“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.”

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“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.