《Undead Artistry》


 Prologue: One Chapter Ends, a New One Begins

    Near a good sized farmhouse, just off from the barn, a small boy can be seen running through some wheat, towards his home. This boy is young, maybe 12,13 years old, and surprisingly thin and wiry. With solid black hair and pale skin despite the sun, he would almost look aristocratic if not for the wide grin on his face.


    As he nears his family home, he catches sight of a middle aged woman, hanging out laundry to dry. He slows down and heads toward her, hugging her at the waist as a surprise. ¡°Hi mom!¡± She starts slightly, before giggling and turning to her son, kneeling down to give him a proper hug. ¡°Oh! Dear, what have I said about surprise hugs? You¡¯ll give me a heart attack one of these days.¡±


    He laughs sheepishly and ducks his head a little, obviously used to being admonished about this. ¡°Sorry mom. Do you know when dad¡¯s coming back?¡± She shakes her head and sighs at her sons antics, standing up and getting back to hanging up clothes as she speaks. ¡°He¡¯ll be back from the town any minute now, don¡¯t worry Eredith. I know you¡¯re excited to get those new paints, but until he gets back help your mother, would you?¡±


    Being a good kid, he helps without complaint, hanging up the smaller items on the side of the clothes hanging line he can reach while his mother deals with the larger items. After helping out with a few more chores, it¡¯s only as they¡¯re in the middle of preparing some vegetables that they hear the rhythmic thuds of clawed paws on earth. Perking up, Eredith runs out of the house as his mother watches on, rolling her eyes at his enthusiasm.


    Outside, the boy runs towards a man riding what looks like a large, 6-legged lizard, pulling a small cart behind it as it goes. He runs right up to the lizard and hugs its head, giggling when the creatures massive forked tongue flicks out to smell him, before turning his attention to the man on its back. ¡°Dad, dad! Did you get ¡®em, did¡¯ya?¡±


    ¡°Haha! Yes you rascal, I got your paints for you.¡± His father laughs at his enthusiasm, reaching back to pull out what might as well be a large wooden suitcase. From the gaps in the design and the sound of it moving around, it¡¯s clear that it is filled with glass vials filled with various colors and kinds of paint. ¡°Now don¡¯t go bothering em¡¯ just because you got these, put them in your room until night. I don¡¯t want you bothering them just so you can paint all over them if they¡¯re working.¡±


    Eredith groans at the admonition, his father chuckling again under his breath at the scene he was making. ¡°Oh get over it, son, you¡¯ll be exercising your artistic whiles soon enough. Now help your mother load everything in the house while I get Stripes put away in the barn.¡± He leaps down from the lizard beast, unhooking it from the cart. He starts leading the creature to the barn, ruffling his sons hair as he passes and getting a grumpy pout in return.


    The day goes on as you would expect, Eredith and his parents doing chores around the farm. Personally, Eredith prefered the chores related to the animals they kept, but he helped with other things to. Before long they were all sat down around the dinner table, eating a home cooked meal and listening as Eredith¡¯s father ranted about the things going on in town. ¡°I can¡¯t believe the nerve of James, looking me straight in the eye and saying ¡®sorry, I can¡¯t go lower than 20 gil.¡¯ As if I¡¯d believe that! I¡¯ve seen him go as low as 5 gil for that sweetheart of his, trying to win her over with cheaply priced bread, but even regular bread should only be, what, 12 gil? It¡¯s ridiculous! I tell ya, it¡¯s because I refused to pity him and give him those extra jade-swallow fruits last week.¡±


    Although his mother listens on as he speaks, giggling at her miser of a husband, it¡¯s clear to both of them that Eredith isn¡¯t paying as much attention as he otherwise would. Eventually, once the plates are cleared and their son is practically vibrating in his seat, his mother relents. ¡°Alright dear, you can go and paint. But don¡¯t stay up-¡± Before she can finish, he¡¯s already up and out of his seat, going upstairs to grab his new paints before rushing outside. ¡°-too late!¡± She sighs before leaning against her husband, wrapping her arm around his waist and giving him a squeeze. ¡°He¡¯s going to go far, isn¡¯t he?¡± ¡°Yeah, yeah he is.¡±


    His new paint set thumping heavily against his leg as he runs, the dark does little to stop him as he heads to the barn. More specifically, to a small extension of the barn, about the size of a single room. He sees a bit of movement just as he turns the corner, seeing the door to the room close. He grins and dashes over, throwing the door open and peering in to what some would consider a gruesome sight.


    Skeletons. Five undead creatures, standing still and facing the wall, not moving an inch and staring into the distance with their blank, dull white-fire eyes. Arm, hand, feet and leg bones covered in small bits of dirt and mud, these skeletons are used on the farm as manual labor. They¡¯d been in the family since his grandparents had still been alive, his grandmother had bought them after her own father died and left her a sizeable inheritance, so he¡¯d known these five since he was a kid.


    ¡°Hey everyone! I¡¯ve got a surprise for you all. I got some new paints so I can reapply all of your colors!¡± Although they did not respond, it was clear to see what Eredith was talking about. Each skeleton had different colors and patterns on them, obviously worn down and scuffed away in areas thanks to the work they did.


    Eredith walks in front of one of the skeletons, putting down his painting case to look them over to see what he needed to fix up. This one was Martha, he could tell it was a she despite her broad skeletal structure because of the shape of her pelvis, as well as the fact that she has a rounder, soft feeling to her bones. She has a brown base of paint, on top of which there are jagged lines of a light blue, branching off like lightning all across her body. She¡¯s always the most difficult for him to touch up the paint on, since the lightning always chips away and it takes a while to paint them back on the way they were.


    After that, there¡¯s Ramsey, the shortest skeleton of the group. Even though he draws little food dishes and cooking tools all over his bones, he¡¯s actually easier to deal with than Martha since he doesn¡¯t care much what drawing go where, he¡¯s just happy to have them. Martha is a lot more picky with how exactly the lightning on her is painted.


