Penumbra, Lux, Terra (Private)

Sugary could only keep staring up close and puzzled, and since Umbra wasn't exactly being particularly clear on what was wrong, he sighed and just went to the point. "Okay, just... Tell me what you saw then? I can't tell if you're okay or not, I'm just guessing here." He had no intention of doing anything else until he was sure she'd be alright.

Were such details really important in the bigger pictures, someone were after them, and Sugary wanted to hear about her odd vision. Had there been any hints or indications towards who there had put that vision in her head were she sure that she would have found them by now, but then again were Umbra from another realm and to tell the truth had she still a lot to learn about this, maybe did Sugary know something that she didn't about this matter, no matter how inconceivably that would be. "Of course am I not okay, someone unknown planted something in my head, if I were to guess would I say that you would be uncomfortable as well. But to tell what I saw, not that I think that you will get much more out of it than I did, I saw the world from up top the Aurora, feeling as light as a feather, the castle and the crystal town laying underneath no bigger than if it was a miniature. Feeling lighter and lighter began I to dance, odd feys of stardust coming down to me as I did so with small pieces of the moon that they wanted for me to taste... The moon being one giant cookie for some odd reason that I simply can't phantom!" A slight blush playing on her cheeks as she spoke, her feeling so silly to retell the odd vision since it made no sense at all.

Blink. Blink. Another blink. The unicorn watched the Lich quetly for a moment as he processed what he was being told, and then just scratched his chin nonchalantly. "... That's it...? Sounds kinda nice actually. Like a pleasant dream... I mean, unless there's some secret ominous meaning behind it, it's just a harmless dream... Was it really that bad for you though? You say you don't get dreams or nightmares, but do you even know what those are...?"

Hearing what he said was it Umbras turn to blink now, had her experience just been something so simple as a mere dream? If those were a side effect of cocoa did she almost think that she should keep her distance to the divine drink, the whole dream experience not being her cup of cocoa so to say... But then again, Sugary were right, it was harmless, and if she had to be honest with herself oddly nice as well.

"Just because I am one of the undead and don't need dreams does it not mean that I don't know what those are. Higher magical life forms such as I do not need such a proses our memories, we do quite well remembering what we experience without that, choosing between those in a selective matter instead of an ineffective biological one. But enough about that, if it was a dream as you suggest would I say that you are right and it was harmless, and without wasting time on going to sleep right away can I not gather any proof that suggests otherwise. So lets find some food, and the library as well if you don't mind, this caste is still unknown territory, so I would suggest that we went in each others presence, lets call it a continuation of yesterdays guided tour." Umbra feeling rather clever over the way she sold the idea, her hiding the fact that she still had the nagging fear of the "dream" being a mental attack and would feel much better to have Sugary around to help her out if that really were the case.

Despite how Umbra would consider things herself, Sugary sighed softly and smiled since there seemed to be no harm done. He'd be sure to get what few belongings he had brought with him, and opened the door for them. "I heard they make really nice ice cream desserts here with how far north we are. That aside, I'm really feeling a need for... Spinach ravioly. A club sandwich too... And maybe some stir-fry bell peppers..." Indeed, he was quite hungry.

Before he headed out with her though, he looked to her and the book. "Say, you gonna bring that with us? Plus, I feel we shouldn't leave the golem alone, you know?"

She had all but forgotten about the book and her golem there were sitting around it, her snapping her fingers before going over to take the book up. Poking the book did she feel that it was rather stable at the moment, and seeing how it would be troublesome to drag it and the sword through it around pulled she the sword out and did just let it fall to the floor with a clatter, her making a simple little sling for it by some lengths of leather found from within the folds of her clothes, her not wanting that thing no matter how well sealed to against all of her other magical items. "Yea would not be right to leave it here where anyone just could come by and take it with them. And the golem, its fine, when we get a bit further away from that heart and I have some time to spare will I wake that little sleepyhead up with a boost of energy. It knows its own limits, so you should really not be worried about it, its not like something dire happened, and even if that happened can I easily summon a new one after all." The tone of her voice saying that loosing her minion really wouldn't be anything else than a minor inconvenience to her, but then again, it was just a lower summoned creature after all, nothing special or irreplaceable.

