Seven Years Ago, The Nightlands
Umbra is sleeping sound in a casket, her ideal place of sleep due to the fact it surrounds her in total darkness, where she can easily slip into unconsciousness, in that dark place, the long drift of sleep can overtake her, filling her mind in a sleep stupor, as drowsiness washes over her.
Her brief slumber is interrupted by a large banging sound, sounds of metal clashing against the room, with a pervading darkness she could feel from inside that casket’s cold embrace. Umbra looked outside briefly, seeing her father in a state of distress, collecting research documents.
Umbra was confused, she hadn’t known her father to ever show this much distress, but here he was collecting his things and planning to leave. Umbra took the lid off of her casket, looking starring her father down in the dead of night
Umbra: Dad…
Kutakahra: Oh, Umbra you should really get back to bed
Umbra: But I don’t want to sleep…
Kutakahra: You need to sleep
Umbra: I know…sleep recharges my shadow
Kutakahra: That’s right, now your father just needs to collect his things.
Umbra: But why…why do you have to leave in a hurry
Loud banging from the outside can be heard
Vaniel: OPEN THE DOOR KUTAKAHRA
Umbra: Who’s that outside
Kutakahra: You don’t need to worry about that, just get back in the casket
Umbra: Will everything be ok?
Cynthus #2: HEY ASSHOLE YOU CAN’T KEEP US OUT FOREVER
Kutakahra: Just trust me ok, I created you, I won’t let those bad men outside take you away
Umbra: You promise?
Kutakahra: Look at me Umbra, do I look like someone who’d lie to you?
Umbra: No..I trust you
Kutakhra: Good, now go back to sleep
Umbra began to crawl back in her casket to go to bed, unbeknownst to her Kutakahra has locked the casket
Kutakhra: Alright…
Kutakahra took out a small object, a small vial of void fire that would destroy all of Kutakahra’s lab and twisted experiments so he could start again
Vaniel: I’m cutting this door down
Vaniel took a step back, and moved his sword to cut down the door.
Vaniel: Kutakahra, it’s over, we finally found you
Cynthus #1: You’re going away for a long time
Kutakahra: I think not…my name, Kutakahra The Mighty will echo throughout history, but unfortunately, you will not live to see it
Kutakahra pulls out the vial of Voidfire
Cynthus #3: Put that down!!
Kutakahra: Sure
Vaniel: Wait no
Vaniel rushes to keep the vial from breaking, but it bursts and a wall of voidfire beckons out, scorching and singing the lab, Cynthus releases a barrier of flames from his box to keep him and Vaniel safe, but not everyone is safe.
Vaniel: Damn it where did he go?
A trial of smoke is seen
Cynthus #2: HE GOT AWAY GOD DAMN IT
Vaniel: Well we’ll find him eventaully
As Vaniel and Cynthus leave the burning wreckage of the lab, someone is still inside, and she’s burning alive
Umbra: HELP ME
Umbra tries to escape the casket, but the void fire burns her hands
Umbra: Dad, you’ll come back for me right…
The only noise heard is the singing fire as it scorches her line of sight and the bottom of her body, the only thing Umbra can feel right now is a burning sensation that feels like it’s eating her alive…
Umbra: NO, DAD COME BACK
Umbra bangs on the casket but no one can hear her cries…
Umbra: NO…NO….
No one can hear Umbra’s cries for help as the fire consumes the casket as she begins to ignite
Present Day, Chennai
Umbra is sitting down in a chair on the side of the road, looking back at her own street corner. Her body is covered in burn marks, but they can’t be seen deep under her skin made of shadows. Umbra simply looks around, there is no sense of familiarity or hope in this place she finds herself in. She’s been traveling the world ever since Kutakahra left her to the wolves in his lab that night.
Umbra’s goal since then has been to find Kutakahra and ask why her dad left to burn alive, to leave her as a charred corpse below his burning lab. Her only lead is a newspaper she found only hours ago which is why she is here in this city.
