The interior of the commerce building was largely hollow, made from ancient red timbers and arranged so every walkable surface was a balcony. Freestanding shelves of stalls and merchant vendors lined the walls of the room without respect to stories, linked by open-air staircases and leaving Starlight unable to tell exactly how far it was to the floor. Every available inch of space was used, from stacks of barrels to bulky sacks and warm red lamps to giant bulky nets stretched between supports and hanging from the ceiling. Yet, somehow, it retained the feeling of being vast and spacious, and she never found her view obstructed from anything she wanted to see. The lobby from which they came was like a building within a building, a tiny box built into one corner of the roof, support beams thicker than any tree holding up the rafters.
Starlight ducked as a pegasus soared overhead, a sizable bag strapped to her shoulders. The market was so loud she couldn't hear her own hoofsteps, even though the floor was made of mismatched boards and wooden sheets that constantly had half-inch elevation changes and shifted ever so slightly as they took weight. Rope railings guarded the platform and staircase edges, with smokeless flame lanterns that were likely enchanted affixed to the railing posts.
Beside her, Maple's ears folded from the din, the mare looking both fascinated and frightened. "This isn't a morning rush, is it?" she asked, words carrying clearly. "I'm not sure I'd be able to eat here, but it sure is an interesting building..."
"Fear not, my friend!" Wallace proclaimed. "It does quiet down from time to time!"
Percival had no words, letting the commerce building speak for itself. Starlight spotted a ledge that looked like the entrance several stories down, a symmetrical platform in front of an expansive open door branching out into three well-trodden paths, but the griffon seemed to have other ideas for where they were going.
They reached an upper walkway connected to a sunlit door, which Starlight assumed was an outdoor balcony. When Percival led them through it, however, she realized it was something different: a covered skybridge, the river to her left and the plaza to her right and the next building straight ahead.
"I encourage you to explore the commerce building on your own time," Percival instructed, leading the group. "It would take far too long for me to guide you through every part of it myself, and it's harder than you think to get lost. Ahead, you find the theater and auditorium."
The auditorium was the atmospheric opposite of the commerce building, equally cavernous but lit only by sunlight streaming through a few uncurtained windows. They were on an upper balcony, looking down at the darkness of the unoccupied space below, a flat dance floor that looked like it could be filled with chairs at a moment's notice. A stage completely took up one wall, the curtains drawn.
Percival nodded down at it as he circled the upper balcony, another door to a skybridge visible on the far side. "During the fairer months, most official Izvaldi functions are held outdoors, so this venue doesn't often see use. There is a concert planned for tonight on the lower field, if you're looking for entertainment."
Starlight was almost reluctant to leave the auditorium, its large, empty silence something she hadn't properly felt since entering the Empire. Or since arriving in Riverfall, really, except for the crystal palace buried far beneath Ironridge. It was like the world beyond was politely shut out, as if something was living there that was gentle, but deserved respect. The longer she listened, the more she felt a ghost of a tune on her ears, like the hall was still reliving whatever event it had had last... and then she realized that was just Maple humming, and they reached the next bridge.
From Percival's earlier description, the next building around was a school. Starlight's Equestrian town had had a schoolhouse as well, but it was a one-room affair, with a teacher shepherding around foals of all ages and perfectly happy as long as they could read, count and remain curious about the world. This was wholly different, a clean square hallway with doors lining both sides that looked like someone had taken a Stone District tunnel in Ironridge and tried to decorate it so it didn't appear underground. The walls were ceramic tile, each with an amateur painting done by a little mouth, then stacked according to overall color until they formed a vague mosaic. Squinting, Starlight made out a hilltop view exactly like what she had seen from the Sky Goat flying in.
A quit din of cheerful sounds echoed through each door they passed, alongside the distant thrum of fanblades for some ventilation apparatus, and Percival seemed to walk even straighter, as if he were especially proud of this place. "Izvaldi has been a farming province for hundreds and thousands of years," he explained, walking past bulletin boards pinned with announcements of upcoming events and pictures recognizing exemplary foals and young griffons. "It's a heritage we bear proudly, and thanks to Garsheeva's protective influence, there is no need to modernize. However, we believe that anyone should be able to become anything, and in addition to respecting any and all backgrounds that means providing everyone the opportunity to move up in the world!"
