1-128 Flowers and Dreams
Jaina, Evalynn, Gisley, and Chandice picked their way down a narrow trail into the depths of the love wood. Rosemary had delivered a message saying they needed to see what Gisley’s magic had done to her flowers. Oddly the woman insisted they come at night, when the moon was out in order to see the true power of the plants. Now they approached the woman’s hidden grove to see a purple glow coming through the leaves.
“What is that light?” Evalynn asked as they approached.
“She has torches burning?” Chandice suggested with a hand above her eyes to try and get a better look.
“It looks magical,” Gisley said as they finally came out of the trees to gaze in wonder at what they saw.
“Oh, my,” Jaina gasped as they looked over a tangle of dark green vines that twinkled with silver glitter very similar to Gisley’s. All across the vines grew glowing purple blooms with a dense ring of petals similar to a large rose. The plants were so bright the lit the area and a soft purple mist drifted over the blooms.
“Are those my flowers?” Gisley gasped.
“They are,” Rosemary replied as she suddenly rose out the vines as if she could swim in them. “They only bloom under the moonlight and then they give off a magical glow.” Her eyes twinkled with light as she swept her arms over her patch of magical flowers. “They are some of the prettiest flowers I have ever produced.”
“Lunar flowers for a lunar fairy,” Chandice commented.
“Do they smell nice?” Gisley asked as she fluttered up, her silver glitter sprinkling the plants. They reacted to the glitter by flaring with light and suddenly making a chiming noise like tubular bells ringing in harmony.
“They sing?” Evalynn said in surprise.
“They sing to their mother,” Rosemary said and smiled at Gisley. “They know she is a part of them.”
“Oh, they are so wonderful,” Gisley cried and flew wild over the flowers spreading her glitter across the entire patch so they were all chiming in a sweet tune.
“Now this is amazing,” Jaina said as she bent over to touch a bloom. “The color looks like the purple in Gisley’s wings.”
“I had no idea what they would look like” Rosemary said. “But they usually borrow a color from the parent.”
“Do they have any magical properties?” Chandice asked as she joined Jaina to study a flower.
“Well, they are always magical,” Rosemary replied as she reached down to pluck a bloom. “I always gain a special power while I am near a flower made with a partner. The power usually comes from the partner and in Gisley’s case my power is now stronger in the moonlight. But I don’t know what other properties they might have to say a potion or magical item.”
“So Gisley made you a lunar plant person?” Chandice asked to be sure she understood.
“Well, Normally I am stronger under the sunlight and weaker at night,” Rosemary replied. “But now I am equally strong under the moonlight. I can even shed glitter like Gisley does.” She demonstrated the point by waiving her arms so they could indeed she was leaving behind streams of glitter.
“I wonder if her glitter works like Gisley’s does?” Jaina said.
“We need to test all this,” Chandice agreed. “The flowers are making glitter as well. We might literally be able to grow fairy glitter like a crop.”
“You can’t just farm my babies,” Gisley protested and held her arms out. “These flowers are part of me.”
“Oh, sweet fairy I wouldn’t hurt your flowers,” Chandice said as she put an arm around Jaina. “I wouldn’t do anything that harmed a single bloom. But if we can collect glitter, or nectar, or whatever they produce then maybe we can find a good use for it.”
“Maybe we won’t have to milk Gisley to make the glitter bombs,” Evalynn suggested.
“I like that part,” Gisley protested.
“Ha, and people say I am addicted to sex,” Jaina laughed.
“So if you don’t mind my asking, how do these flower benefit you?” Chandice pressed while running a finger over a flower petal.
“Well, thus far I have her bonus to overall power under moonlight, but I usually gain one to two other powers as the flowers mature,” Rosemary explained. “They are never major powers that give me a huge advantage, just fun things to play with.”
“Can you have more than one type of flower?” Jaina asked.
“Oh, yes, I can have five types at my level,” Rosemary said. “I am really looking forward to level one hundred where I can pick a primary power.”
“What do you mean by primary power?” Jaina asked as she thought back to the training. She did remember that at level one hundred a player could pick a special power or gift that drastically altered their character. Rosemary explained that she could pick a skill that allowed her to harvest a power from her flowers, keeping it until she chose to replace it. She could even blend flowers, choosing her own or naturally occurring ones, creating unique mixtures of effects. She herself would be immune to any negative effects, turning her flowers into a dangerous defense if she wished.
