Night was already approaching when they arrived at the gardens. The various aromas and colors of the place still vibrant enough to be enjoyed even in the growing gloom. Teyva walked in silence next to her friend, the two of them wandering the flora for the better part of fifteen minutes before either of them spoke. Their separation had been the first distance between them since they had met and even the small fights they’d had up until that point hadn’t come with a long period of silence. This had been different and both of them knew it. Teyva was a bundle of nerves as they rounded another corner and stopped at the window. The very same spot she’d been confronted with the news that had lead to Azrael distancing herself.
“It was here,” Teyva said out of the blue, startling Azrael a little. The Azar looked to Teyva in confusion. Teyva let out a breath, “Your father and I were standing right here when he told me about how I came to Orum.”
“I see,” Azrael murmured, placing her hand on the glass and watching the waves of grain ripple in the distance. She let out a breath, “He told you not to tell me, didn’t he?”
“Yes,” Teyva said, “He was afraid for you.”
“You probably should have listened to him,” Azrael admitted, letting out a sigh.
“I don’t want to keep secrets from my best friend,” Teyva said, “You’re like a sister to me.”
Azrael swallowed and looked up, there were some tears in her eyes. She wiped them and turned to lean back against the glass, sliding down until she was sitting cross-legged on the floor. Teyva joined her and the two of them stared off into space for a little while until Azrael spoke again. “You didn’t choose any of it.”
“No, I didn’t,” Teyva said, “I have no interest in being some magical god-thing’s glorified puppet.”
“I’m sorry. I should have thought about that before I stormed off,” Azrael said.
“I don’t know why you’re apologizing to me,” Teyva said, “You had every reason to be upset. I would be too if my friend told me that they had been chosen to kill my dad,” Azrael winced but Teyva continued on. “Your dad is a good guy, he wants peace for his people so badly he picked a fight with whatever the hell it is that makes this world work the way it does and it came to a draw. Sure, that meant I ended up in the Tomb. But I met you and Nephral and Elat.”
“Where is Nephral?” Azrael asked.
“He wanted to lounge in my room today,” Teyva said, “So I left him there. It was weird walking around without him hanging around my neck.”
Azrael chuckled; “Momma’s boy.”
“That he is,” Teyva said.
They both sighed simultaneously and glanced at one another. Teyva cracked a grin and Azrael returned it, giving her a little shove. “What?”
“It’s good to see you,” Teyva said.
Azrael shook her head and rested it against the glass, “You’re an idiot. You accepted a knight that runs off at the smallest sign of a troublesome road. How can you even rely on me? How can I protect you from something so big? I swore I’d-”
“Oh shut up,” Teyva said, giving her friend a punch in the shoulder. “I don’t need some wall against the world. If I needed one of those I’d just make one, or have The Marble stand in the way,” Azrael barked out a laugh, but Teyva gave her a serious look. “I need my friend.”
Azrael exhaled, “You’re going to fight this thing?”
“With everything I’ve got. I have no interest in some predestined plan. Osan is a beautiful place and I want it to continue being like this. If anything it’s the Katali who need to start worrying about me,” Teyva said, rubbing her chin.
“What do you mean?” Azrael asked.
“I don’t like that they can just prop up some so-called hero and use that as an excuse to come over and kill a bunch of people like it’s no big deal. It’s a crap excuse. No cassus beli,” Teyva grunted.
“Cassus what?”
“It means a justification for war,” Teyva said, “If anything, it’s the Azar who have the moral high ground.”
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“That’s what Argus Wo said,” Azrael murmured, “But father doesn’t want violence.”
“Just wish I could give them a piece of my mind, at least,” Teyva ground out, resting her head against the glass. “Besides, I owe that Justicar for killing me,” she sighed, “But those are just whims. Not a direction.”
“You’ll find it, my lady,” Azrael said, turning to stare off into space.
They leaned into each other for a while, just enjoying the company that they’d shared since that day in the tomb. Teyva felt relief well up in her chest and her muscles finally ease. She hadn’t realized how tense she was since the day Azrael had locked herself away. Now that she was here, she felt good. That was until Azrael smacked her on the back of the head.
“Ow! The hell was that for?”
“You slept with Yaga Yftha!” Azrael barked, giving her a mildly amused scowl, “That’s like sleeping with my mother!”
Tevya grimaced and offered her friend a weak smile, “We aren’t fighting anymore?”
