The Ascension

19: Aster's fate

 "She didn't say anything about what she wants us to do next, did she?" Senya asked. Though he still had some coin from Stemale, Aeis had its own stamped currency, forcing him to go without eating- or just swipe an apple when no one was looking. Aster objected on principle alone. Ikina didn't seem to be punishing them, no matter what they had warned her.

"I don't think so. She didn't even talk with us that long." Wren was also enjoying some stolen fruit. This country was nice and temperate, and the day was sunny. They all sat on the edge of a fountain, the kind engineered to have a little geyser in the middle.

The rough trauma of the last few weeks seemed to have been put on hold for this rather nice day- but maybe , actually, they'd never return to it. Maybe, if they were lucky, they could all go on in a silent agreement to never bring up how Wren used to feel about Senya or whatever unemotional crises Aster was facing. If the gods- or better yet, the stars- favored them properly, maybe they could just get back to questing. Hunting wolves and saving the world in proper exaltation.

"We head south now." Aster said. "Maybe I'll do it."

"Huh?" Wren turned his head sharply.

"I don't want to leave you or anything. Might be impossible to find you again. But it's the most practical choice. I know you guys can't die either, but I'm on the next level of immortality. I can walk nonstop across the country, and I'm sure it won't be too hard for me to find my way to Ae-ah." Aster didn't want to make eye contact with either of the boys as she spoke.

"I think that's a good idea." Wren said immediately. Senya seemed ready to object, and he caught Wren's gaze with an open mouth. "I'm not going to lie. It's just more practical. And maybe that's something we should be."

A hot breeze traveled across the grey square. The drab architecture was forgivable in the Eighth City when the climate was this pleasant. "Yeah." Senya concluded.

They waited a few moments.

"So what was up with that statue?" Wren said. "Eii was making some very menacing remarks back there. At least they felt menacing. I didn't really get what they actually meant."

"Aliens?" Senya tried, and he shrugged.

"It's something about Ikina." Aster was still staring straight ahead through the town square. "I'm pretty sure Eii is older than them. And there's some big secret that we'll probably be informed about against our will relating to that."

"Hey Aster." Wren said after another windy pause. "What should we do while you're gone?"

"I'd might take me... a week to get there. I mean. Do whatever you want with the time."

"I don't really want you to go." Senya said like he was announcing it."

"Yeah." Aster turned to look at him. "Thanks." She almost blushed while she did it. She knew she didn't really like him, and she doubted that as long as all this crazy stuff was going on in her life, she wasn't going to be able to properly crush on anyone. And maybe when she was done with this, she'd still be messed up inside- unable to understand love and uninterested in seeking it. Or maybe she'd always been like this. She didn't mind either way, honestly.

She thought Senya was beautiful. Wren did too. But they both knew him too well now to really obsess over it.

"But you'll be ok." Wren smiled, and about gestured into the air. "Can't die. Can't anything. So we don't have to feel so solemn. We'll all be fine."

Aster bit her lips, sucking on the chewed up skin. She considered being solemn. She thought about being quiet. And she forced herself to smile. It wasn't like the smile was fake- it was just an effort large enough to warrant a 'forced'. She hadn't been unhappy. She was simply bad at smiling.