The Wisp and the Dragons

The little girl ran through the forest giggling. Her feet danced over boulders and stones. Moss and grass tickled between her bare toes in a friendly gesture, showing her feet only joy and no pain. 

The girl finds a tall rock, scrambling up it hand over foot. She grunts in determination, yet doesn’t break a sweat. She sits at the top. A young lioness looking over her land in pride. She watches as the sun sets, enraptured by the pink and orange the sun throws around, almost careless in its beauty. 

The second the sun is gone, she remembers one little fact about herself. She is terrified of the dark. She trips down the boulder in a hurry, suddenly seeing monsters in the trees and the ferns. She stumbles over a root, her knees hit the ground hard, causing tears to spring to her eyes. Lost, she holds her knees to her chest like the small fragile girl she is. 

Through her tears,she sees a tiny blue fuzzy ball of light appear. Her hands rub at her eyes, driving the tears away, helping her to see the light better. Slowly, she raises to her feet, “Hello?” The light blicks in response. 

One step, two steps and light slides away. Not far, just an inch, but the girl pauses anyway, wary of this mysterious being. It flashes again, urging the girl to follow. So the girl does, her curiosity getting the better of her. 

She approaches, waiting for it to back away, but it doesn’t, it just waits for her. Cautiously, she reaches out, wanting to touch the wannabe firefly. But before she can, it vanishes like a candle going in a breeze. The girl startles, seeming ready to jump out of her skin in fear. But then another one appears, not far from where the last one was. As she approaches, one appears behind that one, and then another. They form a trail through the forest, guiding her where she doesn’t know. But the wisps know, and that's all that matters. 

Slowly, she makes her way, weaving around trees, roots, and rocks that she cannot see. Gaining confidence with every step, she goes from a snail-like pace to a walk, and then suddenly she’s skipping, making a game out of trying to swat the wisps. Giggling when one after another they vanish from sight, but they never leave her in the darkness, one is always just a little bit away, waiting. 

She giggles as she stalks up on one, crouching and pretending she’s a cat waiting to pounce on prey. Then she sees something, a light, and suddenly the wisps before her vanish, but she doesn’t notice. Feeling a wave of relief, she rushes towards the light, believing it to be her home. Fresh tears spring to her eyes. 

She stops before the cave, all hopes of finding her home gone, washed away with the unyielding curiosity, and fear, that appears when one sees light coming from a cave. 

Slowly, arms once again tucked in tight against her body, she creeps into the cave, one foot after the other. “Hello? Is anyone there? I’m lost and I can’t find my home,.” her voice wobbles.  Scraping echos through the cave in response. Her eyes prepare to cry, making her eyes brim with tears, distorting the image of the massive dragon that appears before her. 

Her body jerks with a hiccup as tears stream down her face. The blue dragon inches towards her, as if afraid to scare her even more than she already is. “Who is out there?” Comes a booming male voice from where the dragon appeared from. 

“It is a human child,” the female dragon responds. “Why are you here little one?” The girl sobs, her knees giving way beneath her, unable to hold her and her fear. The male dragon appears, hissing behind himself at something unseen. His green snout lowers to the height of the girl. She rocks back when the dragon exhales in a puff, her hair flying everywhere. 

“Are yo- you going t- to eat me? Sobs wrack her body, making it difficult to speak the few words. 

“She doesn’t seem all that smart,” the male grumbles. “She should know we don’t have a taste for humans, they’re too gummy.” The female nips at the male, when the little girl sobs harder. “Do not say such things in front of such a young girl,” she growls. The male huffs, but stays silent. 

“Are you okay little one? You said you were lost, yes?” The girl nods frantically, unable to speak. The dragon lowers her snout, using it to help bring the girl to her feet. “It is okay. You may stay with us for tonight and tomorrow. It will rain all day tomorrow so we will be unable to help you find home until the day after. And despite what he says and how mean he seems,” the male dragon rolls his eyes, turning back to the back of the cave, grumbling again. “He is actually really nice and will not hurt you.” The girl nods, her breath slowing. 

The dragon slowly retreats to the back with her mate, the girl staying close to her. Now the girl sees what the male had hissed and grumbled at. Three young dragons jump around and play with each other. Batting at each other like kittens would. But all movement between the three stops when their eyes land on the girl. 

One chirps and bounds towards the girl, the mother intercepts the dragonling with her giant snout before it can pounce on the girl. “She is human. Humans are fragile, you three mustn't be rough with her.” The purple dragonling growls, nipping at its mother's nose. Before leaping back to its sibling, pouncing on one of them instead. The teal baby lands on the ground with a thump, using its feet to launch the purple one straight into the fire behind it. 

The girl cries out, reaching for the fire and the dragonling. “She is alright, fire does not harm us like it does humans.” The mother consols the human. Sure enough, the dragonling leaps out of the fire, ready for payback. The blue dragon lays on the other side of the fire than the male. 

The final dragonling, a green male, approaches the human girl. “Hello,” he rasps out. “What name?” The girl looks at him, he sounds like a baby learning to talk. 

“Are you asking what my name is?” The dragon’s chest puffs out with pride. 

“They are only a year old, they are not fluent in human speech yet.” The dragon’s father rumbles, though he sounds proud of his son’s speaking capabilities. 

The girl turns back to the boy, “My name is Vivien. What’s your name?” The girl didn't know that dragons could smile, and despite all the teeth the dragon showed off, she was not scared. The dragon chirps and clucks. The mother huffs at him, sending a small blaze of fire in his direction, careful to not let it get too close to the girl. She feels the warmth of it, almost daring to lean in. 

“He says your name is dumb,” the father chuffs. The mother growls at him, the two seeming to talk.

 “Not dragon name.” 

Vivien looks back at the boy. “No, it’s a human name.”

“My name Yndryd. True dragon name.” He straightens, standing as tall as possible, the top of his head barely reaching above Vivien’s. 

The purple girl appears behind Vivien, “Me Fynnentar!” She bounces around Vivien and Yndryd. 

The teal one approaches, bowing her head, “Undreot.” Is all that is said before it goes to its mother, laying down by her side with a yawn. 

“Sleep,” the father says. He moves from his spot, curling his body behind and slightly around the mother, who sighs, resting her head on the ground. The dragonlings scurry over, fighting over who gets to sleep where. 

“Come child, you cannot sleep over there, you will be too cold.” The mother croons, eyes already shut. Vivien was tired, she had gone on an extensive adventure today after all. 

She leans against the mother, instantly feeling the warmth she gives off. The young dragons adjust around her, Fynnentar resting her head in Vivien’s lap while Yndryd curls up beside her, creating a nice pillow that Vivien can’t help but give into. The cave darkens with a huff from the father. 

“Vivien! Time to get up, Wisp!” The girl bursts from her bed, her alarm blaring beside her. It takes a moment for her to realize where she is. “Are you up, Little Wisp!” Her mother asks from outside her door, using her nickname “I’m up!” 

“Good, now get ready for school. And make sure you wear your purple coat, it’s raining today.” 

“Okay!”