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.

“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.