I'd never really given it much thought - what was behind those smooth, sleek walls. I'd been too preoccupied with a lot of other things.
My gaze finds Mavyx, who's already watching me. Of course he is. I want to roll my eyes, but before I can, there's a gasp in the crowd and one of the Trixikkas who stands in front of the temple, his palm raised up to the little black patch staggers back in surprise.
Tessa's breath hitches beside me, but I'd not been paying attention so am utterly clueless as to what the hell is going on.
"What's happening?" I whisper, glancing around. Everyone is deathly still. Even Mav has stopped eye-fucking me.
"The temple voice saidthatTrixikka has a son," she says, blindly reaching to grasp my hand excitedly.
Rynn clasps the soon-to-be-new father on the shoulder and moves the stunned male aside so everyone can see the new hollow slowly and silently forming beside the one already filled with offerings. "This day is a day of bounty for our tribe!" the High Spear declares. I look behind me again and even Zarriko's warriors have dropped their guarded arms-folded stances as they seem to watch with bated breath.
"It's opening!" Tessa whispers excitedly. "I've never seen our temple open!" Sure enough, the new hollow looks to have a door of some sort at the back that glides open from the center, parting soundlessly. I crane my neck, but can't see further in, it's just too light - blinding light. Like what lies further beyond is another sun or a star, trapped inside the temple.
And then, out floats a giant egg.
"Oh my God!"
I don't know who had said the words - it might have even been me. But right before us all, hovering about a foot from the ground is a huge-ass egg about the size of a beer barrel. Only, this egg seems to have no shell at all. I can see right into it. And inside, there's a young Trixikka boy, curled up and floating in some form of slightly milky liquid, his black wings tucked in and curled around his back.
"What in the world?" I can't stop staring. Around us, I get the vague feeling of celebration - of Trixikka males clasping each other on the back, of laughter and cheer. But I just can't stop staring at the little boy in the egg. This is the weirdest shit I've ever seen - and I was recently sold at an auction to a giant bug! Quickly glancing beside me, I see Tessa is absolutely captivated. To my other side, Chastity's hangover seems to have been knocked right out of her through pure shock. She gives me a'girl, are you seeing this shit?!'expression without saying a word and I feel myself mirroring it right back at her.
Rynn urges the new Daddy Trixikka forward, toward his new egg-son, smiles on everyone's face - even Mavyx's. Blinding sunlight winks off of a dagger blade made of opal-like stone. I shield my eyes only to realize it's the approaching father who wields the weapon.
"No!" Before I know what I'm doing, I'm up off the floor and lurching forward. The new Daddy stops, confusion on his face. His large wings flared a little, unsure. "What are you doing?!" I gesture to the wicked-looking knife in his hand.
"He is welcoming his son, Ah-Lanah," a warm voice murmurs from directly behind me. How had Mavyx gotten to me so fast? A strong arm wraps around my waist and a tail coils itself gently around my ankle. I lean back despite myself, my hands gripping Mav's forearm as it bands my middle like a support.
"But... the dagger?"
"It is how it is done," Mavyx leans down to say, his hot breath tickling the curve of my ear.
I look around and realize everyone is staring. I've caused a scene. I didn't mean to. It's just-
"The youngling will not be harmed, my star, do not fear." I feel a jerked movement from behind me and I can just imagine Mav jutting his chin - a command for the ceremony to continue.
"Oh," I say quietly as I watch the new father approach his egg-baby again, his opal-like knife glowing with an endless amount of stunningly beautiful colors. "I thought..." I didn't really know what I thought to be honest.
Mav's strong arm tightens a little around me and I'm surprised to find the gesture comforting.
"It is alright," his deep voice says and I can almost feel his words rumble from where I have my back pressed to him. "Watch."
And so I do. The Trixikka father gently uses the blade to skim down the surface of the egg, finely cutting a seam in a near invisible outer layer film. The layer parts like he's just pulled down a zipper, the liquid beneath looking a fraction clearer than it had done before. He delicately repeats the motion, peeling away another layer, and then another. On the fourth time, the egg bursts and amniotic fluid gushes everywhere causing a gasp of excitement from the crowd. I suck in a breath when the child plops out onto the ground with a wet slapping sound.
A few of the older Trixikka rush forward with thin hide bunched in their grasp. They thrust the bundles into the father's hands, and then turn to offer some to their High Spear. One even insists Mavyx have a bundle too. He does so with a smile and Mav takes the hide. "Come," he says, urging me forward from behind. All those who have the hide cloths in their hands kneel around the child, rubbing him all over, wiping the amniotic fluid away from his skin.
But it's more than that, I realize. It's like when mama cats lick their newborn kittens to stimulate their breathing. Suddenly, I feel a spike of urgency. "Gimme that," I say, swiping the hide from Mavyx's hand and kneeling down to pitch in and help. Distantly, I hear Mav chuckle behind me. I rub any part of the baby I can reach, which seems to only be his back. I try firm, rhythmic swipes back and forth under his little wings before realizing, they're not that little at all. In fact, now that the Trixikka have him stretched out from his previous fetal position, it's the first time my brain has started to question his size. This isn't a baby boy at all. This is a child. He's about the size of a four or five year old at least.
"Come on, little one," Rynn says, rubbing at the boy's chest and I rub even faster, holding my breath as I do.
A wet-sounding cough breaks that awful silence and the little boy's body convulses, his skin suddenly lighting up with stars that pulse with every splutter his new lungs make. His father props him up to a sitting position and the elders pull his wet wings out, stretching the limbs and wiping his feathers down too. The crowd of Trixikka behind us cheer and I fall backward on my ass, staring at the little boy who just hatched right in front of my eyes.
"Come," a rich, warm voice says from behind me, wrapping me up in strong arms and helping me to stand. It's Mavyx of course, I don't need to turn around to know that. "The Goddesses have blessed the tribe this day," he says, but I can't stop staring at thenewbornchild, my hand absentmindedly drifting to my stomach.
This is all sodifferentto how it happens on Earth. How it happens with humans.
"I wish to honor the female who helped my son," the new Trixikka father says, face full of smiles as he crouches beside the still shell-shocked looking boy.
And then I realize he means me.
