ã€ŠThe Shadow That Preludes Death (The Favoured)ã€‹


 Prologue/Teaser

    Prologue

    In the beginning, there was the void completely empty except for one being. This nameless being was all-powerful, but it soon became unsatisfied with its existence. For what was the point of all this power if it couldn¡¯t express it. So the being shaped himself into the Fabric; an uncountable amount of interconnected worlds. From these worlds, people were born each a part of the original being, and time continued on. Eventually, something truly special happened on the largest and most central of the worlds. A child was born. The child grew to be a man who was brutal and warlike and wanted nothing more than to destroy and rain fire down on the world. This man was not like the other animals on his planet he was the first to become aware that he could express the nameless God¡¯s being into feats of unimaginable power. He was an army unto himself, he was the first and most powerful of the Favoured, and over hundreds of years, he devastated the world with terrible fire. As time passed he only seemed to grow more powerful, and soon this world was not enough for the man. He built the immense great portals where he ripped holes to other worlds. Thousands of worlds fell, he was insatiable and it seemed like nothing would stop him. Then one day he was gone. He was the first of the ascended and became the great God of destruction Scrios.

    CHAPTER 1

    The soaring arches of the grand hall stretched into an impenetrable cold void in contrast to the warm light of the torches illuminating the lower half of the hall. Long tables stretched vertically down the room populated with decadently dressed guests, servers moved between the tables filling glasses and replacing food. The cacophony of hundreds of people talking elevated the atmosphere except for where a large table stood elevated on a podium. The people sitting at this table exuded a suffocating presence that even at the far end of the hall Umbra could feel. It pressed against her like someone standing on her chest and she knew from experience that the closer she got to them the heavier the pressure would become until the point where she could barely breathe. For they were Favoured by the Gods

    V prodded Umbra on the shoulder ¡°hey, wakey wakey.¡±

    ¡°I wasn¡¯t sleeping¡± Umbra responded defensively ¡°just thinking.¡±

    ¡°Admiring the Favoured again weren¡¯t you¡± V giggled.

    ¡°Was not¡± Umbra replied and V¡¯s pretty elfin features screwed into a sceptical face. Umbra sighed even though V was her best friend she was endlessly irritating.

    Umbra¡¯s eyes were drawn back to the Favoured. The Duchess leader of this Territory sat at the head of the table shining with white light and blinding to behold. The light seemed to pour from her skin and her eyes were solid silver. Umbra grimaced as her gaze swept past over her it felt like standing on top of a mountain in the blistering winds and falling snow. Umbra turned her attention from the Duchess¡¯ alien visage to the Duke who was far more pleasing to look at his hair was midnight black and his eyes deep warm brown, framed by strong brows. Muscles pushed against his clothes. While the Duchess was like ice the Duke was a hearth where one could warm themselves.

    V poked Umbra again ¡°what¡± Umbra snapped irritated at the interruption, she giggled

    ¡°he is like 200 years your senior¡±,

    ¡°I can still look¡± Umbra huffed.

    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t¡± V cautioned her eyes twinkling ¡°the Duchess doesn¡¯t take kindly to people looking at her man and a glare from her could freeze a waterfall.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, yeah I know,¡± Umbra said and V turned away from me to concentrate on stuffing an entire steak into her mouth. Umbra sighed, V¡¯s voracious appetite was charming in a disgusting way and probably had something to do with our table being the farthest from the Duchess¡¯ table Umbra joked internally. The kids at the table were after all the Duke¡¯s charity cases not important enough to warrant a closer table, most of us were kids from the street the Duke had taken in and provided for. He was a caring man and Umbra was extremely grateful but she had never actually met him and he had never visited the orphanage he definitely came across as aloof. V was still managing to stuff her face with as much food as possible and Umbra shook her head and laughed softly to herself the sound masked by the din of the dining hall.

    Umbra¡¯s table always left early as Dinner lasted until late in the night and the younger kids needed rest. They were escorted out of the hall by the portly matron Mrs. K no one actually knew what the K stood for. V skipped happily ahead twirling around in the air her short red hair spun around her face as her wings fluttered and her skirt flew up scandalously ¡°V, for the love Ennedi behave your age, you are not a child anymore to twirl about like that.¡± V stuck her tongue out as Mrs. K¡¯s stern voice echoed through the empty halls. V was always like this dancing and excited. She was a fairy, after all, mischievous demi-humans that reached the size of a human teenager at maturity and with delicate translucent wings they were easy to spot. V tended to take the mischievous part to the extreme her pranks were unending and drove Mrs. K to frustrations and breakdowns.

    After traveling down a few flights of stairs the hall ended at wooden double doors monsters and demi-humans of all kinds carved into the wood. Umbra always slowed down to gaze at the out of place doors. Mrs. K pushed through them into the main room of the orphanage a large spacious area with tables for taking meals as the orphans don¡¯t usually eat in the grand hall. The wall on the far side of the room was lined with bookcases ranging from historical accounts and encyclopaedias to the works of fiction and children¡¯s books. ¡°Everyone head to their rooms now we are up later than normal and you need sleep,¡± Mrs. K said in a motherly tone and the kids dutifully shuffled through another door to the dorms. V was still ahead skipping along, surprisingly, without her usual dancing. Umbra groaned inwardly the only reason for that would be her hatching a scheme of some sort of which Umbra would undoubtedly be part of.This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

    Umbra slipped into their room behind V. Her quick pale eyes darted around the room, V stood in the middle of their moderately sized space, a mess of clothes were spread out on the mat floor that the fairies so Favoured, the blankets on V¡¯s bed had slid half off onto the floor and their low table was covered in a half-finished game of Beast Cards. Umbra was momentarily distracted from the inspection by V who was staring out the window which stretched from floor to ceiling opposite our door, her pale skin reflected the moon¡¯s light making her glow like the Duchess lighting the dark room, beautiful Umbra thought, V spun around breaking the effect and her face split into a massive grin.

    ¡°We are going out!¡± V declared,

    Umbra winced ¡°voice down please not everyone has gone to sleep¡± V did lower her voice but it still lilted with excitement

    ¡°We only have a month left before we are declared Grown and we are taken for training. We need to do something fun,¡± Umbra¡¯s eyebrows drew together in a frown

    ¡°I¡¯m used to the usual pranks but we could get into real trouble if we left the castle during the night, the Duchess¡¯ Territory isn¡¯t exactly the safest,¡± V rolled her eyes.

    ¡°We are almost Grown we can handle the outside for a few hours and look¡± she points towards the window where thin plumes of flame rocketed into the air almost as high as the great portals and exploded into plumes of fire that roiled in the night sky lighting the people in orange and red, today was the celebration of the Fire God Vorazun.

    The festival was beautiful and V quickly convinced Umbra to sneak out; V was exceptionally hard to refuse. ¡°Grab the blankets¡± V whispered.

    ¡°Now she is quiet¡± Umbra murmured under her breath. Umbra grabbed the blankets and visibly hesitated as she realised what V had planned, to slide down the rope like an escaping princess in the stories. ¡°I¡¯m not sure this is a great idea V,¡± Umbra said.

    ¡°Don¡¯t be a coward it will be fine?¡± her huff of exasperation evident as she grabbed the blankets off Umbra. V quickly tied their blankets together and Umbra thanked the Duke for his aloof kindness as they had far more blankets then what was needed.

    ¡°Hey tie this to the bed¡± V said while throwing Umbra the end of their makeshift rope. As Umbra was tying the knot V propped open one of the window panes and let the rope slide down. Umbra peered out the window looking down and with the next plume of fire saw that the rope was only a small drop away from the roof below. Getting back would be an issue but the Duchess¡¯ guards opened the fortress gates at sunrise and sneaking back into their rooms through the door would be easier than trying to climb back up the fortress.

    V grabbed the rope and started sliding down, her yelp of glee thankfully quiet. Umbra slipped through the small hole in the window pane after her. It was a tight fit even with her slight build. She gripped the makeshift rope tightly not confident in her ability to slide down the entire length of it like V. Pushing her toes into the crevices in the stone to help support her weight she shimmied down the wall and dropped the small distance without rope and landed on the roof of the third storey. Vi was already sitting on the edge of the roof gazing at the Territory. Umbra craned her neck back to look up at their window two storeys above and the rest of the fortress which stretched into the sky far above. The top of the fortress was too high to see, Umbra turned back towards V and stepped carefully towards her, Umbra¡¯s feet slide on the damp roof, falling off the roof would be unpleasant, to say the least. Umbra crouched at V¡¯s side to admire the Duchess¡¯ Territory, it stretched as far as her eyes could see. The Duchess had one of the largest and richest Territories on Poliagoras with many Great Portals and hundreds of lesser ones. A Great portal could be seen in the distance not to hard to miss, they were immense circular structures towering over all buildings except the Duchess¡¯ fortress, inside of the circle rippled blue-green light as people passed through it. Travelers, Tourist, Explorers and trade goods, particularly the food as Poliagoras had no way to produce food. Everyone imaginable used the portals to travel to worlds linked in the Fabric. Almost everyone traveled through Poliagoras, it was the largest transit world.

    V nudged Umbra ¡°time to go,¡± she said. They climbed down to the lower balcony. V with unparalleled ease just floating down her wings fluttering. Umbra, on the other hand, had a bit more trouble the rock was damp and it was all too easy to slip. Making it to the balcony and then from there to the next and then into the fortress gardens that filled the space between the fortress and its outer wall.

    ¡°so how do we get over this¡± Umbra said as she pointed at the wall slightly irritated that they would have to perform some more acrobatics to get out of the fortress, this idea seemed less and less appealing as time went on. V just rolled her eyes

    ¡°you think I haven¡¯t done this before, follow me¡± and she skipped off.

    Following V through the garden wasn¡¯t too difficult she was a beacon her skin glowing in the moonlight. Thankfully the guards didn¡¯t seem to care about the two girls they just looked like young women going for a stroll in the gardens. V led Umbra to a small door in the wall ¡°I wonder who uses this.¡± mused Umbra aloud as V pushed it open,

    ¡°Old nobles use it sneak out of the fortress for extracurricular activities I bet,¡± V said giving Umbra a wink. Umbra blushed

    ¡°Don¡¯t speak like that it isn¡¯t proper¡±. V only laughed again in reply. The little door led out into an empty alley lit only by the warm orange glow coming from the festival. They started walking through the dark alley the empty houses lining the sides of the road on which they walked. This neighbourhood was really quite nice but they only got grimier with distance from the fortress. Mrs. K lessons had touched on the slums that stretched along the border of the Duchess territory and the opposing factions.

    Umbra was broken out of her thoughts by V¡¯s voice ¡°what¡± Umbra said irritation making her huff. V seemed nonplussed though and asked again.

    ¡°What apprenticeship do you want?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t really know, I¡¯m not really good at anything¡± replied Umbra thoughtfully.

    ¡°Well I want to be a dancer, or maybe a musician,¡± said V her happy face turning towards me.

    ¡°You do love music I grinned back at her, ¡°but remember you don¡¯t get to decide what you want; the masters arrive tomorrow to watch us for the rest of the month before the choosing¡±

    ¡°Yeah, it will be nice to have this month off lessons, I can dance for the Masters,¡± V said her smile splitting her face from ear to ear. Happy for her friend Umbra only smiled in reply, her eyes fell to her feet she was still worried about her choice, she had no apparent skills and nothing to show the masters, she supposed she would just do as she normally did and hope that someone shows enough interest to choose her.

 Chapter 2/The Festival

    ¡°Look¡± V said her eyes wide, awe colouring her voice. Umbra snapped out of her thoughts to see the massive centre of the Territory usually used as market overflowing with all manner of people; humans, monsters and demi-humans, she had never seen so many people before. The shops and houses surrounding the centre were hung with flame red banners marked with Vorazun¡¯s symbol a flame eating away at a rotting tree, stalls were set up on the edge of the centre selling all manner of sweets and pastries, over the clamour of the crowd what sounded like a flute was playing a merry dancing song. Umbra wasn¡¯t too focused on any of that though because through the crowd she could make out the unfavoured mages their art mesmerising, they were grouped around a massive bonfire, twisting fire into balls which they threw into the air letting them explode into plumes of fire that masked the moon and stars.

    V grabbed Umbra¡¯s hand and pulled her into the crowd of people pushing past a tall girl with the ears of a fox and nine matching tails. ¡°Where are we going¡± Umbra yelled over the din of the crowd.

    ¡°Getting closer to the fire¡± V replied her eyes twinkling as she continued pulling Umbra towards the fire and the mages. Umbra quickened her pace and slipped past V eager to meet the mages. She had never spoken to a mage before despite being under the care of one of the most powerful mages in the Territory. These mages were far more approachable anyways they didn¡¯t have an aura of overwhelming pressure. They were almost like normal people.

    The two girls stood before the bonfire and watched as the mages pulled balls of flame from the fire and threw them with unnatural strength into the sky above. Umbra was entranced till V who had been looking around spun to face Umbra.

    ¡°Look, dancing,¡± V said pointing at a large circular space the crowd had left open. A faun stood to the side blowing a merry tune into his pan flute the sound cutting through the raging fires and clamour of the crowd. In the open area, humans and monster spun and twirled laughing and the circle expanded as more people join in the dancing. An aurai tumbled into the sky she was breathtakingly beautiful, her long white hair flew around her prominent cheekbones and pale skin. Her grey eyes were lit with joy and framed by slender white brows. And her delicate limbs were in the constant motion of dance. When she moved light gusts of wind spun through the centre and her high laughter cut through the crowd. Umbra stood stock still her mouth agape she had never seen anything like it and V was practically squealing with delight as she took Umbra¡¯s hand and pulled her towards the dancing.

    V pushed right through into the middle of the ever-expanding circle and broke away from Umbra. Her movements flowed with a grace that took the breath away. V lived to dance the joyous freedom it brought her was evident in her every gesture and step, V was the most V when she was dancing. Umbra couldn¡¯t help but feel jealous. Umbra was graceful, but beside V she wasn¡¯t special. She shook her head those were not thoughts a friend should have, instead, she listened to the faun¡¯s merry tune which had been joined by drums and soon lost herself in the hypnotic beat which had her limbs moving and her jealousy forgotten.

    It was hard to tell just how much time had passed when Umbra came to her senses the faun¡¯s song had died off replaced by a lute. She had been dancing with a tall man his hair a deep red complimenting his crimson eyes that stared down at her she pushed off his suddenly burning hot chest, how had she not noticed the heat. Umbra jerked ¡°dovian¡± she murmured, a smile broke his impassive face.

    ¡°Yes¡± he said in a deep rolling accent that rumbled the air. She backed away her eyes widening in fear, he was a dragon. Turning around she ran through the crowd his eyes burning a hole in her back the entire way. Even after she felt his gaze leave her she kept running slipping through the crowd. She pushed her way through the last few people separating her from one of the connecting streets. She stopped and used the wall of a weaver¡¯s shop to catch her breath. Looking behind her she searched for his crimson eyes. She breathed a sigh of relief when she saw no sign of them. The stories said that a dovian burned like a furnace and their eyes fire, they also said the dovians stayed away from the centre worlds of the Fabric preferring the savage border where they could kill and burn without fear of an intervention by Favoured. Umbra was shocked she had never expected to see a dovian much less dance with one, there was no way the Duchess and Duke didn¡¯t know that a dovian was in their Territory, so why weren¡¯t they doing anything about it. Dovians were terrifyingly powerful and brutal, and their bloodlust carried into whatever form they chose, for their true form was that of a dragon.

    Composing herself Umbra noticed with displeasure that her best dress was ruined it had been burned all along the front. Weirdly there was no accompanying sting of pain that a burn like that should cause. She then looked around for V wanting to show her the burnt dress only to find that V wasn¡¯t here. ¡°Oh for the love of Ennedi, of course, V isn¡¯t here,¡± Umbra said aloud shocking herself with her language. Oh, and I didn¡¯t even get to speak with the mages Umbra complained to herself.

    Finding V wouldn¡¯t be easy in the press of the crowd Umbra thought as she drifted back towards the crowd. Even though the light from the sun was starting to peek over the horizon the festival hadn¡¯t shrunken in size. Umbra pushed through people ¡°V¡± she yelled, ¡°VVVVVVV, where are you¡±. This was pointless she was too small to see over the heads of the people, she could look until the sun rose to its apex and still not find V. Umbra just had to head back to castle and hope V had found her way back as well.

    Finding her way back was not as easy as Umbra thought it would be. She couldn¡¯t remember which street they had arrived from, so she just picked a street that seemed to lead in the direction of the towering fortress. After walking down the empty street for a while she found that it was slowly curving away from the fortress. Irritated Umbra stopped she didn¡¯t really want to go all the back to the festival to find another path, but taking one of those dark alleys that led more directly to the fortress was almost as unappealing.If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.

    After some consideration Umbra decided against heading back to the festival she was almost Grown and it was starting to get late enough that Mrs. K would come to wake her to meet the masters. If she wasn¡¯t there for that she would be in enough trouble that Mrs. K might just whip her. Glaring defiantly at the alley she strode into it.

    The alley was dark the light of early morning wasn¡¯t high enough to shine into it, bits of trash lay on the ground and it smelt far worse than the main street. Umbra picked her way through the trash careful to not step on what looked like a large dead rat or maybe a cat, it was hard to tell.

    Thankfully the alley wasn¡¯t long and she walked into another main street that unfortunately didn¡¯t seem to lead towards the castle either. Back to the alleys, I guess Umbra thought hesitation making her feat slow. The last wasn¡¯t too bad even if it was gross, she could do this. She picked up her pace and slipped into another alley this wasn¡¯t as dirty as the last but it was as empty. Maybe these weren¡¯t so bad, a bit dirty definitely but they were much faster than the main roads and let her take a direct route to the fortress.

    Umbra couldn¡¯t help but shake a sense of foreboding even with the sun finally starting to creep into the alleys, it was too quiet and there was a strange mist at her feet, but she was almost at the fortress where it would be safe. She couldn¡¯t shake the ominous feeling though. Her shoulders itched and she spun around. Umbra couldn¡¯t tell if that shadow had just moved. She stood as still as a statue and stared back down the alley where she thought she had seen a shadow move. Nothing, nothing moved and not a sound could be heard. This just made Umbra more uneasy surely by now people were heading back to their homes.

    Umbra continued moving forward, her back still itched but she ignored it. The faster she got back to the fortress the better. There was something at the end of the alley it stood in a pillar of light that pushed against the dark of the alley. It seemed to radiate a sensation of correctness as if when it was around everything was in its right place. Umbra couldn¡¯t help but speed up, it was far more appealing than the chaos of the shadows where things seemed to move and change around her. She could make out a shapely womanly figure. She seemed a bit odd and Umbra noticed when she got closer that feathers sprouted from under her arms like wings. ¡°You are much easier to find when you are out of the fortress,¡± The woman said her voice trilling like a bird in song. ¡°The Favoured¡¯s aura doesn¡¯t hide you out here.¡±

    ¡°Who are you?¡± Umbra questioned in a soft voice.

    ¡°It does not matter who I am, but what does matter is why I am here.¡± The lady said stepping closer, the light moving with her. She paused waiting for Umbra to ask the obvious question, her soft features fell into a pout when Umbra didn¡¯t. ¡°You are trouble, but how much trouble my mother doesn¡¯t yet know, so she sent me.¡± She continued her voice passive as if she was giving a lecture. ¡°Mother doesn¡¯t like taking lives, it causes discord and chaos, but sometimes the alternative is worse. Right now I am not sure whether removing you from the Fabric is better or worse. You do not have a clear path like most.¡± Fear coiled around Umbra¡¯s gut, is she talking about killing me?

    ¡°Why, why would you kill me?¡± Umbra asked her voice trembling.

    ¡°I am not sure if I will yet, but if I do, it will be because removing you is better for the Fabric.¡± The lady replied in a calm tone. How was she talking about killing me the way I talk about the weather?

    There was suddenly an overwhelming pressure in the air, unlike anything Umbra had felt before. It was subdued though, like the weight of a lake held back by a dam. The lady looked past Umbra¡¯s shoulder her eyes narrowing. ¡°An interruption,¡± she said. Umbra turned around following the lady¡¯s gaze, a man was walking towards them his long strides covering the distance rapidly.

    ¡°Begone servant of Ma¡¯at she is just a child¡± He commanded his voice hard. The lady trilled in displeasure

    ¡°Do not interfere Favoured¡± irritation making her voice twisted.

    ¡°Does the great Ma¡¯at fear children now.¡±

    ¡°It is not about fear, mother only seeks to keep the Fabric in harmony and this girl may risk it.¡± she practically hissed.

    ¡°If this child was truly a risk to the Fabric your mother would¡¯ve removed the girl herself. Stop trying to scare her and leave.¡± He said his tone still commanding.

    ¡°I was not going to hurt her, mother only asked me to meet her so that I could provide a better understanding of the girl.¡± The lady said her tone almost petulant at odds to how she was speaking not too long ago. ¡°I will leave, but she is still a risk and mother will not leave it to lie¡± and she was gone just like that the odd light with her.

    Umbra looked at the man who had saved her from a very unpleasant conversation. He was tall and his body was built with light muscles. The lower half of his face was covered by a neatly trimmed beard and his hair was a light brown. He didn¡¯t appear that old until she met his blue eyes, they were tired as if he had not slept in centuries and they stared into her almost as if they could see her very being. ¡°Thanks,¡± Umbra said hesitantly.

    ¡°Interesting¡± he mused. ¡°It is not very often that I see a daughter of Ma¡¯at and I have never seen them come to just talk to someone.¡± Umbra shivered if they didn¡¯t come to talk what did they usually do? Murder?

    ¡°Ma¡¯at is one of the deities of order and harmony right? Why would she come after me?¡± Umbra said quickly, her eyes widened in fright. A deity was after me, me! What have I done? this is so bad.

    ¡°In reply to your first question Ma¡¯at is probably the most powerful of the order deities and to answer your second question, she most likely finds you to be an object of concern, but doesn¡¯t seem to know more than that, otherwise, you would not have been speaking to one of her daughters.¡± He said a thoughtful expression on his face.

    ¡°How could I be of concern; I am a nobody. What could I possibly do?¡± Umbra asked. He chuckled.

    ¡°Honestly, I do not know but seems like you have an interesting time ahead of you. Now if you do not mind, I have to be somewhere.¡±

    ¡°Oh right,¡± Umbra said smacking her head ¡°I¡¯m going to be late to see the masters.¡± The man chuckled.

    ¡°Of course you are one of the Duke¡¯s orphans, he always does pick up the interesting ones.¡± He said with unconcealed amusement. ¡°I have affairs at the fortress to attend to,would you like to walk with me.¡±

    Umbra nodded and followed after him.

 Chapter 3/Initial Ceremony

    Umbra walked with the man heading towards the fortress. She noticed he hadn¡¯t given her his name, but she really didn¡¯t want to disturb the silence that sat so comfortably between them. They continued heading towards the fortress through the alleys which didn¡¯t seem half as scary as they used to be. Probably had something to do with the man she thought. He was far too important to be escorting her like some princess through the streets. Not that she didn¡¯t appreciate it, his presence felt like the Duke¡¯s, a heavy blanket in the winter.

    The main street was busy, unlike the empty alleys they had been making their way through. It was odd to walk through the gates with a Favoured, people stopped to look at him and then to her. Probably wondering what that ordinary looking girl was doing by a Favoured¡¯s side. Umbra hated the attention, the eyes trying to strip her of anonymity. She stepped back falling into the tall man¡¯s shadow an action that didn¡¯t go unnoticed by him. He continued walking but turned his head to give her a reassuring smile. Maybe Umbra hadn¡¯t thought this through, obviously walking through the fortress with a favoured was a bad idea there was no way people would stop talking about this, they probably thought she was in some serious trouble.

    Never in Umbra¡¯s life had the yard between the fortress inner and the walls seemed to take as long to traverse. Walking into the colossal doors of the fortress inner was a relief the cool shadows masking her from the eyes of the people in the courtyard. Unfortunately, the inside wasn¡¯t the reprieve she thought it would be, it was packed. Umbra groaned inwardly Ugh, of course, it was full the Duchess held court at the end of the season''s celebrations.

    ¡°Hey¡­ can I go,¡± Umbra said quite meekly to her own displeasure hoping to distance herself from the favoured that was drawing attention to her.

    ¡°We are both heading to the courtyard and I have something to offer you, a reward of sorts.¡± He said his voice neutral and his face a mask.

    ¡°So that¡¯s a no,¡± grumbled Umbra from in his shadow.

    ¡°Seems so.¡± He smiled. His fluctuating emotions were making Umbra uncomfortable, and the people still watching her curiously didn¡¯t help. She just wanted to slip away to bed.

    As they walked through the halls Umbra couldn¡¯t help but notice the countless number of supplicants lining the walls. The Favoured saw Umbra looking ¡°The Duchess and Duke don¡¯t usually get to see many supplicants. Unfortunately, those that are not seen will have to wait for next season.¡± He said in an instructive tone.

    Umbra couldn¡¯t help herself she knew she shouldn¡¯t be prying into the affairs of a Favoured but she asked anyway. ¡°Why are you here,¡±

    ¡°I am a Master,¡± The man said simply.

    ¡°What!?¡± Umbra spluttered ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me; I¡¯m supposed to be impressing the Masters not getting myself rescued by them.¡±

    ¡°It did not seem that important¡±

    ¡°What are you the Master of anyway?¡± Umbra asked her brows furrowing as she avoided the eyes of the people along the walls.

    ¡°Magic of course,¡± and he laughed, ¡°I thought that would be obvious, I am a Favoured after all.¡± Umbra grinned sheepishly, how had she not made that connection.

    Right before the entrance to the courtyard, the Favoured pulled Umbra aside, ¡°remember when I said I had an offer for you?¡± Umbra nodded, ¡°it comes with a few conditions. You are going to have to complete some tasks to prove your worth.¡±

    ¡°What reward, and what tasks,¡± asked Umbra.

    ¡°The reward is my tutelage; you have the aptitude to become a powerful mage, maybe even Favoured.¡± His voice was serious, but Umbra couldn¡¯t help but let slip a giggle.This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.

    ¡°Favoured, you are joking.¡±

    ¡°You, think I lie, girl,¡± He said face twisting and voice full of cold menace, and Umbra was suddenly painfully aware of his overwhelming presence pressing down on her making her breaths shallow gasps.

    ¡°No, no it is just hard to believe,¡± she said through gasps and the presence became restrained as it was before, leaving her able to breathe once again.

    ¡°If you wish to be trained as a mage you will find somewhere high and watch the sky as the sun sets and continue watching until it rises again in the morning, this is your first task. You can find me at the tallest tower once you are done.¡± He said his voice warm and kind again. Umbra didn¡¯t know what to think he was terrifying one second and comfortable and kind the next. ¡°Now we must be going, you have yet to meet the other Masters and the initial ceremony will be commencing.¡±

    They walked into the courtyard Umbra hung back not wanting to be seen with one of the Masters before they were even supposed to be introduced. She quickly looked for V in the crowd of kids gathered in the courtyard. Umbra noticed that there were more kids than just the orphans, they were most likely noble kids of the fortress. V was hard to miss she was standing on the side of the crowd hopping from foot to foot her insect-like wings fluttering as they did when she was worried or nervous. Umbra hurried over to her. Drawing little attention except from a boy who looked at her burnt dress then turned away dismissively.

    ¡°Umbra¡± V called her relieved face a beacon of normalcy from Umbra¡¯s weird morning. ¡°Did you just arrive with a Favoured. What happened to you I went looking. When I couldn¡¯t find you I went back to the fortress and you still weren¡¯t there. Oh, Mrs K is furious she has a belt. Look at her over there¡± V said in a quiet rush then pointed at Mrs K who had noticed Umbra¡¯s arrival and was staring daggers at her. ¡°I said you had gone for an early morning walk around the grounds. I don¡¯t think she bought it though¡±

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t seem like it,¡± Umbra said

    ¡°So a young lady like yourself escapes from her escort and returns hours later in the morning escorted by a man, one can only wonder what you two were up to¡± Umbra¡¯s cheeks coloured and she responded defensively

    ¡°It wasn¡¯t like that, he just helped me out a bit.¡± V waggled her pale red eyebrows suggestively, and Umbra couldn¡¯t help but grin as she shoved V fondly. V may be an annoyance but she was just what Umbra needed.

    The Duchess¡¯ steward stepped forward on the large wooden stage where the Masters sat at the opposite end of the courtyard. ¡°Apologies for the wait children our last Master has finally arrived,¡± he said glancing at the Master of magic disapprovingly, ¡°we may now start.¡±

    The ceremony was mostly a bore followed by some fanfare and a quick explanation of what would change for this month, instead of lessons the children will be showcasing their various skills in hopes of being selected. The steward also included a very polite explanation of what would happen to the orphans if they failed to be picked, pretty much boiled down to, they would be fending for themselves on the street. The Favoured Master watched her the entire time. V, of course, picked up ¡°the Master you arrived with is still watching you¡± she giggled.

    The end of the ceremony was the only part that Umbra actually paid attention to. The steward called up the Masters and introduced them. There were all kinds of Masters, Masters of weaving, of fishing, of war, of forging, of dancing, even a Master of exploration. The ones that most interested Umbra were the last two.

    The first of the two introduced was to Umbra¡¯s shock the dovian she had met during the festival his fiery eyes almost instantly finding hers, Umbra could make out a lazy smile even from the back of the crowd. ¡°A dovian is a Master. How¡± she said in a low voice, more to herself than anyone else. V heard though and said in a surprised and unfortunately loud voice

    ¡°He is a dovian?!¡± Which sent surprised ripples through the crowd as it was repeated again and again. The steward raised his voice over the murmur of the crowd and said.

    ¡°As some may know Master Sigmur is a dovian, I would like to assure everyone that he is perfectly civilised otherwise he would not be here. He is a Master of transformation and you will give him the respect he deserves, there are only 5 transformation Masters in the fabric, you should be honoured that he is here for your choosing.¡± The dovian made Umbra feel uncomfortable and she swore to herself that she would keep her distance no matter how ¡®civilised¡¯ he might be.

    The last Master introduced was the Favoured man who had rescued her from that bird woman. Umbra had been waiting for his introduction for the entire ceremony, she still didn¡¯t know his name. ¡°This is Master Otaro.¡± The steward proclaimed. ¡°He is a Master of magic, and as I¡¯m sure you can tell a Favoured. Master Otaro has only taken one pupil from this Territory in the 30 years I have been hosting the choosing ceremony so do not expect to be chosen by him.¡± And with the last introduction complete the Masters rose and left.

    Umbra breathed a sigh of relief, she had been falling asleep on her feet. She started the weary trek back to the orphan¡¯s ward, she just wanted to get out of her burnt clothes and sleep. V talked her ear off the entire way gushing about how beautiful the Master of dancing was and how worried she is about performing for him. Umbra didn¡¯t pay too much attention; she was thinking of her discussion with Master Otaro. Umbra couldn¡¯t imagine herself as a favoured they were everything she wasn¡¯t, powerful, rich, confident. Even after the Master¡¯s vehement rebuttal of her disbelief, it was hard to believe him. Part of the issue was it seemed too easy she just had to watch the moon. Anyone could do that.

 Chapter 4/Parting

    They were on the last flight of stairs to the orphanage when the dovian appeared, he was standing in the middle of the corridor that led to the orphanage. Umbra quickly stepped back pulling V with her. ¡°What is he doing here.¡± V asked her face a mix of surprise and fear, ¡°you think he has come to eat us, dovians are supposed to like eating kids aren¡¯t they?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know; he isn¡¯t how I thought dovians were supposed to be,¡± Umbra said.

    ¡°Come out little fairy. Fear not I am here only to talk.¡± His recognisable accent unchanged from when she first met him. V composed herself and stepped down the stairs confidently, she was a performer at heart. Umbra, on the other hand, was reluctant to show herself. ¡°You can come out as well girl.¡± Umbra briefly considered running, before resolving herself if V could do it so can she. ¡°I would¡¯ve chosen you if that repulsive mage hadn¡¯t already laid claim, Luckily the fairy has as much potential as you.¡± He said an ugly sneer twisting his attractive face. Umbra only stood back at the bottom of the stairs too tired to care that much, V however, spoke up.

    ¡°Potential for what?¡±

    ¡°Well to be a dovian of course.¡± He said fiery eyes leaving Umbra¡¯s and returning to regard her friend¡¯s. ¡°Do you not know; we are not born this way.¡± He said annoyance visibly. ¡°What is it with the centre worlds and your lack of actual education. No matter, if you wish to be something more than just a dancer you will come see me in the gardens tomorrow fairy.¡± He said before walking into one of the adjoining corridors.

    ¡°Wow,¡± V breathed a sigh of relief he is intense. She turned to look at Umbra and smiled, ¡°I think I might go see him.¡±

    ¡°What just like that, I thought you wanted to be a dancer¡±

    ¡°Did you see him Umbra, how he moved if I were like him I could dance better than I have dreamed,¡± V said a faraway look in her eyes.

    ¡°You would become a dovian just so you could improve your dancing. Remember what they are, killers without remorse, remember the stories we were told of them.¡±

    ¡°You saw him; he wasn¡¯t an animal,¡± V said her voice hurt.

    ¡°I don¡¯t understand you sometimes. I¡¯m exhausted and going to bed¡± Umbra said, turning away from V¡¯s hurt face.

    Maybe I was a bit too harsh, probably just overtired ill apologise to V when I see her next. Umbra pushed through the door of her messy room and slumped on to her bed grateful that V had put the blankets back.

    The afternoon sun lit Umbra¡¯s pale face, and she groaned. Her stomach was hollow, she needed food bad. Stumbling out of bed she headed for the common room hoping that some remainder of lunch was still around. What had I done to deserve this Umbra groaned. Not only was there no food but Mrs. K sat at one of the long tables watching the young kids play, thankfully she had not noticed Umbra yet. Umbra quickly turned around, but too late. ¡°Umbra, come here¡± The matron called her voice sugary sweet. Umbra couldn¡¯t escape without facing even greater consequences with the next meeting.

    ¡°Yes Mrs. K what is it.¡± She said voice as sweet as the matrons.

    ¡°Where were you this morning dear?¡± The matron asked. Umbra had played this game many times before, never won once, but no harm in trying to win this time around.

    ¡°I woke up early Mrs. K and decided to take a stroll.¡±

    ¡°Oh, that isn¡¯t what the Duke told me.¡± How did the duke know?

    ¡°He said to go easy on you, that you¡¯ve had a tough time. And I would have, had you not lied to me. For that, you will be helping in the kitchens every night for a week.¡± The matron said.  No no, I can¡¯t complete my task while on kitchen duty, at least it is only for a week. Umbra nodded because what else could she do.

    Umbra had a little while before she was on kitchen duty, so she went looking for V in the hopes of apologising. V was not to be found she checked everywhere the courtyard where boys banged each other with sword-shaped sticks to the satisfaction of the Masters of war, the hall where students danced for the masters, not in the garden where she would meet the dovian tomorrow. Eventually, Umbra gave up, V didn¡¯t want to be found.