Sugary frowned lightly as he looked to the golem, moving over to it and her and patting it on the head, reminiscing about similar beings he'd come across. "I'd rather he wasn't replaced like that, he's been nice to us, helpful, and hasn't pulled off my fur yet... Speaking of which, I wonder how the other one is doing..."

Aside from that, his demeanor went back to normal, and he went to open the door for Umbra again. "Well, let's not waste any more time here! I'm starving!"

"I have always thought of this one as more of a she than a he, and the other one as a he, but neither would be correct as they are things, "it"s." Came it rather coldly and factual from Umbra as they went through the hallways, her hands on her back as she looked to and fro to take the architecture in as she had nothing better to do. "And as for its sibling... well I gave it no order beside cleaning up and making ready for our return before we left, so it would still be doing that until we either return or I give it a new order, that is if it knows what there are best for it. That one have always been rather... special."

((Royal Suite))

Sugary wondered what made the furry golem so special, but at the very least Umbra assured him it had been looking after the ship on purpose, so that might mean all was well for a change.

Afterwards, the duo would be moving about the castle halls, looking for a proper place to dine. Passing by some of the ornate windows to look outside, he'd sigh in relaxation. "You know, if it wasn't for the whole shadow attack, sharing magic to stay awake, getting caught, and passing out for the night in exhaustion, this would be a swell place to be in all the time... Still, you gotta wonder how things got to be this way. Something about that book and tower seems really off... Oh, hey, I see the kitchen, or smell it anyway. Know what you want yet?" He'd look to her, with a fair bit of curiosity this time and particularly at her waist for a moment. He wondered how one who was actually part skeleton instead of having more meat could eat at all...

Hearing all those things being mentioned did she just nod, her wanting to bring up the ohh so minor detail of that infernal heart, but seeing that a guard, a maid or some third passer by went passing by as they now do did she not bring that point up. "I am just going to have what you are having, and then of course another cup of cocoa on the side of the meal. To be honest do I know next to nothing about food. The golems have taken care of it for as long as I have known, unless we where places were others had to make the food that is."

Sugary raised a brow at Umbra, thinking back to what he was craving earlier. "... I plan to eat quite a bit if I can. Let's chow down till the last spec then! That is... assuming the offer to eat what we wanted was genuine..." He'd lead her over to the kitchen, his muzzle having been quite attracted to the scent coming from it. Some would look their way to be sure for varying reasons, but he was fast to make their visit known as he brought out the given envelope. "Morning! We got a letter for a free meal here, and we plan on using it! Please show us to your best dishes!" Afterwards, he'd be dead serious when he had been wanting a small buffet of a breakfast like what he craved for earlier... And then some as fruit cocktails were added to the mix on top of a few more vegetable based dishes. If Umbra was to have what he was having and anything else she wanted, there'd be quite enough for them to share easily.

Looking at the great selection of foods there would be mouth watering for most others did Umbra just scrunch her nose at the buffet, for while the food surely seemed nice were there a clear lack of cocoa no matter where Umbra looked, her even looking away from the tightly packed table to look around at the ponies there were working as busy ants. "Sugary... While I do find it refreshing that you have found this new found way of speaking which seems most fitting for one of the status of this cities saviour does it seem rather clear that you have forgotten something very important, my cocoa!" Her throwing an arm up in the air to show how offended she were over being forgotten and overshadowed by something as mare as his breakfast!

Seeing as her one and only wish hadn't been met poked Umbra at the food, pouting as she did so without eating a single bite, as if wasting the kitchen staffs work made things better. When she tried to take a sip of the fruit cocktail, the cocoa that they had made yesterday was nice after all, did her mood thaw up, her smiling and cooing over the taste as liquid candy got sucked up the straw, Umbra downing her drink as a mare that had been stranded in the desert for months, her pace being the same when they brought her the first, second and third cup of cocoa, the staff ending up bringing pitchers instead of just cups.

Sugary, in perhaps an odd change of pace, did not chastise nor scold Umbra, instead he argued rather foalishly as he stuck his tongue out with an amused grin. "You had all hat time to ask for it, and you blame me for not knowing? Wasn't humility a Ladie's trait as well? I wonder where it went just now."