“I wonder what choices I have at one hundred,” Evalynn said. “I never really looked that far ahead.”
“I peeked at it, but I don’t remember what it was,” Jaina agreed. “I seem to recall it having something to do with mass.”
“I think mine has something to do with becoming part of the night,” Gisley said. “I had a couple of options to pick from but they were all super interesting.”
“I wonder if the options change if you evolve,” Jaina said. “Now that I am a mimic, maybe they are different?”
“Could be,” Chandice agreed as she used a small brush to collect some flower glitter. “It’s amazing how many details they visitors worked into the system. It’s complexity is mind boggling.”
“It is hard to grasp,” Evalynn agreed as the flowers continued to chime around them.
“This is so pretty,” Gisley said and landed so she could bend over to smell a flower. “And they smell wonderful.”
Jaina smiled to see Gisley’s naked rear sparkling with her butterfly shaped plug. Even in the dim light she could see the little mound that hung down, marking the soft petals of Gisley’s sensual flower. Jaina couldn’t help but think of how sweet fairy nectar was and how much she longed to feed on Gisley’s body.
“I know what you’re looking at,” Chandice whispered at her side.
“I can’t help it,” Jaina replied as Gisley bent over another flower. “I honestly do like girls.”
“Don’t I know it,” Chandice said with a smile. “I love that hunger of yours.”
“Oh, do you need some attention?” Jaina asked.
“You guys are fun,” Rosemary laughed and spread her arms over her flowers. “And thanks to you I have a beautiful garden. Of course if one of you want’s add to my collection of flowers.”
“There you go,” Chandice said and nudged Jaina. “Into the pod with you.”
“I am not so sure that’s a good idea,” Jaina said. “My powers are all corrosive and shape shifting. I would worry her flowers would be able to grow teeth and dissolve flesh.”
“Ha, they never come out dangerous like that,” Rosemary assured. “But I can use them to attack by channeling my own powers through them.”
“Look!” Gisley said as a small cloud of glowing white moths appeared to flutter over the blooms.
“Gisley has sisters,” Jaina teased.
“I am not a moth,” Gisley pouted and turned to the side as she tossed her hair. “I am a beautiful moonlight butterfly.”
“Oh, love, I was only teasing,” Jaina said and wrapped the offended woman in her arms. “Please forgive me.”
“I don’t know,” Gisley said without looking over. “You can be mean when you want to be.”
“Oh, Please,” Jaina begged. “I can’t live with you being upset with me.” Gisley smiled as Jaina hugged her tighter and finally turned to kiss her gently. The two smiled and hugged tightly, loving the warmth of the embrace.
“Your family looks so beautiful,” Rosemary commented. “You are so lucky.”
“You can thank Roric for that,” Jaina replied. “He always encouraged us to be open and loving.”
“Roric is wonderful,” Evalynn agreed. “I have never known a man so interested in encouraging us to explore our fantasies. He even helps us explore them by finding opportunities for us to do so.”
“Maybe I will consider a family like yours some day,” Rosemary said. “But I have plenty of time for that later. Right now I want to expand my garden and create a little more.
“Speaking of that, would it be alright if I took a few leaves and petals to see what I can do with them?” Chandice asked.
“Of course,” Rosemary said with a big smile. “I know Gisley teased you couldn’t harvest them, but they will grow back magically so long as you don’t pull up the roots.”
“See, they won’t be hurt,” Jaina encouraged as she rubbed Gisley. They rested their heads together as a sudden pressure filled her mind and Jaina nearly stumbled. Gisley noticed the sudden shift in weight and practically had to hold her up as she went weak.
“Jaina?” Gisley called in alarm. “What’s wrong?”
“I can’t think,” Jaina gasped as her body began to glow her dragon tattoo forcing itself to the surface. She stumbled and fell to her hands and knees, the light of her mark filling the air.
“Chandice,” Evalynn called, disturbing the woman from her harvesting. “Something magical is wrong with Jaina.”
Chandice and Evalynn were at her side a moment later, carfully laying the stricken women down. Chandice went for a wand as Jaina claimed her vision was full of symbols she didn’t recognize.
“Try to remember a few of them so you can write them out for me later,” Chandice said as she drew her wand. She waved it over Jaina, chanting a spell as Gisley huddled with Evalynn, asking what had happened.
“Did my flowers cause this?” Rosemary asked as she leaned over Chandice.
“No, you had noting to do with this,” Chandice said as magical lights began to form in the air. Chandice worked hard to identify the effect as Jaina said she felt like she was falling.