    Next is Ironjaw the largest and broadest skeleton, who got his name thanks to getting the front part of his jaw snapped off by an errant scanillion bucking around and kicking in a panic. He got his jaw bolted back together with some iron plates, and Eredith¡¯s parents even got some fake iron teeth to put in place of the ones lost during the accident to complete the look. He likes to have his bones painted like they¡¯re made of metal just to play it up, since it¡¯s kind of his thing.


    Fourth is Shade, who is a very dramatic skeleton, at least in Eredith¡¯s eyes. He demands that his bones be painted like the blackest night, and his teeth and distal phalanx be painted crimson red, so that he can blend in with the shadows and scare away his foes. Personally Eredith thinks he just likes how warm his bones get in the sun with all that black paint on, but that¡¯s just his opinion.


    Finally, there¡¯s Steve. Steve is a very simple skeleton, doesn¡¯t ask for much, and painting him is probably the easiest time of the bunch, if uninspired. All he ever wants is a coat of white paint with a clear coat on top, so he can be nice and bright white with a smooth, shiny finish. Not much goes on with him, but he¡¯s a great listener.


    After nearly two hours of cleaning the dirt off them with a wet sponge and re-painting them where they needed some touch-ups, Eredith bids them all a goodnight and heads back to his home. Maybe it was weird to want to hang out with and paint on skeletons, but Eredith thinks of them as close friends, even if they can¡¯t speak or emote, or even really move without him asking them to.


    After a hug and a kiss goodnight from his parents, he goes to bed, excited to get to painting again tomorrow. Maybe he could combine it with his blooming wood carving skills? Maybe he could make some little painted charms for his parents, or decorations for the skeleton crew¡­


    He awakes in the middle of the night to a loud crash of breaking wood. He sits up in his bed, startled, and listens for any other sounds. Slowly, he can hear more bangs and crashes, coming both from the barn and from the first floor of his house. Hearing his door slowly start to open, he nearly screams, but seeing his dad at his door calms him down. Leaping out of bed and running up to him, thankful of the fact that he never makes a sound when moving around, he hugs his father by the waist, nearly in tears.


    ¡°D-dad? What¡¯s happening?¡± His father quickly shushes him before speaking himself, barely breathing enough to get the words out. ¡°Some people are on the farm and in the house. Mom¡¯s already hiding at the window, come on, we need to get out of here.¡± His dad took him by the hand, leading him to the other side of the second floor hallway as quickly and quietly as he can, where Eredith could see his mother anxiously pacing in front of the window.


    ¡°Oh thank the gods you¡¯re alright dear! How do we do this, honey?¡± ¡°You go out first, I¡¯ll pass Eredith down after you so you can catch him. Then I¡¯ll jump down-¡± Before his father can finish his explanation, heavy thuds can be heard from the stairs, as well as a chilling, greasy laughter. ¡°HA! You think yer getting away. Ain¡¯t gonna happen, Sentorian scum!¡±


    Walking up the stairs is a grimy trio, looking more like bandits than anything else. Despite that, they very clearly have the symbols of the Enteran militia on their chests. His father seems to take on a different aura as they show themselves, taking a firm stance with his fists in front of him, body angled to the side. ¡°Alison, get Eredith out the window, now. I¡¯ll stall them.¡± Despite wanting to argue, his mother gives a grave nod and turns to her son, stepping between him and the ensuing fight to keep his attention on her.


    ¡°Dear, I need you to jump out the window, ok? It¡¯s not too far, but try to land on your side, then run as far as you can, to the village if you can.¡± Before he can put up any protest, she grabs him by the shoulders, looking him in the eyes with her Serious Stare to show she isn¡¯t taking no for an answer. ¡°Do you understand me?¡± Despite the tears welling up in his eyes once more, he nods his head resolutely. She gives him a smile, kissing him on the forehead and giving him one last hug. ¡°Good boy. We love you, alright? Don¡¯t let anyone else say otherwise.¡±


    As he climbs out the window, he can hear the ensuing fight. Just before he jumps out though, he takes one last look behind him. He can see his father, a golden-steel light flowing around his arms up to the elbows, hands covered in blood with several scratches along his face and chest. At his feet lay two of the bandit-militia, gaping holes in their torsos, with several more coming up the stairs as his mother pulls out some of her own hair. The strands of hair start to dissolve, energy flowing from the disintegrating hair and into the rug underneath them, causing the threads of the rug to come to life and entangle around the invaders.If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.


    With that last glimpse of his parents, he falls to the dirt below. Although he tried to follow his mothers instructions and land on his side, his leg ended up getting caught underneath him. Although he didn¡¯t break anything, he heard a distinct ¡®pop¡¯ sound from his foot, and now it hurts to move it, so he already knows he isn¡¯t going to be able to run away.


    Taking in his surroundings, he sees that most of the odd bandit-guards, nearly two dozen of them, are going into the house from the ground floor. The fields and trees around the farm are either burning, rotting away, or covered in a sickly green fluid that he can smell even from where he is. Deciding in his fear-struck mind that hiding somewhere he knows is safe, he slowly limps towards the extension of the barn, unaware that dragging his injured foot across the dirt was creating the perfect trail right to him.


    After closing the door to the skeleton closet, the adrenalin starts to fade away, allowing Eredith to really take in the situation at hand. With so much going on, and no idea whether his parents are safe, he starts to hyperventilate, only broken up by teary sobs from the pain in his foot. He crawls into a corner, next to Shade, hoping that all of this will be over soon.


    After a few minutes, the sounds of fighting die down on the farm, and for a moment Eredith feels hope that his parents beat the bad guys and would come to get him. Unfortunately, when someone opened the door to the room, it was another of the bandits-and they surely were bandits, not militia, not with what they had been doing, right?-followed by two more, and a much more well-dressed and armored man.


    With the moonlight coming in from the door, they were able to spot him easily, the bandits giving evil grins while the well-armored man simply staring dispassionately at the scene. The bandits fan out, knocking the skeletons over like puppets without string, the undead simply getting back up and standing still once more. With their non-aggression orders, they wouldn¡¯t be of any help. One of the men grabbed Eredith roughly by the front of his shirt, picking him up and glaring at him like he¡¯d crapped on his food.