He swept a robed wing at a door as they passed, slightly ajar with a roomful of children seated at desks beyond. "Any are welcome, though our efforts are still expanding and mostly tuned for the young, with an emphasis on those who have yet to discover their greatest joy in life. There is even an orphanage built beneath the building for the benefit of the most vulnerable in our society."
"An orphanage?" Maple's eyes widened in interest. "How common are... things like that?"
"More common than they should be," Percival replied. "Rural life can be unexpectedly dangerous, and a side effect of our advances in medicine is the increasing frequency of parents whose families grow bigger than their ability to provide for. But the immediate area is not our only concern. You've met Kero, of course."
"Yeah...?" Valey grumbled warily.
Percival nodded imperiously. "He is an associate of mine who leads a mercenary company and is notable for being charitable with his work. Often, he brings back war orphans from his operations in Varsidel, or children of unfortunate social circumstance from the changing tides of Ironridge. Our administration in Izvaldi is frequently criticized in the other provinces as too internally-oriented, and we make every effort to ensure that is not the case."
The tour continued, Percival rounding a corner and leading everyone with him. "If you're inclined to visit the orphanage at any time, everyone appreciates the company, provided they are not in school or asleep. Anything anyone can do to inspire others, especially those who need it most, is a service to both themselves and all of Izvaldi. Similarly, if you're ever in search of knowledge, the doors here are always open. There is a vast public library on the ground floor as well, with a collection of extremely rare and historic texts. I encourage you to visit, though the restricted section requires special permission and oversight to ensure the valuable materials are not damaged."
Scrkkkkkk! Just as they were passing the head of the main stairwell, an intercom blazed to life. "Good morning, students!" a flawless mare's voice greeted, so smooth and relaxing that merely hearing it through a speaker put Starlight at ease. "It's time for this morning's bulletin. First and foremost, are you excited for the concert tonight?"
"We're excited!" a second, higher-pitched voice chimed in, chipper and upbeat. "Be there or be square, because we've been working on an all-new song just for you!"
"It's important to let loose and enjoy yourselves from time to time," the more relaxed voice agreed. "At sundown tonight on the lower field! We'd be excited to see each and every one of you there, and your friends, parents and siblings as well. Spread the word!"
"Right, on to the day's schedule," the second voice continued. "Let's see, what do we have here...? Hummina hubbida hoofala hummala himmina hrrrrrmm... Bingo! Okay, so in the morning, we're focusing on math! Today's teachers have an exciting array of options to teach! We'll be doing fractions in the seashell room, practice solving for X in the coconut room, and parametric curves in the bubble room! Hey, what's a parametric?"
"Maybe you can tell us during lunch! Speaking of lunch, I hear the main course is a pineapple-vegetable stir-fry! I know one mare who's not missing out on that."
"And that would be me! Yeah! Now, for the afternoon, we've got a special presentation lined up! It's... a dramatization of the province of Gyre in the fourteen-hundreds! Wow! Will we need tickets?"
"I think they saved spaces just for us..."
"Just kidding. That will be happening in your own homerooms, so you can't miss it. Until next time... Firefly out!"
The intercom clicked off, and Starlight felt something heavy hit her side. She jumped to see Jamjars, practically keeled over and leaning dramatically on her for support. "I think I'm in love..." the filly swooned. "I could listen to them all day for the rest of my life!"
Percival blinked, taking several moments to recognize she was being deliberately over the top. Maple cleared her throat to break the silence, smiling awkwardly. "Who were those?"
"My principals," Percival replied, making a left at the next intersection. "Since they've finished the morning announcements, we could pay them a visit."
"Oh, yes, please..." Jamjars panted, Starlight nudging her to stand up on her own. Finally getting off, the yellow filly scowled, but didn't take back her request.
Slipstream shrugged, and nobody had complaints, so Percival led them toward a double-doored office on the stairwell's far balcony.