    Work in the kitchens was hard and tiring, Umbra spent it scrubbing the plates, the pans, and the cutlery till they were squeaky clean. She managed to sneak some scraps of food to comfort her empty stomach, she still had not had a proper meal since yesterday night, and she wasn¡¯t going to get one now. The head chef a portly middle-aged woman was a slave driver, anytime that umbra slowed down she was there breathing down her neck ¡°If you wish to finish today orphan, you will hurry up.¡±

    Umbra finished late in the night late enough that most of the fortress was asleep and the halls and corridors were dark and quiet. It was creepy being alone in these halls, Umbra made it back to her room with no problems. V was asleep on her bed, peaceful features in contrast to the hurt face Umbra remembered. I will apologise in the morning. And she pulled off her clothes and buried under the sheets.

    When Umbra awoke V was already gone she wasn¡¯t at the common room eating nor at the gardens nor any other place that she had checked yesterday. An ugly emotion Umbra had trouble identifying roiled in her stomach. She had nothing to do, there was no point in trying to impress the Masters because the only Master she wanted to learn under was Master Otaro, and to do that she needed to complete her task. And because of the punishment from Mrs. K, she couldn¡¯t until this week was done.This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.

    Umbra decided to head to the library, sitting around unproductive all day would help no one. If she was going to learn magic she might as well read up on it. Turns out finding books on what magic is was difficult. Umbra found multiple books on the creation myths, which she had read before and a few very technical explanations of how to cast a spell, completely useless to her. After poking around she did eventually find something of use. A small book explaining the elements, Umbra knew the basic elements, of course, everyone did, they were, water, wind, fire, earth. This book detailed more though, heaven, nature, ice, social, death, dark and life. Turns out that each of the elements affected the user, emotionally and physical imbuing them with the essence of the element.

    The book was light on information, the only other interesting fact she could get from it was that both the magics of life and death were exceptionally rare in mages, and never manifested themselves in humans. That is unfortunate, I would¡¯ve loved to learn life magic.

    It was starting to get dark, and she wanted to get dinner before her work in the kitchens, she had missed lunch while reading. She managed to get some food before being sent to the kitchens. Nothing changed she scrubbed and scrubbed then left back to her room in the empty halls.

    A routine started to form Umbra would eat in the morning, then try to find V, unsuccessfully. After she would read in the library about the border worlds the great conflicts of the Fabric and whatever she could find of magic and the Favoured. And when it started to darken she would unwillingly part from the books to quickly eat and then work in the kitchens. The week past quickly.

    Tonight would be the night she completed the task. V wasn¡¯t in the room and she had nothing to do tonight her kitchen duties finally complete. She dressed in warm clothes and tied the blankets together then to the bed like V and Umbra had done the night of the festival. Slipping through the open window was easy and Umbra slid down to the roof below. The sun was just starting to set to the left of Umbra meaning the moon would rise to the right. Umbra settled in cross-legged on the roof. This is pretty stupid, but if it is what I need to do to become a mage I¡¯ll do it.

    As the moon started to rise Umbra watched. It was a full moon and it crept ever so slowly across the sky and Umbra was getting drowsy.

    She shook herself out of her drowsiness, she can¡¯t fall asleep all she had to was watch the sky if she fell asleep she would have to try again. And she had already taken long enough. She concentrated more fully on the moon, it was beautifully bright casting long shadows across the Territory. Umbra became absorbed in the soft light of the moon lost in the great expanse of black around it.

    Time passed quickly from there, when the moon fell under the horizon the sun came to replace it leaving Umbra with an emptiness she had not noticed before. She was surprised to notice that she wasn¡¯t tired in the slightest when she made the climb back into her room if anything she felt more rejuvenated then when she woke from a satisfying nap.

    Umbra ate very little breakfast not feeling that hungry. V still hadn¡¯t appeared; the only times Umbra had actually seen her was when V slept. She still felt bad for how she had treated her friend and wanted to apologise. Umbra had something to do today something more important than looking for V again. She had to see Master Otaro and tell her she completed the task.

    Umbra could barely contain her excitement he would teach her magic now; she had done as he asked. She wouldn¡¯t be on the streets looking for food like an urchin.

    While climbing the tallest tower which was just as fun as it sounded. Umbra noticed that the empty feeling she had gotten when the moon had sunk below the horizon hadn¡¯t left, it sat in the bottom of her stomach and was very uncomfortable.

    The top of the tower only had one door small and wooden. Umbra knocked hesitantly. ¡°Go away!¡± Master Otaro¡¯s yelled from behind the door.

    ¡°It is Umbra; I have done what you asked.¡±

    ¡°Oh, Umbra that is fine come in.¡± Umbra slowly opened the door. The room was bare, a writing desk sat at the far end of the room there were two other doors at least, one led to his bedroom Umbra guessed. In the corner sat two people on the hard stone floor, Master Otaro who was facing Umbra his presence palpable as always, and a boy with his back to her tall even while sitting, two fox ears twitched at her approach and his red tail curled around him. He turned to face her, he seemed familiar somehow. He grinned upon seeing her.

    ¡°Burnt dress girl, what a surprise¡±

    ¡°You looked at me in the ceremony I remember you,¡± she said surprised and looked at Master Otaro. ¡°What is he doing here?¡± her voice accusing.

    ¡°This is Magevaii he has already completed his second task, a lot farther ahead than you.¡± The Master said. Umbra blinked.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t know I was competing with someone, and I was busy¡±

    ¡°It isn¡¯t a competition I will take both of you as students if you complete your tasks.¡± The Master replied. ¡°Magevaii you can go now; you have your last task.¡± The fox boy gave her a cheeky grin as he left.

    Master Otaro looked at Umbra with his piercing gaze, seeing all. ¡°Yes, you have completed the first task. Now you must take something personal from the Duchess.¡±

    ¡°You want me to steal from the Duchess? No way she would flay me alive if she caught me.¡± Umbra said.

    ¡°Don¡¯t get caught then. If you wish to learn magic this is what you must do. Now leave. I have things to do.¡± He said.

    He wants me to steal from the Duchess, Umbra visibly cringed imaging what the alien woman would do to her if she caught her. It is the only way I can learn magic though; the Master would not accept anything else but the complete fulfilment of the task.

    Umbra was so lost in her thoughts that she didn¡¯t notice V calling her until at least the third time. ¡°Umbra, Umbra over here¡± V was standing to the side of the orphanage door waiting for her.

    ¡°Hey, V¡±

    ¡°Hey¡± there was an uncomfortable silence that stretched before V finally broke it. ¡°I¡¯m leaving with Master Sigmur.¡±

    ¡°You are what!?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m leaving; I¡¯ve been seeing him all last week he explained everything. He said that he has chosen me and that no one else was worthy of training except you. We are going to his home on Zarafir a border world.¡± V said before looking at Umbra¡¯s blank face.

    ¡°You can¡¯t go. V he is a dovian you can¡¯t leave with him.¡±

    ¡°You could come with me; he wants you to. We can stay together and we could train together.¡± V said pleading.

    ¡°You want me to become a dovian.¡± Umbra couldn¡¯t help but let disgust colour her tone. V¡¯s hurt face was on the verge of tears

    ¡°Dovian¡¯s aren¡¯t monsters, why can¡¯t you see that those are just stories meant to scare children. Come with me please I do not want to be alone.¡± Umbra couldn¡¯t leave with V; she didn¡¯t want to be a monster not when she could learn magic instead.

    ¡°I can¡¯t V I--,¡± V cut her off angrily.

    ¡°He said it was pointless, he said that you had started awakening. He said that you wouldn¡¯t come with me, dovians are the natural enemy of mages¡± V¡¯s pretty elfin features fragile with hurt formed into hard lines. ¡°Goodbye, Umbra¡±

 Chapter 5/Catalyst

    Umbra didn¡¯t spend much time in the fortress now, not since V had left. She wandered the streets half hoping that the daughter of Ma¡¯at would swoop back down and end her, such was her self pity. Her friends face when she had walked away haunted Umbra, with all the time they had spent together nothing had divided them like that. And there was no way to repair their friendship V was long gone through one of the portals.

    Umbra hadn¡¯t made any progress at all in her second task and there was only one week left before the final choosing ceremony. She couldn¡¯t make herself care though. Maybe the streets were a fitting place for her, the way she had treated V was horrible.

    Umbra sat on one of the benches in the market, watching the people go by, they looked happy, they bartered with the stall owners in loud cheerful voices. Umbra only felt empty V¡¯s leaving had only increased the empty feeling that had started when she had first watched the moon fall under the horizon. It was starting to get dark, I should go.

    ¡°Hey, you seem upset.¡± A charming voice said. Someone had sat down beside her, the fox boy from the tower, what was his name, she couldn¡¯t remember. ¡°Magevaii,¡± he said in reply to her blank look.

    ¡°Yeah, I remember, Umbra, that¡¯s my name I mean.¡± She blushed. He was really pretty now that she got a closer look at him he had radiant green eyes and symmetrical features. His ears were cute too.

    ¡°Funny, that I ran into you I just finished my final task, I was about to go and celebrate. You should come it looks like you need it.¡± He stood offering her an open hand.

    ¡°I guess,¡± Umbra said hesitating.

    ¡°I¡¯ll look after you and we can trade stories of our tasks. It¡¯ll be fun.¡± His hand was still outstretched. Umbra took it this time, maybe he can fill that empty feeling.

    They made their way to one of the taverns closer to the fortress, it was bright and merry raucous laughter filled the air and a bard was playing sitting on a table up the front. No one noticed their entry and Magevaii slipped through crowd pulling Umbra along. There was an empty table slightly hidden at the back. They plopped down. ¡°Wait here I¡¯ll get us drinks. Umbra watched the people around her, how unlike her they were, so happy. She felt even more isolated at the tavern then she had outside.

    Thankfully Magevaii returned his sparkling green eyes and fox ears distinctive in the mostly human crowd. He set two round glasses on the table the liquid inside a light honey colour. ¡°What is it,¡± Umbra asked.

    ¡°You don¡¯t know what that is?¡± he asked surprised. ¡°Maybe I was wrong.¡± Umbra heard him say under his breath.

    ¡°Wrong about what?¡±

    ¡°Your pale features made me think you were of the Yuul, this is mead, a common drink among them,¡± He said over the bustle of the tavern and leaned back on his seat his eyes thoughtful as they regarded her.

    ¡°Who are the Yuul,¡± Umbra leaned forward feelings of emptiness forgotten in the hopes of information on her possible ancestry. She took a sip of the mead as the fox boy marshalled his thoughts. It was sweet like honey and thicker than water.

    ¡°The Yuul were from an isolated border world. They claimed to be descended from a now forgotten Deity of the fallen. There weren¡¯t many of them but each and every one of them was capable of magic and they gave birth to some of the most powerful Favoured of recent history. They are all but extinct now, their power a double-edged sword.¡±

    ¡°How could they go extinct with all that power.¡±

    ¡°Infighting mostly, and Favoured can¡¯t have children their magic renders them sterile. All but a few of the Yuul were Favoured and eventually, those Yuul gave birth to Favoured children. There are probably not even a hundred of them left in the Fabric.¡±

    ¡°And you think l am one of them?¡± Umbra said her eyes wide and voice excited.

    ¡°Thought¡± he corrected. ¡°Although I suppose it is possible, Master Otaro did pick you for his tasks and you don¡¯t know your background.¡± Umbra fell back in her seat,

    ¡°How do you know all this anyway?¡±

    ¡°My father is the Duke¡¯s historian, I picked up a few things,¡± He smiled a gorgeous smile. ¡°We should probably head back towards the fortress; it is getting late.¡± Umbra looked around and nodded the music had died down and most of the crowd had gone home. She stood up too quickly, her head was dizzy and she lost her balance, but he was there his firm warm hands steadying her at the waist. ¡°Oh, you haven¡¯t drunk before have you¡± Umbra shook her head. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t have given you that much mead,¡± Umbra noticed her glass was empty.Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

    Umbra stumbled through the dark streets, leaning heavily against Magevaii¡¯s warm side. She stumbled again, his lightly muscled arm around her waist was distracting.

    They made it to the fortress just as the guards were closing the gates.

    He led her through the halls of the fortress. ¡°Where are we going,¡± she said in a drunken drawl. He didn¡¯t reply but continued guiding her pressing his fingers into the small of her back. Umbra could hear a small voice in the back of her head through the drunken haze, it sounded like a warning, Umbra couldn¡¯t tell.

    They reached a door, in one of the empty parts of the castle, alarm was finally starting to register with Umbra. He unlocked it with a heavy key and shoved Umbra in slamming the door after him with an ominous boom. Fear was starting to break through Umbra¡¯s drunken stupor, she was alone with a strange boy she did not know. ¡°I want to go back to my room,¡± Umbra said pleadingly. fear was starting to sober her up.

    He just shoved her and she landed heavily on a bed. ¡°No, no¡± Umbra pleaded desperately completely sober now. He just grinned, but it wasn¡¯t that charming grin she had seen before, it was twisted a repulsive mockery. He tried to grab her but she kicked out at him then rolled off the bed. She could feel something stirring in the emptiness of her being. It was dark and twisted, it was vengeance. He grabbed at her again tearing her dress and holding her down he was so big.

    She couldn''t think anymore such was her fury. She lashed out at him again except this time deep bloody grooves appeared on his face. A savage grin lit Umbra''s face as he let her go in surprise, she shoved him and he fell clean off her. He was on his ass, wounded eyes looking at her as if she had broken some unspoken rule and it only increased Umbra''s fury she stood and his eyes met hers. She was death and he had awoken it, and he screamed. Umbra only stepped closer he shook the paralysis off and scrambled to his feet running to the door. Umbra followed after him. A ghostly wraith in a torn white dress.

    The fox stumbled through the corridors yelling, screaming for help and Umbra followed. People were starting to wake up. They were in one of the occupied wings of the fortress now. People poked their heads out wondering what was going on. Umbra ignored them and they shrunk back into their rooms when she passed. He was heading towards the courtyard.

    She quickened her pace. Nothing mattered anymore except crushing that things skull under her foot grinding it into the stone floor. She knew where to find him.

    He was at the back of the courtyard surrounded by guards and curious people, Umbra noticed that he was sobbing with fear even behind the five guards who were trying to understand what happened. Hate was the only emotion she could feel and the blackness twisting inside her. The guards spun around when she had made it about halfway to the fox, her torn dress didn¡¯t hide all that much but no one looked, all they could see was fury and they shrunk back too, she was hatred and she had eyes for no one else except the thing that had done this to her.

    He noticed her just after the guards, and all Umbra could hear was a roaring noise, she snarled, he was backing away but he had nowhere to go there was nothing behind him but a wall. Her hands curled into claws and she started sprinting towards him, walking wasn¡¯t fast enough. She leapt and to her satisfaction, he let out a cowardly shriek.

    Umbra was inches from the thing and she couldn¡¯t move she tried to scream in frustration and couldn¡¯t her entire body was numb. She strained and pulled to no avail. She could feel a cold pressure, but it didn¡¯t matter the only thing that mattered was stomping that things head in. It looked up at her eyes wide and she wanted to gauge them out. The cowardly creature chose that moment to run. Umbra tried to scream in frustration again. Suddenly she was kneeling her face bent down, still unable to move. She struggled managing to let out a snarl. The bonds pressed against her like that thing¡¯s body, suffocating her under its weight. She struggled until a cold commanding voice rang across the square ¡°STOP!¡± Even in Umbra¡¯s state she recognised the Duchess¡¯ voice, the silver figure stood in front of her, the cold presence was pressing down on her but it didn¡¯t affect her as it did before, she looked around the Duke stood just behind the Duchess a look of concern on his face. And to the side stood Master Otaro staring at her intently. Everyone else was on the floor shivering barely able to breath, from the Duchess¡¯ presence Umbra noticed.

    ¡°What are you?¡± The Duchess asked her cold voice commanding, her silver eyes burning into Umbra¡¯s head. Umbra didn¡¯t answer she didn¡¯t know how with the Duchess¡¯ eyes on her.

    ¡°She is my student,¡± Master Otaro said coming to her rescue again. The Duchess turned to look at him emotion showing on her cold impassive face for the first time.

    ¡°This is your student,¡± judgment and disbelief coloured her voice ¡°she almost killed the son of our historian.¡±

    ¡°I accept all responsibility and will punish her accordingly¡± The lady shook her head

    ¡°I am afraid that will not be enough, she attempted to murder one of the sons of a well-liked court member, but in concession to you Master Otaro I will not have her executed. forty lashes to be dealt immediately.¡±

    "My intention is only to advise Duchess, but Umbra would not behave like this without some reason," Master Otaro said. A long whip of light formed in the Duchess'' hand and fear consumed Umbra.

    "It does not matter Master, she attacked a boy under my protection. If he had done something despicable she should''ve come to me, she took my law into her own hands."

    The Duchess ripped off the back of Umbra¡¯s dress. Then lifted her into the air. Not a second passed before the whip fell. Umbra screamed the pain was like nothing she had experienced. It felt like someone had slashed across her back with a sword. The whip fell again and again, and the night dragged on it felt as if forty had come and gone long ago, but the whip continued to fall.

    Umbra was dropped from the air her feet crumpling under her, she whimpered it was done and all she could do was fight to stay conscious, the pain overwhelming. She felt hands on her trying to help her up and she lashed out hitting nothing. Then everything went dark.

 Chapter 6/Revenge

    Light filtered in through her closed eyelids and Umbra stirred. It was almost midday and she was on her side faced towards a window that looked out across the Territory, she was higher than she had ever been. High enough to make out the slums that marked the border of the Duchess¡¯ Territory. She rolled over and let out a groan of pain when her back touched the bed, it burned like a torch was being held onto her back. She gingerly touched her back, it was bandaged, and she was wearing a torn dress what had happened?

    Had the fox boy tried to¡­ she shuddered and the black thing inside her twisted, he had gotten away. She remembered now, and the rage flared up at not just the boy but at everyone and everything. The cold cruelty of the Duchess, to the pitying concerned look of the Duke and everyone else trembling on the ground too cowardly and weak to do anything.

    She was so absorbed in her thoughts that she didn¡¯t notice the door opening until Master Otaro had stepped through. Her first instinct was to attack but she repressed it, he had tried to help, done more than most. He pulled up a seat and placed a cup of tea carefully on the stand next to the bed. Umbra avoided his eyes ashamed at her reaction, she wasn¡¯t like that, it was the fox¡¯s fault and he would suffer for making her like this.

    ¡°Look, I do not know what happened, but I can guess.¡± He said his voice emotionless but not cold. ¡°I understand if you don¡¯t want to talk about it.¡±

    ¡°You knew and you let the Duchess whip me,¡± the black thing rose up and the room noticeably darkened. He bowed his head

    ¡°I am terribly sorry for that, but I can not argue against the Duchess in her own Territory, it would be perceived as a threat and we Favoured do not take well to threats.¡± Umbra shrunk back his apology pacifying her. ¡°I was wrong about you.¡± He said.

    ¡°Wrong how?¡±

    ¡°About everything, this is partly my fault, if I knew what you were I would¡¯ve taken you from the fortress immediately.¡±

    ¡°What I am?¡± Umbra asked cautiously.

    ¡°Allow me to explain fully, this is important. When we first met I thought you were a Yuul,¡± Umbra nodded her head. ¡°Which would also explain the visit from a servant of Ma¡¯at, the Yuul were not well liked by the Deities of Order. From there I gave you your first task, to watch the heavens as both heaven and life are the natural talents of the Yuul born into them by their ancestor Deity. The first task was supposed to start the Awakening of your heaven talent, but instead, you fixated on the moon. I could only think of one possibility at that point, a moon deity must¡¯ve blessed you, so your next task was to steal from the rich, an action Deities of the moon favour.¡±

    He shook his head, ¡°I was wrong again, I can not remember a time where I have made as many mistakes as I have with you. You aren¡¯t Yuul, your talent doesn¡¯t lie in the heavens or in life. I did not notice because I have never seen anything like you, you are the cold shadow that preludes death. Your talent lies in darkness and death and you should never have been Awakened like that. The emotions of your Awakening are what rule your magic. It is extremely important when dealing with the unstable magics like fire and darkness and death that you awaken them with good feelings like joy, love, happiness, silliness really just about anything as long as it isn¡¯t on the far side of negative emotions.¡± Master Otaro bowed deeply before Umbra. ¡°If I had noticed earlier, this would not have happened, you would not even be in Poliagoras. And for that, I apologise deeply. It appears I am still a silly old man.¡± She had not expected him able to show humility and it had surprised her.  T

    ¡°First of all this isn¡¯t your fault Master it is that disgusting fox boy¡¯s and he will pay if it wasn¡¯t me it would¡¯ve been another girl,¡± Umbra said. ¡°Second of all, how are my talents death and darkness that sounds horrible I want to use magic that helps not hurts.¡±

    ¡°We do not get to choose what are talents are; are talents are born into us. I was born into nature and wind for example but that doesn¡¯t mean that is all I¡¯m capable of.¡± Master Otaro said and held out his hand a flame danced across his palm before he extinguished it.

    ¡°So what I¡¯m not Yuul I¡¯m not anything, and now I have death magic, what did I do to deserve this?¡±

    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t go so far as to say you are lucky, but being able to use death magic is exceptionally rare, and to be born with the talent for it is something I have never heard of before, and I have lived a very long time.¡±

    ¡°What do you even do with it?¡± Umbra asked, half curious half horrified.

    ¡°It is admittedly unsettling magic, it can be used to summon plagues, curse people and increases martial ability among other things, it really just enhances the user¡¯s ability to kill,¡±

    ¡°That just sounds horrible, I can¡¯t kill people,¡± Umbra said. But the twisted blackness rose up in her, actually, there was one person she would visit death upon right after the master stopped blabbering.

    ¡°Sometimes death is a necessity.¡± Master Otaro replied simply. Umbra could agree, some people deserved to die.

    Umbra slumped back onto the bed careful of putting to much weight on her back and tried to digest everything the Master had told her. She had death magic whether she liked it or not as well as darkness, but she wasn¡¯t limited to them. ¡°Do not get comfortable, there is one more thing you need to do before we leave.¡±This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.

    ¡°Leave?¡± Umbra asked.

    ¡°Yes, the choosing ceremony has been and gone while you were asleep, and you are my student, you will be accompanying me back to the estate to train with my other apprentices.¡± He said. ¡°But before we leave you need to deal with Magevaii. If you don¡¯t your being will drive you insane, you need your revenge.¡± He stood and slipped from his robes a black knife about the length of Umbra¡¯s forearm it¡¯s only colour a white gem on the hilt, it was beautiful. ¡°It is customary to give new mages a gift; this knife is named Carn it enhances powers of darkness and no armour will stop its blow, it is older than I am, treat it well.¡± Umbra accepted the gift, and when she touched it a pleasant tingly feeling rushed through her body.

    ¡°Thank you,¡± Umbra said.

    ¡°We leave today you will meet me at the closest Great Portal when the sun has set after you have done what you feel is necessary, I suggest you accept your nature and end that repulsive boy¡¯s life. To think I thought he was worthy of training.¡± The Master grimaced and opened the door. ¡°Oh, you will find him in his father¡¯s rooms, and don¡¯t get caught this time the Duchess will kill you if she catches you again.¡± He added helpfully before walking out the door.

    Umbra ran her fingers down Carn, a surge of hate stirring in her she knew where he was and it was time for him to get what he deserved. The sun was setting she had at most 4 hours, she struggled out of bed worrying about how difficult it was but once her feet hit the floor and she had taken a few steps she felt better except for the burning pain across her back. She searched for clothes, she wanted to get out the torn dress it was uncomfortable and brought back horrible memories of the fox''s hands touching her. She found some on top a dresser, a black dress with a hood, she didn¡¯t like black it made her look even paler, but there was nothing else, and she supposed it made sense. The dress fit well, the sleeves were unusual though billowing out to hide her hands.

    The room through the door of the bedroom she recognised it was Master Otaro¡¯s that meant she was in the tallest tower, the Duchess¡¯ officials had rooms not far from here. She would find the historian¡¯s rooms there, where the boy would be according to Master Otaro, probably cowering still like he had when he was almost in her grasp.

    The stairs took longer than she thought, and taking into account the couple hours it took from the fortress to the first Great Portal, she only had a little less than two hours to get to the repulsive beast, she sighed and sped up.

    Umbra was close now she could feel him and her being was starting to react twisting through her, it felt good and she let the hatred and rage consume her. The corridor she walked down noticeably darkened and she gripped the knife tighter in her hand hidden by the billowing sleeves of her dress.

    This door, it was the one, he was behind it. The blackness raged and she shoved it open behind it was just an entrance room, she continued searching through the rooms, library, bathroom, kitchen, dining room, she snarled this place was massive, bigger than most houses. She knew he was here somewhere though and the time it took for her to find him just stoked her rage.

    The last door, this had to be the one, she would find him in the room behind this door and she would drive Carn through his eye for all that he had done. Carn thrummed in response. She pushed the door open.

    He was there alright, curled up on the bed. But he wasn¡¯t alone an older woman sat on the bed beside him stroking his hair. She looked up when Umbra slammed open the door. Fear swamped the woman but she stood and walked forward to meet Umbra obstructing her path to the fox boy. ¡°Get out of my way.¡± Umbra spat barely able to control herself.

    ¡°No, you will not come near my son you monster.¡± Umbra let out a strangled laugh.

    ¡°Me the monster? you have it the wrong way around your son is the monster.¡± Umbra said trembling with rage. ¡°Do you know what that beast did to me, what he almost did to me. He took me out and after buying me a drink and charming me with his pretty little smiles, he took me to an empty room. Do you want to try to guess what your monster of a son tried to do next? NOW GET OUT OF MY WAY.¡± The woman looked at her son uncertainty showing on her face but it hardened.

    ¡°He is still my son I can¡¯t let you harm him.¡± Umbra let out a growl of frustration everyone was constantly trying to get in her way it was like they were all out to get her and she was done with it, no one was going to get in her way anymore. If the woman was protecting this monster she was no better than him. Umbra slashed her knife singing as it cut through the air then the woman¡¯s throat just as easily, she didn¡¯t even have time to scream. Umbra gasped, she felt it, the death of the woman it flowed through her filling her with a cold tingly sensation making her feel more alive than she ever had drowning out the guilt.

    Magevaii leapt off the bed and knelt by his mother he was crying, sob¡¯s interspersed with cries of mother filled the air, Umbra didn¡¯t care the blackness in her had grown, she looked down at the fox. And he glared back tears still flowing from his green eyes, ¡°You won¡¯t get away with this.¡± He said. ¡°The Duchess will kill you for this.¡± Umbra snarled.

    ¡°You brought this upon yourself, you are filth and I will remove you¡± Umbra said and stepped forward slashing with Carn he held up his hands protecting his throat and the knife cut straight through them, he screamed his face contorting in pain and she slashed again, this time the knife met his throat and it hummed in satisfaction. This was what it was meant for and it had not been used in a long time. Umbra felt his death and the cold tingly sensation, that ran through her every nerve. The blackness grew again but it seemed calmer she found she could more easily control herself. They had made a lot of noise someone was bound to have called the guards, it was time to get out of here.

    Someone had in fact gone to get the guards and Umbra was soon sprinting down the halls the guards charging after her. She was faster now and the long shadows cast by the setting sun seemed to pool around her hiding her easily, and she soon lost the guards. That didn¡¯t make her feel any more comfortable, the Duchess¡¯ cold presence was everywhere far stronger than it was when she was back in the courtyard getting whipped, even the guards were crippled on the floor Umbra could not imagine the Duchess¡¯ anger. She ran towards the small door that V had shown her what seemed like years ago instead of the few weeks it had been. The presence was getting more intense, closer. Umbra couldn¡¯t understand how it was getting closer she was flat out sprinting. She could feel it pressing against her back like a physical force. She flung open the tiny door diving through it and out on to the street beyond. Umbra kept running towards the centre. The presence seeming to lessen with distance.

    Umbra made it to the Great Portal just as the sun had sunk under the horizon. The area around the Great Portal was lit by the blue light that came off it. Umbra had never been so close to a Great Portal before it was massive, she craned her neck back as far as it would go and even then she couldn¡¯t see the top of the blue coloured portal. It was busy hundreds of people entered and exited the portal in a matter of seconds carrying all manner of goods, and this was but one of the many Great Portal on Poliagoras. She needed to find Master Otaro she was getting kinda worried that he had left without her. But soon enough she felt his restrained presence off to the side and headed towards it everyone gave him a wide berth even if it meant being crushed against other people. He smiled kindly when he saw her ¡°time to go.¡± He said.

 Master Otaro

    Master Otaro was with the Duchess and the Duke. They were in the private receiving chamber behind the throne room. The Duchess was talking ¡°To think we have two possible Favoured living in my fortress and another that left. I never noticed.¡± The Duke rested his hand comfortingly on the Duchess¡¯ shoulder

    ¡°Most of us can¡¯t detect those with potential Leng, that is why Master Otaro is here.¡± He said nodding towards Otaro. The Duchess continued.

    ¡°We let one slip away from us Tarion, with that dirty dovian of all people. Our numbers are so few now, soon there will be too few.¡±

    ¡°I believe one of my students is the protector.¡± Master Otaro said disturbing the Duchess¡¯ morbid complaints.

    ¡°Which one?!¡± The Duchess said showing emotion more plainly than she normally did.

    ¡°I do not know; it could be any of them or all of them it seems it isn¡¯t as strict as I thought.¡±

    ¡°And you are sure this protector exists, that you aren¡¯t just imagining things, like the old man you are.¡±

    ¡°My feelings are rarely wrong Mrs. Leng, someone will rise to face the coming destruction,¡± Otaro said.

    They felt it then, an explosion of magic, it wasn¡¯t like any awakening he had felt, the magic was death with threads of darkness tangled through it, it latched to Otaro¡¯s magic and he shook it off absentmindedly it felt of pain and hurt. Not good he thought, unstable awakening.

    ¡°An abomination.¡± The Duchess said.

    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t go as far as that,¡± Otaro replied.

    ¡°A living being with the aptitude for death magic it is an abomination, this is truly the end times. It needs to be found; it can not roam free.¡±

    Otaro could feel the cold influence of death magic, it was heading toward the courtyard, The Duchess and Duke followed after him. Otaro didn¡¯t doubt that they could feel it too but locating its position was difficult to even the most ancient of the favoured. It was late at night but people were out of their rooms, even those who weren¡¯t mages could feel the touch of death. They followed a dozen steps after the favoured, avoiding the presence of the Duchess but curious enough to follow.If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

    When they were almost at the courtyard the Duchess stepped ahead, she was always far too obsessed with matters of leadership, and Otaro fell back further in concession, better not to aggravate her.

    Otaro heard a bone-curdling scream and then a shock of the Duchess¡¯ magic he hurried forward to see what was going on. While he had expected something shocking he definitely did not think it would be this. A girl hung suspended in the air a pitch black claw where her hand should be was within a hair''s breadth of a fox boys head, that was Magevaii he could feel him, the girl was small and lean, she had pale blonde hair almost white and matching pale skin surrounding startlingly grey-blue eyes now awash with fury and she wore a torn white dress, Death magic rolled off her in waves and he couldn¡¯t help but step back a bit.

    If she didn¡¯t feel of death and did not wear that twisted expression of hate she would look exactly like na?ve little Umbra. He thought. Wait, could it be? He searched through the hate, the pain and fury. And it was Umbra but she had changed beyond anything he could have imagined. No more could he feel the gentle girl she had been she felt only of death and pain. Otaro looked to the Duchess and saw the cold anger in the set of her shoulders, she was going to kill Umbra unless he did something.

    Otaro rushed to Umbra¡¯s side when she fell crumpled to the ground. He tried to support her head, but she lashed out weakly at him forcing to drop her and dodge out of the way of her hands. The ugly slashes on Umbra¡¯s back were cauterized from the Duchess whip. He grimaced these would not heal; she will have them for the rest of her life, and it was his fault.

    He bandaged her back threading what little magics of healing he knew into them. He put her on the useless bed in the other room, he had stopped sleeping long ago. The choosing ceremony came and passed, he didn¡¯t appear, there was no point he would not take Magevaii, he guessed at what he had done.

    He meditated on the air in his front room, time passed quickly a few days felt like minutes. He felt her wake up, he roused himself and made some tea giving her some time to herself. He had things he needed to tell her.

    He carefully opened the door Umbra was lying on the bed lost in her thoughts and he felt then the blackness of her being roiling in her, uncontrolled and dangerous. He cleared his throat, and she looked over at him with those cold grey eyes. She was almost like the Umbra he had met in the alley scared out of her wits of the daughter of Ma¡¯at, but now a roiling blackness twisted inside her and cold death magic diffused from her. She would have to resolve her being before we leave or it will consume her. He mused.

    And he opened his mouth to begin his apology, Umbra¡¯s cold grey eyes watched him with interest.

 Chapter 7/A new beginning

    Portal travel was so blue, sound was muted and trying to get anywhere was like walking through mud. Master Otaro had told her to follow the path the portal had laid out to her destination. The people who deviated from the path, wandering off into the endless blue appeared decades later but not a day older, stark raving mad.

    Master Otaro had to pick up his other students who he had left on their worlds until he had finished his selections. They travelled through a great number of portals Master Otaro stopped to grab a sheath for Carn which Umbra still gripped in her hand before continuing their travels. Umbra was always careful of her path, keeping close to Master Otaro, the thought of going mad in the blue emptiness didn¡¯t appeal to her.

    Finally, Umbra stepped out of a Great Portal on to a cliff so high that the world below them - because there surely was one ¨C was obscured by clouds, ¡°This is Avion,¡± Master Otaro said with reverence ¡°It is the world of wind.¡± And sure enough, Umbra felt a gust of wind, really is the world of wind huh, they even have breezes. Umbra followed the Master down stairs that were cut into the side of the cliff, off to Umbra¡¯s right was a fall of unimaginable heights, but she affected Master Otaro¡¯s nonchalance not wanting to seem like she was scared of a small fall.

    They descended until they reached a cluster of houses carved into the cliff, rows of them descended downward and people moved up and down the side of the cliff going about their business, they looked a lot like humans but Umbra didn¡¯t think they were. They were smaller than the average human for a start, they were all skinny, their features were sharp almost birdlike, and they seemed almost fragile. They looked a lot like the aurai Umbra had seen at the festival. ¡°Master Otaro, are they aurai.¡± Otaro laughed

    ¡°No they aren¡¯t daemons, but they are probably related to the aurai.¡±

    ¡°Daemons?¡± Umbra asked.

    ¡°Aurai are a type of wind daemon and daemons are guiding spirits usually bound to powerful mages and favoured.

    ¡°Oh, so you have one?¡± Umbra said. Does that mean I get a daemon?

    ¡°I have three spirits bound none of them an aurai.¡± He said curtly. Have I done something he seems annoyed?

    Master Otaro stopped at a door to a small house at the edge of the community, he knocked politely and waited. Umbra fidgeted, but before long the door flew open to reveal a fragile beauty, with brown hair that almost floated in a halo around her face, and playful light brown eyes that twinkled when they regarded Umbra and Master Otaro, ¡°Master Otaro!¡± She exclaimed before sweeping into an impressive bow.

