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Autumn was the Lamb’s favorite season. The leaves turned vibrant oranges and reds, the air was cool and crisp, and all around the world was filled with wonder. Ever since they were an actual lamb, they’d loved the season, and it was a shame that, as a god, they couldn’t just marvel at nature too often. With Autumn, though, came the Harvest Festival. While the cult was largely independent at this point, organized by trusted disciples and community leaders, they were still very busy whenever events like this took place. They had to prepare their speech and sermon for the beginning of the festival day, ensure that their harvests would be properly preserved, as well as general cult maintenance and keeping people out of trouble during the festivities themselves.
Alongside everything else going on, there was the matter of Narinder. They’d recently gotten together, but their plans to get married and elevate Narinder to co - leader had been delayed by the holiday. Traditionally, close friends, lovers, and family give each other gifts to celebrate the success of their harvest, but the Lamb hadn’t been able to prepare something for Narinder yet. They did have an idea , but they were never free enough to excuse a brief crusade to retrieve it.
Right now, they were watching some of their cultists unload pumpkins from a wagon and set them out for carving. A few of the children broke away from their parents to jump into piles of leaves, or try to bury each other in them. A tabby kitten was chasing the falling leaves and trying to catch them out of the air. As much as the Lamb was stressed out by them sometimes, they loved their flock. They were like family, in a weird, divine sense.
An owl, Joni, approached them meekly, looking a bit nervous. The Lamb turned from where they had been overlooking the preparations to face her.
“Hello, hi, I um… if it’s not too much trouble, do you think you could get Camellias from Darkwood?” She was messing with the feathers on the side of her head as she spoke, stuttering slightly.
“Of course, my child. Is the healing tent out of them?” They quickly put on their confident cult leader facade as they spoke.
“NO, no, there’s plenty. Um… I wanted to give them to someone for the festival, so…-”
“Ohhhh. Yes, I can absolutely do that. I’ll have them for you by tomorrow, k? You’ve got this,” The Lamb already knew who these were for; they didn’t need to read minds to tell she was interested in one of their disciples, a fox named Yona. The Lamb placed a hand on Joni’s shoulder, smiling confidently. She seemed awestruck, nodding and quickly rushing back to their cabin. The Lamb breathed a sigh of relief, watching as the flock started going to their homes and the sun slowly set over the tree line.
They’d been hoping tonight they’d be able to go on a crusade, and now they had a perfectly good excuse to run off into Darkwood. Excellent. They were going to write out their speech tonight… but that could wait.
Waving to the guards at the entrance as they walked out of the cult grounds, the Lamb rushed to the Darkwood portal in Narinder’s old temple and passed through. The world went dark, cold air rushing around them until they stood up in the thick forests of Darkwood.
This place was beautiful in the fall. While the thick canopy of leaves above shielded the evening sunlight from view, the forest was bright with color, falling leaves painting the lands in stark contrast to the usual dim green color palette. The Lamb found very few violent members of the old faith here nowadays, their followers' missionary efforts becoming more and more successful. There were still some dangerous monsters about, but they, too, would be dealt with one way or another. The lands of the New Faith would become safe for normal people soon. An era of peace… They were looking forward to that. The Lamb was tired of all the constant conflict.
While they searched for Kudaii, they cut any nice flowers they could find and stowed them away in the crown. Multitasking on crusades had become second nature by now, especially as the demands for resources skyrocketed with their cult’s population. Still, they’d always been able to find enough out here in these wild lands. As they cut a bundle of Camellia’s in a clearing, they noticed a sword hanging from a tree branch off in the distance. Smiling to themselves, they rushed to finish their work and follow the path ahead of them.
In only a few minutes, they’d found Kudaii’s workshop. It, like Clauneck and Chemach’s hidden safe havens, moved frequently throughout the lands of the old faith, though they always seemed to be in the Lamb’s path. That was probably intentional; their jobs were to serve the gods, after all.
They walked past the weapons on display and approached Kudaii himself, currently smithing a sword of some kind. They bowed politely and waited for him to speak. Truthfully, the Lamb wasn’t quite sure if they were higher or lower in godly status than these feathered beings, but they didn’t want to be rude either way.
