Seisyl

Esteemed Soldier

__Seisyl__

Melodies Whirling → day 1 host user/clan name Honeyhare → day 2 host user/clan name TheAwesoMew → day 3 host user/clan name AlmightyAmu → day 4 host user/clan name ClockworkEclipse → day 5 host user/clan name RaiStarDragon → day 6 host user/clan name Florum → day 7 host user/clan name mintea00 → home

Day One: Honeyhare, The Kin of the Eternal Hunt #478882

"What are you doing, little one?"
"I'm making you a flower necklace with the sunflowers!"
"Why are you making three of them? One for you, one for me.. Who is the other one for?"
"I'm making one for your pearl too. My momma told me it was important to pearlcatchers to keep them, so I want to make it one too!"
Astraeus, a new and young member of The Kin, volunteered to take Seisyl for an adventure to show her the lands. Seisyl found herself entertained by the young one's spirit and enthusiasm for the world. All day until the sun started to set they visited beautiful sights and played around, making the most out of it. A guard followed close behind, making sure the two of them were safe, and once or twice Astraeus invited him to join in. As the sun began to set and the sky dulled to soft pinks, oranges, and purples, Seisyl found herself yawning but not as much as Astraeus was. The poor dragon barely could keep his eyes open for more than a few steps. With a laugh and a warm smile, Seisyl let him climb onto her back to rest as she made her way back to the Kin's home with the guard at her side. As they arrived back she let Astraeus down and said a kind goodbye before he hurried off to his mothers nest. The clan brought Seisyl fresh food and a few items for her journey before wishing her luck on the rest of her trip. The clan left her feeling warm and welcomed and Astraeus had made her feel like an adventurous hatchling again. As she left, trinkets in hand, she wondered who else she would meet.




Day Two: TheAwesoMew, Clan Thunder Hollow #379235

The warm feeling Seisyl had picked up the day before during her encounter with Astraeus did not fade over the course of her flight to the second hosting clan she was to visit. Though it was a long journey from Arcane to Lightning, she didn't feel tired in the slightest. The sunflower crown she had been made still clung to her horns and the one on her pearl was safe alongside it in her bag. She was quite eager to see what the day would hold as she finally landed just outside Thunder Hollow's main gate; there was still plenty of light left for her to explore and meet new dragons.

The clan was bustling with activity, with dragons milling about in the street and celebrating Brightshine Jubilee with wild abandon. White-and-gold pennants flapped cheerily from every archway and street corner, and strings of lights stretched across the wide roads, waiting to be powered when the sun began to set. It was pleasantly and joyfully busy, and Seisyl was eager to see what would await her as she entered.

A cheerful blue-and-teal skydancer flagged her down before she was ten paces in, directing her towards a sort of welcome booth set up near a central fountain.

"Hello, newcomer! Would this happen to be your first time visiting Thunder Hollow?"

"Yes--I'm here on a journey to deliver sunflowers to various clans around Sornieth."

The skydancer smiled and pulled a small leather pouch from beneath the desk of her booth.

"Well, that's wonderful! We've actually been expecting you, so it's nice to know you got here safe and sound. Welcome to Thunder Hollow, and thank-you for helping to spread some joy this Brightshine! I've got a key here that will give you access to a room in our resident Inn, free of charge. We want to make sure you're able to rest well before you set out again tomorrow morning!" She handed the pouch to Seisyl, alongside a small pamphlet that seemed to be a map of the clan's territory.

"We don't really have any particular place or dragon for you to deliver to, so feel free to explore and make the choice for yourself! See new sights and make new friends--that's the whole purpose of journeys like these, right?"


Seisyl decided that she wanted to poke around a bit before she considered participating in some events. After all, there was more than one reason for her to be traveling, and she had spotted a patch of sunflowers from the air that she wanted to check out before she discovered what Thunder Hollow truly had to offer. It was unlikely that they were the mysterious blooms she remembered from her hatching moment, given how young the clan seemed to be, but there was no reason not to be sure. Using the map she had received as a guide, she navigated her way towards a location known as the 'Cherrygrove Gardens', which seemed to be where she had seen the sunflowers earlier.

