Chapter Text
As the grogginess of morning faded, with the sun rising ever higher into the sky, the cult was at peak bustle. The shrine was completely encircled by followers in devout prayer, and if the stoking of the nearby kitchen was of any indication, it would more than likely be lunchtime soon. Sozonius made absolutely certain to take note of this. Just the day before, lunch had completely slipped his mind, and by the time he made it to the kitchen, all that was left was grassy gruel. Sure, he could stomach the stuff, but it was definitely far from his favorite.
For the time being, however, the local doctor of not-medicine was on a mission, one that wasn’t particularly of the holy variety. Instead, he was on his way to visit a certain spider that he may or may not have been getting increasingly close with as of late. Anyone with even the tiniest bit of know-how would probably lean more on “may,” though. As he arrived at the entrance to their shelter, he made his presence known, or so he thought.
“Shamura? It’s me,” he announced. “You in there?”
When the ant was met with silence, he let himself in. Sure enough, his partner was nowhere to be seen. Everything was where they would typically leave it, with only one exception. It was a book, lying on the table rather than being nestled in its usual cozy spot in the bookcase. One chair was pulled out slightly, and Sozonius could only assume that Shamura had been doing some reading that morning. But something was different about the book.
Sozonius had seen this book before. He recognized it by the cover. What he didn’t recognize were the prominent chew marks that were now on one corner. In fact, it had been whittled down so far that he could see the paper on the inside without even opening it. The first thing that came to mind was a potentially brewing pest problem. But just as he contemplated on alerting the Lamb about his discovery, a familiar voice beckoned from behind him.
“Sozo? What are you doing here?”
It was Shamura, covered in hay and standing in the doorway with an intricately-designed spear in one hand that was almost as tall as they were.
“Oh, Shamura! I was just looking for you, actually. Where have you been?”
“Setting up some dummies,” they explained, holding out the spear, “for this.”
“I see,” the scientist responded, lightly smirking as he approached to brush the hay from their shoulders. “And let me guess, another one of Kallamar’s toys? And you’re quality assurance?”
“As always,” Shamura replied with a soft chuckle.
“In his defense, I’d trust you as well.” Sozonius removed his hand from their shoulders, lowering it to intertwine with one of theirs. “Speaking of which, you wouldn’t mind if I watched, would you?”
“Oh, my stars! That’s exactly the reason I was looking for you.” Their thumb stroked his hand as they motioned toward the entrance with Kallamar’s spear. “Now, shall we?”
“You know me all too well.”
As the pair made their way to the training area, Sozonius couldn’t help but notice that something seemed… off, with Shamura. It was highly unusual for them to walk so slowly, and as he examined their face more closely, their eyes were sunken, in spite of their smile. Not to mention, the dummies were noticeably more haphazardly put together than normal. On any other day, Shamura would have taken much more care in their handiwork.
“Say, Shamura? Did you get enough sleep last night?” he asked, concern evident in his voice. “You seem tired. Maybe you could take a nap or something? I’m sure Kallamar wouldn’t mind if you did this some other time.”
“No, no,” the arachnid denied, clearly suppressing a yawn. “I slept perfectly fine. And besides, you know I prefer to keep myself busy.”
“Well, alright then,” Sozonius sighed, still having his reservations. “But do know that I’m here if you ever need any help at all.”
“Much appreciated, love.”
Sozonius shivered, shoulders tensing as his body quaked. Love. It would certainly still take time for him to get accustomed to that, but it wasn’t unwelcome. Not in the slightest. He exhaled as the tension left his body, slumping down at the base of a nearby tree. Retrieving his sketchpad from his backpack, he surveyed the area for anything worth drawing, settling on a dummy, one that was not currently in use by Shamura.
His lips curled into a slight frown as he sketched. The more he looked at it, the sloppier it appeared in comparison to Shamura’s usual work. Usually, the hay would be packed tightly, with very little room for escape. But today, it was falling out, pooling at the base of the pole that it was attached to. As he finished his drawing, something startling caught his attention. He could hear Shamura breathing heavily as they repeatedly speared the dummy across from them.
