The Ascension

In the end

 Aster, Wren, and Senya waited on the wastes as the gods assembled. Aelen had settled in the desert a few hours ago, standing nearly still and clearly waiting. Word had gotten about from fleeing refugees that Aera was coming now too, passing through Sved at the moment and seeming to head right towards the wastes.

It was getting to be night. Freezing cold for those who weren't Aster. A crowd had gathered to watch Aelen, but most people were wise enough to seek shelter as far away as they could from the beast.

Wren and Senya had found a blanket from somewhere, and were huddling for heat. However, neither had the patience Aster had been gifted.

"I'm going to freeze to death." Senya complained.

"You'll just come right back!" Wren cautiously whispered back.

"Only to freeze again a second later, I'm sure."

Aster was standing, dramatically, a few feet ahead of them and staring at Aelen. She turned around to look at her friends. "Here. Do I give off any heat? I will join your blanket." She placed a hand on Senya's forehead.

He reeled back. "Ug! I think you just sped my death up tenfold."

Aster looked at her hand and frowned. "I hate this non-scientific science." She sat down on the sand. "Whatever."

"I know we can't die, but don't you think we ought to back up a little more from the fighting area?" Wren asked. "I don't fancy getting hurt."

"They're just... giant monster things. I'm not sure their fighting is going to have a large area of impact." Senya said. "They'll probably bump into each other a few times until one of them dies."

"I think Aera is going to lose." Wren said.

"Yeah. Probably going to get thrown into the sea or something. I mean, water versus fire? It's not a very even match." Senya said. "Hey Aster? How is this plan supposed to work again?"

"They'll defeat each other and the world will be saved."

"Except Aera is clearly going to lose."

Aster sighed. "I don't know. You'd hope Ikina made them equals, being equivalents and all."

"Sure, but... land. Sea. And we all know how this went down last time they supposedly fought."

"Did you have the same creation myth we did? I would have thought a Lailanic country like Iixo would have had a story where the Earth killed the Sea."

"Guess not. I mean, worshipping Laila was never about being superior to Silan. It's praising her for... providing land."

The general panic brought by having a very large beast appear had temporarily allowed for a truce between Svedian nations and Aeis. A series of guard towers marked Aeian borderlands, and they had in addition to allowing fleeing Svedians into the country, they had opened communications with similar guard posting in Sved. A simple method of fire was the undiscussed method for tracking Aera's path.

A soldier ran into the desert near City Twenty-Three and shouted. Aera was in Aeis. Making its way down. Some of the people gathered decided now was probably a good time to get moving. One concerned family even stopped and asked if Aster's group wanted a ride east.

There were still a few people left watching when Aera came into sight. One soldier with a camera was quite dedicated to capturing the scene, relying on several rolls of film which she quickly would wrap up after a few shots. Quantity over quality.

Aera, like Aelen, was absurdly large and surprisingly fast moving. It walked on long and skinny spider's legs, trailing ashes in its wake.

It still took a while for it to arrive in the wastes, but once it did, the heat it gave off made the night feel like a particularly hot day. Wren and Senya were thankful, but not overjoyed at the presence of the monster.