Timber

With a ceremonial pause, Mantene depressed the switch next to the vertical metal column. Above him it spanned into a giant platform that covered him and the land in darkness. He felt a stir in his gut as the already massive shadow that loomed over him spread out even further. The platform groaned as it shifted. It was the only thing standing between him and the mountain on top of it. He was always in awe when this happened. Being one of the few individuals who wasn’t terrified by being beneath the mountain instead of on top of it like the rest of them made him the ideal candidate for the role. While the rest toiled, he could break and laid next to the giant metal column to take a nap in the dark. 

Above, Taok and Noonee took charge of the operations. With a head nod between them, the twins released the flood pipes with the swing of their respective levers in front of them. It took intuitive team work to the right pressure and temperature just right, lest they upset the geography of the land. Once the forest had been thoroughly flooded, the pair of brothers closed the gates and hollered. Hearing his cue, Yrgid jumped upwards and using his body weight, stomped the narrow platform beneath him. It shifted downwards quickly, depressing the degreasing agent from its reservoir. Now it was time for some teamwork. 

Jenaya, Bu, Sandaq, and Qiti jumped right in, spreading themselves out. The degreasing agent needed to be mixed into the loose shrubbery by hand. It was the most effective way; tools, like rods, were too slow and anything mechanical risked getting tangled. It was almost fun for the four of them however. They could be heard giggling as they squirmed around, using all their limbs ensure that everything was properly covered. Traversing was difficult, considering how slippery everything was, but they managed. Once the area was saturated, they collectively gave a shared thumbs up to Taok and Noonee who opened the flood pipes once more. As quickly as the team had degreased the shrubbery, they now had to rinse it all away. Long term soakage wasn’t good for the foliage. It would make the subsequent operations difficult. 

Xindon was ready to hit his own switch and guide the massive heating vent. His role might have seemed simple, but everyone knew better. He needed to aim the vent at the same patch of shrubbery the previous four had just worked on. The vent was unwieldy, but more distracting was how loud it was! Being too far away wasn’t nearly as bad as getting too close which could have disastrous results, potentially stirring the mountain.  Not in the same way in which Mantene caused the mountain to move, which he did once more by way of his switch far, far beneath them. That was, after all, his job. If Xindon made the mountain move, however, it was because of neglect and carelessness.  Like a stalwart welder, his task required steady hands to move back and forth with precision, though not nearly as much as Shinndy’s job.

As much as Shinndy needed to be steady, she was reliant on Axem’s forked brace to help her. The long ridge of tines helped loosen and untangle the shrubbery from itself but also served as a guideline for Shinndy and her slicers. Two large silver blades intersected each other to trim the now loose foliage to more manageable lengths. Though not nearly as heavy or unwieldy as Xindon’s heating vent, the blades were most certainly more dangerous. Fortunately none of the team had lost any limbs, but they had heard cautionary stories of errant workers not watching where they stuck their arms. The blades moved faster than they looked capable of. Axem and Shinndy continued their dance until the necessary lengths were achieved. The duo had developed a keen eye for where to utilize their tools and when, as some areas needed less service than others. Everyone had their strengths, but most agreed theirs was exceptionally difficult on the merit that they required a capable partner. A solo job it was not.

Finally, Tepem stepped up. He was the laziest of the bunch, often sleeping until it was his turn. When he finally got up, he would often examine closely what his co-workers had given him to work with. He was a bit snooty in this regard, but he could see things others couldn’t. More of an artist than physical laborer, Tepem would rub binding agent where he felt it was necessary and mold the clean shrubbery in a certain way. He argued it was for aerodynamics, but no one ever dared to correct him. When he was done, he would yell to confirm his work but also to signal to others. They would carry the message downwards until it reached the underside of the mountainside and back to Mantene’s ears. The ritual was almost complete.

Woken from his slumber, Mantene engaged the same metal switch a third time. For such a simple act, it brought forth unbelievable change. This time, it woke up the mountain. The shadows around him shifted, shaking the ground beneath his feet. He knew he was safe so long as he stayed right underneath the epicenter, which was exactly what he did. The veteran wasn’t worried though. He had done this enough times to have complete faith and would stand at the base of the metal column to look up in awe at the phenomenon that took place. 

No one could explain why everyone’s role in their ritual had the effect it did, but the results were consistent. If they all fulfilled their tasks properly, the mountain would rise to the heavens and bring a reward for their acts. Even though he couldn’t see from so far away, everyone else would confirm the sight: the mountain would deliver unto them its bounty from deep within itself before it disappeared into the great gates beyond. However, another would always inevitably take its place.  It didn’t take long before a hollowed ring alerted them from across the distance. Excited screams directed everyone to take their places and ready themselves to perform the ritual once more. 

The barbershop had another customer.