This was it, we are actually going down. No more bugs, no more Darbis’. Finally, I could feel it...the baby is so close. For a short amount of time, all I could hear were the sounds of gears rotating somewhere below as ropes twisted and stretched as we made our descent lower and lower. Everyone sat quietly, watching Ye-Estefa snap her animalistic eyes on us like a spotlight. We are too afraid to move, too afraid to make a mistake. I bowed my head towards my lap and closed my eyes, if only just briefly to past the time. Everyone and everything felt on edge, like the ropes, it felt as though something was ready to snap…I just need to wait...

“Chin up! Everyone! Chin up!” We are here!” Commanded Ye-Estefa, her voice all of sudden shifting from an ominous high to a soothing mellow tone.

I felt a bright sepia lit pierce through my eyelids, I felt as though I had just awoken in the alley like before. It had been so dark for so long, not even closing my eyes would shield me from the light show right in front of me. I rubbed my eyes as much as I could. The light is far too much for me to handle.

“Welcome to the heart of the Croak N Crunch. I am A. A. Armanto owner of this establishment.” Cackled sounds to be Armanto to my left.

It’s voice was very deep, much deeper than I was comfortable listening to with my eyes closed. He had a rhythmic yet confident tone that almost scared me onto my back the moment he spoke. An accent? Humann? M-maybe Northern European? S-south!? Another monster all the same.

“You made a foolish mistake in closing your eyes, boy.” Laughed the voice generously.

“You missed your chance in watching the Libello do there work. Well, all of you guys would of been blinded anyway, it’s just... these lil guys here are kind of a rarity, at least around these parts. They do what you say! So long as you feed them! And they...eat...anything.” It continued to roar in laughter.

“Sir, with the exception of the girl, these are the boys Drock -your brother- had called about. He specifically contacted me to specify to you that these boys are too be protected while he arrives.”Explained Ye-Estefa with a scolding tone.

“Why do I owe that little slime anything but the goo that slips from rear after a mid-days lunch?” Huffed Armanto.

“I cannot answer that Sir. As you know, Drock has been more than supportive to your business in the past. Your brother has served us well with his recipes, some of which our chefs here use in their own homes. And I quote Head Chef Onsolt: fuckin’ quality.” Countered Ye-Estefa with a cutthroat ease.

“Indeed Chef Onsolt palette is quite the particular one.” Admitted Armanto, his voice lowering in some sort of defeat.

I opened my eyes eager to see the man behind the voice, only to find two creatures dangling there tiny stubby legs over my left knee as if I was a balcony for there fun. Right before me were two mini gummi looking humans creatures. They had little black beady eyes and tiny stubs for hands and legs, not exactly human but they had the major parts: an oversized head, a short neck, a stomach, legs, arms...they were missing a nose and a mouth but they seemed rather harmless, stretchy and bouncy even. One of the creatures simply flopped onto it’s back and melted onto my leg like a thrown pancake, the other slapped it’s belly while sitting right beside it. Every little slap the sitting one connected made the other one enlarge that particular part of there body, it got to the point where the sitting one seemed playfully sadistic of the other as it’s belly got so big it levitated the creature by it’s stomach alone. At first I was a little scared, but as I focused my blurry vision, I noticed the two jelly-like red creatures were almost completely uninterested in me. I let my vision come back to me slowly as I watched these things deflate and then playfully shove each other around like two brothers.

“Listen up children! Your blinding is with purpose. With the exception of Lian, your vision should be returning to you. Like the Eling, the Libello are loyal to Armanto and I. These creatures help us weed any… undesirable guest.” Explained Ye-Estefa.

“Why didn’t these creatures blind me? Was it because I closed my eyes as we were arriving? There cannot be such a huge oversight sure. What stopped everyone else from closing there eyes? Did Ye-Esefa just not see me?

“Aside from darkness, what blinded you were the Libello. They can sense ill intent immediately. While they can’t do much on there own aside from shapeshift, they can be very loyal in telling us just who is going to be trouble. It is an extra precaution we take hereafter the gauntlet of Eling whom serve a similar purpose.” She continued as the gentle clapping of her boots approached me.

I looked around to see Sophia still rubbing her eyes and Taylum nodding his head side to side, as if waking up from a long nap. Armanto was not in sight, I could hear his voice as if it was next to me in this very elevator and yet…it was only us and Ye-Estefa.

The elevator was in the middle of an enormous chamber decorated with giant spiraling pillars of some unrecognizable stalk of a green spiraling plant with giant leaves that dangled over our heads like roofs. Different colored tiny leaves ranging from blue to yellow also generously covered the ground with some leaves floating on the water. Creatures of all kinds bobbed there head out of the water, most appeared to be fish, although most of the weirder shapes remained underwater. I found comfort in seeing frogs -just like those at home- sitting on these leaves croaking care-free. Just like everything else in this city, there is a catch. Some frogs would vomit tiny frogs, some fish would had glowing white eyes, while some insects that flew over the lily-pad like leaves would sprout tiny bubbles. This wasn't just any chamber. Armanto is keeping an entire aquarium full of creatures of all kinds. Some even greeting us with splashes of water. 

