“So I won’t remember anything from today?” Asked Lian cautiously.
“Yes, since the last Sun. I’m not repeating myself again wurble. If you can’t listen, you won’t survive down there.” Mumbled Granas.
“Now watch this child. I’m sure they don’t have this where you come from.” Shouted Granas bombastically as he approached a strange protrusion in the railing.
“WITNESS A PIECE OF THE MASTERY THAT IS THE XIFU! I INTRODUCE TO YOU THE BORBOOHAS! OR WHAT THE HUMANS LIKE TO CALL...THE ELEVATOR!” Continued Granas.
The platform itself began to move after a loud and thunderous slap hit what was appears to be a switch attached loosely to the platform.
“I knew this was an elevator! It was just the strangest one I’d ever seen.” Thought Lian in awe.
The platform was pumped with what Lian could only describe as a dense liquid vein of yellow electricity. It turned into an electrifying display of rotating rings, some going clockwise and some going counter-clockwise. Each rotation of the rings was accompanied by loud puffs of wind and bursting steam.
“Woah! should I not be standing in this!?” Asked Lian, his legs struggling to maintain ground.
Lifting its hand from the switch, Granas leaped on top of the odd giant pole that stood at the center of the platform and rubbed it’s fingertips together.
“I believe a little trust is in order here Ezekiel.” Taunted Granas with a wide smile.
“Do you like bubbles?” Said Granas with a devious smile.
Granas suddenly began sucking on his fingers as if he was drinking overflowing waterbottles. Strange liquids drooped from chin as his cheeks blew up into balloons of flashing color. Holding out his index finger once again towards Lian, Granas violently began gargling in his neck pouch and pounding his chest. Granas’ skin slowly went from red to yellow, and everything in-between. He was seemingly mixing these liquids in his pouch, like a chemist, only instead of a flask or vials, it was his body.
“Are you OK!? WHAT SHOULD I BE DOING RIGHT NOW!?” Asked Lian nervously.
After a short period of gargling and mixing, came a climax of rainbow colors. The colors were accompanied by a loud popping sound, where an extremely large bubble began forming around the Xi-Fu's mouth. It was certainly an offputting show Lian but his curiosity allowed to watch Granas as he continued going round and round on the rotating platform. Just when Lian thought the bubble Granas was blowing over its head could not get any bigger a mysterious chime erupted from different large openings from his body. His underarms and part of his chest opened up flapping vents of compressed air and steam that almost blew Lian off his feet.
“Are you a robot!?” Shouted Lian over the loud bursting noise of the steam.
The large bubble began encapsulating the platform with a clear gelatin-like wall, slowly encroaching towards Lian.
“What should I do!?” Yelled Lian, his back almost against the railing of the circular platform.
It was not long before Lian became engulfed within the bubble. Lian felt like the gelatinous wall was like a thin layer of air, it was surreal to him. If it wasn’t for the swirling colors it had, Lian may have not even noticed it.
As the bubble took its form around the platform, the platform soon stopped rotating itself began revealing it’s true form. What was previously an extremely abstract but beautiful pattern on the platform soon shaped into that of a portrait. Lian marveled downwards as the platform turned into a canvas of different animals unbeknownst to him. Bee’s with bird beaks, strange and colorful fish of all sizes -to Lian’s surprise, some maybe even the size of large dogs-, giant lizards like Cannoli, and even bipedal cat’s fishing about; the sight was truly amazing.
Before Lian even took notice, Granas rose atop the center of the bubble, sitting on top of the swishing fluid like a smug waterbug. Granas signaled his finale and finished off his grandiose creation with an even louder popping sound and a high jump landing him directly in front of Lian.
"Did you like that?! Only happens once a year, and twice on rare occasions, when the Borboohas is in need of maintenance of course." said Granas as he caught his breath, his eyes shifting from blue to strange red.
"Incredible! How!?" asked Lian in astonishment jogging right in front of Granas.
“You may want step back from me wurble, I forgot to warn you these chemicals may...alter oneself for a small period of time.” Warned Granas.
Granas slowly began deflating his body down a size as he stood at least two feet taller than Lian. The numerous amounts of chemicals appear to directly shape his growth, even as Granas stood perched over the center of the platform on the pool, he changed from numerous different shapes and sizes.
“Your body and size...how?” Said Lian.
“It’s been years since I had performed this routine in front of a human, assuming you had seen or heard of this process was an error on my behalf.” Said Granas condescendingly, his eyes shifting from a cool blue to red.
