366Birth stone &flower Journey Record #1

Update: 2022/10/29

japanese version is here

This is the story of the collection I am developing at opensea.
pattern
living creature
genie

preamble

It seems that somewhere in the world, there is a pattern for each of the 366 days of the year.

The pattern is a combination of a birthstone and a birthflower, each of which has a special meaning...

A girl learns of this legend and sets out on a journey to find the pattern.

What follows is a record of the girl's journey…

Day 1 - January 1 pattern -

The owl says.
"You've come a long way. You are looking for a secret pattern.
How do I know? Because this is a place where only those who are willing to find it can come.
I will show you to the entrance of the Forest of Early Tidings. Follow me."

"Now, this is where your journey begins.
If you try to find it, you will find it. That's the way it is."

The area known as the Forest of Early Tidings is green all over.
The thick foliage was dark green.
The trunks of the trees are a dull, shiny light green, and their surfaces are as smooth as polished stones.
Underneath, a thin, white streak-like path led to the forest.

I thanked him and he smiled gently and spread his beautiful wings.

"Have a nice journey."

I walked on, thinking that I should have asked that owl's name.
I wonder how much time has passed.
As I sat on a cool feeling tree root and looked at the sky, I thought I saw a blue bird.
"A blue bird of happiness, I guess."
I muttered to myself, and I heard a giggle behind me.

When I look back, I see a little girl, no bigger than the palm of my outstretched hand, floating in the air, who appears to be a small fairy.

"Fairy?"
"I am a genie. I protect what you are looking for."
"What I'm looking for…"
"Yes, I am guarding the January 1st pattern.
Since you have just started your journey, I will make a special effort to guide you this time."

She led me softly and taught me many things along the way.
She told me that there are 366 " genies" that protect each "pattern" and that each "genie" has a different shape and form.
That it is very, very difficult to find them all.

And when I arrived at the place, I found the first pattern among the small flowers in full bloom.
The shape somehow resembled her, a genie.

"If you're looking for the next pattern, I'm sure someone will help you find it.Thank you for coming to look for me. Don't forget about today."
She laughed as she left.

I promised myself that I would never forget and decided to keep a record of my journey.

Day 2 - January 2 - Pattern

Apparently, there is a "boundary" here, a white-winged butterfly told me told me.

She said that whoever finds what they are looking for can cross it.

Hearing her words, I turned around and thought to myself, "I guess that makes sense.

According to her, this place is part of the Forest of Early Tidings, but the green trees we must have passed through earlier are no longer in sight.I was surprised when a different view - short flowers - came into view as if a door had been opened.
Then, walking carefully, I spotted this little butterfly listening to a song at the edge of the flower garden.

"You're so cool, sister. Aren't you scared to go to a place you don't know?"
"Sometimes it's scary, but it's a lot of fun."
"Well, I'd rather stay here and listen to the songs."

Ah, but, the little butterfly added.
"I enjoy listening to songs I don't know. I wonder if it's similar to that?"

"Yes, if there's something your sister's looking for, it might be over there…
Sometimes I think I see a glimmer of light."

The girl pointed to what looked like a cabbage field, but was not.
It was a strange place where cabbages and lettuces - or perhaps not exactly cabbages - were lined up alternately.

"It was like looking for a mistake."
As I walked along, checking one by one, there was only one that had a faint light peeking through a gap above.

"Oh dear, you found me."
With that, she raised herself from the round cushion. Her braided hair, longer than twice her height, caught my attention.

"The girl you met before was nice, right? That's why I'm a bit of a tease.
Hmmm, as you may have guessed, I am the genie who protects the 'January 2nd pattern'.
I'd like to tell you that what you're looking for, it's somewhere in this field, so look for it.
But, If you teach me the song, too, I'll tell you where it is."

I thought for a moment what she was talking about, and then she smiled at me.
"Didn't you teach the little white butterfly to sing? I have a good ear."

I taught her the song and she led me on a contented tour.
The January 2 pattern was there, protected by a cabbage-like leafy outer shell.
Its shape somehow resembled her, the genie.

"I'll never forget the song you taught me."
She said, waving her hand in the air.

The beautiful singing voice echoed behind my back and moved away.

Day 3 - January 3 - Pattern

"Young lady, the fountain will take your soul if you stare at it so long."

As I peered into the sparkling fountain that appeared before me, a fish emerged from the water and announced to me.

Its blue body and fluttering tail fin were so beautiful that I involuntarily murmured, "Beautiful".
"It's an honor. But in my eyes you are more beautiful. That's the way it is, sweetheart."
Spinning around, the blue fish smiled kindly.

"What does it mean, 'The Fountain will take my soul?"
"It's something a certain someone used to say."
"A certain one," I ruminated, and then I realized, as I was about to open my mouth,
"If you want to see him, call loudly, because he loves 'Echo'."
With these words, the beautiful blue disappeared into the water.

"Genie, genie, genie---!!!"
　　"Genie, genie, genie..."
I shouted as loud as I could, and strangely my voice echoed back to me despite the open space.

Then a blur of light appeared over the fountain and changed its shape into a small person.

"Thank you for having me. 'Is it the truth you want to see? Or do you want to see the ideal?'------There was a fairy tale somewhere about that."

