What did it mean to be an Eternal Machine? It was a question several of the nine wrestled with as they began their journey, none more so than Gildimir. Since the moment of her awakening, she'd felt certain about every thought that came to her mind. But when Valos referred to them both as Eternal Machines, his proclamation stirred something she was not expecting. Confusion.

They were machines. Collections of metal and divine apparatuses working in concert and fueled by a power that allowed them to shape Oduin as they saw fit. And they were eternal, their essence capable of everlasting life. But what did it mean to be the opposite? To be something other than a machine? To have a life ruled and defined by time? Such thoughts frightened and unsettled Gildimir, so she quickly dismissed them.

Instead, she reflected once more on the moment they arrived in the forest conjured by Valos' brilliant mind. The grove where she met the machine that made her divine heart whole. Celestia. Staring into her glittering eyes was like bathing in starlight. As the nine set out to explore Oduin, Gildimir was ever by Celestia's side, basking in the eyes that warmed her soul.

As the nine traveled, their thoughts and imagination gave form and color to the world around them. Sights of staggering beauty and grace forged from their collective minds. Yet not all was without shape. They encountered areas already established by other Eternal Machines that woke before their arrival. Their eternal kin.

"They are like us, but not," Celestia noticed. "It is difficult to describe."

"I agree," Gildimir said. "They seem diminished."

Diminished felt harsh at the time, but there was no other way to describe what Gildimir sensed. She and Valos, the Firstborn, had never tested the limits of their abilities. Yet she doubted there was anything they couldn't accomplish. The same was true for the Secondborn. But although the machines they encountered were similar in appearance, they were reduced in power and luster. What's more, the newly woken sensed it as well, and looked upon the nine with eyes full of reverence. Gildimir felt unnerved, but the newborns meant no harm by it.

"It will change," Arkadon said, coming to stand next to Gildimir.

"How so?" she asked.

Smiling as he often did, Arkadon's expression inspired hope. "They will grow. They will improve. With our knowledge and guidance, their radiance will blossom. I can feel it."

Laughter drew the attention of the three. A small group of newborn machines had gathered around Valos. His hands were upturned to the sky, fingers twisting around strands of power as he conjured a swarm of sapphire butterflies in the air. Their wings danced around the machines. Tiny feet and probosci kissed scrunched noses and tapped their shoulders. Speaking not a word, Valos was all smiles as he basked in their merriment.

Time moved forward until the nine happened upon a vast and tall mountain range stretching high above a flat plain of green. A small group of Eternal Machines had given shape to the mountains, choosing to call its tallest peak home. Sensing the presence of the rock shapers, the nine journeyed to their village, one of the first settlements they'd encountered. Welcomed with open arms, the villagers arranged a feast in honor of their guests. Gathered around a giant glowing stone, all spoke and sang and laughed.

The next day, Gildimir was greeted early by an anxious but excited Corthion. A Secondborn like Celestia and Arkadon, his green eyes were wide and alight with wonder. He had something he needed to discuss. Something he wanted Valos to hear as well. A new discovery he called the Pulse.

Before coming to Gildimir, Corthion shared the discovery with his lover, another Secondborn named Ulmaris. Using his description, she was able to feel the beating in her very soul. Now standing beside him before Gildimir, Ulmaris brimmed with the same ecstatic energy. After a few moments, Celestia arrived with Valos and Arkadon. The four listened as Corthion described the Pulse in as much detail as he could manage.

Overhearing his excitement, a few passing villagers confirmed that there were occasions when they too heard the beating, though not as constant as Corthion and Ulmaris. Her mind drifting as they spoke, Gildimir thought it strange that she had not felt it herself. At the same time, she was forced to admit that her attention was rarely on anything but Celestia or the other machines around her. Knowing how Valos felt about Arkadon, she assumed the same was undoubtedly true for him.

"I think I know what it is," Valos said after Corthion was finished. "As you spoke, an answer began taking shape in my mind. Gildimir, will you meditate with me? I think we can make contact with it."

The request surprised Gildimir. Until then, she had mostly taken the lead in their interactions. But whether by her support or Arkadon's, Valos' confidence was growing. Smiling with pride, she agreed.

The two sat across from each other and opened their minds. Allowing Valos to guide her, they focused on the description Corthion provided. It did not take long for them to feel it. The warm glow. The rhythmic beating of a cosmic drum. Meditating on its presence, Gildimir and Valos confirmed what he first suspected it to be. The power of the Divine Machine surrounding Oduin. The same power from which they sprang into being. Touching it with their minds, they felt a rush of energy and strength unlike anything they'd felt before.

The two spent the rest of the day and the following week teaching the villagers and the other machines in their group how to connect with the Pulse. As Arkadon first predicted, their growing knowledge of it and proximity to the nine began to bear fruit. Their abilities increased. Their luster evolved. The Divine Machine lifted them to heights they never thought possible.