Of course, he'd soon find out just how badly she had wanted cocoa when she asked time, after time, after time for more servings of it. While he was stuffing his own face with little care, he was most impressed by how much she kept drinking before him. "Goodness, you're still thirsty!? I haven't seen anyone enjoy that much chocolate in a long time!" He'd swore that she was actually picking up the pace as he was slowly getting full instead. "You're taking this free meal thing rather well..."

After the umpteenth times ten glass had been emptied and placed down on the table to be taken away did she finally set a stop to her binging as he sat a question to the pace at which she drank. "Thirsty? No not really to be honest, but how can you expect of me not to drink and enjoy the taste when it is so well done? Why should I not enjoy my payment for a job very well done, and then choose to pay myself well when I for once get to choose the size of my payment?" Looking down at the pyramid of empty glasses she had left in her wake did she for a short moment arose a slight sliver of guilt over gluttony from the button of her heart, but then took pride in her job over and drowned that once more.

Drying the corners of her mouth, and removing a little stain from her clothe went she over to one of the maids and poked her on the shoulder to catch her attention. "I am sorry for the inconvenience," her nodding to the third mare that had been fetched in to help with the dishwashing. "I do not know if you know any of the guards, but if you could get your hands on one of the guards and get him to fetch one of the swords that I have enchanted will I see if I can't help a little bit out." Her going back to the table to keep Sugary accompany.

Sugary couldn't really fault Umbra's logic, so he just let her indulgence be for now for the most part. "Very well, but go easy on them will ya? At this rate, you might end up drinking their whole supply stash of chocolate!" He then considered if he could ever actually satisfy her sweet tooth once they got to traveling again since he knew for sure he lacked as many ingredients.

Since there was still some time left before the big meeting, it wasn't too much trouble to find a couple of guards willing to part with their enchanted weapons. Whether more would do the same was debatable as most were still under strict orders to remain to their usual posts. The swords would be placed before Umbra and Sugary with caution.

Taking the sword up as if it were nothing at all and a fitting thing for the kitchen began Umbra to wave it a bit up and down as to see how much it weighed,her seemingly satisfied as the corner of her mouth turned up in a little smile. "Dear staff, you have worked so hard with all this food, so I would wish to do something in return for all the hard work," her tone not really saying if she meant it honestly or if she were statistical, but no matter her mood did she help out.

Taking in a swallow breath blew she on the dark line that made out the body for the rune of trapping inlaid the sword, it turning to dust as she blew softly, swirling around the big kitchen, there coming more dust from that little line that one should think possible. Around the sinks and tubs of soapy water did the dust gather into small clouds, and then hands, dozen upon dozens upon dozens of pair of hands taking up the cleaning work, and completed it in a pace almost too quick for the eye to catch. It was in a way a waste of power, a show for the gallery to win over a bit of the staff and more cups of chocolate for their visit, but as the show went on stole Umbra glances of Sugary, wanting to see how he would react on what she just had done.

Sugary had been watching very closely to see how Umbra would make us of her sorcery on the weapon after what it had been used for. Just as her lips gained a little smile, so did his own as he watched the magic perform in a very generous way after the way they had been treated. If Umbra was just glancing at Sugary for a reaction, he'd be seen outright smiling brightly. Not to mention he thought rather highly of her at the moment as he spoke softly. "You used the dark energies in that weapon from a battle to wash the dishes? Umbra, that's very sweet of you. Is this how you plan to keep using those things?" He seemed quite eager to hear a yes, even if he was doubtful that was all there was to it. Either way, he more than approved of her action.

Sending smiles towards the astounded staff flicked Umbra at Sugary's ear while looking rather cross, he whispering loudly out the corner of her mouth at him "Onday'tay eakspay osay oudlay!" Her trying to act as if he hadn't said anything at all as some of the surrounding people were looking oddly on the two of them. Umbra half pulling Sugary out with her as she went for the nearest exit from the kitchen.

