The Ascension

The truth

 Now, here is the part where many things must happen, and unfortunately, not all of them can be paid the same amount of attention. It's a nasty bit of business, time passing, as a year is a disgusting thing to look back on, and every further year that ages it only adds to the rot. Things change, yearly, and the average human is too focused living through it to really pay much mind.

Aster, Wren, and Senya were still alive, of course, but they had become a little bit more than that. They could witness time pass a little less actively. A year went fairly quickly, especially compared to their last busy one. They met nearly every day, teleporting in from across the planet, talking about whatever they might've done.

Wren could still paint despite primarily being a deity. Senya used his powers to wander obscure parts of the globe, willing himself to find new niches every time he set off for a walk- a journey that occasionally would take him several days to finish.

Aster was busy making sure things went well. She could turn herself invisible, and lately incorporeal, and she watched the countries recover from the disasters. She sometimes nudged something along, finding it easy to plant ideas in the minds of world leaders. She occasionally found time for a miracle- a lucky bit of coin, a good catch of fish, perhaps a good find of food in a rubbish bin.

Artemis and Eii did not stop to speak with her during this time, but she was acutely aware they were watching, and when their presence was especially strong she would take time to roll her eyes in the direction of their energy.

The next two years were faster. Time is a fairly consistent thing, but it traveled quicker for them. They no longer met every day. The world was healing well, and Aster started to do less. Wren grew tried of painting, his unlimited power removing the general challenge of transferring an image to canvas. Senya knew the maps of the world by heart.

They could spend each day sleeping, alone, or perhaps watching the sky. When they sat on the rooftops of the First City of Aeis, they could watch the crowds move below so fast and so unaware, and they would become knowledgeable about every person simply by sitting there.

Something came to Aster when she was doing this one day, sitting in silence with her gods and learning about her people: no one was normal, it turned out.

Artemis started to spend time with Aster, and soon there were visits with him to break up the short days of Daliis. Before long, she was seated in a long grey room with many other gods, observing happenings and listening to short speeches. There did not seem to be an agenda to this group, but she appreciated that it was something different to do.

Eii was nice to her. Sometimes, she would take her down to another planet, and let her explore that for a while. She showed her new creatures she had invented, and lectured her on biology. The past was not brought up.

A couple more years and it occurs to Senya that he would be a man by now. Wren and Aster, though younger, realize similar things. He looks at himself in the mirror, and changes his face, slightly, to reflect this idea.

Within another year, the concept of boredom is brought up. Aster shows off a trick she learned from another god and turns into a large wolf. Impressed, the idea is never discussed again.

They don't see each other very often from this point on, but it ought to be said, the boys see Aster far less than each other. The world is getting better, and Aster spends much of her time with the other gods. There is less need, with the seasons, to interact.

Something sets in sometime this decade that maybe this isn't a good thing. But they still meet, sometimes, to talk. Aster has found a grassy plateau near Sved she could now fondly remember, and it became her new home. As long as they met sometimes, the occurrence would keep them happy and assured, the event always feeling closer than it had been, always striking a contrast from the days surrounding it.