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supported by ornate pillars. There were fountains and waterfalls and statuary in these gardens, some statues enrobed with flowering vines that climbed whatever they could reach. Small waterfalls spilled from alabaster aqueducts, frothing in cool clear silver pools.

Noran gardeners were masters at color. One look upon even a section of garden could leave the layman breathless with wonder. This was not mere shrubbery, nay, this was fine art.
Leaves in a myriad of hues, flowers of every imaginable color, shape and size were everywhere she looked. Flowers bigger than Saure's head towered and loomed, catching the sunlight and making stained glass in their delicately veined petals. Miniscule groundflowers carpeted the edges of the marble walkway, dissolving gracefully from blue to violet to crimson and so on. Strange and beautiful pods hung from strange and beautiful trees.

Saure, needless to say, spent a good part of the morning wandering gardens. Fred trudged along in tow at the end of his lead, looking bored half to death and more than a little grouchy. Yes, he was awed and delighted upon entering the first of the royal gardens, but by the third and fourth his paws were beginning to sting and the charm had worn itself ragged in the midday heat.

Saure gasped and mewled in delight as a flock of brightly multicolored butterflies glided before them. Fred simply slumped against a nearby pillar and sighed heavily.

"Fred! Would you just LOOK at them?? Have you ever seen anything more beau-"

Suddenly, something swooped down from one of the strange trees and snatched one of the delicate insects mid flight. It then dipped and shot back into the tree. Saure whipped around, following the thing. Her head tilted to the side as she neared the tree, and she peered into its branches.

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A small animal was munching on one of the brilliantly-colored lepidopteron wings. It was slightly smaller than your average bee-eater. In fact, that's what it looked like. Well, the front half, anyway. The back half was that of a tiny turquoise feline. Multicolored tail feathers fanned from the end of a long slender blue tail. Its little red cat's ears pricked up as it glanced at her. Then it ruffled its red, turquoise and gold plumage and flitted away.

"Was that a gryphon, Fred?"
"Oh, hell if I know. I wasn't paying attention."
Saure sighed at him, tugging on his lead. "Let's be on with it. You suck the fun out of everything."

---

They found their way out of the Master Garden Juxt, finding themselves in a more dignified area. Not that the garden wasn't what she would call dignified, dignified was just the first thing to come to Saure's mind. It was a plaza of learning, she gathered. There were (to her delight) many old bookstores in this juxt, and she set about exploring each in turn. Fred elected to sit outside, his lead looped loosely around a lamppost.

Time got on to midday, and Saure finally emerged from her third bookstore with a tome under each arm.
"Well, Fred… that was the last of our funds. I'll have to get to cultivating and infusing tonight if we're to have breakfast tomorrow."
"WHAT??" he shouted, standing. "So, we're not to eat at all today? Is that what you're telling me? We go hungry so you can have your books??"
"Um…" She looked at the cobbles, biting her lip. "Yes."
"How can you have no common sense of priority?? You live and breathe, do you not? You need to eat just like every other blasted living thing, am I correct?? And I am among these, and technically under your financial care as of the present, do I speak truly?"
"Yes to all your queries, but I'll think of something. You'll just have to stop scolding me as if I were the pet and you the