The Gardens weren't all that far from the central plaza she had initially entered, being located down a side street and across a bridge. They were a sprawling, peaceful place, with various plots full of a variety of different plants. Pools and streams lined the path and various pavilions were scattered throughout the gently rolling field, inviting visitors to stay and relax for a moment. Seisyl allowed herself to wander at a more relaxed pace as she searched for the brilliant sunflowers she had seen from the sky, and she observed the carefully-tended beauty that was tucked away from the main body of the festivities.

The sunflower patch was an out-of-the way sort of the place, with only a single path leading towards it. It was very much still in progress; the flowers seemed recently planted (to her slight disappointment) and the earth was still torn up as though more were to be planted. She examined the patch for a moment before turning to walk back towards the city--only to be startled by a dragon darting up the path behind her.

The dragon, a pale green-and-white mirror, skidded to an immediate halt and tumbled forward, spilling the tall sunflowers she had been carrying across the gravel. She rolled to a stop as Seisyl backpedaled, leaping to her feet as soon as she stopped moving.

"Oh, goodness, I am SO sorry!! I totally did not expect anyone to be back here, and I couldn't see you through the sunflowers! I didn't scare you, did I?? I promise I'm not a scary sort of dragon--just careless, ha-ha!"

Seisyl could scarcely keep up with the mirror's words, which were spoken so fast they were almost incomprehensible.

"I'm fine, don't worry! I was just admiring these lovely sunflowers, and I'm sorry to have startled you. Am I not supposed to be here?"

"No, you're perfectly welcome to be here! The Gardens just usually aren't the busiest during festivals is all, so I'm not used to having visitors!! And I’m so glad you like the sunflowers--they’re both a garden display and a fun maze! Or, well, they’re going to be. I’m not quite done, as you can see!”

Seisyl bent down and gathered up the remaining sunflowers, placing them back in the mirror's arms. "Do you need any help with these, then? I'm quite knowledgeable when it comes to sunflowers." She had, after all, dedicated a good portion of her life to studying the plants in seek of her true hatching grounds.

"Are you really! That's wonderful! Sunflowers can be tricky, and I would love the help, if it won't take away from your Brightshine experience, of course!! It's actually my job to plant these, as in, I get paid, so I can totally handle it on my own."

"It's no trouble, really, and I'm quite curious about that maze..."

Seisyl spent some time helping the mirror, whose name was Chloris, plant the sunflowers in the plot's remaining open spaces. She even added a few of the sunflowers she was delivering, which were of a smaller subspecies than the ones Chloris was working with, to the mix, using them to mark the borders of the maze. When they had finished and the last of the tilled dirt was tucked back at the stems of the sunflowers, Chloris invited her to try out the maze. Together, they navigated with ease to the center of the patch and then back again, talking companionably all the while. Chloris was particularly interested in her quest to see the sunflower field in which she was born, and expressed curiosity over where it could possibly be.

Not too long after they completed the maze, Chloris remarked on how she'd have to hurry off to help with a baking competition her sister was hosting. She promised to talk again sometime--whenever Seisyl passed by again on her journey, maybe? Before she dashed off, however, she left Seisyl with a pawful of Immaculate Tablets and a glittering coin with a sunflower etched on it so that she'd be able to enjoy the festivities to the fullest. Seisyl bid her newfound friend goodbye and headed back towards the city; the sun was still high in the sky and there was plenty of time left to explore.





Day Three: AlmightyAmu, The Meandering Market #345601

It was Dragonhome that Seisyl next found herself with a delivery to make. The journey from Thunder Hollow to the market was by no means a short one, and left her with quite a large amount of travel notes and maps to sort through; one looking for something specific had to remember where they had already searched, after all. Though the location of her birthplace yet eluded her, she had not lost hope for this journey. At the end of the day, progress was progress.

