Orym

Born in the misty mountain forests of southwestern China, Orym learned at a young age to stay within the shadows and to not be seen. Many threats lurked outside of their home, and even within. Being different than the rest of their family, Orym stuck out from the greenery with their bright fur causing extra need for caution at all times from predators - something that had become more difficult for their family with the extra white fur to hide. However, Orym was seen as special, and their family loved them, so they grew up believing that, while they were different, they were very important.

Night fell across the mountain a few years after Orym had become a fully grown pixie, and the symphony of crickets and frogs began their song for the night. Their family slept peacefully within the trees, snuggled against one another to stay warm. Dreaming about their white fur growing into dark reds and browns just like the others, Orym slept. They often dreamt about being normal looking so that their family wasn't struggling to stay hidden as much as they had ever since they were born.

In their dream, the beautiful deep red fur that had grown in started to make them overheat. Panting, they struggled to scratch the fur off - pleading for their sleek white fur to return. Orym shook themselves out of their sleep, panting and gasping for air, finding it hard to breathe. Eyes open now, the orange glow of the mountain engulfed their family's tree. Smoke clouded their eyes and filled their lungs. Panicking, Orym shook their family awake, to which they all began struggling to breathe.

Quickly, Orym's parents began gathering their children and their belongings, getting ready for flight. Orym hurried along with them, gathering their things, and prepared to fly. One by one, they all began to take off. The grubs were carried by their parents. Orym prepped themselves on a branch, watching as his family gained distance on them. Taking a deep breath, they launched off of the branch, floating for a moment. Terror crept up their stomach and into their throat, and they let out a scream as hundreds of feet passed by in what felt like seconds. Orym fell through the canopy, their family leaving him behind in the scorching blaze of the fire.

On the forest floor, dazed and confused, Orym looked around them. It was hazy from the smoke of the quickly spreading fire. Dark, yet light. In pain, they stood and hobbled almost blind into a nearby hiding hole their family had used to hide against predators in the air. This hole was located in the face of a small cliffside that their tree had been close to, and came in handy for evading many dangerous situations. The only form of saftey they knew, Orym drug themselves towards the opening, only stopping when their tail was fully in the side of the cliff. Their head spinning from the splitting pain as a result of their fall, something which surely should've killed them, they closed their eyes and heavily laid their head down on the soft ground, a cold breeze blowing through their fur from within the narrow tunnel.

When they awoke, pain trickled through Orym's body. They looked into the darkness of the tunnel, and the darkness is what brought the memory of the night before; the fire, their family, the fall. Tears welled up in their bright pink eyes, realizing that they were alone - and in danger. Amidst the tears falling down their cheeks, a familiar smell rose and danced around his nose. It was welcoming, and calming, but even after looking down, Orym was unable to see what it was. Cautiously, they stuck their tongue out and licked the item - instantly, they knew what it was: bamboo! Quickly eating all the bamboo that was there, they began backing slowly out of the tunnel, not sure if it was safe or not.

When their eyes finally met the outside world, sorrow filled their heart. All around them, black and charred trees stood, smoldering in the early morning sun. Bamboo stalks stood, burnt to crisps, and looked like the shells of what they once were. However, in almost a half circle around the small crevass in the cliffside, the forest was untouched. It had stopped just a few feet away, leaving a few bright green trees and bamboo stalks left. This included Orym's own home. In awe, they looked around, confused about how this happened, and how bamboo made it into the crevass and right in front of their nose.

Finally after sitting at the crevass entrance for a few hours taking in what had happened the night before and simply just not knowing what to do, Orym saw a strange pixie walking by, their paws full of fruits and bamboo. They had not yet noticed Orym, but were walking straight towards them. Fearful, they made their way quietly back into the crevass, watching the stranger closely. Upon closer inspection, Orym discovered that this pixie was also different, in the fact that they only had four legs!

The stranger sat the food down in front of the crevass and smiled, "I know you're in there and I know you're awake. You're in the tunnel that goes to my home. I'm Odo, and by golly you're one lucky pixie!"

Orym crept out of the crevass, "Oh, hi, I'm Orym. I'm sorry to be in your tunnel, you see - there was this awful fire and -"

Odo lifted a paw up, "I can't understand you, pal. I don't speak in squeaks and whistles. Its a lost language. You.. you're special, aren't you? Its been a long time since I seen a pixie like you, let alone all white like you. You could be special.. or cursed. Either way. He're is some food for you. I got to get going now, take care."

Orym watched silently as he, too, left him by himself. At least Odo helped him. Thankful, Orym picked up all of the food, and began walking. They weren't sure where, but somewhere other than here. They hoped that one day in the future they could return to the forests, optimistic of their regrowth. Orym had also hoped that he could thank Odo one day as well in a language that he would be able to understand.
--
Weeks had passed, and Orym was on their last bamboo piece. Their paws were cracked, dry, and aching. Their injuries from the night of the fire not yet healed. They had made it to a forest, but not a forest like the one their home was in. The trees that surrounded them were spiky. There was a faint floral smell in the air, and with hopes that there was some type of non-spiky source of food there, Orym slowly made their way to it. The pain was rising in their body, and their vision began to darken and sparkle. The leg that was injured that night was swollen and throbbing from the amount of walking that they had done. Curse their ungrown wings.

Passing out just a few more feet from the sunflower field's edge, Orym's body gave up. They were then discovered by a little grub named Melori, to which she alerted her father and oldest brother. They carried Orym in, and Pomelo looked them over. After assessing the state that Orym's body was in, Pomelo had given Melori the task of making them medicine, and taking care of them, dubbing them as "the lucky one" after researching Orym's family's whereabouts and discovering their fates within the fire. From then on, Orym became a part of the Sunspot Meadow hive, unknowing that they were the last remaining pixie that spoke the forgotten language of the southwestern mountains of China, and the last of their variety of pixie.

CHILD OF: N/A

FULL SIBLING OF: N/A

PARENT OF: TBD of Sleepy Meadows and TBD of Ethereal Garden.