Scalding steam rose from the mud, obscuring Carn and Umbra took a quick step back. Umbra couldn’t see her knife, but she could still feel it channelling magic. She tried to close the channel, but it was like the knife had a mind of its own and it resisted her. Umbra was worried, Carn was eating through the magic in the field faster than Umbra had thought possible, far faster than even she had.

While she waited for the steam to dissipate or something to happen she noticed there were lizards watching her from the fort when she made eye contact with one it ducked away out of her sight, she wasn’t too worried about them coming out here. There was no way they had any fighters left after this.

In a matter of hours, Carn had absorbed all the remaining magic, and Umbra noticed that the field was really starting to smell. Umbra worriedly messed with her magic, forming tiny dark figures as she waited for the steam to dissipate. It was a difficult exercise especially with how much magic she now had to control; a good distraction.

The steam finally started to lift and Umbra noticed Carn felt different to her senses, more active and more alive if that was even possible for an inanimate object. Umbra got her first look at Carn in hours, to say it was changed is a bit of an understatement. It was a black whip, not circular more like a flexible blade made of razor sharp and jagged darkness that moved like the shadows on her skin. She touched her back, remembering the pain the Duchess’ whip had caused her. “Maybe a whip is fitting.” Umbra shrugged and grabbed the handle.

Umbra could feel the whip like it was a part of her. She swung it through the air in an arc, it was heavy and didn’t really behave as a whip should more like how she imagined a really flexible sword would. She swung it at the body of the monstrous red lizard, Carn seemed to stretch itself out even further when she swung it, and the red lizards head came flying from the body. Umbra let out a surprised laugh. She couldn’t help but try it again on another of the bodies, she slashed at the midsection of another dead lizard, it cut through the body like nothing was there. Umbra looked at the whip with a tad of excitement. She had never touched anything as deadly as this, it made the dagger it used to be, underwhelming.

Umbra spent half an hour playing with Carn. The whip was deadly sharp but when Umbra hit herself accidentally, it only left the sensation of cold water on her skin, and not a mark. She needed practice with the whip, she had a tendency to hit herself with it on successive swings. Umbra soon lost interest in dismembering the bodies and it was getting kind of gross.

The smell of the rotting corpses was starting to get to Umbra and she could see the remaining lizards getting ever more antsy on the walls, there was nothing left for her here it was time to leave.

Carn didn’t fit in the sheath Master Otaro had bought for Umbra so she ended up winding the whip around her left arm until the end reached her shoulder, it settled against her skin, it had a pleasant feel, cool and smooth. The handle of Carn dangled slightly down from her sleeve, and she was pretty sure could pull it out with her right hand quite quickly, if she needed it. Umbra nodded to herself satisfied.

Umbra set off from the walled lizard town. She knew she would come back eventually and find the rest of the red lizards, but for now, she was satisfied. It worried her a bit that it had taken almost 400 deaths plus two mages, who seemed quite powerful to truly sate her cravings, but she pushed it the worry aside, that was a problem for another day.

Walking was slow so Umbra started running, it didn’t tire her anymore with magic rushing through her body, and she was far faster than any human. Umbra made it to the edge of the swamp by nightfall and smiled to herself, she was even faster than she thought. She looked across the expanse of hilly green plains, the estate was days of travel by foot, but Umbra didn’t have to walk anymore, instead, she dived into the web of darkness releasing almost all her now immense amount of magic and stepped out of a shadow in the estate’s courtyard.

Umbra giggled as Apithe jumped out of her skin, red eyes popping at Umbra’s sudden appearance. “What the… How is that fair.” Apithe said.

“What?” asked Umbra, she was a bit confused Apithe didn’t look like she was going to start a fight, and she seemed almost amiable, her stance while surprised wasn’t overly defensive or aggressive.

“Your spell, it's awesome, I just got some silly shield see.” Apithe stuck out her hand and a translucent shield shot outwards from her palm, bigger than her. “Master Otaro said it was an extremely valuable spell, it can block magic as well as physical hits, but I kind of wanted a spell that I could fight with you know?”

“Yeah, I guess,” Umbra said still confused at this entire situation and why Apithe was being so friendly. They stood awkwardly for a second and Umbra moved to leave.

“I’m sorry you know… I’m not usually so horrible. I told myself when Master Otaro found me that I would be the best, I’m the first mage my world has produced in generations and we thought magic had died out in us. But when I first saw you guys I could already tell I wouldn’t be the best, the first death mage ever and a life mage. It was frustrating, I wanted to prove that I wasn’t someone you could just ignore, and got my ass handed to me, rightly so I guess… and yeah, I just wanted to say I’m sorry.” Apithe looked at her feet, shuffling them.

“I’m sorry too, I overreacted,” Umbra said sincerely and Apithe gave a small sorry smile and nodded. They stood awkwardly again and Umbra gave her a small wave and headed for the estate entrance. She was tired from the magic she had used to get home.

Umbra sighed when she caught sight of Master Otaro waiting in the doorway, it seemed sleep wasn’t an option. “Come with me,” Master Otaro said then turned around leading Umbra to his favourite room.

