Penumbra, Lux, Terra (Private)

Sugary was as comfortable as could be expected in the crowd, but when Umbra came close and covered herself, he understood that she was still a shy sort, especially since she wasn't buzzed like the day before. He looked over his shoulder to her when he was done talking to the guard. "Yeah, sure seems that way, don't it? Never did quite figure that one out when I wanted to, the library was being renovated at the time. Something about updating catalog immensely... Speaking of which, let's go make our first stop a memorable one, shall we?" He'd lead the way towards the center of the castle town as the small crowd parted, giving the feathered golem more looks and odd admiration for his boisterous posture before looking at the ship once more.

Along the way, he'd point to a few simple shops for general supplies and needs, though he'd also point out how the are they walked around was also a prime location for the local fairs held from time to time, and gingerly share of what he learned from it from a local regarding some dishes, eccentric dressing styles, and overall jolly nature of such events.

Soon, they would come close to the base of the grand gleaming castle, looking right towards the Crystal Heart being guarded by a simple patrol as it was held in place mid-air by powerful magic between two crystals above and below it. Aside from the guards, a few young couples seemed to just casually enjoy being close to it as they hugged or just kept close. "And there it is... The great jewel of the Empire: The Crystal Heart... And fittingly, this is the center of the city. If we go this way, we can eventually find the trainstation. That way, we find the library. And over there is where the Equestria games were held... Hm...?" He turned around, feeling something was a bit off with Umbra and her companions as something seemed to be suppressing their energy somewhat.

It were not off to say that they seemed to be suppressed, or for Umbras case rather suppressing, the mare seeming a little bit green, a hand hold over her mouth in case something came up. The companion on the shoulder tried time and time again to look its best, but as if there had been added more water to its mud body kept its bird features to fade out, it beginning to look rather smudgy.

Petting her minion transferred Umbra a bit more energy to the small creature, only to fall down on one knee as a dark spark sprang from her finger. "I hate to ask for this... But I think that I need a hand," Umbras voice being rather stained as a case of migraine had sneak attacked her, the finger from which the spark had jumped from dropping its nail to the ground as she stretched her hand forth for his support. "What infernal mind thought up the idea of calling such a thing a crystal heart..."

Without giving it much thought about their previous agreements, Sugary was quick to kneel by Umbra's side, helping her up in much the same way as the night before while using his own elemental magic to aid the golem in keeping its usual shape as his horn shone a golden brown and coated its body with the spell. "Good grief... I think I saw a bench earlier, so bear with me."

Close and gently he held her, lightly sighing that their trip suddenly took a quick halt from an unforeseen circumstance. Nonetheless, he made good on his promise as he led her to a bench a notable distance away from the center of the town. "Your aura dropped considerably just now. What happened? How do you both feel?" He'd then gently sit them all down in a bench on a fairly quiet spot as the late day breeze began to blow.

Heaving after her breath as if she just been pulled up from a river, and not out of the shining glow of what some would call Equestrias eighth magical wonder, panted the mare away while fanning her face with one hand and screwing the cap of what seemed to be a potion bottle with the other. "Your guess is as good as mine," the mares voice being stained with a new tone, aggression, as she finally got the damned wax cap off, her having to stop her fanning for just one bit as she took the bottle to her mouth to make her teeth do the job of the cap.

Spitting the midnight blue vax onto the ground before she bottomed up, the wile substance seeming to taste as appetizing as it was looking, which were not at all, as she winced with the completion of the bottle. "By the forgotten ones, why does it always have to taste worse than I remember," Umbra throwing the bottle at the littercan right next to their bench with such force that it splintered at the impact, Umbra wincing once more when she heard the bottle shatter.

"Sorry about that..." her voice back to normal, if not just a little tad smaller since embarrassment were showing on her cheeks.

Sugary could only watch, and try to comfort Umbra by gently rubbing her back while he had the chance until she told him otherwise and made him break contact. He also carefully watched over the golems and the state they were in.

