Of all the absurd things he’d seen so far, a nine-foot-tall woman could not be considered the most unbelievable, but it still took Orion a moment to accept what his eyes were telling him.
“Come on, let’s go in. Lucina is an old friend; I’m sure you’ll like her,” his mother said, pushing her hand against his back to urge him forward.
As they walked up the steps, Orion noticed that while they were normal human-sized, they were bunched together in pairs, with the third one being twice as long as the previous ones, as if to create a second staircase for very tall people.
Considering who they were here to see, that made sense.
At the entrance of the building, they were greeted by two more guards; these seemed to be ordinary humans, although they were clearly well-trained. On Earth, their muscular bodies might have marked them as gym rats, but here, they wore silver armor engraved with numerous runes and carried very tall, very sharp halberds.
“Magistra, sir,” they greeted in unison, not even blinking at having to show respect to a child. Orion nodded back, confused, but dismissed the feeling. He wanted to get a better look at the woman to see if she was simply a human with gigantism or an entirely different species.
He had seen the elves and dwarves around town, which was enough to send his mind spinning with theories about their divergence from a common ancestor with humanity, but he hadn’t been able to get more than a cursory look at them. This time, it seemed like he might.
Inside the building, Orion was not surprised to find very tall ceilings. Tapestries hung throughout the spacious chamber, depicting scenes ranging from hunts to moonlit landscapes. This made it clear that the town was connected to the coven in more ways than just its location. He even spied the Lunar Sanctum’s banner, featuring a full moon over a mountain.
Another point to Silverpeak being directly subordinate to the coven, rather than merely depending on it for protection.
“Ha ha! I finally get to see the sprog!” A loud voice rumbled. Looking up, Orion saw that it was the same woman as before, descending the steps of another staircase three at a time, confirming his previous theory.
“I had invited you to tea, if you remember, but you didn’t come,” his mother said lightly, and it took him a moment to realize she was teasing. A small, joyful smile spread across her face, and she took a few steps to hug what was apparently an old friend.
The other woman, Lucina, engulfed her in her enormous arms, almost making Asteria disappear. “You know I can’t stand to make the climb. I would get tutted at all the way by those old witches and then forced to spend the afternoon jumping at shadows.”
Orion observed the interaction with fascination. His mother was a sociable woman, capable of striking up a conversation with just about anyone. She had a regular circle of friends who would visit their chambers or whom she would stop to talk to in the garden, but he had never seen her so relaxed with them.
“Oh, that is entirely your fault. If you hadn’t tried sneaking in every other month in your youth, you wouldn’t face such scrutiny,” Asteria replied with a titter, pulling back from the hug.
Her proportions are well within the standard range for her overall size. She shows no signs of acromegaly, and while I cannot perform an accurate blood pressure test without the proper equipment, she appears to be in good health based on a cursory evaluation. Additionally, there is no lethargy in her movements, and I cannot find significant deviations from the human phenotype, aside from her size. Muscle mass seems proportionally well-developed, though not outside the standard deviation.
“Nice to meet you, little man,” Lucina turned to him, extending a hand. Orion took it, watching with fascination as his hand vanished into hers. She shook it twice and released her grip, never applying more pressure than one would expect in a normal handshake with a child. If anything, her touch was very delicate.
She has likely struggled to control her strength in the past. Alternatively, she may have a complex about making others feel safe despite her size; however, I do not see hunched shoulders, and her eyes are fixed on mine. Therefore, she has either dealt with it or never had it.
“Quiet kid, is he?” Lucina asked, turning to his mother, and Asteria smiled in a way that suggested things weren’t exactly like that, but she didn’t elaborate. Orion could be very talkative when he wanted to know something, but even he knew not to start asking sensitive questions in a public setting. That had been a hard lesson to learn in another life.
“Alright, well, let’s go up to my office!” The giant woman shrugged, turned around, and led the way. Instead of taking the stairs, as he might have expected, she guided them to a large door and tapped lightly on it with her knuckles.
