Standing near the edge of Cloudreach, Maeryn watched Ernesto carefully mold his holy mana, and felt the Flame Dart she was holding loosely in her hand pulse softly as the necromancer focused on the concept of Heat. It wasn’t an unexpected reaction—mages tended to be able to sense when other mages of the same element were casting. The alchemists called it mana resonance, though the explanation for it went way over her head.

  Dan would probably be able to break it down for her, but he’d declined to meet up today, opting instead to visit the researchers on the other side of the island.

  In any case, since Ernesto was working with Heat, a shared concept from the element of fire, it made sense that there was some degree of resonance. That said, the holy concept differed from that of fire in ways that Ernesto struggled to explain, but Maeryn thought she understood. Just as necromantic Cold had a spiritual, hungry element behind it, holy Heat had a spiritual warmth that Ernesto could only describe as “fulfilled”.

  Maybe they needed to rename the concept from Heat to Warmth. She’d pitch it to Ernesto later.

  Maeryn watched with a critical eye as mana slowly coalesced in Ernesto’s hand. It looked very similar to her own Flame Dart, save for the obvious color difference—hers was a fiery orangish red, while Ernesto’s was a soft white, almost silver.

  Ernesto finally opened his eyes and looked at the dart he’d created. “I… I think this is it.”

  “You sure? It doesn’t give off much heat.” Maeryn waved her left hand through the air directly over Ernesto’s palm to demonstrate, and held up her own Flame Dart for comparison. Ernesto used his own left hand to mimic her comparison and frowned for a moment before nodding slowly.

  “Yeah, I’m sure. I think this is a base mana element difference. I… think that if I focused harder on burning, it would destabilize the spell. Holy magic’s not destructive by nature.”

  Maeryn clenched her fist, crushing her Flame Dart without any regard to the heat involved. Her own mana wouldn’t hurt her—at least, not at that level. “Gotcha. You’re the boss when it comes to holy magic. So, do you want to test it out?”

  Ernesto glanced down at the dart in his hand. “So I just… throw it?”

  “You could,” Maeryn agreed. “But you’ll be more accurate if you propel it with your mana. Focus on where you want it to strike, and push.”

  Ernesto nodded, narrowing his eyes in concentration. The dart levitated off his hand, and then shot off into the sky, piercing through a nearby wisp of cloud.

  Maeryn clapped her hand on his shoulder. “Well done! How does it feel to create a new holy spell?”

  A proud grin spread across Ernesto’s face, which honestly said it all. “Thanks so much for your help, Maeryn. This would have taken me so much longer without you.” He took a deep breath and exhaled slowly, the smile on his face lingering. “I don’t know when I’ll ever use it, besides helping teach people, but I guess if I ever fight another Undead I’ll have something that’s super effective against them!”

  Maeryn felt her own smile flicker. Ernesto, in creating holy magic, had saved the world from the Mist. But the Undead making the Mist were still out there, somewhere on the surface. Until the Undead were scoured away from the world, then… all they really had was a stopgap, right?

  Maeryn just… she felt like the job was only half-done. But it was impossible for her to go out and explore the surface on her own. Having a holy mage capable of keeping the Mist off of them was a critical necessity to even begin. Which meant that without Ernesto, she was… stuck.

  And Ernesto wasn’t going anywhere if he couldn’t train another holy mage.

  Half-formed thoughts and feelings solidified into resolve, and before she could think better of it, Maeryn opened her mouth. “I’ll be here for a week before I have to go back to Vert. How about I help you get those students of yours into shape?” She met Ernesto’s startled gaze, and took a deep breath. “And… after there’s a holy mage or two… would you come with me? To start cleaning up the surface?”

  Ernesto looked at her, then lowered his gaze. Maeryn felt her heart drop, and tried to brace herself for a refusal. Of course he wouldn’t want to go. He’d never wanted to be in danger as it was. And now, not only could he do what he loved safely, he was no longer at risk of government-mandated execution.

  What idiot would give that up?

  Ernesto exhaled slowly, then raised his gaze to look Maeryn in the face. “If anyone else had asked, I would have told them no. But for you? Of course I’ll come with you. Even if my Master hadn’t asked me to help you defeat the Mist… You’re my friend. And my Captain. Where you go, I’ll follow.”

  Heart swelling, Maeryn pulled him into a tight hug on impulse. Ernesto stiffened for a half-second, but then returned the hug with equal intensity. “Thank you,” she whispered through a throat that seemed a size too small. “I won’t make you regret it.”

  “I know you won’t,” Ernesto murmured matter-of-factly. “That’s not the kind of person you are.”

  Maeryn’s throat closed entirely, touched by the unqualified trust that her friend had. She said nothing more, giving him another squeeze before stepping back. The two of them exchanged a nod of quiet understanding, and then turned to watch the endless skies in silence.

  The next week passed in a blur, with Maeryn playing the part of both co-instructor and student. While necromancy wasn’t her preferred mana element, she wasn’t about to turn down expert instruction. Especially if, one day, it meant she might be able to wield holy mana on her own.

  Maybe then she’d be able to continue onwards without dragging Ernesto into danger when he’d more than earned his peace. It was a nice thought. A motivating one.

