The Manor

[Rodeo]

Spoiler

Blue had learned long ago that curiosity was usually rewarded on this strange world. Ever since the day his meteorite had torn across the sky and buried itself deep within an unfamiliar meadow, the tiny alien had devoted himself to exploring everything he could find. Mountains became adventures. Rivers became discoveries. Villages became opportunities to meet strange new people. More often than not, his wandering led him somewhere interesting. On rare occasions, however, it led him somewhere extraordinary. As the forest around him gradually thinned and sunlight spilled across a massive clearing ahead, Blue found himself staring at something that instantly earned a place in the latter category.

Nestled within the wilderness stood a sprawling manor unlike anything he had ever seen. Elegant towers stretched skyward above ancient stone walls wrapped in flowering vines. Massive stained-glass windows reflected brilliant colors across the grounds while softly glowing lanterns floated through the air as though gravity had simply decided not to apply to them. Even from a distance the entire estate seemed infused with magic. The air felt warmer here, heavier somehow, carrying faint traces of flowers, and dozens of scents Blue couldn't identify.  This included the smell of lust and love in the air, though was also included in the bevvy of smells Blue couldn't identify. His body instinctively slithered forward, his pace slow as he was forced to devote efforts to dissolving the various dirt and grass that his body inevitably picked up from being forced to move on the ground, but before long he was close enough to stop and actually admire what he was seeing. His eyes widened until they occupied nearly a third of his core body, and the purple flower perched atop his head wobbled precariously as he stared in amazement.

As he approached the manor grounds, however, the building itself quickly became the second most interesting thing in sight. The first was its residents. Blue had expected people. Large buildings usually contained people. What he had not expected was the sheer variety of people gathered together. Humans walked alongside creatures he had only seen be mistreated by humans. A centaur carried a topless human woman in his arms, the two of them giggling with delight as they disappeared into a room. A pair of fairies zipped between flowerbeds, laughing as they chased one another through the air. Near a fountain, a dragon large enough to swallow a wagon whole rested peacefully while several creatures, humans included fondled each other across its back as though it were the most normal thing in the world. Everywhere Blue looked he found another impossible sight, another unlikely friendship, another example of beings who by all rights should have been strangers somehow living together in perfect harmony.

The tiny slime's excitement only grew as he finally made his way to the cobbled path, much easier for him to travel than the surrounding dirt and grass.  Cleaner for himself too. His eyes darted from one fascinating scene to the next so rapidly that he nearly collided with a decorative stone bench, one which was occupied with a woman being bent over it and a bipedal horse like creature mounting her from behind.  Blue's eyes widened at the sight, never hearing such moans from a human in his life, he almost felt the need to intervene, though the look of sheer pleasure on the woman's face made Blue only guess that whatever was happening, she was enjoying herself.  He moved on, only slightly faster than a snails pace.  One moment he was watching a human and a horned woman tend a flower garden together. The next he found himself captivated by a dhampire carrying a stack of books with another human, the two of them discussing "Let's try the one on page 37 tonight.". Everything felt impossibly welcoming. There was no fear in the air. No suspicion. No tension between species. The atmosphere reminded him less of a settlement and more of a getaway, a vacation spot, even though he had no idea of the word. For a creature who had spent much of his life feeling like an outsider no matter where he went, the sight was strangely comforting.

Little Blue continued to wander about the grounds, the core of his body literally bubbling with excitement and hopeful that he too could make new friends.