3. Fireplace

If she was honest, the fireplace was too much. It was way bigger than it needed to be, and despite the metal grate in front of the actual fire, there was still a good amount of sparks and ash spewed into the room. Mostly because the gate was meant to enhance the look of the set-up, rather than keeping the fire safely contained.

The archaic and over the top design was the sole reason Tesni had gotten it. It was made from dark stone, the fireplace itself framed with carved dragons. One on each side held up the bronze-coated counter where the chimney started, and two statues in the back were hunched down, seemingly breathing into the fire. They were part of a clever little venting system that would allow any burning fire to get enough fresh air, even if the front was closed off. The rest of the stonework was covered with ornamental carvings to accompany these dragons. Most of it were scale patters, and around the bottom were stylized flames.

Functionality was a secondary concern to Tesni. As a result, she had not used the fireplaces a lot. But now, at the rare occassion that she actually did want to put it to use, she had to realised that she had been sloppy in the past. She had not cleaned out the old ashes, and certainly not bothered to check the chimney. Now, she had to pay for that neglect. It was a very dusty, and staining price.