    ¡°You¡¯re real sneaky, eh? Think you¡¯re smart?! Your damn parents cost me most of my men, then you got us looking around for you too?!¡± The vagrant seemed to be building himself up, getting more and more angry, which only served to scare Eredith even more, before the well-armored man spoke up with a lazy roll of his eyes. ¡°Oh stop it, just kill the boy so we can leave and help the others.¡±


    The bandit scoffed before roughly tossing Eredith to the ground, inflaming the pain in his ankle and making him cry out in pain. This only made the man laugh as he drew his sword, readying himself to end the child¡¯s life. ¡°Say hi to your parents on the other side, brat!¡± Eredith closes his eyes, desperately hoping for someone to save him, a bubbling feeling of fear, dread, anger, and something...else making him cry out just before his imminent demise.


    ¡°HEEELP!¡±


    The sword stabs down-


    Thunk-crack!


    And is blocked by a set of black painted radius and ulna, the sword digging into and getting stuck in the space between the two bones. The bandit, along with the others in the room, gasp at the move, quickly intimidated at what caused the maneuver. Standing in a much more active stance then any worker skeleton should have, jaw chattering angrily and eye-fire turning into a blazing, angry crimson red.


    Unknown to Eredith, when he screamed for help, a wave of something bled out of him, quickly suffusing into the skeletons around him and giving them new purpose and, oddly enough, new powers. Although Shade was the first, each of the skeletons quickly seemed to become more animated, glaring at the intruders around them and moving to attack.


    As Eredith opened his eyes once more, He saw the incredible sight if his skeletal friends fighting the people who were determined to kill him. Shade twisted his arm, breaking the bandits grip on his sword, and grabbing the handle for himself. Instead of trying to yank it out and potentially damaging his arm even more, his arm bones instead gained a foggy look, as if they were made from actual shadow, and the sword came free as easily as moving through air. While the bandit was still gawking at the sight, Shade cut him down with a single swing.


    Steve and Ramsey went after the well-armored man, distracting him while Martha and Ironjaw took on the last two bandits in the room. Martha simply glared at the bandit in front of her, before stomping a foot covered in sparking lightning down on the floor. The current traveled to the vagabond, but instead of electrocuting him, it burst out of the ground in the form of jagged glassy spikes of fulgurite, piercing through his feet and sending him howling to the floor. IT only took one more stomp to send another set of spikes through the downed man¡¯s chest.


    Ironjaw simply charged forwards at his bandit, the daggers thrown at him doing nothing at all to his metallic bones, ricocheting off with several tings. Rather than do anything fancy, he simply shoulder tackles the bandit, continuing on through the wall of the room with nothing but a new meat shield in front of him. Even from here, Eredith could hear how Ironjaw continued to fight several more bandits outside.


    Unfortunately, the well armored man was made of stronger stuff then the bandits, and with a warhammer instead of a sword or daggers, he was much better suited to fighting the skeletons. Eredith choked back a wail as Ramsey and Steve were broken apart, several bones pulverising into dust with each blow, until the fire left their eyes and what was left of their bodies simply stopped supporting themselves. Although Martha put up more of a fight, she only managed to get off one more fulgurite spike before the lightning surrounding her pettered away, leaving the man unharmed and with an easy target.


    With three of his best friends blown to dust in front of him, he could only whimper as the man set an angry gaze on him, running at him to try and end Eredith quickly. The quiet whistling sound of a swinging sword stopped him, bringing up his warhammer to deflect the blow from Shade, who quickly disappeared back into the shadowy corners of the room. A standoff started between an unstoppable force and an immovable object. The man had too much armor to be easily killed by a stealth kill, and Shade was to fast to be brought down by his blunt weapon.


    Soon enough however, the man noticed a pattern. Any time he took a step closer to Eredith, the shadowy skeleton would attack more, giving him more openings to strike. He slowly made his way towards the child, weathering the attacks from the skeleton with relative ease, before fainting a blow at the child. When the skeleton appeared to defend the child, the man smirked, thinking the battle was over, but he forgot about on important thing.


    Ironjaw was still outside.


    With a thundering clang and the sound of meat and organs being pulped, Ironjaw brought a metallic bony fist down on the top of the man¡¯s head. His head actually seemed to sink into his torso from the force, a spray of blood and gore erupting around the iron skeleton¡¯s hand. After another heart-stopping moment, the dead man falls to his knees, and then to his side, the invasion over.


    Heart racing, ankle aching, and grieving for the loss of so many loved ones, Eredith cries himself to sleep the night, hoping when he wakes up that this will all be a nightmare. As he sleeps, Ironjaw and Shade look to each other, a silent conversation seemingly passing between flames, before they both take a guarding stance on the left and right of their young master.


    Come morning, Eredith blearily woke up to the sound of many approaching footsteps, along with the sound of several different species of mounts. As he remembers the night before, and the ache in his foot returns, he panics, starting to hyperventilate once again. Unknown to him, Ironjaw and Shade take more tense positions next to him, ready to fight once more.


    The first people they see are an older man in a grey robe, along with another well-armored soldier. This time though, they both have vestments that show them to be apart of the Sentorian Empire, which immediately helps him not to freak out. At the sight of the dead bandits and the oddly behaving skeletons, the soldier and the older man have quite different reactions.


    The soldiers face grows grim, leaning back out of the doorframe to shout at others on the farm. ¡°Hey we¡¯ve got a live kid in here, get a healer here stat!¡± He takes another look around the skeleton closet before turning to the older gentleman, who looked oddly entranced by Shade and Ironjaw. ¡°Sir, it¡¯s all clear here, I¡¯m going to check out the barn interior with the others.¡±


    The grey-robed man waves off his words in a daze, slowly walking towards Eredith and his skeletons. ¡°Yes, yes, secure the perimeter and all that...¡± As he gets closer, Shade steps in front of his master, sword in hand, while Ironjaw steps forward, braced in an almost sumo-like position to try and grapple the man to the ground as he gets closer. Instead of being intimidated by the motions, he seems to brighten up, smiling at the display.


