14th of the month of Ice, 16:47, after Midnight

Loa had not kept many friends from her time at the Ogdra, at least not many that were approved by her parents, who prefer that she interacts with those of noble background. But Nasaru Kyome, older than her by at least five years, was the only exception; he was an allowed friend, as he was the Augur-not a noble, but becoming a Vyshe was the highest regard one could acquire in Neth-and a friend she had made by her own means, not by an organized play date by her mother to elevate the already high status of the Saaga family. 

Nasaru, Saru to his friends, was quirky and quiet, at least until you met him proper, then, he turned into the loudest person in the room. They had met in the Ogdra, as she learned of the Creed and Neth’s history and he was trained as Nashe to the then Augur. They had shared a table at the Archives for two long years and they had become fast friends after. 

But he had been too old to play with her and her other parent-approved friends, and their interactions and conversations had mostly stayed in Theoretical Asha uses and the Fimbul Rebellion conspiracy theories that ran rampant at the Ogdra in those years. 

Loa always tries to make time to visit and talk with Saru, and, since her future husband is busy burying his uncle, she can freely visit Saru at the Ogdra on a night such as this.

The building that houses the Creed is almost as grand as the Lunar Palace, made of white stone in the outside and many wondrous arches and towers. But the most peculiar part of it was the inside; Every surface was made of mirrors: the walls, floor and ceiling. The only thing that escaped this peculiar arquitectural choice were the doors, that were made of polished wood. 

They had been taught once why this was. The Ogdra was a place of worship and individual insight, where the gods watched the people they had created, and the mirrors of the Ogdra symbolized that. You are always being watched and judged by the gods. 

Loa walks around the many confusing halls of the Ogdra until she reaches the House of feathers, the space reserved for the Augur, located in one of the many towers of the building, it was essential for the Augur to be close to their subject of study, after all. 

The door is easy to find after Loa finds the correct spiral staircase that takes her to the tower, it’s a magnificent set of double doors of white wood with carved birds covering every inch of the door’s surface. Without even realizing, Loa finds a vardera among the many birds and lightly touches it with the tips of her fingers, her house sigil may look small and innocent, but her family took pride in that under that small appearance, the vardera hid a terrible poison able to kill a full grown Faux without much trouble. It is at that moment that one of the doors-coincidentally the one she was touching- opens and Loa flinches backwards. 

It’s Hilde Gernot. Current Nashe to the Augur. Wearing a black and white dress that accentuates her peculiar black streaked white hair and pale skin, Hilde definitely stands out, even in a crowd of Netherians.

Loa smiles at her old friend, but the girl does not return the smile, and merely looks down and pushes forward, not crashing into Loa thanks to her stepping aside, walking fast and leaving Loa’s sight in less than a few seconds. Loa frowns at the top of the stairs where Hilde had disappeared and shakes her head. Hilde has always been like that, never rude intentionally, but rude as result of her immense shyness and anxiety. Loa remembers that, back in their childhood, she would hide behind Artemy whenever something happened and she didn’t know how to react. Loa had found it extremely annoying at the time, most of all when Hilde reacted that way to something Loa herself did or said. 

No sense in thinking too hard about it, so Loa doesn’t and enters the House of feathers, where she can already see the figure of the Augur freaking out over some book. She closes the door behind her and looks around, papers and books filling the round room, a spiral staircase hugging the walls to be able to get to the top floor of the tower and right in the middle, a table stacked with books and a bird skeleton kept upright with the help of wires. 

“Vyshe Kyome” greets Loa with a bow that is bordering on mocking. 

Nasaru jumps and turns, his white mask still in place while the hood has been lowered, his long black braid loose around his neck, almost like a necklace. 

“Loa! You’re here, wonderful help me with this, will you?” Says Saru as he waves at Loa to come forward 

“You should be more respectful, you know” says Loa as she approaches with a smile “I’ll be queen soon”

That comment is enough to make Saru raise his head.