    ¡°Alonora, it is time, get your stuff,¡± Otaro said. Alonora grinned and swept away like a summer¡¯s wind.

    She was back in no time a light rucksack strapped to her back. ¡°Are you one of Master Otaro¡¯s students as well?¡± Alonora asked Umbra as they made their way back up the cliff.

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s your magic! Mine is wind. See.¡± She twirled and the wind twirled with her spinning up into the sky, she grinned at Umbra she was always smiling. Umbra couldn¡¯t help but feel a pang of jealousy at not only her prettiness but her magic too, it wasn¡¯t fair that she got something like that.

    ¡°Death.¡± Umbra said coldly, ¡°mine is death.¡±

    ¡°Oh,¡± Alonora said her smiling face falling her eyes losing that twinkle and becoming wary. She bounced back fast a few seconds later she said.

    ¡°That¡¯s cool I didn¡¯t know it was possible to have a talent for death. You can call me Nora, everyone does.¡± And she paused expectantly waiting for Umbra¡¯s name.

    ¡°I¡¯m Umbra,¡± Umbra said giving her best attempt at a smile, smiles were difficult now.

    They exited from a small portal straight into a large open room it seems they were expected as a crowd surrounded the portal, far off sounds of picks could be heard from below, and out a window Umbra could see an exceedingly ugly world all black dirt with large compounds interspersed, the sky was a disgusting poo brown colour. A boy stepped forward out the crowd he was tall and solidly built with slanted eyes. ¡°Hayao Takahashi, you are ready?¡± Otaro asked formally. Hayao dropped into a deep bow his forehead touching the floor.

    ¡°I am ready to accept your tutelage Master.¡± Otaro nodded in reply and turned around walking back towards the portal. Hayao quickly hugged what Umbra assumed were his parents then hurried after them.

    Nora asked all manner of questions of Hayao, she was much more open with Hayao Umbra noted with a dejected sense of exclusion. Umbra had never really gotten along well with other people, except for V, but V had left her, preferring the company of a child-eating dovian. Hayao had an aptitude for earth Umbra found while listening in on their conversation.

    They met the next student in an immense cavern the ceiling so high it was hidden in shadows. The portal they came out of was surrounded by a wall guarded by soldiers, who let them past into The underground city after seeing Master Otaro, the city was built almost completely of stone and was neat and tidy. The people were small and slight with dark grey skin, ears that came to points, and bright white hair. There wasn¡¯t the normal noise of a city it was queerly silent except for the chainmail of the guards that walked past often. Master Otaro informed the curious students that there was, in fact, a war between the under-dwellers and the sky-people hence the need for so many soldiers.Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators!

    They had made their way to a large building near the centre of the underground city. He opened the door without knocking gesturing for the students to follow. They made their way to a central chamber and Master Otaro rang a bell suspended from the ceiling, not a minute passed before an older man stepped through the door on the opposite side of them. When he saw Otaro he called out in a guttural accent ¡°Dovrag,¡± they didn¡¯t have to wait long before a small boy with a fierce expression walked through the door to stand next to the man and seeing Otaro his eyes widened and he made a complicated series of gestures with his hands, Master Otaro replied with an equally complicated series of gestures. Not a sound was said during the entire exchange and the only thing Umbra recognized was the nod the boy made before he ran off. ¡°The drow prefer their sign language over the common tongue¡± Otaro explained.

    They made their way back to the Portal and Nora tried to question the boy, Umbra thought was called Dovrag, he didn¡¯t say anything and just stared at Nora blankly, she huffed and went back to talking with Hayao, Umbra smiled she liked this boy.

    Viw¡¯Apithe¡¯Aerroa came next, her name was a mouthful so she was just Apithe. Her world was astounding, great glass buildings scraped the sky taller than any she had seen before, Master Otaro fittingly called them skyscrapers when Umbra asked after them. She had light blue skin darker than midday sky, she didn¡¯t give Umbra much more than a dismissive glance from her completely blood red eyes, making Umbra bristle in anger. She did answer Nora¡¯s questions. Apithe had an affinity for ice and her world very rarely produced mages and had never produced one with the potential of becoming favoured, it gave Apithe an arrogance that Umbra instinctively hated, it reminded her of a noble.

    They stepped out of the portal on a small hill all around stretched endless verdant forests, Umbra had only heard of forest in stories, they were more wondrous than she could imagine and the students wandered through them in a daze the forest as alien as anything they could imagine. Master Otaro only smiled and let them wander.

    Birds rested in branches and all manner of animals wandered around the forest, they were exceedingly friendly coming up to inspect the students, except for Umbra, they kept a wary distance from her. Umbra almost cried, their simple instinctual wariness affected her in a way that people¡¯s had not. Even the animals distanced themselves from her.

    They soon came to a small village that nestled in the depths of the forest. It was pretty and the people were dark of skin and kind of nature. Umbra took a liking to them immediately they were so connected to everything around them, and they moved through their village with the grace of nature. Master Otaro was respectful in a way Umbra hadn¡¯t seen of him before and the couple he had been talking to pointed deeper into the forest.

    The last student was special even Umbra could tell, she smelt of fresh rain, and her simple comforting smile shone with the light of a thousand suns, her dark hair was threaded with flowers of every type, her eyes were indescribable, a shade of forest green that glinted in the sunlight, her dark skin glowed with life and vitality. Even Nora had nothing to say, she was entranced as the rest of them. The girl stood and Umbra noticed that grass and moss had been growing outward from where she was sitting.

    Otaro smiled ¡°time to go Jeeani.¡±

    ¡°As you say Master Otaro,¡± her voice was like the rustling of the trees, of birds singing and streams bubbling, it was the forest. We followed her graceful steps, as much as we followed Master Otaro. Nora didn¡¯t ask her questions or talk for that matter, no one did.

    They walked through so many portals this time into one, out then into another. Umbra was starting to get tired now, it had been a long day and the trek through the mud-like substance of the portals was really starting to strain her. The last portal they entered was located in a barren waste and it was the only portal in sight not counting the one they had come from; it was tiny Master Otaro had to crouch down to get into it.

    Umbra made the final trek through the blue sludge at the back of the group. The portal opened onto a small mound a cold breeze blew through the air smelling of salt, in front of her was the Favoured¡¯s estate. It was a large U shaped building the two extensions pointing towards the portal, with a beautiful courtyard in the space between. A tree taller than the estate grew in the middle of the courtyard. Umbra looked to her peers and found them with the exception of Jeeani and Apithe staring behind Umbra their mouths agape. Umbra spun around and stopped shocked, she could see a vast pool of water that stretched to the horizon, ¡°an ocean¡± she murmured to herself. She had read of them in books but to see it was something else it was so vast there was so much water and it reflected the setting sun like a mirror.

    ¡°You will have time for gawking later, you need to get settled in, we begin your preliminary lessons tomorrow.¡± Master Otaro said sternly. Umbra tore her eyes from the ocean unwillingly. Master Otaro beckoned for them to follow and then walked to the estate.

    The foyer of the estate was wide and open, a staircase ran from the centre of the room to balconies on the sides of the room that led to yet more rooms, the foyer had multiple doors that led to corridors and more rooms, this place is really big, so many rooms, it could almost be the size of the fortress and all for one man mused Umbra. In front of the stairwell stood six very small wizened people wearing rags. ¡°These are brownies they take care of the household chores you will likely see more, they are to be treated with the utmost respect, any one of you seen mistreating them in any manner will be kicked out of my estate and will not receive any more training. A few more rules while we are at it if a door is locked, it is locked for a reason do not attempt to open it. You are free to come and go as you please. You are not allowed to travel outside of this world. Hmmm, I think that about covers it the brownies will take you to what rooms they feel are best for you. I expect you early in the courtyard.¡±

    A brownie led Umbra through the twisting maze of the estate before heading down a flight of stairs. He stopped and gestured towards a heavy wooden door, Umbra took the hint and pushed it open. It was dark, but Umbra found that bothered her a lot less than it used to, the room was large with a double bed in the far corner of the room and a fireplace opposite it, bookshelves lined the walls only broken by the fireplace, a writing desk pushed up against the wall and a wardrobe. The middle of the room was empty but for a thick carpet covering the stone floor, there were no windows Umbra noted glumly, she liked windows. It was a nice room, and warm even without a fire. Umbra noticed she had not taken anything with her except for the black dress and Carn who was hidden in a sheath Master Otaro had given to her on the trip to Nora¡¯s world of wind.

    She checked the wardrobe in the hope of clothes, she did not want to wear this dress every day. Well, there were clothes but they were all dresses and much like the one she was already wearing they tended towards dark colours, navy blue, dark purple and black from what she could see. She sighed guess I¡¯ll be wearing black for the foreseeable future.

    Master Otaro did say she should be getting some rest they would be learning proper magic tomorrow, and Umbra felt a jump of excitement, she may not be getting to learn life magic, or wind, or fire, but it was still magic and maybe she could ignore her death magic and stay focused on darkness it doesn¡¯t sound as bad.

 Chapter 8/The same viewed from different sides

    Umbra couldn¡¯t sleep, when she closed her eyes she saw the mother screaming her hands cut in half held before her face. Her eyes looking at Umbra with fear and pain. And the son, the disgusting son crouched at her side sobbing. As Umbra cut him down He deserved it but the mother was just trying to protect what she loved and Umbra had killed her then reveled in the feeling of innocent death. Umbra felt sick

    She slipped out of bed. The darkness of her room seemed alive. She could feel the cold shadows drawing closer to her, blanketing her and she grimaced, it wasn¡¯t unpleasant precisely, just the thought that darkness was the only thing that truly wanted to be near her.

    Umbra didn¡¯t want to sit in her room and reminisce and there were no rules on exploring the estate. So she walked up to the staircase from her room and picked a direction at random. Lit lamps sat on the stone walls at regular intervals creating a warm yellow light. Umbra didn¡¯t know where she was in the U-shaped estate the corridors curved and turned at random, and every dozen paces or so doors appeared on the stone walls. Umbra wondered again at why Master Otaro would need such a massive estate, maybe he used to have more students.

    While wandering Umbra noticed a far off feeling and she felt drawn to it like a moth to light, and she sought it out through the maze of corridors. It led her to a door in one of the corridors, it was an unassuming door much the same as the hundreds Umbra had passed before it. But behind it was the feeling far more intense now. Umbra tried the handle of the door, it was unlocked, it wasn¡¯t against the rules to enter.

    The room inside was overgrown with vines and plants and a soft carpet of grass grew on the floor, the wall opposite the door was non-existent it opened to the back of the estate, a small forest grew a five-minute walk away. And lying just outside of the room was a figure surrounded by blooming wildflowers and long grass, the person was obscured by the wildflowers but Umbra could guess who it was. Why am I here? Umbra thought with a flush of embarrassment, this place wasn¡¯t for her. But she couldn¡¯t help but take a step forward as she now recognised the feeling that led her here. It was magic and it was flowing off Jeeani.

    Her bare foot hit the grass it tickled her. Abruptly, the magic stopped and Jeeani stood up from the flowers and looked directly at Umbra. ¡°Ahh, I¡¯m sorry I was just wandering and¨C.¡±

    ¡°No, it is ok you just startled me, you don¡¯t feel like the others,¡± Jeeani said in her forest voice and started making her way towards Umbra.

    ¡°What do you mean,¡± asked Umbra. Jeeani stood before her now.

    ¡°You don¡¯t feel of life; like everyone else.¡± Jeeani reached up with her hand and rested it against Umbra¡¯s cool cheek. Her hand was warm like the sun on a lazy afternoon and the blackness surged to meet it. Jeeani gasped and all the sound of life went silent, the buzzing of the insects, the rustling of the trees when the wind blew through them. Not a sound. ¡°Death, we are two sides of the same coin.¡± She whispered in the silence. Before quickly stepping back and removing her hand from Umbra¡¯s cheek. Umbra stood stunned the feeling of Jeeani¡¯s hand remained. She looked at Jeeani who was standing not with the wariness she was starting to get used to but with surprise and interest.

    ¡°You have life magic,¡± Umbra said before internally smacking herself obviously she has life magic, look at her. Jeeani laughed and the world once again lit up with the sound of life.

    ¡°Quite perceptive aren¡¯t you,¡± and Jeeani laughed again. Umbra didn¡¯t feel insulted the laughter was innocent and without malice and she couldn¡¯t help but laugh a little with her. ¡°Why are you hear, Umbra,¡± she asked with interest.

    ¡°I couldn¡¯t sleep, nightmares of a kind. So I was wandering.¡± Jeeani nodded gravely in reply.

    ¡°You can sleep in my bed; nightmares will not bother you while I am around.¡± Umbra blushed. And Jeeani laughed at her reaction ¡°Don¡¯t worry I will sleep in the grass outside. You should be getting to sleep Master Otaro¡¯s lesson is in the morning.¡±

    ¡°Oh yeah, I almost forgot. I¡¯ll sleep in your bed then,¡± Umbra said. Jeeani gave her a radiant smile and walked back outside to lie in her flowers.

    Umbra had never slept so well in her life and just as Jeeani had promised no nightmares. Umbra thought back on their conversation had that really happened, it felt so dreamlike. She was in Jeeani¡¯s room so it must¡¯ve been, Jeeani was not here though. And outside where she had been sleeping, ferns, flowers, bushes, even saplings had grown through the night. It was beautiful and astonishing; this is what magic should be.

    It was still early morning, she could grab some food before Master Otaro¡¯s lesson if she could find it. Turns out it wasn¡¯t too hard to locate she just had to follow her nose. The courtyard had a table set up, where the delicious smells had wafted in from the wind. The students were spread around the courtyard Apithe the blue-skinned girl was with Nora and Hayao at the far end of the table, they seemed to be getting along well together. Dovrag sat alone under the shade of the great tree chewing on some pastry. And Jeeani was missing.

    Umbra was ravenous and headed towards the tables, the group at the far end ignored her. Umbra didn¡¯t mind and collected a plate and grabbed some alien looking pastries, they wound in a cone and had a sweet fruit smelling paste inside. There were some greasy strips of meat that smelled fantastic and she filled her plate with them alongside some purple fruit.

    Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.

    She wandered over to the tree in the middle of the courtyard, Dovrag looked up at her approach. ¡°Can I sit here,¡± Umbra asked. He nodded so he was pretending to not understand Nora¡¯s questions then. She plopped down beside him, he was comfortable. She ate carefully she wasn¡¯t V after all, that line of thought brought a pang of hurt and she concentrated on her food. ¡°Death hungers,¡± Dovrag said in an emotionless tone his voice was guttural but not unpleasant. Was that a joke? Umbra thought in surprise. She could sense a wry sort of humour in his grey eyes.

    ¡°You know, and you joke?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± he replied simply.

    ¡°Why aren¡¯t you behaving like them then,¡± she waved a hand towards the group. He sneered.

    ¡°They are f?lke, unblooded. They have not seen death. I have seen Death and its many faces. It is not something to fear it is inevitable.¡± And he leaned back on the tree comfortably finished talking. Death is inevitable huh. Umbra thought and went back to eating the pastries which were delicious, the fruit paste inside the perfect level of sweetness. It was comfortable sitting with Dovrag he didn¡¯t behave as if she was different.

    Umbra put her plate down some food still remaining she had taken way too much. Where was Master Otaro he said early maybe he just meant morning in that case they might have to wait a bit longer. It was then that Jeeani decided to make her entrance walking around the wing of the house and into the courtyard, she saw Umbra and smiled her radiant smile, and made her way towards Umbra. Jeeani gracefully dropped to the ground beside the tree, she was covered in more foliage and leaves than usual. ¡°Were you in the forest?¡± Umbra asked.

    ¡°Yeah, I like early morning walks,¡±

    ¡°Do you want some food¡± Umbra said and held out her plate.

    ¡°Sure,¡± and Jeeani grabbed the last remaining pastry.

    They only had to wait a short while longer before Master Otaro walked out of the front door of the estate. Tired blue eyes falling on each one of his students. He stopped in front of them, Umbra and Jeeani moved with the others to stand in front of him. He nodded in satisfaction. ¡°Time is precious let¡¯s start.¡± He paused as if gathering his thoughts ¡°Magic is a complicated thing, and it doesn¡¯t work the same for everyone for this reason your learning will be almost entirely self-directed and will require great dedication for you to succeed. There is a library located in the estate, and exploring will provide you with many rewards, on the far end of the island a half days walk from here lies a city. I suggest you make use of all these amenities if you wish to improve. Every week starting from the next you will come to me and show me what you learned. Remember you aren¡¯t doing this to become a mage, you are doing this to become favoured, and the only way to become favoured is to attract the attention of a deity for this you need to show dedication and strength as well as desirable characteristics for that deity.¡± He looked at Umbra and said ¡°Just be yourself I picked you because I can see the potential in you.¡±

    ¡°Now to begin your first and most likely only lesson from me, I will explain how you can improve your magic and manifest and control it, this is the base of all magic, spells will come in time.¡± He looked at them briefly to make sure they were still listening. ¡°The only manner in which you can grow your magic is by absorbing the magic of your aptitude, so for me, that would be the wind or nature. The most effective way of doing this is to surround yourself in your element and then draw it into yourself, this is extremely difficult, takes a lot of time and does not provide much improvement. it is therefore imperative that you start this process as soon as possible. As it is one of the only ways you can grow stronger.¡± So the only way that I can improve is to surround myself in death and darkness Umbra shivered that doesn¡¯t sound nice.

    ¡°We will learn of control now, be seated with room to spare between you and close your eyes.¡± Umbra did so. ¡°Now you will need to find your being for each of you it will be different, but it will be distinctive you must take a hold of it when you find it.¡± Umbra knew what he was talking about, the blackness inside her. She had pushed it down since it had last come out with Jeeani, it scared her. But she found it and gripped it.

    Master Otaro stood silent for a while then said with satisfaction ¡°Good you have all found it, this lesson might be shorter than I expected.¡± And Umbra felt a surge of confidence at the indirect compliment ¡°Next you will have to pull a strand from it, only a strand anymore could be dangerous, as you do not have the necessary control to harness anymore. do not worry about the loss of your magic it will restore itself.¡± Not a second later Umbra felt frigid cold ¡°Good job, Apithe that was perfect.¡± Umbra felt a rush of irrational anger at the red-eyed girl for beating her. She returned her attention to her being. There were no strands it was just pitch blackness and she pulled at it but nothing came off. She gritted her teeth in frustration and tore at it and a chunk came away surging through her and then out of her, she heard muted screams but the blackness had her and she was reveling in the feeling of power. Until an incredibly warm hand touched her and a forest voice whispered ¡°Control yourself, Umbra,¡± it was a kind voice and from the hand flowed light that wound itself around her blackness making it easier for her to control.

    She opened her eyes and followed the hand on her shoulder up to Jeeani¡¯s grave face. And then she looked around. The grass was withered and the great tree in the courtyard had lost it¡¯s leaves and had taken a grey colour. Hayao, Nora, and Apithe were against the walls of the estate a step away from the edge of the dead grass, fear plastered on their faces. Dovrag was on the other side surprise on his features. The worst was Master Otaro¡¯s look of concern he hadn¡¯t moved standing on still live grass surrounded by the dead.

    ¡°I¡¯m¡­ I¡¯m sorry,¡± Umbra said meekly. Jeeani just smiled at her kindly and the others didn¡¯t move.

    ¡°We are done, you all know what to do, remember to check the library and explore the island and the city. Umbra I would like to talk to you.¡±

    Umbra grimaced this has to be the earliest expulsion of all time. She followed Master Otaro as he set a quick pace towards the ocean. When they came to the beach he slowed faced the ocean and said: ¡°You need to be more careful Umbra, if you lose control your peers will die.¡±

    ¡°There was no strand though,¡± Umbra complained.

    ¡°There is always a strand but you must find it normal mages take years to find it and pull it. Apithe found it so quickly through a combination of enormous luck and talent, I didn¡¯t expect any of you to be able to complete it today.¡± He swept his blue gaze over the ocean and then to Umbra ¡°You must learn to be patient.¡±

    ¡°Yes Master,¡± Umbra said obediently. And he stood still for a moment.

    ¡°There is another more delicate matter I want to discuss with you,¡± and he looked at Umbra seriously. ¡°The manner of your improvement, you will find your room is suited to drawing in darkness as well as various more potent places around the island. But your primary aptitude is for death and improvement through darkness will be slow before finally capping. The city is full of people and you are death.¡±

    ¡°What are you saying Master¡± Umbra asked, shock rooting her body to the spot.

    ¡°There must be death for your improvement, and your improvement is more important than the lives of ordinary folk, as long as you do no take more than is necessary I will ignore it.¡±

    ¡°I won¡¯t kill innocent people just to be more powerful.¡± Umbra said, ¡°That is disgusting.¡±

    ¡°It is an unfortunate necessity, and I am sure you can find those deserving of it but I will not force you, just remember do not resist what you are. It will bring only pain and failure.¡± And with those words, he left Umbra standing alone looking out at the immense ocean as it smashed against the beach.

 Chapter 9/Metamorphosis

    Umbra spent the rest of the day in her dark room. In part because she was too ashamed to show her face. She still really hadn¡¯t come to terms with what happened, it seemed unreal that she had done something like that.

    With nothing better to do, Umbra sat down in the middle of her dark room and tried to pull the darkness into her. It was a frustrating exercise she could feel it gather around her but she couldn¡¯t pull it into her being. She was careful as Master Otaro had said and kept her emotions in check. It paid off after hours of frustration, hours of clumsily grasping at it only for it slip out of her grasp. She found that it wasn¡¯t a forceful act she just had to redirect the flows so that the darkness went through her instead of around. It only fed the tiniest trickle into her, it was a miniscule amount but she could feel it merge with the blackness adding its magic to her own, even with that tiny amount it was a pleasant sensation, it doesn¡¯t match up to the feeling of death. She thought glumly Master Otaro did say this wouldn¡¯t be as efficient, but she couldn¡¯t bring herself to care she could do this without bending her morality any more than she already had. She grinned in excitement, she may not be able to control her magic yet but at least she could do this.

    Umbra could tell that time had passed while she struggled with her magic. How much time she did not know, but she wasn¡¯t tired in the slightest so she continued. She widened the flow with intense concentration, pushing at the sides of the flow letting more magic through the channel and into her. It wasn¡¯t much of an improvement but Umbra was overjoyed as slightly more magic flowed into her, it lifted her mood considerably transporting her from the worries and cares she normally felt.

    It was addicting that feeling it consumed Umbra and she floated in the power of it. She did not know how long she was sat on the carpet reveling in that feeling it could¡¯ve been a hundred years or just an hour, she felt as if she could sit here for the rest of her life letting the magic flow into her.

    Umbra¡¯s eyes snapped open the magic had stopped and she was ravenous for food. What had happened? And why wasn¡¯t it dark. She looked around the darkness was gone, leaving the room not light or dark. It was too unsettling, even though it kind of made sense in a really weird twisted way, she had taken all the darkness. She shivered remembering the shadows that had populated the room, those were in her now? In the corners of the room the dark started creeping back, it looks like Umbra would have to wait or find someplace else to draw in magic. Master Otaro did mention that there were other places suited for drawing in darkness, ill need to explore. But first Umbra needed food. Umbra stood, and stretched, she felt more limber and everything seemed a tiny bit clearer, more detailed.

    Umbra noticed with a shock that it was dark outside probably late in the evening, time passed oddly when she was channeling magic. She walked towards the courtyard hoping that there would be food there like there was in the morning. Unfortunately, the courtyard wasn¡¯t empty sitting a good distance from the dead tree Apithe, Nora and Hayao sat in a loose circle talking. They had plates of food in front of them. Umbra wanted to leave but she also wanted food, and she walked to speaking distance with them and said: ¡°Where did you get the food.¡± There was an awkward pause, they are scared of me Umbra thought with surprise.

    ¡°Oh, Umbra we thought you had left,¡± Nora said in a normal tone, but she ruined the fa?ade by inching back a bit.

    ¡°What, you saw me just this morning why would you think that?¡± Nora looked at her oddly.

    ¡°The last time we saw you was about five days ago now.¡± what, five days ago that can¡¯t be right.

    ¡°No that can¡¯t be right,¡± Nora just looked at her oddly again. Then gave her the directions to the dining hall.

    Umbra walked through the massive estate, the size just made the emptiness more pronounced, there must have been more students, otherwise, this place would be smaller. Are there just fewer people with the potential to be Favoured, what had happened?

    Umbra came to the double doors described to her. Through them was a plain dining hall, it was large it could probably seat a few hundred people. Only one table was set now, and Dovrag sat at the far end of it eating a grey paste while reading a book. Umbra remembered his look of surprise when she had lost control and grimaced, she had liked Dovrag but now he definitely wouldn¡¯t go near her, no sane person would.

    She moved towards the table hoping to grab some food and leave unnoticed. But Dovrag looked up as soon as she got near, his face was surprisingly accepting, nothing seemed to faze him for long. He patted the seat next to him in a friendly manner. Umbra smiled she liked Dovrag, he wasn¡¯t afraid of her.

    She took the seat beside him and he went back to reading, seems he doesn¡¯t want to chat just wanted company. The table was spread with all manner of decadently prepared foods; seems the brownies were impressive chefs. She filled her plate with pretty much everything that was close enough to get to, there were weird bright fruits, strips of silvery meat and a salad of greens that she didn¡¯t recognise. When she had finished piling her plate she regarded the little mountain of food with satisfaction and out of the corner of her eye she saw Dovrag looking at her with amusement. Umbra blushed a little, ¡°I¡¯m hungry, turns out I haven¡¯t eaten in five days¡± she said defensively. He nodded in understanding.If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.

    ¡°It is easy to get lost when you are channeling.¡± He said in his odd accent, speaking didn¡¯t seem to come naturally to him.

    ¡°You experienced it too?¡± Umbra asked biting into one of the fruits it gushed a weird sweet liquid into her mouth.

    ¡°No, I haven¡¯t started, I prefer to study first,¡± and pointed at his book.

    ¡°Oh, that might be a good idea, I haven¡¯t visited the library yet.¡± He nodded. ¡°You don¡¯t like talking do you?¡± Umbra asked cocking her head.

    ¡°My people do not usually speak, it is difficult for me, we talk with our gestures and posture,¡± Umbra remembered Otaro¡¯s flurry of movements when he had picked up Dovrag,

    ¡°I would like to learn,¡± Umbra said surprising herself.

    ¡°It is complicated for outsiders to learn; the language is born into us.¡±

    ¡°Master Otaro can do it,¡±

    ¡°He is very old and has had centuries to learn it.¡±

    ¡°I still want to try,¡± Umbra said defiantly. He shrugged and put down his book ¡°We can start now then.¡±

    Dovrag showed her an informal greeting and how to introduce herself. Umbra could tell that the complexities of the language were lost on her. And he said she spoke like a baby, she didn¡¯t mind he was a good teacher and it was nice spending time with someone after so long. They left with the promise to continue their lessons next week at the same time.

    It was about midnight and Umbra wasn¡¯t tired. She was itching to channel more magic, but her room was empty of darkness and she didn¡¯t think there would be enough to channel in there for a while. She also wanted to see Jeeani again but was worried about being overbearing, so she decided against visiting, she was probably busy anyway. Umbra walked back to the courtyard what to do, what to do, she mused. ¡°Of course¡± she smacked her head it was night everything was dark she could channel easily.

    Trying to channel the flows of darkness outside in the night sky was difficult there were other elements and they constantly interfered with her, she gave up after only a few minutes nothing was coming through.

    She should¡¯ve asked Dovrag where the library was, she wanted to read up on darkness magic and she was sure that Master Otaro¡¯s library would be better stocked than the one in the fortress. She sighed, she didn¡¯t really want to wander around the estate hoping to find the library by chance, she had done that enough.

    Maybe it was time to look around the island, it can¡¯t be too dangerous Master Otaro had recommended it. Umbra was far too wired to sleep anyways. So she picked a direction at random and started walking.

    Umbra walked across the grassy plains sticking near the ocean, away from the island interior. It was cold, Poliagoras had been really warm and the change of temperatures was refreshing and with the placid ocean breeze tousling her hair it was peaceful in a way that Umbra had never experienced. She had no pressure to do anything the only deadline nine long days away, it was nice to be without pressure. But peace had a way of being interrupted, her mind coughed up the memories of the mother and her eyes, her eyes filled with pain and fear brimming with tears, those eyes haunted Umbra and she started running, but the memories followed her. Etching themselves deeper in her mind, in part, she didn¡¯t understand why she had behaved like that, the fox boy had done something disgustingly horrible, but she didn¡¯t need to punish him herself. If she had gone to the Duchess, the fox boy would¡¯ve been punished, the Duchess knows lies and truth, he wouldn¡¯t have gotten away with it. Instead, she had lost it and almost killed him the first time, and had the second time around, cutting his throat with Carn, she rested her hand on the pommel of her knife. She wondered if that had just been death speaking, not the real her. She didn¡¯t know what she wanted anymore, she didn¡¯t know who she was, she didn¡¯t know that she could follow Master Otaro¡¯s repeated advice to be herself.

    She had run up a hill without noticing, it surprised her she could never remember being so physically able before. She shrugged thoughts for another time. She breathed out small clouds and watched the sun rise over the horizon dispelling the darkness turning the sky an amber colour. She was far enough away that the estate looked like a miniature house, not the colossal structure it really was, and behind her mountains rose with snow-capped peaks, this island truly had everything, I guess Master Otaro wouldn¡¯t accept anything less but an island with access to all the different elements. That means there must be somewhere for darkness. Somewhere where could channel more.

    She looked around there didn¡¯t seem to be any likely spots around here, they would be underground most likely Umbra thought. That was where darkness bred hidden from heaven¡¯s light. She should be able to feel it; she had a talent for darkness. She sat down on top of the hill and closed her eyes and stretched out with her senses concentrating, she could feel the alien presence of other elements, life, nature, wind, heavens, water and the more comfortable feeling of darkness pulling at her from a distant point. I didn¡¯t expect it to be quite that easy, but I¡¯ll take it.

    The pull of the darkness led her into the island interior. The grass gave way to gravel with large rocks interspersed every few steps, up ahead Umbra could make out an impressive rock formation the rocks had fallen in such a way that they supported each other creating a tent. Umbra couldn¡¯t tell if it was natural, or if someone had shaped it that way. As the dark pulled Umbra closer she noticed that the rock formation was far bigger than she first thought. It towered over the environment, it honestly surprised her that she hadn¡¯t noticed it earlier.

    She stood directly in front of the tent rock formation now watching the entrance hesitantly, it was pitch black, no light pierced even a step into the entrance, that definitely wasn¡¯t natural. But the darkness called to Umbra and she remembered how it felt when it flowed into her. She stepped forward involuntarily, she wanted to experience it again. She reached out with her hand towards the inky blackness, she gasped it was cold and thick enough that it almost seemed to have substance. The darkness wrapped around her hand seeming to pull her into it, she relented.

    The darkness surrounded her, it wasn¡¯t like the darkness in her room it felt ancient and tangibleand it wrapped itself around her like armour. She could physically feel it, and it was comfortable. It felt right. She was blind in the black cave, but the darkness guided her forward and its intensity increased until she stood in the centre of it all. She could feel its presence it seemed to whisper into her ear, none of it discernible it just felt as if it were speaking. And Umbra opened herself up to it like she had in her room redirecting the darkness into her, and it came with an eagerness that surprised her. It overwhelmed her, that pleasant feeling that had swept through her in her room was nothing in comparison to this. She ruthlessly shoved the channels wider trying to take more in and the darkness flowed like a waterfall it was never ending and it poured into her, and she lost all sense of the physical world.

 Chapter 10/Gift

    Something was wrong, the channel she had carved ¡ª now so large it made her first attempt seem like barely the width of a hair ¡ª had stopped flowing with magic. The darkness was pulling away from her, taking with it the feeling of comforting bliss and she whimpered as reality reasserted herself. She stretched out desperately trying to pull it back, but it slid away from her. It was coalescing in the corner of the cave.

    At first, it wasn¡¯t a discernible shape, but as more darkness flowed towards the corner it started taking shape. It pressed together to form a figure of feminine perfection, Umbra watched as the darkness shaped features on to the figures face, slender lips, an elegant nose and almond-shaped eyes framed by arched eyebrows. midnight-black hair grew, flowing over her slender shoulders and she stepped towards Umbra.

    The presence of the figure was oppressive it crushed down on Umbra and brought tears to her eyes and she fell to her knees. It felt like the primordial terror of the night. Umbra tried to tilt her head up, but she found she couldn¡¯t even move, she was not bound by any magic, just the figures presence.

    ¡°How fitting you would wake me.¡± Her voice ¡ª because it was a woman ¡ª was rich, melodious and hypnotic in its cadence, odd whispering followed after her words, indiscernible.

    ¡°Who, who are you,¡± asked Umbra fear making her voice tremble.

    ¡°How long has it been, that people no longer recognise me.¡± The woman mused aloud. ¡°I am Nyx, the Deity of night and darkness. And you woke me from my hibernation.¡±

    ¡°Me, how would I have done that?¡±

    ¡°Oh, you don¡¯t know what you are?¡± and she laughed. ¡°How quaint.¡±

    ¡°What am I?¡± Umbra asked still trembling, Nyx¡¯s presence had almost completely pressed her into the floor, Umbra couldn¡¯t see the obsidian-black figure at all.

    ¡°It isn¡¯t important right now.¡± Umbra felt a flare of anger this Deity knew what she was and wouldn¡¯t tell her, she forced that ugly emotion away, there was nothing she could do about it.

    ¡°Angry, I suppose that is to be expected.¡± Umbra felt a cold hand fall onto her shoulder.

    ¡°You have potential. But first.¡± Umbra opened her mouth to speak but the hand gripped her like a vice and she let out a small gasp. ¡°Do not interrupt. Now you deserve a gift for bringing me back to this world, will you accept it?¡± Nyx said in her rich voice and removed her hand from Umbra¡¯s shoulder.

    ¡°What?¡± Umbra managed to say, she was way out of depth here. She had never heard of anyone but the favoured talking to the Deities directly.

    ¡°Will you accept?¡± Nyx¡¯s voice had risen a few levels. I should accept, I might offend her if I say no, but it could be something horrible, I don¡¯t know what this god is like.

    ¡°Yes, ok I accept,¡± but Umbra¡¯s voice wavered revealing her uncertainty.

    ¡°You must be sure, a gift given cannot be returned once given.¡±

    ¡°Yes, I am sure,¡± Umbra said resolving herself, better to say yes than make another enemy of a Deity.

    Nyx pressed her hand to Umbra¡¯s forehead. Excruciating pain crept from Nyx¡¯s obsidian-black hand and into Umbra¡¯s head, it was slow, it felt as if someone was burrowing into her skull. Umbra screamed and tried to rip herself free of the hand but she was being crushed by the Deities presence, effectively paralysed and the pain ever so slowly etched its way down from her head, leaving furrows of pain behind, it slid down to her neck with the speed of sap from a tree. It didn¡¯t stop there, it curled around her arms down to her fingers, leaving behind tracks. It slid down her back and sides and across her belly before winding its way down her legs. It was pain beyond belief and her vision tightened and she saw black.