    ¡°Marvelous, simply marvelous!¡± He steps to the side and tilts his head a little to get a look at Eredith, giving him a comforting smile. ¡°Did you do this to these skeletons? When I felt myself lose my connection to them, and considering all the attacks, I thought they¡¯d simply been destroyed.¡±


    Still looking at the man with a little fear and a lot of confusion, his skeletal friends seemed to feel that the man isn¡¯t much of a threat, standing down and returning to his side. He looks at them with even more confusion and not a small amount of awe, on just now recognizing that they are acting on their own without orders. It was like a dream come true! Well, except for the fact that it happened in the middle of a nightmare come true.


    ¡°Um...maybe? I don¡¯t know, a lot of stuff happened last night...¡± Before he can get too caught up in the remembrance of what happened the night before, someone else comes into view, a younger woman in a butter yellow set of pants and a shirt. She seems a bit haggard and pale-faced, but at the sight of Eredith she seems to both sag with a sigh of relief and stand up stronger at the same time. She approaches him, barely even acknowledging the undead next to him, and kneels down to start looking him over.


    ¡°Oh, thank the gods we found you! Are you hurt anywhere? Anything in pain?¡± It takes a minute of prompting from her, but eventually she gets him out of his own head. With an idea of what needs fixing, she pulls out a small pouch of powdered healing herbs, focusing on his ankle and placing a gentle hand on it as the herbs start to dissolve. Before he knows it he¡¯s good as new, thanks to her, and he¡¯s walking out of the skeleton closet with the two adults.


    Following only a step behind him are Ironjaw and Shade, though Shade seems to glare at the morning sun like it personally offended him. It definitely puts the Sentorian militiamen on edge as they haul bodies onto a set of carts and gather reports on the damages to the area. Eventually they stand in front of Eredith¡¯s front door, with the two leading him hesitating before turning to him. The yellow-dressed woman kneels in front of him, looking at him with soft eyes.


    ¡°Hey, kid, this is...tough to say, but do you know what happened to your parents?¡± Eredith looks at the ground, tears already in his eyes, but blinks them back and takes a deep breath before answering. ¡°...They died, didn¡¯t they?¡± The woman simply nods solemnly, the gray-robed man looking quite grim in the doorway as they speak. ¡°Yeah, they did. Do you want to see them, before we leave?¡± With a stiff nod, they enter the house, walking through the first floor and up the stairs feels like it takes an eternity and only moments at the same time for Eredith.


    The stairs had been cleared of the bandits, though the bloodstains and ruined rug were still visible. When he finally sees his parents, Eredith gasps, slowly walking up to them. His dad had slumped over his mom, several swords pierced through his back, trying to protect her in his last moments. It likely didn¡¯t help much, since he could see her blank eyes staring up at him, a gash across her throat showing how she died.


    It takes a few moments, a few heart-rending moments, but eventually the child collapses to his knees in front of his mother and father, sobbing like he¡¯s never sobbed before. The grey-robed man looks like death warmed over while watching the scene, and the yellow clothed woman lets out a few silent tears of her own. ¡°Gods damn you, Astenia...¡±


    It isn¡¯t until noon that the farm is cleaned up as well as it can be considering the mess. The corpses of the bandits have already been sent ahead, and now it¡¯s just Eredith in a carriage with the older gray robed man. He¡¯d introduced himself as Gerald, a necromancer in charge of monitoring some of the areas around the capital of Sentoria, All-Heart. He was going to take Eredith there to go to an academy thanks to his Powers. They had accommodations for orphans, which would help immensely, even though thinking about it like that...hurt. He¡¯d get to keep Ironjaw and Shade though, so that was good.


    Just the start of a new chapter in his life, he guessed.

 Chapter 1: Hogwarts Who?

    It takes about a week of riding in the carriage to get to the Capital, and in the time between Eredith learns several things. The first is that the ambush that ruined his life was not isolated to his family farm, the town nearby and many others near the Astenia-Sentorian border were attacked in unison. From what Gerald can guess, it¡¯s likely to be a pre-emptive call to war, since the relations between the two countries have always been bad, but have been getting worse in recent years.


    Speaking of Gerald, Eredith had learned a lot more about him during the trip. He is the Arch Necromancer in the south-western area of All-Heart, which he explained as being like a leader for other necromancers to get orders from. He actually wouldn¡¯t have come to the farm if it weren¡¯t for the fact that his connection to the skeletons held there had been cut off. When Eredith asked how he could have made the skeletons when his grandma had bought them when she was young, he just smiled mysteriously and changed the subject.


    Since he¡¯d brought up these ¡®connections¡¯ before, Eredith asked the gray robed man what exactly he meant by that. Although he seemed confused by the question at first, he seemed to come to an answer on his own. ¡°Ahh, you can¡¯t feel any connections, that¡¯s right. Well, usually when a necromancer creates an undead, a connection forms between them, similar to the connection a summoner feels with their summons. Since you did something to these two skeletons with a Power, they work with that Power instead of regular magic.¡±


    ¡°A Power? But, the only Power I¡¯ve ever had was Silent Movement.¡± Eredith himself was shocked at the revelation, though it did help explain how exactly Ironjaw and Shade could start doing things on their own. ¡°Did your parents ever take you to an actual Power appraiser?¡± At Eredith¡¯s shake of his head, Gerald nods knowingly. ¡°There you go. Without being appraised, it¡¯s uncommon to be able to figure out if you have the stranger Powers, like those with very specific activation requirements. Since you were able to give these skeletons what appears to be their own Powers, that means that you have a Unique-Class Power.¡±


    ¡°Wait, what?! Aren¡¯t those like super rare?¡± Eredith looks left and right, Shade and Ironjaw sitting silently like statues. Feeling his master¡¯s gaze, Shade looks down at the boy, clattering his teeth slightly as if to dissuade the idea that he was still a mere skeleton. ¡°How do you know that they didn¡¯t just use magic?¡± The elder man simply smiles a little at the refreshing naivete, looking out the carriage window at the sprawling fields spread around them. ¡°Do you know what seperates a Power from magic, young man?¡± At the shake of Eredith¡¯s head, he chuckles. ¡°Well I guess I can help you understand, not like you wouldn¡¯t be learning this soon anyways.¡±


