Draco stood staring at the door for a good while. Perhaps it really was too much for him in one day. Finally, he went to the window and opened it. A fresh, pleasant breeze blew in from the afternoon wind. The dragon took a deep breath, almost tasting the air, which was different from what he was used to. The Dagian air was permeated with the smell of rivers, alchemical fumes, forges and oriental goods. Sometimes a sea breeze would overlap all of this, although the weather had to be right for that. Atlantis, on the other hand, smelled of salt, though different from the dragon capital, a bit like a spring storm without rain, a mixture of the scent of flowers, trees and grapes. A strange, yet fresh and pleasant smell.
Here, however, it smelled like a forest. Only and just that. Draco took another deep breath. For a moment, all thoughts flew away and worries disappeared. There was only this moment.
The dragon unconsciously opened his half-closed eyelids. He looked around the garden. Right under the window was a flower bed with irregularly growing flowers. Quite a bit further away, behind the neatly trimmed lawn, stood tall, spreading trees.
Without thinking much, Draco jumped out of the window and landed among the bushes. He carefully avoided the plants, trying not to damage them, and slowly made his way across the yard. About halfway to the trees, he looked around. The dragon did not notice anyone nearby. It seemed that all local life was concentrated in front of the manor and in the vicinity of the outbuilding. On the other hand, it was hardly surprising. The specific rules prevailing here imposed certain restrictions.
The dragon turned his attention to the forest, or rather the park, considering the evenly cut grass between the gnarled trunks. Someone must have put a lot of effort into keeping this place in such impeccable condition. There was not a single withered leaf on the ground, no trace of weeds or wild shrubs anywhere. Draco looked up into the treetops, searching for the birds he
