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Calamus and Alula had always been close, sticking together through thick and thin. The sibling bond they shared was one of unspoken understanding, always there to lean on each other. Yet, lately, something had changed. It wasn’t their connection that had shifted, but something about them… something they couldn’t quite put their finger on.
The morning sunlight filtered gently through the clouds, casting a warm glow over the empty fields surrounding them. Alula stretched her arms with a yawn, the motion causing her shirt to ride up slightly, exposing her soft, round belly. She tugged at it absently, blinking sleepily at the sky. Her wings, usually so light and nimble, felt heavier these days, though she couldn't figure out why. Next to her, Calamus sat cross-legged on the grass, his own frame filling out more than it had ever before. His tunic strained against his thickening thighs, and when he shifted, he felt the unfamiliar weight of his belly resting in his lap.
The odd thing was, neither of them noticed. Or rather, they noticed something was different, but they couldn’t quite figure out what.
"I feel kinda sluggish today," Alula murmured, running a hand through her soft hair. "You think it's just the weather?"
Calamus frowned, poking at his tunic where it bulged out. "Yeah… maybe. I don't feel like moving much either."
They hadn’t done much moving for weeks, lounging around the fields, taking naps, and wandering aimlessly. It was peaceful, quiet… and completely devoid of any meaningful conversation. In fact, they hadn’t spoken to anyone but each other for days. Nobody around them had commented on their appearance, let alone spoken to them at all. No friendly waves or passing remarks. Just silence.
But that wasn’t strange, was it?
Alula stood up, wobbling slightly on her feet. She didn’t notice how her legs spread apart just a little more than they used to. Nor did she notice how her thighs brushed against each other as she began walking. Instead, she focused on the distant sky. “Let’s go fly! I haven’t flown in forever.”
Calamus grinned, though it felt a little more effortful than usual. "Good idea!"
Both siblings spread their wings, ready to take to the sky, but something strange happened. Calamus flapped hard, but his wings felt like they were weighed down by something. His feet barely left the ground before he landed back with a thud. He tried again, more forcefully this time, but all it did was send him stumbling backward, his round belly bouncing slightly as he caught his balance.
"Huh," he said, frowning. "That’s weird."
Alula, struggling in much the same way, finally gave up, sitting back down with a plop, her legs splayed out, her belly resting softly on her lap. “It’s like the wind’s too heavy today,” she said, scratching her head in confusion. “Or maybe we’re out of practice.”
"Yeah, must be," Calamus agreed, though deep down, he felt like something wasn’t adding up. He had flown in much worse conditions before. So why now?
The siblings, still oblivious to the cause, decided to go for a walk instead. As they waddled through the village, they noticed a few glances from the townspeople. But no one said a word. It wasn’t unusual, they told themselves. People were probably just busy with their own lives.
But as they walked, little things continued to feel… off.
When they stopped by the bakery to pick up a snack, Alula found that she had to squeeze through the doorway, her plump arms bumping against the frame as she shuffled inside. She frowned, confused by the tightness but quickly dismissed it as the doorframe shrinking. It had to be that.
Calamus, meanwhile, eyed the pastries with a certain hunger that hadn’t been there before. His belly rumbled audibly, and without thinking, he bought far more than usual. As they sat down to eat, he devoured the sweets faster than ever, crumbs clinging to the soft folds of his cheeks and chin. Alula wasn’t much different, her appetite growing with every bite. Neither of them thought twice about it.
Still, as they finished, a thought lingered in Calamus’ mind. He glanced at Alula, watching her struggle to stand again. Her body jiggled slightly with each movement, her round belly wobbling as she finally managed to get to her feet.
"Do you feel like... we're different lately?" he asked, hesitant.
Alula blinked at him, brushing crumbs off her lap. “Different? Like how?”
"I don't know," Calamus muttered, looking down at his swollen belly. His clothes, once loose and comfortable, now clung tightly to his body, outlining his round, soft form. His thighs rubbed together as he shifted, a sensation he couldn't recall feeling before. "I just feel… heavier?"
Alula tilted her head, considering his words. She glanced down at herself—her thick arms, her pudgy legs, her round belly that made her shirt ride up even more. And yet, she couldn’t quite connect the dots. “Maybe,” she said slowly, “we’ve just grown a little. You know, kids grow fast.”
Calamus nodded, though doubt still gnawed at the back of his mind. But no one else had said anything to them. Surely, if something was really wrong, someone would have mentioned it, right?
The day continued in much the same way. The siblings wandered through town, struggling more than usual with simple tasks. When they tried to visit the nearby pond, they found themselves out of breath before they even reached the water. Sitting down to rest, Calamus’ belly spilled over his lap as he leaned back, and Alula’s thighs spread wide beneath her, her wings folded awkwardly behind her.
Still, they couldn’t figure out what was going on.
"Maybe we should just take it easy today," Calamus suggested, wiping sweat from his forehead. He couldn't remember ever feeling so warm just from walking.
Alula nodded, her cheeks flushed from exertion. "Yeah… sounds good."
And so, as the sun began to set, casting long shadows over the village, the two siblings sat together, oblivious to their bloated forms and the growing sense of heaviness that surrounded them.
Whatever it was, they couldn’t put a name to it. No one spoke to them, no one pointed it out. So, in their minds, nothing had really changed.
After all, they were just Calamus and Alula—siblings who stuck together, no matter what. Even if they couldn’t quite figure out why everything felt so different now.