In the meantime, he'd also try to remember what the deal with the Crystal Heart was. "Don't worry about it, just rest easy for a bit... Though, in hindsight, I probably should've seen this coming. I just didn't think this was the direct result... From what I learned, the Crystal Heart amplifies the love of those around it, and spread it throughout the land; Even to the point it can be used against evil directly with enough focus... But no one ever said anything about causing harm just from getting close when left alone and inactive... I just don't really know why it's bothering you."

She felt better now than just before, both because of the distance there now were between her and the infernal artefact and because of the medicine she just had taken, not that it had changed anything about her unruly stomach, her still feeling like she were about to be sick. "Its the damn old war that have nothing to do with any of us, forgotten by all but yet do we feel the repercussion from it to this day. Light, life, good, order," Umbra running her hand in a half circle as she mentioned each. "Darkness, death, evil, chaos. All would say that those are opposites, two sides of a coin that can never should or can touch, but..." here did she stop, drawing a snaking line between the two "sides", before poking an eye in each, drawing a symbol that Sugary surely knew. "All forget that even black and white never are completely black and white, nothing works in absolutes."

It was beautiful words, deep words with lots of meaning and a tone that would resonate with many a heart... Such a shame that she had to end such a pretty drawn picture of words with a period of puke.

Sugary would've gladly conversed with Umbra about the intricacies and loopholes he knew of regarding Light and Dark from his experiences and teachings, but her puking instantly delayed that notion as he sighed and resolved to regrettably cut their tour short. "Okay, let's get you all back to the ship... Until we're sure what can be done to help prevent this, I'd rather help you keep your distance. You just plain look awful now..." He would try to urge her to get up so he could take her, but he would remain at least by her side if she insisted in staying on the bench.

With black bile on her hand, her sadly having been too slow to pull it back in time, tried Umbra to dry her mouth clean, it not helping one bit, but then again were the act not needed. While they still were far away from the heart and its protective magic were its strength still strong enough to burn the unholiness that she just had disgorged away, the wile bile slowly disappearing with an effect between fading and dissolving.

"Well thank you for that comment, that wasn't especially nice said you know!" came it rather hurt from Umbra as she stretched her back, pulling it away from Sugary's hand and began to run her hands down her cloth to make it sit properly once more. "I should properly have said something to warn you about how nasty the whole process is to observe, but then again when are a "detox" a pleasant second hand experience?"

Umbra seeming to slowly regain her own peppy self once more, but another change were also clear as she winched a bit as she got up from the seat, her looking a bit more frail than she had before. "But enough about that, don't think that you can skip out on your part of the deal just because of a smaller setback."

Sugary pulled his hand away, but still he kept a close gaze upon Umbra and the golems. Eventually, he'd sit back down as he saw the bile go away on its own, smirking lightly. "... Now who said anything about shirking duties? And here I thought I was doing the right things wanting to keep you well cared for, but I guess you're as lively as ever again."

He then leaned back, looking at the aurora, and then at Umbra with a soft, but concerned expression. "I will keep giving you a tour as promised, but I'm not about to watch you collapse for being stubborn... When you're really well enough to keep moving, please let me know; We can just rest here a bit otherwise..." Again he looked up, and then he chuckled seemingly to himself. "... And by letting me know, I don't mean lying. I could close my eyes right now, and your aura would still feel weaker than usual. Even you can't hide that from me. So please... take your time."

Rest? Weaker? What nerve! With a huff leaned Umbra herself forward as if she should sit herself down, only to flick his ear and then pull herself back quickly to get out of reach of any retaliation. "I do not know if it is ordinary conduct for a stallion to speak in such a manner about a mare who have just disgorged the content of her stomach, but I do really not think that it is appropriate or appreciate the words or the tone there were used to speak them." Umbra being able to huff quite well, even in her weakened stage, her feathered minion wording its opinion as well by waving an angry arm, or rather a limp down watered tentacle, at him.

