distance, a short sprint, to crossing the nature border when she heard her name being shouted. She looked back to see what she feared: his family. They had found her and were chasing her down.

"No! Stay away," Magda shouted as she ran as fast as she could away. She wouldn't make it if she didn't fly. His family were all wildclaws. Tears rolled down her cheeks as hope began to flee her heart as she heard his uncle catching up. Magda sent prayers up to the gods to bless her with a miracle as she ran. Somehow mend her broken wing? Put an obstacle in their way? Anything as she stumbled over rocks and nearly faceplanted the ground.

She would have if she hadn't have been caught by a giant gaoler that huddled over her and released a deafening roar. Magda curled up under his fur and shivered as a deep menacing growl echoed over the land from the guardian angel the gods had sent.

"Hiya! What's your name?" A small golden veilspun squirmed his way through the fur smiling and giggling.

"Um, Magda. And yours?" Magda sighed as she watched the tiny gold dragon become two with a white veilspun now scowling at the first.

"Oh hi Uriel! Meet our new friend Magda! Magda, this is my overbearing brother Uriel. And this guy here," the tiny smiling dragon pointed to the gaoler who stomped his front feet. "This is Pan. He heard your call. Mama will be here soon to take us home."

"Oh? And who is mama?" Magda felt a smile tug at her mouth as the little gold veil who had yet to tell her his name pounced around his brother in a giddy dance of mischief.

"Oh! Mama Mad! She will be here soon. I promise," as the veil went quiet Magda could hear a faint shouting from across the border.

"Gabriel! Pan! Uriel! Wait up," a feminine voice shouted in gasping breaths. A clopping of hooves across the gravel made Magda's heart leap for joy as she had found the satyr she looked for.

"Finally," Magda whimpered moments before passing out.

"Mama! The girly fell asleep," Gabriel yelled as he got tangled in Pan's fur.

Mad sighed and giggled as she pulled the capricious veil from the fur and waited for Uriel to join him on her shoulder before looking to Pan. "Alright Pan. Time to get this lady home. She's had it rough."

"Yes mama," Pan grumbled as his eyes continued to pin the dragons that stayed fearfully leery of him. He knelt down and helped Mad get the poor skydancer on his back before standing and making his slow way back to the border.


*********

Magda opened her eyes slowly among the trees and leaves she was beginning to see as safety. The sun filtered through the greenery with warmth as she slowly began to move from her bed.

"Good morning! How are you doing today?" A fiery skydancer climbed into the treehouse with a giant smile on her face.

"I'm good," Magda responded quietly.

A wildclaw with purple scars was clambering up behind her, "Abrintha, you know I can't climb these as well as you."

"Oh hush it Xavier!" The skydancer female blew a raspberry at the wildclaw before settling in front of Magda. "Mama Mad wanted us to tell you something."

Magda looked around afraid, thinking they were going to kick her out or her ex found her. Gods forbid it was his family! "Yes?" Magda squeaked as she shivered in place.

"Oh no! Don't be afraid! It's good news," Abrintha rushed forward and placed her wing around her new friend. "We are making a move!"

"A-a-a move? Where?" Magda looked over confused.

"To the earth flight!" Abrintha gushed.

"No! I can't go there! They will find me!" Magda clutched at her tail as the anxiety gripped her.

"No they won't silly! We are going to go live on a disappearing island with a crazy poodle and her crew. Super nice! I think you will fall absolutely in love," Abrintha ignored the panic as she tried to give the details that would sooth the fearful dragon next to her. "Very few people know about this island and it still has trees! Plus, no one will be able to find us out there."

Magda scowled at the information, "Why?"

"Why what darling?" Abrintha smiled as she stood and joined Xavier by the door to the tree house.

"Why is the clan moving?" Magda fiddled with the feathers at the tip of her tail.

"To keep everyone safe dear! And that includes you," Abrintha nodded and turned to the wildclaw next to her. "Now Xavier, we have a few more people to tell."

Xavier looked at the ladder and whimpered, "But we just got up here."

"Yes, but we have to tell Spenser and Neil to pack. I think it's going to take them the longest to get ready for the move," Abrintha smiled and waved as she turned to leave.

Magda's heart was thudding against her chest as she realized she found a family that cared about her and her safety.

"It's nice isn't it?" A smooth female voice startled Magda from next to her.

"What is?" Magda looked at the dark spiral with a grin befitting a demon that sat next to her.

"Were you not just thinking about how having people that care about you was nice?" The spiral slithered around and curled up on herself, cocking her head to the side.

"I might have been," Magda nodded slowly.

"How did you survive?" The spiral slid into a shadow.

"Very carefully," Magda nodded and picked up her bag that Mama Mad had given her, packing the few things she now owned on her own. The trinkets that Gabriel had given her and the stuffed animal that Pan had bought for her were carefully placed on top of the quilt that Totoro had made her. She was loving being cared for and never found it disconcerting that her new family could intrude into her space because they never did. They respected her and she was beginning to trust them.