Sir Aryes was a small knight with a shiny blue helmet. His boots went tap, tap, tap. He was brave, but he was also kind. He always said, “Hello,” to birds, bugs, and sleepy stones.
One warm morning, Sir Aryes came to the Elemental Sanctuary. It was a wonderful place. Red fire flowers glowed by a little hill. Blue water danced in a round pool. Soft wind bells sang in the trees. Green grass tickled his boots.
But the Sanctuary was quiet. Too quiet.
A tiny flame flower made a sad puff. “Our treasure is gone,” it said.
“Our Rainbow Gem?” splashed the water pool.
“Yes,” whispered the wind bells. “Without it, our colors will fade.”
Sir Aryes held his little shield close. “I will look for it,” he said. “I will help.”
Then a person popped out from behind a rock. It was the Treasure Hunter. She had a big hat, a small map, and pockets full of buttons. She loved finding things. Sometimes she looked so hard that she forgot to look where her feet were going.
“I saw sparkly tracks!” said the Treasure Hunter. “They go this way. Or that way. Maybe both ways.”
Sir Aryes smiled. “We can look together.”
At the water pool sat the Oracle. The Oracle wore a silver cloak and had gentle, bright eyes. She listened to the wind.
“The Bandit took the Rainbow Gem,” said the Oracle. “He is not very scary. He is very grumpy. He thinks treasure will make him happy.”
“Can we find him?” asked Sir Aryes.
The Oracle pointed to four little paths. “Follow the fire, the water, the wind, and the grass. Be slow. Be kind. Listen well.”
First, Sir Aryes and the Treasure Hunter followed fire. Fire flowers made a warm line: glow, glow, glow. At the end, they found a red pebble.
“First clue!” cheered the Treasure Hunter. She put it in her pocket. “Plink!”
Next, they followed water. The pool made little drops: drip, drip, drip. A friendly frog showed them a blue shell.
“Second clue,” said Sir Aryes. “Thank you, Frog.”
Then they followed the wind. The wind blew Sir Aryes’s feather this way and that way. It led them to a yellow feather under a tree.
“Third clue!” said the Treasure Hunter. Her hat blew over her eyes. “Oh! I cannot see!”
Sir Aryes gently put her hat back. “There you are.”
Last, they followed the grass. Green leaves bent toward a small cave. Outside the cave sat the Bandit. He wore a brown coat and held the Rainbow Gem in both hands.
The gem flashed red, blue, yellow, and green. But the Bandit did not smile.
Sir Aryes did not stomp. He did not shout. He walked close and said, “Hello, Bandit. Are you sad?”
The Bandit looked down. “I have no friends,” he mumbled. “I thought a big, bright gem would play with me.”
The Treasure Hunter opened her button pocket. “A gem cannot play tag,” she said. “But I can.”
“Me too,” said Sir Aryes.
The Bandit blinked. “Really?”
“Really,” said Sir Aryes. “First, let us take the gem home.”
The Bandit gave him the Rainbow Gem. Sir Aryes carried it carefully. Back at the Elemental Sanctuary, he placed it on a round stone. Flash! The fire flowers glowed. Splash! The water danced. Ting! The wind bells sang. The grass shone green and soft.
Everyone clapped. The Oracle gave Sir Aryes a new golden badge. It said: KIND KNIGHT. The Treasure Hunter found a little treasure box in the grass. Inside were four bright coins, one for each friend.
The Bandit got a coin too. Then they all played tag around the sparkling pool. Tap, tap, tap went Sir Aryes’s boots. And the whole Elemental Sanctuary laughed in rainbow colors.