"I do really not know what you think of me, but by now should you know that I ain't one bit like your ordinary mare, and should stop fussing around me as if I were one. As you so rudely say am I weakened, yes, but you should not underestimate me young man." She had never really ranted before, but she had to agree that even if it had costed her more steam than she would have liked was it rather nice to let go of some of the pressure that had accumulated.

She had just straightened her clothing, but as to give Sugary some room to get on her feet, and her to properly gain hers did she it once more before breaking the silence that had grown pregnant between the two. "You said that you wanted to show me something in a good distance from the castle, yes?"

He had to admit, she had a way to put up a tough front with her attitude that he found oddly charming in a way, and the golem with a wiggly arm just made it all seem more endearing than he should've been thinking of it as. Again, he sighed, and again, he stood by her side with a soft smile and an even temper. "If my choice of words upset you, then I apologize. It was not my intention to address you as weak, but rather as one that I aim to care for if you've need of my aid. If you are as hardy as you say, then I will gladly continue to serve as your tour guide... So yes, let us proceed." He picked his words more carefully, and bit more slowly with well meaning intent. He was a Mercenary after all, and while the deal was simple, he would guide her as needed whether it was around the castle town or a place to rest with borrowed energy as his payment. Service, with a genuine smile.

He'd lead the way, somewhat slowly as he didn't want to strain Umbra by forcing her to keep up with his peppy state. The place he'd lead her to was the stadium in the outer reaches of the castle town, and once it came into view, he'd share what he knew of it as the gentle breeze and wide open field and sparkling skies overwhelmed the distance of the Crystal Heart. "The Equestria games were held here some time ago for the first time in this territory. They actually built that place in record time to host the games. it was such a big deal here for the locals I hear, since it meant they got to see such an event for the first time ever, and delegates from far off territories had been invited to come here as well. Very important for the citizens as you can imagine... Did you know it was also close to being a disastrous main event? One of the clouds was magically frozen and it nearly crushed the center of the stadium, but it got melted just in time before any real damage was done... Wish I was there to see it, I heard a dragon did that... And yes, last I checked, it is open to the public on daytime if you're interested for track and field..." He hoped he was at least being entertaining enough so far.

Sure, it was a big building, it could hold many ponies, or other creatures for that matter inside, and she were pretty sure that that made it a marvel to behold for some reason. But it was built to honour physical prowess, so all the effort, and little time there had been poured into it were for naught when it came to her. "No I did not know, I did not even know that there had been hold any such games," her looking rather curious at a crystal statue of a wyrmling holding the dragonling lovely heart that she had enjoyed ohh so much earlier. "Or that such an youngling had something to do with the heart that we saw earlier. But dragon magic, and especially novice dragon magic, would be a rather good explanation of that hearts effect."

Having seen what there were to see began Umbra to slowly walk once more, the city were a big place after all, and the night sky so much more interesting to look at than the stadium. "And me tracking or fielding... While I must admit that I feel more alive than I have in ages do I not think that I ever will feel lively enough to ever find myself doing such activities." Having seen Sugary's physique earlier expected she him to have a rather different viewpoint on straining physical activities, so she did cleverly withhold her "primitive" and "brutish" that she under normal circumstances would have added.

Sugary didn't need too much time to tell by Umbra's voice that she sounded uninterested in the stadium, but at least she was listening so far. She also seemed to spot something of interest. "Ah... I think that's a statue of the little dragon that melted the ice... Never heard anything about a connection between the heart and dragons though..."

With the stadium shown, he then began to take them elsewhere, this time, he thought to go to a place where artisans left some of their carvings on display still near the outer part of the town. "Well, the exercise was more a suggestion. I said I'd give a tour, but... this place isn't exactly huge. Only so much worth showing, you know? Speaking of which..." He then approached the shop, staring at one of them working on a crystal figurine right at that moment about a picture he had of a bird as he picked and carved away with the minor details of the small bird form. "This shop makes some rather fine decorations, but, if you're interested, you can place custom orders for just about any designs of your choice... Maybe even get an ornate amulet you can enchant. The minerals in this region seem of particularly high quality when making artifacts.

