Umbra awoke with an agonizing groan, his body still yet recovering. Crickets, and the sound of a gentle campfire could be heard as his vision slowly adjusted to the light of the fire. The sky was decorated with tall trees and stars with an air of a soft breeze on his skin; finally, a change of pace from being chased into the woods with deadly intent to… whatever this was. He found his wounds tended to with blood-soaked cloth wrapped around them. He managed to get up with a grunt before seeing a figure made of black, misty shadow sitting before him with his back facing him.
His first instinct was to draw his sword and attack, having had enough of dark figures for tonight, but his sword simply passed through the figure, and the figure was just as unfazed as he was before. Seeing as how he was no threat, at least for now, Umbra took a step back but remained cautious. Questions were filling his mind, and he prayed that whoever this person was had answers.
"Wh-Where am I?! How long was I out for? Who are you, and what have you done to me?!" Umbra insisted, gripping his sword as a precaution.
"Settle down, master Umbra," the figure spoke, his voice and tone refined and well-practiced, "I mean you no harm."
"...what do you mean 'master'? I have no servants- who are you?!" Umbra demanded.
"My name is Arthur," he replied, standing up to reveal himself to Umbra. His face was made of dark mist; it was clear he was not of this world, nor was he a regular mortal. Black drapes and garbs were adorned on him, equipped with steel-padded leather armor despite being him being intangible. He continued, "You summoned me from the dead just before you lost consciousness. I know you have many questions, but I'm afraid we do not have the night to answer them all,"
"...from the dead? What do you mean? But that can't be p-.." Umbra muttered, confused.
"From the dead," Arthur reassured, "I am among the first who've fallen in battle, and now that you've summoned me, our souls are bonded, linked together. I… do not exactly know how it all works, but I know that you must harness your powers. There's far more to them than you can imagine."
"...but I don't even know how I did that."
"You called for assistance, didn't you? You may have not outright said it, but you called for help and summoned it yourself. A manifestation of your mind extended outwards, so strong that it snatched me of all people from the realm of the underworld to your aid."
"The underworld? Wouldn't… wouldn't Morus notice?"
"There's far too many down there to notice one soul missing, master Umbra. But listen, I don't know how long I'm here for, or what the night may bring - but listen to me carefully." Arthur took a step toward Umbra, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Do not trust the gods. Not even a word that comes out of their mouths, do you understand? They are not what they seem. And these books? Hold them close. Don't let anyone know that you have them. Not even your own family."
"I don't understand… I can't even read this language." Umbra replied, holding one of the two books he snatched in his hands, opening it, and flicking through the pages filled with various diagrams and writing.
"Yes, you can."
"What?"
"Our souls are linked. Draw it from me."
Umbra furrowed his brows in confusion and then nodded slowly, closing his eyes to allow himself a chance to focus. He heeded Arthur's words, focusing his concentration on the link between his and Arthur's souls. He could see it - a direct line of energy connecting the two of them, and slowly, he could feel himself drawing power from Arthur himself. Memories and flashes of knowledge played in his mind like a film, showcasing the entire life of Arthur from his earliest memory to his fall during battle. He witnessed how Arthur was raised, and how he was married to a loving family. He watched as the world took away all that belonged to Arthur piece by piece, driving him into a frenzy. He watched as Arthur grew in power exponentially and fought against the gods, only to fall in battle. He observed how Iradin, the god of war, lost his fight against Arthur himself, and how Oberon - his own father and the god of strength - lost his eye at the hands of Arthur.
And finally, he witnessed how Deianira tore Arthur apart piece by piece and cracked the earth below him to send him down to the depths of hell.
Umbra took a step back, shocked and fascinated by all this knowledge that came rushing through his mind. "What the… was that…? I just watched your whole life flash before my eyes…"
"You saw what happened?" Arthur asked, looking into the campfire.
"...yes."
A pause ensued before Arthur spoke up again, "Read the books, master Umbra. You must. And whatever you do… do not trust the gods. Do you understand?"
"Not even… not even my father?"
Arthur let the silence answer that question.
Amidst these dark revelations and surrounded by the calm dead of the night, Umbra sat down on a log beside the campfire, unsure of what to do next, and still processing all this information that he'd just received. It was far too much for him to handle. His heart was racing, and his palms were sweating. His mind was in chaos and distress. He needed time to put everything back into order, and time to recover and heal. He sat quietly, crossing his legs to meditate and reflect.
The night orlled by quietly.