"Well we don't want to stay here forever right, this stuff is far too overwhelming to explain to the likes of you. WE XIFU ARE AMAZING! WE ARE NUMBER ONE! Never in history has-" Shouted Granas, his voice crackling in what appears to be embarrassment.
“I see.” Laughed Lian.
“WHAT ARE YOU LAUGHING FOR!? We’re not out of this yet, you still have a parade to survive through.” Shouted Granas.
“Yes, Granas!” Surrendered Lian.
Lian immediately noticed that Granas had not only changed in size but also changed his temperant. If his eyes were any good indicator, Lian would wager that when it was yellow and his pupils were white, it would be Granas at his most calm.
"What exactly do the bubbles do Granas? They are truly amazing!" asked Lian
"The bubbles are what make Xi-fu, a Xi-fu. We are of an amazing species, far superior to your kin, although I'm glad you asked boy. OOOOOO look at me, I am human! We are so special because we walk on two legs, two fully extending protrusions of meat! OOOO I am human! I have legs! I have toes! I don't have WAARTS!" Responded Granas as he huffed and puffed from tranquility to rage.
"We can talk later then." Responded Lian nervously, Granas’ bulging red eyes staring daggers into Lian.
"No, no, no, no we can talk now. You are a human boy; boy is not the same as man, from what I understand. You are young and infantile, therefore I shall not treat you as I do your adults, well so long as you behave yourself. Now, where were we?” Said Granas, his eyes shiting back into a yellow-red.
“Ah, yes! How do the bubbles work you ask? Simply put, our species of Xi-Fu are able to create bubbles from blending a variety of volatile and steady chemicals through our fingers. Our fingers hold numerous chemicals and our neck pouch brews our creation, hence the sucking. We are mobile chemical laboratories and master chemist from birth. We can control the density of our bubbles to allow us to travel, build, hunt, mate, and in your case, light up this entire elevator, even controlling the size and speed of the platform! Everything we do flows with the perfect chemistry of our city! Our architecture is second to none!" Spoke Granas proudly
"You see, the entirety of New Dwarden's infrastructure is merely paying homage to the works of our ancestors. Anything we Xi-Fu or the Giants of the Brother's Forge create flows flawlessly into the creation of the city. Be it chemistry or forging, The Xi-Fu and those in the Brother's Forge are the ultimate beings of creation! We are proud and should always be proud of our work. You see all that is your home and the home of many others are built as the responsibility and representation of the individual creator; or sometimes even creators. We forge and create alongside our hearts, our creations are as strong as the creator's soul! Granas continued
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"Giants!? As in huge people!? So your kind and these Giants are responsible for the architecture of this city?" Asked Lian
“You human really do know how to belittle those of a different species. As you put it “ huge people”, should be addressed as Giants, as they come from a different vein of you monkey, one worthy of respect, their capabilities are far more mysterious and powerful than that of the human.” Corrected Granas while back peddling toward the center of the platform.
"Nevertheless, the creation of the city and it’s divine art to which life lives is a two-part job. Most of the time we Xi-Fu prioritize with the creation of chemicals that help the Giants forge, while the Giant's focus on the act of creating. For example, we Xi-Fu craft tools that when touched to a specific surface begin to ignite and expand, allowing the Giants from the forge to meld and bend different metals never possible alone." Explained Granas
“So you see Lian, our combined species is capable of building structures your human brain could not even imagine in your sleep.” Continued Granas.
“Please Lian, look to the walls.” Requested Granas.
Lian curiously scanned at the hollowed tube of a room he was within. Peering outside the bubble, he noticed how tall and high up the platform was. It was like a small coin hovering within the trunk of an enormous tree.
“How many people do you think live in this here building?” Asked Granas, his body leaning onto the pole in the center.
“Thousands?” Responded Lian hesitantly.
“Thousands and thousands Ezekiel.” Said Granas, his eyes widening.
“Do you believe this larger platform to be the only elevator in this here Cherubim? You’d be remiss to believe so.” Said Granas.
“Take another gander at the outside of this bubble.” Asked Granas.
Lian shifted his eyes towards the walls of the tube, he noticed different vents and holes open from different directions with bursts of steam and orange light coming from both the holes and tube above and below. Different slots of what appeared to be smaller platforms rolled down the walls like coins and flattened at numerous different levels.
