The shadows burden: the boy who Bear's all

CHAPTER I: OF MISTS AND SHADOWS, MICE AND MEN

What is power, if not one's own manifestation of self-indulgence? Could the crown be worn if it weren't for greed and ambition? Could a bird ever soar the sky, even if there were no prey in the clouds? Could a sword kill without war and conflict? What about gods - when all is said and done, when their jobs are all but finished, what is their purpose? And finally... what good is a god without a sense of entertainment?

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The realm of Estralyn beamed with glamor and glitter as its people – gods and mortals alike - overwhelmed the marble streets of the Sapphire Realm. An annual tournament, hosted on the birthday of the god of strength Oberon himself in honor of his legendary sacrifice to the realms, was upon them all - one that would test both might and skill. There would be hundreds and hundreds more participating in such an event, and it is said that the victor at the end of the road would be blessed by the gods to lead a fruitful life. However, this wasn't the part everyone was concerned about, for the glory and fame of victory in a tournament such as this meant thousands of gold pieces more than a blessing.

Over at the Darius' household, you could see their seven brothers training together with swords and shields alike. The Anesidoras had their daughters practicing the might of magic upon dummies and volunteers. And of course, the thunderous household of Brutus would feature its sole son lifting tremendous feats. Although all are much impressive, the peculiar house of Oberon displays a calmer environment - a boy named Umbra, and his sister Gara sparring with each other while their mother spectated with a proud smile on her face.

Umbra, a child no younger than a youth, was the only son of the god of strength himself, yet he possessed no spectacular feats of might and power; unfortunately for him, that was all passed down to his sister. And despite his mother being once a fierce warrior with a mastery over dark, shadowy powers in her lifetime, he possessed little battle tact and wisdom to accompany his fights - he only inherited his mother's prowess over the dark, along with his sister. He was not anyone extraordinary at first glance, but there was much to hide under a mere glance. The god of war Iradin's battle drums echoed an empowering rhythm in the distance, filling the landscape with soul and spirit.

"Hey! I thought we said we weren't going to go hard on each other!" Umbra complained, getting a nasty right hook from his sister. Yet, he was only met with a smirk - the only verbal response his sister provided was an overconfident snicker as she gestured him onward.

A growl, a grunt, and a creeping smile, Umbra waved over his hand towards his back, grabbing onto an invisible handle and manifesting a dark sword from thin air, made of shadow and mist. It split the air with a whisper of the wind as he gave it a whirl, then planted his feet on the ground to assume a stance taught by his mother long ago.

"Oh?" Gara exclaimed, "You wanna take it up a notch, huh? You think you've trained hard enough to finally beat me?"

The sheath on her hip rested neatly untouched up until now. Gara reached for the handle and drew her own sword. The divine steel that made up this sword's composition sang when its shine was revealed, and the quiver of the air before it announced its purity and edge. With one hand in front of her and her sword kept steady behind, she welcomed her brother's attack with a curious tone.

"C'mon. Whatcha got?"

The two siblings charged head forth toward each other as if with the intent to kill, yet both were equally excited as they were passionate. Their mother watched as they clashed their swords up high and down low; she watched as Umbra abused the rules of sword fighting to his advantage by swapping hands and switching between over-hand and under-hand grips, and she watched as her daughter took on the blows with a smile on her face that dictated she would not waver nor give an inch. The training grounds behind their lavish home made of stone were filled with the sounds of two siblings practicing their finest battle moves on each other.