Umbra: (Takes out the newspaper), Father…if you really are, I need answers
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The Newspaper she has details an attack from Kutakahra and a group called The Army of K on the Century Corps Logistics Center in the city, in which seven unknown items were stolen by Kutakahra. The attack took the Century Corps by surprise, and embarrassed the defenders there.
Umbra: I need to start heading back up the road
Umbra got up out of her chair, readied her shadow projections for battle and began walking down the road
Begin Chennai Streets 1
When you’re 25% of the way to The Century Corps Logistics Center, a group of armed soldiers appear
K-Army Commander: Attention Shadow Individual, your presence has been noted by our boss, we have been instructed to take you in
Umbra: Take me in?
K-Army Commander: Our boss wishes to take you far away from this place
Umbra: Oh hell no
K-Army Commander: Pardon me?
Umbra: I’m not going an inch with you crooks
K-Army Commander: Why not?
Umbra: I'm making your boss come to me, he owes me that much
K-Army Commander: We've been ordered to make you come to us through force if we need to
The K-Army gets ready to open fire on Umbra and Umbra moves her shadow along the ground which begins to consume the shadows of the K-Army, disabling them
Umbra: Well, this was a waste of my time
Umbra swiftly moved on from the mob of K-Army soldiers to another part of the street
Resume Chennai Streets
When you're 50% of the way there, a small contingent of K-Army is blocking their shadows
Umbra: Cute countermeasures
K-Army Commander: Listen we order you to stand down, we ord-
The Commander is shut up by a green spear knocking her in the back of the head
Euke: Hey guys!!
K-Army Soldier: CENTURY CORPS DETECTED OPEN FIRE ON EVERYONE
A long of haze of bullets began to lightly pepper the battlefield, which Umbra was expertly avoiding
Euke: Hey, you guys missed
Before anything else could move, Euke pulled out a small dagger that made a slow sedating noise, putting the Army of K troops into a lull
Umbra: Century Corps?
Euke: Hey that's my guild!
Umbra: So I've heard
Euke: But more importantly, what are you doing fighting K-Army by yourself?
Umbra: They're fighting me
Euke: Elaborate
Umbra: They're trying to take me away from here but I need to talk to their boss
K-Army Commander: How about you consider our offer
Umbra: Hell no
K-Army Commander: Why not?
Umbra: You're just gonna throw me back onto the pyre
Euke: I don't know what that means but you should come with me back to the guild!!
Umbra: Really?
Euke: Yeah!
K-Army Commander: You won't get away from us that easily?
Euke: Can it mosshead
Umbra: Why is she Mosshead?
Euke: It's an insult…
"Mosshead": I quite like that name actually, you can all refer to me as "Mosshead" from now on
Euke: BWAHAHAHA, Sure thing "Mosshead"
Umbra: Alright "Mosshead" we've got to scramble
"Mosshead": Curse you people
"Mosshead" tries to attack again but is stopped by Umbra's shadow
Umbra: Let's go
Euke: Yes Ma'm
Euke joins the party
Resume Chennai Streets 1
When you are 75% of the way there
Euke: Oh I never caught your name, what is it?
Umbra: My name is Umbra.
Euke: Oh cool
Umbra: What's your name?
Euke: It's Euke!!
Umbra: Alright
The sensation for Umbra was strange, it had been years since she had cared about the name of someone else
Resume Chennai Streets 1
When you're 90% of the way there, a group of Army of K appears
Umbra: I've got this
Euke: No…we've got this
Umbra and Euke prepare to once again duke it out against the Army of K when suddenly a loud crashing noise could be heard, as it seemed like various tiny shards of space came breaking forward
Umbra: What was that?
Army of K Soldier: Ditto
Euke: You guys are so screwed now
A guild member wielding a sword swings their sword through a crowd of Army of K members, before Umbra and Euke attack in unison with them, during this assault, another sword slash cleaves through a line of Army of K while a small beam of light also bounces around the attacking forces. After the carnage was over, Euke and Umbra came face to face with the forces that had interjected to help.