He paused momentarily to look up at them, directing his attention back to his work as he spoke.
“Greetings, Lamb. Do you require a weapon? If so, choose one.”
“Uh, not today. Actually, I was wondering if you could make something custom for me. If it’s no trouble, of course.” They tapped one of their hooves on the ground, something they often did when nervous or impatient.
“My duty is to serve. What is it you seek?” Kudaii looked up at them with mild curiosity.
“So. Did you ever make a weapon for Narinder, when he was the god of death?” The Lamb crossed their fingers that their hunch was right.
“Indeed I did. A scythe forged of blood and bone. A masterwork it was, though it matters not. The original weapon is likely lost, after many years.” He seemed almost nostalgic at the memory of it.
“Right, right. Hypothetically, though… Could you re-create it? Not as a blueprint for my Crown, but a gift for a… friend.” They didn’t know exactly how or if an ordinary person could use these weapons, but they were hoping Narinder could figure it out. He was far more experienced in these matters.
“So The One Who Waits still walks these lands. Your request may be granted, Lamb, though to restore it to its former glory, I shall require a sample of Ichor from death themselves. If this is amenable, then it shall be done,”
Kudaii set aside his current project, and pulled a feather from his back, changing in size and shape until it formed a large steel template. The rough shape of a scythe blade was visible in the metal, and Kudaii moved it forward for the Lamb.
They sighed, and shifted the Red Crown into a dagger. They were alarmingly chill with blood rituals at this point. Holding their hand over where the blade was, they pressed the dagger into the center of their palm until a drop of black Ichor dripped onto the steel. It sparked with red and black energy for a moment, wispy shadows dancing around the blade. Kudaii nodded, lifting the metal and placing it into the forge behind him and shutting the door.
In mere moments, he pulled it from the furnace as a white-hot metal shape with his bare hands, setting it upon the anvil before him. He started working it with the hammers and tools that he kept on his back, and the Lamb paced back and forth in the shop patiently. Looking up, it was still near midnight, so they’d have plenty of time to get back to the cult before morning.
From the Lamb’s research on what little historical records remained of Narinder’s reign, he’d almost always used a scythe. They supposed that was where the reaper iconography emerged. While they couldn’t be sure exactly what it looked like, they figured if it was made by Kudaii, he’d be able to make it again.
And indeed, he had. A few minutes later, Kudaii had finished his work and cooled it in a stream beside the shop. He presented it to the Lamb. It was pitch black metal, similar to the Lamb’s Crown, red patterns swirling around the handle. A curved, wicked blade hooked around the top, gleaming with divine energy. On the opposite side, a smaller blade also jutted out from the handle, flickering with that same power.
They still had no idea how Kudaii made these weapons, but they’d learned not to question the feathered ones’ techniques. They were beyond even the bishops, and their magic was ancient, yet extremely potent.
“May he wield it well, Lamb. Send him my condolences on his defeat, if you will.”
“Of course, Kudaii. Thank you for your assistance.” The Lamb ran off to another section of the workshop to meditate and return home. Checking the Crown’s storage, they had gathered plenty of flowers, and they focused on their cult while holding Narinder’s gift in their hands.
In a few minutes, they felt a breeze on their face, and opening their eyes saw the cult grounds before them. Quickly, they snuck into the temple, avoiding anyone who was still awake at this point of night. They rushed up to their bedroom and hid it in the chest they kept their fleeces in for now.
Excellent. They’d been worried about not being able to get this made in time, but now they were in the clear. Hopefully, Narinder would like it. For now, though… They looked back at their desk. Ugh, they still needed to make that speech, didn’t they? They sat at their desk and after a couple more minutes of procrastination, began writing.
-
Narinder was panicking. The harvest festival had begun, and he still couldn’t think of a gift for the Lamb. He had been wandering through stalls and vendors all day, trying to find something to get for them, but he was stuck. The upcoming festivities were stressful enough, introvert that he was, but the added anxiety of not being able to get them a gift only made it worse.
