D-015: Sprawling Estate

Theme: Sprawling Estate

Aurelia was the one who found the abandoned building on the outskirts of the city. It was a
decent-enough house, large enough for there to be rooms to spare between their apprentice and Jack
themself. The three of them followed Aurelia to the building itself, the surrounding grounds overgrown
and neglected. Jack made a mental note of how far it spread, how much land could, potentially, be
claimed for an estate.
It was something they only could have dreamed of in their home world. The thought left a bitter
taste on their tongue. Desdemona, ill-fated, whose future had been foretold in being named, whose
killer was now beyond their reach.
Around Jack’s wrist, Igor’s ears wiggled, the small Dragon peering around with his beady little
eyes.
Overhead, Keshet soared after Aurelia, still having trouble staying stable without training,
though the wyvern’s excitement wasn’t at all diminished by her lack of prowess. <It’s close enough to
the city,> Keshet said to Jack alone, <but for miles around, there’s... nothing!>
<But you’re excited,> Jack said almost accusingly. They hated being kept out of the loop.
<Imagine this place with rolling thunder, pelting rain, strong winds.>
The image conjured itself so perfectly in Jack’s mind that Igor gave a laugh and scuttled up
Jack’s arm to nestle in the back of their hood.
<Beautiful,> he said, obviously delighting in it.
<Then...> Jack supposed as they reached the building, looking at it overgrown and in
desperate need of work. <I suppose we should get started.>
In spite of themself, they started to smile. “Aurelia,” they called out, watching as the T’teré
wheeled around to look at them. “How do you feel about manual labor?”
“I could have refused to bring you here!”
Jack gave a wild laugh.
———————————————————————————
It took time. Perhaps it would have taken less if not for Keshet and Igor, who insisted on getting
into everything and being as unhelpful as possible. But, in time, their Den took shape. The building that
had been falling apart now stood as strong as the local carpenters and masons could make it. There
was more to be built; Jack knew. They wanted a separate building for the dragons, not to keep them
away, but for their own comfort, and they wanted a garden for themself. Full of beautiful things,
poisonous things.
Perhaps with some bees whose honey might ease their nerves.
For now, it was enough that the sprawling estate had a building to live in, a circle of tended
grass, and a wide open sky.
The rest could come, would come later.
“Threvilla,” they mused one evening to Aurelia, watching the stars blink in the sky.

“Hm?” she asked.
“Where I come from, homes like this have a name. It goes on — it lives — even after the people
who built it die. This, here, is Threvilla.”