A/N: This is in continuity with Heket's Brood (series), specifically Hunger shall be their Teacher and Chapter 3: Observation of Heket's Brood (fic).

Prologue

Kallamar ran a finger along the shelf where he kept all the reports he had compiled on various subjects. He stopped at the report written on the development of Heket's third brood and pulled it down to flip through it.

He kept coming back to it, but why? The report conjured images of Heket's children as he measured them, of the tiny little tadpole in Heket's hands. Only it wasn't a tadpole his mind's eye beheld, but a tiny little squid.

He snapped the report closed and sighed, before filing it back on the shelf. Perhaps it was time he admitted to himself that he too desired children of his own. Or at least he thought he did; He would have to do some research first before he could be completely certain. Though he had some experience with babysitting Leshy, in truth it was Shamura who had been responsible for his upbringing, and Heket who had contributed the most.

Kallamar sat at his desk tapping a quill against a blank sheet of paper in thought. Should he ask Shamura for advice? They had raised each of them from infants, and so had experience with raising children. But in each case it was individually, with the others helping – in varying degrees – as each sibling was added to their family.

If Kallamar were to have children with one of his followers, he would find himself in the same situation as Heket; With far more than just one. He tried to anticipate their response. They could answer some of his questions of course, but would ultimately direct him to consult with Heket. After all it was she who currently had and was raising children of her own. So he penned her a letter and awaited a response.

He received a visit the following evening. "S-sister Heket," he said bowing his head to her in deference. "I was not expecting to receive a response in person. Should… should you not be with your children?"

"They are sleeping," she replied. "But your request was somewhat… oblique, brother. You seek my advice on the subject of children, but what exactly do you want to know?"

Kallamar's face flushed and he looked away. "W-well, uh… I, uh… I… um." Heket waited patiently for him to find the words. "I-I think… I would like children… of my own, but I… I need to know what that entails." He looked back. "You must've done your own research before arriving at your decision, sister, so… what did you do? Who did you consult with?"

Heket hummed before answering. "Well… I had prior experience from helping Shamura raise you and Leshy. I knew then that were I to be given the opportunity to raise children of my own, that I would take it, and it was during such times that I often asked Shamura to recount their experiences raising myself – and Narinder – out of curiosity. But as for research, brother, it was my followers with whom I consulted, on such matters as how to look after my eggs. One family suggested that I spend time with them, so that I could observe how they interacted with and managed their multiple children. Perhaps you could do the same with mine?"

Kallamar looked thoughtful. "That does sound helpful."

"Then make arrangements to be away from your temple for a full day, that is, from morning to evening. I will have you start by assisting me in making their breakfast."

He blinked. "Do you not have your followers make their food?"

"They are always hungriest in the morning before the kitchen has opened," she replied. "Though I suppose I could command my followers to open early, they are my children and ultimately my responsibility. So I cook for them myself."

"I see… Very well, I will make the necessary arrangements and send a message ahead of my arrival."

She nodded. "Was there anything else?"

He shook his head. "No, sister, thank you. That will be all for now."

"Very well. There is one more thing that I would like to say before I take my leave. I have chosen to raise my children alone, because I have full confidence in my capabilities to do so – well… that is perhaps disingenuous, as I do require the assistance of my followers. But much of their needs are taken care of by myself. But you, Kallamar, you will likely find the burden to be too much to shoulder alone. Do not forget, that I am both mother to my children and Bishop to my followers. So whoever you chose to be the mother of your children – should you ultimately decide to walk that path – they will need to be someone that you can at least tolerate for some time."

Kallamar blinked. "What… happens to your mates that you raise them alone, sister?"

"I eat them," she replied simply.

He stared at her before sighing. "Of course you do."

She chuckled. "See you soon then, little brother. My children will anticipate your arrival."

Heket was waiting for him in the entrance hall when he arrived. "Come," she instructed. "We have much to prepare." And lead him down to the kitchen.

As he helped her skin, gut and cook some meat, he had to ask. "You do this for them everyday?"

"Every morning, yes." She smiled as she said, "But I do not mind. As you have your hobbies, Kallamar, so I too have mine."

When breakfast was ready it was time to collect the children. "Good morning, my children," she said as they piled into her embrace.

"Uncle Kallamar!" They exclaimed when they spotted him and Kallamar was promptly swarmed by fifteen froglets.

He patted one on the head. "Hello, my niblings."

Another tugged on his cloak. "Are you going to measure us again, Uncle?" She asked.

"Ah… Not today." They aww'd in disappointment. "Perhaps… another time."

"Are you ready for breakfast?" Heket asked. They were, ready and eager in fact. "It is ready for you, follow me."

Kallamar blinked at the line of cloaks hanging up on pegs along the wall. They were fashioned after the cloaks he and Heket wore as Bishops. "Are we… not going to dress them first?"

"You will see," she replied.

