Umbra could recognise the smell of the dead before she awoke to the sound of purring and soft fur under her bloodstained hands. She was lying in the centre of the fort, corpses covered the ground; in some places, numerous bodies deep, blood was splattered across surrounding houses and the floor was scarlet red, stained with the still flowing blood of the lizards. To Umbra’s side lay Milo, he was larger, his eyes greener and his fur was matted with blood. It was weird to have Carn absent from her arm, but she could retrieve it later.

Umbra sat up, crossing her legs, out of the corner of her eye Umbra caught sight of Dovrag. He leaned heavily against the side of a house and watched Umbra with unreadable eyes. When Umbra turned her head slightly to meet his gaze, his eyes flicked down to his feet. She ran her bloodied hands through Milo’s fur absent-mindedly, the blood coated her lower arm stopping before her elbow. A visceral memory of burying her arm through a lizard’s chest flashed through her mind. The lizard was still there, not too far from where she was sitting, she could see the gaping hole in its chest. She stood smoothly, her body was different, she looked down her light grey dress was drenched in blood, and wisps of shadow curled off her skin like black smoke. Her magic felt different too, it pulsed wildly and rushed through Umbra uncontained following unseen paths through her body, Umbra laughed aloud, it felt divine and it was begging to be released. Umbra acquiesced and a controlled cloud of magic, twisted and formed in the air, into one of her figures, it was easier somehow, the magic seemed more eager to accept Umbra’s will.

Umbra’s current shadow clone was the most impressive she had ever made, identical to her in everything except colour. If it could move it might as well be her. Umbra smiled suddenly as a flash of intuition came to her. She formed paths for the magic in the shadow clone, similar to how her magic was now flowing through her uncontained. Her magic depleted rapidly, but it was exhilarating the magic far more reactive than it had been before.

A small amount of Umbra's magic soon ran through the figure, much like Umbra herself. With the magic flowing through its body the shadow clone appeared to come alive, her face animated, her arms crossing over her chest and leaning to one side sceptically. Umbra laughed because it was mirroring her, Umbra extended her hand to touch the shadow, it followed her movements, the shadow’s hand met her face as she touched the clones.

The clone was cold and hard like a statue. There was something absurdly fascinating about touching something that looked exactly like you, like reaching through the mirror. Suddenly the clone dissolved and Umbra let out a gasp, sustaining the shadow clone had almost emptied her of magic. She held on to her lucidity doggedly, refusing to drop unconscious from the lack of magic. She couldn’t hold on for long though, and she fell to the ground.

When she woke for the second time, it was night and Dovrag was sitting a wary distance from her, they were outside of the fort, Dovrag seemed to have found a dry spot in the field. She was hungry, but before she had time to worry too much about it Milo’s velvety voice purred, “You are finally awake,” Umbra could feel him, quite a distance into the swamp, “I’m coming back now.” Umbra sent an affirmative, then turned to Dovrag who was still watching her oddly.

“What’s wrong?” Umbra asked, softly, trying to push hunger from her mind.

“I have not seen anything like that,” Dovrag said, a touch of something she had never heard in his voice, “You weren’t a person anymore, you ripped a full grown lizard in two with your bare hands.” Dovrag didn’t sound scared or judgmental if anything he seemed a bit awestruck. “And then barely an hour after you finished that, I don’t even know what you did, built a copy of yourself? If you were born a Drow you could become a Warlord; I did not think you were this strong.” Umbra couldn’t help but laugh, this entire situation was absurd, Dovrag was praising her for the deaths of hundreds of people. Dovrag looked offended though.

“Thanks, I guess,” Umbra said cutting off her laughter. “Congratulations on the second spell by the way.”

“It took too long,” Dovrag said brushing off the praise. It was then that Milo decided to reappear, from behind Dovrag, he was definitely larger similar to a sizeable dog, he held in his jaws, a large colourful bird. “I come with food,” he said to Umbra.

“Aren’t you a good cat,” Umbra said with a smirk, Dovrag looked at her as if she was crazy, unaware of Milo’s presence. Milo growled in reply a deep threatening noise and Dovrag jumped into the air. Milo sniffed in his direction before dropping the dead bird in front of Umbra and bumping her with his head, Umbra gave him a scratch behind his ears.

“So that is your companion, might I ask what it is I have never seen a cat like this before.”

“A sì cat, a soul stealer, and herald of misfortune,” Umbra said.

“Sounds useful,” Dovrag said inching further away from Milo. “Where did you find something like that?”

“Master Otaro showed Apithe and me a place.” And Umbra filled him in on the details. Dovrag listened patiently to the story but Umbra could feel him getting antsy, “do you want to go?” Umbra asked interrupting the end of her story.

“Yes,” Dovrag said, relieved. “I’ve been gone too long already and it will take me at least two days to get back to the portal.”

