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.”

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“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.