His golden eyes looked at me mischievously.
"I know what you want to see is the pattern I am protecting.
But yes, let me ask you a question. Do you like yourself?"

I thought about it and answered honestly, wondering what it all meant.
"There are times when I don't like it, and there are times when I don't understand it - but I like myself for being on this journey right now."

He nodded, "I see.",shifted his gaze to a single daffodil blooming in the center of the fountain.
"A mythical young man fell in love with his reflection in a fountain and died. He became a daffodil.
His misfortune was that he could only love himself. But...
I think it is wonderful to be able to love myself. That daffodil is the incarnation of my wish."

As he said this, he held out his hands. A golden ring of light appeared, and within it was projected the "pattern of January 3.
The figure somehow resembled him, the genie.

"Don't you like yourself?"
Instead of answering my question, he pointed to his shadow.
"Genies don't always look like the ones they are protecting. You would do well to remember that."

Day 4 - January 4 pattern -

"Oh, I'm curious, I'm curious."
The girl came rushing out from behind the grass with a rustling sound, her rabbit-like ears twitching as she growled.

I asked her what was bothering her so much and she replied,
"I heard there's a gathering of talking mushrooms. I'm curious. I'm curious."
She grunted again as she crossed her thin arms.

"Also, these days I hear a voice from over the hill saying, 'Look for me'.
Oh, I'm scared. I'm scared."
She covered her big ears and ran away.
--Look for me.--
Repeating in my mind, I headed for the hills.

Beyond the hill, there was a large wall of rock on which a strange sight was floating.
Whenever the wind blew, the rock surface slowly became hazy here and there, as if it were a mosaic.
When I approached and touched it, I felt a solid rocky texture.
I leaned boldly against the rock wall. The hard rock surface supported my weight.
The part of the rock that was slowly becoming hazy was definitely a rock.

"I wonder if the voices are really coming from here."
With this thought, I moved a short distance away and looked at the rock wall.
After looking at it for a while, I noticed that the haze that occurs every time the wind blows repeats itself in a certain cycle.
Then, looking more closely, I noticed that there was one spot at the bottom of the rock wall where there was no haze.

I curl up and touch the spot, and my hand slips through the rock to reach the back.
In a small hollow that was invisible to the eye, I reached out as far as I could and something warm touched my fingers.

"Thanks for looking for me..."
Clinging to my fingers, a girl the size of my palm emerged from the cavity.
"I am the genie who protects the 'pattern of the 4th of January' ...... on, look ......"

Following her words, I looked up and saw a January 4th pattern floating at the top of the rock wall.
The shape somehow resembled her, the genie.

"This pattern is very delicate, so I'm ...... protecting it very carefully.
......I was happy because it's not easy for people to find me,...... so please look for the other girls too,......."
With that she disappeared in a haze. Only her warmth remained on my fingertips.

Day 5 - January 5 pattern -

In the deep green forest, I step on fallen leaves as I go.
The occasional breeze playing on the trees was pleasant.
As I sit down on a stump and stretch out, something crosses my face.
I started walking in the direction I thought the object had gone, wondering what it was, when I heard a voice.

"I want to surprise everyone at the next meeting with something special."
"Yes, yes, I want to surprise them. Let's show them what we've been working on."

A group of beautifully colored mushrooms were chatting about something.
It was bad form to eavesdrop, so I said hello.

"Oh my God, how long have you been here? Oh my God, do other people know that we have meetings? Oh, my God, that's embarrassing."
"Don't worry, only You-Know-Who understands our true language."

I wondered who he was talking about, but a little mushroom gently whispered in my ear,
"If you want to meet him, go to the place where the trees sing.
Sister, I know you are a traveler. I'm sure they will welcome you."

As I listened to those words and looked around, a familiar purple color flew away from the leaf beside me.
I wondered if perhaps that insect had also crossed the boundary.
Thinking with some sort of reassurance, I headed in the direction where the tree sang.

The song of the trees was interrupted by a cliff top.
Below us, the land was a light blue.
I looked up and saw round eyes looking down at me.

"I think you were concerned about the mushrooms' meeting, but you didn't follow it too closely.
Was it because you were worried about the mushrooms? Or was it because you wanted to find what you were looking for?
Probably the latter. It's a good thing, they say, that one who runs after two hares can never catch a rabbit."

A voice rings in my head.
Something larger than my height swooped down with air in its large wings.

"Yes, you guessed it, I am a genie. And an adventurer at the same time."

The voice echoed in my head again. Apparently, this is how conversations with him are supposed to go.

"I think you are my companion. You are a traveler and an adventurer.
It's nice to see a fellow traveler and adventurer.
To see what you are looking for, you need a little courage and trust in me. Are you afraid of heights?"

It's okay, I replied in my head, and bravely looked at him.

"Okay, then let's go."
He takes my hand and leans off the cliff.
The feathers on his back spread out like a magic carpet, and we are carried by it through the air.

In the landscape flowing with the wind, I saw the "pattern of January 5th" in the light blue earth.
The figure looked somewhat like him, the genie.

He set me down on the ground and then changed the shape of his wings and soared with the wind.
As I waved to the figure rising high into the sky, a voice echoed in my head, "See you again, comrade!"

to be continued…..