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 – 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.

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.