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.

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”