Finding a quiet place in the market suitable for the amount of organizing ahead of her was no easy task. The crowded streets and the cries of merchants calling attention to their wares filled the air with an amalgamation of noise that did not lend itself well to focusing. She passed through the market's main entrance, full of smells and hatchlings begging their exhausted parents for this treat and that one, and through a portion of the market that was much more spacious, yet not at all more peaceful, what with the ringing of tools and the heat of the forge spilling over into the streets.

At last, she came to a small gathering of quieter stalls with travelers such as her occupying the street also, she assumed, looking for any amount of reprieve from the dancing steps of adventuring. Taking a seat by one of the camp fires burning in the area, Seisyl opened her satchel and began to sift through the notes she had taken along the way thus far.

She took diligently to the task of placing recollections of her travels in chronological order and recollections of places in their appropriate location on a larger, complete map of Sornieth. That is, until she was rudely interrupted by a ridgeback peering over her shoulder.

Seisyl wondered if the ridgeback had any plans to acknowledge her further than simply disrupting her work just as she began to speak, "I say, that's quite the map you've got there. Keeping track of the way by landmarks, hm?"

Unsure as to why such a common practice was brought into question, she answered, "I am. I've been traveling all over delivering bundles of sunflowers to clans fo-"

"For the Jubilee, yes," the ridgeback cut her off. "Perhaps I could show you a better method of organization? One that does not involve so many shapes and colors shoved onto a single map?"

Under the impression that she would be followed regardless of the answer given, the ridgeback stepped away from the fire and began to walk to the left, towards a market stall full of scrolls and covered by a black canvas. Seisyl, despite a growing indignation at the constant interruptions, followed after a moment of hesitation, curious to see precisely what this miracle method of mapping could be.

It became clear the moment she entered the ridgeback's stall that her preferred method of path finding relied upon the stars. Each scroll had written upon it a season and a location as well as which stars could be seen and where, if one were to look up at the night sky. Small dotted lines were drawn between specific stars, noting the constellations that found their home in the sky at the time of the map's relevance. These constellations, she would learn, served the same purpose as major landmarks did on her own map; no matter where one was in the world, if a noteworthy constellation could be spotted, a lost traveler could easily orient themselves with the correct teachings.

The black canvas covering over her stall turned out to be more than it appeared as well; Seisyl was surprised to find that, upon looking directly up, small holes had been poked into the canvas, giving the illusion of the night sky during the daytime. For the third time, she was interrupted. This time, from her musings, by the astronomer's voice,

"My name is Solaris, if I had forgotten to mention that before. I am certain you've discovered by now that it will be the stars that lessen the burden of map-keeping. Look here, this forest you passed? All of that work in noting trees and rivers can be reduced to five points."

With that, Solaris procured a new sheet of parchment, placing five, connected points in the area where her own rendition of the forest had been.

"And here! This mountain is marked quite consistently by these stars."

The pair continued like this until the entirety of Seisyl's map had been converted to constellations and lone stars alike. She was taught how to travel from one star to the next by the angles between them, how to account for the stars as they shifted through the sky, both with seasons and with the progression of the night, and which constellations were always safe to rely upon for orientation. Moreover, she learned that Solaris was much more tolerable once given a venue to speak about her passion.

With the mapping nearly complete, a distinct picture of where Seisyl had and had not been came into view.

"If you were to ask me, I would say that your most obvious empty spot is right here, just above Plague territory. Best of luck to you if you decide to fill it, the Eleven know those days are long behind me." It struck her then that her next delivery would lead her right to the blank spot.

It was then that the pair noticed both that the sun had set fully and that the map they had created held a soft, yellow glow to it on each point. Solaris was happy to explain that this ink was of her own design, using the crushed petals of sunflowers to provide a small bit of light after the sun itself could no longer provide enough light to read the map. How convenient it was then, that she had a bundle of sunflowers to compensate the astronomer for her used ink.

With a small sample of the ink as well as the means to make more for herself as she so desired, Seisyl decided to set off into the night, putting her newfound knowledge of the stars to the test.