Looking up, the sluggishness of their movements became even more apparent to him. After every lunge of the spear, the normally highly athletic spider stopped to catch their breath. With the very next lunge, they pulled the spear from the dummy, staggering as their breathing slowed, eyes rolling into the back of their head.
And they fell backward, onto the grass below them.
“Shamura!” Sozonius called frantically as he rushed to their side, abandoning his backpack and sketch pad. They were unconscious. “Shamura, are you alright? Can you hear me?”
The ant pressed his head against his partner’s chest, breathing a sigh of relief as he felt it rise and fall. From what he could hear and feel of their heart, though, it was racing. He kept his head pressed to their chest, listening as their heart slowly but surely began to calm down. Taking one of their hands in his, he patted it urgently.
“Come on, Shamura. Wake up, wake up…”
As if responding to said command, Shamura groaned as they sat upright, rubbing their temples with a free hand as their eyes blinked open.
“Sozo?.. Where am I? What happened?..”
“Oh, Shamura!” the scientist exclaimed, pulling them into a gentle, but frantic hug. “We’re still at the training area, and I’m fairly certain that you just fainted.”
Shamura pulled away from Sozonius, blinking in confusion as they looked into his eyes.
“...Fainted?”
“Yes, fainted. And I think you and I both know that we need to take a trip to the healing bay. Yes, I know I said that you probably just needed to take a nap, but you could be sick again for all I know. And I don’t think I’ve ever heard any mention of you ever fainting, either. Have you?”
“...No?”
“Exactly! Now, can you stand?”
Sozonius kept hold of Shamura’s hand as he helped them to their feet. They staggered for a moment before regaining their composure, taking a few experimental steps. While it was clear that moving still took effort, they were able to continue forward with relative ease. But this did little to calm the nerves of Sozonius, who stayed connected at their hip every step of the way. It wasn’t too far of a walk, but it practically felt like an eternity to him.
“Astaroth? Are you there?” he asked as they entered together.
“I am,” Kallamar’s witness confirmed. “It’s been a slow day, thankfully… So far. Knock on wood. But forget about that for now. Why’s Shamura with you? They aren’t having another episode, are they?”
“No, at least not that kind?” the scientist clarified as he joined Shamura on the edge of a cot. “I’m not exactly sure. But what I do know is that they fainted while testing a new weapon of Kallamar’s.”
“Fainted, you say? That’s new to me.” The medic made an inspection of Shamura’s bandages. Sure enough, clean. He gave them a solemn glance. “But the fact that it happened as a result of exertion specifically? Please, don’t be alarmed, but I’m going to have to check your heart and lungs. I don’t mean to say for certain that a heart or lung condition is the culprit, but I need to rule it out.”
With that, Astaroth retrieved a stethoscope from a nearby drawer and placed the tubular device to Shamura’s chest, listening intently and uttering the occasional mmm hmm for at least a solid minute.
“No sign of a murmur or arrhythmia, that’s good. But the resting heart rate is somewhat low. Interesting. Now, could you turn a bit so I can listen to your lungs? Just take a few good, deep breaths for me.” The witness pressed the device against Shamura’s back, listening as they breathed in and out, withdrawing the device at their third breath. “All clear. That’s also good, but doesn’t tell me much. Apologies, but I’m going to have to ask some questions.”
“No need to apologize, doctor,” Shamura assured him. “I understand.”
“Great! Now, with that being said, how has your appetite been lately?” Astaroth inquired. The spider’s eyes lit up at this question.
“It’s been… different, actually. I just haven’t been feeling hungry at all, and whatever I do attempt to eat, I struggle to finish.”
“Ahh, it sounds to me like you could be struggling with malnutrition. That would explain the fainting,” the medic realized. “How long would you say that this has been going on?”
“The past few days, but less than a week. I think?” Their face fell. “The exact number escapes me, though. I’m sorry.”
“No worries. And, uhh… How would you describe your bathroom habits during that time? Have you been making trips to the outhouse any more or less than usual?”
“I wouldn’t say so, no,” Shamura denied.