“Can we at least eat before we leave though, I’m starving,” Umbra asked holding up the colourful bird, “although I’m not sure how to eat this.”

Dovrag came in handy here, plucking the bird quickly and conjuring fire with his magic, when Umbra asked him about his expertise he responded that hunting was an important part of their culture. The bird was gamey but not unpleasant, Milo slept through their meal.

Umbra collected Carn from where it had fallen and it coiled around her arm comfortably. They set off soon after, Umbra even though she could just shadow jump home, decided to accompany Dovrag on the way back. They ran, Umbra was faster than Dovrag, she had to limit her pace for him to keep up, neither tired though, the magic sustaining their bodies. Milo, stayed far ahead scouting around, keeping pace with them easily.

Umbra dabbled with her magic during the run, it was nigh impossible to control anything and Dovrag soon asked her to stop the outflowing of death magic as it made him uncomfortable.

They made it to the estate in under two days and Umbra was fairly sure she could’ve done it in one if Dovrag was not hindering her. Dovrag stopped her in the courtyard, “I need to find Apithe and grab a few things then we are leaving, you have an hour to decide,” Dovrag said, “I really hope you come with us.” Umbra nodded she had a lot to think about it, that she had put off for far too long.

Umbra pulled Milo into her being and shadow jumped directly into her room from the courtyard, sliding down the web of interconnected darkness. After releasing Milo, she plopped down on the carpeted floor. “What do you think Milo, should I go?” Umbra asked aloud.

“It would be more interesting than this place, and you are made for the battlefield, not to mention Otaro is an unpleasant man. you should go”

“Master Otaro is the only reason I’m here, don’t be rude.” The cat just gave his equivalent of a mental shrug, “You asked, I will still follow whatever you do.” Umbra knew there wasn’t really any reason for her to stay here, but joining a war, no matter how tame or vicious it may be just felt off, completely against what she would normally do.

It was then that Nyx decided to appear. The shadows drawing themselves into her overwhelming presence and unmistakable womanly black figure, which Umbra now guessed was only a small portion of her magic, created much like how Umbra had made her own figure although infinitely more complex. The deity stepped into the conversation like she had been listening to Umbra's inner turmoil the entire time, “Master Otaro is a little man, you would be better out of his grasp,”

“Thanks, for your help,” Umbra said, irritated that this was the time she was going to pop in, not all those other times when she was near death, or going to have her magic taken from her. Nyx just ignored Umbra’s petulant tone instead focusing on Milo.

“Aren’t you just an adorable little kitty,” Nyx said in a cooing voice, she strode over to him. Nyx stretched out her hand ignoring Milo’s low growl, Milo snapped at Nyx’s fingers severing the tips of them. Nyx drew back a bit her face hurt and she let out a confused “Ow,” the fingers reformed rapidly. “Vicious little kitty are you not,” Nyx said before turning away from him suddenly uninterested.

“Since you were getting recommendations from the vicious kitty, I thought I might drop my advice by. I will also give you a gift if you leave, think of it as a sort of bribe to ignore that man.”

“Why don’t you like Master Otaro,” Umbra asked, Milo had calmed down and was now sniffing around Nyx’s feet which the deity thankfully ignored.

“He is favoured by a particularly problematic god,” Nyx waved her hand.

“Who,” Umbra asked, interested to learn more about the enigmatic Master.

“Not a big deal,” Nyx said losing interest, “My attention is needed elsewhere, remember what I said my little neophyte.” And just like that, she was gone.

“Neophyte, what does that even mean,” Umbra asked aloud. Milo gave a mental shrug.

Umbra decided quickly, and 15 minutes later she was ready to go barely meeting the deadline as she shadow jumped into the courtyard, a pack she had found in the wardrobe loaded with all her clothes, Milo asleep inside her being, and Carn around her arm, she had nothing else.

Dovrag was shifting his weight from foot to foot beside Apithe who was waiting patiently. Longclaw, Apithe’s wolf pup was missing, Umbra guessed he was tucked away much like Milo. Apithe’s smile, upon seeing Umbra, was tentative and hopeful and any remaining doubt Umbra had of her choice dropped away. “You came,” Dovrag said, relieved.

“Yeah, time for a change of pace. So are we going?” Umbra asked.

“Master Otaro wants to see us off, he shouldn’t be long,” Dovrag said, Umbra could hear the tension in his voice.

Master Otaro wasn’t long, walking out of the estate almost as soon as Dovrag finished his sentence. The master looked distracted, but his voice was clear and commanding. “These are gifts,” He said holding out three small gold medallions, “For your own safety they are not to leave your side.” He dropped one into each of their outstretched hands. “Now be on your way,” He dismissed them with his usual lack of fanfare, and the group turned and left towards the portals. Umbra could feel his eyes on her back.