“I knew I forgot something important” he mumbles and turns again, taking his mask in the process and throwing it carelessly behind him, his lone eye bright with excitement while the other hides under a black eyepatch. “When is the wedding?”

“Too soon for my taste” replies Loa as she watches Saru’s disorganized table, the papers are filled with drawings of a bird Loa has never seen before, with, curiously, just two eyes instead of the normal three Neth’s birds have. “What’s that?”

“Oh! This, my precious friend, is what Nima and Enma call an Owl” Explains Saru with a proud expression on his face “It’s a bird from the Outside that eats something called…err..Racks!”

Loa hummed in interest. She hadn’t known birds crossed into Neth like Nomads did, did other animals also cross?

“What did you want my help with?” Asks Loa 

“I need to bring some maps to the upper tower, and two set of hands are always better” Says Saru as he points to a box filled with rolled parchments “I’ll be faster with some help and then we can have out tea time!”

“I’m surprised Hilde is not helping you, isn’t that the job of the Nashe?” Says Loa even as she moves towards the box and starts picking up maps and putting them under her arms. 

“Ah, Hilde has not been feeling well” Says Saru with a worried frown on his face, he scratches at his face in discomfort and also starts picking up maps. 

“The flu? She didn’t look particularly sick when I saw her” Says Loa with a raised eyebrow 

“Not the flu, I think, I didn’t want to ask” mumbles Saru “She’s just been down since…well, since last night, when, you know, that happened”

Loa nods with understanding. It had never appeared to her that Hilde was particularly close to her great uncle Mikhe, but she had always been very private. 

“I just want to give her some space” sighs Saru as they start to climb the narrow staircase towards the top of the tower. 

Loa smiles even as Saru cannot see her. 

“That’s very nice of you, Saru” she whispers and lowers her head. How lucky is Hilde, to have a mentor like Saru, that takes care of her in the most important ways, Loa is almost jealous. 

“Argh, let’s not talk about such sad things Loa! Tell me about your future marriage!” Laughs Saru. 

They finally reach the top and with a heave, Loa drops the maps on the desk in the cluttered and very small space there, right next to a glass door that leads to the terrace Saru uses to watch the sky. 

“A winter wedding” says Loa as she scratches the side of her face “A week from now”

“You don’t sound very happy” mumbles Saru as he also drops his maps, he leans against the tower’s wall and crosses his arms over his chest.

“I don’t really want to marry him, but my mother insisted, she said it was the better choice, and I know I need to marry soon” states Loa with lowered eyes “I talked with the prince, he doesn’t want to marry either”

They stay quiet for a minute and Loa spends the silence fiddling with a loose thread in her dress’ skirt. 

“Well, there goes my chance of talking about something uplifting” chuckles Saru awkwardly “You never said you didn’t want this before”

“I guess I just didn’t think about it, about the proximity of it more like it” says Loa as she shrugs and chuckles “I’m sorry I thwarted your efforts”

“You’re making me feel bad now! I just wanted an excuse to talk about my lady love!” Laughs Saru

“Since when do you have a lady love!?” Asks Loa with surprise 

“Not yet! I’m just courting at the moment” replies Saru with a heavy blush decorating his face “She has been very receptive to it”

“Don’t talk about it like she is one of the birds you’re studying!” Exclaims Loa with a giggle “You make it sound so weird! But forget about that! Who is it?”

“Dagma Eddala” mumbles Saru and then preens like a prideful faux “She said she finds me handsome”

Loa laughs loudly and briefly forgets her own problems.

“Has-has she even seen your face?” Asks Loa in between laughs 

“Of course! She visits Enma and grandfather often” yells Saru with embarrassment and stomps towards the stairs

“Don’t get mad Saru! But I’m pretty sure she can break you in half without breaking a sweat” adds Loa as she follows him 

“Oh, I’m counting on it” says Saru with a mischievous smile “Come on, I owe you some tea”

Loa smiles at his back and hurries to follow.