Wellicas? Illiel? Othlonel? I didn't know anywhere by those names. I sighed, biting back my tears, swallowing my despair.
"M-my name is Elise Rosewood. I- I'm from a little town in- in the State of Oregon, in the country of the United States of America, on the P-Planet Earth. I was on vacation on the coast in Florida. I was swimming in the Atlantic Ocean when- when I was swept away by the undertow. I somehow wound up floating in some black void, and a voice from nowhere said it was sending me to the material plane and I wound up here. I'm so confused. I've never heard of something like this before. It goes against the laws of physics."
The man behind the desk, the only person that could understand me here, sat back in his chair in thought.
"Young lady, in your world, are you literate? Able to read and write and know your numbers?"
I bristled a bit, and bit back a scathing comment, before realizing that those abilities might not be common here. Nodding, I replied, "I read, write, and know complicated math. I was required to take calculus in college. I also took biology, chemistry, and physics courses." The stunned look on his face was glorious and vindicating.
It was several moments before a smile crept onto his face. "Yes..." he muttered softly, before addressing me, "Very well. As it stands, you have no money, no belongings, and no home, and are unlikely to be able to communicate with anyone without being taught the common tongue. As such, and as I am currently looking for an assistant, I have decided that I will take you in. At the very least, until we can send you home, if that's possible."
"You- you can do that?!" I was shocked. Who was this guy?!
"Of course. Naturally, you will be clothed, shod, fed, and paid for your efforts, and will be considered not only my assistant, but my apprentice, should anyone ask." He stated this all as if it were very obvious, and I had to wonder what my job would entail.
"O-oh. Uhh, if I'm going to be working for you, uhh, what's your name?"
The man stared at me in confusion, before turning bright red. His mouth opened and closed a few times in a fair impression of a fish, before stuttering his answer in a demeanor that was much different than what was probably a very practiced mask that he'd just been using, "A-ah. Yes. Of course. My name. I can't believe I forgot introductions. You gave me your name and I... A- anyway..."
He cleared his throat and looked like he was trying very hard to regain his composure, mask settling once more into place, "My name is Albus Gildenhall, High Mage and Emissary of the Silver Alliance. This is the Emissarian Silver Tower, your home for the foreseeable future."
He stood from the desk, and walked around it toward me. Smiling he patted my shoulder, in a warm, friendly way, as if greeting a colleague, "Now that introductions have been made, we can get you a room and clothes."
Reaching to the side, he picked up a small bell on his desk and rang it. Strangely, though, it made very little sound.
There was a knock at the door, followed by the old woman from before opening the door and then striding into the room. Bowing to Albus, she spoke with him for a few moments in that language I didn't understand, before turning my direction. She smiled at me, before startling me with words I -could- understand, "Hello, young lady, my name is Nora. I'm the High Mage's Chief Maid. I'll show you to your room if you don't mind."
"My room-?"
"Of course, dear. The High Mage's Assistant gets her own room for sleep and study."
"O-oh. Right. Let's... Let's go, then." I followed Nora out of the room, and on the other side of the sitting room there was a hallway that led towards a living area with a large kitchen towards the back and three doors on the wall to the right.
"The far door is the High Mage's, the middle one goes to the bathroom, and the one here," she said approaching the first one, "is your room."
She opened the door, and walked in. Following her, my jaw dropped a bit.
The room was decently big, with a comfortable looking bed against the far wall with a bedside table beside it. A bit closer, a privacy wall for changing had been placed next to a lovely wardrobe. Against the opposite wall a large empty bookshelf, a desk and a comfortable looking chair had been arranged into a cozy study area. Finally, a thickly padded lounging chair had been placed in the corner closest to the door, next to an end table, obviously meant to be a reading nook. The room had obviously been put aside for a while as being meant for an assistant or an apprentice. Idly, I wondered if coming here was more than coincidence, and it settled like a lump on my stomach.
"Nora? How did he have a room already open and waiting?"
Nora paused, blinked at me in confusion, and then started laughing. I was unnerved.
"I'm sorry, my dear, I didn't realize. I understand that this might seem fishy, but in reality, the position has been open for months now with not a single person meeting the High Mage's-- uhh-- particular standards... Until you show up out of the blue, of course. I've been keeping this room spotless in the hopes of it one day gaining an occupant, and now that it does, I'm very pleased to meet someone who managed to catch his eye."
Relief flooded through me as I realized that my suspicion was unfounded. Thankful, I nodded.
"Now, the clothes you're wearing won't do at all anymore for the high Mage's assistant and apprentice. As such, I will have to take your measurements."
I started to reply, and I wanted to tell her it wasn't necessary, but before I could say even one word, she snapped her fingers and a long roll of measuring tape flew out of her apron, and started taking measurements of nearly every part of my body. Arms, legs, torso, head, it didn't matter, everything was to be measured. Even my hands and feet were measured.
As the tape took measurements, a notepad and quill floated around, following the tape, and hurriedly scribbled away all of the measurements. Nora, meanwhile, was busy flipping through fabrics that had been tucked away into a chest against the far wall, muttering the whole time under her breath in the language I was unfamiliar with.
She finally settled on some bolts of fabric, and snapped her fingers again, recalling the measuring tape and notebook.
She held out the bolts of fabric in front of her and started to chant under her breath, and I realized in shock that the fabric I had been wearing, and the fabric she was holding were moving on their own. The dress I wore, fluttered in an imaginary breeze, and removed itself from my body. I shrieked in surprise, and tried to hide my body, but the fabrics kept moving, ungulating as it folded itself into various designs. It wrapped around me and writhed as it stitched, stretched, cut, and hemmed around me, never once pricking me with the needles that flew around in a whirlwind of motion.
Just as one dress finished, it removed itself from my body and I was immediately set upon by more bolts of fabric. It was only after the fourth dress, that I finally cried out, "Please! Isn't this enough? Can we do more later?!"
The woman stopped, mid chant, blinking a few times, and then let out a loud guffaw as she floated the fabrics back to where they belonged.
"Goodness, me, I'm sorry dear, it's been so long since I was able to design a dress, that I went a little overboard. I'm sorry. Yes, four should be enough for the next couple days. We can continue later. In the meantime, what do you think?"
The dresses were floated before me for inspection, and I realized that they were all absolutely gorgeous. I told Nora as much, and the smile she gave me was infectious.
However, I was daunted by the quality and obvious flashiness of the design. Just how important was this guy?
I decided to ask him at dinner.