  Maeryn was slightly confused by Dan’s continued absence, however. She’d thought her friend had been invested in learning holy magic, so the fact that he kept finding reasons not to show up to necromancy lessons baffled her. One day she’d get answers, but evidently that day was not today.

  In any case, Maeryn’s presence and dedication seemed to energize the Geovans. They had been hesitant—fearful, even—of learning necromancy as a prerequisite to holy magic at first. But when they saw Maeryn not just tolerating it, but succeeding, something shifted, and soon the six Geovans she’d ferried to Cloudreach were training in earnest and finding their footing.

  The Zephyrian students took the success of their rival nation as a challenge—which Maeryn subtly encouraged for her own amusement. Soon, every single mage-in-training had a solid grasp of Chilling Touch and Lesser Acid Spray, which meant they were ready to move on.

  Ernesto was immensely pleased by this, and Maeryn had a distinct feeling she knew what was coming up next. Sure enough, the very next day, Ernesto gathered them all to practice the next necromantic concept: Rot.

  “The idea of Rot is actually just time moving forward at an accelerated pace,” Ernesto lectured. “Far enough and fast enough that the target ages, rots and dies. And you all need a solid grounding on this concept before we move on to Spirit aligned spells. But, of course it’d be a terrible idea for us to practice Rot against each other, and you all know by now that I’m all about practical, peaceful applications.”

  This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

  The various students nodded. Using Chilling Touch to make ice water, and Lesser Acid Spray to dispose of waste… but…

  “What kind of thing uses Rot, though?” someone dared to question.

  Ernesto beamed. “I’m glad you asked! I use it all the time in my favorite hobby.” He leaned forward, his face and voice brimming with anticipation. “Today, we’re going to make cheese.”

  Dumbfounded silence washed over the students.

  Maeryn turned her head to the side and tried to stifle her laughter. Yep. She knew it. Of course it would be cheese.

  “A lot of cheeses are made via fermentation, and fermentation is just another kind of rot,” Ernesto explained cheerfully. “So you get to practice your necromancy and make your own snack for the day! I’ve got plenty of bread, crackers and wine for anyone who succeeds today, so let’s do our best!”

  There was something of a lackluster cheer, and as everyone separated towards their cheese-making stations—that Ernesto had helpfully and enthusiastically set up for them that morning—Maeryn overheard a conversation that nearly broke her ability to stay quiet.

  “Cheese. We’re going to use the legendary, terrifying magic that killed countless people… to make cheese,” a Geovan muttered, still struggling to believe it.

  “Since when is necro-cheese a thing?” the Zephyrian next to him answered with exactly the same tone. “No. Better question. Why is it a thing? Who saw the ability to rot everything around them and went, ‘I know exactly what to do with this. I’ll make cheese!’”

  Slowly, as if bound by the same existential crisis, the two of them turned to stare at Ernesto. Then they looked at each other. Back to Ernesto. Finally, in perfect unison, they sighed despairingly. “I didn’t sign up to be a cheese wizard…” they groaned together.

  That was it. That was the final straw.

  Maeryn barely had time to stumble away before her self-control shattered. She laughed so hard she couldn’t see straight, her focus completely obliterated. It took her several minutes to recover, and even after she returned, she didn’t dare look at the pair of them again. One glance, and she knew she’d be gone all over again.

  As it was, the knowing shadow of a grin on Ernesto’s face threatened to send her back anyway. But somehow, she managed.

  Maeryn didn’t have any trouble at all with the cheese; she’d gone through the same exercise before when Ernesto was teaching her Vitality Boost, since that spell used both the Acid and Rot concepts to accelerate her body’s digestion to super-charge her healing. Cheese-making wasn’t exactly her idea of fun, but she didn’t mind it. Especially if Ernesto’s other students were this hilarious to watch.

  Owen and Oscar, to Maeryn’s quiet surprise, were having significant difficulties with the task, and she found herself moving towards them to see if she could figure out the problem. “I don’t get it,” Owen muttered as she came within earshot. “I’m good with Rot. Excellent even. I wouldn’t be able to cast Necro Aura of Decay if I didn’t have a solid foundation in it.”

  Oscar nodded along, looking equally frustrated. “I admit… I’m unsure where we’re going wrong,” he admitted slowly, the words sounding like they pained him. “Maybe… maybe we have too narrow an understanding?”

  The two necromancers exchanged uncertain looks, then as one looked up towards Maeryn. “Please tell me you know what we’re doing wrong?” Owen pleaded.

  “If we were using too much mana, then it should have over-fermented,” Oscar reasoned, gesturing towards his pot. Maeryn peered inside, and sure enough, found no curds at all. “But we’re using Rot, I would swear to it!”

  Maeryn frowned pensively for several seconds before having an inkling of an idea. “Have you ever used Rot on non-living things before?” she asked slowly. “Like, against rocks or anything?”

  “No? What would be the point? Rocks don’t rot,” Owen answered, his confusion deepening.

  “Sure they do,” Maeryn corrected, feeling more sure that she had hit on at least part of the problem. “It’s just not called rotting. Rocks break down over time, given exposure to the right forces. They can be cracked, shattered, ground away, eroded… they break down, just like anything else. Rot isn’t just about killing. It’s about time passing.”