“You see Ezekiel, this Cherubim -Cherubim number 929-, among many others, is a work of art, one of which I was very proud to be a part.” Said Granas, his more calming and gentle than before.
Before Lian could muster another question, he noticed his hand being held by a very tiny orange body, almost the size of a toddler. It was the flame baby from before, it had come back, only this time it was bigger, and its eye holes remained disturbingly large.
“This fire...it doesn’t burn me.” Said Lian calmy, his eyes meeting with that of the flame creature.
“That’s because it’s not fire, it is the essence that is life, something that is burning inside you and everything that draws breath as well.” Explained Granas with a grin.
Granas walked slowly towards the fire creatures body and wisped it’s long arms through it multiple times. The flame creature not even flinching as it changed from orange to green.
“They appear to be attached you. They have yet to shift there fixation.” Laughed Granas.
“They?” Asked Lian.
“These are the Fire-Musca, spirits bonded together or left separate by burning essence that life may leave behind it’s departure from this world. I am sure you have seen, but the one standing beside you is many.” Said Granas.
“They guided me here…” Said Lian under his breath.
“They sure did wurble. I asked the Fire-Musca to bring me the scent of which I sought.” Said Granas.
“You control them?” Asked Lian, innocently crouching next to the Fire-Musca.
“Not necessarily human, not in the way you humans think at least. Nothing can control the Fire-Musca, the Xi-Fu have simply been gifted with the ability to communicate with them via song or at times, a manipulation of chemical that some may perceive to be like that of flame. The Fire-Musca you see before you are living symbiotically in this home.” Explained Granas.
“Like a fish that hides in the coral.” Said Lian in astonishment, subtly trying to disattach himself to the Fire-Musca.
“Not quite. They are not here for protection. With the exception of water, they cannot be harmed. In reality, no one truly knows the intent behind their permanent residence at the Cherumbim around New Dwarden but the best guess of the Xi-Fu is that they enjoy being around the living, as they only reside within crowded and lively areas.” Continued Granas.
“Why is it here...with me?” Asked Lian.
“Did you not have a destination, Ezekiel?” Taunted Granas.
“Listen for a moment before you ask any more questions wurble.” Croaked Granas.
Granas sat criss-cross in front of the Fire-Musca holding onto Lians hand and began to softly rub the pouch on his neck. The Fire-Musca became intrigued and reluctantly let go of Lians hand. It slowly walked toward Granas like a fumbling baby and sat right in front of him. It was then that Granas started sifting through a tuft of fur around his chest and pulled out a strange seashell-like instrument. The shell-like instrument seemed somewhat familiar to Lian, it’s strange swirling appearance was something familiar yet its longhorn at the end seemed odd, like a seashell with two openings and many holes in between. Granas wrapped his tongue around various holes of the shell and began blowing at one end, his fingers soon twiddling along. Granas played a soothing melody that appeared to be hurting the Fire-Musca before Lian but in reality, was breaking there formation due to the sheer happiness the sounds had provided them.
After a somewhat lengthy period of song by Granas, the Fire-Musca were burning brighter than ever, attaching themselves to nearly every surface of the platform Granas and Lian were standing on.
“This is the Fire-Musca!” Shouted Granas while putting away his instrument.
The room around Granas and Lian was being consumed by a warm sepia light that burned brighter around the entire structure of the tube.
“It’s time to go up! The Fire-Musca assist with the lift in this transfer platform, but tonight they ignite what is necessary for this building to run 356 sun cycles! This is what we Xi-Fu call Ignition.” Explained granas, his voice excited at the prospect of demonstrating such a phenomenon to Lian.
Lian looked around outside the bubble, he was amazed to see that the gears and pipes embedded through the entirety of the length of the walls were bursting with steam and moving about. Everything alongside the walls was moving, like a giant machine. Different platforms hovering up and down as the gears determined them to be. Lian could only marvel at how much was at work, simply because of song.
“These Fire-Musca are something out of this world! Amazing!” Said Lian, caught up within Granas’ excitement.
“The Fire-Musca do not do all the work here Ezekiel. By mixing certain chemicals within our body we can manipulate temperature and lighting intensity, even color, as you may have seen. Master chemistry Ezekiel! The bubbles you see here carry microscopic flammable chemicals that ignite the particles being blown from the odd hinges you see everywhere within the cherubim, propelling to our destination. Up.” Explained Granas.
“Up? I thought we were going to the festival.” Questioned Lian.
“We are wurble. Hang on.” Laughed Granas.