Day Four: ClockworkEclipse, Wanderers of the Old Ways #125046

Because of the astronomer in Dragonhome, Seisyl was more than capable of finding her next destination. As she passed the Wandering Contagion, the rumors began. A group of nomadic dragons with two leaders had consistently narrowly avoided danger that could've wiped them out. From a powerful disease to a surge in the growth of the Contagion itself, they were always one step ahead. These dragons were apparently the ones getting sunflowers today, though the guard didn't quite understand how a clan of dragons could keep the delivery alive for long in a place like this. As she followed their trail, she heard something more disturbing. She heard about something stalking them, something that had struck them at the Rotrock Rim. Not the best thing to hear since she had to cross the Rim to reach these Wanderers.

She was walking that very rim when she heard a voice. Well, multiple voices. Some of them sounded rather young, but one had the rasp of age to it. Curious, the guard followed the voices until she rounded one of the deadwoods. There, at the base of a rather large tree, was an elderly Tundra, smiling at the three hatchlings before her. One, a small greenish Coatl was asking about her adventures in Dragonhome. A blue and orange Mirror demanded for a story about her travels in the Southern Icefield instead. The third, a Nature Ridgeback with bright red wings, practically barreled over the other two as she repeatedly squeaked about her younger days in Plague. The old Tundra was trying to calm them all down when she spotted Seisyl.

"Well, good timin' young'un! I was gettin' ready to go an' tell a story about one o' my adventures, an' these whipper-snappers can' decide on what they wanna hear! Wanna break the tie here?" The Pearlcatcher settled down on an old, dead root, holding her pearl close.

"... Actually, I've been hoping to find my home on my travels while delivering these sunflowers... do you know of any stories about any of these places?" She showed the old Tundra her map, pointing to the empty spaces. The old girl furrowed her brow, then looked back at the Pearlcatcher.

"Young'un, have you tried the Ashfall yet? Judgin' by yer route, ya ain't goin' there anytime soon, but those eyes o' yers seem to point in that direction. Ah know flowers don' tend to grow around those parts, but you'd be surprised by what can an' can't grow 'n a cleared spot like that. In fact, wit' the right bit' o' magic, ah think ya can have yerself a bit o' a garden there if'n you tried hard enough." There was a glimmer in the Tundra's eyes as she shifted a bit, giving Seisyl room to settle down close to her.

"How about I tell ya about the time I went an' found a grove in the Emberglow?"

For hours the old Tundra spoke, revealing her name as Darkwind in the process. She told stories about daring dives between crashing plates of land floating on lava, eerie figures dancing about in the mists of the Blacksand Annex, and most importantly the grove of trees and wildflowers she found tucked away in the Emberglow Hearth, much like a sacred grove she found in the Southern Icefield a long time ago. She kept her focus on the land of fire and lava to the far south of the world, past the Twisting Crescendo where the dragons of the Windflight called home, connected to the depths of the Sea of a Thousand Currents where seers congregated to guide their friends and family through thick and thin. The sun was setting by the time Darkwind began to bundle the hatchlings away. The Pearlcatcher helped her carry them home, where the other Wanderers thanked her for delivering the sunflowers for the festivities. Before she left, however, Darkwind approached with a small purple Fae, the patterns of the Gladekeeper's blessing dancing on her wings.

"Ah can't say ah know where ya hatched, young'un, but ah do believe in fate, an' the ability to change our futures fer the better." The little Fae came forward with an old scroll. Inside was an old story about a beautiful flower field, and while it didn't say where exactly it was, it mentioned how the smoke of the Great Furnace could always be seen just outside it's reaches, and how the ash and soot did wonders to help new growth sprout in the springtime. There was an ink print of an old sunflower at the top of the page, and a lot of the writing was faded, but it certainly could be the place she was looking for. "Though ah'll admit it, ah heard of some ol' forges set up close to the Beacon o' the Radian' Eye that were called a Great Forge, so it might be that this here's talkin' about. Ah'd check both places if I were you, young'un." She pointed to a spot on the Pearlcatcher's map with a claw, a place in the Lightweaver's domain she'd missed. At least she was going to a Light clan on her travels as well.

