Sky Fairies

CLOUD CHASERS

OTHER NAMES: Shepherds of the Sky

LIKES: Anything with wings, wind currents, races

DISLIKES: Airplanes, helicopters, hot-air balloons

DIET: Herbivore—dandelions and other wind-scattered seeds

ALIGNMENT: Seelie

These fairies are the shepherds of the clouds themselves, much as fisherfolk are the shepherds of the seas. Similar to their ocean cousins, these wingless fairies stand anywhere from one to five inches tall and dress neatly in clothes of sky blue and white, complete with little pointed caps on their heads that each have a bell at the end—the better to hear one another as they work in teams to move groups of wild and unruly clouds through the air in their assigned patterns. They decorate their clothing with the feathers of their favorite birds, sometimes showing off a special reminder of home such as a dragon’s scale pendant. Their faces may look young or old, but they always have the bluest eyes and long white or gray hair, which may include a beard that goes all the way past their feet. Each cloud chaser carries a slender wand cut from a willow tree, which they use to push their clouds back into the proper current of air. If the clouds are being particularly stubborn, they’ve been known to puff up their cheeks and use a burst of magical breath to blow the clouds back into shape.

Cloud chasers ride the skies on the winged creatures of their choice—in the human world, usually birds. They tend to favor ravens and crows as intelligent birds known for being in touch with the fairy realm and able to spot its entry points, though some have been seen riding eagles, red-tailed hawks, and even cardinals. It seems that they choose a bird which suits their personality and spend time bonding with it before taking to the skies together on a regular working basis. Each cloud chaser takes excellent care of the creature they ride, and a naturally shed feather from their bird is considered to be the greatest gift they can receive. In the fairy realm, cloud chasers often ride dragons and griffins, and the occasional winged cat, though the latter has a reputation among these fairies for being too lazy to properly give chase to the clouds.

Cloud chasers might take their work seriously, but they also have fun with it by whipping clouds into funny forms as they herd them through the sky. When you spot a particularly distinct shape up in the clouds—say, a turtle, a bear, a race car—chances are it was sculpted by a cloud chaser, and they would be pleased that you recognized their art. They even have cloud-shaping contests where they try to see who can build the grandest castle out of cumulonimbus, and nothing ruins their day quite like an airplane or other human-made vehicle bursting through one of their carefully crafted designs.

ICE SPRITES

OTHER NAMES: None

LIKES: Ice-skating, snowdrifts, warm clothes

DISLIKES: Sun, fire, too much cheer

DIET: Unknown

ALIGNMENT: Unseelie

Little is known about these sour-faced fairies, as it’s so difficult for even researchers to get close to them. Fragile and always freezing from the inside out, they’re invariably having a miserable day and want to make sure the sky is as dark and icy as their mood. Less than an inch tall each, their skin appears to be carved from ice itself, while their hair is a crystalline white-blue and almost see-through like an icicle. Their tall, narrow wings are like little sheets of black ice, hard and slick to the touch instead of soft like a butterfly’s. Their tiny hands end in claws, the better to stick to the places where they land when they drift from the sky down to Earth, whether it’s in a flurry of snowflakes or a lashing rain mixed with sleet.

As delicate as bubble sprites, these fairies melt into a drop of water when touched by the sun, so you’ll only spot them when there’s enough cloud cover to keep the sky completely gray. Of course, while the sun is their enemy and fire will melt them just as quickly, they’re still always in need of ways to try to stay warm—so they often cling to the coats, hats, and scarves of unsuspecting humans, tucking themselves into a cozy fold or brim as someone goes about their day. Laughter, however, drives them away as quickly as the threat of steam rising from a mug of hot coffee or cocoa on a blustery day.

The magic of an ice sprite, we now know, is in their ability to make frost with their breath and to freeze anything they touch. If you wake up to frost-covered windows, it’s possible an ice sprite had their hands on it, staring in longingly at the warmth of all the quilts on your bed. As miserable as these sky fairies are, however, they manage to have some fun when they happen to touch the ground. They’ve been spotted playing in snowdrifts, having snowball fights, and hosting ice sculpture–carving contests. They love making snowmen as well, as they seem to find the likeness to humans downright hilarious, and they’re always sure to complete their snow figures by snatching a real human’s scarf to tie around its chilly neck. If you can catch them at it on one dark, starless, frostbitten night, they are also incredible ice-skaters who would amaze human athletes with the way they beat their wings to twirl through the air midleap before touching down on the ice again.

MOON MAIDS

OTHER NAMES: Celestials, Lunar Ladies

LIKES: Starlight, open meadows, nocturnal creatures

DISLIKES: Artificial light, storms

DIET: Omnivore—insects, mice, night-blooming flowers

ALIGNMENT: Solitary

Not to be confused with false fireflies, these luminous ladies are only visible at night in our world, where they often glow as gently as the moon but can shine as bright as the stars when they feel especially happy. Researchers believe their glow comes from the bit of moonlight each of them carries inside, though this isn’t where they get their name. When they’re resting during the day, they hide beneath their wings, which look identical to those of a luna moth. This clever camouflage helps keep them safe from any curious humans passing by as they doze. When they unfurl their wings and take to the meadows in their silk slippers to dance, these fairies stand anywhere from under an inch to two inches tall. Their white-gold or silvery hair sparkles with starlight, drawing in any nearby nocturnal creatures to witness their magical presence as they cup moonlight in their hands and bathe in it, drink from it, and scatter it over any night-blooming flowers they can find.