    The cold unyielding stone woke Umbra. She felt horrible, a headache of epic proportions pounded away at her skull, she tried to stand, her limbs were numb and behaved as if they had not a single bone in them. This was Nyx¡¯s gift, was she some trickster god, what has happened to me. She looked down at herself, lines of black encircled her slender arms they moved and twisted slowly as if they were being blown by a light wind. She followed them up to her shoulders, they didn¡¯t stop there. Umbra started panicking what had Nyx done to her. She frantically took off her dress the black lines were not only on her arms they were all across her body swirling on her pale skin. She scratched at the skin of her arm trying to get it out it, she scratched until she bled but the darkness just flowed around the wound. What had she done to me, I need to find Master Otaro maybe he can fix this. Why did I trust an unknown Deity, I am so stupid. She tried to stand again, it was better this time but she still felt incredibly weak. she could hobble and she made her way to the entrance of the cave. It was early night outside, so why could she see perfectly fine, the darkness was still there she noticed, but it didn¡¯t obstruct her vision anymore. This was Nyx¡¯s gift all that pain, and barely being able to move and she gave me night-vision, this is a joke, a sick joke. It doesn¡¯t matter though; I just need to get to Master Otaro he can reverse this.Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

    The walk back to the estate took much longer on the way back, Umbra fell more times than she could count and her pace was nothing more than a hobble. She was exhausted beyond anything she had experienced, and the sun had risen by the time she could see the estate. The ground around the estate was hilly and each climb up and subsequent fall back down ate at the last of her determination. The final hill before the estate was her undoing, and she collapsed in full view of the courtyard, there was shouting far off in the distance then a strong gust of wind blew then nothing.

    Umbra woke in a white room surrounded by beds. she felt a lot better she wasn¡¯t numb for a start, her body actually tingled pleasantly. She lifted her hand in front of her face the black lines were still there, she recognised them now, they were strands of darkness. It still unsettled her immensely. ¡°Umbra?¡± a light voice spoke. Umbra turned her head sitting on a chair next to her bed was Jeeani a radiant smile on her face. What had I done to deserve someone as special as her at my bedside? ¡°Are you OK Umbra?¡± She asked

    ¡°I don¡¯t know everything feels weird.¡±

    ¡°Well you have shadows in you for a start,¡± Jeeani said and gave a short laugh. ¡°I was worried about you; I¡¯ve been looking for you for almost a month?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve been gone a month,¡± Umbra said, her volume increased in incredulity there was no way I was out for that long, maybe it was when I was channelling.

    ¡°You¡¯ve been gone about a month and a half, Master Otaro has been tearing the island apart looking for you. Oh, that reminds me he wanted to talk to you as soon as you woke up.¡± Jeeani stood and turned to leave, but Umbra reached out and caught her arm, the touch sending Jeeani¡¯s light rushing through her. ¡°Wait Jeeani,¡± she turned and looked at Umbra concern showing on her face. ¡°I just want to say thank you for being here, I don¡¯t have anyone else to do that for me.¡± Jeeani smiled.

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to thank me.¡±

    ¡°But I do, thank you,¡± Umbra said and let go of Jeeani¡¯s hand. Jeeani nodded seriously then left, off to go get Master Otaro.

    Umbra sat up in bed and watched the shadows under her skin while she waited, they were hypnotic, seeming almost alive in their movements. The door opened startling Umbra out of her fixation. Master Otaro strode through his blue eyes seemed even more tired than usual and his usually neat beard was unkempt, Jeeani waved at her from the doorway and left. ¡°You will tell me everything from when you left the estate at midnight.¡± He said, his voice hard and his eyes looking at something above her head.

    Umbra explained how she had found the rock formation, how she had channelled inside of it, and how the darkness had formed into Nyx, and the presence the deity had carried with her.  Master Otaro interrupted her his eyes wide ¡°You are sure she said her name was Nyx,¡±

    ¡°I am sure,¡± Umbra replied. Master Otaro shook his head.

    ¡°That is impossible.¡±

    ¡°Obviously not,¡± Umbra pointed out.

    ¡°As a child, I heard stories of Nyx, but they were considered nothing more than fairy-tales, and now only the oldest remember them.¡±

    ¡°So she isn¡¯t that powerful, right? no one remembers her. You can fix this then?¡± Umbra pointed at the shadows running along her skin, Master Otaro glanced at them.

    ¡°Nyx is one of the so-called primordial deities she didn¡¯t ascend as Scrios and every god has since, she was born in the chaos of creation. You didn¡¯t even meet her, that was most likely an avatar of her, her true form¡¯s presence would¡¯ve killed you, she is more powerful than you can imagine¡­ Tell me how you got those shadows then.¡± And he glanced at something above her eyes again. Umbra explained the rest of the event up until she was found. ¡°You woke her, and she gave you a gift. A primordial Deity has taken an interest in you Umbra¡±

    ¡°What does that mean"

    "It means you are already on your way to becoming favoured, and you are only 2 months in, it usually takes at least 30 years before someone with potential even gets interest from a Deity, and they wouldn''t expect gifts from them, until at least another 20 years of completing tasks for them. You are exceptionally lucky Umbra." Master Otaro looked above her eyes again. ¡°And honestly, I have never seen anything like this gift, I can¡¯t even imagine its use.¡±

    ¡°What do you keep looking at,¡± Umbra asked defensively reaching up to touch her forehead.

    ¡°Ah, you might need a mirror, your changes are not isolated to your body.¡±

    ¡°What is it?¡± Umbra asked as she continued exploring her face looking for deficits.

    ¡°It is better you see for yourself.¡± Master Otaro replied. ¡°You missed almost 6 weeks of tests, by the way, you haven¡¯t seemed to have fallen too far behind though, your magical strength is years ahead of what it should be, looks like Nyx¡¯s shrine paid off, just remember soon darkness will not be enough to sate you.¡± He stood up looked her over again and left, stopping at the door. ¡°Remember tests will continue next week do not disappear for months this time.¡±

    Umbra sat for a while on the bed dwelling on what Master Otaro had said. She had met a deity and not just anyone, a primordial one, whatever that meant. She needed a visit to the library, her knowledge was severely lacking. But first she needed to see her face, it frightened her to think about, but it can¡¯t be that bad otherwise Jeeani would have said something right? Or maybe she was too nice to say anything. Umbra cringed yeah it was probably the latter.

    with way too many beds for the students Master Otaro had. She managed to find a small mirror in the top drawer of her writing desk, she hadn¡¯t bothered to check the writing desk. She hesitantly moved the mirror in front of her face. What, her grey eyes, they were gone and in their place lay black orbs that swirled like the shadows on her body. That wasn¡¯t the most noticeable change, a circlet of shadows ran around the top of her head, it was intricate constantly swirling into different shapes and patterns. And Umbra could feel it the shadows in her skin moving through her, they were a part of her and she found that she could manipulate them like she did her fingers or limbs, controlling their movement pushing them deeper under her skin so they barely showed, or forcing them closer to the surface making her look like a shadow. This is amazing. she wouldn''t doubt Nyx again.

 Chapter 11/New Understanding.

    After discovering that she had control over the shadows inside her, she couldn¡¯t stop messing around with them, pushing them up until they concealed her in darkness, before letting them drift back down under her skin. She found that the circlet of darkness could be manipulated as well, she could pull it down creating a veil of shadows over her face. Umbra couldn¡¯t think of a use for it, maybe it did something she didn¡¯t yet understand. Her lack of knowledge was still an annoyance, maybe she could find something about Nyx and her gift in the library.

    Umbra set off, distracting herself from her craving to channel by playing with the shadows across her skin, thinking of V she made them spin and dance in patterns. She still regretted how she had left things with her.

    Umbra found a small unassuming door that she would not have noticed if she hadn¡¯t been actively looking. And even then she would¡¯ve ignored it the only reason Umbra stopped at the door was that a gold plaque hung above it, ¡®library¡¯ engraved on it in bold letters. Umbra pushed the door open and gasped.

    Umbra had expected the library to be large but it was impossibly so, its size didn¡¯t make sense, it was taller than the estate. When Umbra walked into the library the smell of old books comforted her, she looked around, the library was a massive circle whose walls were bookcases that reached into the ceiling so far above Umbra couldn¡¯t tell if it was wood or stone. A chandelier hung from the ceiling suspended on a chain of impressive length, it emitted a warm yellow light. Stairs were built into the bookcases that made up the wall following it upwards, with landings interspersed randomly. ladders leaned against the walls allowing access to books either too high or too far from the stairs. Normal sized bookcases populated all the remaining space except for the very middle of the room, 5 wooden tables sat, illuminated by small lamps. On the table closest to the door, a black cat lazed watching Umbra with green eyes.

    ¡°Hello, kitty.¡± Umbra called affecting a cooing voice. It blinked at her then turned its head to look at something else. ¡°Seems cat doesn¡¯t like me¡± Umbra sighed. ¡°How am I supposed to find anything in this library anyways.¡±

    ¡°I haven¡¯t seen you for a while.¡± an oddly accented voice said.

    ¡°Dovrag! Hello, ahh it is a long story,¡± Umbra said turning around. Dovrag was carrying a bunch of books, and it took him a little while before he noticed her skin.

    ¡°Umbra, What happened,¡± Dovrag said.

    ¡°Oh, it was a gift, a part of that long story,¡± Umbra said and pushed the shadows deeper self-consciously, making them a bit more difficult to see.

    ¡°A gift from a deity already, you are keeping up with Apithe.¡±

    ¡°Apithe got a gift?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, a pendant made of ice, I¡¯m not sure what it does but it is not as serious as yours.¡± He said staring at her circlet of shadows. Apithe got a gift as well, bet that arrogant cow is prancing around as if she were already favoured. Dovrag interrupted her thoughts, ¡°If I may ask, who gave you that gift.¡±

    ¡°Sure you can ask, Nyx gave it to me.¡±

    ¡°I have not heard of Nyx.¡± Dovrag shrugged, ¡°not unusual I suppose.¡± The converastion reminded Umbra of why she had originally come.

    ¡°I actually came for some books; do you think you could help me find them,¡± Umbra asked.

    ¡°Just ask the librarian,¡± Dovrag said nodding towards the cat, who was now stretched across the table.

    ¡°What, the cat? You are kidding.¡±

    ¡°I wouldn''t offend him if I were you he is the only one who can find the books in this place.¡± Dovrag cautioned. ¡°Just ask him what you are looking for he will find it.¡±

    ¡°Umm, books on Nyx, and gifts from deities. Please, Mr. Cat. Oh and basic magic control¡± Umbra said to the cat, and it ran off.

    ¡°Magic control, have you still been having trouble with your magic, oh and also I don¡¯t think Mr. Cat is really the best way to address him either,¡± Dovrag said leading them to a table.

    ¡°Mr. Cat seems like a pretty respectful way to refer to him, and honestly, I haven¡¯t really tried to use magic since the courtyard, I¡¯ve been trying to channel as much as possible.¡±

    ¡°Growing your pool of magic is important, but you won¡¯t develop any spells if you don¡¯t use your magic.¡±

    ¡°I never understood how we are supposed to get spells,¡± Umbra said sheepishly.

    ¡°Read this I¡¯m done with it anyways,¡± Dovrag said and handed one Umbra one of the books he was carrying with him. ¡°There is a lot of information there regarding spells.¡±

    ¡°Thanks.¡±

    ¡°I would like to talk longer, but I have training with Apithe.¡±

    ¡°With Apithe, why,¡± Umbra said, and jealousy flashed through her making the shadows roil. He shrugged

    ¡°She asked and she is quite talented even if she is f?lke, it is good for me to compare magics against a better opponent.¡±

    ¡°Oh, ok, well thanks for the company Dovrag.¡± He gave a small bow then left. Umbra looked around the vast empty library and sighed, alone again.

    The book Dovrag had left was enlightening, turns out spells can¡¯t be taught, they manifest themselves, through a combination of need, and how much she uses magic. All mages have basic control over their element, they don¡¯t need a spell to make use it, but more complex uses need spells. Once a mage obtains a spell they have it for the rest of their life and any of them could be used on the spot as long as the user has enough magic.

    Sometime during Umbra¡¯s reading, a pile of books appeared on her table and the cat had stretched back out on the table. She looked through them, a few were of basic control, another was titled Deities and their gifts, and the last was titled The Task of Alvas. ¡°I didn¡¯t request this book, Mr. Cat.¡± The cat of just looked at her, of course, it did it can¡¯t talk after all. she was missing the Nyx book maybe this was it. As far as she knew Alvas was a minor deity of deep sleep. Maybe Nyx played a part in their story.Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.

    She found it to be an interesting story. A long time ago Ennedi deity of love grew frustrated with her husband Zondain the major deity of hate, he was souring the love she grew in people with hate. Tired of her husband¡¯s interference she asked Alvas to put Zondain into a deep sleep from which he would not awaken so she could continue providing love to the people. Ennedi said she would provide Alvas with a favour if he did this Alvas accepted, a favour from Ennedi was truly a great gift. And for a time Zondain slept and love flourished on the Fabric. But it was not to be, Zondain was one of the most powerful Deities and he woke himself up and flying into a rage he sought out Alvas for he knew that it was Alvas that had put him to sleep. Alvas ran to his mother for protection. Upon hearing of this Zondain stilled his rage for he did not want to anger Alvas¡¯ Mother Nyx. Zondain left Ennedi asher betrayal had turned his hate to her as well. He now attempts to sour as many loving relationships with hate as he can. ¡°Mr. Cat, this is the only book that mentions Nyx?¡± the cat turned to look at her with bored eyes before laying its head back on the table. ¡°I suppose that means yes.¡±

    The book hadn¡¯t really told Umbra much only that Nyx was exceptionally powerful, powerful enough to scare one of the most powerful deities enough that he didn¡¯t even want to anger her. And that she had a son.

    Umbra let out a frustrated sigh she couldn¡¯t find any information on the deity that had taken an interest in her. She didn¡¯t really want to read the other books, later I will she promised herself. I want to try to use my magic, maybe I will have a bit more luck this time. She grabbed the rest of her books leaving the Nyx one behind, thanked the cat and made her way back to her room.

    It was dark and comforting in her room, she set the books on the writing table and made her way to the soft carpet in the middle of the room. Wait, wasn¡¯t there books in her room, how could she forget that they were all over the walls, I should check those books later as well.

    Umbra settled in and searched for her being it was more concentrated now, she could feel the difference the channelling had made. She let her being flow through her body suffusing her with fury, pain, and hate she shivered they were not emotions Umbra liked dealing with and they reminded her of the mother she had killed. She let the feelings wash over her. And she searched her being for the strand Master Otaro had talked about but it was absent. She continued looking, Master Otaro had said that this was the way to do it. But as time passed with no success she started growing progressively more frustrated, she tried to push the emotion down but to no avail, this was a fool¡¯s exercise. Maybe her magic wasn¡¯t like everyone else¡¯s. She was the first mage to ever have death magic, I must be different to everyone else, maybe my magic isn¡¯t activated like anyone else¡¯s. She could always just rip it open but she had no control when she did, so there was no way she was learning spells like that. She gritted her teach and spun the shadows on her skin around viciously. She needed a break. Maybe I¡¯ll go to the city Master Otaro told me about. The thought of once again being another faceless member of the crowd was nice and the thought of looking around was nice, she liked exploring.

    It was early morning outside, Umbra had once again completely lost track of the days, she consistently couldn¡¯t tell how much time had passed, it was weird, time used to be so structured and now it meant almost nothing. She needed very little sleep from what she could tell. Having been awake for almost and month and a half when she was in the shrine.

    She went the opposite way from where she had gone the last time ¨C there definitely hadn¡¯t been a city that way. There was a dirt path leading her away from the estate and she followed it.

    Umbra came into view of the city sometime later. It wasn¡¯t what she expected more a town than a city. It sat against the harbour fishing boats could be seen a distance into the ocean their white sails reflecting the midday sun. The town was surrounded by a low wall and two soldiers stood guard at the entrance. Why bother with guards there is nothing on the island that is dangerous enough to warrant walls and a guard. Is there? Umbra shrugged and made her way down the gradual slope to the town.

    She noticed as soon as she reached the gates that this trip wouldn¡¯t be what she expected. The guards¡¯ eyes bugged out when she got close enough for them to see her clearly which was a ten-minute walk from where she was first able to see them clearly. Everything was different after her channelling she couldn¡¯t even imagine how Master Otaro saw the world, he was ancient and had been channelling almost that entire time, she had only been doing it for two months in comparison.

    She slowed as she got close to the guards trying to seem as unthreatening as possible, she had no idea how they would react to her. But they just stared at the shadow on her head. Umbra gave a sigh of relief they wouldn¡¯t question her then. ¡°Ma¡¯am you bless our town,¡± one of the guards said, and they both bowed their heads. They think I am Favoured; I suppose I look like I could be, although I don¡¯t have the presence yet. Umbra nodded affecting the cold superiority of the Duchess.

    The people in the city weren¡¯t much better bowing their heads and looking at Umbra with interest as she walked through the streets. Looks like I¡¯m not going to be a faceless member of the crowd like I had thought. Umbra tried to push the shadows on her skin deeper down, maybe people wouldn¡¯t notice when they were mostly hidden. Umbra hadn¡¯t tried to suppress her shadows for any great length of time, it was difficult requiring constant attention. She wanted to leave, but it had been a long walk and to leave after only spending a short time here would feel like defeat.

    The people staring at Umbra were really starting to anger her and with huff Umbra stepped into the shadow of the buildings and pressed her shadows forward, effectively making her a shadow, indiscernible in the shadows, the people watching her gasped and she grinned. It was fun to make some innocent mischief every now and then.

    Keeping her shadow on active took as much concentration as keeping it pressed down. Umbra didn¡¯t mind though, she needed to understand Nyx¡¯s gift better anyways and using it will help with that.

    Umbra made her way to the docks she had never seen them before and was interested in what it would be like to see the ships resting place. On the way towards the docks she got side-tracked, she could feel a similar feeling to when she had found Nyx¡¯s shrine and it seemed stupid to ignore something like that, so she followed its call, she would be able to see the harbour later this was more important.

    It led her to the corner of the city. The houses were decidedly more ramshackle here and the path was dirt, not stone. The feeling led her to a house, she let the shadows sink back into her skin and she knocked at the house¡¯s old wooden door, this house looked worse than the ones around it, and a funny smell seemed to come from inside. She knocked again, no answer. She looked around, the street was empty and the window was open. She double checked then dived through the window, and straight into a cold tingly sensation, that reminded her of when she had killed the fox boy.

    It really smelled in here and Umbra looked around a body lay curled up on the floor. This is what she had been drawn to, she had been attracted to some dead grandpa from across the entire city, Umbra almost retched. Even with the smell and the general disgust, Umbra felt towards herself, she couldn¡¯t make herself leave. She could feel death all around her now that she knew it was here. All she wanted to do now was channel the death magic into herself as she had with the dark, she could sense its potency. But she felt that if she did she would be taking an irreversible step into death. She was generally speaking pure, she hadn¡¯t taken death into herself.

    She wanted to now, more than anything. If it felt this good just being close to it she couldn¡¯t imagine how it felt to channel it, she shivered at the thought. Maybe she could redirect just a little bit of it into herself. Just a tiny bit, that¡¯s fine. She opened her channel with the barest sliver of an entrance, and death started flowing in eagerly she could feel it rush down the channel and into her being, she gasped, this tiny bit was more potent than all the darkness she had taken in at Nyx¡¯s shrine. She shivered as more flowed in, she needed more she opened her channel as wide as it would go and it rushed into her like a waterfall and she fell to the floor, this was like nothing she had ever felt it was pleasure beyond what words could describe.

 Chapter 12/Addiction

    If you have to fight a mage make sure they are isolated from their element, for if they are in their element, they will have a seemingly endless supply of magic and even the weakest will overwhelm you. A quick and cunning warrior can kill even powerful mages as long as they are caught outside of their element. But if you ever meet a Favoured on the field of battle, you should either make peace or run.

    Excerpt from A soldier¡¯s guide by Artour Quick-draw

    Umbra was ripped from reality into a state of euphoric bliss. Death flowed into her, it wasn¡¯t like anything she had previously experienced, channelling in Nyx¡¯s shrine didn¡¯t even come close to this. It was what she had been missing her entire life and she didn¡¯t even know. Her being expanded rapidly, even this small amount increased her magic more than the darkness had in two months.

    The sensation stopped far too suddenly and Umbra was forced back to reality, she groaned, then the smell hit her and she vomited. The body she had fallen near had doubled in size, bloated. Foamy liquid leaked from every orifice, flowing out of eye sockets, ears, and nose. Maggots crawled over the decomposing tissue feasting. And the smell, of meat left in the heat for days mixed with the distinct smell of feces.

    Umbra ran from the house, and out on to the street but the smell followed her. She vomited again on the dirt street, it was evening and people were heading back to their houses, they all stopped to stare at her. She didn¡¯t care. She just had to get away from the body and smell. Umbra made it out of the city, but she could still smell the body. There was a river between the estate and the city and she ran for it, she needed to wash the smell of the rotting corpse off her.

    The river was clear and slow moving. Umbra took off her clothes, it was far enough from the city that no one would be around. She waded into the river it was freezing cold, but she needed to wash away that putrid smell that clung to her. She ducked under the water, and scrubbed herself viciously, trying to force the memory of the corpse from her mind and the smell from her skin.

    Once Umbra had scrubbed herself raw, she relaxed in the river it was quite pleasant now that she had gotten used to the cold. Her being had swelled in size, almost double what it was before Umbra noted. Two months channeling dark in Nyx¡¯s shrine and she had just taken at least as much magic from death in what Umbra guessed was around three days. It was far more potent.

    The thought of channelling death magic sent shivers through her. How it had lifted her to the heights of bliss then unceremoniously dumped her back to reality and all its mediocrity. She just wanted to experience the high of death magic again, the need for it was physical, her body seemed to ache for it. Umbra didn¡¯t want to kill anyone though and the chances of finding another dead body were low. Animals I could kill animals, their deaths are the same as humans and I wouldn¡¯t be hurting anyone, Umbra was surprised she hadn¡¯t thought of this before. I¡¯ll head back to the estate for new clothes then go hunting.

    Umbra loathed to put back on her clothes, they were splattered with vomit and still smelt ever so slightly of that putrid rotting smell. But she couldn¡¯t just wander back to the estate butt naked. She put them back on with a grimace and made her way to the estate.

    The walk only increased Umbra¡¯s craving for death magic, with nothing to take her mind off it except for pushing her shadows frantically around her body. It grew to the point where she was considering just going in these clothes. But the thought of spending any more time in these clothes was rancid enough to make her continue in the direction of the estate.The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.

    Umbra slowed when she got sight of the courtyard, Apithe sat leaning against the dead tree her distinctive red eyes shining in the night, and the ice pendant Dovrag had mentioned sitting on her chest freezing the skin around it. It looked like Apithe was trying to shape the ice that rose up from her palm into a sword. She is a lot further ahead then I am if she has enough control to do that. I can¡¯t even summon my element except for in uncontrolled bursts.

    When Umbra reached the outer edge of the courtyard Apithe whirled around to stare at Umbra her ice sword shattering with a loud crack, her red eyes were unsettling. Umbra kept walking. ¡°You stink of death,¡± Apithe said accusingly, her nose wrinkled.

    ¡°Leave me alone,¡± Umbra said, why is she bothering me, I don¡¯t have time for this. Her entire body ached for the magic

    ¡°You think you are special don¡¯t you, the first true death mage, and with a gift from a deity in your first two months.¡± Umbra ignored her and walked towards the entrance to the estate. Frigid air swept past Umbra and Apithe stood in front of her. ¡°Don¡¯t ignore me,¡± Apithe spat. The only thing Umbra wanted at this point was to channel, and she tried to push past Apithe, and was shoved viciously to the ground. Umbra hit the ground hard, she saw red, and her being snapped open filling her with pain and hate. fine if she wants to get in my way I¡¯ll just kill her, instead of the animals.

    Umbra could feel the shadows stir into a frenzy on her skin and the circlet ripped through the top of her head crowning her in tall black spikes. Umbra could barely feel it as the blood trickled down her face. She saw inklings of fear in Apithe¡¯s face and grinned viciously. Umbra leaped at Apithe with a snarl. Apithe was fast though and she managed to dodge aside but not before Umbra drew her nails across the other girl¡¯s cheek drawing blood. Umbra was off balance when she landed and Apithe flung a fist at Umbra¡¯s head hitting her and knocking Umbra back stunned, Apithe pressed her advantage following up with her other fist, which Umbra barely dodged. Umbra took the initiative now, the magic flowing through her and she lashed out with an impossible fast punch that Apithe couldn¡¯t dodge, it hit her square in the face and she went down. Umbra jumped on top of Apithe, and landed another solid hit to her stunned face, it made a satisfying crunch noise, and Umbra hit her again, Umbra¡¯s fury was in full swing at this point. And she rained punches down on Apithe¡¯s face. Apithe fell unconscious at some point and Umbra¡¯s craving for death was forcing its way back through her fury, she drew Carn, and pushed Apithe¡¯s head back exposing her throat. And suddenly she was flying backward knife in hand.

    Umbra had been thrown back to the other side of the courtyard the air around her as solid as stone. Master Otaro strode from the entrance of the estate, his presence unrestrained it was like standing in a tornado. ¡°You have gone too far, Umbra.¡± Even with the distance between them, she could hear his deathly quiet voice as if it was beside her. And he walked over to Apithe before picking her up with air and walking into the estate with her, leaving Umbra restrained by the solid air.

    What Umbra had done hit her, she had been going to kill that girl, just for pushing her over. It seemed like such a reasonable thought at the time though what is going on with me. She would be kicked out for this, she almost killed one of Master Otaro¡¯s students. There is no way he would let her stay here after this.

    Master Otaro let Umbra stew, long enough that the craving started reasserting itself and she raged against the bonds. ¡°Stop,¡± Master Otaro had appeared before her and she stopped immediately. A rush of air sped past her and suddenly they were high enough into the sky that she could see the entire island, the lights of the town, the immense mountains, the forest and the estate directly below. Master Otaro stood on the air as if it were solid ground. ¡°I know I never said killing each other was against the rules, but that was because I thought it didn¡¯t need to be said.¡± Master Otaro said shaking his head. ¡°I do not mind the occasional brawl, it helps develop spells, but this. This can not go unpunished, in the past I would have expelled you from this world. But, I can not afford to do that with you, you are too far along and would pose a considerable danger to the Fabric if I let you go now.¡± Umbra gave a sigh of relief. ¡°But I will take your ability to channel, you have no self-control Umbra, you can not face the addiction that magic infects the user with. Your complete lack of control over your magic is evidence of this. When you prove to me that you have the self-control to cast spells, I will return your ability to channel.¡± And with that Umbra was on the ground again. ¡°Remember Umbra I am letting you off easy, if you harm another of my students again I will block your magic so completely you will not be able to use it for the rest of your short mortal life.¡±

 Chapter 13/Breakthrough

    The 3<sup>rd</sup> and most recent great war of the Fabric was special it was the first time in recorded history that an unfavoured had ruled tens of thousands of worlds more than half of the explored Fabric. He was the first dovian. People flocked to him and he said he would bring unity to the fabric.

    The favoured did not take kindly to his possession of their worlds, and for the first and probably last time they came together, and wiped away the dovian King¡¯s armies of millions, before crushing his fortress world Vesting. The dovian King did not die easily, he took the shape of a dragon and fought against the combined strength of the favoured, killing hundreds and wounding even more before finally dying.

    Excerpt from A Short History of the Fabric by Nrimm''lunu''saerce

    Umbra¡¯s inability to channel was killing her she could feel it, and she was most definitely not being dramatic. In pure desperation she had gone into the forest looking for something to kill, she managed to get a deer. She couldn¡¯t channel though, so she stood there looking at the deer¡¯s glassy eyes and the death that surrounded it. Nothing could begin to describe the frustration that roiled within Umbra, she was so close to the magic, yet it was unattainable, Umbra couldn¡¯t help but feel resentment at Master Otaro for blocking her channel. As she desperately tried to channel the magic, only to have it get stuck every time, Umbra screamed in frustration, her magic burst uncontrollably from her and everything around Umbra died, Umbra could feel their deaths and they only frustrated her more. And Umbra¡¯s magic surged again, this time darkness pored from her and the radius of death increased. It noticeably depleted her magic, and suddenly she was tired, for the first time in months.

    After coming back from the forest Umbra locked herself in her room and slept, when she woke she felt a lot better and turned her attention to trying to learn how to control her magic. She spent weeks in her room, not eating, or sleeping and only leaving to shower. The cravings did start to stem, allowing her to fully concentrate on controlling her magic. Umbra wasn¡¯t really having that much success, she thought she had gotten close once, but her being tore and magic swamped her. Turning the already dark room pitch black as darkness pored off her, thankfully there was nothing alive here. Why is my being so damn fragile?

    Taking a well-deserved break Umbra flipped through the useless books on controlling magic on her writing desk, they didn¡¯t really help at all, and Umbra threw them aside instead picking up the book on Deities gifts.

    Umbra still didn¡¯t really understand what Nyx¡¯s gift was supposed to do, surely it was meant for more than just making herself shadowy, admittedly it was quite fun to fidget with, but it must have some other uses, wouldn¡¯t be much of a gift anyway.

    Of course, Nyx wasn¡¯t mentioned in this book, Umbra was starting to get used to that. There were probably hundreds of forgotten deities.

    There were some seriously ridiculous gifts, one of Ennedi¡¯s were a bow and arrow. If someone was shot by an arrow from the bow, they would fall in love with the first person they met. Or from the trickster god Jangnan, a wooden staff that turned into a snake, that could kill a full grown man, human or demi-human. There were songs that forced people into dance when they heard it. There were countless weapons with insane properties. Including a literal lightning bolt.

    All these gifts and Umbra could only find one that was similar. It was a circlet, that was gifted to a favoured by Selemene deity of the moon and the hunt. The circlet provided the ability to turn invisible, track anything over any distance and when the moon was at its highest point the user could borrow its power. Honestly, it isn¡¯t even that similar, it is a circlet though! I¡¯m sure that is helpful. Umbra threw the book aside, who am I kidding this is a waste of time.

    Umbra didn¡¯t want to go back to trying to pull strands from her being, it was impossible. But she had to, she did want control over her magic, but most of all she wanted to channel again. Resentment for Master Otaro flashed through her, she knew her punishment had been far less severe than it could¡¯ve been. But why did he have to block her channels anything else but the channels and it would¡¯ve been fine.

    Umbra could only do as he asked. It wasn¡¯t like she could remove the block herself. The differences in their power were so vast he might as well be a deity.

    Her being didn¡¯t have strands or any small amount of magic that she could tug out, to control, and there was no way she was going to be able to develop spells if she didn¡¯t have basic control over her magic.

    She kicked the writing desk in frustration, and pain arched through her big toe ¡°ow, ow.¡± Sitting down she cradled her toe, there is no way that is wood. A soft feminine laugh echoed in her room. Umbra stood up, pain forgotten. ¡°Who is there.¡± Umbra was sure there wasn¡¯t anyone in her room, it wasn¡¯t that big she would have definitely noticed if there was someone here. She stood statue still listening for another sound, but it was dead silent. Huh, maybe I¡¯m hearing things.

    She was uncomfortable though, making it even harder than before to concentrate on finding that stupid strand that Master Otaro had said was present. She was really starting to think that Master Otaro didn¡¯t know what he was talking about, he had been wrong about almost everything regarding her.

    She had been at it for a while before she gave up and just let the magic explode outward, darkness came pouring out of her and a wave of death followed. It was a good catharsis. And really the only way Umbra had of relaxing herself at the moment.The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

    After her outburst, the shadows in Umbra¡¯s room drew together into a shape almost exactly like they had in the shrine a few months ago. ¡°Nyx,¡± Umbra breathed. The shape took form much faster this time, her obsidian black figure stepping out of the shadows, and her presence of terror filled the room. Umbra gulped a short breath, she hadn¡¯t remembered it being this bad, but there were other feelings in Nyx''s presence that Umbra hadn¡¯t noticed before, mischief, inevitability, and of something so ancient that Umbra could feel it. ¡°What are you doing here,¡± Umbra asked pushing through the tension of fear.

    ¡°I go where I wish,¡± Nyx said nonchalantly. ¡°But if you must know I was watching you.¡±

    ¡°You were watching me?¡± Umbra asked crossing her arms self-consciously

    ¡°You are quite entertaining to watch.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t you have something godly to do,¡± Umbra asked offended. Nyx just waved her hand.

    ¡°Hardly. Now, what do you think of my gift, impressive is it not.¡± Nyx said with a self-satisfied smile.

    ¡°Yeah, it is great, super powerful,¡± Umbra said, better to keep the primordial deity of night and death happy.

    ¡°I assure you a greater gift has not been given,¡± Nyx said seriously. Umbra didn¡¯t know what to say, and Nyx stared at her intently seeming to look into her. ¡°Your control seems to be going great.¡± Her lips curved into a sarcastic smile.

    ¡°I can¡¯t control my magic at all,¡± Umbra replied, frustration seeping into her voice.

    ¡°That is because you are going about it all wrong,¡± Nyx replied completely unfazed by Umbra¡¯s impolite tone.

    ¡°What do you mean, this is how Master Otaro told me to do it.¡±

    ¡°That man is not old enough to know of any other way to control magic,¡± Nyx said walking closer to Umbra. ¡°You cannot pick your magic to pieces, you are a battlemage. I had thought them all dead even before I slept until I saw you.¡±

    ¡°Is that what you were referring to when you said it was fitting that I woke you,¡± Umbra asked.

    ¡°No that was something else entirely, do not worry about that,¡± Nyx said an annoyed look flickering across her features.

    ¡°Sorry,¡± Umbra said in attempting to smooth things over. Nyx seemed mollified. She is temperamental, about some odd things. Umbra noted to herself

    ¡°Now, would you like help with this or not?¡± Nyx asked

    ¡°Yes please.¡±

    ¡°Then allow me to explain, your magic cannot be split and can only be wielded as a whole.¡±

    ¡°That sounds like a pretty big disadvantage,¡± Umbra said, a little annoyed. Of course, she was born with a deficiency that had died off so long ago no one even remembered it except for the Gods.

    ¡°It is a boon and a curse, normal mages cannot use the entirety of their magic simultaneously, only being able to pull exactly enough magic for their spells from their being, making fights between mages a war of attrition. Battlemages, however, are able to use all of their magic simultaneously which means you can instil spells with far more power at an increased cost, unfortunately, it also means you have to control all of your magic, not just a tiny bit, which can become a real problem when you actually have some magical power," Nyx said drawing her cold shadowy finger down Umbra¡¯s cheek, Umbra shivered. "But, for now, it should not be an issue." Nyx drew back and Umbra stifled a sigh of relief, her presence was unbearable when she was that close.

    ¡°So, how do I control it?¡± Umbra asked eagerly.

