Uh-oh, looks like this bright-winged imp wandered a little too far from his/her home lair (KittyandCat, #441788), and now she's off to see the world! If ever you feel the need to exalt, she'd really appreciate it if you could just return her to the home lair, or to the 'Dragons Off To See The World' thread, here. This is not necessary, but she would be very grateful!

Owners I've Had:

KittyandCat #441788
Ikilou #45008
/ KingVulture #437722
Monocrow, 237192

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Not long after Pumpkin (see below) had left, Nymph found herself itching to travel. She missed her Spiral friend, and all of a sudden, her clan felt stuffy and small. Despite the scar under her wing, she knew she had to fly. It was old, healed, she told herself, so there was no need to worry. Maybe she’d find somewhere new to settle down. Maybe she’d befriend someone. Maybe, just maybe, she’d see Pumpkin on her travels. So, after saying goodbye to her clan mates, off she flew, for the first time in a long time.

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Following the winds and the pull of adventure, Nymph found herself touching down in the Southern Icefields. The icy terrain and biting cold were not something that the Imp was used to, but she found the cool air in her lungs invigorating. She liked this place, she decided as she started to pad her way through the snow-covered trees and tufts of green that peeked up out of the glittering landscape.

Thunderous steps rumbling through the ground caught her attention mere moments later. Were they getting closer? It seemed so... But she couldn't see anything? Or, wait... There! Nymph's head turned to the direction of the movement she'd spotted. What seemed to be an icicle was bobbing along between the trees in time with those footsteps.

"Excuse me?" Nymph called, perhaps a bit naively, "Who's over there?"

A grunt came in response, like that of a canine chuffing. The icicles turned, and suddenly a great pair of antlers came into view. Two white eyes glinted beneath a mop of mossy green and blinked, slowly, at the Imp. Suddenly, the stranger was coming over to her.

"Lost?" A voice rumbled from the chest of this strange dragon, making Nymph pause. The stranger looked almost like a Tundra but much larger in every way. Was this one of those Gaolers she'd heard whispers of? The Icewarden's children that had recently made themselves known to modern dragonkind?

Suddenly remembering where she was, Nymph smiled at the stranger, "Well, yes, but no? I don't know exactly where I'm headed but stopping here just felt right." She explained as the Goaler drew closer, stopping a respectful distance from her.

"Need lodging? My home clan hosts travellers from all over, if you'd be interested."

"Oh, but, I have no treasure with me, sir! I wasn't going to stay long, I just --"

"No need. The clan founders are kind, no need for payment. Follow me." The Goaler said, quite bluntly, and turned to walk away and guide her, "Don't stray."

Not quite knowing where else to go, or how to say no to the hulking living fossil, Nymph trotted along after the Goaler.

"My name's Nymph, by the way!"

"Neros. Nice to meet you."

It was a sad day when Nymph finally said goodbye to the clan that'd hosted her over the winter. As one final hoorah, the clan members that she'd grown close to threw a farewell party for her, with tears shed all around. One dragon, however, was missing from the festivities. As the party died down, Nymph took it upon herself to find him where she knew he'd be - holed up in his chamber and moping to himself.

"Neros! Come on, you knew I wasn't going to be staying forever. The wind is changing and I have so much of the world to see!"

A grunt followed, and a set of large antlers emerged from the fire-lit chamber, "Here. Take these... Please." And, carefully, he bestowed upon the Imp assorted jewellery made of delicate orange blooms, "They reminded me of you, and hopefully will remind you of me... Friend."

After a tearful goodbye and promises exchanged of staying on contact, Neros walked Nymph to the burrow's entrance. With one final hug, Nymph took off to wherever the wind would take her, a sad smile on her face. She was glad for the friends she'd made and the time she'd spent in The Terminal Burrow, but adventure called, after all!

Inventory:

Lilium Floron

Familiar

Colloquially known as the 'Bramblepelt', this territorial species of floron is covered in a thick brown outer coat of thorns for the majority of the year. It sheds this coat in the spring.

2000

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Her next stop took her across the map, as the chilled winds of the Southern Icefields turned hot and pushed her onwards above the Ashfall Wastes, and eventually turning temperate when she reached the Viridian Labyrinth. It felt like the right place to land and she lighted

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next entry...