And so he did. At the breakfast table the froglets descended on their food, devouring it as if their very lives depended on their meals disappearing in the fastest time possible. This of course made them very messy eaters, and so now they had to be cleaned up. Kallamar worked on one set of froglets while Heket worked on the other. They washed their faces with a wet cloth and warm water, with Heket kissing hers on the forehead, or booping them on the nose when she was done, and they giggled before making way for the next.

Then it was time for the froglets to get dressed. Each cloak had a label sewn onto the inside with a name stitched onto it, so that it could be removed in future for future froglets.

"Did you sew these yourself, sister?" He asked.

"I did not."

They hurried forward when their names were called and stood perfectly still while their cloaks were buttoned up. When they were finished, fifteen froglets stood in a line, all dressed up and ready to begin the day, and Kallamar had to admit that they all looked absolutely darling in their little outfits.

After all that it was still fairly early in the morning, when the rest of Anura was beginning to stir, so the first order of business was "doing the rounds" as they called it. This was to travel to all of the statues placed around their domains to collect the devotion stored within. They walked to the first statue so that Heket could use their surroundings to give them their first lesson of the day, a lesson in numeracy, as well as answering any questions they had.

At the statue, Heket took her share before allowing one of the froglets to take theirs.

Kallamar went eyed. "S-sister? They consume devotion too?"

"Yes," she replied. "As they have grown older, so too has their divine blood grown in power."

He blinked. "I see. I did not think it would be strong enough to…" He trailed off as Heket gave him a look that was not impressed. "Uh…"

"You had thought it to be so easily diluted by a mortal?"

Kallamar gulped. "W-well…uh…"

One of the froglets tugged on her cloak, drawing her attention away. "Mother? What's a mortal?"

"Mortal is what our followers are, my son. You will find their lives to be fleeting in comparison to ours."

"Mother? What does… fleeting mean?" Another asked, and she smiled.

"Fleeting is short-lived, my daughter. And you are short," she booped her nose, "while I am not." The froglet giggled, and it was onto the next statue.

Once that was finished, it was back to the kitchen for a snack that had been prepared ahead of time by the kitchen staff, on their return to the temple. Then it was to her throne room to listen to her follower's requests. Kallamar was surprised by how well-behaved they were through the process, which she achieved by keeping them engaged and included by asking for their input after each request was heard. Although with that being said, today's session turned out to be a particularly lengthy one and so they were fidgeting by the end of it.

They were now allowed to play a game of their choosing to burn off some energy while she consulted with her deacons regarding matters concerning her domain.

"Uncle Kallamar! Uncle Kallamar!" The froglets tugged on his cloak. "Play with us! Play with us!"

"You do not have to play with them Kallamar," Heket told him, "but will you at least watch them while I am attending my meeting?"

"Of-of course sister."

"I will return in an hour, my children. Try not to wear him out too much while I am gone."

"Yes, Mother," they chorused obediently.

Kallamar turned to the froglets after she had left. "So, uh… what game are we playing today?"

They formed a group huddle as they conferred amongst themselves. "Hide and seek!" Was the eventual decision.

"Hide and seek?" He repeated. "I see. And who will be hiding and who will be seeking?"

"We'll hide, and you'll come find us."

"Very well-"

"Turn around," one of the froglets instructed.

He blinked. "Uh…" He turned around.

"Now cover your eyes." He did us instructed. "No peeking!"

"I will not," he assured them.

"Now you have to count to ten, and then shout, "Ready or not! Here I come!""

"Understood. One, two, three, four-"

"Slowly! That's too fast!"

"Oh, uh… apologies. I will start again. One… two…" He heard the froglets scatter, laughing in delight. When he had counted to ten, he shouted. "Ready or not! Here I come!" And so the game began in earnest. Some of the froglets had found some terrible hiding places. Others he found by their inability to keep their giggling under control. The rest were more difficult, as he discovered when he caught one moving from one hiding place and into another.

When Heket returned from her meeting, it was time for lunch. She and Kallamar helped the froglets remove their garments before eating. They ate less voraciously this time, but still messily, so they once again had to be cleaned up before they could wear their cloaks again. After that it was time for a lesson in literacy. Their reading comprehension was extremely basic, and so the lesson was focused on letters and their sounds.

After the lesson, Heket took them to the temple's largest swimming pool. The swimming pools were for her followers to make use of and were most popular with her fish and amphibian followers. The largest had been emptied of swimmers prior to their arrival to make way for the froglets. They threw off their cloaks and leapt into the water, shrieking in delight. Heket departed to attend to matters in her domain once more, and Kallamar pulled off his cloak to join the froglets in the pool. The game this time was a game of tag, and he was thankful of it being in the water, because he would not have been able to keep up with them on land.

When she returned, she took them down to the kitchen where they all helped Heket with cooking them another snack. Following this was a double block of lessons; first a history lesson on the Old Faith, then a lesson on Anura, covering its geography, fauna and flora and building on the walk they had taken that morning.

