Birth
Eigengrau was quite annoyed it took another 7 years until the child was born. She probably should have checked that when she was walking this path. 9 years of pregnancy was certainly something she wasn't expecting, but least she managed to hide it from the mortals.
She decided to return to the pond she talked to Sirene in that time for the birth, and while she didn't ask them to, both Vordea and Vaust came along.
"Vaust, what about your Inn?" Eigengrau asked, as she sat naked in the water of the pond.
"It's winter, Eigen. I asked Sirene to take care of it for awhile." Vaust answered. "Worry about yourself right now."
"I do not actually feel pain from this." Eigengrau stated.
"Oh?" Vordea asked.
"Pain is a mortal response to avoid injury, Vordea." Eigengrau answered. "All I feel is the contractions as the birth nears."
"I just had a thought." Vaust said, to which Vordea and Eigengrau looked over at him. "If the pregnancy took 12 times as long, 9 years instead of 9 months, how long is the labour going to last?"
---
Eigengrau was even more annoyed that labour lasted nearly a week, but finally her child was born. The God of Winter, Irnia. She regarded him fondly as he suckled on her breast in the pond.
"Congratulations to the both of you." Vordea said warmly, while wearing her black gown. "Shall we go introduce him to the mortals?"
"Not just quite yet. Let us all rest in peace here first." Eigengrau said, cradling the infant God.
"The first new outer God in over a thousand years." Vaust said with a smile.
Vordea knelt down and touched Irnia's forehead. She smiled and nodded her head before standing back up.
"Yes, his domain is set. He is the God of Winter. How fitting." Vordea said.
Before Eigengrau could reply, the 3 of them noticed bubbling coming from the pond. Eigengrau held Irnia closer and narrowed her eyes.
"Someone is coming." She said.
"Who?" Vaust asked.
"Her." Vordea replied.
Emerging from the pond wearing a long white coat, Mira Frost approached the 4 Gods with a gentle smile on her face.
"So this turning of the wheel has called me here." Mira said, kneeling down to look at Irnia, while Eigengrau held him tightly. "Relax Hunter, I come unarmed."
"You told me if you came back it is for good." Eigengrau said, her voice wavering.
"Perhaps I did. Perhaps I did not. Since I'm here, It's good to see you, me." Mira said, looking over at Vordea. "My legacy of terror, you have exceeded all hope."
Vordea said nothing, and merely bowed her head.
"Eigengrau, the unwilling God. I am genuinely pleased at all you have done, especially befriending me."
"You are welcome." Eigengrau replied, deciding to be cordial.
"Hmmm. You are... Luck." Mira said, looking over Vaust. "You met my memory at the dawn."
"How did you know that?" Vaust asked.
"Eigengrau has chosen well." Mira said, placing a hand on Vaust's shoulder. "Eigengrau, as I would prefer to not wake up every time you have a child, I am giving you a portion of my power."
"What?" Eigengrau asked.
The world around them began to flicker and distort as Mira talked, and she took notice.
"Ah, it appears my time is up. I do enjoy what you've built here, so I will return to the dreamless sleep." Mira said, pulling out a knife from a pocket. "Maybe next time."
With those words, Mira stabbed the knife into her throat in a single swift motion, and fell to the ground, before fading away. Eigengrau and Vordea looked at the pond, as if expecting something else might jump out at any moment.
At this point, Eigengrau decided to get out of the pond, still holding Irnia, who was now soundly asleep. Vaust carefully helped her into her grey robes, and she cradled the sleeping God in her arms.
"Let's take him to the Inn." Vordea suggested.
"A good idea." Eigengrau said. "Let us proceed."