The Lamb seemed so confident this morning, looking at him with a knowing smile as he watched their speech. They absolutely had an amazing gift ready for him, and he was losing his mind trying to figure out what to do. He didn’t have enough time to make something himself, and none of these traveling merchants visiting town for the celebration had anything worthwhile. The Lamb was a god, and the most powerful being in the world. What could he possibly give to them that they didn’t already have?
He decided to stop by Forneus’s cart to calm his nerves for a bit. Aym and Baal were visiting as well, and he’d been looking forward to seeing the twins again. Even if it'd only been a few days. He wasn’t sure if Forneus would have anything that would be good enough for them, but he figured that he may as well check.
Fortunately, as he approached the shop, he noticed that a lot of people were heading off to the midday feast, which meant he’d have the chance to talk to them alone. Which was important, since the nature of his mission was a secret. He and the Lamb hadn’t announced their relationship yet, and he didn’t need to add more fuel to the rumors of their affair. Forneus smiled brightly at him as he approached, gesturing for the twins to watch over the shop for a moment as she led him behind the store front.
“What troubles you, dear? You seem anxious about something, unacceptable on such a joyous day. Speak to me your struggles, so I may ease your burdens.” She looked concerned, her kind smile faltering a little.
He took a few deep breaths and relaxed. It was fine. He was fine.
“It is merely… I have not prepared a gift for the Lamb yet. I cannot find something worthy of them. I do not… I am unsure of what to do. I was hoping there might be something here.” He looked around absentmindedly at the products on the shelves, if for no other reason than to break eye contact.
“A gift, you say? Yes, I can certainly help with that. A mother knows best, and gifts of the heart are my specialty.” She began searching through the many boxes of jewelry and trinkets she sold, looking for something to give him. Eventually, she produced a small box and held it out to him. He took it, and peeked inside.
Inside were golden bands of varying sizes, held together by gilded chains. It was pretty, but he wasn’t sure what it was.
“With all due respect, Forneus, what exactly is this?” He inspected them closely, seeing some very ancient lettering on the bands, ancient enough to be from his reign. Based on his vague recollection of the language, it said something along the lines of ‘Death will not seperate us.’
“Well, it is a gift of course. I found these in an old temple to you, dear. I believe they are meant to go on one's horns, like a wedding ring. I originally intended on giving these to the Lamb myself, but now I realize they ought to be gifted by you. I believe they will appreciate this greatly.” Knowing how much the Lamb treasured their species and any artifacts of their time, she was probably right. This would probably make a good gift.
Narinder observed the rings in the box. Indeed, they did seem like they would fit…
“...Thank you, Forneus.” He pressed a pouch of gold coins into her hand, which she immediately tried to give back. He refused to let her give it to him for free, though.
“You need not pay me, dear-” Forneus argued, but Narinder wasn’t having it.
“No, Forneus, I will. You give me enough free stuff as is. For something this important, I should pay. Besides, it is not as though I struggle with gold. Being the unofficial co-leader has benefits.”
“Fine. I suppose I will take this. Good luck, dear! Make sure you wish them a happy harvest day for me!” Narinder nodded, leaving the storage area and going to speak with Aym and Baal supervising the storefront. He really wasn’t worthy of a friend like her.
“Aym, Baal, how have your travels been?” It was relaxing to be able to simply talk to them like a father. No stress of divine imprisonment, no godly image to uphold. Just life.
“It’s been great, dad! Forneus took us to this old temple of yours. It was awesome!”
“We’ve been fine. Did you and the Lamb really…?” Aym spoke, as though disgusted. Baal elbowed Aym and whispered something about being nice.
“Yes, Aym.” Narinder sighed with a smile on his face. Aym was still a little antagonistic towards the Lamb, it seemed. He’d get over it eventually, though. He could personally testify, the Lamb was a very hard person to hate. Baal spoke up over his brother.
“Sooooooo. Are you two planning on getting married soon? I’ve never been to a wedding, but according to Forneus they’re pretty fun.” Baal smirked at him knowingly. He had already caught Baal reading her romance novels twice, and always acted funny about him and the Lamb now. Teenagers were strange.
