Two walked the tree-shaded stone path to ‘her’ house.

In the centre of a green expanse, the two-storied building sat like a lazy beast. A long wooden veranda defined its front. Tall pillars with snakes carved into their surface supported the ceiling. A single door adorned the bare wall. On the floor above, dozens of glass panes supported by wood frames formed the four walls.

She stepped onto the veranda and paused to look at a pillar. A curling serpent spanned the pillar from base to top. It was beautiful in that simple way that only mastery allowed. It wasn’t dramatic or complex, yet made the skill of its maker known.

It wasn’t what drew her eye. Small scenes were carved around the serpent. She traced her fingers along them. A striking viper, a python drinking from a stream. Her finger bounced from image to image.

Half remembered names slipping from where Daisy had planted them. When she wrapped Two up in her tail. Crafting stories from the pages of an old bestiary. To two’s quiet delight.

Her finger stopped on a small carving. A tiny snake peered from a tuft of grass. Its big eyes gazed up at her, its tongue mid-flicker. She hissed soft a the small thing.

Spes Nova, city of art and myth. Had many beautiful things. She’d seen countless tributes to the primaeval. The many creatures small and mighty that shared those ancient’s beast blood. Yet she’d never seen a snake like this.

There were vile, traitorous, cunning, serpents plenty. Even that bestiary had called them heartless. Without compassion or empathy. The implication had not been lost on two then. Now, she often wondered if it wasn’t true of her.

She gazed upon the little serpent. Its curious eyes seemed to implore her. She’d never understood the beauty in her blood.

The carvings big and small. The statues dotting the walled residence. They made it hard to believe this was hers. It wasn’t. Her hand fell. She entered the building.

Gloom and spiced incense greeted her. The paper walls glowed faintly. Light from the stairwell trickling through the many screens. The air was warm and humid. Perfect, like it was designed for her. Or more likely, a long-dead serpent.

She wandered through the still unfamiliar rooms up the stairs. She spared a moment to admire the sparking motes of dust before ascending.

Four glass and wood walls expanded around her. Her view of the neighbouring plots was unobstructed. The governor’s servant had said curtains and walls were stored in a spare room. Waiting to mould the floor to her liking.

She walked to the wall and stared into the distance. The bustle of the city centre and derelict slums were a bulge on the horizon. She was in the dragon’s district. Those lonely monoliths and streets lined with trash were behind her.

She wanted so badly to believe that. This place was beyond her. More mansion than home. But she could grow into it, it wouldn’t be her first sudden change in scenery.

She glanced around and tried to imagine it. The thoughts came easily. Walls and flowers painted themselves into the empty space. Faint laughter tickled her imagination. Joy on the tip of her tongue.

A smile touched her lips. Her eyes slipped closed and tried to believe it. It fractured. She clung to it, it slipped through her fingers.

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Her eyes snapped open. To bare, lonely floors. She blinked away the feelings. Practice made it easy.

A small man scurried up the steps. Wide brown poked through his curly brown hair. The mouse fidgeted with a folder. His eyes darted between her eyes and her feet.

“Yes,” not bothering to make her voice anything but dry and cold. What role would she even play?

“Ma’am, the governor requests your presence.” His voice was the only thing calm about him. He fidgeted as if certain she’d pounce.

She gazed at the softly swaying trees below her. This, wasn’t hers but, she could earn in it. “Lead,” He hopped and quickly shuffled down the stairs. A fire kindled in her chest, and the strength to keep it.

***

Four tiers a concentric tower rose. Each mammoth tower rose from the middle of the one beneath it. Getting taller and thinner as they did. The fourth tier dominated the city’s skyline. Deep blue tiled roofs protruded from the top of each pillar. Gently sweeping up and down like waves. The canopies of trees poked over the roof’s edge.

The rest of the building was a pale yellow stone. That stood apart from the usual grey. Then there were the adornments. Statues, paintings carvings, and every manner of visual implement assaulted her eyes. In a manner that left no doubt as to the ostentatiousness of the building’s constructor. And proved that not all the skill in the world could save poor taste.

Yet the governor’s mansion was beautiful. Her thoughts went out to the poor artisans that had fought for that. But its beauty struck her like a slap to the face. Both inspired strong emotions.

It was a monument to the dragon’s accomplishment and pride. Such a shame they couldn’t put it in the city’s centre. She schooled her smile as she caught a taste of the building. She swallowed a cough, pride, rank and raw oozed from the structure. The building was full of itself. She sighed and followed the mouse.

They entered with a slow stream of people. Into a bureaucratic plaza, high above a forest of chandeliers glowed with sterile white light. Electric, she’d never seen so many in one place.

She lowered her gaze and forced her gaze not to swivel. Though her eyes bounced between the numerous ques and receptions. Tall spiral staircases lined the walls. Though the word fell short. Balconies felt better but failed to encapsulate. The labyrinthine network hallways she glimpsed.

The place was bright. enormous and defined by bored anxiety. Carried through whispering paper and a thousand shuffling feet. That pushed Two between fear and quiet awe. It had done exactly as it was meant, impress.

She lowered her gaze to her guide’s back. She mimed his rushed shuffle. This wasn’t a place to stick out. They walked to a large central staircase. Two looked up the thousands of steps in her near future. She sighed.

***

Two didn’t exclaim and collapse to the carpeted floor, as she crested the final step. She took that as a great success. The governor’s office was on the second to last floor. A small nigh infinitesimal mercy, she was immeasurable grateful for.

She dragged her gaze to her guide. His breath hardly hurried. He wasn’t a cultivator, just, fit. She closed he eyes and counted her small mercies.

“Ma’am,” he said as she was her legs were rediscovering her bones. “Um, ma’am,”

“Yes,” she hissed softly.

“We’re here.”

She forced her eyes open. Dragging her neck to stare at him. He shuffled uneasily, but she suspected that was how he stood. His eyes were bright and sincere. She slowly blinked, “I am aware, Thank you.”

He nodded to himself, “The governor said you could enter at your leisure.” He gestured at a door on the room’s far side.

She firmed her resolve, “What’s your name?”

He jittered, then smiled “Abery ma’am,”. He tasted of pleasant surprise.

She supposed it wasn’t too late to make a good impression. “Thank Abery, the last few days have been” how to put it, “Stressful. I apologise if I’ve been hostile.” Was there anything else to say, she couldn’t think of it.

His smile oozed into the rest of him, he bounced pulling his folder tight to his chest. “No worries ma’am it’s part of the job.” He spun around and disappeared through one of the side doors. Large ears bouncing with ever step.

Two sighed and walked forward. She stopped before the door. The next few minutes would decide her. She had to make them count.

Abery popped back through the door “Oh, Miss Lancet can be intense but she’s really nice.”

“Sure”, he disappeared before she finished.

She turned back to the door. It stood a little less daunting. She pushed it open.