She waited until the door had been closed behind them, waited until they had gone down a few random corridors, waited until she found an empty room, her opening and closing random doors on their way, asking for a thousand pardons each time someone were on the other side, but at last found she a good place to talk, and ohh how did she talk! "Sugary... Seeing how the town were under siege just yesterday by vermin that could to the laypony be thought of as creatures of "dark energies", how wise do you then find it to say things like that aloud in a room full of ponies that I just moments before tried to look more positive on the two of us? You have called yourself a mercenary a multitude of times, so you of all must know the worth of vos populi, especially when we still are highly esteemed guest of this castle." The words coming in a rather harsh and demeaning voice as if he just had made one of the biggest blunders one could do, time would just tell if the staff had caught the blunder or not.

The sight of a stallion being pulled by a somewhat smaller mare through the halls of the castle was a sight to behold, mostly because he kept asking what was wrong but wouldn't get any answer until he and the mare were alone. He also kept flicking his ear from a quick and sharp pain he had because of her, which only added to the confusion.

Once he got the lecture from his partner, said stallion just returned her bemused mood with a passive gaze, as if he'd already come to a simple conclusion that he was fine to just roll with. "... Umbra... You just showed them how Dark magic can be used for good. Isn't that something worth merit to you? That others see it's not inherently evil or dangerous?"

For good? Hearing those words froze Umbras else so harsh looking face up, was that really how he saw it, had he not seen the bigger picture, the price that had been paid, the ramifications of what she had done. How could one that seemingly had seen so much of the world have such a narrow vision. "Sugary... do you full hearted and honestly think that what I just did in the kitchen could be called good? There were so many wrongs in that act of magic that I just did, unless you look at it from a point of view originating from me. I took the livelihood of all those ponies away, and if I had wished could I have made the vermin do other menial tasks as cleaning the castle and removing snow, think of how many jobs, how many families that would go without bread on the table, from one single spell alone had it been used by someone not seeing my magic as evil or dangerous."

She could have stopped there, should properly have stopped there, but she knew deep inside that she needed to show him the bigger picture of her magic to make him understand, even if that meant showing him parts of it, and with that her, that even she disliked to look in the eyes. Her eyes harsh once more as she allowed this new angle of her magic to settle in his mind. "Yes I know that it is a fundamental law of magic that I just explained to you. Each spell cast to do another's job takes that job away from them, but while ordinary unicorns uses a part of themselves to do that, needing to continually setting a part of their magic to do such tasks and do harm on those they help then remember from were I took that magic Sugary... To say it in the bluntest of ways that I can enslaved I all of those shades to do the task that I wanted them to do. A bit of forced cleaning being a humiliating, if not fair, punishment for the act of being too greedy for ones own good and trying to steal more power for one selves from trough the means of the inhabitants of other realms. If I had wished it could they have been bound to the kitchen, to this castle which burning heart would make each second feel like an eternity in a living hell, bound for aeons until their essence were no more if not they had been released from their prison by someone else before that. My magic is inherently evil Sugary, its slavery in its simplest form. And more dangerous than most other kinds of magic, because were normal spells failure can end up costing ones life will these cost you your soul! Sugary you have dappled in my way of doing this magic and know the price already, I do not enslave others being under ordinary circumstances to get the results that I want out of my spells, I tear off pieces of my own being to get to those results, bloodmagic would it be called if I had a single drop of blood in this vessel to sacrifice to get my results. Even this way there are the smaller evil are more dangerous than any school of magic should be..."

It would have been so much easier had she been gifted the gift of light from higher powers like priests and other "holy" folk were, instead of having to steal to fuel the curse of shadows, the theft from the core of her own very being being as dire as the theft from the core of others. But then since when had the thing called life been fair? Some got the side of the coin called holy for free by happen stance and was looked up to for all of their existence, and then were there others like her that had been forced to pay for the backside even before their life had begun. "Do you still think that people should walk around thinking that what I do could have a merit for them?" Umbras voice shaking as she asked the question, what there seemed to be the raw forces of anger and wrath crumbling before Sugary's eyes as tears began to fall from her eyes.

Sugary really was no stranger to Dark Magic and the evils one could do with it, and it also didn't mean Umbra was wrong, or that her feelings were misplaced, or that he needed to be lectured either. Regardless, he was lectured, and he understood, and he listened well though felt a bit hurt that his compliment had made her reveal more about herself than she perhaps realized in a negative way.