` “Oh. Yes, sometime soon. Likely once the festivities are over, and there is time. For now, though, it is a secret. Do not tell anyone of our… relationship.” Baal nodded reassuringly. He had a mischievous smile on his face.
“Of course. I’d never spread rumors.” He would, and already had in the past, but Narinder was willing to ignore that for now. He smiled softly at the twins, and left them to return to his cabin. He’d probably miss lunch, but that was fine. The Lamb always made sure he was eating regularly, which was nice. Though it did mean he’d have to be quick hiding this.
He stashed the box in a small drawer in his bedside table, underneath a few papers he’d been absentmindedly writing terrible poetry on. The Lamb respected his personal space enough that he was sure they wouldn’t find it, even if they came over.
Secretly, he had doubts. He appreciated the gift from Forneus, but he felt as though it wasn’t enough. The Lamb didn’t wear jewelry often. They were a god. They easily could have this sort of thing made themselves. Was his gift really worthy of everything they meant to him? He couldn’t be sure. Whatever they had planned, they seemed confident in. He hoped they’d forgive him if his gift was… subpar.
After a while of sitting on his bed, and letting his thoughts wander, he heard a knock on his door. He knew who it was; no one else in the cult dared to knock on the door of the mysterious haunted cabin near the graveyard, deep in the forest. Even if said haunted cabin was actually one of the nicest ones in the cult. He hurried to the front door and opened it, to see the Lamb standing before him. They wore their ceremonial robes for today, holding a bowl of soup in one hand as they smiled up at him.
“Hey Nari. You missed the feast, so I figured I’d bring something for you. Some soup, I figured, since you liked it last time.” They handed him the bowl, which he accepted, placing it onto the table in his small kitchen area.
“Thank you, Lamb. I was wondering… when would you be available to exchange our gifts?” Narinder had been meaning to ask this, as they were very busy lately.
“Oh, right. Well, I’ve still got to perform the afternoon sermon and rituals, as well as supervise the flock for the rest of the day. But I’m free tonight, if you are.” They glanced around to make sure no one was eavesdropping. No one was.
“That works. I will need to rest soon, though, if that is the case. Would you mind if I..?” He slowly started walking backwards, away from the door.
“Of course, Nari. Feel free to skip the evening events and take a nap.” He nodded his head, grateful. Technically, this was against the rules of his discipleship, but neither of them cared too much about that. Large social gatherings and events like this were fun for some, but Narinder strongly disagreed.
He was glad the Lamb understood this, and usually allowed him to skip an event if he felt it would be overstimulating or stressful for him. One of the many unspoken understandings they’d come to over the many years they’d known each other. He wondered how they performed so well in front of so many people, so often. Narinder didn’t know how he’d ever managed when he was a god.
“If you need anything else, let me know. For now though, enjoy the soup and rest. I’ll see you tonight, Nari,” The Lamb winked at him, and happily skipped off back to the temple. He smirked, and shut the door that they’d forgotten to.
He quickly finished his soup, and laid down in his bed. He was looking forward to tonight, even if he was still nervous about his gift. He drifted off to sleep, reminding himself of how much they loved him. It was relaxing to know that, after so long stressing over their relationship, divine or otherwise.
----------
The Lamb returned to Narinder’s cabin, the sun setting and their duties for the day complete. They’d stored his scythe in the crown and decided where they would meet. A while ago, the Lamb had found a really pretty clearing out in the forests that surrounded the cult, and they planned to watch the stars with him there tonight. First, though, they had to wake him up. They knocked on the door and waited patiently.
He woke up groggily, but remembering his plans for tonight, he forced himself to get up and change into his proper robes. He splashed a little water in his face, grabbed the gift from his bedside table, and rushed to the door. Opening it, the Lamb stood in front of him, their face lighting up at the sight of him.
“Hello, Lamb. I suppose we have somewhere to be, don’t we?” He followed them as they started walking off into the forest, glancing back at him with a smile.