    ¡°I believe you already have, during your fight with that arrogant little ice queen,¡± Nyx said a look of distaste crossing her features.

    ¡°How do you know about that.¡± Definitely temperamental.

    ¡°I may not always be watching you, but I know what happens to someone with your potential. You gave her a good kicking, unfortunate your teacher stopped you killing her.¡±

    ¡°Thanks, I guess," Umbra smiled awkwardly it was weird to be praised for almost killing someone. "Can we talk about controlling my magic?¡±

    ¡°Oh yes,¡± Nyx said, and her body reformed sitting on Umbra¡¯s bed obsidian legs dangling off the side. She was smaller almost childlike now, her legs barely reaching the floor. ¡°As I was saying, you¡¯ve already done it. When you were beating that ice girls face in.¡± Her voice was childlike as well, higher and playful. ¡°You open yourself to it slowly, you have to control all of it, make sure you do not release it like you have been doing, you can not shape it into spells if you do that. Try it now.¡± Umbra did slowly letting the magic suffuse her, making her body tingle with the power. ¡°Hmm you have to be extra careful about the amount of magic you use for spells, you can drain your entire reserves with one cast,¡± Nyx said kicking the air with her feet that dangled off the bed. ¡°Now that you are open to it maybe try to create something pretty with your magic.¡±

    Flowers are kind of pretty, I¡¯ll try that. Umbra envisioned a small delicate flower like the one¡¯s Jeeani wore woven through her hair. and released the smallest amount of the magic that was straining against her attempting to release itself in an explosion of magic. It came out as a wisp of darkness from her fingertips, ¡°You will need more than that,¡± Nyx said letting out a childish giggle. Umbra complied and let out more and tried to manipulate it into the shape of a flower, it was a difficult task, she had to split her concentration between trying to keep the magic that was straining to be released in an explosion of power and trying to shape the magic she had released. Finally, after quite a few failures and Nyx waiting patiently, Umbra managed to create a black flower made of darkness, although calling it a flower was a stretch of the imagination. ¡°What is that supposed to be?¡± Nyx asked sceptically.

    ¡°A flower,¡± Umbra said embarrassed. And Nyx let out a childlike giggle.

    ¡°Well, you might have to work on that a bit.¡±

    ¡°Thanks, Nyx, I owe you,¡± Umbra said sincerely.

    ¡°You do, now I have godly matters to attend to,¡± And Nyx disappeared into the darkness whence she came, taking with her the terrifying presence that Umbra had been doing her best to ignore.

    Umbra couldn¡¯t help but let out a little shout of joy she could control her magic now; it wasn¡¯t easy but she could do it. She just had to develop a spell and Master Otaro would return her channelling to her. It can¡¯t be too hard.

    Umbra kept at it using her magic to try to shape all kinds of objects. It didn¡¯t take long for her magic to be depleted though. Turns out that she did need to sleep, but only when she had no magic reserves.

    When Umbra woke she was ravenous, seems like she did need both sleep and food but only after she had exhausted herself.

    Dovrag was in the dining room reading, Umbra was pretty sure that it was around the same time that she had first met him in the dining room. Seems he has a routine. ¡°Hey Dovrag,¡± Umbra called, her voice was happy, she felt a lot better after finally being able to control her magic. Dovrag looked up and smiled at her gesturing to the seat next to him.

    Umbra piled her plate with food and sat beside him eating in companionable silence.

    ¡°I saw Apithe after you fought with her,¡± He said, no trace of judgment in his voice, Umbra froze a leg of meat halfway to her mouth.

    ¡°Ahhh, yeah she pushed me,¡± Umbra said putting down the leg of meat. Dovrag laughed it was a nice deep rolling sound, and it was the first time Umbra had heard it.

    ¡°That is what you do to someone who pushed you, she was near death, remind me not to get on your bad side,¡± Dovrag said still with a smile on his face.

    ¡°You aren¡¯t horrified?¡± Umbra asked surprised.

    ¡°My people believe in fights to determine one¡¯s status, and you placed yourself far above her,¡± Dovrag said putting down his book. ¡°That is something you should be proud of.¡±

    ¡°That is an odd system.¡±

    ¡°It is our way,¡± Dovrag said simply. There were a few minutes of silence and Umbra continued eating. ¡°Would you still like to learn my language, you took to it quite quickly,¡± Dovrag said breaking the silence.

    ¡°Oh, I totally forgot, sorry,¡± Umbra said sad that she had, she enjoyed spending time with Dovrag. ¡°Yeah I would love to continue learning,¡± He smiled, and immediately started showing her the greetings he had months ago refreshing her memory, they continued like this for the next few hours. Dovrag showing her more words and the correct subtleties to express with her body.

    They parted with the promise of more lessons at the same time tomorrow night and this time Umbra would keep it.

 Chapter 14/A Mistake

    Mages are said to be born with their spells every one of them unique to the mage. A powerful mage can wield upwards of 5 spells and some prominent favoured were known to have more than 10.

    Excerpt from Magic 101: A Book to Learn Magic Without a Teacher by Veriton Greybeard

    Umbra went to see Dovrag the following night. They practiced his language before he left to train with Apithe. Umbra had forgotten that he was training with the red-eyed girl, Umbra did feel a bit guilty about what had happened to Apithe, her retaliation might''ve been a bit out of proportion.

    Umbra decided that she would visit the library try to get some information on spells now that she could control her magic. On the way to the library, she noticed that she didn¡¯t feel that compulsion to channel, that had been eating her up inside. It felt good. She still wanted to but it was easier to ignore.

    The cat brought her books on spells. They didn''t end up being that helpful much like other magic books Umbra was starting to notice. They pretty much all said the same thing, if Umbra wanted a spell she would have to put herself in a position where she would need one desperately. And have enough magic, and control to cast the spell.

    Master Otaro had said she would need to prove her control to him by learning a spell, so he obviously thought she had enough magic. Her control was where she was lacking.

    What worried her was that it sounded like she would have to put herself in danger to develop a spell, and if she didn¡¯t have the control to cast the spell she might really hurt herself.

    Umbra fell into a routine. She would work on her control till she had depleted her magic, take a nap for an hour then head to the dining hall. She would spend an hour or two learning Dovrag¡¯s language. Then head to the library to read.

    She read whatever caught her fancy, mostly books on spells. There were a lot of very common spells between mages of the same aptitude, with slight variations between them of course. For most air mages their first spell was flight. For nature mages, it was talking to animals. It seemed the most common first spells were utility spells.

    After the library, Umbra would return to her room and practice her control and the routine would start again.

    She continued like this for a few months, Umbra thought she saw Jeeani once through the woods, but when Umbra got closer, she disappeared.

    Umbra improved swiftly in her control, she could quickly shape her magic into solid darkness without any of it wasted and it wasn¡¯t as mentally straining. She was starting to feel confident enough to try for her first spell.

    ¡°You are improving, you speak like a child now, not a baby,¡± Dovrag said after their lesson. Umbra wasn¡¯t used to receiving praise, it was nice.

    ¡°Thanks.¡±

    ¡°Compliments where it is due,¡± Dovrag said nodding his head. ¡°Now, I must be off Umbra.¡±

    ¡°Wait¡­ Dovrag can I ask you something,¡± Umbra asked hesitantly.

    ¡°You may.¡±

    ¡°Do you know anywhere on the island that¡¯s dangerous?¡± Umbra asked pushing her fork around awkwardly. ¡°It seems pretty placid.¡±

    ¡°Trying to reveal a spell?¡± Dovrag said with a grin. ¡°I can help, deep in the forest, there are predators, quite dangerous. It is where I learned my first spell,¡±

    ¡°You have a spell! What is it,¡± Umbra asked her eyes sparkling with wonder, ¡°Wait I don¡¯t even know your aptitude.¡±

    ¡°Fire, come I¡¯ll show you, Apithe can wait. You will be the first person I show. I only learnt it this morning.¡±

    Dovrag led her outside. ¡°We need some open space; I don¡¯t want to break anything.¡± They walked past the courtyard where Nora was messing with the winds, ignoring Umbra and Dovrag completely. ¡°Here,¡± Dovrag said and stopped. They were halfway between the portal and the estate standing on a grassy mound.

    Dovrag looked out over the grassy expanse, Umbra could sense his magic being released, and suddenly the earth split and a tentacle of pure fire reached out. It was tall about the height of two fully grown men on top of eachother and about as wide as one. It curled and twisted in the air. And Umbra felt his magic being released again and a second revealed itself from a new crack in the ground. They were terrifying, they could easily crush and incinerate a man. ¡°I thought first spells were usually utility, this looks more like a fighting one,¡± Umbra said surprised.

    ¡°My people are warlike,¡± Dovrag said. ¡°I doubt I will receive a utility spell, drow are not usually born with them, just as we are almost always born as fire mages.¡± He dispersed the tentacles and the wounds in the earth healed themselves.

    ¡°It must be nice to know exactly what you are,¡± Umbra said.This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.

    ¡°It makes things easier,¡± Dovrag said with a smile. Then changed the subject ¡°I can only cast one at a time, and I can only have enough magic for two at the moment.¡± Umbra guessed that this is where her magic differs from the normal, she would be able to summon as many tentacles as she was able at the same time, instead of one at a time. Dovrag continued ¡°but when I am able to summon many they will be a formidable weapon.¡± Dovrag said. He seemed proud Umbra thought.

    ¡°You want to use it to fight the people on the surface?¡± Umbra asked remembering Master Otaro mentioning something about a war.

    ¡°The surface dwellers forced us under long ago, we are taking back what is ours, it is our right denied to us for too long,¡± he said vehemently.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t know, that is horrible,¡± Umbra said. Dovrag nodded but didn¡¯t say anything his eyes looked of at the ocean. ¡°I think they are really cool,¡± Umbra said giving Dovrag her best smile. "The fire tentacles I mean." Umbra verified quickly knowing how it sounded and Dovrag gave her a smile. They stood in companionable silence, looking at the ocean on their small hill.

    ¡°I should be heading back, Apithe will not be happy to be left waiting for so long.¡±

    ¡°thanks for showing me your spell Dovrag,¡± Umbra said waving at him as he walked in the direction of the city.

    ¡°Good luck with your spell,¡± Dovrag called turning around.

    Umbra sat a while on the mound. Dovrag¡¯s fire tentacles were amazing for a first spell. Umbra hoped that she got something as impressive. But she was still worried, she had never intentionally put herself in danger. She would have to though to get her spell. Umbra knew she wasn¡¯t defenceless she had Carn, could turn into a shadow with Nyx¡¯s gift, she could shape her magic into solid darkness that she could use to hinder an attacker and if worst comes to worst she could release her magic in an explosion of death, which seemed pretty effective against the plants she had killed with it.

    The sun had risen when she entered the forest and now it was almost halfway into the sky, but she hadn¡¯t really noticed a change in the forest. Still deeper Umbra thought with a sigh. Walks didn¡¯t tire her any longer but they did not leave much to do but think and fiddle with her shadows. Umbra didn¡¯t like being unoccupied for so long it led to disturbing thoughts best left forgotten.

    It was mid-afternoon when Umbra started noticing a few changes, the trees were older, more spare and gnarled and left long shadows on the ground, disguising the lack of vegetation that had been populous before. Seems she found what she was looking for.

    It was exhilarating to seek danger; Umbra wasn¡¯t actually sure what she was looking for. Dovrag had said predators, but Umbra didn¡¯t really know what that meant. She knew they were animals that hunted and ate other animals. So they had to be dangerous, but to a sentient being, she couldn¡¯t imagine them being that dangerous, all they hunted were dumb animals.

    She pressed deeper into the forest it was starting to give way to rocks, and she could see a cave ahead. A perfect place for an animal den. This is where she would find her predator.

    Walking straight into the den of a predator didn¡¯t seem to be the smartest idea, but Umbra didn¡¯t really have any better ones. She eyed the entrance her eyes piercing straight through the inky darkness, it went down and then took a sharp corner into the unknown. Well, she came for danger this seemed to be the best way to find it. She mustered her courage and stepped into the den.

    Umbra was cautious now sticking to where it was darkest, not that it made much of a difference to her. She just hoped that the predator couldn¡¯t see in the dark as she could.

    Umbra rounded the corner revealing an extremely large beast, it lay in the centre of a cavern filled with bones, thankfully it seemed to be sleeping. I think I could kill it, sneak up and put Carn into its head, but would that be enough danger. Killing it would be too easy, she would have to poke the beast, wake it up. It was pure stupidity and Umbra couldn¡¯t help but giggle. She was about to wake a sleeping beast that was by far the biggest thing she had ever seen.

    Umbra picked up a stone about the size of her fist. Tossing it in her palm. This is so stupid. She was fast though and she was pretty sure she could get away from it worse came to worst. If this doesn¡¯t awaken a spell then nothing will she thought, then threw the stone.

    It hit the beast on the head, but it didn¡¯t move. Is it dead? Nahhh I don¡¯t think so just need a bigger stone. Umbra looked around, there was a stone bigger than her head in the corner. Perfect. It was heavy she had to get a bit closer if she wanted to throw it at the beast. She couldn¡¯t help but giggle at how annoyed it would be, even if it scared her half to death.

    Stepping closer she drew back her stone, and threw it as hard as she could at the beast¡¯s head, it hit with a satisfying thud and the monster woke with a growl. Unfolding itself its true size was revealed. Umbra had made a serious mistake, it was at least twice the size that she had previously thought and filled with lean hard-packed muscle. It spotted her in the shadows almost immediately.

    There was no way she was fighting this thing it was massive with ferocious claws and two long teeth that curved down under its mouth. And so Umbra pushed the shadows to the front of her skin and ran as fast as she could, which was considerably fast now that magic ran through her body. The beast was faster though and it was catching her she could hear its thundering pace draw nearer. She tried to concentrate to harden the shadows around it but it was too hard to pay attention when running for her life.

    Umbra ran through the sparse forest, through the lengthening shadows and let out a terrified giggle she could hear it drawing closer. Well, this would be the time for her spell to reveal itself. The beast grew ever closer, and nothing was revealing itself, she might¡¯ve just made a terrible mistake. Maybe her control wasn¡¯t sufficient or maybe Master Otaro was wrong about how much magic she had.

    She heard a whoosh and instinctively jumped to the side hitting the ground, the beast had barely missed her shoulder, she rolled to her feet and the beast swung around baring its fangs at her and letting out a low rumbling growl. Umbra backed away slowly. She was going to die one swipe from its paw and she would be crushed like an insect.

    She needed to get away, what had she been thinking, she was so stupid, so so so stupid. I¡¯m going to die. The beast lunged and Umbra jumped aside again and drew Carn, it seemed so small in comparison, so insignificant.

    The beast learned, it did not lunge this time, but approached her slowly watching Umbra with cunning yellow eyes. She needed to get away, that single thought consumed her she couldn¡¯t fight this thing, it was a monstrosity.

    Umbra backed away as fast as she could while watching the beast. Umbra had two choices she could stand and try to fight it, or run and get mauled from behind.

    As the beast grew closer Umbra knew what she had to do. She stepped forward as quick as a striking snake, slashing with Carn. She scored a deep cut across the beast¡¯s face and it jumped back roaring in pain. Umbra turned and took off in a dead run through the long shadows of the sparse forest.

    She couldn¡¯t hear it anymore maybe she had gotten away.

    She screamed as her flesh was shredded from shoulder to hip across the scars of her whipping. She went down falling from the force of the blow. She just needed to get away why couldn¡¯t she even manage that. Her back was on fire but she managed to roll around. The beast was standing on top of her drool dripping down from its mouth. Umbra had never felt such intense primal fear, but she still had one card left to play, she tore open her being and let the death magic explode outward, it killed everything around her the trees and plants dying, but the beast only whimpered and seemed to grow tired, but only for a second, it shook its great head dispelling the fatigue, and lunged at Umbra¡¯s throat.

    In that split second the spell revealed itself and Umbra disappeared from under the beast appearing again on her back still in intense pain in the shadow of a distant tree. The beast gave a terrifying howl and Umbra used the spell again moving back towards the estate, pushing her being into the next patch of darkness she could feel in the setting sun.

    She had almost no magic left and she couldn¡¯t get far, but it was far enough away from the beast. She lost consciousness under a tree.

 Chapter 15/Good Hunting

    The black void formed into two figures, one was unmistakably Nyx, she sat and watched Umbra. The second figure stood behind Nyx, a man with great black bird wings, his face hidden by an intricately carved mask. They watched her intently, and Umbra could do nothing but weather their intense gaze.

    Umbra came awake in the light of the sun and shivered. That was an unsettling dream. She looked around, she was still at the same tree where she had fallen unconscious, Carn lay at her side, ¡°how am I alive.¡± She reached around to feel the extent of the damage left by the beast. There was no open wound only dried blood and the small raised bumps on her skin; the scars of the Duchess¡¯s whipping. There was no pain either, had she dreamed of the confrontation with the beast. No that can¡¯t be right, she knew how to cast her first spell, although she would not be able to explain how it worked if someone asked.

    Something moved out of the corner of her eye, she grabbed Carn and tried to stand, almost fainting from the effort. There was no open wound on her back, but she was extremely weak. ¡°Umbra, I was wondering when you were going to awake,¡± Jeeani¡¯s voice called as she walked into view, carrying the odd fruits Umbra had seen laid on the dining table. Umbra relaxed.

    ¡°Did you save me?¡± Umbra asked.

    ¡°Who else but me,¡± Jeeani said letting out her distinctive musical laugh.

    ¡°How did you?¡±

    ¡°That is what my magic is for,¡± Jeeani replied. And Umbra felt an ugly flush of envy, to be able to heal and sustain life, instead of taking it away. ¡°What are you doing out here anyway, it is a far way from the estate.¡±

    ¡°Trying to find something dangerous,¡± Umbra said and grimaced.

    ¡°I¡¯d guess by your wound you managed to annoy the snarlark, that is probably the most dangerous thing on the island,¡± Jeeani said, handing Umbra one of the fruits she held.

    ¡°Oh, well maybe I should¡¯ve been a bit more careful.¡±

    ¡°I assume this danger seeking was for a spell; did you manage to get it before you got mauled.¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± and Umbra smiled a proper smile, at least something of worth had come from this. Jeeani patted her hand.

    ¡°You lost a lot of blood, you should probably rest before leaving,¡±  Jeeani said and left. Umbra finished the fruit Jeeani had left behind and fell into a contented nap.

    Jeeani was gone when Umbra woke. Did Jeeani live in the forest now, it was full of life just like her, the trees were green, the vegetation dense, birds sang and Umbra lay in the long soft grass. She felt better than she had in a long time. She had a spell now, Master Otaro would unblock her channel.

    Umbra stood and stretched it was noon and the shadows cast by the trees darkened the forest. Umbra set off back to the estate, time to find Master Otaro.

    Umbra had been walking for close to an hour and was irritated at how long it was taking her when she came to the realisation that she didn¡¯t need to walk, she had her spell. The forest was dark but only the shadows of the trees were dark enough for Umbra to move to. It was surprisingly simple, all darkness was connected, as long as she was in the darkness she could move through it.

    Umbra focused on a distant shadow and instinctively released some magic, controlling the rest as best she could. The feeling of travelling through the darkness was gross like sliding through mud, but it only lasted a second. She reoriented herself, it was exhilarating to travel so quickly and easily. Umbra could feel the darkness in a web around her and it was so easy to jump between their connecting strings travelling rapidly towards the estate, the longer the jump the more magic it took, but as long as she kept them small they took an unnoticeable amount of magic.

    She arrived back at the estate in under an hour, far shorter than the hours of walking she had done to get that far into the forest. Nora and Hayao were outside in the courtyard, Nora ¨C Umbra was surprised to see ¨C was standing on the highest branch of the tall dead tree, short fair hair in disarray, wind whipping around her, and flapping out her too big shirt she was laughing, And Hayao stood on the ground beneath the tree wondrous eyes and a happy smile on his face.

    Nora jumped and instead of plummeting to the ground, she floated down like a feather, spinning, her happy laughter filled the courtyard, and Umbra was reminded of the aurai at the festival, so long ago. It would be nice to have fun with magic like that, thought Umbra glumly.

    Umbra used her spell to bypass the courtyard jumping to the shadow of the entrance. She stepped into the building and suddenly Master Otaro was before her. ¡°I see you have learnt a spell. Come with me.¡± Umbra followed him wondering how he always seemed to know what was going on in his estate.

    Master Otaro led Umbra a short way through the estate, and stopped at a small door, he pushed it open revealing a cozy room containing two chairs facing each other over a table. He sat in the chair facing the doorway and pointed at the other chair, Umbra took a seat. ¡°This is probably one of my favourite rooms, small and private, it is the perfect place for a civil conversation, don¡¯t you think?¡± Umbra looked around and shrugged.Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.

    ¡°I suppose.¡±

    ¡°Might I ask what spell you learnt,¡± Master Otaro asked.

    ¡°It is hard to explain, but basically I can move to shadows instantly if I stand in one.¡±

    ¡°Ahh, shadow jumping,¡± Master Otaro said. ¡°Dark orientated, uncommon and exceptionally valuable, a lucky acquisition.¡± Umbra just nodded, she didn¡¯t feel that lucky.

    ¡°Can I have my channelling back now,¡± Umbra asked.

    ¡°I am not sure you are ready for it yet.¡±

    ¡°You said I could have it back after I got a spell,¡± Umbra said, the shadows under her skin whipping into a frenzy.

    ¡°Calm yourself, you are not aiding your cause. I will return your channelling as I said I would, but that does not mean you are ready.¡± Umbra relaxed, the shadows on her skin quietening. ¡°I suggest the block stay in place until I think you ready, but it is up to you.¡± Umbra shook her head.

    ¡°No I want it back,¡± Umbra said trying to keep her voice calm, but some of the need broke into her voice.

    ¡°Then you will, but remember, if you bring any harm to your fellow students again, far worse consequences will follow.¡± Umbra nodded, and she breathed a sigh of relief when the block was removed. ¡°You may go now,¡± Master Otaro said, he seemed almost disappointed.

    Umbra headed to her room immediately there was darkness to channel there, and she really wanted to channel.

    Channelling darkness did not bring any sort of euphoria, only a slight soothing sensation. Umbra was getting barely any magic from it even with her channels as open as wide as they would go. It only made her want to channel death magic increase. She couldn¡¯t do this.

    Umbra shadow jumped through the estate and out into the courtyard. It was night now and she was no longer refrained to the shadows of the trees, Umbra shot towards the forest, it was time to test a theory.

    Umbra found a young buck and drew Carn, it was a simple matter to kill it. Umbra simply stepped into being beside it and thrust her dagger into its head, killing it instantly. She felt the magic of death and opened her channels to it and was disappointed immediately, it was better than the darkness by a wide margin but it did not come close to her time with the dead body. Not only did an animals death attract far less magic, but it also lacked the potency, complexity, and depth of the magic she had channelled from the sentient being¡¯s death. She groaned in frustration, and hunted down more animals, Umbra knew she could go to the city, but it didn¡¯t feel right to kill a person just so she could channel magic, even though she wanted to desperately, she would control herself.

    Each animal only gave her about an hour of subpar channelling, and stoked her frustration.

    Umbra travelled through the night incredibly fast, appearing for a split second before disappearing again. She had given up on the animals, they only frustrated her. Umbra wanted nothing more than to turn around and head towards the city. Maybe she wasn¡¯t ready for this like Master Otaro had said. Even with all that time spent controlling her magic she was still mentally weak. It had only taken a matter of hours before she was desperate for death magic again.

    Umbra was now further away from the estate then she had ever been. She didn¡¯t know how far she had travelled ¨C it was different now she moved so fast ¨C but judging from the open expanse of land and nothing distinctive in sight behind her she was a fair distance from the estate. There was something in front though, far off in the distance. It looked like tents, maybe two dozen set up in a circular formation.

    Umbra jumped closer, she could make out odd creatures, they stood on two feet, had green scales and long tails. They looked like lizards walking on two feet, Umbra thought.

    Umbra watched the lizard people, they appeared partially civilized, if a bit savage. Most were naked, but some wore animal skins, Umbra spotted a couple with a child between them. They seemed sentient, and Umbra couldn¡¯t help but wonder if they died like animals or people. She only needed to kill one to see.

    Umbra drew Carn, she could see a lone lizard-person on a far ridge he carried a spear and seemed to be coming back from some distant place, probably scouting. He was the perfect target and Umbra pushed her shadows out her skin, making her effectively invisible in the night and shadow-jumped towards him.

    Umbra jumped one last time her, dagger prepared to plunge into the lizard-things neck. But as soon as she appeared next to the lizard it reacted faster than Umbra thought possible. It whipped the butt of its spear around and into Umbra¡¯s face stunning her and sending her reeling back. She held her hand to her face she was bleeding from a wound to her head, it stung but adrenaline was masking the pain.

    ¡°You reek of death,¡± The lizard hissed in barely recognisable common. Umbra snarled, her head hurt and she didn¡¯t want to talk. She shadow-jumped behind him thrusting Carn into his side, she felt him moving as the knife ripped through his side, and desperately jumped again. And stumbled when she reappeared, she felt weak, her magic was depleted, Umbra didn¡¯t have proper control over her spell when she casted it in a rush and it had sapped far too much magic. ¡°Trickster, fight me,¡± It hissed in annoyance, it was wounded blueish blood leaked from the hole in his side, which covered with a clawed hand. Umbra was weak but she knew she only needed to wait for it to bleed out, the fight was over.

    It seemed to know that as well, it looked at her carefully revealing a level of intelligence Umbra hadn¡¯t expected in these creatures. Umbra saw its body tense and she readied herself. It threw her spear at her and Umbra desperately flung herself away too scared to use her magic in fear of depleting the small reserves left.

    The lizard was stumbling towards the tents as fast as it could, which wasn¡¯t very fast as it cradled its wound. Umbra smiled she knew she had won and using some of her precious remaining magic she shadow-jumped directly behind the lizard-thing and stuck her knife into its head, it crumpled to the floor dead and Carn thrummed in satisfaction. And Umbra couldn¡¯t help but agree with the knife, there was something intoxicating about defeating an opponent, proving that she was stronger, that she was better.

    His death was like that man¡¯s and she was itching to channel, but worry that the other lizard people might see her come morning was scary, given that one was a match for her during the night. She dragged his heavy body over the ridge, aided by the magic flowing through her. As soon as she was out of sight she opened her channels and collapsed next to him.

    His death was almost as good as the man''s, almost. It lacked complexity and fell behind slightly in potency but there was a great deal of it and it felt fantastic.

    She came out of her trance as night fell once again, judging by the body it had only been a day, it was nowhere near as far gone as that disgusting rotted corpse she awakened to the first time. She smiled she felt better than she had in months, that euphoric feeling suffused her and she stretched out with her magic feeling the darkness and the remnants of death. The magic she had gained from this lizard thing was slightly less than from the man but it still added a sizable amount to her growing reserves.

    Animals were a sad pale image of this. And channelling darkness even more so. There wasn¡¯t much of a difference between killing these people than the ones in the city she knew that but at least these were warriors and fighters, not defenceless innocent people who she could kill in one blow. And the fight and victory was an intoxicating feeling, that added to the allure.

    Umbra walked up to the ridge to watch the lizard people below, maybe she would stay awhile, she would pay back Dovrag for all the missed lessons, but this was a temptation she couldn¡¯t ignore, there had to be at least fifty people in those tents, more magic than Umbra could fathom.

    She watched from the ridge, thinking.

 Chapter 16/Growing

    The lizard people seemed to have doubled the guards around the tents. They probably noticed their missing friend, odd that they haven¡¯t gone looking for him.

    The guards didn¡¯t pose much of a problem for Umbra, she could just jump past them and get into the tents. There were a few issues with that approach, chief among them was she didn¡¯t feel comfortable killing people who couldn¡¯t defend themselves. There was something about the fight that made it fairer as if she had earned it.

    Umbra watched through the night, occupying herself with try to form a black figure of herself as Nyx did. It was pretty wasteful in terms of magic, but Umbra didn¡¯t mind much.

    The guards changed semi-regularly but still, no one left. Surely they would have to leave eventually for food, or firewood, or some reason.

    In the morning a bunch of lizards left in groups of three. Umbra groaned she couldn¡¯t fight 3, especially during the day.

    Umbra picked one of the groups at random and followed at a safe distance maybe they would split up, fighting one during the day would be hard but she thought she could do it.

    Two of the lizards were older fighters, they reminded Umbra of the one she had killed, but the smaller one in the middle was younger and held a bow awkwardly. She could ignore that one if she was going to fight them, the older lizards were the priority.

    She was starting to feel the ever-increasing need for magic around midday when the lizards stopped to eat. They were in the shade of a large ridge, and Umbra considered attacking them here. They were distracted by their food and she was sure she could jump behind one of the lizards and kill it before the rest of them could do anything.

    Umbra started circling closer, keeping the hills between them and keeping low to the ground. She didn¡¯t know whether she should shadow herself, it might be more obvious, so she didn¡¯t. She crawled up a hill, it gave her a mostly unobstructed view of the environment, there was a dense forest ahead. That is where they must be heading to. Umbra smiled if they were heading there she could take them.

    The lizards ate quickly, raw meat by the looks of it, disgusting. Then they set off towards the forest again. Umbra followed excited for the fight and the reward of magic at the end.

    The forest was dark, trees pressed against each other fighting for space. Umbra stalked her prey from above, shadow-jumping from tree to tree. They stopped every now and then to study the ground, Umbra guessed they were hunting, just like her. Umbra forced herself to patience, she wanted them to be a bit more split before she struck.

    Around noon they stopped and hissed to each other in what Umbra guessed was Common dialect not that she could make out any of it. They then split and Umbra grinned she would take the lizard on the left first.

    The lizard was wary spear at the ready, they must be getting close to whatever it is they are hunting. Umbra guessed.

    Umbra gave it a few more minutes before she was sure the lizard was far enough away from the others that it wouldn¡¯t be able to warn them.

    Umbra cloaked herself in her shadows then struck, shadow-jumping behind him in the dark forest and thrusting Carn towards his neck. it and swung around before she stabbed it, swinging its spear into her arm. Umbra gritted her teeth, and shadow-jumped out of its reach cradling her bruised wrist, stupid things are so fast.

    It eyed her cautiously but didn¡¯t call for help. Umbra crouched low and shadow-jumped behind the lizard, putting herself close enough that she barely had to move Carn to push it into his back, she jumped again immediately keeping tight control of her magic. Umbra remembered how fast the lizard reacted last time.

    It didn¡¯t seem to care about the knife wound on its back and slowly advanced towards her. Death by a thousand cuts it is. Umbra repeated the same process jumping in close enough to a stab and then jumping out immediately. The lizard was starting to slow, and Umbra¡¯s magic was taking a hit, she didn¡¯t mind though as soon as this lizard died she could increase her capacity.

    This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

    It truly did seem like it would take a thousand cuts or stabs in this case before it would die. It stood defiantly, it seemed barely affected by the dozens of bleeding stab wounds on its body. A bit slower but that¡¯s it. The sound of footsteps could be heard in the forest, and the lizard hissed in what seemed like laughter. ¡°You are in trouble now Huntress, your tiny spear could not kill me and now my brothers are coming.¡± Umbra just snarled in response, she needed to end this now.

    She would have to take some damage but at this point, it was the only thing she could think of. She jumped behind him, and stabbed Carn towards the back of his head, it dug in a bit, but before she could push it further she was hit in the side of the head by the length of the spear, she tumbled to the ground and the lizard advanced, that hurt, but thank the deities they didn¡¯t have swords or daggers, I would¡¯ve been dead. Umbra jumped again and slashed her knife across his Achilles tendon, severing them with a grotesque snap. The lizard let out the first sound of pain as he fell to his knees, a high pitched hiss. Umbra took her chance and lunged for his neck sinking carn to the hilt, Carn sang and the lizard gurgled then dropped dead. Resisting the urge to channel she jumped to the canopy of the trees above, the sound of running was close now, the other lizards must have heard the sound of pain.

    The lizard crashed through the bushes and onto the slightly clear path where the lizard Umbra had just killed laid dead. They stood still staring at the body the multiple stab wounds covering it. Umbra could sense the death magic from here and the craving to channel it was immense, but she knew if she did she would pass out and probably fall off the tree to her death. The smaller lizard holding the bow fell to his knees next to the body and cradled it, Umbra ignored that, and instead used some of her dwindling magic to jump behind the older lizard who was staring at the body obviously distracted.

    This one wasn¡¯t as fast, probably because it was distracted. And Umbra sunk Carn into its throat and ripped it around, the dagger shivered in glee, and the older fighter dropped dead, the air was full of magic now, but Umbra had one more thing to deal with before she could channel; the younger lizard. It stood watching her, it was hard to tell if it was angry on account of its rigid reptile face but given the way, it trembled Umbra guessed it was furious. ¡°You killed my father,¡± it hissed in anger. Umbra paused a second, but the death magic was all around her now, corrupting the air she breathed, and the only thing she wanted was more death.

    Umbra flicked the blood off Carn and crouched low, only a slightly darker shadow in the forest of dark shadows. The lizard pulled back its bow, but it was far to slow and Umbra was in front of him, she drove the dagger into his head from below his jaw and he died instantly, adding his magic to the already saturated air. Carn hummed.

    Umbra wasn¡¯t sure how long she spent in the forest, three dead bodies was more magic than she had ever channelled, and she shoved her channels ever wider to compensate. She managed to stop herself from complete unconsciousness, she was worried that some predator might try to attack her.

    Eventually, the magic ran out, either dispersing into the world or being absorbed by Umbra, her being had almost doubled in capacity, an insane amount of magic to Umbra. She ignored the dead bodies as best she could, what that young lizard said made it hard to ignore the fact that she had just killed three sentient creatures, even if they were savages.

    Umbra was better at ignoring things now, that much magic had made everything a bit easier, she felt stronger, faster and her emotions seemed more distant. It was a nice change. leaving the dark forest and the bodies behind Umbra shadow-jumped in the night back towards the lizard¡¯s tents.

    Umbra took far larger jumps now, she had the magic to spend after all. Covering the ground faster than she had thought possible it only took her a few jumps to arrive back at the tents, it had used a large portion of her magic though.

    She arrived, as the other lizard groups returned, some with dead animals, others with firewood and other miscellaneous items. They seemed to notice the absence of a group and it sent them into a flurry of activity. Then more groups left heading back towards the forest Umbra grinned a search party.

    There were 3 groups of 3 and Umbra followed them back to the forest, and when they split up to search, Umbra struck, none were as capable as the first lizard she fought in the forest, and she was faster and stronger now. She picked them off easily, drawing them one by one towards her killing ground, a mostly open clearing with thick bushes and tall trees surrounding it. Soon enough 9 lizard bodies were scattered around the clearing and all Umbra had to show for it was a cut across her upper arm where a lizard had got a lucky blow in. The clearing was saturated with death magic and Umbra channelled.

    Umbra¡¯s channels were so wide now that it did not take long to absorb the magic from 9 dead bodies. Forcing herself to stay conscious during channelling made her aware of how much time had passed.