It was incredibly difficult for the usually peppy stallion to not go and hug her out of agreement about boundaries, so he instead let out a soft sigh, taking in her words, processing them, thinking in all his earnest how he truly felt about them... and extended his arms to her as an offer. If she wanted to hug him, the option was there as he began to speak with a solemn though not unkind look to his face. "... For what it's worth, I still think you did good... Should your magic always be relied upon? Probably not. But in small bursts? I don't see why not... They say you can have too much of a good thing, and you're right about other kinds of magic; About how using them and relying in them too much can backfire just as bad as any other spell. There's always a toll, big or small... But I at least hope you'll realize why I think you did good just now. You acknowledge your magic is evil, but do you feel guilty over what you did? Do you really feel guilty making use of the power of fell creatures that terrorized the town into doing simple manual labor for a brief moment? Do you honestly feel bad having spent a little of your time and blood doing something for another...?" And then he smiled a bit. "... And no, don't try to answer each one separately. I just want to know if you just think you did a bad thing, or know you did a bad thing. Cause I've yet to see you do worse like you say you could or might do with that power."

Seeing the outstretched arms did she take him up on the offer, but instead of taking a hug from him used she his sleeve to dry her eyes with, because that was of course what he had meant by the act and nothing else. "I know and think that I didn't do a bad thing. I have my powers under control after all. I do not feel guilt over what I did just then, as said were it a well earned punishment for vermin who allowed their greed to take control, neither do I feel bad over gaining the boon of the kitchen staff by the means that I did. But that does not mean that I think that what I did were good, it was just a wise thing to do when thinking on the predicament we have been caught in, nothing more, nothing less." Rime hanging from his sleeve as she gathered herself and pulled herself back, no longer talking into his clothes, her mood seemingly cooling her body lower than it had ever been before.

Even if she didn't do as he hoped, he nonetheless was content that she washed away her own tears in the meantime instead. However, he also started to feel her briefly feel colder through the fabric, and she looked as sad as she had earlier. This concerned him as his smile wavered... But that didn't last very long as he smiled brightly again. "... Umbra, whatever happens will happen. If we end up getting arrested after all we did, we'll just have to force our way out of here then, but I doubt them to be that ungrateful for our aid. But... Even if you don't think it's a good thing yet, can you at least trust me on this? I wouldn't be lying about what you did you know. I have no reason to. I still think you did a good thing, and that's all that counts for me." He wasn't giving up on her just yet; Such was his conviction to the belief that magic, Dark or otherwise, was not morally defined so easily given his own experiences.

While she just had dried her eyes could she still feel a bit of dampness clinging to the corners of them, so with a light hearted, if not a little bit forced, sigh shook she her head at him. "And I think that you are a fool then. Thinking that it was good when I just admitted myself that I only did it for my own gain, and promising to fight though a force which strength is us yet unknown..." Her shaking her head so she could clear them completely while she clicked with her tongue at him, a hand being lifted up in ear hight so she could playfully flick at it to clear the air that had grown so heavy in the room. "But you are a fool that I am travelling with, so I just have to do my best to look a bit out for you then to make sure that no harm will come out from that."

((Good? Evil? We're bones to the core.))

Success! Or close enough for Sugary at least now that Umbra wasn't condemning herself with what the stallion was adamantly certain to have been a harmless act despite her claims. If she had wanted to do worse, she could've done so to him by now of all things. He simply couldn't believe she was as bad as she probably thought she was.

And yet, a stubborn mare and a foolish stallion probably weren't the best judges of character to one another, but the tense mood had gone, so it was alright to keep going on with the day as the stallion grinned shamelessly and chuckled at her comment, glad that she cared enough to look after him in return. Afterwards, he got around to showing her more of the castle, but since he didn't really know the castle on the inside, he'd instead take her on a tour of areas with windows with a good view, trying to point out a few more spots of interest from up high. Plus, the colorful glass of some windows was pleasant to look through as they viewed the horizon, giving the sensation of an aurora being present still even if the beautiful night was over.

Alas, business was business, and the duo would eventually come to meet with the rulers of the land as agreed... once the time had come and the castle staff had their fill of a lively stallion who seemed a bit too at ease for being on probation accompanying a cursed mare with a cursed tome.