“Chandice, do something!” Gisley pleaded.
“It isn’t a magical attack that I can just dispel or shield her from,” Chandice insisted. “It’s an effect that is being evoked. Something to do with her dragon.”
“She has a dragon?” Rosemary gasped.
“It’s a long story,” Chandice said and pulled one of Jaina’s eyes open to see a faraway look. “But if I had to guess, I would say he’s here.”
“Who?” Evalynn asked as the sound of something massive dropping from the sky was followed by the ground shaking. The entire group looked up to see a dragon whose scales were black as midnight towering over the flowers. His eyes narrowed on Jaina as he produced a snorting exhale then magical symbols glowed before his face.
“Are we going to die?” Rosemary cried.
“Just stay calm,” Evalynn urged as she guided the rest of them back, taking them away from Jaina so the dragon could look over her.
“Shh,” the dragon urged as he leaned closer, the magical symbols before his face flowing to her. “This sensation will pass, I am shielding you from her influence.”
“Hezzrigozza?” Jaina cried.
“I am here,” he said in his voice that sounded like stone falling down a mountainside. “I told you I was coming to protect you.”
“Why can’t I see anything but magical symbols?” Jaina asked as she lifted an arm to wave her hand over her eyes.
“The blindness will pass in a moment,” he replied. “The shielding spell is very powerful.”
“It must be,” Chandice commented. “I couldn’t even detect what it was. You have to be hundreds of levels high.”
“I do not wish to discuss such things in your human terms,” the dragon replied. “Let it be enough to say my power is sufficient to protect you for a few minutes.”
“You’re only strong enough to protect us from Hannah for a few minutes?” Evalynn gasped.
“Why would you need protecting from Hannah?” Rosemary asked a she hid in the back. “She’s so sweet.”
“She is a sleeping mountain, waiting for the day where she awakens in fire and molten rock,” the dragon replied. “When that day comes I will do what I can to protect you until I can carry you away to safety, if such a place can be found on this world.”
“You are wrong about her,” Jaina insisted as her tattoo began to fade. “She’s not who you think she is. She well and truly cares about the people around her, and wouldn’t harm them for anything.”
The dragon lowered his eyes to Jaina as her vision finally returned. She saw the look of regret in his great reptilian visage before he explained that when she finally awoke, nobody would be spared. Jaina shook her head and insisted that this time would be different. Hannah was surrounded by love and family who knew she was dangerous. They didn’t care and were determined to stand by her side even if her dark past came calling.
“You honestly feel this way?” the dragon asked as Jaina sat up.
“I know it,” Jaina said. “Hannah is a blessing to everyone around her. She is single-handedly changing the way people play by giving them the opportunity they should have always had. She welcomes monster players and encourages them to build lairs so that everyone has a place to explore and play. I know if she ever gets her memories back they will be tempered by who she is now. She is a new person with dreams of happiness and love.”
“I hope you are right,” the dragon replied. “But I do not share your optimism.”
“You don’t have to,” Jaina said as she finally stood and dusted off. “So, does this mean you are going to build your lair in the mountains?”
“I have already found a suitable location that will be hard to detect,” the dragon replied.
“Good,” Jaina said and reached up a hand to try and touch him. “I don’t like being so far from my mate.”
“Ha,” the dragon laughed. “I am glad you feel that way. I intend to remind you why I carry that title.”
“Are we safe?” Rosemary dared to ask.
“Yes,” Evalynn replied. “But only because he chooses to spare us for Jaina’s sake.”
“He beat us soundly the last time we met,” Chandice said. “It wasn’t even close.”
“He was just toying with us,” Gisley said. “He could have killed us all before we knew he was even their.”
“A sound observation little fairy,” the dragon replied as he let them know he could hear them. “But you have nothing to fear from me. I will harm no being who walks this forest unless they threaten my mate or her family.
“Why do they call each other mates?” Rosemary asked.
“Jaina is like his wife,” Chandice replied. “She was chosen to be his partner.”
“Chosen and tested,” the dragon remarked. “She could have given my power away to the witch, but she chose to honor me. Her master has also chosen to honor me be allowing her to be my mate. As she wears his collar, he could have easily denied it and purged the effect. Or he could have ordered her to give it up for his blessing. But instead he encouraged her to do what she felt was right, even if it meant I had some sway over her.”
“This is a long story, isn’t it?” Rosemary asked.