    Her magic had not doubled in size from the 9 deaths, though it was still a sizable increase. Looks like I will need to kill more for less, Umbra thought with a sigh.

    It only took her 2 jumps to arrive at the tents, although it was a noticeable drain on her magic, practically halving it.

    Umbra guessed it had been about three days since 9 lizards died in the dark forest, and the rest of them were in the process of packing everything up. The majority of the tents were in pieces and packs were being filled with food and other essentials

    They must think it is too dangerous to be around here. So where are they going? Umbra watched them pack up curiously.

    It was morning when the lizards finished and they set off immediately. They didn¡¯t head towards the dark forest or towards the estate, but further away, where plains stretched as far as Umbra could see.

    Umbra followed them, she had no intention of heading back to the estate, there was nothing back there for her to do except lessons with Dovrag, which she did miss, but she could make up when she got back.

    The lizards travelled for days in that time Umbra managed to pick off another of their number. But it was unsatisfying, taking her about an hour to absorb the magic. It wasn¡¯t enough but Umbra couldn¡¯t take all 40 of them that were left. So she had to wait.

    The plains started growing boggy and gradually morphed into a swamp. Disgusting black water with mossy plants growing in it, the paths were horribly muddy, the air was unbearably humid and all manner of biting insects flew around, truly an unpleasant place. There were a lot of small trees though, and Umbra travelled across them, no need to shadow-jump they were close together and dense, and Umbra was a lot more dexterous than she used to be.

    After about a day and a half and another dead lizard. Umbra caught sight of a fort directly in the path of the group she was following. It was of an impressive size, the wall was built from the trunks of trees and small watchtowers peaked over the walls.

    Umbra followed after the group she had been stalking until they reached the gates of the fort. Umbra stayed way back hidden in a tree, it was day and she would be easily spotted by the lizards standing guard on the walls. She couldn''t imagine how many lizards were in there, probably enough to triple my magic.

    Tonight she would scout the fort for prey.

 Chapter 17/Consequences

    The full moon¡¯s dull silver light burnished the swamp, reflecting off the shallow pools of brown water. Umbra was crouched low on a branch hesitating, she didn¡¯t know what she would find on the inside of the fort, maybe 100s of lizard-people all ready to kill her, but Umbra¡¯s hesitation was short-lived, she didn¡¯t have the patience for it. She just smiled, drew Carn then shadow-jumped inside the fort, as close to the wall as she could.

    She crouched low in the darkness and looked around warily, no 100s of lizard people, just a tidy looking town. Houses made of wood were extended above the muddy uneven ground of the swamp by stilts as were the walkways, and torches stood in regular intervals fending off the darkness. Umbra jumped through the city keeping her distance from the torches and sentries. She wasn¡¯t too sure what she was looking for, but there was a two storey house lit from the inside in the centre of the fort-town and she headed for it instinctively.

    She scaled the wall of the house with ease and poked her head up to look through the open window. Two lizards sat on the rough wood floor, the one furthest from her was larger than any lizard Umbra had seen, the other was not remarkable. They were speaking and Umbra focused on their hissing words. ¡°Do you think the attackers were from the bleeding-heart tribe?¡± The large one asked.

    ¡°I do not know, but there was only one attacker, not attackers.¡± The smaller replied.

    ¡°How could one kill 13 of your fighters.¡± The large one asked whipping his tail in frustrating.

    ¡°It followed us back, it was a shadow we only ever got glimpses of it.¡±

    ¡°It could not be the bleeding-hearts; they do not practice darkness magic.¡± The large one said thoughtfully. ¡°There is a rogue about, probably from one of the distant tribes, you shall find him he must be punished, and captain make sure you search for him during the day, the night is not a place you would want to be with a darkness mage about.¡±

    ¡°Yes, chieftain.¡± The smaller of the two said. The smaller one stood and Umbra ducked under the windowsill. She could hear his heavy footsteps and the opening of the door. She pushed off the wall and fell before shadow-jumping to the roof of an adjacent house. They are going to hunt me, I can¡¯t fight them during the day, the swamp isn¡¯t dark enough and they won''t go in the night now that they know I am a darkness mage.

    The captain lizard walked out the front door of the large house and Umbra saw an opportunity. She stalked him from the rooftops as he took a winding path around the boardwalk greeting sentries. Umbra was starting to feel less comfortable with killing the lizard people, they were obviously sentient, and had a civilization, but she had set herself down this path and it was easy to squish her old conscience.

    The captain finally stopped at one of the houses. Umbra slipped in through the window as he entered at the front. It was Spartan, a single bed sat in the corner and a low table meant to be used without a chair was the only other piece of furniture in the room. It was depressing and Umbra couldn¡¯t help but pity the obviously lonely lizard captain. It made what she was going to do harder.

    Umbra rolled under his bed pushing herself up against the wall and with some concentration managed to release some magic and make the room darker than it was.

    Umbra didn¡¯t have to wait long before the captain entered the room, and not much longer before his breathing settled into the rhythms of sleep. She breathed a sigh of relief she was starting to cramp, curled up under his bed like she was. Umbra slid quietly out from under the captain''s bed and stood up. She had never really tried anything like this and she was a bit nervous. She concentrated on her circlet forcing the spikes of darkness out of head wincing a bit at the pain, Umbra also pulled the veil of darkness over her face and started releasing magic. She made for an intimidating figure, darkness and death poring from her, so much that even non-mages could feel it, so she hoped. And a crown of jagged dark spikes sprouting from her head.

    She drew Carn and pressed the tip of its black metal surface against the lizard captains face and dragged it down, leaving a shallow cut. The lizard shot up immediately, saw Umbra and scrambled backward hitting the wall, Umbra couldn¡¯t help but smile a bit at his fearful eyes. That was the reaction she was going for and it was nice when things worked out. ¡°Yell, and you will die,¡± Umbra snarled in her best scary voice. The lizard mastered himself.Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.

    ¡°What do you want mage.¡± He said in his hissing accent. Time to channel some Nyx. Umbra let out her best crazy laugh.

    ¡°Mage, you think I am a mage,¡± Umbra laughed again. ¡°I am the daughter of death.¡± Maybe I¡¯m laying it on a bit thick, oh well. Umbra released some more magic, black mist started forming around her. She couldn¡¯t tell if he was buying it, but he still looked scared, time to step things up a notch. She leaned over the bed and the lizard pressed himself further against the wall. ¡°If you wish to live lizard, you will do something for me.¡±

    ¡°What¡­ what do I have to do,¡± the lizard managed to say and Umbra had trouble understanding as it was so distorted by his fear it could barely be called Common.

    ¡°When you go hunting for me tomorrow you will search only the swamp directly in front of the gates when the sun starts to set you will send 5 men to search behind the fort. Only 5,¡± Umbra said dragging Carn across the paralyzed lizard¡¯s neck, resisting the urge to sink it into his neck, Carn hummed at the thought. ¡°If you do not do as I say, I will kill you and it will not be quick.¡± With that Umbra shadow-jumped onto the roof of the captain¡¯s house and headed off to the back of the fort. She had released more magic than she¡¯d wanted to and she was feeling a bit drowsy. She was confident that the captain would do as she said, he had seemed terrified, and he must know that Umbra could get to him easily wherever he was.

    Umbra avoided shadow-jumping as much as possible, she didn¡¯t feel comfortable sleeping, and any more magic use would make it really hard to stave off sleep.

    Umbra shadow-jumped over the wall and onto a close tree. She headed deeper into the swamp. She was really starting to get tired now, I could sleep for an hour or two, the 5 lizards aren¡¯t due until next evening. Now the difficulty of finding somewhere to sleep.

    Umbra eventually found a tree the split in the middle providing her relative comfort and support so she wouldn¡¯t fall if she rolled over, or moved in her sleep. She settled in with a sigh and fell asleep immediately.

    Umbra woke to the sound of yelling and splashing. She wiped the sleep from her eyes, it was early morning and her magic was restored. She looked around for the source of the yelling and saw in dismay that lizards were everywhere splashing through the shallow pools and poking at bushes with their spears. Umbra gritted her teeth, they were poking at the trees as well, thankfully they were loud otherwise they might¡¯ve gotten her.

    Umbra scrambled up her tree as quickly as she could into the canopy where the branches rightfully shouldn¡¯t support her. There had to be hundreds of lizards searching the back of that fort, and Umbra felt weirdly betrayed, she had truly thought the captain would do as she asked.

    Umbra moved through the treetops heading further away from the searching lizards, and the sense of betrayal morphed into a cold rage that set Umbra¡¯s face into a rigid mask.

    Umbra kept ahead of the lizards quite easily, but she was forced to run and hide all day, fuelling her anger.

    Carn could feel her emotions and trembled with excitement it knew someone was going to die. Umbra was starting to get quite good at reading Carn¡¯s mood, the knife was alive in its own way.

    The sun had almost set when the lizards started making their way back and Umbra couldn''t help but let a savage grin split her face, breaking the mask. They wouldn¡¯t make it back to the walls before it was dark enough for Umbra to shadow-jump, she could kill a few.

    Umbra stalked them in the evening light, and as the sun passed below the horizon she struck, she was far faster than when she had first tried to fight a lizard, making it easy to slip Carn into their throat before they could hit her. She got 6 of the lizards that fell too far behind the main pack.

    She resisted the urge to channel, it was starting to get easier to ignore it, in part because she had something extremely important to do.

    The captain¡¯s house had 2 guards in front of the door. They watched the night around them diligently. Umbra knew she should be cautious, but she was angry enough that she didn¡¯t care for caution. She shadow-jumped from the roof appearing behind one of the guards and with lightning speed slid Carn into the lizards back, the other guard was reacting but Umbra was already behind him sinking Carn into his throat.

    She flicked the blood off Carn and brought forth her crown of jagged darkness. She slowly opened the door to the captain''s house, it wasn''t locked. Do they even have locks? The inside was a room Umbra had not seen before it seemed to function as an eating and relaxing room, Umbra ignored it and headed for the door to the bedroom where she would find the traitorous Captain.

    The captain stood in the middle of the bare room spear held in his hands when he caught sight of Umbra he readied himself. Umbra grinned this was better than cutting his throat in his sleep.

    ¡°I will not die easily daughter of death,¡± the captain said, snarling. ¡°And neither will my people which you prey upon.¡± Umbra didn¡¯t answer, just frowned, but she had something to do and in the blink of an eye, Umbra had sunk Carn hilt deep into his exposed throat. She had no stomach to kill him slowly, as she said she would.

    In a moment of strength, Umbra didn¡¯t channel him and instead left the house through the window. Just as the sound of the door slamming open broke the silence of the house. Someone saw the guards, I''m in trouble.

    Umbra was spotted almost immediately by some lizards outside the door, and they yelled. Umbra expended a large amount of magic and shadow-jumped directly out of the fort and to the tree she had hesitated on that first time.

    Umbra almost immediately jumped again when she landed on the tree because below her stood at least 200 lizards, the only reason she didn''t was they didn''t appear to be searching for her their eyes were on the fort.

 Chapter 18/Raid

    Umbra scrambled higher up the tree and watched the lizards carefully, they differed from the ones Umbra had been hunting, they were red, taller, and had long fangs that curved down from their mouth.

    The reds stepped from side to side with nervous energy as more filtered through the swamp, merging with the immense group hidden in the swamp water and foliage. The red lizards were well hidden even to Umbra¡¯s sight and would be virtually invisible to the lizards on the walls.

    The reds didn¡¯t wait long before they started stealthily moving towards the fort with predatory grace, their muscles bunching under their scales, Umbra admired them, they possessed a lethality that the lizards Umbra had preyed upon lacked.

    The reds paused at the edge of the trees eyeing the muddy open expanse before the walls, hesitating in much the same way as Umbra had.

    They didn¡¯t wait long as a truly monstrous red lizard stepped out on to the expanse, lifted his spear and gave a hissing war cry. The reds ran from cover into the expanse, completely silent, Umbra gawked a bit, there were so many and they came like a silent red wave. The monstrous lizard did not follow them.

    The defenders were already firing down on the red lizards and cries of ¡°Bleeding Heart,¡± and ¡°raid,¡± rang from the fort, and more defending lizards ran to the walls. The arrows were becoming more numerous and Umbra watched as bodies started falling to be trampled into the soft mud of the swamp, death saturated the air calling for Umbra¡¯s involvement. She held off though, this was a fight she didn¡¯t want to be involved in.

    The reds reached the walls and sunk their long claws into the wood, pulling their muscular bodies up the walls, they were fearless as the defenders rained arrows down upon them. Dozens of the reds fell to the ground dead, but it didn¡¯t seem to make a difference as they started getting to the top of the walls, and they wreaked havoc, no single defender was a match for one of the reds. The frequency of the arrows started to slow as more reds made it to the top of the walls. Umbra could barely control herself she was practically itching to be there in the middle of it all, but at the same time, she was scared.

    The defending lizards were being decimated, Umbra couldn¡¯t see how the weaker lizards could win this one. It had taken about ten minutes and already their defences were crumbling.

    Then suddenly the fort doors swung inwards, the press of reds against the doors stumbling after them to get impaled on the spears of an advancing force led by the large defending chieftain.

    The chieftain gave a cry that was echoed by his troops and he rushed forward and the earth shook under his steps, and reds were crushed as he ran through them his spear whirling, he was a force of nature and his fighters followed after him killing the stunned reds.

    Umbra had never seen a mage in battle, it was terrifying the earth itself seemed to protect him, spears glanced off his scales and the reds around him seemed to be sucked into the mud, while his allies moved through it like it was a paved street.

    Even with the chieftain cutting a swath through the reds, it didn¡¯t seem to be enough, the fighting on the walls was starting to come to a red victory and there were still scores of reds at the front of the castle pressing through the wide-open doors. The death was starting to go to Umbra¡¯s head and she could feel her control slipping, she opened her channels an inch, tasting the magic and it overwhelmed her, she almost blacked out barely holding on to consciousness. There was so much magic and Umbra couldn¡¯t help but push her channels open even more.

    Umbra gasped as the magic rushed into her, there had to be 100 dead bodies lying in the field maybe more and all that magic was flowing into her. She lost all semblance of control.

    Umbra shadow-jumped into the middle of the melee and cut through the lizards with Carn. Magic overflowed out of her poisoning the air. Everyone close to Umbra keeled over in her presence and she struck at them indiscriminately, Carn singing in her hand. She had never felt more alive, this was where she was supposed to be.

    Everyone moved in slow motion and Umbra easily dodged their feeble stabs, dealing death with every movement of her arm. She jumped from one end of the fight to the next never in the same place for more than a few seconds, leaving bodies behind.

    As the fight wore on Umbra felt only stronger and crazier, energised from the deaths around her. She continued to channel and stay lucid, something that would¡¯ve been impossible for her not too long ago.

    Umbra¡¯s killing spree didn¡¯t go unnoticed though, she could feel the mud gripping at her whenever she stood on it. She snarled in frustration, it hindered her movement and her ability to strike at the weakened lizards. Umbra did her best to ignore it continuing to jump from place to place dealing death as she went. She didn¡¯t make a conscious choice on where to jump to and with the next jump Umbra appeared in a circle empty of fighters except for one.

    Umbra walked towards the chieftain, death and darkness pouring off her, she held Carn at her side it was practically vibrating in her hand. She wasn¡¯t a person anymore just a conduit of death, and the chieftain was obstructing her. The lizard¡¯s eyes widened in fear at Umbra¡¯s approach. ¡°What are you?¡± The chieftain asked. Umbra didn¡¯t answer, so much magic flowed through her she didn¡¯t think she could talk.

    The chieftain frowned at Umbra¡¯s silence, then stomped the ground, it cracked outwards under his foot heading for Umbra. She jumped towards him but he was already prepared, a solid wall of mud between Umbra and him. The earth shattered below Umbra and she fell into a bottomless pit. The top sealed immediately closing her in. It didn¡¯t matter to Umbra though and she shadow-jumped into the night sky far above.This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.

    She could see the entire battle from up here, the defenders had retaken the walls but the reds were pushing through the doors. The chieftain had taken down the mud wall and stood over the now smooth earth. Umbra grinned he may have more spells but he was still going to die Umbra was sure of it.

    Umbra prepared Carn and shadow-jumped behind the chieftain. the momentum from the fall throwing her at the chieftain¡¯s unprotected back. It was then that she knew she had made a mistake, the chieftain was faster than she could imagine and was already turning around spear thrusting into Umbra¡¯s stomach as she impaled herself on it down to the lizard¡¯s hand, she screamed in pain and her legs turned to jelly, the spear the only thing holding her up.

    The shadows around Umbra collapsed inwards and she coughed blood. The chieftain dropped his spear and Umbra crumbled to the ground like a puppet with its strings cut, she let out a groan of pain as the blood drained from the hole in her abdomen and back. ¡°A child of the soft people,¡± the chieftain said in a surprised hiss. ¡°That is n¡ª,¡± A fist of stone crashed into the chieftain¡¯s face and he flew out of Umbra¡¯s sight. The earth shook and crashed and Umbra curled into herself clutching at her stomach trying to stem the bleeding.

    Umbra was still channelling magic and it was the only reason she could endure the pain, but the wound wasn¡¯t healing and she could feel herself growing weaker.

    Umbra¡¯s vision tunnelled and the world was silent, it was then clarity struck her and she realised what she had to do. Umbra used the last of her strength and fired threads of her magic into the field seeking out anything alive, they latched on to a few lizards and Umbra could feel them intimately; how they lay on the ground dying from their wounds and how she sped their demise pulling the last of their vitality into her.

    The hole in Umbra¡¯s body stopped bleeding and she could feel the skin closing around it. She grabbed Carn which had fallen beside her and struggled to her feet. She felt better with every passing second

    She looked around for the chieftain who had almost killed her. The rising sun lit him. He was grappling the monstrous red lizard who had finally joined the fight and unintentionally saved her. The ground around them was cracking and shaking. Every step they took gave a resounding boom. She fired off more of the threads but no one was left alive on the field except for those two mages who shrugged of the threads of magic easily. Umbra gritted her teeth in frustration, she was still weak and needed the strength if she was going to kill the chieftain.

    The two earth mages were too busy with each other to notice Umbra focusing on her masses of magic which had grown far beyond anything she was familiar with. She released it in a jagged edge of magic that flew straight into the chieftain, who immediately crumpled and Umbra gasped as all of her magic left her body, it didn¡¯t matter Umbra¡¯s channelling pulled in more magic from the saturated air and the vitality from the chieftain flowed into her through the thread of magic she had buried in him. It was an insane feeling, she felt as if she could punch through solid rock.

    The red lizard looked a bit surprised but jumped on the chieftains weakness and hammered him into the earth. The red lizard didn¡¯t stop there, he planted his clawed foot on the chieftain¡¯s chest, and grabbed the sides of the chieftain¡¯s head and with a sickening tearing noise ripped the chieftains head clean off his body. Umbra shivered when the mage died. The magic from his death was completely different it swamped the air as if a dam had just broken, and was so potent it reminded her of the first time she had channelled death magic.

    Umbra resisted the urge to fall into a trance, there was still one more alive thing on the field and it needed to die. The field was too bright for shadow-jumping but she didn¡¯t need to jump. She focused her magic which was mostly restored and released it in a replica of what she had done to the chieftain. The red lizard was ready for her though, and her magic buried itself into him only to be pushed back out, not all of it though. Umbra could feel his vitality slowly seeping into her and she smiled at the lizard across the field.

    The slight girl and the monstrous lizard stood in the rising sun, Umbra¡¯s pale skin and hair were unnatural in the sunlight; they didn¡¯t reflect the light as they should. The magic gathered in her again, and the red lizard rushed her in alarm stone bursting from his body covering him in armour. Umbra fired off her spell but the lizard brushed off the majority of it again. It didn''t matter anyways he was already growing weaker.

    Umbra ran to meet the lizard her powered body closing the distance in the blink of an eye. Umbra dodged to the side as soon as the lizard got close enough to reach her, he had more reach than her knife. His flying fist passed by her face and she darted under his temporarily outstretched arm and drove Carn into his armpit cutting through the stone like it was butter, the red lizard hissed and jumped back wrenching Carn from her grasp.

    The lizard circled Umbra slowly and Umbra eyed her knife that had fallen to the ground under the lizard¡¯s feet. She wasn¡¯t too worried about waiting, she was sapping away at his vitality and soon he would be too weak to fight her. The lizard seemed to recognise this too and charged her again, Umbra leaped past his bullish charge towards Carn. Even with her stolen strength, she doubted she would walk away if she got hit by one of the red lizard¡¯s stone fists.

    Umbra landed on her stomach near her knife and grabbed it from the mud. She spun around to meet the monster lizard, who had charged back towards her. She scrambled backward rapidly trying to get to her feet, but he was on her his stone fist closing around her waist, crushing it in his grasp, Umbra winced as her bones crunched together. The lizard lifted her up crushing her in his grasp, Umbra stabbed through the stone, piercing into the scales of his arm. His hands only tightened around her waist and Umbra could feel her bones breaking. She screamed and tried wildly to slash him in the face, but he held her at arm''s length too far for her to reach anything but his arms which she slashed at in desperation.

    The lizard didn¡¯t even flinch and Umbra felt her body crumpling under his grasp, she screamed in defiance and pain and threw Carn at his face. The knife seemed to pull itself towards the lizard burying itself in his cheek. The lizard growled and dropped Umbra, reaching up to his face. Umbra fell to the ground groaning in pain, but she wasn¡¯t going to waste this moment and she released all her magic into a jagged thread and fired it into the hurt earth mage.

    It latched on and Umbra¡¯s body healed itself, her bones cracking painfully as they pulled back together. The red lizard collapsed to the knees Umbra¡¯s knife in his hands. Umbra¡¯s magic ran rampant through his body, stealing his strength from him.

    Umbra closed the short distance between them instantly, ripped the knife from his grasp and buried it hilt deep through the stone armour and into his neck. Umbra could see the look of surprise in his eyes and she couldn¡¯t help but smile a bit as he collapsed onto his face, his death adding to the magic.

    Umbra laughed as she felt the death around her, she was full of its power and the death of the two mages alone was more powerful than the almost 400 normal dead lizards.

    She sat down in front of the monstrous dead lizard and concentrated on channelling the magic that covered the entire field, it was more magic than Umbra had ever experienced and she lost herself in the pleasure of channelling allowing herself to fall into a trance.

    Umbra¡¯s senses expanded at some point and she closed her channels with great reluctance to focus on the changed world around her. She could sense deeper intricacies to the magic around her and her awareness had spread allowing her a vague awareness of everything around her to about the edge of the swamp.

    It also brought her attention to Carn which seemed to pull slightly at the ambient magic, creating little whirlpools of magic around it. Umbra studied her knife carefully, it seemed to want the magic. She thought for a second and tried to build a channel into the dagger much like she had done for herself right at the start. It was difficult the knife was inanimate and the channel fell to pieces many times before she managed to create something that held itself together, the magic was redirected into the knife and Umbra felt it start to vibrate subtly and grow warmer.

    She started shoving the knife¡¯s channels open wider and soon it was pulling in an immense amount of magic, Umbra watched in interest as it grew and then started burning red hot. Umbra threw it away with a yelp on to the mud where it seared, vibrating rapidly.

 Chapter 19/Proposition

    Scalding steam rose from the mud, obscuring Carn and Umbra took a quick step back. Umbra couldn¡¯t see her knife, but she could still feel it channelling magic. She tried to close the channel, but it was like the knife had a mind of its own and it resisted her. Umbra was worried, Carn was eating through the magic in the field faster than Umbra had thought possible, far faster than even she had.

    While she waited for the steam to dissipate or something to happen she noticed there were lizards watching her from the fort when she made eye contact with one it ducked away out of her sight, she wasn¡¯t too worried about them coming out here. There was no way they had any fighters left after this.

    In a matter of hours, Carn had absorbed all the remaining magic, and Umbra noticed that the field was really starting to smell. Umbra worriedly messed with her magic, forming tiny dark figures as she waited for the steam to dissipate. It was a difficult exercise especially with how much magic she now had to control; a good distraction.

    The steam finally started to lift and Umbra noticed Carn felt different to her senses, more active and more alive if that was even possible for an inanimate object. Umbra got her first look at Carn in hours, to say it was changed is a bit of an understatement. It was a black whip, not circular more like a flexible blade made of razor sharp and jagged darkness that moved like the shadows on her skin. She touched her back, remembering the pain the Duchess¡¯ whip had caused her. ¡°Maybe a whip is fitting.¡± Umbra shrugged and grabbed the handle.

    Umbra could feel the whip like it was a part of her. She swung it through the air in an arc, it was heavy and didn¡¯t really behave as a whip should more like how she imagined a really flexible sword would. She swung it at the body of the monstrous red lizard, Carn seemed to stretch itself out even further when she swung it, and the red lizards head came flying from the body. Umbra let out a surprised laugh. She couldn¡¯t help but try it again on another of the bodies, she slashed at the midsection of another dead lizard, it cut through the body like nothing was there. Umbra looked at the whip with a tad of excitement. She had never touched anything as deadly as this, it made the dagger it used to be, underwhelming.

    Umbra spent half an hour playing with Carn. The whip was deadly sharp but when Umbra hit herself accidentally, it only left the sensation of cold water on her skin, and not a mark. She needed practice with the whip, she had a tendency to hit herself with it on successive swings. Umbra soon lost interest in dismembering the bodies and it was getting kind of gross.

    The smell of the rotting corpses was starting to get to Umbra and she could see the remaining lizards getting ever more antsy on the walls, there was nothing left for her here it was time to leave.

    Carn didn¡¯t fit in the sheath Master Otaro had bought for Umbra so she ended up winding the whip around her left arm until the end reached her shoulder, it settled against her skin, it had a pleasant feel, cool and smooth. The handle of Carn dangled slightly down from her sleeve, and she was pretty sure could pull it out with her right hand quite quickly, if she needed it. Umbra nodded to herself satisfied.

    Umbra set off from the walled lizard town. She knew she would come back eventually and find the rest of the red lizards, but for now, she was satisfied. It worried her a bit that it had taken almost 400 deaths plus two mages, who seemed quite powerful to truly sate her cravings, but she pushed it the worry aside, that was a problem for another day.

    Walking was slow so Umbra started running, it didn¡¯t tire her anymore with magic rushing through her body, and she was far faster than any human. Umbra made it to the edge of the swamp by nightfall and smiled to herself, she was even faster than she thought. She looked across the expanse of hilly green plains, the estate was days of travel by foot, but Umbra didn¡¯t have to walk anymore, instead, she dived into the web of darkness releasing almost all her now immense amount of magic and stepped out of a shadow in the estate¡¯s courtyard.

    Umbra giggled as Apithe jumped out of her skin, red eyes popping at Umbra¡¯s sudden appearance. ¡°What the¡­ How is that fair.¡± Apithe said.

    ¡°What?¡± asked Umbra, she was a bit confused Apithe didn¡¯t look like she was going to start a fight, and she seemed almost amiable, her stance while surprised wasn¡¯t overly defensive or aggressive.

    ¡°Your spell, it''s awesome, I just got some silly shield see.¡± Apithe stuck out her hand and a translucent shield shot outwards from her palm, bigger than her. ¡°Master Otaro said it was an extremely valuable spell, it can block magic as well as physical hits, but I kind of wanted a spell that I could fight with you know?¡±This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

    ¡°Yeah, I guess,¡± Umbra said still confused at this entire situation and why Apithe was being so friendly. They stood awkwardly for a second and Umbra moved to leave.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry you know¡­ I¡¯m not usually so horrible. I told myself when Master Otaro found me that I would be the best, I¡¯m the first mage my world has produced in generations and we thought magic had died out in us. But when I first saw you guys I could already tell I wouldn¡¯t be the best, the first death mage ever and a life mage. It was frustrating, I wanted to prove that I wasn¡¯t someone you could just ignore, and got my ass handed to me, rightly so I guess¡­ and yeah, I just wanted to say I¡¯m sorry.¡± Apithe looked at her feet, shuffling them.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry too, I overreacted,¡± Umbra said sincerely and Apithe gave a small sorry smile and nodded. They stood awkwardly again and Umbra gave her a small wave and headed for the estate entrance. She was tired from the magic she had used to get home.

    Umbra sighed when she caught sight of Master Otaro waiting in the doorway, it seemed sleep wasn¡¯t an option. ¡°Come with me,¡± Master Otaro said then turned around leading Umbra to his favourite room.

    They sat opposite each other. ¡°Where is Carn,¡± Master Otaro asked. Umbra pulled up her sleeve in reply, where Carn lay coiled around her arm. ¡°It has awakened to you then. A whip¡­ peculiar, Carn tends to take what form it feels best suits its master.¡±

    ¡°Why am I here Master, I am quite tired and would like some rest.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ve been killing the natives.¡±

    ¡°The lizards?¡±

    ¡°They are not lizards, they are draconian, related to dragons.¡±

    ¡°Oh,¡± I guess that makes sense they do look a bit dragony. Although they don¡¯t breathe fire and are definitely not as powerful. ¡°Am I in trouble Master?¡±

    ¡°No not really there are about a billion of them on this world a few hundred here and there will not be noticed,¡± Master Otaro said waving his hand. ¡°I called you in here to discuss your progress, you are advancing to the point where I would usually allow you to leave if you wished. Two spells and enough magic to put a mage of 20 years to shame. But you are a special case, a death mage, I can only guess at how dangerous you could become if you lose control of yourself.¡± Umbra grimaced as she remembered cutting through hundreds of lizards with just dagger Carn, now she had an extremely deadly second spell and a whip capable of decapitation.

    Master Otaro studied her silently then said, ¡°I will however let you leave, once you have gained more control over your quite extensive amount of magic. That shouldn¡¯t take too long at your rate.¡±

    ¡°I can leave?¡± Umbra said, surprised. She thought that she would¡¯ve had to stay here till she made favoured at least.

    ¡°It is important that you do, you need to forge a path for yourself, deities are not interested in those who do not. This island can not provide enough options, you must seek that in the fabric.¡±

    Umbra wandered back to her room. She didn¡¯t even know where she would go when she could leave, she had never thought about it. She couldn¡¯t go back to Poliagoras but the Duchess¡¯ probably wanted her head on a stick. Maybe she could head to the border worlds and look for V, it couldn¡¯t be too hard to find a Dovian or his apprentice they were were pretty unmistakable. Umbra still wanted to apologise to V.

    Umbra stripped off her dirty clothes and collapsed onto her bed forcing thoughts of leaving from her mind, Carn was still coiled around her arm but she didn¡¯t notice as sleep took her.

    Nyx visited Umbra in her dreams, without the masked winged figure like last time. Nyx only smiled at her approvingly and disappeared leaving Umbra to more mundane dreams.

    Umbra woke refreshed but ravenous as usual. She grabbed one of her black dresses, pulled it over herself, being extra careful near her left arm where Carn was coiled and set off towards the dining hall. She looked out the window as she walked down the halls, it was weird that she always woke up at the same time when she slept. Umbra shrugged, it had advantages Dovrag always ate at this time and she would be able to see him and apologise for disappearing again.

    Dovrag was in the dining hall, book in front of him and bowl of grey paste to the side forgotten, Umbra had always wanted to ask him what it was but it had slipped her mind on many occasions. ¡°Hey,¡± Umbra called out to him. Dovrag closed his book and gave her a smile. He signed a greeting in his language and Umbra smiled.

    ¡°Where have you been,¡± Dovrag signed.

    ¡°Collecting magic,¡± Umbra signed clumsily as she took her seat. She was a bit out of practice.

    ¡°I see; you wear Death like a second skin now,¡± Dovrag said switching to spoken language his rough accent pleasant.

    ¡°Thanks,¡± Umbra said, then bent down to perform a formal apology in his language for missing a commitment, feeling it would mean more to him than a spoken one. He signed back an acceptance.

    ¡°Umbra, I have something to tell you,¡± Dovrag said aloud. ¡°I¡¯m leaving in a few months¡ª.¡±

    ¡°What, you can¡¯t leave,¡± Umbra said, surprised and oddly hurt.

    ¡°The sky-people are pressing into the underground, and threatening our homes, my mother has asked for my return to help protect our cities. I will leave once I have achieved my second spell, as Master Otaro said I could.¡± Dovrag said poking the grey paste with a spoon. ¡°Which leads into something important I need to ask of you.¡± Umbra could see an uncharacteristic embarrassment in Dovrag.

    ¡°You can ask.¡± Umbra urged.

    ¡°To become a favoured was not my only reason for coming here.¡± He paused and Umbra nudged him. ¡°I was to find other students that would be willing to fight with us,¡± Dovrag said sheepishly.

    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s why you were teaching me your language,¡± Umbra said thoughtfully.

    ¡°Yes, I do enjoy the lessons though,¡± Dovrag said poking his paste shamefully.

    ¡°Hey that¡¯s fine, I don¡¯t mind if you have some other weird motives for doing it, I enjoy the lessons too.¡±

    ¡°I do have to ask though, if you would consider leaving with me once you and I get our second spells.¡± Dovrag said still avoiding looking at her.

    ¡°You want me to fight in your war?¡± Umbra asked. She wasn¡¯t sure what to feel about that.

    ¡°I know it is a lot to ask, but I thought you might like the battlefield,¡± Dovrag said still sheepish.

    ¡°Can I think on it Dovrag?¡± Umbra asked.

    ¡°Yes, yes, of course, we still have to get our second spells.¡±

    ¡°I already have mine,¡± replied Umbra.

    ¡°Oh, of course, you do work fast. Well once I get mine I will leave and I hope you will come with me.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll think on it,¡± Umbra said. Dovrag stood up from the table.

    ¡°I do not have the time for a lesson today, I have training with Apithe, but I hope we can continue our lessons tomorrow.¡± Dovrag walked to the door and stopped. ¡°Oh, I almost forgot Apithe has agreed to come back to my world, I hope that will not change your decision, she is extremely sorry for what she did.¡± And Dovrag left, leaving Umbra with her thoughts

 Chapter 20/A problem

    Umbra had forgotten her hunger while she was talking to Dovrag, but it was back now and Umbra heaped her plate with food. She ate quickly, trying to distract herself from the possible decisions. It wasn¡¯t very effective, and her thoughts drifted back to her options.

    The way Umbra saw it, she had 3. She could stay at the estate and continue doing what she was doing. She could leave, alone and explore the fabric and maybe try to find V. Or she could leave with Dovrag back to his home, and fight in a war for a world. Umbra didn¡¯t really feel comfortable making big decisions especially in such a short time, she decided she would sleep on it, maybe the answer would become clear.

    Umbra finished up her food and made her way to her room, she might as well try to improve her control, that was a good way of clearing her head and she couldn¡¯t even leave until she had improved her control.

    Umbra tried to build a figure of herself similar to what Nyx did, it was immensely difficult and a great way to improve her control it also seemed like it was a useful skill. There were a few issues with doing it though, the human body had so many tiny details that needed to be added to create a realistic copy and the longer it took to build the more magic it took, but if she built it fast she could hold it together with only a trickle of magic, of course, the appearance of the figure was barely humanoid if she did that more a blob.