"So a dragon youth gets a stature for melting a cloud that was magically frozen... That seems so pony like to do such a thing, the unicorns that did such a magical mishap letting other and older races take care of their problems instead of coming up with a solution of their own."

She had travelled far and wide on Equis, and sat her foot into other realms and domains as well, but never would she find a people like the gathered ponies. Three similar species of the same genome gathered under a rare mutation which had the combined strengths and then some of its herded species, them being so afraid of all the things around them that most of the abilities that they were born with, and those as well that they got thought throughout their lives were used to slave bind the habitats they lived in, even the sun and the moon being caught up in their chains. And people wondered from time to time why she was so glad for being a half breed?

But enough of thoughts like that, when Umbra were led to the shop were there completely other thoughts on her mind. She looked with deep interest at the figures there were showcased, her clearly being fascinated by the level of details the artisans were able to give their creations without the guide of magic, not a single touch of it to be found in either of the sculptures that she examined. "Just because I do the magic that I do is that no reason to think of me as an evil enchantress Sugary. Do you also think that all the other old mare tales are true, that I can put people in trance just by looking them deeply in the eyes, while dancing naked around under the full moon to harness its power. That I snatch young foals from their cribs as well, and brew tasty stew on their bones to make me look young forever?" as she spoke lifted one of her eyebrows higher and higher as she ran the point into the ground, then trough it the ground, and at last into the mantle of the planet.

---

As the Maker of All Things Magnificent and Mesmerising seemed to be going on for a while with her subject had the gone out on adventures in the store, it doing its best to mimic the bird of the picture that now got sculptured, and failed rather miserably since its body still was rather watery of nature. It even loosing all form, spatting out into a terracotta brown pool of mud, bird bones and feathers, dripping slowly down onto the ground as the Mistress stopped herself and spoke the next words. "No... actually are the part about dancing in the moonlight to harness its power not that far off, but that were more a lucky guess by a romanising fable teller than actual tangible facts."

There was a first for many things in Sugary's life, but none quite like watching Umbra raise her brow ever so steadily as she went on with her fascinating tale about perspectives and misconceptions that almost seemed song-like to him. He also had a light smirk the entire time as he waited for his chance to speak back, but then looked back to her with an equally raised brow of his own when she confirmed one part of her tale to be true. Now he was really amused. "Dancing bare under the moonlight? We should try that sometime. Though I'm not much of a dancer, I just like to train bare when no one's looking around here. Nothing like full range of unhindered movement and unrestrained sorcery..."

He spoke somewhat wistfully, and quite serious about it. "Besides, when did I say you were evil? You think I can't enchant things myself? The red hot Magicite in the main engine of my ship were my doing, just add essence of Fire and Will. I plan to get an extra supply while we're here. Natural crystals make much better Magicite than artificially made ones, but the tour comes fi-!? Oh! Umbra, the golem is-...!" He looked at the small being as it decomposed, and the stallion working on the crystal bird nearly knocked it over in surprise and confusion as to what had just happened.

Bare... Dancing bare... Dancing bare under the moonlight... Hearing how her words were misunderstood, (although yes she had done such a thing, but the detail about the lack of cloths were of a personal nature and not one to be shared either in public or to half strangers and on a whole not worth mentioning at all... ever), did the else well cared for and oiled gears in Umbras head grind to a sudden halt as the gritty picture that Sugary just had drawn for her hit her with full force, a second wagon load being dumped soon after into the gears as he mentioned the lovely tidbit of him liking to apparently train in the nude.

It took multiple facepalms to shake all of the unwanted thoughts out of her head, her splatted minion even having to gather itself a bit to help, it scooting its pooled self over the edge of the table and down onto the ground so it could caress the foot of its Worrysome Wonder soothingly. "Sugary... I would like to point out that I said, I would really like to point out that I specifically said, I would really really like to point out that my exact words were the "dancing", I would like to repeat myself to make myself crystal clear and eradicate any and each shadow of misunderstanding, the "dancing" part of that old mares tale were and are still true. Dancing... not the without clothes part, the ritualistic dancing part."