They sat opposite each other. “Where is Carn,” Master Otaro asked. Umbra pulled up her sleeve in reply, where Carn lay coiled around her arm. “It has awakened to you then. A whip… peculiar, Carn tends to take what form it feels best suits its master.”

“Why am I here Master, I am quite tired and would like some rest.”

“You’ve been killing the natives.”

“The lizards?”

“They are not lizards, they are draconian, related to dragons.”

“Oh,” I guess that makes sense they do look a bit dragony. Although they don’t breathe fire and are definitely not as powerful. “Am I in trouble Master?”

“No not really there are about a billion of them on this world a few hundred here and there will not be noticed,” Master Otaro said waving his hand. “I called you in here to discuss your progress, you are advancing to the point where I would usually allow you to leave if you wished. Two spells and enough magic to put a mage of 20 years to shame. But you are a special case, a death mage, I can only guess at how dangerous you could become if you lose control of yourself.” Umbra grimaced as she remembered cutting through hundreds of lizards with just dagger Carn, now she had an extremely deadly second spell and a whip capable of decapitation.

Master Otaro studied her silently then said, “I will however let you leave, once you have gained more control over your quite extensive amount of magic. That shouldn’t take too long at your rate.”

“I can leave?” Umbra said, surprised. She thought that she would’ve had to stay here till she made favoured at least.

“It is important that you do, you need to forge a path for yourself, deities are not interested in those who do not. This island can not provide enough options, you must seek that in the fabric.”

Umbra wandered back to her room. She didn’t even know where she would go when she could leave, she had never thought about it. She couldn’t go back to Poliagoras but the Duchess’ probably wanted her head on a stick. Maybe she could head to the border worlds and look for V, it couldn’t be too hard to find a Dovian or his apprentice they were were pretty unmistakable. Umbra still wanted to apologise to V.

Umbra stripped off her dirty clothes and collapsed onto her bed forcing thoughts of leaving from her mind, Carn was still coiled around her arm but she didn’t notice as sleep took her.

Nyx visited Umbra in her dreams, without the masked winged figure like last time. Nyx only smiled at her approvingly and disappeared leaving Umbra to more mundane dreams.

Umbra woke refreshed but ravenous as usual. She grabbed one of her black dresses, pulled it over herself, being extra careful near her left arm where Carn was coiled and set off towards the dining hall. She looked out the window as she walked down the halls, it was weird that she always woke up at the same time when she slept. Umbra shrugged, it had advantages Dovrag always ate at this time and she would be able to see him and apologise for disappearing again.

Dovrag was in the dining hall, book in front of him and bowl of grey paste to the side forgotten, Umbra had always wanted to ask him what it was but it had slipped her mind on many occasions. “Hey,” Umbra called out to him. Dovrag closed his book and gave her a smile. He signed a greeting in his language and Umbra smiled.

“Where have you been,” Dovrag signed.

“Collecting magic,” Umbra signed clumsily as she took her seat. She was a bit out of practice.

“I see; you wear Death like a second skin now,” Dovrag said switching to spoken language his rough accent pleasant.

“Thanks,” Umbra said, then bent down to perform a formal apology in his language for missing a commitment, feeling it would mean more to him than a spoken one. He signed back an acceptance.

“Umbra, I have something to tell you,” Dovrag said aloud. “I’m leaving in a few months—.”

“What, you can’t leave,” Umbra said, surprised and oddly hurt.

“The sky-people are pressing into the underground, and threatening our homes, my mother has asked for my return to help protect our cities. I will leave once I have achieved my second spell, as Master Otaro said I could.” Dovrag said poking the grey paste with a spoon. “Which leads into something important I need to ask of you.” Umbra could see an uncharacteristic embarrassment in Dovrag.

“You can ask.” Umbra urged.

“To become a favoured was not my only reason for coming here.” He paused and Umbra nudged him. “I was to find other students that would be willing to fight with us,” Dovrag said sheepishly.

“Oh, that’s why you were teaching me your language,” Umbra said thoughtfully.

“Yes, I do enjoy the lessons though,” Dovrag said poking his paste shamefully.

“Hey that’s fine, I don’t mind if you have some other weird motives for doing it, I enjoy the lessons too.”

“I do have to ask though, if you would consider leaving with me once you and I get our second spells.” Dovrag said still avoiding looking at her.

“You want me to fight in your war?” Umbra asked. She wasn’t sure what to feel about that.

“I know it is a lot to ask, but I thought you might like the battlefield,” Dovrag said still sheepish.

“Can I think on it Dovrag?” Umbra asked.

“Yes, yes, of course, we still have to get our second spells.”

“I already have mine,” replied Umbra.

“Oh, of course, you do work fast. Well once I get mine I will leave and I hope you will come with me.”

“I’ll think on it,” Umbra said. Dovrag stood up from the table.

“I do not have the time for a lesson today, I have training with Apithe, but I hope we can continue our lessons tomorrow.” Dovrag walked to the door and stopped. “Oh, I almost forgot Apithe has agreed to come back to my world, I hope that will not change your decision, she is extremely sorry for what she did.” And Dovrag left, leaving Umbra with her thoughts