    Umbra had more magic than she could reasonably control and even though it leaked out while she tried to build figures, tainting the air, she still had impressive stamina allowing her to train far longer than usual. In between the bouts of practice, Umbra wondered, if Nyx was watching her and if she found it amusing.

    Umbra eventually exhausted herself and fell asleep on the soft carpet not bothering to move to her bed. She woke with a few painful aches because of it, irritating and what was even more irritating was that sleep hadn¡¯t revealed any new revelations on what she should do.

    Nora and Hayao were in the Dining hall sitting as far as possible from Dovrag who was in his usual state; reading and poking his paste. Umbra sat down beside Dovrag and ignored Nora and Hayao, and they avoided looking at her.

    Umbra ate then spent time with Dovrag refreshing her language skills, he didn¡¯t pressure her about his proposition and Umbra was glad because she had no idea of her decision. After Dovrag left to go spend time with Apithe, Umbra decided she would go to the library. If she did decide to explore the fabric alone she needed to do some reading on portals.

    Umbra asked the cat, who lazed on a table for books on travelling through portals and sat down to wait. She didn¡¯t wait long the cat was fast and a pile of books lay in front of her in a matter of minutes. There was a lot, a popular subject it seemed.

    Umbra got to reading, she tired herself out quite quickly though, the books were dry a lot of them were just studies on how portals functioned, not that those were very revealing, seems the only thing people knew for sure was that portals were built by the first deity Scrios. Umbra quickly looked over the rest of the books and one caught her eye. It was titled The Art of Portal Travel by Erik Sventsson.

    It seemed Erik Sventsson lived almost 300 years ago and was one of the rare Yuul''s without magic. He explored the fabric for over 30 years, travelling through the portals and eventually writing this book and he had a few theories on how portals worked. The first was portals knew where you wanted to go and they would try their best to help you get there.

    Second, he thought that portals were connected to a limited number of other portals, so when you travelled through a portal you rolled the dice on whether it was connected to a portal at your destination. If the portal was not connected to a portal on your destination, it would direct you to a world with portals that could take you closer to where you wanted to be. Which made travelling through the portals exceptionally painful more a game of chance than anything else.

    The final theory and something he claimed he stumbled on around the end of his travels before he retired due to old age. He thought that there was actually a pattern to the portals and if you learned it travelling through them would be extremely simple and quick, unlike the long and stressful journey it was.

    Umbra remembered her travels through the portals with Master Otaro there were quick and at the time she had just thought that was the norm. But from what the book said portal travel was a game of chance and could take a really long time. Somehow she doubted Master Otaro was just lucky maybe he knew the pattern of the portals. Umbra made a mental note to ask him about it the next time she saw him.Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

    Umbra fell into her basic routine, Control magic, sleep, eat with Dovrag and practice his language, then the library. Repeat.

    Dovrag was focusing on channelling more magic before he tried for a second spell, spending time in the lava pits at the base of the mountains. He said he was worried he didn¡¯t have enough magic. Umbra didn¡¯t mind the wait, it meant she still had time to think about her options which admittedly she¡¯d made very little progress on.

    The excursions to the library were relatively helpful as well and were a nice break from working on her magic. There was a heap of mentions to the patterns of portals and Umbra spent a lot of her time sifting through them with interest.

    Umbras control was improving at a glacial pace. She couldn¡¯t control the leakage of her magic and every now and then her concentration wavered and the magic would escape from her in a rush before she could rein it in again. She knew that this was partly because she was a battle mage, control was a lot more difficult for her and with the amount of magic she had, Umbra guessed that she would just have to get used to it seeping from her grasp.

    It had been a few weeks and Dovrag stopped showing up in the dining hall, at first Umbra was worried that something had happened to him, but it seemed more likely that he was finally trying for his 2nd spell. Which didn''t really quell her awakening spells was a dangerous business.

    A few days passed like this, Dovrag not appearing at the dining hall, and her worry started to mount she couldn''t pay attention to her control, it was for that reason she decided to take a break and go for a walk.

    It was noon outside and the sun was warm and pleasant. Umbra decided to walk across the beach. She took off her boots carrying them in one hand, her bare feet crunched pleasantly in the sand and the wind ruffled her short hair, which Umbra noticed had barely grown in the time she had been here. Now that she thought about it, almost a year had passed since she came to the estate. She was well and truly Grown now. She was nothing like the girl she had been, the tattoos of shadow crisscrossing her skin the most obvious change.

    Umbra was roused from her thoughts when she noticed someone up ahead, blue skin. ¡°Apithe¡± Umbra said to herself. Apithe seemed to be sitting calmly on the beach and Umbra turned to go, but she remembered Apithe¡¯s apology, it would be nice to talk to someone else especially since Dovrag had been gone so long.

    Umbra walked closer and Apithe opened her scarlet red eyes and regarded Umbra impassively. Umbra couldn¡¯t help but think that this might¡¯ve been a bad idea, Apithe didn¡¯t really look like she wanted to talk, but her face started to clear, ¡°Hello Umbra¡± Apithe said in a friendly tone. ¡°Sorry about the blank face, channelling magic empties me of emotions, it always takes a while for me to get back to normal.¡± Umbra nodded in reply a bit relieved that Apithe was still friendly. ¡°What are you doing out here than,¡± Apithe asked. Umbra mentally hit herself, she had come over to make conversation and she hadn¡¯t even said a word.

    ¡°I was walking, trying to clear my head.¡±

    ¡°Dovrag asked you to come with him didn¡¯t he.¡± Apithe said scooting around to face Umbra.

    ¡°He did, I¡¯m not sure what I''ll do though.¡± Umbra considered sitting down, but she didn¡¯t think she was that comfortable with Apithe yet. ¡°You agreed to go with him didn''t you, Why? it seems pretty dangerous,¡± Umbra asked.

    ¡°A few reasons really,¡± Apithe said leaning back slightly, letting the sound of the waves cover the silence of her thinking. ¡°Partly because I feel I owe it to him, he pressed me into awakening my first spell and though it pains me to admit it, I doubt I would have even my first spell by now, without his help.¡± Apithe said then her red eyes glinted and she leaned forward suddenly. ¡°But if I¡¯m being honest the real reason is that war is the best way to force spells out, mages have been known to awaken multiple during even a single battle.¡± A smile lit her blue face. ¡°War is the best way to improve.¡± Umbra nodded, Apithe was going because she felt like she owed Dovrag and wanted to improve. Similar to the reasons Umbra would have to leave with Dovrag if she decided to go. Umbra noticed she had drifted into her thoughts again and not said anything.

    ¡°Sorry,¡± Umbra said shaking her head.

    ¡°Its fine, you have a lot to think on,¡± Apithe said. ¡°Is it ok if I have some privacy, I would like to continue channelling and it is difficult with you close by.¡±

    ¡°Oh, yeah, I¡¯ll be going and thanks for the talk,¡± Umbra said.

    ¡°Of course,¡± Apithe replied some of her haughty manner returning.

    Umbra returned to her room to try practicing her control again, her mind wasn¡¯t really in it though and a few hours later there was a knock on her door. She answered the door, a brownie stood on the other side, Umbra was surprised she had forgotten they had even existed. ¡°Master Otaro requires your attendance at the courtyard, now,¡± it said in a squeaky voice.

    ¡°Ok,¡± Umbra replied worried that she had done something deserving a reprimand, but not able to think of anything she had done recently deserving one.

    Umbra let out a sigh of relief when she saw that everyone was in the courtyard, including Dovrag. Jeeani wasn''t though, Umbra wondered where Jeeani was and if she just lived in the forest now.

    ¡°Now that everyone is here I can start,¡± Master Otaro said giving Umbra a look but all Umbra noticed was that Master Otaro had completely ignored the existence of Jeeani. ¡°I¡¯m leaving to attend the Choosings, I¡¯ll be gone for 2 to 3 months, depending on a few factors. An important rule while I¡¯m gone, no one is to cross into the swamplands in the north, or to go past the mountains, they are dangerous and without my supervision, they can prove to be fatal.¡± Master Otaro said, then waved his hand and a stag taller than Master Otaro appeared beside him. ¡°This is Saale, he is one of my daemons and he will be my eyes while I am gone. I will know what happens here,¡± Otaro said and gave Umbra a pointed look. ¡°That is all, you may go now.¡±

    Dovrag pulled her over a bit roughly after Master Otaro left the courtyard and Umbra let out an undignified yelp of surprise. ¡°Where did you get your second spell,¡± He asked urgency in his voice.

    ¡°The swamplands,¡± Umbra said feeling a bit uneasy. Dovrag''s face fell and he released her arm. ¡°What¡¯s wrong,¡± Umbra asked the unease morphing into worry for her friend.

    ¡°There is nothing dangerous enough on this side of the island,¡± Dovrag said. ¡°I can¡¯t get my spell, there isn¡¯t anything dangerous enough on this side of the island.¡±

    ¡°There is something pretty dangerous in the forest,¡± Umbra said, she couldn¡¯t remember the name though, Jeeani had told her.

    ¡°Yes the Snarlark, I killed it.¡±

    ¡°Oh,¡± Was Umbra¡¯s only replied, slightly impressed that he had killed something like that. ¡°What does this mean?¡± Umbra asked as a follow-up.

    ¡°It means I will need to wait another 2 months while my people die,¡± Dovrag said angrily split away from Umbra, walking towards the mountains.

 Chapter 21/Fracture

    Umbra stuck to her routine over the next few weeks, trying to wrangle her magic till it was under control and reading in the library. Dovrag didn¡¯t appear at the dining hall for their language lessons and Umbra spent time trying to familiarise herself with Carn instead. It was an awkward weapon, the way it curved and flexed in the air didn¡¯t seem to be dictated by the way she swung it. It had a mind of its own. When she let it rest it would protectively curve around her, its bladed edges obscuring her body as it hovered in the air seemingly defying gravity.

    Umbra had gone down to the lava pits once to look for Dovrag. She found him but he was so deep in channelling that he didn¡¯t notice Umbra and Umra left not wanting to disturb him, she guessed he would be there till Master Otaro returned and he could venture into the swamplands.

    It was the end of the first month of Master Otaro absence that Umbra ran into Apithe again. Their conversations were a bit stiff as always, Apithe was worried about Dovrag, and she missed their lessons. Umbra could relate. They talked of inane things for a while, both happy to have a break from their various activities.

    Over the next month Umbra kept meeting Apithe, Umbra found she didn¡¯t mind Apithe¡¯s haughty manner that had returned when she started to get more comfortable with Umbra. It was nice to have another girl to talk to, she hadn¡¯t had a chat with another since V. Umbra started to enjoy the other girls gossip and descriptions of her home, Apithe was obviously homesick, it made her seem a lot more like a person rather than the cold, aggressive girl Umbra thought she was. Umbra started opening up to her too, not saying much, Umbra wasn¡¯t good at talking about herself, but she recounted fond memories from her childhood, of pranks, played on Mrs. K with V, and food filched from the kitchens, of the festival they snuck out to.

    At the end of the second month, Master Otaro returned. Umbra didn¡¯t know how she knew, she was sitting in her room building her figure, and suddenly she felt Otaro¡¯s presence, she put it down to her improved control and sense.

    She left her room, curious to see if Master Otaro had brought back any new students.

    Umbra lurked in the shadows of the doorway and peered into the morning sun. Master Otaro was already in the courtyard, his back to her and facing three people. The other two barely registered though as she saw the boy in the middle. He was tall and had oddly captivating eyes, they swirled and changed colour, a comforting fire to the colour of the sea. Umbra was so distracted that she didn¡¯t notice Master Otaro calling her name, until the third time. ¡°Umbra step out of the shadows if you would.¡± Umbra stepped forward, a bit embarrassed at being called out. She walked over to stand behind Master Otaro, the boy with the eyes was watching her, the colour changing from white to match the black of her own eyes.

    ¡°Umbra is your senior and one of my most advanced students, she has reached the proficiency of a 20-year mage in only a year,¡± Master Otaro said addressing the new students, Umbra was startled, Master Otaro had told her something similar before but it was different when he announced it in front of other people. ¡°This should be what you aspire to.¡± Master Otaro continued and Umbra was distracted from the boy¡¯s eyes by a blue-skinned girl standing on the edge of the courtyard watching, even from this distance Umbra could see the jealousy written on Apithe¡¯s face. While they weren¡¯t exactly friends it was painful to see, and Umbra hoped it didn¡¯t regress their budding relationship. She didn¡¯t want to interrupt Master Otaro¡¯s continued blathering, but when she saw Apithe turn to leave Umbra quickly bowed to Master Otaro and made her way past the new group of students to where she had seen Apithe leave, avoiding the boy¡¯s captivating gaze.

    Apithe was walking quickly towards the plains, Umbra ran after her trying to catch up, she wasn¡¯t sure what she was going to say but she felt as if she had to say something best to not let something fester. ¡°Apithe!¡± Umbra yelled catching up to her. The blue girl turned suddenly, her loose black hair whipping around. Her face was contorted in an ugly expression. ¡°I got my second spell I¡¯m barely a few months behind you and Master Otaro doesn¡¯t even acknowledge my presence,¡± Apithe said bitterly, ¡°He places you on a pedestal and you murder people for magic, you almost killed me and you weren¡¯t even punished, it isn¡¯t fair.¡± Apithe¡¯s words hit Umbra hard, she had become quite adept at avoiding thinking about the people she had killed because that¡¯s what those lizards were, people.

    ¡°I was punished,¡± Umbra whispered in reply, ¡°I was blocked from channelling.¡± But Apithe just laughed in Umbra¡¯s face.

    ¡°That is barely a punishment. You almost killed me, you should¡¯ve been expelled from the island immediately.¡± Umbra was really starting to hurt because she agreed with Apithe, she was a murderer, she had gotten away with little punishment for almost beating a girl to death and then almost putting a knife into her throat. Umbra couldn¡¯t stop the tears that started to fall, she couldn¡¯t remember the last time she had cried maybe a year ago when V had left her.Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation.

    ¡°I can¡¯t help it,¡± Umbra managed to say her voice trembling, ¡°You don¡¯t understand what it is like, the only thing I ever want to do is kill, it is always there underneath everything the need for death. You think I want this, I take pleasure in it and it disgusts me, but I can¡¯t change what I am.¡± Apithe¡¯s bitter face seemed to morph into one of sorrow. Apithe shook her head a bit.

    ¡°Wait, Umbra that wasn''t me,¡± Apithe said her voice almost desperate, Umbra didn¡¯t know how to react, Apithe had swapped from bitter and angry to apologetic in a second. ¡°I don¡¯t know what came over me.¡± Umbra just turned and walked away holding back more tears, she couldn¡¯t deal with this girl, she wouldn¡¯t deal with this girl, she was psychotic and every word from her mouth was true.

    Umbra didn¡¯t make it far before Apithe called out to her and Umbra could hear her quick footsteps behind her. ¡°Umbra, I really am sorry.¡± Umbra refused to turn around, to see her. ¡°Umbra please, you don''t un¡ª¡± Apithe reached out for Umbra, her hand landing on Umbra¡¯s shoulder. Umbra¡¯s reaction was instant lashing back with her elbow, it crunched into Apithe¡¯s nose and Umbra followed it up with a kick to the legs that sent Apithe on to her ass, the killing lust overcame Umbra as it always seemed to when there was violence. She reached to the cuff of her sleeve for the handle of Carn everything was forgotten except the want of death. Suddenly the air hardened around her and she flew backward. Master Otaro was before her, furious as she¡¯d ever seen him, she shrank back in fear, not that the air let her move all that much.

    ¡°WHAT DID I SAY WOULD BE YOUR PUNISHMENT,¡± Master Otaro¡¯s voice was unbelievably loud, but he wasn¡¯t shouting. His presence roiled off him unrestrained and the wind in the field whipped crazily around. Umbra could barely think; such was her terror. ¡°YOUR MAGIC RIPPED FROM YOU.¡± Umbra screamed as an intense pain arced through her, she could feel something tearing deep down inside her.

    ¡°Wait, master, wait,¡± Apithe said feebly, the stress of Master Otaro¡¯s full presence affecting her as much as it had Umbra. Umbra let out a sob of relief as the pain stopped. ¡°I asked her to, she hit me because I asked her to.¡± Umbra stared at Apithe, grateful beyond measure to her for stopping the sickening tearing feeling and pain, even if she had put Umbra in this position, to begin with.

    ¡°I¡¯m afraid that does not matter Viw¡¯Apithe¡¯Aerroa, Umbra broke my rule, she must accept the consequences.¡± Master Otaro¡¯s voice was back to normal and the winds died down a bit.

    ¡°Then I must be punished the same way Umbra is,¡± Apithe said a bit of her haughty manner returning. ¡°For I asked Umbra to hit me, I am as much responsible as she is.¡± Master Otaro seemed to deflate.

    ¡°A worthy argument,¡± Master Otaro said and the bonds of air holding Umbra seemed to disintegrate. She slumped to ground the aftershocks of pain still shook her. Master Otaro nodded to himself and walked away.

    Apithe ran over to Umbra as soon as Master Otaro had turned his back. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, this is my fault,¡± Apithe said kneeling down beside Umbra but not touching her. Umbra just groaned as the last of the pain subsided. She struggled to her feet, Apithe held out her hand to help her up but Umbra ignored it and walked back towards the estate, whatever gratitude towards Apithe she felt was outweighed by the fact Apithe had gotten her into that situation. Apithe didn¡¯t chase after Umbra this time.

    Back in her room in relative safety Umbra broke down. Her tears rolling down her cheeks, it didn¡¯t last long though, the thought of Nyx seeing her all weepy stemmed her tears. Umbra could almost hear the approval in the darkness around when she stopped crying. She pushed down all the myriad of confusing emotions hiding them deep within herself, she did not want to deal with them and the darkness of her room seemed to approve again.

    Umbra spent an unknown period of time in her room carefully controlling her magic making sure to use it as sparingly as possible so she wouldn¡¯t be forced to leave for food. She didn¡¯t want to see anyone at the moment. Ironically enough it seemed she wouldn¡¯t have a choice, there was a knocking at her door and when she ignored it the door swung open to reveal a brownie. ¡°Master Otaro requests your presence, you are to follow me,¡± the brownie said in its squeaky voice. Umbra just sighed, it would not be a good idea to ignore Master Otaro.

    Umbra followed the Brownie through the estate until it stopped at a door then left, Umbra recognised it as Master Otaro¡¯s favourite room. She pushed the door open, Master Otaro sat facing the door and Apithe was turned to look at Umbra as she entered the door. Umbra stopped frozen in the doorway, seeing Apithe made the emotions she had buried resurface, she spent a second trying to get them under control. ¡°Come in Umbra.¡± Master Otaro said politely. Umbra tried to behave normally and took a spare seat next to Apithe ignoring the other girl. ¡°I have an apology to make,¡± Master Otaro said shifting in his seat. ¡°I will give it as a gift if you would follow me please.¡± Master Otaro stood and walked out the door obviously expecting his students to follow.

    They walked out of the estate and past to the courtyard, heading to the portals, Umbra was surprised but stayed quiet, Apithe didn¡¯t however. ¡°Where are we going?¡± Apithe asked.

    ¡°To your gift,¡± Master Otaro said divulging nothing.

    Umbra found she hated the blueness of the portal even more now than she had originally, it was completely bereft of magic, creating an unsettling void where there was once awareness. Thankfully the travel was quick not requiring multiple portals.

    The stepped out on to what looked like a wooden bridge but as Umbra looked around she noticed a thick column of wood that stretched upwards until it reached green leaves far ahead, she was on a tree she noticed with astonishment, a colossal tree. ¡°This is a secret world, as far as I know, it only has one portal connection and that is linked to my world, only a few know of the existence of this world. It is also one of the few remaining Daemon Worlds. I will allow you to search for a Companion on it.¡± Master Otaro looked at both Apithe and Umbra, ¡°a mage is not a mag without a companion. You must find a creature willing to make a pact with you, once made they are a part of you and they can not be sent away. Every creature on this world is a Daemon each one unique, you should have no trouble finding a worthy companion.¡± Master Otaro walked back through the portal, leaving as he normally did; without fanfare or acknowledgment.

 Chapter 22/Companion

    ¡°How are we supposed to get down from here?¡± Apithe asked. Umbra shrugged dejectedly. Apithe sighed, ¡°I know there is no excuse for what I did and really no way to make it better, but can you accept my apology?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure an apology will fix anything,¡± Umbra replied curtly, staring off into the expanse of jungle, where normal sized trees grew next to colossal giants like the one Apithe and Umbra were standing on, it wasn¡¯t all jungle though, snow-capped mountains peaked into the sky not too far away, and Umbra could see a black far denser jungle in the distance.

    Apithe was silent and Umbra walked to the beginning of the branch where it sprouted from a trunk wider than a mansion.

    Umbra peered off the tree branch when she reached the trunk, Apithe had followed her over. There didn¡¯t seem to be any way off the branch and the shadows on the floor weren¡¯t dark enough for Umbra to jump to. She had to determine another way to get down or wait for the night if there was even a night, there didn¡¯t appear to be a sun or even a moon, but the sky was bright anyway.

    ¡°There doesn¡¯t seem to be a way down,¡± Apithe pointed out quite obviously.

    ¡°No there doesn¡¯t,¡± Umbra said, Apithe¡¯s presence was making her uneasy and she shifted closer to the tree trunk and further from Apithe.

    ¡°I could get us down,¡± Apithe said.

    ¡°How?¡±

    ¡°My second spell, but you¡¯ll have to hold on to me¡± Apithe replied simply.

    ¡°Yeah ok, I can do that, if it will get us down.¡± Umbra walked over to Apithe. When Umbra was next to her Apithe spread her arms. Umbra stopped ¡°Wait, I have to hug you?¡±

    ¡°It would make this a lot easier if you were closer to me, and your chances of death won¡¯t be as high.¡±

    ¡°No way, no way, I¡¯m not doing this I¡¯m not dying in your arms like some star crossed lover,¡± Umbra said waving her hands and stepping backward.

    ¡°Don¡¯t be such a coward, nothing bad will happen.¡± Umbra just shook her head.

    ¡°This isn¡¯t how I¡¯m dying.¡±

    ¡°Look this is the only way off this branch, I assume you want a daemon, stop being a wimp and come here.¡± Apithe said starting to lose patience, it wasn¡¯t really her strong suit.

    ¡°Fine,¡± Umbra said, she did want a daemon and if the only payment for it was a hug from Apithe and a hopefully low chance of death, she would pay it, only a bit reluctantly.

    Umbra stepped into Apithe¡¯s embrace, the other girl was warm contradicting her affinity for ice magic. Umbra hadn¡¯t hugged anyone but V and as much as Apithe had hurt her, it was hard to not enjoy the physical contact. They stood still for a moment before Apithe stepped backward pulling Umbra off the tree with her. Umbra screamed and tried to wrench herself from Apithe¡¯s grasp but Apithe¡¯s arms did not budge and Umbra was trapped in her embrace. Apithe was laughing, Umbra¡¯s only thought was that this girl was truly psychotic and she should¡¯ve trusted her instincts.

    They had spun in the air and Umbra was facing upwards unable to see the encroaching ground. She closed her eyes and went limp. She hit the ground and sunk into it, it was wet. Umbra opened her eyes, they were in a tube of water that extended upwards. Apithe¡¯s red eyes shone in the water, they were face to face, Apithe still holding her. Maybe Apithe wasn¡¯t as psychotic as Umbra thought. The water slowly started to drain away into the jungle and they were lowered to the jungle floor. The last of it escaped leaving Apithe lying on top of Umbra, they were both soaking wet and Apithe¡¯s hot breath tickled Umbra¡¯s face, it smelt good. They stared at each other Apithe¡¯s red eyes, and Umbra¡¯s black. ¡°Can you get off me,¡± Umbra asked after another a few moments of unsure silence.

    ¡°Sorry,¡± Apithe replied and quickly hopped up, pulling her sodden black hair back from her face.

    ¡°What kind of spell was that,¡± Umbra asked curiously, a big tube of water didn¡¯t seem that useful.

    ¡°That wasn¡¯t a spell, my second spell is a passive spell, it enhances my control to the point where I can use my magic with very little effort. Allowing me to create that tube you saw.¡±Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.

    ¡°So that water wasn''t a spell,¡± Umbra asked astounded, at how strong that sounded.

    ¡°Yep,¡± came Apithe¡¯s happy reply. ¡°Look at all the things I can do.¡± Apithe gestured and a shard of ice appeared in her hand, she threw it into the tree with a thunk. A second followed a split second after, Apithe was throwing them as they appeared in her hand letting out a rain of ice shards. ¡°I can also control them in the air, they are still part of my magic after all. I can do so much with it that I couldn¡¯t possibly show you all the things it has made possible.¡±

    ¡°That sounds awesome Apithe, isn¡¯t that what you wanted, a spell you could fight with?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, it is what I wanted,¡± Apithe said happily. ¡°Now shouldn¡¯t we start looking for a Daemon, I don¡¯t really want to be here any longer than is necessary, I don¡¯t like this world.¡±

    ¡°Yeah,¡± Umbra said. She didn¡¯t like this world either, the jungle was eerily quiet unlike all the other forests she had been in and the light just didn¡¯t seem right, almost artificial.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know much about daemons, but I do know that mages have daemons of the same aptitude as themselves,¡± Apithe said. ¡°Which means I will have to head to those mountains, and you will probably have to head to that black creepy forest, as it looks like the only place you might find something similar to you.¡± Umbra nodded that made sense. ¡°How about we meet back at this tree in a week, shouldn¡¯t be too hard to find again, it is the biggest tree in the jungle.¡±

    ¡°Yeah sounds good and thanks for getting me down Apithe, I¡¯ll see you in a week.¡± Umbra waved and she could feel Apithe¡¯s eyes on her back as she headed towards the black forest.

    Umbra started running after she had left Apithe¡¯s sight not because she wanted to get away but more in hopes of reaching the black forest faster and finding her daemon faster. It also had the added benefit of drying her wet dress. Umbra noticed that there were very few animals, not that they were really animals. She caught sight of a few birds, and snakes but not really anything else.

    Umbra made it to the dark jungle in what she guessed was about a day of running. It had become night sometime during her run, not that the sun had gone down, the light had just stopped darkness taking its place. Umbra didn¡¯t mind though as it allowed her to shadow jump the remaining distance, speeding up her journey.

    The black jungle was different, if she didn¡¯t have perfect vision in darkness the black jungle would be pitch black. Vines covered everything and the trees pressed together forcing Umbra to slip in between them to continue. Occasional spider webs barred her passage and she ducked under them not wanting to aggravate any spiders, not that she ever saw any.

    After about an hour of wandering through the black jungle Umbra got the sense that something or someone was stalking her, or maybe just following her. She continued moving through the black forest though heading deeper in and the feeling got more intense, she checked behind herself obsessively never catching a glimpse of anyone following her, but she knew they were. After another hour of walking, Umbra grew frustrated enough that she stopped in a relatively clear area and called out, ¡°Show yourself!¡± the black jungle stayed dead silent, but Umbra could still feel the eyes on her. ¡°I know you are out there.¡± A tree rustled to Umbra¡¯s right and a completely black cat with the exception of a white patch on its chest jumped down from the tree. Umbra had seen cats before, the nobles in Poliagoras liked to keep them as pets, but this one seemed different not only was it larger but it seemed more wild, more vicious. It sat down a short distance from Umbra and licked its paw, it¡¯s large alert ears flicking from side to side. ¡°Not quite what I was expecting,¡± Umbra said releasing her tensed muscles.

    ¡°I hope that wasn¡¯t an insult,¡± A sly voice echoed in Umbra¡¯s head, the cat continued licking its paw.

    ¡°What?¡± Umbra spun looking around but there was only the cat. ¡°Are you talking to me?¡± Umbra asked the cat.

    ¡°Not really the brightest one are you?¡± The cat asked.

    ¡°Rude,¡± Umbra retorted. ¡°Why were you following me?¡±

    ¡°You have interesting magic.¡± The cat said, stretching.

    ¡°Interesting magic?¡± Umbra asked.

    ¡°Death and darkness, a combination similar to my own, your magic is attractive.¡±

    ¡°Oh,¡± Umbra replied, this is what she had been looking for, now she just had to ask. ¡°So uh, do you want to be my companion?¡± Laughter rang through Umbra¡¯s head.

    ¡°Bind myself to you for countless years, what makes you so special?¡±

    ¡°I thought that¡¯s what daemons wanted,¡± Umbra said, confused. The cat hissed.

    ¡°Binding is only done with those that are worthy, you have not proven yourself.¡± The cat said, watching Umbra with its green eyes.

    ¡°Well, how do I prove myself?¡± Asked Umbra. The cat was silent for a moment.

    ¡°I ask of you three riddles, if you solve all three you are worthy, if you fail just one, your current magic is forfeit to me, it will of course eventually replenish itself.¡± Umbra nodded in consent, Umbra had come across quite a few riddles in her readings and she was confident she could solve whatever the cat gave her. ¡°Many have heard of me, but no one has seen me, and I will not speak back until spoken to. What am I?¡± Umbra smiled, this one was easy.

    ¡°An echo,¡± Umbra replied. The cat hissed.

    ¡°Harder then.¡± The cat flicked its tail, ¡°It lies behind rocks and rills, and under mountains and hills. It cannot be seen or felt, nor even heard or smelt. What is it?¡± Umbra did not struggle much with this one either, remembering Nyx¡¯s shrine hidden beneath the towering rocks.

    ¡°The dark.¡± The cat¡¯ s tail stopped moving, and its green eyes narrowed.

    ¡°I go on four legs in the morning, on two legs at noon, and on three legs in the evening. What am I?¡± Umbra smiled, she had read of this in an old story of a man who talked to a cat with a human¡¯s face. She had not been able to solve the riddle in the book but thankfully the answer was written and Umbra remembered it.

    ¡°A human,¡± Umbra said, still smiling victoriously, the cat¡¯s riddles had been easy.

    ¡°You are worthy, mage,¡± The cat walked forward. As it came closer Umbra noticed it felt a lot like magic, quite unlike a normal animal. ¡°I give you permission to bind me.¡± The cat¡¯s being seemed to rise to the surface and Umbra reached out to it instinctively when her magic touched the cat, it disappeared. Umbra knew where it had gone though, because beside her magic core, lay another smaller core.

    ¡°Can you let me out,¡± The cat¡¯s sly voice asked.

 Chapter 23/Mending

    It was a simple a matter to let the cat out, releasing its magic much like she would her own. The cat appeared at her side, and rubbed itself against Umbra¡¯s leg and let out a low purr. ¡°So do you have a name,¡± Umbra asked the cat.

    ¡°You may call me Milo,¡± the cat said in her head, self-importantly.

    ¡°Milo?¡± Umbra asked. ¡°I was expecting something more¡± ¡ªUmbra waved her hands ---------¡ª ¡°You know what I mean, Milo is such a cat name.¡±

    ¡°I am not just a cat,¡± Milo said offended, ¡°I am a s¨¬ cat, stealer of souls, and bringer of bad fortune.¡±

    ¡°Oh,¡± Umbra said, while mentally berating herself, why hadn¡¯t she asked the cat what it was before she bonded with it permanently.

    ¡°You do know now that we are bonded I can hear your thoughts,¡± Milo said. ¡°Trust me when I say you could not have a better companion. There are not many s¨¬ cats left, most of us were killed in a genocidal rampage committed by the races of the fabric a few years ago, most do not like the bad fortune we bring.¡±

    ¡°So you bring bad fortune to me, how is that helpful,¡± asked Umbra, irritated.

    ¡°I do not bring bad fortune to you, stupid. I bring bad fortune to your enemies, which means depending on the way you think about it, I bring good luck to you.¡± Milo said staring at her with his green eyes.

    ¡°Oh ok, that seems pretty good. Is that all you do? to be honest I don¡¯t really know much about daemon companions.¡±

    ¡°You do not know? Have you been taught nothing?¡± Milo replied he seemed offended by Umbra''s lack of knowledge.

    ¡°My master has not really given me any lessons.¡±

    ¡°Not much of a teacher then,¡± the cat said. Umbra shrugged, she didn¡¯t feel comfortable speaking ill of Master Otaro, he was beyond her understanding. ¡°Well, Daemons fulfill quite a few roles, companionship, aid with magic control, unique abilities, assistance in a fight as we are immune to most magic, advice, the list goes on, suffice to say we are invaluable to mages. Oh, I need souls to grow, I am not even close to fully grown yet and I do not have access to a lot of my abilities.¡±

    ¡°Souls shouldn¡¯t be a problem to come by,¡± Umbra said, thinking of the 100 hundreds of dead lizards that had come to be after the last time she had lost control. Milo was already large, in comparison to the fortress cats she had seen. The sky had turned light again, even though it was hard to tell in the black forest. There wasn¡¯t really a reason to stay here any longer. It was time to leave.

    They walked back, Milo roamed away from her, but Umbra noticed that she knew exactly where Milo was even when he was distant and obscured by branches and foliage. When Milo was quite a distance away Umbra became curious, what if she could pull Milo back into her being. She was about to stretch out and try when the cat¡¯s warning voice rang in her head. ¡°You would expend all your magic trying to pull me in from that distance, be careful.¡± Umbra hummed to herself in reply, it was weird having someone who could read her thoughts.

    Umbra began to pick up her pace heading towards the tree that stretched into the sky, Milo kept up with her easily, so Umbra began to sprint, it had been a while since she had truly tried to run as fast as she could, and the trees zipped past at an imperceptible speed and still Milo kept up. Fast cat Umbra thought. She could feel his approval at the begrudging praise. Seems he likes flattery.

    They made it to the base of the portal tree in good time, she guessed she had spent around three days finding Milo and getting back, which meant she would have at the most 5 days before the deadline, but she doubted it would take that long, given the mountains seemed to be slightly closer to the tree than the dark forest was. Umbra settled down to wait resting her back against the colossal trunk of the portal tree, Milo came to lie in her lap a few seconds later seeming to curl up and fall asleep immediately. Umbra ran her fingers through Milo¡¯s black soft fur, she wasn¡¯t sure how they were supposed to get back up the tree, she just hopped Apithe had an idea.

    Over the next few days Umbra found Milo didn¡¯t talk much, he slept most of the time and every now and then he woke to eye the jungle lazily before shutting his eyes again. The jungle made Umbra jumpy, it was dead silent except for when the occasional breeze brushed past, rustling the leaves. Umbra didn¡¯t sleep she had spent the first day working on her control, conservatively as she didn¡¯t know how long she would have to wait. Now she didn¡¯t have the magic to waste on practicing her control and Apithe had still not returned, Umbra ran her hands through Milo¡¯s fur worriedly. Taking comfort in his presence, she was starting to worry that Apithe had left without her. She talked to Milo to distract herself. ¡°How old are you anyway,¡± Umbra asked.

    ¡°Just reached adulthood, for a Daemon that means about 50 years old.¡± Milo yawned and rearranged himself in Umbra¡¯s lap.

    ¡°That would be old for a human,¡± Umbra was starting to become used to everything having much longer lifetimes than humans.

