Samuel Browns' Fantastical Discoveries!: Castimeria Flower Maze

Hello journal! Once again, I have embarked on an epic journey. After I beat that slime up, I headed over to the village. I showed people the drops I got from that stupid slime, and they were so impressed! One person told me that there was a portal in this village. I was curious, since I'd always wanted to go in a portals before. They lead to other worlds, but I never used it when I came to the overworld. which is interesting! I asked the resident to show me to it, since I wanted to explore. I also wanted a badge to put on the front of this journal!

It was like a television, but instead of the screen, there was a swirling whirlwind of colors... Pinks, greens, blues, and it was gorgeous! I decided right then and there that I was going into the portal. So I went in. I landed in a big patch of grass, and behind me was a sign, pointing left. It read, "Flower Maze". I was curious. Would there be rewards for making it out of this maze? I thought that I would give it a try, and if I couldn't get out, surely there would be residents there to help me. 

The first thing I noticed were the walls. The name did not lie, it was in fact a flower maze.  The path was wide, and I could see far away. The walls were bushy green, sprouting with different sorts of flowers. I saw violets, roses of different colors, and other flowers that I don't even know the name of. I walked through it, but it was incredibly difficult. There were dead ends everywhere, and I wasn't about to ruin the beauty of the maze by using brute force to get through! I doubted that would work anyway, the hedges were probably enchanted. 

And so, I took a seat on a soft patch of grass and got to thinking. If I created this maze, how would I make it harder? Well, first of all, I would obviously add all the dead ends. Long paths to trick people into thinking that the exit was that way. Long and winding... with many twists and turns. So if the creators of this maze think like I do, the exit would be in the most simple path... I looked around me and voila! A straight path! I couldn't see any twists and turns at all, compared to the other ways I could go. Surely this was the exit, right?

How wrong I was. Maybe the gardeners did not think like me. The path went straight for a while, but then suddenly, there was a sharp right turn, then a dead end. So, they were warding off people who were trying to be smart. What a pity! I sure would've liked the rewards!

You very likely think I threw my hands up and gave up right there and then. But no, I persisted! Partly because I believed in myself, and partly because I was stuck there anyway. So I kept trying different paths, and eventually... I reached... nothing. Another dead end! I was starting to believe that this maze did not have an exit at all, that it was all a ruse created to trap curious adventurers and do who knows what on them! Experiments, maybe. Or the flowers that lined this place would eat me! It was a horrifying thought, and it pushed me to go faster.

A mental image of a snake taking bites of your body will do that to you, you ought to try it sometime. It really is an invigorating experience. I could feel the adrenaline coursing through my veins, and I could hear my heart pumping. I knew I had to get out of there, before I was turned into fertilizer. I sure wouldn't like that, considering most fertilizer is made of animal turd. I got another mental picture, this time of my bones buried deep in the soil, with pig poo beside me. It was disgusting. 

At this point I was considering using brute force and just hacking through the leaves and branches. But I was a respectful person, and I did not do that. Thankfully, too because I reached the end eventually, after long hours of sweating and crying and screaming and punching the floor. My knuckles were well bruised by the end of it!

However, I like to believe that it was worth it. The end of the maze had an airballoon, ready to fly. At first, I thought this is it? that's dumb. But I'll take whatever I can get. I climbed in and lit the fire, and the air balloon started floating immediately! I clung onto the rails (I'm a bit scared of heights, but don't tell anyone), and squeezed my eyes shut as it ascended. Soon, it reached a full stop.

I peered over the edge, craning my neck so that most of my body would stay in the basket. I nearly cried out in surprise. It was gorgeous. From above, the maze was shaped into an even bigger flower. More specifically, a rose. The hedges overlapped one another in a series of layers, the flowers being bursts of colour that sprang out of the lively scene. 

What startled me more was that there was a giant crowd gathering a bit away from the maze. There was a path from the exit to a big place I could only assume was the town square. I could see the striped top of market stalls lining up in the square, and flowers blooming from the sides of most stalls. It looked like there was a festival of some sort, and I longed to join them. Slowly, I let the hot air balloon descend. It was incredibly slow, making me exhale in frustration, but finally, after what seemed like centuries, I was back on the ground. 

Ignoring my queasy stomach and light head, I jumped out of the basket and made my way over to the festival. I was right, it was a festival! Stalls were selling various items and trinkets, and although I was saving my coins, I could still enjoy admiring the many things.

It was all in all a good day, and I brought a rose back through the portal as a souvenir. I had found a place to stay as well, a small hut that the owner was willing to rent out for a few days. I will stay in this village for a while, then I will be on my way, looking for more adventures!

Bye journal, and I hope you enjoy your cool new badge accessory!