27 - A Place Called Home (1.93k words)

                                    

                                          
After a full day wandering the bustling streets of Beast City, I found myself standing before a towering barricade, which cast long shadows over us, hiding what lay beyond, "I thought you wanted to use me as a bargaining chip to secure a house," I said, "Not a prison."
"I'm afraid it wouldn't have been enough to secure us a place like this," Muir replied, "This will be a temporary place until we find suitable land to build our own. We thought you'd appreciate a place you could train in private, so we took the initiative and made a deal with the ape king. It's all settled for now."
Perched atop a rugged hill, the ancient stronghold stood majestic yet isolated, with vast empty lands stretching around it. The large stone mansion's architecture was strikingly different from typical beastmen structures, echoing the ancient aura of Beast City itself.
At the center of the mansion was a grand hall with a fireplace, a spacious area designed for communal dining and meetings. This was flanked by a series of smaller, functional rooms: a kitchen, a library, and a separate study room.
Living quarters were divided into two distinct areas to accommodate the family's and its servants' needs. The family and guest wing boasted spacious bedrooms. In contrast, the servants' section was more modest, with simpler rooms designed for functionality.
Additional spaces within the mansion included a workshop for repairs and crafting, various storage areas for supplies, and a small infirmary.
"Looks like someone's been keeping this place in good shape," Vick noted.
"The ape king was reluctant to give us this place at first, but the emerald from Curtis really helped change his mind," Muir said, walking down the sandy path, "This used to be a guest house for important visitors who came to visit the Beast city, including kings from other animal kingdoms."
"What a beautiful place!" Bai exclaimed, her eyes wide with excitement as she took in her surroundings. "It looks like an old European castle!"
"European castle?" Muir inquired, a hint of curiosity in his tone.
"Yes, it's a kind of building from Earth that resembles this one. But the ones I've seen on TV were much grander. They were filled with paintings, sculptures, and an array of weapons on display," Bai explained, her eyes sparkling with admiration as she took in Curtis's indifferent demeanor, "Curtis, you must be so rich to afford this!"
"Show Bai her room, Muir. Preferably one that is furthest away from ours," Vick said, sending the girl away.
"Don't worry, Yaya," Curtis said, leaning down to my eye level with a reassuring smile. "We will build a bigger house than a European castle."
I sighed, wondering if he could even understand the significance of what he'd just said.
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The master bedroom was located on the second floor of the mansion. It had its own bathroom, sitting area, and fireplace. There was no furniture, just a few boxes and crates filled with clothing, personal items, and a fur rug that Curtis had brought in.
Not long after, Muir flew in through the large window and landed on the floor beside me, carrying along a stack of furs and blankets. He placed them on the ground and arranged them neatly on each other to create a bed, "Here, I hope it's comfortable," he said.
"Bring some to Bai's room, too," I said, taking a few from the top of the pile and adding them to Bai's pile.
"Alright," Muir nodded. "But why is she getting special treatment? She is not my female."