“So not constipation or diarrhea, then. Good. But just to be completely sure that nothing is amiss in there, would you mind lying down for an abdominal examination?” Astaroth requested, patting the cot pillow for emphasis. “Just let me know if it hurts when I press down at any point.”
As Shamura did just that, Sozonius rose from the edge of the cot, backing away and leaning on a nearby wall so the witness could do his business. He did exactly as he said he would, starting at the right side of Shamura’s middle, then their left. But when he moved lower, the ant could see him freeze, with his expression changing in an instant. He became fixated on that spot, pressing and pressing before finally stopping. He glanced at Shamura once more with a serious look on his face.
“Out of curiosity, is there anything else you can tell me about your recent eating habits?” the medic pried. “Anything at all?”
“Well…” Shamura paused, as if collecting their thoughts. “I have been able to stomach grassy gruel. It’s not something that I’m typically fond of, but these past few days… You see, as strange as it is, I’ve found that I actually kind of like it?”
Another pause.
“Grassy gruel shouldn’t be anyone’s first choice, Shamura,” Sozonius maintained, breaking the silence. “You can pretty it up all you want, but at the end of the day, it’s still grass.”
“I know, I know,” they agreed. “But that’s not all. This past evening, I started chewing on a book, eating the paper. I even had some more this morning. For breakfast, I suppose.”
“Wait,” their partner interjected. “That was you? I saw that earlier. And here I was about to tip the Lamb off about a possible pest issue.”
“I, ahh…” Astaroth interrupted awkwardly, taking a moment to collect himself. “Sincerest apologies, but I do believe that I may need some additional input here. I will return shortly.”
On the medic’s way out of the healing bay, Sozonius and Shamura could hear him speak once again before leaving in earnest.
“Oh hey Kallamar, and company. When did you all get here?”
This elicited laughter from Sozonius.
“Imagine that,” he chortled, rejoining Shamura at their bedside. “The cavalry’s here already.”
“No surprises there,” the spider concurred with a smile, rolling onto their side to face him. “Hovering, always hovering. Heket especially.”
The moment was quickly disrupted as the scientist returned to reality, his antennae perking up briefly as he crossed his arms, pacing back and forth from one end of the cot to the other.
“Why would Astaroth need ‘additional input,’ though?” he mused nervously. “And from whom? Regardless, he seemed concerned. I hope it isn’t anything life-threatening.”
Shamura stopped him as he made his way back to the head of the cot again, reassuringly locking a hand with his.
“If it’s any comfort, I don’t feel like I’m dying, and I of all people should know what that feels like.” They locked eyes with Sozonius, expression warm. “And besides, from what I can gather, death is hardly permanent here anyways.”
The ant returned his partner’s smile, kneeling down to eye level with them. He leaned forward, heart fluttering as his antennae lovingly intermingled with their feelers. The pair closed their eyes, puckered their lips, and-
“HA! I knew it!” Kallamar shouted from outside, sorely interrupting them. Leshy could be heard bellowing with laughter as well. “Now each and every one of you owes me five gold pieces!”
“I can’t even be mad!” the worm guffawed. “That’s just- BWA HA HA HA!!!”
Heket and Narinder were silent.
Before Sozonius had any time to ponder on what was so funny to them, a certain other witness entered the healing bay, followed by Astaroth, and his heart skipped a beat. It was Bathin, carrying a basket. He was well aware of what she was known for, and he swallowed hard as his mouth began to dry, antennae trembling. She placed the basket on top of the drawer before turning to face the pair.
“I’m going to need the both of you to be entirely honest with me,” she addressed them. “Have you, by any chance, made any use of the tent recently? Doesn’t even have to be the tent. You know exactly what I mean.”
Sozonius and Shamura looked at each other. The ant opened his mouth to speak, but could only choke on his words, so his partner turned to face Bathin. They didn’t speak either, but nodded.
“That’s what I thought,” Bathin asserted, making her way to Shamura’s bedside. Sozonius was more than capable of reading a room, and promptly moved to give her some space. “Now, care to remove your top so I can examine you more thoroughly?”