“That we do, Nari. I scouted this place a few days ago. When I wasn’t busy, of course.” The Lamb transformed the red crown into a lantern, silently commanding it to hover around them and light the dark forest.
“Truly, I do not understand how you operate like that.” He caught up, walking beside them. They turned to him, a little confused.
“What do you mean?”
“You were talking in front of hundreds of people, for hours. The followers danced and partied all day, and you had to babysit them the whole time. It all seems so draining.” He carefully jumped over a fallen tree branch, barely making a sound. He winced slightly as the Lamb stepped on it, cracking the stick loudly.
“It is. But it’s been years, and you kinda get used to doing it after so long. Plus, if I ever need a break, I can just get one of my disciples to fill in for a bit. Makes it a little easier if I don’t have to do it alone.” The Lamb could feel passive devotion from Narinder himself, and it only served to energize them after the long day.
“Fair enough, I suppose,” Narinder accepted. They were probably right. He’d always done everything alone. But he also knew he’d always get a little overstimulated around lots of people, and was glad the Lamb seemed capable. Whenever they officially became co - leaders, he was not doing the public events.
They continued through the woods, until they came to a clearing bathed in moonlight. The Lamb eagerly led him to the center, and sat beside him on a fallen tree log. He could see their face now, filled with excitement and affection. He gently leaned against them, listening to the rise and fall of their breaths as they simply relaxed together for a moment. He realized, however, he would quickly fall asleep if he kept cuddling with them like this, and he wasn’t planning on doing that. (Yet)
He stood up and paced a little to wake himself up, before sitting next to the Lamb again. They snickered at him amusedly.
“So, Nari… Do you wanna go first, or should I?” They summoned the crown back to them, and it rested on their head. The moonlight was bright enough here to see their eyes staring at him eagerly.
“I…” He wasn’t sure. If he went first, the Lamb could give him a better gift and then he’d feel insecure. But following up whatever incredible gift the Lamb had would surely feel like a disappointment. He sighed, trying to relax. Everything was fine. He needed to stop overthinking this. “I’ll go first.”
Narinder reached into the pockets on his robes and pulled out the small box that contained his gift. He held it out to them, the Lamb observing at it curiously before accepting it.
The Lamb peeked inside. In the case were a few golden rings tied together by some chains.
“What exactly is this?” The Lamb held them up to see better in the crimson light of the Crown.
“They’re meant to go on your horns. I was… in a bit of a rush, but I purchased them from Forneus and… I hope you like them,” He awkwardly stammered out. Gods, why was he like this? (Ex) gods like him should be immune to social anxiety.
“What does this engraving say? I can’t read whatever language it is.” They didn’t sound disappointed, and actually seemed interested, which helped Narinder relax.
“I believe it says something like ‘Beyond even death,’ a reminder that death will not seperate us. I did not have it designed myself, but it is appropriate, no?” The Lamb laughed lightheartedly.
“Yes. that sounds like us. Eternal, undying, us. You need to act romantic more often, it’s cute.” He scooted away from them out of spite, but they scooted closer out of retaliation.
“Oh, shut up,” Narinder said, with an embarrassing amount of affection. The Lamb stared at him longingly before turning their attention back to their gift.
They began fiddling with the rings, trying to get them to fit on their horns. After a few moments of failure, Narinder took the rings from the Lamb and helped get them to properly attach. It took a little while, but the two managed to make them fit comfortably. The Lamb pulled a mirror out of their crown and admired themselves.
“These are really pretty, Nari. Are these…” Their voice took a more somber tone. “Were these made for sheep? They fit really well…” He knew the matter of their species was a serious topic, so he spoke carefully.
“I am unsure. Forneus found them in one of my old temples, however, and the majority of my former followers were sheep. It is possible that they were made with your species in mind. Part of the reason I hoped it would be a meaningful gift. Apologies if it is underwhelming, but-”
“Nari, it’s ok. You don’t need to apologize, I like your gift a lot. I… Thank you.” The Lamb leaned forward and kissed him quickly, pulling away before he could respond. They giggled a little at his flustered expression. He sighed dramatically.