Moon maidens don’t seem to enjoy flying the way that other winged sky fairies often do; rather, they prefer dancing their way wherever they go, through forests and near streams where they pour extra handfuls of moonlight to give the water a special glow. When they do fly, however, it’s more like they float on their wide moth wings. Researchers haven’t yet confirmed this, but it’s believed that they let the wind currents carry their light-as-a-feather bodies all the way up into our atmosphere, far above the clouds to the moon itself. This would certainly explain the tiny footprints astronauts have sometimes glimpsed up there, causing researchers to suspect that these fairies enjoy dancing to the light of the Earth while they’re on the moon, too. It’s possible they also visit other moons, their magic making them immune to the laws of space and gravity in our world, though they would be sure to avoid the sun—heat and artificial light are two things sure to make moon maidens wilt.

While it’s possible they eat moondust, when in our world, the moon maidens’ favorite delicacy is the nectar from night-blooming flowers like evening primrose, certain orchids, moonflower, jasmine, and celestial night roses. As they sip and dance and catch the occasional bug to snack on, they watch over creatures that roam the night, like raccoons, possums, and owls, who all seem to revere and respect the added moonlight and beauty these fairies bring to their nightly wanderings.

STORM SYLPHS

OTHER NAMES: Wind Riders, Tempests

LIKES: Noise, flying fast, high winds, airplanes

DISLIKES: Geese, hawks, other large birds

DIET: Carnivore—small birds, insects

ALIGNMENT: Unseelie

These small, chaotic fairies are almost impossible to observe, even with a good pair of binoculars, unless you really know what you’re looking for—and even then, they often stay above the clouds, occasionally punching a hand through the bottom of a thunderhead to hurl a lightning bolt and see what they can hit. They look like bits of swirling wind and cloud, like little tornadoes, each about six inches tall on average, with deep gray, purple, or blue hair that seems to always be blowing in a breeze of their own making, for their magic is that of wind and water. Their tiny faces appear more as blurry impressions of eyes, noses, and mouths, and their clothes are made of a shining silver cloth from the fairy realm that ripples like water as they jump and dance above the clouds. The glimmer of their clothing is one of the best chances you have of spotting them.

Storm sylphs get their name from their love of riding thunderheads, steering them into each other to make a terrible clatter. The louder the sound, the more excited they seem to become according to one brave researcher who watched them from a weather balloon. She saw them laugh and shout as they had a hail-ball fight, forming teams and pelting the little bits of ice at each other. Their voices, as they called back and forth, mimicked the howls of big gusts of wind; storm sylphs speak no language that we yet understand. These fairies sometimes use their magic to scatter rain or to see who can spin up the biggest tornado and rip up the most trees with it, not seeming to care about the damage such an event can cause to any humans who happen to be in the area. Their only concerns are fueling the storms that delight them and competing to see who will be crowned Queen or King Tempest by having lightning bolt–throwing competitions. Much as they love thunderstorms, blizzards and gales also seem to encourage these fairies to come out and play.

SUN SYLPHS

OTHER NAMES: Daystars, Glimmers

LIKES: Hot days, loose balloons, birds, lawn sprinklers

DISLIKES: Storms, cigarette smoke

DIET: Omnivore—insects, fruits, and vegetables

ALIGNMENT: Seelie

Some of the sweetest fairies in the sky, sun sylphs are the opposite of their cousins the storm sylphs. They are playful yet gentle, so the greatest harm they have ever been known to cause a human is the mark of an extra freckle on one’s skin from their accidentally getting too close or resting unseen on someone’s arm or shoulder who is napping and sunbathing near a pool. Standing at one to three inches tall, these fairies have delicate, elf-like features if you can see past the dazzling burst of sunlight that seems to radiate from them. Their wings are as tall as their bodies, wide and paper-white, reflecting whatever light is around them. Some wear their red-orange hair long, while others style theirs short and spiky. They cover themselves in lightweight clothing woven from weeds and grass or sometimes in flower blossoms, but their feet are always bare. Of course, it’s likely that even if you’re visited by a resplendence (or group) of these fairies, the most you’ll see is an unexplained glimmer at the corner of your eye, a miniature burst of sunlight.

Sun sylphs don’t always dance and play up in the sky, even when it’s bright out. They’re curious about humans and can make a game out of anything, so if your yard is set up for summer fun, you might just get a visit from these fairies. Their blood runs hot, so a pool, birdbath, or stream is likely to draw them near for a quick drink. Their favorite treat is fruit as sweet as they are, so if you have fruit trees nearby, that may also bring them close. They love to help things grow, so you may spot them in your garden giving warmth to budding plants, especially their favorite hot peppers. They’re also known for appearing on lawns where there are sprinklers to run through and at water parks where people are splashing so they can dance and cool down in the resulting spray.

Up in the sky on clear days, you might spot them chasing a stray balloon lost from a child’s birthday party or darting in and out of whatever flock of birds they’re trying to join for the day.