Bitter Sprites: Stages

Bellies: Bellies are what sprites call an unborn sprite. A pregnant sprites belly gets big and round, and other sprites can feel the energy of new life within. The little unborn sprite is about half an inch in diameter through most of this stage. This stage only lasts a month, and during this time, the mother organizes her thoughts to pass on memories to her daughter. Once the new sprite is born, it takes months for the memories to surface, but they are the basis for the newborn’s personality and understanding of the world.

Glowies: After a month of pregnancy, the mother will sit and hold onto her belly as it separates from her abdomen. It is a painless process, although there is an intense feeling of loss. As the Glowy takes its first breath of freedom, it opens one set of ephemeral wings and buzzes into the air. It is still only a ball of light about an inch in diameter. They have limited empathic communication. They drink sunlight and bask in moonlight, requiring no other sustenance. This stage lasts about two months.

Tinies: After two months of flitting around as an undefined ball with a pair of wings, the baby sprite will settle down on a branch or under a fallen tree to start the next transformation. The Glowy sack will separate into another pair of ephemeral wings, straightening and becoming rigid. The Tiny’s body is now free. She will be unstable, but she soon “remembers” how to walk. Her flight speed is reduced, but she will stand three inches tall, and she can run, climb, and swim, now. This stage lasts three months. Tinies are sexually immature, and cannot get pregnant. In fact, they do not even have sexual organs.

Girlz: At the age of six months, including the time spent unborn, the Tiny will go through a growth spurt, gaining about three more inches. They gain pubic hair, sexual organs, and small breasts. They become physically stronger, and tend to be more aware of their memories passed on to them by their mothers. They are fully capable of becoming pregnant, and if they find a kind gnome, they will probably enjoy it. While pregnant, sprites do not age, so there are advantages to carrying “bellies”. There is plenty of sexual activity between females, and this is considered normal.

Oldies: After four months of being a Girl, the Girl is considered an Oldie. Her body starts to change, slowly. Over the next five months, she will lose much of her feminine attributes, her pubic hair will fall out, her sexual organs slowly close up. Her wings will lose their function, and eventually fall off. This is a very emotional stage for sprites. They are facing the end of their female cycle, and the beginning of a very drastic personality change. Many try to stay pregnant while they still can, and others resort to more drastic measures of staying young.

Boyz: Once a sprite loses her wings, she is only days away from becoming recognizable as a Boy, also known as a Pixie. As a boy, his shoulders will broaden, his genitals will drop from his abdomen and hang from his pubic region. Pubic hair will return. He will be physically stronger than he ever was as a female. The greatest change, however, is psychologically. A Boyz sexual drive is greater even than hunger, and this often drives them to attacking females and raping them. They will only kill a female if the female proves to be a threat to the Boy. They usually find no use for Tinies, and Oldies are often too dangerous to approach, so Girls are the favored targets. Boys do retain some of their memories from their earlier stages, but the emotional attachments fade rapidly. Sometimes they will gather in gangs and raid stationary sprite communities, or attack wandering bands.

Gnomes: After six months, Boys grow into Gnomes. They slowly become taller, to about nine inches, become less aggressive, and are often more thoughtful and wise. They spend much of their time working on crafts, such as glass, wood, or spider silk. Gnomes are still fertile, and there are many stable communities of sprites centered around a small group of Gnomes. Gnomes are not quick, however, and a fast raid by Boyz can leave an unwary community mourning the loss of females and the death of a few Gnomes.

Ancients: When Gnomes live on for about seven months, they start to slow to the point that their feet and toes want to take root. They can still articulate, and some are still sexually capable, but their interests are more long term. They hold great wisdom and knowledge, and are sought out for guidance.

Others: Ancients remain interactive for about eight months, before they fade from consciousness. They move on to a less physical form, a spirit or ghost, something quite intangible. These free floating beings leave their bodies behind to grow into great trees, while they move on to another level of existence.