The Lamb stood up from the fallen log and gestured for him to do the same.
“Alright, my turn! Nari, turn around and face away from me until I say so,” The Lamb smirked at him mischievously, and Narinder looked away into the forest, wary of their intentions. He heard the sound of something being pulled from the crown, as well as the shifting of metal. A small, paranoid voice told him they were going to stab him in the back, but he ignored it. They were so far beyond that at this point.
“I’m ready! Turn back around!” Looking back, his eyes widened in shock. Held carefully in the Lamb’s hands was his former weapon, the scythe of death. It looked exactly the same as it did so many years ago, the only difference being the lack of glowing red eyes on the blade.
“How… Lamb, how did you find this?” Narinder approached, and the Lamb handed the scythe to him enthusiastically. The weight in his hands was distantly familiar, yet as he held it the memories came flooding back. Within, he could sense a similar holy energy, different from his former crown but still shockingly potent.
“I didn’t. I spoke to Kudaii, and apparently he still remembered your old weapon. A few drops of Ichor later, and viola! It might not be as powerful as back then, but I hope you like it!”
“This is… incredible. Are you… are you sure this is a good idea?” He looked away from them, holding the scythe nervously.
“What do you mean?” They stepped a little closer to him, a gentle worry in their expression.
“Well, it is merely… I do not… Can you trust me with this power? This weapon may not be a Crown, but it is extremely dangerous in the wrong hands.” The Lamb looked at him fondly, an echo of pity behind their eyes.
“Nari, that’s exactly why I’m giving this to you. Consider this the physical proof of my trust. When I dethroned you, I just… I didn’t like seeing you like that. Paranoid and weak without your former power, completely helpless. It wasn’t right. So I wanted to fix that. This scythe was made by Kudaii, and while it’s not the Red Crown, I hope it helps you realize how not powerless you are, even after everything.” They smiled at him reassuringly.
“… Thank you, Lamb. I will wield this weapon with pride.” Narinder looked off into the night. He was trying to compose himself but rapidly failing. The emotional weight that had been lifted, the unbelievable trust the Lamb placed in him… it was almost too much. Tears were streaming down his face, and he tried to choke back sobs. The Lamb, noticing his state, hugged him closely from the side, careful to avoid the scythe that he still held. Narinder dropped his weapon on the ground nearby, and hugged them back.
Eventually, they pulled away from each other. Narinder stared at them with such intense love in his eyes, the Lamb blushed. They lied down on the ground, and wordlessly gestured for him to do so as well. He did, looking up at the night sky and the beautiful stars that decorated it. The Lamb watched the heavens with Narinder for a few minutes, admiring the wonderful miracles that led them to each other. Even if the world was brutal, then, the suffering was worth it for this moment.
“Hey Nari. Do you think any of the constellations are about us?” They spoke dreamily.
“Hm?” Narinder had been sleepily staring, but was brought back to reality with the Lamb’s voice.
“My parents used to take me to see the stars in places like this, where the forests of Darkwood fell away for a moment and you could see everything the night sky had to offer. They’d tell stories about warriors who earned their place in the cosmos, tragedies of love and hate, all sorts of myths and legends. Do you think they’ll make those stories about us someday?”
“Ah, your ignorance is showing.” He chuckled slightly under his breath.
“...what?” They sounded more genuinely confused than they had in a while. It was adorable.
“They already have, Lamb. A few nights ago, I saw a mother showing her children the stars and pointing out constellations that had to do with you. I don’t remember any of them in detail, before you ask.”
“Really? Wow… I’ll have to ask her about that someday. If I ever get the chance to tell my own constellation stories, I’m putting you and me next to each other.” The Lamb scooted closer to him, gently cuddling up against his side.
“Oh, you love-sick fool.” Narinder muttered as he huddled closer as well, reaching his arm around their shoulders and holding them close. The Lamb enthusiastically leaned on him, Narinder purring softly as they rested their head on his chest.
Narinder and the Lamb stared up at the sky, holding each other close as they slowly drifted off to sleep in each other’s arms.