Kingdom of Knuffel

I nod, finishing my search and finding nothing. I return to the door, "The sooner we get out of here the sooner we can get away from the witch. Do you see anything on the door?"

Too big to stand on the groves I fly around it looking for anything to unlock it, "Maybe it's voice activated?"

"No. It looks mechanical. I'm sure there is some kind of switch. Voice though?" I'm not too sure of this and let out a series of chirps which might sound more like song if I wasn't so irritated by the circumstances. As it is, I'm pretty sure any human would cover their ears and it certainly doesn't open the door. "

If it is, that's a pretty cruel trick considering we're all birds. If it's not activated by birdsong, we're clear out of luck," I huff, clearly not aware of the potential of my new parrot friend.

I land and tilt my head looking at the door, "Watermelon was it?"

Weighing the odds of it actually working and not needing a spell to open the door, I decide to try speaking in human, "Watermelon?" I say it with uncertainty.

At first nothing happens and I ruffle my feathers getting frustrated. "Of course nothing would happen..." I think to myself.

The sound of mechanical gears turning catches my attention as the door unlocks. It slowly opens leaving a gap just large enough for us birds to easily fit through. I do the best smile I can with a beak and look up to the blue jay, "Well isn't that great! Now we can get out of this strange place!"

I shriek and jump away from the door, surprised that it would move against both our expectations. Of all the stupid things! Watermelon! Eventually, I circle back around and slip through the door, taking in the room full of bubbling brooks and marshy plants. Above, stained glass windows let in rainbows of light that illuminate a path that's almost comical in its windiness. I can't see the end of it.

"Well, this isn't exactly a way out but there's no point in not following it. Let's see what's at the end, yeah?"

I look around slightly disappointed that it's not an exit but nod, "Sounds like a plan to me."

I fly up looking around more throughly as I start following the path. I realize I don't know much about the blue jay and turn around, "If you don't mind me asking, what's your name?"

I'm a bit surprised by the question and almost forget to beat my wings. Name? I guess such things are important, though it feels very strange to call myself by one when in a form that is entirely not my own. "Oh, well. My name is Caleb. What about you?"

I focus back on the path as I wait for a reply. Even as we continue flying, I still don't see an exit and have to dodge multiple tree branches swooping low, each one spotted with purple, then pink, then translucent white flowers. I even see a marble bird bath sparkling with the freshest water. "Like I'm gonna fall for a trap like that," I mutter under my breath.

"It's a pleasure to finally know your name, I'm Aura."

I look at the bird bath enticed but force myself to focus on getting out of this strange place. The room feels like it's going on forever and I sigh slightly irritated. What other crazy things could this place possibly have?

"What do you think will be at the end of this room? Assuming there is an end..."

"I don't know," I huff as I fly. I'm beginning to get tired and irate. The fact that I can't see anything isn't helping. More flowers, a statue with a lion's head and webbed feet, another path that winds out toward a wall. I pause by it but decide to rest on a branch just past it instead.

"I'm beginning to think this room won't end. The last one was so small and figuring out the door wasn't too hard either. What if that was just the beginning though?" I don't know what I'll do if the puzzles get harder. Maybe we won't be able to solve them at all. I sigh again. "Let's rest a second."

I land on a branch nearby Caleb and ruffle my feathers. The thought of this only being the beginning sounds awful. I look around not seeing the door from the way we came or any signs of the room ending forwards, "At this point I wouldn't be surprised if the rooms didn't end. But going off of that theory there would need to be something in the room that takes us to a new one. Like maybe one of the window panes above us or that bird bath a small ways back?"

I think about the bird bath and how there aren't any birds in this room besides us. But that just makes it more likely to be a trap, or the witch knows we'll think it's a trap and ignore it. I put a wing over my head. My thoughts are giving me a headache.

"Maybe it's a puzzle?" I say. Looking up again, I try to take in all of the details of the room. We've seen a lot of different things. They might have been traps or decor or complete coincidence but now I think I need to look over everything as if it's something else.

"There has to be a door though. Maybe if we just go the right way!" I flutter my wings and hop down again. It might seem really difficult but I'm determined to find the way out of this place. Not just because I want to leave but because I've been offered a challenge. It would be stupid not to rise to it.