    Taking a smoking pipe out from a hidden pocket in his robe, Gerald takes what looks to be a small piece of flint out of his pocket and holds it up for the boy to inspect. ¡°Magic, as I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve seen, requires a material sacrifice to use. But more than that, you need to visualize the spell¡¯s form in your mind. This is an oftentimes difficult process to figure out, which is why you don¡¯t see toddlers flinging fireballs around.¡±


    Laughing a little at his own joke, the scraps of flint glow for a moment before seeming to dissolve into light, sinking into the man¡¯s palm. Making a finger gun pointing at the purple leaves inside of the smoke pipe, a concentrated spray of sparks and embers comes out from his finger, lighting the leaves. Gerald takes a moment to inhale the smoke, breathing out a bioluminescent blue cloud before continuing. ¡°Powers however, do not require any form of sacrifice, other than the direct effort of using it. Even stranger, Powers will work regardless of what influence you are currently inside of. Although quite a debated topic, the current theory is that Powers come from the world itself, rather than any particular god or goddess.¡±


    As he speaks, the blue cloud starts swirling around in the small space of the carriage, turning into small figures of different people and animals, flying around in circles for several moments before being pushed out of the windows. ¡°As an example, that was one of my own Powers, giving me fine control over smoke and dust. Your skeleton friends both used no magic in their attacks, they simply knew how to use them.¡±


    Although suitably impressed by the display of magic and Power usage, Eredith soon returns to his introspection, thinking over this new knowledge about himself. ¡°...So if I have a Unique Power, what does that mean for me? What do I do now?¡± Gerald, who had continued making figures with the smoke as Eredith thought things over, tamps out the pipe and puts it back in his pocket, instead pulling out a small booklet. The crest was unfamiliar to Eredith, but he had learned his letters and words better than most his age, so he could see what the title was. ¡®Haldreads Academy of Magic, U.P.A.E. Wing Guidebook.¡¯


    ¡°A good question, young man.Your parents were accomplished adventurers in their younger years, and actually helped the Sentorian government out on several important occasions. One of their decided rewards was to guarantee you a spot in the General Wing of Haldreads Academy of Magic. The revelation that you have a Unique Power only expedited that process and changed the Wing that you would be staying in.¡± He hands the booklet to Eredith, explaining further as the boy starts to read through the pages.


    ¡°Haldreads Academy was originally a joint project between the Sentorian government, the Priesthood of Hasturn, and the disparate arch-mages of the country to make a centralized system of research and learning.¡± As he turns the pages, Eredith can see many pictures of the school grounds themselves, as well as some of the staff. Noticeably, the Headmaster seems to be a skeleton of some kind, though the fact that in the drawing it is giving one of the other head staff bunny ears it doesn¡¯t seem to be any old skeleton. ¡°The one who spearheaded the project was the Arch-Lich Haldread, hence the name of the Academy. Under his leadership the school has produced many top mages for over a century.¡±


    Leaving the introductory pages of the book, Eredith turns to the section relating to the UPAE Wing. ¡°At first the Academy was simply to train more people as mages in various fields of magic, and it still does so today, but its functions have been expanded since its founding. Now, along with the regular Wings of the school, there is the Unique Powers and Anomalous Entities research and training Wing, or just UPAE Wing for short. That is where you will be living and learning, when you aren¡¯t in the other Wings of course.¡±


    Skimming through the booklet, Eredith catches one important note. There are apparently a lot of other kids of various ages like him already living in the UPAE Wing, among others. ¡°Gerald, why are there so many kids who live in the on-campus dorms for this wing?¡± The old man seems to sag a little at the question, but still answers despite his hesitancy. ¡°Well...not many people know this, but there is an unsettling trend of those with Unique Powers having traumatic experiences in their lives, such as, well, becoming an orphan like yourself. It is still not known if this is because traumatic experiences cause Unique Powers, or if it is simply some kind of Karmic payment for those who receive such gifts, but either way there tends to be many who simply have no one else willing or able to care for them.¡±


    The mood takes a downturn for a while at the mention of his new status as an orphan, Eredith retreating into his shell once more. It isn¡¯t until the carriage and their escort stop for the night that he speaks up once more. Ignoring the meal of porridge and jerky in front of him, the quiet murmurs of the soldiers around him, and even the occasional clattering of bone and metal from his skeletal friends, Eredith looks off into the night sky.


    The border between Astenia and Sentoria is still visible, though much more distant than any other night he¡¯d spent stargazing. The colors of the clashing energy between the influence of the gods had always struck him as a beautiful sight, but now the young boy understood that it was just that, a clash, a fight. One that had been going on for millenia, and one that had taken his parents. Wiping the tears from his eyes, he makes a silent promise to himself as the shadows of the night seem to curl around him, that he would make his parents proud, and get revenge on whoever had ordered the ambush that took their lives.


    After several more days of talking and traveling, Eredith eventually notices that the landscape is changing around them. Whereas his home was settled on a grassland with only the occasional copse of trees, as they approach the capital he finds himself surprised to see that they are travelling into a massive forest, the only clear areas being the road the carriage and its escort ride on and the occasional clearing. Birds constantly sound out around them, small creatures run across the path in front of them as they approach, and life in general abounds as they grow closer to All-Heart.


    Finally, they crest over a decently sized hill in the road, and Eredith finds his breath taken away at the sight of the capital, as well as what lies beyond. On the horizon, a massive stretch of water covers the distant edges of his sight, seeming to go on forever. The capital itself is dense, houses and buildings packed together in a way he had never seen before. People of all ages walk along the roads, like an ant colony hard at work, even as odd ships float through the air above them as easily as the ones in the water. So enamored at the sight, Eredith climbs out of the carriage window, clambering on top of the vehicle to get the best view he can. Gerald laughs uproariously at the boys enthusiasm for a few moments, leaning out of the window to look up at him. ¡°I¡¯m glad you like the view, my boy! Welcome to All-Heart.¡±


    It doesn¡¯t take long for the group to find their way to the closest gate into the city, the walls standing tall around them like sheer cliff faces, the intricate runes carved into their surface slowly pulsing with light like ocean waves on the shore. Their entourage is quickly allowed quick entrance despite the good-sized line of merchants and farmers thanks to the fact that it¡¯s mostly made of soldiers, and the fact that the carriage is for a Sentorian official helps just as much.


