***
After Benjamin had bathed—dressed in the same simple tunic he had initially arrived in, and gathered a small bundle of souvenirs (some delicate lacquered boxes of sweets, a few carved wooden charms, and a silk scarf dyed the exact shade of warm pink) for the Amazons—he was led into a humongous temple.
The building was nearly wide enough to fit half a village inside; The towering pillars of dark wood rose to a vaulted ceiling painted with constellations and blooming cherry branches, as incense smoke drifted in lazy spirals.
Soft light filtered through paper screens, turning the atmosphere golden and lively.
"Was it because people like Kuzunoha and Leorin were giants that some buildings here are so big?" Benjamin muttered aloud as he was guided toward the center.