It opened after a moment, revealing a man in elegant, if subdued clothes, who nodded in greeting, “My ladies, my lord. Where might I take you?”
“Tenth floor!” Lucina exclaimed, walking in. Orion noted that everything in this building seemed designed for people her size, suggesting it was either intentionally made with her in mind or that others had previously occupied it with similar needs.
Or maybe she’s enjoying the benefits of a previous occupant who wanted a grandiose building, though the stairs make me think otherwise.
Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
Both answers were intriguing in their own way, but before he could think about them further, the door shut, and the man said, “We shall reach our destination within two minutes.”
There was no lurch, as Orion might have expected, nor any sound of pulleys or gears grinding. Instead, they left the ground floor silently, and he made an “ah” sound. “This is like a broom.”
The man inclined his head. “Indeed! I am a mage specializing in levitation magic, and I have been contracted to handle the Town Hall’s needs for the next year. Casper’s Omnidirectional Transports at your service, young lord.”
Orion hummed, disregarding the insistence on referring to him as a lord for the moment. Considering that a broom could fly in any direction, it made sense that it required someone to command it. However, this elevator only needed to go up and down. Did it really need someone to be there at all times? Couldn’t they streamline the experience by automating the liftoff?
I shouldn’t be so surprised. In a place where nothing makes sense, why would something like this be any better?
The elevator stopped after the promised time had passed, and the mage opened the door. Looking him over, Orion noticed that while his uniform fit well and was of good quality, the accessories he wore were subpar.
He’s probably a mediocre wizard down on his luck, and this job offers a decent wage. Otherwise, I doubt anyone would choose to spend their time directing an elevator.
“Come on in, the view from here is fantastic. Nothing like from up the Sanctum, of course, but it is a different experience,” Lucina said, guiding them down the stone hallway and into a large room. Orion noted the increased silver inlays before taking in the sight.
A twenty-foot-wide glass window served as a wall, and from there, the entirety of Silverpeak Town was visible. Orion hardly noticed as he let out a sound of surprise, scrambling closer and pressing his nose against it.
Plumes of smoke drifted lazily from chimneys throughout the town, though they seemed concentrated near the western flank, where the terrain became rockier as the valley began to narrow. He counted at least a hundred birds the size of the eagle he’d seen upon their arrival, all flying purposefully with satchels and boxes attached to their legs.
Once in a while, flashes of color illuminated the streets, and people of all sizes and shapes ambled around, appearing as small as his finger from his perspective. Sometimes, he could not deny his childish body, and it often became a bother, but the wonder he felt at that moment did not annoy him. It was a very pretty sight.
When he finally pulled away from the window, he found his mother and Lucina seated by a coffee table, holding porcelain cups of proportional sizes filled with something steaming in their hands that released a familiar aroma.
The mere notion that the divine brew might be found here had him scrambling toward them. In the sanctum, only herbal and fruit teas could be consumed if one didn’t want water. Alcoholic beverages were also available, but he couldn’t partake—not that he desired to. He had seen what resulted from the abuse of such poisons in college.
Coffee, on the other hand, had been his drink of choice on Earth. A stimulant with few negative consequences was a rare thing, and he spent many sleepless nights working on his projects thanks to it.
“No need to hurry, there is more than enough for you, too,” Asteria chuckled as he took a seat next to her, sinking into the soft cushions. She then proffered a delicately painted cup with bird motifs all over, filled with a light brown liquid.
Unfortunately, a closer sniff revealed it wasn’t exactly coffee; however, the aroma was pleasant, prompting him to take a tentative sip. A slightly bitter caramel flavor, along with milk, and a surprisingly floral aftertaste flooded his taste buds, leaving him craving more.
“Forgive him; it’s his first time out of the Sanctum, and he’s a very curious child,” he heard his mother say, but he didn’t bother to voice the grumble he felt inside.