Shamura nodded once more in agreement, doing as they were told. As they slipped their top over their head, it was revealed that their middle had a small, but noticeable roundness to it. Their partner tried and failed to suppress a gasp at this revelation, eyes widening as he covered his mouth with his topmost pair of hands. He watched with bated breath as Shamura lay on their back again, with Bathin massaging the entire perimeter of the bump.
“Well, the good news is that you aren’t dying,” she stated matter-of-factly. “In other news, however, this is an egg, and one that I wager is fertile.”
“An egg?” Shamura choked, feelers perking as their eyes widened, with the glassy look that often preluded the falling of tears. “You mean to say that I’m… gravid?.. Expecting???”
“Considering your symptoms and, ah… recent happenings, I would definitely say so,” the midwife reiterated.
“Hold on, symptoms?” Sozonius finally spoke. “Forgive me, but I would have assumed that such a thing would cause an increase in appetite, not… whatever this is.”
“No, no, I certainly understand where you’re coming from, and you wouldn’t be faulted for assuming that,” the midwife assured him. “While a bigger appetite is definitely what would be expected, the opposite happening is far from impossible. And what we’re seeing with the grass and paper is more than likely pica, a fairly common side effect of egg-related malnutrition. Oh! And speaking of which…”
Bathin reached into the basket that she had laid on the drawer, pulling out a fresh loaf of bread before handing it to Shamura.
“You’re going to need to eat more, and I don’t mean more grass and paper,” she urged them. “A plentiful, balanced diet is highly important for the development of your egg, as well as your health. In fact, there’s a decent chance that your limited diet could be slowing the development of the egg. If you struggle to finish your meals, do consider eating bread on the side. From my experience, expectant parents who struggle with these issues find it easy to stomach. Go on, try it.”
The arachnid sniffed their bread before taking an experimental bite, chewing slowly. They swallowed the bite and thought for a moment. Before long, they had taken another bite, and another, and another, until the loaf was more than halfway finished. The sight of this was enough to put a smile on their partner’s face. That is, until a sudden realization struck him.
“Bathin, if you don’t mind me asking, why was the egg other news, rather than good news? There isn’t any cause for concern, is there?”
Heket’s witness exhaled as she turned to face him.
“I was getting to that, actually. You see, I’m not saying that it’s bad news either, but… I can’t help being at least somewhat worried about the birth. As you can probably guess, pushing is something that requires quite a bit of straint. My concerns lie in what that could potentially do to their head. This is quite the unique situation, to say the least.”
“Oh, I see...” His antennae drooped.
“But try not to get yourself too worked up. I’m not saying for sure that anything bad is going to happen,” she comforted him. “It’s just that, while some people want their births to be private affairs, I think it would be more prudent if I supervised this birth. Astaroth, too.”
“Ahh, that’s a relief.” The ant started pacing again. “But this is all so sudden as well. I know Shamura was more than open to the idea of children, and I certainly can’t say that I mind it myself. But we weren’t exactly doing… that, with children in mind. If you know what I mean. We don’t have a crib or anything set up, and I haven’t even moved in with them yet.”
“Yeah, it happens,” Bathin assuaged, moving to place a hand on his shoulder. “But if it’s any comfort, eggs take a longer time to hatch than they do to form. I’m sure the both of you can get all of that squared away by then. Now, exam-wise, I do believe we’re done here. You and Shamura can leave now if you wish.”
“I, uhh… don’t know if I’m ready just yet,” Sozonius faltered. “I’m not sure if I can face… them. Kallamar and Leshy, maybe. But Heket and Narinder? They had nothing to say. What if they’re upset with me?”
“Oh, Sozo,” Shamura sighed, motioning for him to rejoin them. “Come here.”
After slipping their top back on and rising from their cot, they caressed his cheek as their feelers teased his antennae.
“It sounds to me like they had some kind of bet going,” the arachnid explained. “Trust me, they’re not upset with you. They’re just mad that they lost to Kallamar.”
Sozonius gulped, feeling his worries slip away. If he could blush, he would.
“Well, in that case…”