Arcanum Sombran

Careful introspection is key to magical theory. Any good mage will tell you this: you cannot understand your spellcasting unless you understand yourself.

Umber is not good at it. But he tries.

And even Umber can tell that the spells are getting easier as he gets frustrated. It almost draws him in, as if the spell teases him before stepping out of the way to reveal the results.

He quickly learns that levitation does not exist within Sombran magic, not as most ponies know it. He can apply force, certainly, but when he surrounds an object with Sombran magic, it usually does not last long. He thanks his lucky stars that the artificer mare wasn't around when he disintegrated a whole stack of papers, lest she take out a restraining order for the sake of her thaumometers.

It takes two whole days for him to learn how to hold an object this way. It's quite impractical to begin with, and his instruments record an absurd amount of waste energy as he casts. He notes this down, methodical, neat and tidy in the little pleather notebook that he keeps in his saddlebags at all times. It's the only way he remembers to track these sorts of things.

"How's it coming along?" the artificer mare asks.

"Terribly. Why did you sit here?"

"You looked lonely." She slides her tray next to his, and scoots a little closer.

"That is intentional. According to The Book, this sort of magic works best when one is alone." He had taken to not naming the book out loud, as it had obvious ties to one of the worst villains in Equestrian history. "On top of that, I rather like being alone."

"I'm sure you just haven't met someone you get along with," she says with a neat little smile, as she digs into her lettuce wrap.

"Exactly. I have never met someone I have gotten along with, and the chance of you being the first--"

"Slim to none, I know. But you have nothing to lose and everything to gain. My name's Copper Sunrise."

It is not long before Umber realizes that Sombran magic is not suited to nuance or care. According to the Arcanum Sombran, the purpose of magic is power, and therefore the only consideration is power. As such, concepts like "pacing yourself" and "not destroying your office" mean nothing.

It doesn't help that many of the spells contained within the tome are various forms of coercion, torture, and mind control. Obviously, Umber cannot practice these on his new 'friend', nor will he perform them on himself, so for now he is limited to basic experimentation. He has to learn the very basics of magic, all over again.

It frustrates him to no end, but he is nothing if not persistent. And besides, with each failure, he can feel the power creeping closer. Umber is no fool, even if he is not particularly self-aware. Between records of Sombra's temperament, Twilight's notes on her own brief experience with Sombran magic, and his own experiments, Umber can be absolutely certain: rage fuels Sombran magic just as friendship fuels normal magic.