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A generous amount of Fire-Musca gently lit the chamber, hovering around like swaying snow. The Fire-Musca here aren't like the Cherubim 929's Fire-Musca, these seemed much more free, as if the room was perpetually snowing warm orange orbs of light. These Fire-Musca even gently bounced over the water and walls, giving the room an unreal garden fantasy look to it. It's just amazing. 

I looked toward my left at the exit of the elevator, glancing at a somewhat small marble path -big enough for two people to stand side by side- with a wooden color that led straight into an alter of some kind. The altar was decorated with wisps of nature from New Dwarden, most unrecognizable by me, but I could make up a couple of fruits -albeit most oversized- and somewhat familiar vines from my father's garden entries. This chamber feels like a hybrid between a pharaoh's palace and a lush green jungle. Around every pillar was a tiny moat with little frogs and fishes bobbing there heads above water carefree. This chamber even had waterfalls running through from differents sides of it’s walls. It was beautiful. Truly. My father would of really loved this…

“You are one of the few to whom this vista is seen.” Emphasized Ya-Estefa proudly.

I couldn’t help it, my mind just felt blank with a weird kind of sadness. I could feel tears coming down my face as if I was crying, but no sensation of it. No lump in my throat. Nothing. Just water coming down my face.

“It’s beautiful...it really is…” I mumbled.

“Lian, you must of realized I allowed you to close your eyes Lian.” Whispered Ye-Estefa towards me.

“W-why?” I answered back with a gentle whisper.

“Because we have your injured baby. Your story must be told, or as I put it before, you nor your friends will not leave here alive.” She vowed.

I could feel her hot breath caress my cheeks as she walked past me. She was angry. Why? Does she want to protect the baby? Does she want to heal him? Does she want to keep him? I have to keep him safe.

All of a sudden the Libello creatures shot there gaze towards me, there little black beady eyes meeting with mine. Slowly they crawled up from my leg and onto my chest, even climbing over each other to do so. They fumbled around for a while until they regained there composure on my lap, staring at me with these strange wandering eyes while doing it. The Libello with the smaller belly slapped the bigger bellied Libello’s head to the point where the big bellied Libello head became a tiny balloon for the smaller bellied one;  and just like that they just began floating like a balloon! The ballooned Libello’s eyes receded into its head as if was never there, like they had done this many times before. These creatures appaerad to simply be reacting off one another. The Libello wouldn't make a sound -other than the wet slapping noises of there flesh- they simply would stare at each other with a blank gaze until one moved toward an objective or action of some sort.

"Be still." Instructed Ye-Estefa, sternly. 

 Being still is the only thing I could do. Just what kind of creatures wait for me in this city, the city of New Dwarden. At this rate, even it's sewers will have somesort of strange kind of rat thing that flies or something. At least these Libello don't seem dangerous. The more I look at them fumble around -even when trying to fly-, the clumsier they seem, although not completely without purpose. 

Floating up, the smaller bellied Libello gently ascended to my eye level. I couldn't help but keep a striaght face. It simply just stared back, until it began to grow its eyes to about the size of half its head! Just as I saw it's eyes grow, so did it's mouth grow shortly after. It’s mouth was simply an opening in its face but it’s light blue tongue inside looked as though it was always there. A couple of seconds later, the Libello opened its mouth and let loose it's tongue. The tongue ofcourse, seemed longer and larger than his entire body. Nothing was abnormal anymore.

“I’ve never seen that behaviour before. The Lebello are usually quite black and white about there choices. However, these simply appear undecided with you. Perhaps we’ll let them be these...emotions may have complicated this particular assessment.” Wondered Ye-Estefa, turning to tend to the commotion of the Libello.

All of a sudden, the Libello licked me all over the face, even up the nostrils. It's tongue would twist, turn, expand, and shrink, on command. This was probably the most disgusting sensation I have ever expierienced. The Libello blue tongue was extroadinarily cold and sticky. Everywhere the Libello slid it's tongue would leave behind a thick honey like residue. I felt like I was dumped in a tub of glue.

As quick as it all began, It ended as well. After licking across my face more times than I'm comfortable thinking about, it simply retracted it's tongue and floated over my head, landing snug into my hair. I felt it lay down on my head and make a nest out of my hair. At first all of it's hair pulling really hurt, but then I felt the Libello simply become more loose and warm, more jelly like. I don't know if it was because of my groans of pain, but it just simply stopped moving. Now, the Libello was just like a warm hat. Admittedly, I feel too afraid to move it. 

"Leave them be Lian. There are more importants matters. We musn't keep Armanto waiting." Scoffed Ye-Estefa. 

Just as Ye-Estefa said Armanto's name, came a large gust of cool wind combined with mist from deep within the inner depths of the chamber. Leaves and lillies and greenery of all sorts whipped around the strange wind while the Fire-Musca continued to hover around as if it never happened.

“COME TAYLUM! COME LIAN! WE HAVE MUCH TO DISCUSS!” Echoed Armanto’s voice around us like a strong wind.

“MY...MY...WHERE ARE MY MANNERS! THERE ARE MORE AMONG YOU THEN JUST YOURSELVES! BRING THE YOUNG LADY AS WELL.” He continued, his voice growing more confident and oppressive.

“PLEASE COME THIS WAY! TOWARDS THE ALTAR! JUST FOLLOW THE MARBLED PATH! I AM WAITING FOR YOU RIGHT HERE! MY GUESTS!” COMMANDED ARMANDO.