Sugary slowly lost some of the grin he had as Umbra seemed bashful about his claim, and watched as she had to put such emphasis on what she meant. His ears drooped slightly by the end of it. "... Shame, and here I thought you just didn't mind bearing your body to the world..." He then perked up slightly. "Oh, well. I'd still like to see it sometime..." His ears flicked, and he smiled a tad sheepishly at her. "Heh... Yes, I'll be wearing clothes if that's what bothers you... Shall we continue the tour, or did you happen to spot anything around here really worth your gaze?"

A mare with so burning red cheeks should not be able to talk with such an ice cold voice, icicles dripping from almost every word that she spoke with her level and slow voice. "I do sadly think that I have found the opposite sadly," her eyes burrowing into his, one should be lucky that she had taken the potion to flush her system for excess magic, for if looks could kill...

She despised physical contact, but she despised the words there were coming out of Sugary right now even more so, her taking a hold in his arm to pull him a bit away so they could get just a mock attempt at privacy with all of the crystal ponies around them which curiosity hadn't been satisfied just yet. "And I do sadly think that we will have to stop the tour this instance, and in the worst case part our separate ways if you keep speaking in such manners to me. I do not know how ordinary mares normally would react when a newly acquaintance are first commenting on how weak they seem, and then follow that up with brash comments about their want to seeing her naked! I do not take that they would react lightly on such audacities, and neither do I, would I quickly like to point out." Her letting go of him at last, frost crystals being left in her wake where she just had hold him. "I do simply not know what there have brought you out of your mind Sugary, but I do not welcome it. While there have been some faux pas shared in between us have nothing ever come nearly close to this, you have been a honourable stallion up to now, and I would like to keep regarding you as such."

And again, it seemed, Sugary had inadvertently invoked the fury of Umbra without meaning to as he saw a killer gaze, which greatly confused him. "H-Hey... What is it?" With not much choice in the matter other than getting dragged to see what the trouble was, the cold therapy of an icy grip was very concerning.

He listened, and listened well. He had no choice but to listen to understand where the fault was. And even after she spoke, he needed just a little more time to make sure he got word for word... and then it hit him: "... Shame, and here I thought you just didn't mind bearing your body to the world... Oh, well. I'd still like to see it sometime..."

He facepalmed rather dramatically as he realized exactly what he might've said wrong, groaned, and sighed as he looked to Umbra somewhat apologetically, but not submissively as his gaze remained defiant of hers afterwards by never breaking eye-to-eye gaze while rubbing the ice buildup off slowly. "Umbra... What you say is correct, and you probably would have every right to feel indignity right about now, seeing how you carry yourself like a reserved Noble at times... But you misunderstood me! Yes, in all honesty, as a stallion, I would very much admire many a lovely mare for their looks, but I was talking about your dancing, Umbra! Your ritual dancing is what I wanted to see. I'm not that crass and shallow... And I already said you can't fool me when you're not as healthy looking as I've come to expect. I may not be one of your golems, but what do I gain by doing nothing when a traveling companion collapses on the floor? Like you did earlier? You know, when you held your arm towards me to help you up afterwards?" He wouldn't blame her if she thought they should part ways, but he wasn't about to let misconceptions be what remained in their memories for causing it.

"Fine, you did perhaps not mean to say it in such a way that it could be misunderstood like that, but that is no excuse for such boorish uncouthness..." the steam slowly seeping out of her as it dawned on Umbra what she sadly had to resort to to make him understand that she wasn't like the mares he was used to mingle with. She hated doing it, she had hated it from the first time she had done it, Mister Voice doing it then without her knowledge. She had hated it since she even knew why she hated it, and the thought of doing it now, and especially in front of someone that actually treated her as a mostly normal being hated she it even more.