    With a quick conversation between Gerald and the head of the soldiers that had come with them, they split away from the carriage, leaving them alone as the vehicle continues to stroll through the city. Looking at them as the march away, the boy eventually turns to look at Gerald once more. ¡°Where are they going?¡± ¡°Well, I felt that having someone start a preliminary report on what happened as soon as possible would be good. They¡¯ll be informing the Grand Martial about what happened while I take you to settle down at the Academy.¡± Nodding his head like he understands what that means, the boy simply goes back to gawking at the streets, soaking in all the chatter and smells and sights of a busy city.


    Before long they find themselves entering a cleaner, more organized area of the city, larger houses and buildings and carefully structured gardens becoming more prominent. The road goes from cobble and dirt to brick and smooth rock, and he slowly begins to recognize that they are approaching the campus grounds of The Academy, drawing up to the front entrance. Of course, for such a large organization as the number one magical school in a country known for its magical innovation, the campus grounds are massive, with multiple buildings throughout, but this is the main building for meetings and campus announcements, as well as where most of the staff live.


    As they start to climb out of the carriage, Gerald holds a hand out to Shade and Ironjaw as they start to stand up from their seats. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but considering the school rules, you both will need to stay here while Eredith gets registered.¡± They both seem to glower at that-Eredith can¡¯t blame them, he doesn¡¯t much like the idea of leaving them behind either-but sit back down, Ironjaw giving the boy a pat on the head as he steps out. Standing in front of the intimidatingly large entrance of the building, he takes a deep, steadying breath before following behind the bemused Gerald.


    As it turns out, it¡¯s surprisingly boring getting registered. At least, it is so far. Gerald had lead Eredith ups some stairs and down a few halls before asking him to sit in an open lounge area while he talked with some of the staff, but that had been nearly 30 minutes ago. So far he¡¯d looked around the room and listened as various people walked through the halls, but for the most part he¡¯d devolved to just staring out the large window, leaning against the wall and occasionally pacing around anxiously.


    As of right now, he was doing the former, head resting against one of the walls as he stared blankly at the entrance to the room. At least, he was until a face suddenly swooped down in front of him from above, hanging upside down, which understandably made him scream for a second. All that seemed to do was make whoever it was amused as they just chuckled a little. ¡°Hey there little boy, what¡¯s a kid like you doing here?¡± Their voice and long hair marked them as female, though he couldn¡¯t see much else of them before ducking under their head and taking a few steps forward, twirling around to keep the mysterious stranger in his sights.


    She seemed to be around his age, 10-12 years old, wearing what he assumed was the school uniform. She also had crimson red hair, and the entirety of her eyes were a glowing yellow. Oh and there was also the fact that she was sticking to the wall like a bug. Upside down at that! Shaking off the ridiculousness of the situation, Eredith huffs a little and points a finger at her accusingly. ¡°Hey, you can¡¯t be any older than me, don¡¯t go calling me a ¡®little boy¡¯!¡±


    She giggles, performing what would usually be a handstand before leaning back and landing on her feet, except that she did this perpendicular to the wall, landing her feet onto the actual floor as if she wasn¡¯t defying gravity. ¡°Well that may be true for my host, but trust me, I am far older than you.¡± That was more confusing than anything, and she must have picked up on that from the confused expression on Eredith¡¯s face.


    ¡°My host is the one who owns this body, I¡¯m just borrowing it for a while. We have a thing going, I get a day out of the week to use her body as I see fit, so long as I follow the ground rules. She just a darling really, very generous with her terms.¡± She shrugs in a ¡®what can you do?¡¯ manner, before giving him a curtsey, thought the teasing smile on her face shows that its more for show than any real courtesy. ¡°Emelda Babble, at your service. My host¡¯s name is Sarah, if you wanted to know.¡±The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    Although it¡¯s a bit much to take in all at once, he wasn¡¯t raised to be a brute, so Eredith returned the curtsey with a bow. ¡°Eredith, nice to meet you. I¡¯m here because I found out that I have a Unique Power.¡± The possessed girl raises a brow, giving him an appraising once-over while tapping her chin. ¡°Is that so? Well, I guess I¡¯d better get used to the sight of you, we¡¯ll be sharing a dorm after all.¡±


    Blinking for a moment, he shakes his head before staring at her in shock. ¡°Wait, you mean you-well, Sarah has a Unique Power?¡± ¡°Well of course, I¡¯m not the only one she¡¯s host to!¡± She twirls and starts walking out of the room, turning to give him a wave. ¡°See you around sweetie!¡± And with that, she¡¯s gone. With that...interesting encounter, Eredith spends the rest of his time waiting thinking about the fact that there actually are other people with Unique Powers like him, and that he¡¯s going to actually be living with them. He¡¯s going to be living in the city! It¡¯s very overwhelming, that¡¯s for sure.


    Soon after Gerald finds his way back to the waiting room, guiding Eredith out into the halls once more and leading him to a large set of double doors. ¡°Now my boy, you¡¯ll be meeting with the Headmaster for a few minutes, and then you and one of the other staff will be heading out to the UPAE Wing. However, this is where we will be parting, I¡¯m afraid.¡± Jerking his head to look up at the old man, Eredith panics just a little. ¡°Wait, what? What about Shade and Ironjaw? W-what do I do now?¡±


    Sighing a little, Gerald gets down on a knee to get on the boys level, speaking calmly. ¡°Eredith, you¡¯ll be fine. Your skeleton friends will be held in one of the servants quarters, once you get settled you can find them easily. The Headmaster will fill you in on what you¡¯ll be doing from here on, and the staff member who takes you to the UPAE Wing will make sure you get settled in. You¡¯re going to do great!¡± He gives the boy a hug before standing up, ruffling his hair before opening the door and gently pushing Eredith inside. With one last wave goodbye, he shuts the door, leaving Eredith to look around the room.