"Ah hope yer adventure eventually leads ya to yer old hatchin' grounds, young'un. Safe travels, an' may the Eleven protect ya on yer journey."

With a flame of hope burning in her chest, Seisyl embarked on her quest to the next lair on her list. She had a lead, and she was eager to see where it would take her. She only hoped she could make her way to the lands of the Flamecaller someday. Until then, she hoped she could find her Candor with the Lightweaver's children. She just had to get there first.





Day Five: RaiStarDragon, 361447

On the 5th day of BSJ2020 Seisyl came by the meadows of the RaiStarDragon clan. Once a meager little plot has now expanded as far as the eye can see in either direction. While nestled close to the contested borderlands of the Nature flight and the beastclans the clan does it's best to live in harmony with the land and those that occupy both sides of the border. Quick to assist both dragon and beast the clan is a happy and friendly bunch (well, for the most part). The BSJ festivities begin with a breakfast feast at day break. Ripe fruits, cakes, colorful eggs, sizzling strips of meat and seared fish and crunchy insects adorn the tables at every den or tree house in the area. Pomegranate, the clan's party planner, bounces up to greet Seisyl and suggests a multiple array of festivities the clan is holding in honor of the Lightbringer. "If you hurry you can reach the leeward side of the hill where the Prism Crocuses will be opening as soon as the light touches their petals, then there’s the giant sunflowers Hana is tending!" She continues on to other exciting events as well as some places to go for solitude or for later meals. "Don't forget your travel guide, Dewdrop. He'll give you the clan's history and answer any questions you may have. As the founder of this clan he knows a thing or two about the history though he does ramble on just a bit." She laughs as she points the little fae out who looks more like a firefly than a Nature clan progenitor. "We'll expect you back here at sundown. The clan has a special present they'd like to present to you before your rest and departure from our lands."


After a day of feasting and celebration Dewdrop leads Seisyl back to the guest house set up at the base of an old oak tree standing tall in the middle of the meadow. "The house also stands for our clan meetings and regularly holds our celebrations. We are so pleased to have you with us. I promise the celebration won't go too late into the night. It is the light festival after all. And you will be leaving no later than the first thing in the morning if I'm not mistaken. So why don't you come inside and have some dinner with the rest of the clan. Everyone wants to wish you happy trails."

After dinner a furry tree, no a tundra that looks like a tree, comes over and presents a wrapped package to Seisyl. "We hope that you have enjoyed your company here and ask that you take this as a reminder of your time here." RiverWillow bows and hands it over. "Safe travels!"




Day Six: Florum, Florum Familia #17356

It's babysitting duty for Seisyl today, it seems.

The clan's running low on food supplies, which meant a majority of them were either weakened or out fighting and scrounging for food. The host, Jezebell, looked entirely frazzled and frustrated when she greeted the pearlcatcher. Still, her composure impressed Seisyl- a woman of strength, for sure. She could respect that.

"I'm so sorry, but we need you in our nursery today. The festivities will continue tonight when everyone's home. Probably... nothing more than just the gift giving ceremony, but I promise it'll be worth your time." Jezebell looked exhausted, but still she trekked on, leading the pearlcatcher down the complex halls of the lair. "Our current babysitters are out on scavenge duty, and the rest are in desperate need of rest. Thank you so much for understanding."

"It's not a problem, my dear," the pearlcatcher nodded, "I've known struggles like this before." Had she? Well, it never hurt to give a little fib here and there if she hadn't. The reassurance seemed well needed anyways.

"Our clan was severely underprepared for this week," Jezebell stopped short of a massive door carved in the wall, then turned to her guest, "but we appreciate your service. I promise it will all work out in the end."

---

The children weren't much of a problem at all. It took about an hour to get used to them, then another to understand some of their more difficult-to-understand quirks, but Seisyl did it with grace and poise. The haggard old mirror nanny seemed run ragged, and who could blame her with all these hatchlings running around, begging for food and crying when they were denied? Still, Seisyl did her best to keep on Heathen's good side and off her toes, and the two ended up bonding some over their desire for adventure and home.