With a heavy heart and sagging shoulders, her ears laid back in dread, lifted she a hand to her head, the palm laying over her right eye and hiding that side of her face. "You should never judge a book on its cover Sugary," her eye that he could see growing dark as her magic soared trough her body, the infernal heart seemingly not having any effect on her, as for why would Sugary learn as she pulled her hand from her eye.

While it looked like she had laid a spell upon herself was it the opposite, her breaking one so he could see the real her, pale white bone with flayed chunks of grey dead meat being revealed to him, her eye seeming almost twice its normal size as there were no eyelid to be found. The teeth there were showing without any gums smiling a macabre skeleton grin while the other side of her mouth were pulled down in a frown. "Just as it is unwise to want seeing others without anything on, especially since some may have good reasons as to not wanting to show it. So admire away Sugary, think of me as being as unhealthy or healthy as you may like. But please, for both of our sakes, stop this bluff that you are running on yourself by thinking of me as one of your ordinary mares, its unfair to both you and not least me."

She had played her last card, had no more fuel in the thank, her gun had yelled at her how it had run dry halfway trough, and all that could be seen on her now, how old, how tired, how very very tired and a little bit uncomfortable she felt. With a tug of her hood hid she her face in shadows, the golem snaking up her body with wraps of cloth after it, wrapping and hiding her face up so only her eyes were showing. "It is understandable if you need some time right now, I know that I need some for myself. If you still wish to travel with me can you find me at the stall, and I will not hold any grudge against you if you choose not to." Her turning on the spot to leave, not looking back as she vent as promised to the stall, but not before taking a small stop in a small alcove between two buildings.

She must have gotten something in her eye now that she had no eyelid to protect it, for it were red and wet, the mare drying it many times before it stopped and she could walk undisturbed once more.

((Not-so-spooky skeleton. Crawling sage.))

One would have to believe that Sugary was a stubborn odd sort from time to time, but whether that was due to his upbringing or just the way he saw the world through his eyes none could really say. He knew full well her lifeforce was already unnatural, and her magic supernatural, but being shown her true self was like meeting her all over again... and it partially frightened him.

A brief chill ran down his spine as he perked up mildly in wariness, but soon that chill was subdued, drowned in the willfully adamant nature he had built up over the years that surpassed mere instinct for facing reality. And so he willingly, if not stubbornly, looked to her corrupt form, truly taking in every morbid detail about her face and arm as she removed her mask and requested that he do so. It would be incredibly disrespectful to do otherwise in his mind when the undead reveals theirself as such among the living. It also didn't take him long to notice her frown from what remained of her face, and that struck a cord with him as she spoke.

He was partially speechless by the end of it all, unsure how to even try to respond to what she had just done. But as to what she had said, there was much he wanted to say. "Um-... Umbra, wait... Please... Ugh-!? Guh-!!" But before he could say much, he suddenly felt his own lifeforce sapped as he was forced down to one knee as his legs buckled and his body seemed to weight much much more. Then, he fell forward but stopped himself from faceplanting against the ground as his lower body was now completely numb, though his upper body was still brimming with borrowed energy. "What the heck!? What's happening...? Ah!! The contract! I still have to accompany her on a tour!"

Worrying that he'd pass out for good in a random part of the castle town soon if he didn't amend things quickly, he considered his options as a few of the locals saw him crawl after her slowly while trying to regain a standing position, but never achieving it no matter how hard he tried to get his exhausted legs to move as he desired, even with trying to have his magic coursing through them. Fortunately, he wasn't lacking in cleverness yet, so after futilely trying to move his legs from within, he used Earth magic as he braced his legs up to the thighs with a thick coat of dirt under the pants he could manipulate freely, and raised himself off of the ground with a solid pole of dirt with he then began to use as a crutch for adequate balance. Slowly but surely, he'd catch up to her from behind once again. It was unlikely that the time it took him to catch up would be enough for her to relax, but he wasn't one to let things go undone for too long if he could help it.