    ¡°Someone is coming,¡± Milo said jumping up in her lap and staring intently at the jungle in front of Umbra. Umbra couldn¡¯t hear anything but she trusted Milo, it was probably Apithe but one couldn¡¯t be too careful, she stood and pulled Carn from around her arm. The bladed whip floated around her protectively. Umbra readied herself as the crashing footsteps came closer, Milo was hissing beside her, his back arched and fur on end.

    Apithe stumbled into the clearing situated around the massive tree and Umbra ran forward to meet her forcing Carn back around her arm. Apithe was covered in blood and looked like she was about to drop from exhaustion, her black hair was torn and ragged, she held in her arms a small white bundle. Apithe¡¯s blood-red eyes met Umbra¡¯s own and the blue girl collapsed still cradling the bundle. Umbra caught Apithe and slowly lowered her to the ground. ¡°A white wolf pup,¡± Milo said poking his nose at Apithe white bundle. ¡°The wolves wouldn¡¯t have parted with that easily.¡± They heard the baying of the wolves, ¡°told you,¡± Milo said in a dry tone. Umbra ripped out Carn tearing off her sleeve in the process and left it floating around her.Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.

    There was 5 of them and they growled menacingly when they caught sight of Umbra standing over Apithe¡¯s body. A large wolf stepped forward, ¡°return us our pup and the thief and we will let you live.¡±

    ¡°No,¡± Umbra said, Apithe had stood up for her against Master Otaro, the least she could do was fight off some wolves.

    ¡°Then you will die with her.¡± The large white wolf attempted to leap at her, but it tripped and face planted into the ground. Umbra stifled a laugh but she could feel Milo¡¯s amusement, she didn¡¯t have too long to dwell on it though as the other wolves, jumped into motion. She couldn¡¯t dodge without leaving Apithe vulnerable, instead, she shot out the threads of her vitality sapping spell, and cursed when they found no purchase on the wolves, daemon¡¯s and their resistance to magic was seriously strong. Thankfully she had other ways to harm them. She whipped Carn at the two closest wolves, shearing limbs from their bodies with ease, the bladed whip trembled, and Umbra couldn¡¯t stop a vicious smile spreading as the wolves whined, she wondered what a daemon¡¯s death would be like to channel. The Alpha wolf had recovered and this time it didn¡¯t trip when it leapt at her. Carn turned rigid and Umbra thrust it like a long spear into the Alpha¡¯s chest piercing through the wolf¡¯s body, it slid down Carn leaving a trail of blood and gore. Carn turned back into a whip and Umbra dragged it from the large wolf, preparing herself for the attack of the last two wolves, it never came and Umbra could see them disappearing into the jungle, back towards the mountains.

    Umbra ignored the urge to channel, worried about Apithe, the blue girl hadn¡¯t woken up. Umbra dropped to her knees next to Apithe, the girl had claw marks covering her arms, and her trousers were shredded, a particularly vicious bite to her lower leg was bleeding profusely, Umbra was surprised Apithe could even walk with a wound like that. Umbra tore off a length of cloth from her dress, to bind the wound, she knew the basics of what to do with an injury. She wound it tightly around the wound trying to stem the bleeding. It would have to do.

    The white wolf pup was snuggled against Apithe, Umbra couldn¡¯t remove it from Apithe¡¯s arms, they were like iron so Umbra left it alone and bound the rest of the serious wounds, she was practically wearing rags after she was done. Apithe clothes were in shreds not even large enough to bind wounds so that wasn¡¯t a help. Apithe was pretty much naked revealing a fair amount of her perfect blue skin unmarred by wounds, it would¡¯ve made Umbra embarrassed to be seeing so much if it wasn¡¯t in this situation.

    When Umbra sat back against the tree to let out a tired sigh, Milo who had been silent the entire time spoke up. ¡°May I take the wolves souls,¡± he asked respectfully. Umbra suddenly became aware of the death surrounding her which had seemed to disappear while she was tending to Apithe.

    ¡°Yeah, go crazy,¡± Umbra waved her arm tiredly. ¡°I might as well channel while I get the chance.¡± Umbra opened her channel to the magic, a daemons death was more potent than a person death but not as potent or of the same quantity as a mage¡¯s death. Umbra watched Milo as he ripped into a wolf¡¯s body with his teeth covering his face in blood and bits of flesh. Umbra stopped channelling in surprise. ¡°What are you doing, I thought you said you just wanted their souls.¡±

    ¡°How else am I going to get their souls?¡± Milo asked in confusion.

    ¡°Aren¡¯t souls just some intangible thing?¡± Umbra asked as confused as Milo seemed to be.

    ¡°You truly are a child, No, they are not intangible, they sit near the heart. Only magical beings have them, daemons, dragons, mages, gods.¡± Milo said starting to rip gruesomely into the body again.

    ¡°Gods?¡± Umbra asked curiously.

    ¡°One of my great ancestors was bonded with a favoured that managed to kill a minor god, one of the only known to achieve such a feat. She got to feast on the soul, the memory is still passed through our lineage today.¡±

    ¡°Oh.¡± Umbra didn¡¯t know gods could be killed.

    Umbra finished channelling as day turned to night. Milo had finished digging through the carcasses and after cleaning himself, had fallen asleep in Umbra¡¯s lap. Apithe was still out cold and the wolf pup slept on her chest. The blue girl¡¯s wounds didn¡¯t look as serious though and seemed to have stopped bleeding. Umbra still worried though and she watched Apithe through the night hoping for a change.

    When night turned to day. Apithe started to stir and Umbra moved closer to the girl disturbing Milo, he broadcasted his displeasure by sinking his claws into Umbra¡¯s leg. ¡°Ow, get off me you silly cat.¡± Milo huffed in reply and moved. The wolf pup was lucid on Apithe¡¯s chest and watched Umbra warily as she approached. ¡°I won¡¯t hurt you, just trying to help.¡± The wolf didn¡¯t reply but it seemed pacified. Umbra hovered over Apithe and saw her startling red eyes open to the light blinking, and heard her groan. Umbra touched the wounded girl''s arm comfortingly. Apithe turned her head and caught sight of Umbra a weak smile appeared on her face.

    ¡°You saved me,¡± Apithe managed in a croak.

    ¡°Just get some more rest Apithe, you need it,¡± Umbra said, relieved the other girl was ok. Apithe closed her eyes her weak smile still in place.

    A few days later Apithe was mended to the point of relative normalcy, although she still complained of pain. Milo spent his time haughtily ignoring the wolf pup who constantly tried to force the s¨¬ cat into play. They were finally going to try to get off this odd world. Apithe thought she was strong enough to conjure an ice ladder that led up to the branch with the portal on it. Fortunately, the portal branch was low to the ground in comparison to the rest of the branches.

    Umbra watch in awe, as Apithe¡¯s magic, flowed out of her a white cloud that hardened into ice against the trunk of the tree creating a massive ladder. ¡°I¡¯m not quite sure how long I can hold something of this scale, so better get a move on.¡± Apithe said, frowning. It is better you rest inside my being, Umbra thought and pulled him into her like she had the first time. Apithe did the same with her daemon.

    The ice of the ladder was cold, it turned Umbra¡¯s hands numb making the climb precarious, to say the least, she lost her handhold a few times, only saved by wedging her booted feet into the small space between the tree and the ice ladder, it was painful and by the end of the climb she was exhausted. Apithe collapsed beside her on the wide tree branch, Umbra knew that if that had sucked for her it would¡¯ve been way worse for Apithe. ¡°You okay?¡± Umbra asked.

    ¡°Yeah I¡¯m fine I think,¡± Apithe said. ¡°Just hurts more than usual.¡± The laid there on the wood of the tree their soft breathing the only sound. Apithe broke the silence, ¡°I know I¡¯ve already thanked you a lot, I want to again.¡± Umbra tried to cut her off but Apithe just held up a finger, ¡°Please.¡± Umbra stopped and fell silent, looking at the treetops far ahead. ¡°You saved me from certain death, you didn¡¯t have to, and considering how horrible I was to you I¡¯m almost surprised you did, Thank you, from the bottom of my heart.¡± Apithe shifted and Umbra looked over, the blue girl was lying on her side facing Umbra, her red eyes intense.

    ¡°You saved me from a fate worse than death,¡± Umbra replied avoiding Apithe¡¯s intense gaze. ¡°I didn¡¯t appreciate that enough; I was too caught up on what you had said.¡±

    ¡°And I¡¯m sorry about that, Umbra I really am, I can¡¯t control myself sometimes the magic rages in me and consumes me.¡± Apithe said, sorrow-filled voice causing Umbra to look at her again. Umbra could understand losing control over magic, maybe Apithe¡¯s affected her differently. Apithe continued, ¡°I broke your trust, I know, I¡¯m just hoping that it will mend. You might be the only true friend I¡¯ve had, and I¡¯ve only known you for a few months, how weird is that.¡± Apithe said letting out a sad laugh. Umbra let out a laugh too.

    ¡°Definitely weird,¡± Umbra said, ¡°but nice.¡± They lay there for a while and Umbra watched Apithe¡¯s red eyes, the way her blue eyelids closed slowly over them and how her long black lashes caught the light. She was eventually broken from her trance by Milo prodding her to let him out, Umbra let out a sigh and let him take shape before her.

    ¡°Yeah Longclaw was getting antsy to be let out too.¡± Apithe said as she brought her wolf pup out as well. Umbra watched as Apithe¡¯s pup bounded over to Milo, Umbra knew her companion enjoyed the attention even if he pretended to ignore it.

    ¡°We should probably get going,¡± Umbra said. Apithe nodded and they made their way to the portal, their daemons following after them, Longclaw, silly and energetic and Milo graceful and calm.

 Chapter 24/Second Spell

    Umbra was relieved that her first trip through a portal without Master Otaro was a simple one, no connections and she knew exactly where she was going. Milo didn¡¯t like the portals at all, probably due to the lack of magic.

    When Umbra stepped out of the portal into Master Otaro¡¯s world the first thing she noticed was the sounds, the waves crashing against the beach, the call of gulls and the grass rustling under the sea breeze. She breathed a sigh of relief, the Daemon World had been unsettling in its silence, it was nice to hear the sound of nature again.

    Apithe who had been holding her wolf pup while they travelled through the portal set him down. Longclaw immediately set off wandering in wide circles around Apithe, nose to the ground. Milo snorted at the wolf¡¯s behaviour sticking close behind Umbra as they moved towards the estate.

    Master Otaro was waiting for them in the courtyard and when they arrived he looked at them both critically, Umbra in her rags, Apithe in her torn clothes, cuts and bites still visible. He took notice of both their companions and Umbra thought she saw a flicker of fear in his eyes when he saw Umbra¡¯s s¨¬ cat, but it was gone as soon as she saw it, instead, he turned to Apithe. ¡°A white wolf pup, ferocious when fully grown and exceptionally useful, impressive, well-done Apithe.¡± Apithe practically glowed from the compliment, her happy smile lit her usually somber face, causing Umbra to smile as well. Otaro¡¯s eyes flicked back to Umbra, he looked uncomfortable Umbra noticed with surprise. ¡°A s¨¬ cat, I did not know there were any of their kind on that world,¡± Otaro said.

    ¡°I don¡¯t like him,¡± Milo¡¯s voice interjected in her head. The cat stood partly hidden behind Umbra watching Master Otaro carefully. Umbra shushed him, worried Master Otaro would hear the disrespectful cat.

    ¡°It seems there are,¡± Umbra answered.

    ¡°How unfortunate,¡± Master Otaro said thoughtfully and his eyes widened in surprise, ¡°Damn cat,¡± Master Otaro said to himself in a murmur, before turning around and walking back towards the estate without a goodbye. Apithe stood bewildered and Umbra could hear Milo¡¯s soft laughter.

    ¡°That was weird,¡± Apithe said, still glowing from Master Otaro''s compliment.

    ¡°Yeah,¡± Umbra nodded, ¡°let''s head back to the estate I want to see if Dovrag is around.¡±

    Umbra watched the cat in front of her as they walked back towards the estate, what did you do Milo? Umbra thought knowing he could hear her. Milo turned his head to look at her with his emerald green eyes.

    ¡°Seems he voiced some of his thoughts accidentally, how unfortunate,¡± Milo said sarcasm dripping form his voice.

    I thought you said you brought misfortune to my enemies. Umbra asked confused.

    ¡°Yeah, and everyone I dislike,¡± Milo replied lazily. Umbra shook her head in disbelief.

    The two girls split at the entrance to the estate Umbra wanted to get new clothes as did Apithe.

    After washing herself in the bath room, and putting on a new dress, Umbra went searching. Dovrag was not in the dining hall, not in the library and not in the courtyard, Umbra resorted to opening doors at random, hoping to find his room. It didn¡¯t take long before she abandoned that activity, tired out by the futility of searching every room in the estate and Milo¡¯s sarcastic comments regarding the search.

    The next place Umbra checked was the lava pits Dovrag frequented when channelling, he was absent from there as well. Umbra sighed either he had already left or he was still in the swamplands looking for something to trigger a new spell. Night was coming, and Umbra knew it would only take her a second to get to the swamp, she might as well have a poke around.

    Umbra let Milo out once making it to the swamp, he was fast but he couldn¡¯t keep up with Umbra when she shadow jumped. He gave a haughty sniff when he saw the swamp, Umbra had forgotten how horrible it was, humid even at night, smelling of decomposition and insects buzzing and biting incessantly.

    Looking for Dovrag wasn¡¯t as hard as she thought it would be, she just followed the death magic that was drifting from much further in the swamp. Umbra bypassed the fort it smelt heavily of rotting bodies overwhelming the stink of the swamp.

    It was easy to see the flash of flames once Umbra got closer to the death magic. It lit the surrounding swamp in oranges and reds. Umbra climbed up to the treetops with Milo, preferring the vantage point. Umbra refrained from using her shadow jump too much, she had expended quite a lot of magic getting here and depleting her magic more wasn¡¯t something she was comfortable with.

    From the top of the tree, she could see another fort much like the other Umbra had raided sometime ago. There were a few glaring differences, a young drow brandishing a white sword stood outside the walls, tentacles wreathed in fire surrounding him masking the bodies of over a dozen charred lizard corpses. Umbra could hear him, he was yelling, Umbra noticed in surprise, she had never seen him do that. ¡°Is this it, a week of travelling and months of waiting, and you do not have anyone that is capable of harming me.¡± Umbra thought it best not to intervene and watched quietly from the sidelines.

    Dovrag¡¯s yelling didn¡¯t go unanswered for long. The gates opened and a red lizard stepped out, tall, thickly built and Umbra could sense the magic roiling off him, in a pale imitation of a favoured presence. Umbra pulled her shadows over herself instinctively. ¡°A tasty soul he has,¡± Milo said, staring intently at the lizard.Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

    ¡°Is he favoured?¡± Umbra asked the cat.

    ¡°No, but he is quite close, that silly fire mage may have bitten off more than he can chew.¡± Umbra watched in concern as the lizard mage approached Dovrag, she knew the safe thing to do would be to go back up her friend, but he needed his second spell and her interference would not get him it.

    Dovrag had dropped into a low stance on the Lizard¡¯s approach and Umbra saw that he had shifted the tentacles'' positions, they covered his flanks. Umbra noted with pride that her friend was able to summon 4 now, a lot more than what he was capable of when he had first shown Umbra.

    The lizard mage covered the ground steadily and pillars of earth rose behind him forming themselves into hands of mud larger than the lizard himself. Dovrag took a few steps back, and Umbra readied herself, she could be there in less than a second, jumping forward into the darkness behind the lizard.

    Umbra saw Dovrag¡¯s release of magic a split second before a 5<sup>th</sup> fiery tentacle burst from the ground underneath the lizard¡¯s feet, wreathing the mage in flames and obscuring him from view, Umbra smiled, Dovrag wasn¡¯t as helpless as Umbra had thought. The fire didn¡¯t hold the lizard for long though or really seem to harm him at all. The lizard seemed to be completely untouched, walking from the flames like nothing had happened, except for the fact that he now seemed to be lacking in clothes. Umbra averted her eyes in embarrassment but quickly looked back to watch the mud hands behind him start to fall crashing into the earth. They didn¡¯t deform but rose again, and more joined the lizard as he walked slowly forward. Dovrag was backpedalling in earnest now as the mud-hands built speed rolling toward Dovrag like a gigantic wave.

    Umbra watched as the hands collapsed onto Dovrag, he held his sword in front of him in a feeble attempt to stave off the crashing mud. An ineffective gesture as the mud still crushed him to the ground, Umbra could almost hear his bones breaking from her tree.

    The lizard hadn¡¯t stopped walking the entire time and now he stood in front of where Dovrag had fallen, swept under the mud. The lizard held out a hand and a long pole of earth formed in his hand and hardened, the end was shaped into a long spike. He lifted the earth spear above his head and Umbra ripped out Carn and jumped, just as a flare of blue fire lit the area.

    The lizard had changed the angle of his spear when Umbra jumped driving it straight into the spot Umbra had just arrived at, she gasped at his speed, but she was fast too and managed to cast shadow jump again, appearing a few steps away from the dangerous lizard. He didn¡¯t let Umbra recover though driving forward rapidly, thrusting with his spear of earth, he didn¡¯t manage to drive it into Umbra though as a pillar of blue flame crashed into the lizard rocking him back. Umbra stepped back in surprise the heat from the flame was intense and Umbra could feel herself burning. The lizard and what Umbra assumed was Dovrag grappled on the mud floor. The lizard¡¯s facial expression didn¡¯t change as his hands started to melt, and Umbra saw a great fist of earth rise from the ground and pound into the blue flame that was Dovrag sending him flying backward. The lizard stood, showing no outward expression of pain and headed toward Umbra again another spear of earth appearing in his hand.

    Umbra gritted her teeth and whipped Carn forward cutting into the lizard¡¯s arm, but not severing it, Umbra ripped Carn backward in surprise, this was the first sign of resistance that Umbra had experienced when using Carn. The lizard was unfeeling and uncaring still coming towards her relentlessly, Umbra knew from experience that she wouldn¡¯t be able to sap its vitality, it was far too strong for that. She jumped again further back, Carn floated through the air and lashed out with it cutting into the lizard¡¯s legs and arresting its movement. She ripped it back out the sharp blades of the whip''s edge tearing through his stone hard flesh, sending him stumbling to the floor. Umbra flicked Carn towards his face, but the lizard erected a wall of mud that impeded Carn much like his body had. Umbra shadow jumped behind the lizard, lashing out with the whip as she jumped. The whip caught in the lizard¡¯s ribs, his bones seemed particularly hard even Carn having trouble cutting through them, Umbra pulled Carn back out again tearing another wide gash. The lizard wasn''t bleeding Umbra noticed, and Umbra¡¯s cuts with Carn only seemed to slow him down. The lizard was slowly getting to his feet and Umbra lashed out with Carn again, this time at his face, she caught him with the tip creating a gash as wide as Umbra¡¯s finger across his face. She struck again, scoring a hit across the lizard¡¯s cheek. She struck again and again, but nothing seemed to hurt the lizard and Umbra screamed in frustration as the lizard got to his feet unrecognizable, most of the flesh scoured from his body leaving parts of his skeleton bare to the world.

    Suddenly Umbra was lifted into the air and she let out a scream of pain as she was crushed by a hand larger than her, Carn slipped from her grasp falling to the muddy floor beneath her. Umbra could hear her bones snapping, she desperately tried to shadow jump out of the hand but all she managed to do was phase out of existence momentarily before being forced back into the hand¡¯s clutches. So she did the next thing available to her, Umbra fired off threads of her magic, towards the fort searching for something living, she could barely concentrate through the pain of her body being crushed by the massive stone hand, but she managed to sink her threads into some of the guards on the walls sapping their strength and health. Umbra gave another cry of pain as her body tried to fix itself under the strength of the stone fist. Bones newly mended broken again, Umbra fired off yet more threads into the fort, soon dozens of lizards were providing her with strength and health, and her body started to resist the force of the fist. She let out a pain filled grin and sent out yet more threads and started to push back against the stone hand, slowly opening its grip until it was wide enough that she fell to the ground. As soon as she hit the ground she rushed the lizard mage, Umbra could feel the heat increasing as she smashed her shoulder into its rock hard chest sending it tumbling to the ground. Dovrag, still wreathed in blue flames appeared, crashing down on top of the lizard mage, melting through its body. Umbra didn¡¯t hesitate as Dovrag pinned the stone mage, she shadow jumped to its head, right beside Dovrag. The boy¡¯s flames were unbearable even with the stolen strength from the dozens of lizards, but she ignored it and grabbed the lizard¡¯s head and with the strength of dozens of the mage''s brethren she wrenched and pulled and finally with a crack like the very earth splitting Umbra ripped the head from the body.

    The air around Umbra exploded with death magic like nothing she had ever felt before, and without a care for anything around her Umbra forced open her channels, absorbing the death of the powerful stone mage, it was like nothing she had ever experienced, the entire world around Umbra became clear, and she could feel each individual life around her, Dovrag burning hot with magic, Milo off by the trees, and hundreds of lives in the fort. She could barely contain the magic that was flowing into her, and it started to leak from her grasp turning the air around her still, and cold. Umbra could feel Dovrag¡¯s sudden gasp of air, and his magic stilling in Umbra¡¯s presence, she could almost feel the magic that his death would release into the air. The temptation to rip his heart from his chest and adding to the death magic was immense, she knew she could do it too, but she resisted the urge turning to the hundreds of people in the fort instead.

    Umbra had no control over herself when she jumped into the middle of the fort, where the lizards clustered waiting for the return of their victorious mage. The lizards closest to her collapsed paralyzed unable to withstand the death magic that leaked from Umbra, the ones furthest from Umbra were likewise affected but managed to start crawling away. Not one lizard escaped, Umbra could feel each individual life, and as they were snuffed out Umbra felt a surge of excitement and as death tainted the air, the lizards grew more fearful and Umbra grew more powerful, ripping up the floors of houses with her bare hands to reach hidden lizards in the basements. She didn''t have Carn but she didn''t need it, her hands sufficed, she could rip heads from body''s with the ease of ripping paper, and soon there were none left in the fort.

 Chapter 25/Resolution

    Umbra could recognise the smell of the dead before she awoke to the sound of purring and soft fur under her bloodstained hands. She was lying in the centre of the fort, corpses covered the ground; in some places, numerous bodies deep, blood was splattered across surrounding houses and the floor was scarlet red, stained with the still flowing blood of the lizards. To Umbra¡¯s side lay Milo, he was larger, his eyes greener and his fur was matted with blood. It was weird to have Carn absent from her arm, but she could retrieve it later.

    Umbra sat up, crossing her legs, out of the corner of her eye Umbra caught sight of Dovrag. He leaned heavily against the side of a house and watched Umbra with unreadable eyes. When Umbra turned her head slightly to meet his gaze, his eyes flicked down to his feet. She ran her bloodied hands through Milo¡¯s fur absent-mindedly, the blood coated her lower arm stopping before her elbow. A visceral memory of burying her arm through a lizard¡¯s chest flashed through her mind. The lizard was still there, not too far from where she was sitting, she could see the gaping hole in its chest. She stood smoothly, her body was different, she looked down her light grey dress was drenched in blood, and wisps of shadow curled off her skin like black smoke. Her magic felt different too, it pulsed wildly and rushed through Umbra uncontained following unseen paths through her body, Umbra laughed aloud, it felt divine and it was begging to be released. Umbra acquiesced and a controlled cloud of magic, twisted and formed in the air, into one of her figures, it was easier somehow, the magic seemed more eager to accept Umbra¡¯s will.

    Umbra¡¯s current shadow clone was the most impressive she had ever made, identical to her in everything except colour. If it could move it might as well be her. Umbra smiled suddenly as a flash of intuition came to her. She formed paths for the magic in the shadow clone, similar to how her magic was now flowing through her uncontained. Her magic depleted rapidly, but it was exhilarating the magic far more reactive than it had been before.

    A small amount of Umbra''s magic soon ran through the figure, much like Umbra herself. With the magic flowing through its body the shadow clone appeared to come alive, her face animated, her arms crossing over her chest and leaning to one side sceptically. Umbra laughed because it was mirroring her, Umbra extended her hand to touch the shadow, it followed her movements, the shadow¡¯s hand met her face as she touched the clones.

    The clone was cold and hard like a statue. There was something absurdly fascinating about touching something that looked exactly like you, like reaching through the mirror. Suddenly the clone dissolved and Umbra let out a gasp, sustaining the shadow clone had almost emptied her of magic. She held on to her lucidity doggedly, refusing to drop unconscious from the lack of magic. She couldn¡¯t hold on for long though, and she fell to the ground.

    When she woke for the second time, it was night and Dovrag was sitting a wary distance from her, they were outside of the fort, Dovrag seemed to have found a dry spot in the field. She was hungry, but before she had time to worry too much about it Milo¡¯s velvety voice purred, ¡°You are finally awake,¡± Umbra could feel him, quite a distance into the swamp, ¡°I¡¯m coming back now.¡± Umbra sent an affirmative, then turned to Dovrag who was still watching her oddly.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Umbra asked, softly, trying to push hunger from her mind.

    ¡°I have not seen anything like that,¡± Dovrag said, a touch of something she had never heard in his voice, ¡°You weren¡¯t a person anymore, you ripped a full grown lizard in two with your bare hands.¡± Dovrag didn¡¯t sound scared or judgmental if anything he seemed a bit awestruck. ¡°And then barely an hour after you finished that, I don¡¯t even know what you did, built a copy of yourself? If you were born a Drow you could become a Warlord; I did not think you were this strong.¡± Umbra couldn¡¯t help but laugh, this entire situation was absurd, Dovrag was praising her for the deaths of hundreds of people. Dovrag looked offended though.

    ¡°Thanks, I guess,¡± Umbra said cutting off her laughter. ¡°Congratulations on the second spell by the way.¡±

    ¡°It took too long,¡± Dovrag said brushing off the praise. It was then that Milo decided to reappear, from behind Dovrag, he was definitely larger similar to a sizeable dog, he held in his jaws, a large colourful bird. ¡°I come with food,¡± he said to Umbra.

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you a good cat,¡± Umbra said with a smirk, Dovrag looked at her as if she was crazy, unaware of Milo¡¯s presence. Milo growled in reply a deep threatening noise and Dovrag jumped into the air. Milo sniffed in his direction before dropping the dead bird in front of Umbra and bumping her with his head, Umbra gave him a scratch behind his ears.The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

    ¡°So that is your companion, might I ask what it is I have never seen a cat like this before.¡±

    ¡°A s¨¬ cat, a soul stealer, and herald of misfortune,¡± Umbra said.

    ¡°Sounds useful,¡± Dovrag said inching further away from Milo. ¡°Where did you find something like that?¡±

    ¡°Master Otaro showed Apithe and me a place.¡± And Umbra filled him in on the details. Dovrag listened patiently to the story but Umbra could feel him getting antsy, ¡°do you want to go?¡± Umbra asked interrupting the end of her story.

    ¡°Yes,¡± Dovrag said, relieved. ¡°I¡¯ve been gone too long already and it will take me at least two days to get back to the portal.¡±

    ¡°Can we at least eat before we leave though, I¡¯m starving,¡± Umbra asked holding up the colourful bird, ¡°although I¡¯m not sure how to eat this.¡±

    Dovrag came in handy here, plucking the bird quickly and conjuring fire with his magic, when Umbra asked him about his expertise he responded that hunting was an important part of their culture. The bird was gamey but not unpleasant, Milo slept through their meal.

    Umbra collected Carn from where it had fallen and it coiled around her arm comfortably. They set off soon after, Umbra even though she could just shadow jump home, decided to accompany Dovrag on the way back. They ran, Umbra was faster than Dovrag, she had to limit her pace for him to keep up, neither tired though, the magic sustaining their bodies. Milo, stayed far ahead scouting around, keeping pace with them easily.

    Umbra dabbled with her magic during the run, it was nigh impossible to control anything and Dovrag soon asked her to stop the outflowing of death magic as it made him uncomfortable.

    They made it to the estate in under two days and Umbra was fairly sure she could¡¯ve done it in one if Dovrag was not hindering her. Dovrag stopped her in the courtyard, ¡°I need to find Apithe and grab a few things then we are leaving, you have an hour to decide,¡± Dovrag said, ¡°I really hope you come with us.¡± Umbra nodded she had a lot to think about it, that she had put off for far too long.

    Umbra pulled Milo into her being and shadow jumped directly into her room from the courtyard, sliding down the web of interconnected darkness. After releasing Milo, she plopped down on the carpeted floor. ¡°What do you think Milo, should I go?¡± Umbra asked aloud.

    ¡°It would be more interesting than this place, and you are made for the battlefield, not to mention Otaro is an unpleasant man. you should go¡±

    ¡°Master Otaro is the only reason I¡¯m here, don¡¯t be rude.¡± The cat just gave his equivalent of a mental shrug, ¡°You asked, I will still follow whatever you do.¡± Umbra knew there wasn¡¯t really any reason for her to stay here, but joining a war, no matter how tame or vicious it may be just felt off, completely against what she would normally do.

    It was then that Nyx decided to appear. The shadows drawing themselves into her overwhelming presence and unmistakable womanly black figure, which Umbra now guessed was only a small portion of her magic, created much like how Umbra had made her own figure although infinitely more complex.  The deity stepped into the conversation like she had been listening to Umbra''s inner turmoil the entire time, ¡°Master Otaro is a little man, you would be better out of his grasp,¡±

    ¡°Thanks, for your help,¡± Umbra said, irritated that this was the time she was going to pop in, not all those other times when she was near death, or going to have her magic taken from her. Nyx just ignored Umbra¡¯s petulant tone instead focusing on Milo.

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you just an adorable little kitty,¡± Nyx said in a cooing voice, she strode over to him. Nyx stretched out her hand ignoring Milo¡¯s low growl, Milo snapped at Nyx¡¯s fingers severing the tips of them. Nyx drew back a bit her face hurt and she let out a confused ¡°Ow,¡± the fingers reformed rapidly. ¡°Vicious little kitty are you not,¡± Nyx said before turning away from him suddenly uninterested.

    ¡°Since you were getting recommendations from the vicious kitty, I thought I might drop my advice by. I will also give you a gift if you leave, think of it as a sort of bribe to ignore that man.¡±

    ¡°Why don¡¯t you like Master Otaro,¡± Umbra asked, Milo had calmed down and was now sniffing around Nyx¡¯s feet which the deity thankfully ignored.

    ¡°He is favoured by a particularly problematic god,¡± Nyx waved her hand.

    ¡°Who,¡± Umbra asked, interested to learn more about the enigmatic Master.

    ¡°Not a big deal,¡± Nyx said losing interest, ¡°My attention is needed elsewhere, remember what I said my little neophyte.¡± And just like that, she was gone.

    ¡°Neophyte, what does that even mean,¡± Umbra asked aloud. Milo gave a mental shrug.

    Umbra decided quickly, and 15 minutes later she was ready to go barely meeting the deadline as she shadow jumped into the courtyard, a pack she had found in the wardrobe loaded with all her clothes, Milo asleep inside her being, and Carn around her arm, she had nothing else.

    Dovrag was shifting his weight from foot to foot beside Apithe who was waiting patiently. Longclaw, Apithe¡¯s wolf pup was missing, Umbra guessed he was tucked away much like Milo. Apithe¡¯s smile, upon seeing Umbra, was tentative and hopeful and any remaining doubt Umbra had of her choice dropped away. ¡°You came,¡± Dovrag said, relieved.

    ¡°Yeah, time for a change of pace. So are we going?¡± Umbra asked.

    ¡°Master Otaro wants to see us off, he shouldn¡¯t be long,¡± Dovrag said, Umbra could hear the tension in his voice.

    Master Otaro wasn¡¯t long, walking out of the estate almost as soon as Dovrag finished his sentence. The master looked distracted, but his voice was clear and commanding. ¡°These are gifts,¡± He said holding out three small gold medallions, ¡°For your own safety they are not to leave your side.¡± He dropped one into each of their outstretched hands. ¡°Now be on your way,¡± He dismissed them with his usual lack of fanfare, and the group turned and left towards the portals. Umbra could feel his eyes on her back.

 Update/fun chapter

    ¡°What did the instructions say again,¡± Umbra asked from Dovrag¡¯s side peeking over his shoulder, to look at the instructions Master Otaro had given Dovrag.

    ¡°I¡¯ve already told you 100 times,¡± Dovrag said.

    ¡°Tell me again,¡± Umbra asked ignoring the obvious irritation in his voice.

    ¡°Turn left immediately after exiting the portal and walk until you reach a stone statue. Follow where the lady points until you arrive at a hill, from the hill 5 portals are visible in the distance, the farthest one along is the correct choice and will drop you home.¡±

    ¡°Ok, so which portal do you think is the correct one,¡± Umbra asked from the hill looking out at the portals. One was the farthest from the hill, another was the furthest along on the left side yet another was furthest along on the right side. ¡°There are three choices.¡±

    ¡°I say we just go to the one on the far right, that seems most likely,¡± Apithe said.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know, it could just be the far left one,¡± Umbra said. ¡°Doesn¡¯t anyone remember this place.¡± Dovrag and Apithe both shook their heads.

    ¡°Great so he sent us a different way,¡± Umbra said exasperated.

    ¡°Just go through the farthest portal on the right, that one is the best¡± Commented Milo in Umbra¡¯s head. He was lying on the soft grass beside Apithe purring as the blue girl scratched him behind the ears. Longclaw still lay in Apithe¡¯s being, and Umbra wondered if the wolf pup was ok.  Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work!

    Shhhh, you are only saying that because she is petting you. Milo didn¡¯t reply and Umbra sighed. ¡°We might as well try the one on the farthest right, we can always just go back if it isn¡¯t the correct one,¡± Umbra said to Dovrag¡¯s back, the boy was standing further down the hill, watching the portals intently, not saying anything. ¡°Hey, wake up Dovrag,¡±

    ¡°Oh, yeah sorry.¡± Dovrag said seeming a bit startled. ¡°we can try the one on the right, that is a good idea.¡±

    ¡°Well let¡¯s get going,¡± Apithe added, she stood up and stopped petting Milo, the s¨¬ cat stalked back towards Umbra irritated its massage had been interrupted.

    They stepped into the blueness of the portal and followed Dovrag, as he knew where he wanted to be more than any of them. Trips through portals were always sluggish seemingly walking through mud.

    They made it to an exit, and Dovrag was the first to step out followed by Apithe then Umbra taking up the rear.

    Umbra stepped out of the portal, to both Apithe and Dovrag pressing to get back in, ¡°Back, back¡± yelled Dovrag and Umbra only caught a quick glimpse of the red environment, and its pits of lava, and unbearable heat. That wasn¡¯t what Apithe and Dovrag were scared of though, a few steps away from them was the most hideous creature Umbra had ever laid eyes on, white like ash, fleshy protrusions spreading across its malformed body, tiny black insect eyes covering what Umbra guessed was its head.

    They rushed back out of the portal to the grassy hill, it was a while before anyway worked up the courage to say anything. ¡°So the left one now,¡± Apithe said. Dovrag nodded and Umbra followed them to the left most portal.