"I used to want to be like you, y'know," the mirror quipped, "still might try some day. But my place feels right here, with these kids. Some'uv'em have known me for a while now. Feels wrong givin' up this life just so I could find my own somewhere else."

"Journey's never hurt, you know," the pearlcatcher replied, "maybe someday you'll find someone else to take your place, even temporarily, just so you can go find yourself. It never hurts to dream."

When the time came for gifts, Heathen was the one who offered her the gifts. "You really made me think, young one, with those words ya said. Maybe I will have to try to find my way home some day." She grinned, "if it ain't just here anyways. Here, these are from us. The bag's just a bag, but them seeds're a symbol of prosperity and new beginnings. Fitting for a traveler like you on a journey like that."

"Well," Seisyl smiled, taking the gifts and holding them close, "maybe one day you'll be the one receiving them from me."

"I expect nothin' less from you."



Day Seven: mintea00 #475171

Exhausted and weary from long days of traveling, Seisyl stopped in front of a large gate. She had had a rough day; when she woke up in the morning, she discovered that her map and compass had been stolen by bandits, and half of her remaining food and water stores were depleted. Her bag was torn into and the little money she had left was taken as well. After an initial panic, she had calmed down and tried her best to remember the route that she was supposed to take--- all had seemed well at first but around midday she realized that she was lost.

Although she had managed to stave off hunger and anxiety for the most part, by the time the sun was setting, she was beginning to feel the consequences of earlier. She didn't know where to go, and had, by chance, stumbled on a set of very large iron gates, towering and imposing but also regal and beautiful. Slumping over, she gasped for breath; closing her eyes, she hadn't even noticed that it was dark when she was awakened by a voice calling out, "Hey ma'm! hey! hey! What are you doing here at this hour?"

Bolting straight up, she said replied skittishly, "I'm lost...I've been trying to get home and then a bunch of things happened -- my map was stolen alongside my food and water and items --- and I don't know where I am or how to get back; I'm hoping I can spend the night here at least."

There was no response for a moment and Seisyl felt a little downtrodden; however, the dragon poked his head out and said, "Please give us a moment. We need to contact someone to help get you situated." Seisyl breathed a sigh of relief; gathering what remained of her belongings, she stood outside the giant gate, waiting for a dragon to appear. A couple minutes later, a male pearlcatcher appeared. Wordlessly, without any lock or heaving, the gate creaked open, with a crack just wide enough for Seisyl to step through. Immediately after she was in, the gate shut loudly behind her, causing her to jump in the air.

"The--the gate shut by itself," she stammered, her eyes wide open.
"Indeed...it also opened by itself," the pearlcatcher said wryly. "I'm going to need to ask you some questions to ascertain your claims and intentions." Before Seisyl could think of anything to say, the pearlcatcher launched into a series of rapid fire questions, which Seisyl forced her tired brain to answer to the best of her abilities. Some of the questions seemed quite odd to her, though she was too tired to point it out. It was probably also not a good idea to antagonize the hosts of the night.
"Hmm. You are in the clear," the pearlcatcher said finally. "Follow me to the guest quarters around the bend. It's a little bit of a walk." Seisyl barely had time to nod in agreement when he was out the door. On the dirt beaten path, Seisyl finally mustered enough energy to ask, "Say...why is..why is..."she stopped herself, finding that she didn't know how to put her jumbled feelings into words.
"I think that you have found," the pearlcatcher said wearily, "that there has been somewhat of a bandit issue going on lately. We have had multiple reports about incidents across Sunbeam Ruins and it has dragons on high alert. We don't know the intentions of these criminals and we still need to investigate. In the meantime, we need to have high security for the terrace."

Seisyl got the feeling that the pearlcatcher was not revealing everything about these "criminals," but she knew better than to press. It was not something for her to know; what did catch her ear though, was that she had arrived at Sundial Terrace -- a place she did recognize and knew how to get back home from. After thanking the pearlcatcher for allowing her to stay the evening, Seisyl made herself a cup of tea and drew out the path she needed to take the next day. Soon, she will be home.