"... Umbra... I didn't need that much time to think... You already told me what you are, I was just coming to terms with what you looked like... My statement from earlier still stands, however. Just because you've got a... condition... doesn't mean I need to do nothing to avoid it getting worse. I still would've helped you get back up on your feet and away from the Crystal Heart. You are still my guest and traveling companion, and I must treat you as such..."He then spoke a tad lower, and somewhat shamefully. "... Also, I kinda still need to hold up to my end of the deal or I might pass out, and I can't give you a tour if I'm not with you..."

What was this? A demon spawn... Weakened... Vulnerable... The shadows start to bend and sway, bending towards the pair of fatigued adventurers. A demon spawn would make for an excellent trophy to show the masters. The shadows start to leave the ground, forming physical shapes that surround Sugary and Umbra. Their forms shook and twitched, eyes of yellow peering through their pitch black shapes. They look upon Umbra and their bodies suddenly stop moving... For the longest, uncomfortable moment. And then, they lunge! Attacking with dark claws, the shadows attack from all sides!

Under normal circumstances would Umbra not have been taken by surprise like this, the mare only just throwing herself out of the reach of the snatching claws in the last possible second. She should have felt the assailants presence from a mile away, such a mere shade not being capable to hide its dark being or vile intent for one as skilled into the arts as her. But fate were against her with her being in her weakened state, both of body, from the infernal hearts infernally annoying magic, and of mind, from Sugary's infernal insistence of being so brash.

"Ain't mine!" yelled she as she hit a showcase table, figurines flying trough the air with the same speed as the breath forced out of her lungs, her wishing that she had had more time before the impact, both to speak and to save just a little bit of the hard working artists work. Since time were of the essence and she couldn't lay a big detailed battle plan, nor to spare energy or time to find the best strategy, did Umbra the first two things that jumped to her mind. Her pulling in the table with one hand, overturning it so it fell as a shield just in front of her, the rest of the figurines that hadn't been thrown to the ground before now laying as splinters on it. Splinters that Umbra clutched with her free hand, grasping them with such a force that they pierced her skin, black ichor tainting them all before she lifted them quickly to her lips, kissed them, then took them to her forehead, and at last threw them blindly back over her defence at the attacker.

Where each shard touched the being pierced they into the solid fabric of it as easily as needles would go trough silk, but they did oh so much more harm than any needle would, each and every shard having become a tiny prison for the dark being with their touch. The holes torn in it being dozens of times bigger than the small shards strewn over the ground, their colour there before had been bright and almost shining now being dull and almost dead with wisps of black smoke floating around inside them.

Normally, Sugary would be more than ready to deal with such creatures that came about, but he was unaware whether they were part of Umbra or not, and actually worried she had summoned them to keep him away from her. At least, that's what he thought until they showed their true colors by going after them both, confirmation further bolstered with her claim that they weren't hers.

It was a good thing he was far from an amateur magician, and in a quick reflexive burst of Mana, he held his ground by sparking his horn a bright shining white along with his eyes before a spiraling barrier of light surrounded him to protect him and purge the shadows so willing to attack him with positive energy and raw will. There would be a moment or so in which the barrier and himself would not seem to hold up consistently, however, as the energy he had was borrowed, and his strength was limited and diminishing slowly. "Umbra! Ugh...!! It burns..."

The attacks of the adventurers would prove effective at first, Umbra's enchanted splinters taking out a handful of shadows, and Sugary's barrier of light obliterating any that got too close. But soon it would be evident that there were more than just these. The shadows soon started to appear from the walls of buildings around them, bypassing any mortals nearby and going for the two weaker, more interesting ones that would serve as a good meal, or even better, make them stronger.

They blindly charge at the two in another wave of darkness, clawing at the table Umbra was hiding behind and assaulting Sugary's barrier, trying to bring them both down. Some of the shadows are clever enough to move around to the other side of the two, trying to outmaneuver them.