The area about you is rather warm, yet the heavy vegitation overhead blots out most of the sun. Every so often you can catch a glimpse of it through winding vines and tree branches. You come to a hault at the first opening you can find. The openning seems even warmer than even the hottest of greenhouses, and the air is filled with some sort of muggy humidity.

You take a short rest and find that the heat subsides a bit. Feeling a bit more outgoing, you continue on your journey into the gardens.

The next thing that catches your eye is a tall, skinny tree. Compared to the others, it looks out-of-place and seems to be all alone. Intrigued, you step closer to the tree, and find that there is something carved upon it:

You step back. What is that suppose to mean? Perhaps someone hid some gold in the trees! Or maybe there are jewels embedded near the tops of the trees...! Or...maybe someone was playing a very mean joke on somebody. You shake your head and laugh at yourself; the enscription could mean just about anything at all. Still, however, it recurs in your mind as you walk away.

"Where do you think you are going?" you hear from behind you.

Your ears prick up, and you stop cold. Slowly, you turn and find a young girl sitting near the same strange tree. Her back is leaned against the trunk, and she holds some sort of fruits in her hand.

"I was just going through the gardens..." you mutter, wondering why she was leaning on that tree.

"Well, wanderor, you really should not be around this place. You see, most people are turned around at the gates over there, and I have to wander why you were not," she says.

"What gates?" you ask.

She gives you a laugh. "The opening back there, that is one of the many gates in the Gardens. I still don't know why you, of all the creatures that come through here, managed to make it in."

"Gates? It was only hot for a few minutes and then I kept going..." you trail off as the thought sparks further ideas.

"Ah, so the gates deemed you a kind-hearted soul," she smiled. "Have you come here to meet them, or were you just about by chance?"

"Ummm..." you think, unsure of what to say next.

"Find, then, would you like to meet them, anyway?"

You begin, "Who is them?"

"Why, they are the Jeweling Fairy Dragons," she says. "To be more precises, they are the Grubs."

"GRUBS?" you exclaim.

"Yes, grubs, jeweling fairy dragons begin as grubs and then metamorphisize within cacoons. Come with me, and I will show them to you. You must never touch them, and I should think that you would know better than to do that."

You nod and she takes you away. As you walk, you finally ask, "What is your name?"

"Qui'ki'kor," she replies. "Here we are."

Qui'ki'kor steps toward a tree and reaches up the trunk with her left hand: the hand that she is holding the fruits. You stare for a while, and a small creature crawls down the tree and gobbles up a fruit.

"This one I call Opal'kie," she says. "A kind soul, and, as the others, always very hungry."

Another follows the first, and this one seems to have white spots all over it. The creature hasitly gobbles up one of the fruits and looks about for something more to eat. The girl giggles and says, "This one I call Di'mound. One of the few that always makes me laugh."

You interrupt, "How many more are there?"

She looks at you and smiles. "In the Wood, currently, there are four. They are together, perhaps you might call it a glittering. That's what they call it when they live in a group."

A third grub crawls down to join the others. "This is Saph-ere," she continues. "This was the first one I was put in charge of here at the gardens."

"Why?"

"Why what? Why was I put in charge of them? For protection, I suppose...for food, I guess. I mean, there currently aren't any other Fairy Dragons around here, so they need someone to look after these little ones. At least until they are able to care for them themselves."

The final grub comes down and finds the fruit much to liking. "I suppose you've never seen one of these before, eh?" She says. "I call this one Rub-eiaka."

"Why are they all together? Won't they fight?" you ask.

"Never!" she exclaims. "You see, Fairy Dragonflies need to live in groups or they will die. They are very reliant on being with others, can't you tell?" She looks at the four grub creatures. "They are all here, and they are all happy."

You nod and decide that it is time to go.

A short time later... you return to the garden in hopes of re-metting the girl and her grubs. You pass through the same opening and find Qui'ki'kor near the same spindly tree.

She greets you warmly and openly. "You have come back, yes? I am glad to see some wanderors are interested in these creatures." She smiles. "You did come back to see them, right?"

You nod and say, "Of course, why else?"

She grabs your arm and pulls your through the gardens to a different tree. You look around but find no fruits, no nectar, no food in general. You look around, a bit confused.

Qui'ki'kor points to the top of the tree. You squint and see several cacoons, all near to each other. You gasp; the grubs are going through the cacoon stage!

You turn back to Qui'ki'kor and find that she has disappeared. You shake your head and give them one last glance before leaving the gardons again.

Opal - Opal Beginnings
Ruby - Ruby Guidance
Diamond - Diamond Dreams
Saphire - Saphire Wonders

Back to the Wonderous Wood.