It was true that after years in that place, however clean the air might be and however much he might enjoy putting his brain to the test of figuring out exactly how “magic” really worked, being thrust into the world was almost overwhelming.
“Oh, no worries. My nieces love mou just as much. It’s been a best seller last season since demand from Valderun spiked after a gala where Archmage Ipsosil’s favorite granddaughter had it brought out for everyone.” Lucina replied, and Orion tuned back in.
Asteria let out a giggle, hiding her mouth behind a hand. “Look at you, knowing the intricacies of the capital’s politics. You’ve really grown into the job, haven’t you? I still remember when your father decided to abdicate in your favor and you came asking for my help to escape.”
Lucina waved a large hand, her face flushing with embarrassment. “Oh, don’t talk about that, you’ll ruin my cool image with your son!”
Orion met her eyes and did his best to convey how unimpressed he was. She made a wounded noise, gripping her chest. “Ah, so cold.”
The lighthearted chat continued for several minutes until all the cups were empty, and Orion felt bored enough that he almost stood up to examine the silver inlays more closely. He remained confused about how they could be strong enough to support the tower’s structure. They didn’t seem to be iron pyrite or magnetite, and while the variety of iron alloys was quite extensive, he was fairly certain he recognized the luster of silver.
I wonder if they managed to find a new alloy or if this is just another matter of “Magic.” Oh, who am I kidding? Of course it is. But then again, I’ve figured out the underlying principle several times already, so this might not be that different. They might not even realize what they’ve done here.
He was interrupted before he could jump off the admittedly very comfortable couch because Selina put down her cup, and the atmosphere shifted. From light and jovial, it suddenly became much more serious. “I would love nothing more than to keep catching up, Asteria, but we should get to business.”
“Yes, we should. I still have much I would like to show Orion before we have to go back. Now, what is the issue this time? Your letter was just vague enough that I know it’s a matter of alchemical reagents not working as they should, but I need to know what I’m supposed to work with before I can give you a solution.” Asteria replied, putting down her own, much smaller cup.
Lucina grunted, scratching behind her bushy braids, “I don’t really know all the details, but I can tell you it’s important. You know we are due for a migration from the Ironwoods because those damn druids aren’t going to take care of the vultures themselves, and unless they make a detour from the predicted path, the dwarves won’t be affected. Something in our defenses isn’t working as it should, and I want to know if it’s sabotage, incompetence, or something else!”
That sounded much more interesting than trying to divine the exact composition of a metal from thin air. Orion glanced at his mother and saw her nodding with a pensive look. “I should be able to tell you that much, but you know that if it gets that bad, we will intervene. The Lunar Sanctum won’t allow a flock of monsters, no matter how large, to attack a town under our protection.”
Lucina grimaced. “I know that, but I would still like for us to be self-sufficient in this. The people know that the Sanctum has our backs, but they should also be able to trust the administration to protect them!” She slammed her fist onto the table, which immediately gave way, scattering chunks of wood and shattering the delicate cups.
“Oops,” she said, looking at her fist as if it had betrayed her.
Asteria tittered before waving a hand over the mess. “May the Light of the Goddess shine on our mortal sins and wash them away.”
A pale haze descended at her gesture, and for a moment, it was like watching time rewind itself. The splinters that had scattered as far as ten feet away flew back into the table, and the broken wood melded into one piece. The cups flowed together, returning to their previous state, and when it was done, it was as if the outburst had never happened.
“The Coven will make sure Silverpeak Town is capable of self-defense if that is your request. Whether directly or indirectly, we shall ensure our subjects' well-being.” With that, Asteria stood up, tugging Orion to follow her.
He did, allowing his feet to move on their own while his mind raced to understand precisely how she had accomplished what she’d done.
Up to this point, he had managed to apply relatively simple scientific principles to the magic he had encountered, but rewinding time? That was on another level altogether.
