glaazius
patreon
Cities for Sale - chapter 12
🕑 Added 2020-10-23 08:38:52 +0000 UTCAddison is in search for her aunt but stumbles upon a sudden surprise instead.
+++
They all looked at her like she was some apparition risen from the dead. Changing faces, whispering in cupped ears as she strode by. It did not matter, though. There's going to be some significant changes around here pretty soon. Most let her pace by and did not dare to talk to her—most, not all.
"You're back!?"
Addison ignored Mayumi's sanctimonious smiling face, who almost bounced up against her. She darted her way towards the big, arched oaken door, slammed it open, and when she saw that the office was empty, she took a comfy seat upon her aunt's majestic chair. The whole thing appeared to be carved explicitly for someone of noble birth, with broad armrests and a high back looming widely over the one seated upon it. The only thing in the room that could compete with its regal appeal was the vast ancient, oaken desk installed in front of it. It was a station of power. It made clear to everyone who dared to enter the room who would be begging for scraps and who would be the one considering to grant it.
It was the foremost reason that Addison always shot her way towards the throne when the change occurred, to sit on, and to siphon a slight taste of power her aunt wielded. Cassadee had her own way of conversing with people. Her words were capable of augmenting the dominance effect her chair and desk radiated. It made people appear small, insignificant even, just like the ones roaming about in the 2 square feet aquarium stationed on the corner of Aunt Cassadee's desk.
Addison leaned in closer, stuffed a strand of wheat blond hair behind her ear, and focused her gaze.
There it was, a whole region, a slice of Caspivurian land, madly shrunken down until it could be stuffed into a fish tank not bigger than a moving box. Eight cities it contained, roughly the size of a big coin, one vastly larger than the other with villages dotting here and there adjoining the roads and rivers meandering throughout meadows and forests.
Their sole purpose? Adorning Cassadee's vast desk like a simple object of decoration. And rather they like it or not, they also served as an outlet for Addison's mischievous jolts that sprung up from time to time.
Addison's hairdo was completely ruffled, with long strands curling and sticking out every which way like they were competing in some eccentric art contest. It was the result of days of solitary confinement she endured during her time in Lindsy's clutches. They would still know her, though. All of them. Despite the freakish hairdo. It's impossible to forget the girl's eyes once her piercing gaze had traveled to the darkest depths of your soul. Her eyes looked like guardians, whose task it was to veil the flood of mischief hiding behind them but failed miserably. This girl was always up to something and these poor Caspivurians reaped the fruit when one of her outbursts appeared.
Addison breezed out a long exhale as she slumped her head upon her forearms lying on the table. Her flexed elbow cushioned her ear as Addison scrutinized the shrunken landscape from a tilted point-of-view, with long waving strands draped along her shoulders and face.
"You guys haven't sat on your hands, I see." Addison's eyes zeroed in on a particular city nicely nestled within the clearing of a crescent-shaped ridge. She was not quite sure why, but for some reason this ridge-city became her most favorite. Aunt Cassadee had received the shrunken landscape as a present from a business partner she was well disposed about approximately a year ago. When she heard the news, thirteen-year-old Addison was jolly-eager to take a look at it. Upon first glance, Addison noticed that this whole region had subjugated themselves to the veneration of her aunt. Peeping through a magnifying glass, Addison saw dozens of statues and shrines and temples throughout the region, all serving as a tool to worship her aunt Cassadee.
Even though Addison possessed a shrunken civilization of her own, she could not withstand seeing those pitiful Caspivurians worshipping someone else but her.
While her aunt was off to do some errands, Addison seized her opportunity, walked up to the aquarium and addressed all citizens of ridge-city from above like an all-powerful Goddess. She commanded them to discard her aunt and start worshipping her instead, or else. The idea made her snigger. She was more than keen to see her aunt's eyes bulging with surprise when she would notice a statue with Addison's resemblance suddenly adorning one of her nano-cities. That moment never came, though. Addison placed big trust in the effects her authoritative demeanor had upon these insignificant Caspivurians. Nevertheless, their loyalty and awe for her aunt remained unwavering under the sudden collide with Addison's threat.
Day of the finger; it was called among the locals living within Aunt Cassadee's aquarium. It was the day ridge-city had to endure divine punishment in the form of Addison's pinky finger casting down from the skies. A fate Addison solely reserved for the ones that refused to bend to her will.
That was many months ago, though. Addison was looking at them now. She was curious. She wanted to see if ridge-city had recovered from the wrath of her little finger. And they had. Addison saw no more signs of rubble and leveled city blocks within ridge-city. There were new buildings, taller buildings, more pristine than the ones Addison's finger had flattened many months ago. But no statues. At least, no statues with her resemblance, that is. It made her sad. And when Addison is sad someone must be held responsible.
"Now… I do wonder how much trouble I can get in before my aunt returns." The sound created by Addison's rubbing hands was accompanied by the cackle of a self-complacent titter.
She could never know the pandemonium her rising body ignited within the aquarium as her hands fumbled to open up the lid. Just like the Caspivurians could never know that within mere moments the fate of their lives would be transferred into the hands of this looming teenage goddess.
"Miss Wiggins? I'm glad you're back. I knew you would." A sudden voice almost threw Addison out of balance as she stood on her toes to grope about in the aquarium.
Her hand crashed down, nearly missing a city that was dense with many gray, angular structures. A few of her fingers did manage to uproot a good portion of a vast pine tree forest within the miniature landscape.
Her eyes fumed like the glare of a cornered street cat as she addressed her disruptor. "Didn't your mother ever taught you that an open door doesn't necessarily mean free entrance?"
She saw an eccentric man standing in the door frame. Frail and short, he was, with a creepy gloat meandering along his barely visible lips as he seemed to scan Addison's body from bottom to top.
"Wait… I think I know you. You're Dr. Goof, right? One of my aunt's top guys from the scientific department." Addison placed the lid back upon the aquarium. She clapped her hands clean as she walked up to the man, ending her journey just a few feet in front of him with her hands on her hips. She relished in the fact that this man's height was unable to match hers. Not even if you would remove the hunch on his back, which would allow him to stand up straight.
"I'm glad you do, miss Wiggins. And yes, that's correct." His voice quivered while he spoke like he wanted to burst out in comical laughter.
"Soooo… did you come here to gawk at me, or is this a social call?" Addison broke the silence that followed after Dr. Goof finished his last sentence and kept staring at her. She quickly shot another question his way to fill in the uncomfortable silence following, "Do you happen to know where my aunt is, by the way? Been waiting here for ages." She presented a sheepish grin.
"You're aunt…" Dr. Goof started as he took a step towards Addison. "is no more."
Addison arched one eyebrow.
"Youth is taking over." He said as he presented a necklace in his open waiting palm with a stone attached to it.
Addison recognized it as her aunt's. A green emerald flickering in the lights of the chandelier hanging above their head. She was a bit reluctant as Dr. Goof gestured her to take it. Eventually, she did and held the green emerald in front of her curious eyes. She had never seen the thing from this close before.
Addison's eyes shot to Dr. Goof again as he lowered his head in reverence and bend his knees and spoke the words, "Kaiser and Wiggins is yours."