The final lesson of the day was a mixture of play as well as an actual lesson, the lesson being on the handling of weapons. Heket let them play with their wooden training swords first, before moving onto instructing.

Then it was time for the final meal of the day. Was it really dinner time already? It seemed to Kallamar as if the day had flown by, yet simultaneously had been one of the longest days of his life. Once again he and Heket helped the froglets remove their garments, before they devoured their dinner. And again they were cleaned up and dressed.

Now that lessons were over, they were free to do whatever they wanted. Sometimes they would split up to pursue different interests, under the supervision of a trusted follower. But today they wanted to sing with their mother. "Very well, my children. I will sing with you. Will you be joining us, Kallamar?"

"Please?" The froglets' chorused imploringly.

He felt his face burn. "I… don't… sing," he mumbled apologetically. They aww'd in disappointment but she shushed them.

"Kallamar does not have to sing if he does not want to." She took them through some warmups and then they began to sing. The froglets' voices were soft and sweet and mostly on-key. Heket had a beautiful, deep, rich singing voice and Kallamar was surprised by how much he missed hearing it. Perhaps he should come back here more often…

At last it came time to put them to bed. Their energy had been dwindling over the past half hour such that they now looked ready to fall asleep where they stood. They toddled after her with half-lidded eyes as she led them back to their room, and yawned as she and Kallamar helped them out of their cloaks. One by one, she picked them up, gave them a kiss on the forehead and bid them goodnight before laying them down on the bed. Once they were all settled, she tucked them in and sang them into sleep.

"You do this every day, sister?" He asked after they had stepped out.

She smiled. "Yes, brother. Every day."

He shook his head in disbelief. "Where do you find the energy?"

"Oh? Are you tired, little brother? Should I put you to bed as well?" He squealed when she suddenly scooped him up into her arms, and cradling him, began to rock him gently and hum.

His face flushed in embarrassment. "S-sister! Put me down at once!" He wriggled out of her grasp and self-consciously adjusted his robes as she chuckled.

"It is no challenge for me, brother," she said in answer to his question. "I enjoy their company."

"They were surprisingly well-behaved, but still… I could not imagine doing this alone, every day."

"As I thought, she replied. "But we are very different in temperament and confidence, so I do not imagine that your children will be the same as mine. Perhaps they will be more… studious. Like you, brother."

He nodded. "Perhaps… But even so, I would still need to balance their needs with my duties as Bishop, so I… I would need to consider taking a mate in the long term if I did choose to proceed…"

She hummed and nodded herself. "Did this help you to that end, brother?"

"Yes, sister, it did."

"And was your experience… enjoyable?"

He brightened. "Oh, yes. It was. It was demanding, but also… rewarding. And your children, they are very cute."

She smiled. "They are. But as adorable as they are now, I also look forward to watching them grow up. I want to see who they will become."

"Have you decided on how they will fit into your cult? On the roles they will come to play?"

"Yes, I have. I am sure they will have their own pursuits and desires, but otherwise I plan to mould them to serve in the roles of my closest and most trusted followers, depending on their suitability."

He nodded. "Yes, of course. Who else would be better suited to the position than your own children? And should I… should I come to have children of my own, I will follow your example."

"Very well. My duties have not come to an end, so you are free to return to your temple, Kallamar."

He inclined his head in deference. "Of course." She turned to leave. "Sister…"

She turned back. "Yes?"

His face burned and he dropped his gaze. "M-may I… return again…?" He looked up. "For more singing?"

She blinked and smiled. "Of course, brother. You are welcome to spend time with us, well… any time."

"Then I… I will make that time, and send a message ahead of my arrival as before."

"We will look forward to it."

When Kallamar returned to his temple, he went straight to his study and pulled out a blank notebook. Observing Heket teach her children had given him ideas for lesson plans, such as using the environment to engage and instil knowledge. And alternating between playtime and lesson time had let them burn off energy and kept their minds alert. And if his children were anything like him, he could take them out on field trips into Anchordeep to gather data, and then use that data to teach them how to conduct research and experiments…

Kallamar stopped writing as he came to a realisation. He had decided then… hadn't he? He was really going to do this…

However, Heket had been correct in her assessment of his (in)ability to raise them alone; How she managed to fulfil both her duties as mother and Bishop, day after day, and mostly by herself, he could not begin to fathom. So he would have to give some serious consideration to as to what he would consider to be desirable qualities in a mate, and a mother, as well as devise some conditions for her to accept.

But there was one other thing that he wanted a better understanding of, and that was how long they would live; And it would be years until he had that answer. But he was in no rush, after all. He had time to plan this out. All the time in the world in fact. And there was no harm in doing more research, just to be even more certain, or even to change his mind.

He resumed writing. Yes. He would take the time to plan this carefully. He would take the time to prepare.

A/N: Guess who finally started co-operating, y'all! \o/