    As one would expect from the meeting room of one of the most powerful people in the country, it was quite well made and furnished. The floor was covered in a plush carpet, the walls made of a dark, polished wood, and the furniture was made to be both fancy and comfortable to sit in. There were several oddities though, such as the solid black obelisk in one corner of the room, or the clusters of random materials and trinkets strewn across several desks and cabinets lining the walls.


    Directly across the room was a large desk, with a padded, high-backed chair sat turned away from him. In front of the desk was several chairs and couches, arranged around a coffee table. Although some of the spots around the table were empty, it was immediately obvious that he wasn¡¯t alone in the room, and aura of quiet power seeming to surround the group like a fog, less like an intimidation tactic and more like what you would expect a meeting between powerful individuals to feel like.


    Sprawled across one of the couches was a middle aged man, with coal black hair and a five-o''clock shadow on his face. He seemed to be nursing a headache at the moment, considering he had a block of ice held against his temple. With a utilitarian outfit, the only pieces of personality that Eredith could spot in the man''s clothes was the fact that he had some kind of trenchcoat on, along with a pair of odd gloves, pieces of metal and stone fitted around his index fingers and thumbs.


    Sitting primly across from the man in a comfy looking leather chair was an older woman, though only the slight laugh lines on her face and the occasional gray hair in her blonde main hinted to the fact the she was any older than 30. Her clothes seemed more like leather armor than anything, and when Eredith took a closer look she actually was wearing hardened leather greaves and vambraces. She had a coffee cup in her hands, giving the odd man across from her a glare before looking over at the boy with a small, kind smile. ¡°Hello dear, come in, come in, no need to-¡±


    Before she could finish, the high-backed chair behind the desk suddenly started spinning at high speeds, too blurry to make out who was sitting in it. ¡°Heeeeeeeellooooooo, New York City!¡± The chair finally slows down, and as the new voice sounds out, the person sitting in it stands up on the chair, leaning forward just as it comes to a stop to reveal themselves. The person in question was, well, a skeleton, making them most likely the Headmaster, Haldread. He was wearing what would normally be a sharp three-piece suit, if not for the fact that it was a bright neon pink, matched with a burnt orange tie. He even had a matching tophat, which was odd since it didn¡¯t seem to move around at all despite how little traction the man¡¯s skull must have.


    The reactions from everyone else in the room were...mixed, to say the least. The kind woman just sighed in a very world-weary way, as if she knew this was going to happen but had been very much hoping it wouldn¡¯t, pinching the bridge of her nose in exasperation. The man with a headache just groaned in a mix of pain and annoyance at the sound of the loud entrance, turning to face the back of the couch like he just wanted to crawl inside of it and never come out. Eredith himself giggled hysterically at all of this, feeling some of the nervous energy bundled up inside of him drain away.


    ¡°Aw, you guys are no fun. See, this kid¡¯s got the right idea!¡± Haldread steps down from the spinning chair, stepping around the desk to stand in the circle of seats around the coffee table. He does an overly formal bow towards Eredith, pulling at the lip of his tophat. Instead of just the hat coming off though, the lich¡¯s skull pops right off his spine with it, like the two were glued together! This is apparently normal, since he finishes the bow with a flourish, hat and skull in one hand which continues to speak with no regard for how bodies are supposed to work. ¡°Pleasure to make your acquaintance, Mr. Tallathorn!¡±


    While Eredith fumbles into a bow of his own, still trying to catch up with what¡¯s going on, the Headmaster sits down on, oddly enough, a solid gold three-legged stool, popping his skull back where it belongs and gesturing to the seats around him. ¡°Well come on now, take a seat! No need for dawdling, I gotta keep an appointment coming up soon so I¡¯m afraid we¡¯ll have to go through your introduction at ludicrous speed!¡± He seems to chuckle at that for no discernable reason, but Eredith gets the message. He scrambles over to a chair that feels two sizes too big for him, though it¡¯s still one of the most comfortable pieces of furniture he¡¯s ever sat on. Coincidentally, it''s also the seat right next to the kind woman, who gives him another smile.


    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s get this show on the road!¡± Haldread cracks his knuckles, which...how? And pulls a small silk bag from a hidden pocket in one of his sleeves. In the bag is a pile of fine, glittering dust, which he blows into the air above the coffee table between them. The dust glows for a moment before dissolving into light, which slowly resolves into a top-down image of the school campus, like a map.


    The campus itself is built on two main intersecting roads, built in a plus shape. Along each of the roads, various buildings are built, each section seeming to correlate to an area of magic, at least from what he could infer from the titles above each building. On the south end of the campus were utility magics, such as Alchemy, Enchantment, Necromancy, and other such things. The east end were the buildings for intellectual pursuits, such as Divination, Illusion, Summoning, etc. The west was for more natural magics, like Druidics, Elementalism, and Theological research. As it turns out, the south was also somewhat of the public sector of the school, seeing as the meeting building had a ¡®YOU ARE HERE¡¯ right in the middle of it.


    ¡°As you can see here, these are the areas of the school that are available to the public. People from all over will come to the school to take classes in the various Wings of the school, Druids for Druidics and Elementalism, Golemancers for Enchantment and Divination, etc, etc.¡± The lich had taken on a stereotypical wizened old tone of voice, as if he were an ancient librarian or something. Suddenly, the map changed, the colored and labeled sections of the map fading to a dull gray while two new sections popped up.


    ¡°However, the central area and the northern section of the school are restricted to staff and full-time students only. For the central section that is because it is where the main dorms and recreational areas for the students are held.¡± A large chunk of the map superimposed itself over the crossroads of the map, the title ¡®Student Housing/Recreation¡¯ writing itself over the top. Meanwhile, several clusters of buildings formed around the northern road, most of them with odd, complicated titles, but one which he recognized. The UPAE Wing.


    ¡°The northern section of the campus is for oddities, such as the research of anomalous objects and entities, as well as for the specialized housing and teaching of those with unique circumstances, such as yourself and your Unique Power.¡± Haldread snaps his fingers, the illusion shattering into dust and fading into nothing as he stands up once more.