“Our life is complicated,” Chandice said.
“It seems so simple on the surface,” Evalynn said as she put an arm around Gisley. “All we want to do is love one another.”
“Your life is complicated by hers,” the dragon said. “But I have not come here to alarm you. I came to protect you. I am here so put such fears from your mind.”
“Well, I am glad to know you have arrived,” Jaina replied. “So what do you think of Rosemary’s flowers?”
The dragon looked at her with a single great eye before regarding the flowers at his feet.
“These are steeped in magic and radiate a power not unlike the fairy,” he replied.
“I made them from her power,” Rosemary dared to say.
“Is that so?” the dragon asked and looked over the flowers. “Whatever you do, do not offer this gift to the princess. Do not even tell her of your ability. She will seek to turn it into a weapon to be used against her enemies.”
“You really can’t accept that she is changed?” Jaina sighed.
“I have seen the cycle before,” the dragon replied. “I have no reason to believe it will not repeat.”
“Let’s talk about something else,” Jaina insisted. “How are my babies? I haven’t had a chance to see them while you have been traveling.”
“Babies?” Rosemary repeated. “They had children?”
“Again, long story,” Chandice sighed.
“Ha, you are born to be a mother,” the dragon laughed. “But you stand before a field of flowers that evoke dreams. Wade among them and lay down so that I might bring you to the dream.”
“So, the flowers cause the dreaming effect,” Chandice stated as they girls all waded into the flowers. They lay down to go to sleep as they admitted they suddenly felt tired. Rosemary was unaffected as they were her flowers so Gisley used her power directly, sending the plant woman into a magical slumber as the dragon took control.
Jaina opened her eyes and lifted her long graceful neck to see she was once again a dragon in a deep cave. It was unnaturally lit by a magical effect that didn’t seem to have any obvious source. Something moved at her side and she looked down to see three little dragon curled into a pile as they slumbered at the side of their mother. Suddenly Hezzrigozza’s long tongue licked up her neck as she spotted the other girls standing a dozen yards away.
“They look so cute when they are asleep,” Jaina sighed.
“You know this is just a dream,” the dragon pointed out.
“Don’t spoil this for me,” Jaina insisted. “It may be a dream, but it is one of the happiest dreams I have ever had.”
“Where are we?” Rosemary cried as she spun about. “Is this a big cave?”
“We are in his lair,” Evalynn replied. “This is a dream that he and Jaina crafted where they mated as dragons and had children.”
“Ooooh!” Rosemary cooed. “Are those her babies?”
“Yes,” Jaina replied before reaching her head down to begin licking them. “And it’s time they had a bath.”
“Is this healthy?” Chandice asked. “I don’t know if it’s good to be evoking your motherly urges when you can’t really have children.”
“Chandice,” Jaina sighed as one of her babies shifted. “I just want to feel this emotion for a little bit. I know it isn’t real, but he can make it feel like it is and it does make me feel like a mother.”
“Oh, love, I wouldn’t want to deny you these feelings. I just worry you will long to be here all the time when you can’t,” Chandice insisted.
“I know I can’t,” Jaina said and nuzzled one of her little dragons. “But I want the chance when I can.”
“So if this is a dream, can we be dragons?” Rosemary asked.
“We can be whatever we want,” Gisley said and was suddenly shrouded in a poof of multicolored mist. It faded away leaving behind a beautiful purple and blue dragon with her dark butterfly wings. “See.”
“How did you do that?” Rosemary asked.
“She is gifted with the ability to manipulate dreams,” Hezzrigozza replied. “So I will help you.” He waved a hand and Rosemary suddenly changed into a small green dragon with wings that looked like leaves.
“I have leaf wings!” she said excitedly as she flapped them rapidly.
He turned his gaze on Evalynn and in a flash she was a regal looking dragon with soft golden scales with silver stripes. His eyes went to Chandice and he studied he a moment before working his magic. She became a black dragon with great pointed horns etched with glowing red runes. Her wings were black as her scales and marked by warlock symbols making her look evil.
“Hmm, do you see me as a demonic monster?” Chandice asked as she looked over herself.
“I simply used what was in your nature,” he replied. “You favor your summoning nature and the red and black that it is associated with.”
“How do you know that?” Chandice asked as she pondered his unusual insight.
“I can see into your nature,” the dragon replied. “I see small glimpses of what you favor, or covet.”
“So I like the look of a warlock,” Chandice agreed. “I suppose that’s accurate.”