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Q: Who’s Pumpkin?
A: Pumpkin is a dragon who participated in the BSJ 2020 event. I (KittyandCat) was a host, so I wrote about Pumpkin’s time in my lair. I ended up writing about how she and Nymph became friends! (Entry below)


Pumpkin found herself in the driftwood drag of the shadow flight next. It was early morning, and as the sun rose, she saw an imp stretching. As the large dragon’s wings reflected light her and there, she noticed the visitor. Finishing her stretch and letting out a yawn, she trudged over to Pumpkin. Tipping her head curiously, she asked the older dragon, “Who are you?” The skydancer smiled; she’d heard the question a million times before on her various travels. “I’m Pumpkin, a traveler.” “Oh,” the imperial said, taking a moment to process this. She had a quiet voice and a young, curious glow in her eyes, though it was obvious she’d shaken innocence and naivety a long time ago. “I suppose it’s alright you stay,” she said carefully. “Some of my clanmantes told me we’d been having visitors.” As Pumpkin pondered how the imp hadn’t managed to notice any of these visitors, her mind flicked back to the present as dragons began to wake in the clearing in front of her. They didn’t seem to notice, and those who did didn’t seem to care, about the spiral. The imperial had begun to walk away, as if having lost interest in the stranger, but Pumpkin called out. “Wait! You haven’t told me your name-”

Stopping, as if surprised, she looked over her shoulder. “It’s Nymph.” Pumpkin took this chance to catch up to her not-so-welcoming welcomer. “Where are you going?” She asked, trying to start up a friendly conversation. Nymph started at her for a moment, as if contemplating her answer. “I’m going to get something to eat. Would you like to join me?” The last part felt forced, but Pumpkin couldn’t imagine saying no. She knew meeting this young, dis-trustful imp had to mean something. “Sure!”

The clan had a variety of food available, likely due to their variety of clan mates. “Choose what you want,” Nymph said. “Everyone’s to polite to say anything if you take what they wanted.” For a moment, this caught Pumpkin off guard, but when she saw Nymph’s smirk as she dug into some unidentifiable piece of meat, she knew it was meant to. After they’d both finished their food, they began to walk, not knowing what to do next.

As they walked circles around the clan’s lair, Pumpkin noticed something; quite a few of it’s residents wore various flowers on their wings. Pumpkin could see Nymph eye them as they walked past, and it got her thinking. “Y’know...” she said casually. “I’ve been spreading sunflowers this time around. I could, oh, I don’t know, weave some together for your wings, if you like?” Nymph stopped dead in her tracks, and met the spiral’s eyes. “What?” “I mean, I was just offering, if you don’t want-“ The I p stopped her, nodding furiously. “Yes. Yes, I want it.” So the two stopped, and sat, and began weaving the stems of several sunflowers together. When they’d finished their work, she looked up at Nymph. Stand up and spread your wings, so I can get it on. Nymph was silent, and still. “Nymph?” “Not here.” Nymph responded, guiding Pumpkin into a cave-like overhang.

That’s where she spread her wings. On the underside of one, a large, long scar was visible. As Pumpkin put on the sunflowers, trying not to be impolite, she couldn’t help but ask a question or two. “Is that why you get up so early? You certainly don’t seem like a morning bird.” Nymph nodded. A few more moments of silence, besides the sounds of plant shifting over wing, before Pumpkin asked another question. “How did it happen?” “A particularly nasty visitor we had a year or two ago. Now the clan always warns me when travelers come through, so I can stay here all day.” Her short, simple response made Pumpkin understand everything. Why she was so distrustful. Why she’d merely been told, and didn’t see for herself, recent visitors. “I’m sorry,” Pumpkin said “I must of made you so uncomfortable.” Nymph smiled. “Yeah, a little bit. But you changed how I look at travelers. You were different.” Just as she finished tying the sunflowers down, movement could be heard outside.

The day had slipped by so quickly. It was dark now, with a full moon overhead. Pumpkin turned to look at Nymph. “It’s time I go.” She didn’t argue with the statement, only saying, “May you have safe travels.” Pumpkin nodded. “And may we meet again.” As Pumpkin flew away, she knew Nymph would not easily be forgotten.