“Clearly!” Azrael snapped her lip trembling with mirth. “You are not allowed to get drunk anymore.”
“Oh shut up, I wasn’t that drunk!” Teyva retorted.
“Oh so you chose to sleep with Yaga,” Azrael said, wide-eyed and nodding. Her smile grew as shock registered on Teyva’s face.
“Wait- that’s not what I meant!” Teyva blurted.
“No no, she’s very pretty and I suppose emotions running high can make you do things you never expected,” Azrael said, nodding sagely.
Teyva stared at her until Azrael broke into a wide grin and began to laugh. Teyva shoved her and the two wrestled for a moment before falling flat on their backs. They stared at the ceiling and laughed, filling the quiet room with the sounds of their mirth. When they finally relaxed, Teyva raised her arm and held out her fist to Azrael. “Sisters. Forever.”
“Sisters,” Azrael said and rested her fist against Teyva’s.
The two of them were on the ground for only a few minutes before they heard the sound of the door opening to the gardens and shot to their feet. Azrael stepped in front of Teyva instinctively and peered into the foliage only to let out a breath and shake her head. “Father! Go to bed!” She called into the darkness.
There was a pause and then a low chuckle greeted the two women, “You caught me! Is Teyva with you?”
Azrael glanced at Teyva and she shrugged, “Yes!”
The King stepped out from around one of the paths and rested his hands on his hips, looking between the two women. He broke into a wide smile and nodded, “Looks like you two are talking again.”
Azrael cleared her throat and narrowed her eyes, “Father, you don’t get many opportunities to sleep. What are you doing here?
The King raised an eyebrow, “I think a late-night stroll through the gardens is a great way to relax, wouldn’t you think so, Teyva?” He asked, glancing in her direction. Teyva held up her hands in defeat, not wanting to interject into their argument. Azrael rolled her eyes at Teyva and looked back at the King who had moved so suddenly that neither of them had seen it. One second he was ten feet away the next he was at Azrael’s side and ruffling her hair. She shrank beneath his affections, trying to squirrel away only to get pulled into a big hug. Azrael gave Teyva one of her signature bug-eyed looks as the big man squeezed her tight before releasing her. “Ah, that’s better, I needed that,” He said, trying to make it sound like hugging Azrael was therapeutic.
Azrael scrambled away, this time putting Teyva between her and her father. Teyva looked back at Azrael and sighed. The King just gave her an amused look. That was when it hit her that she had a chance to talk to him about the library.
“Your Majesty,” Teyva began.
“Thrake is fine, we aren’t in the throne room. Or you could call me father, seeing as you’ve accepted my offer, yes?”
Teyva worked her jaw, “Thrake,” She finally said, not giving him the satisfaction. She wasn’t about to give him a ‘father please’ moment.
He chuckled and put his hands on his hips. “Yes, Teyva?”
“I spoke with Barin Kot about my condition,” She began and his expression turned firm, he nodded, “He told me that there may be a place where I can get information about a solution but-”
The king’s eyes widened with understanding and he crossed his arms. “You’re speaking of Nulakam, the library beneath Osan.”
“Master Kot didn’t tell me its name, but yes.”
“You want to go down there?” He asked. Teyva nodded and he frowned, “I will have to think about it.”
Azrael looked between the two of them, “What Library?”
“Apparently there’s a secret library hidden beneath Osan filled with old knowledge,” Teyva said, “But your father sealed it because of how dangerous it is down there.”
“Precisely the reason why I am hesitant to let you go, the undead are not to be taken lightly and they have overtaken the entirety of the place,” Thrake said, “I would not welcome you into my house, call you family, then send you to your death.”
“I need that information, though,” Teyva insisted, “Or I won’t be able to trust myself. I have to do something about this damn ghost.”
“I will consider it,” He said, raising his hand, “That’s all I’ll say on the matter for now.”
Teyva sighed, she supposed that was the most she was going to get out of him at this point. She couldn’t go in without his permission and she guessed it had something to do with the fact that he himself sealed it shut. She wasn’t going to push her luck either, she’d finally managed to get past the drama that had come with her arrival and she’d like it to stay that way a little while longer. She inclined her head to him, “Thank you, sir.”
His frown eased into a smile and he nodded. He turned his gaze to Azrael and a sparkle of mirth danced across his eyes, he clapped his hands together and rubbed them eagerly. “Now! Who wants to sneak into the kitchens with me?”