“Well, now that we are all dragons, perhaps we can mate the dominant male?” Jaina suggested.
Gisley and Evalynn thought that was a lovely idea while Rosemary was nervous. However to everyone’s surprise Chandice backed away, shaking her head.
“I can’t,” Chandice said.
“You can’t?” Jaina asked in pure surprise.
“It’s not that I don’t appreciate the offer, but I would feel guilty,” Chandice insisted. “Roric still hints at me being his partner and I need to honor that, at least until he makes it clear he prefers Rajeen.”
“You feel guilty about having sex with others?” Jaina asked in surprise.
“I am not his sex slave,” Chandice said. “I don’t have his collar or command to use as an excuse to be wild. He and I were supposed to become lovers and eventually husband and wife.”
“Oh, right,” Jaina said and looked down. “But then Rajeen came along and that kind of went out the window.”
“I don’t know that he want’s to marry Rajeen,” Evalynn said. “They seem perfectly content to be good friends.”
“Do you still want to marry Roric?” Jaina asked.
“I think so,” Chandice said and looked about nervously. “He was so encouraging in the beginning but then things got so busy and he hasn’t really spoken about it since. The last thing he told me was that we would pursue it when we finally established our home.”
“And he hasn’t done that,” Jaina said with a nod. “But what about Zorrack? Isn’t he our boyfriend?”
“This is part of why I feel the way I do,” Chandice sighed. “I felt terribly guilty about that and still do. I feel like I need to apologize to Roric for what happened and beg him to forgive me.”
“Oh my goodness, Chandice,” Jaina cried. “When did you start feeling like this?”
Chandice sighed and admitted that she started to feel this way after meeting Hannah. She liked how devoted to Frank Hannah was and some of that loyalty was starting to rub off on her. She wanted to be devoted to Roric with the same level of affection and that meant, he could be the only man in her life.”
“Now I feel both dirty and guilty,” Jaina moaned. “No wonder you have been making little sniping comments at me. You must think me a monster for enticing Hannah.”
“Well, I do kind of think it’s wrong,” Chandice admitted.
“And now I feel guilty as well,” Jaina admitted.
“You are living the role to which you are suited,” Hezzrigozza interjected. “You have nothing to feel guilty over.”
“I do if my lusts and desires are damaging a friend,” Jaina insisted. “Maybe Chandice is right and my enticing Hannah is abolutely wrong.”
“She would be much safer with a collar locked about her neck,” Hezzrigozza said.
“Then let her come to that conclusion on her own,” Jaina grumbled. “I don’t want to be the reason she changes.”
“She’s already changed so much,” Evalynn said. “She even prances about in sexy outfits.”
“And that’s probably my fault,” Jaina admitted.
“Look, I wasn’t trying to cause anybody to feel bad,” Chandice remarked. “I just don’t think I can do this anymore. I want to devote myself to Roric as his wife, if he still want’s me.”
“Gisley,” Jaina said and looked down on the fairy dragon. “Is Roric asleep?”
“Umm,” Gisley said as she closed her eyes. “Yes, he is dreaming about you.”
“Put Chandice into his dream and then alert him to the fact that she is real,” Jaina insisted.
“What for?” Chandice asked.
“Because you need to flat out ask him if he still wants to marry you,” Jaina said. “You tell him that you have decided not to play with others until you know for sure what his intentions are.”
“Oh, that’s sweet,” Gisley said with a flutter of her wings.
“Do you think I should?” Chandice said nervously.
Jaina lowered her long neck to nuzzle Chandice’s nose before giving her a lick.
“Please talk to him,” Jaina said. “You just made me realize how terrible a friend I am to Hannah, and how blind I am to the truth.”
“How are you blind?” Chandice asked as they gazed into each other’s eyes.
“Because I keep trying to make them like us,” Jaina said. “When in truth, we need to become a lot more like them, especially you.”
“Thank you for understanding,” Chandice nodded.
“Go, and talk to Roric,” Jaina urged as Gisley concentrated and the two vanished from the dream.
“That was an interesting turn of events,” Evalynn said.
“Do you ever wonder if maybe we take our life style too far?” Jaina asked.
“Too far?” Evalynn repeated. “This is what we are, and what we wanted. You can’t blame yourself for being exactly what you wanted to be, but maybe we shouldn’t try to influence others so much.”
“Maybe,” Jaina agreed as she thought of Hannah. “I just hope I haven’t made a terrible mistake.”