    ¡°Now where were those introduction papers, I know I had them in here somewhere...aha!¡± He reaches over his imposing desk and seems to rummage through one of the drawers, legs kicking in the air for a moment before landing back on his feet as he turns around with a sheaf of papers in his hand. He leans over the coffee table and holds them out for Eredith to take, which he does after a moment''s hesitation. ¡°Now, these are some informational pamphlets that detail more about how exactly the school works, as well as your individual pass and ID. Be careful not to lose it, or else you¡¯ll need to get another one made, and until you do you won¡¯t be able to access a lot of the school. Now, do you have any last questions before I need to go?¡±


    ¡°Uh...¡± Eredith is, understandably, a little bit discombobulated. He wasn¡¯t sure what he was expecting from a Lich headmaster, but it certainly wasn¡¯t this! Even so, he pushes past his confusion. ¡°Well, Gerald said that someone would lead me to the UPAE dorms, or something along those lines?¡± The lights in Haldread¡¯s eyes seem to dim for a moment before he stands back up straight, rapping his knucklebones against his skull. ¡°Oh my, I nearly forgot! You¡¯re right of course, that¡¯s the whole reason I had Professor Martin come here.¡±


    At the sound of his name, the disgruntled man on the couch finally sits up, the ice against his temple seeming to have disappeared without a trace. ¡°No idea why either, you know why I have this migraine right now.¡± ¡°Oh pish-posh Martin, if leading a single student around campus was too much for you you wouldn¡¯t have walked all the way here!¡± The lich leans back down and puts a hand over his mouth, stage-whispering to Eredith like the now named Martin wouldn¡¯t hear him. ¡°He just refuses to admit he¡¯s the perfect grouchy-yet-very-good-teacher cliche.¡±


    The woman in the chair beside Eredith gives another world-weary sigh before standing up, placing the coffee cup in her hand on the table. ¡°We really should be going Headmaster, we do still have that appointment to get to.¡± She begins walking towards the black obelisk, giving Eredith a friendly wave as she goes. ¡°I hope to see you in my classes, dear!¡±


    The skeleton in question jerks back up to full height, pulling what looks to be a bunny-eared stopwatch out of his pocket and gasping dramatically. ¡°Oh no, I¡¯m late! I¡¯m late!¡± Chuckling once more at what Eredith would consider to be a serious issue, Haldread gives the boy another comical bow before following the older woman to the strange stone. With a flair of energy, cryptic runes glow along the surface of the device, and the both of them seem to warp and swirl in on themselves, before disappearing with the sound of rushing air and a small snap.


    The room falls into a somewhat awkward silence, at least it is for Eredith. Martin just sits there on the couch, putting his face in his hands and rubbing at his eyelids for a solid minute.Eventually he groans and stands up, really looking at Eredith for the first time since they¡¯ve met. ¡°Alright kid, let¡¯s go. If you¡¯ve got any questions, better spit ¡®em out now, we¡¯ll be walking for a bit either way.¡± He nods his head towards the door, Eredith scrambling to get out of the chair he¡¯d sat in as the older man steps out into the hall and starts walking.


    It takes a moment for Eredith to catch up with him, needing to speed walk just a little to match his pace as they step back out into the campus. ¡°Hmm...is the Headmaster always so...vibrant?¡± Martin snorts at the question, scratching his chin as he replies. ¡°That¡¯s one way of putting it. The Headmaster¡¯s always been a bit of a nut. He also has a weird sense of humor, as you¡¯ve probably already noticed, always making jokes that nobody else but him seems to get.¡± The duo fall back into silence, though this one is more comfortable than before. Eredith spends most of the walk through the campus simply gawking at all the lush nature and odd creations littering the grounds. Heck, he¡¯s pretty sure he saw a floating aquarium that was shaped like and moved like a giant fish floating through the air!


    ¡°So...what will I be doing here? Like, is there a specific class schedule or anything¡­?¡± Eredith glances back at Martin as he asks, curious as to how such a grand establishment works. The man in question holds up one hand, holding up a finger for each topic that he speaks of. ¡°One, we get your Powers under control, if they need to be gotten under wraps. Two, you learn how to find your magical center and learn your affinities. Three, you take classes in whatever you want. Unlike a lot of other academies, the Headmaster emphasizes on letting students find their own paths based on their interests, and the structure here shows that.¡±


    He continues on, taking a small flask out of his trenchcoat and taking a sip to wet his lips. ¡°Instead of there being a strict schedule, classes are voted on. Dorm Leaders will ask each of the students what they are interested in once they¡¯ve all had introductory demonstrations with all the professors, and will organize all of the students'' interests into comprehensive reports. The Dorm Leaders then hand those reports in to the professors, and the staff will work out a staggered class schedule that allows the most number of students to learn about their preferred interests as possible. Of course there¡¯s always a couple of classes that just can¡¯t happen, or kids who don¡¯t get all the classes they want thanks to scheduling issues, but even then there¡¯s plenty of other classes that they can take to fill those spots with something that¡¯s at least related to their interests.¡±


    ¡°Wow...¡± Eredith is impressed, well, as impressed as a 12 year old can be with a school. Thinking about all that though, he does get a little concerned, and voices it with a worried look on his face. ¡°Wait, if all of that happens at the start of a school year, then what about me? Will I have to just jump into the school year and take whatever classes I can?¡± Stuffing the flask back into one of his pockets, Martin ruffles Eredith¡¯s hair, earning him a pout from the boy as he responds. ¡°Nah, you¡¯ve actually got good timing. The new school year starts in about a month, which means that you¡¯re coming in around the same time a lot of the long-distance students are coming. You¡¯ll be fine.¡±


    As the duo finally start approaching the UPAE Wing building, a massive thing that looks bigger than even most of the buildings in the capital, Eredith decides that yes, he will be fine. From the looks of it, he¡¯ll be better than fine actually. Honestly he still can barely believe this is all happening to him. But with the promise to learn magic just ahead, and with a soft bed to look forward to, he¡¯s honestly kind of excited for what¡¯s to come.