Euke: Hey guys..
Fractal: Euke! Your parents could have gotten us in a lot of trouble for you just running off, you’re only 8!!
Euke: But I’ve been trained by them, by you, by The Septarian Guard, even a little by The Grandmaster himself!!
Umbra: Suited resume
Olivia: Who’s the extra?
Euke: Oh that’s Umbra, she was fighting against the Army of K before I got there, they wanted her for some reason…
Vaniel: I wonder why?
Upon hearing Vaniel talk, Umbra moved into fighting position
Umbra: It’s you…
Vaniel: I don’t follow?
Umbra: You…you…
The voice was different due to all the years, but Umbra could still remember the voice from that night, the one that broke into their home in the dead of night, and drove her father away, the voice that started the night she was set alight. More importantly, the voice that turned away at her cry for help, the one that couldn't hear her screams of torment over the flames.
Umbra: You…you…left me to die
Olivia: Vaniel what is she talking about?
Vaniel: I have no idea
Umbra: You..don’t know…you can’t tell me, you don’t know…
Vaniel: I don’t
Olivia: How are you conducting yourself solo?
Vaniel: I do what I think is justified!!
Umbra: What you did…was justified…leaving me, to burn alive, in a singing fire…
Euke: Uhm what?
Olivia: Vaniel I’ve had some great memories involving fire but that’s pretty fucked up.
Umbra: Not. Just. Any. Fire. This one…burned my soul…like marks from an otherworldly void…
Fractal: What like some kind of…voidfire?
Vaniel: No no that’s impossible, me and Cynthus checked the lab that night, there was no one else in Kutakahra’s lab
Olivia: Oh more of that guy?
Fractal: Oh my god he literally just stole The Irisites and now skeletons from his closest have emerged?
Umbra: That man…the one you say with such venom…
Euke: What about him
Vaniel: Please don’t tell me…
Umbra: That man…is my father
Vaniel: …
Olivia: Father? You look nothing alike?
Umbra: I did not emerge into this world through another like Humans or Nightlanders, my birthplace was a place of fluid and metal, and once I left, I was shadow and remained one with it for most of my life.
Vaniel: …
Fractal: Ok, so you want a reunion with dear old dad?
Umbra: I NEED to know why he left me to burn that night?
Vaniel: Listen kid, I-
Umbra: Spare me, your sympathy, for I do not want it.
Euke: Well there’s gotta be SOMETHING we can do for you now
Fractal: We’ve been unable to locate Kutakahra since the accident
???: Perhaps I can help?
Another Guild Member appears, with bright auroras following her
Kutok: Hello everyone!!
Euke: Oh my god you’re part of the crew that took down Fyvotoh!!
Kutok: Well yeah, that was a while back though…
Olivia: The Great Wayfinder appears when we need to find a way, how convenient for us
Kutok: I was sent here as the first wave of reinforcements for the Logistics center
Vaniel: First wave…
Kutok: Yeah, me and…where are they dammit
Fractal: Probably back at the actual logistics center
Euke: Oh yeah it’s still a bit away
Umbra: Well, let’s get going, I would like to get this kicked off
Fractal, Olivia, Vaniel and Kutok join the party
Resume Chennai Streets I
When you’re at the logistics center, there are a few Century Corps Members by the building
Olivia: Hey
Ba-Bayost: Hello, how was your brief search party?
Umbra: I’m here
Euke: Hey everyone, this is Umbra, she needs to be let in too
Kutok: Oh and where is Qiinu?
Eclox: In the building?
Crease: More reinforcements should be coming in the next hours, including your parents Euke
Euke: Oh boy my parents worried I can’t fight on my own
Umbra: Well I’ll be sure to let them know you can fight on your own
Euke: Thanks Umbra
Fractal: Do not encourage him
Ojun: Should we open the door now?
Olivia: That would be much obliged
The Century Corps open the door for The Party and they go to find Qiinu and enter The Nightlands