  Oscar looked away, putting one hand to his chin as he considered her words, obviously trying to fit them in his understanding, but Owen simply shrugged. “Worth a shot,” he muttered.

  He reached down towards his milk and visibly channeled his necromantic mana. Immediately, curds began to form. “Yes!” Owen whooped in triumph. “Thanks, Maeryn!”

  Seeing his partner’s success, Oscar glared daggers at him before immediately stalking back to his pot and trying it for himself. After only a moment, his expression relaxed into satisfaction, and he gave Maeryn a grateful nod. “I do not believe I would have figured it out without your assistance, so… thank you.”

  “Hey, who knows? Maybe that was the missing link for us to finish getting stable holy mana,” Owen suggested optimistically.

  “An intelligent thought from your lips, for once. Will wonders never cease?” Oscar mocked.

  “Oh come on! I didn’t do anything to deserve that this time!”

  “You’re still paying off a backlog earned from half a decade of your asinine idiocy.”

  “Really? You mean, someday you’ll stop being such a sleet-talker?”

  “To you? Never.”

  Maeryn rolled her eyes as she walked away, more unsure than ever if they were actually friends or mortal frenemies. Well, as long as they didn’t actually come to blows, it wasn’t her business.

  Come to think of it, it wouldn’t be her business even if it did. She shrugged and moved on.

  Finally, the lessons for the day came to an end and the students dispersed. As had become routine by this point, Maeryn hung back and observed intently as Ernesto pulled out two tablets engraved with Necro Resistance and passed them to Owen and Oscar to charge.

  If charged properly with stable holy mana, a single Necro Resistance tablet should prevent Ernesto from being able to cast anything with necromantic mana. But all previous attempts had fallen short of that goal.

  This time, however, was different. Maeryn could see the way Ernesto’s eyes widened even as the two necromancers concentrated, and she intuitively knew exactly what was going on. “Mana resonance,” she breathed, keeping her voice low so as not to disturb their efforts. “They’ve got it.”

  Owen practically shoved his tablet into Ernesto’s hands, his grin so wide it was a wonder his face didn’t split in two. Taking the tablet with a trembling hand, Ernesto took a deep breath and focused, closing his eyes. A minute passed, and nothing happened. Finally, Ernesto opened his eyes again and nodded towards Owen, giving him back the tablet. “Congratulations, Owen. It’s stable. You’re a holy mage now.”

  “Finally!” Owen crowed. “By the World’s Breath, trying to figure out that last bit I was missing was absolutely killing me!”

  “I’m sure it was,” Oscar cracked. “You’re not the sort for intellectual exercise.”

  Owen’s mouth dropped. “Really, man? You’re going to ruin my moment of triumph?”

  Oscar’s lips twitched upwards into a gratified smirk even as he passed his own tablet to Ernesto for testing. “Can’t let your head get too big.”

  It didn’t take long for Ernesto to verify the results, and he returned the tablet with a nod. “You’ve got it, Oscar. Congratulations.”

  “We should take these tablets and hang them up on our walls or something,” Owen suggested enthusiastically. “As a memento. Our first holy magic.”

  “You know what? I think you’re absolutely right,” Oscar unexpectedly agreed, looking down at his tablet with a softer expression than usual. “For once. Let’s do that.” Ignoring the way that Owen gaped at him, clearly not having expected his agreement, Oscar looked back up at Ernesto. “So. Tomorrow you’ll teach us the Purify Mist spell?”

  “And Sacred Dart,” Ernesto confirmed. He took a deep breath. “I guess this means you’ve graduated. You don’t need to be under my supervision. Are you going to stay here, or fly somewhere else?”

  Owen and Oscar exchanged a meaningful look. “Think we’re gonna stay here,” Owen said with a shrug. “Help teach the others. Besides, we’ve got a good thing going making those Purify Mist tablets for everybody. It’d be a shame to have to start over.”

  “And that’s without considering that there may still be elements of the Zephyrian Research Council on the other isles waiting for us to expose ourselves,” Oscar concurred darkly. “It’d still be best to lay low here on Cloudreach for the time being.”

  Ernesto visibly relaxed. “I’m glad to hear it. Because in a few days, I’ll be leaving with Captain Maeryn. She needs my help.”

  Oscar let out a heavy, put-upon sigh. “Well, we can hardly say no to helping her, can we? After she spared us back on Zephyr,” he muttered grumpily.

  “Hey, now.” Owen lightly smacked his shoulder in a gentle rebuke. “We were the ones in the wrong, back then. And if it wasn’t for her, we’d all be dire straits. The ZRC’s plan to have us absorb the Mist wouldn’t have worked very well, or very long for that matter. If Captain Maeryn’s got a mission, it’s probably not a good idea to blow her off.”

  Oscar looked at Owen with consternation, then let out another sigh, pinching the bridge of his nose. “You’re right. Again. Twice in a day. It’s a new record. Stop making me agree with you.”

  “Hey!”

  Maeryn had to turn her head away to try to hide her laughter, but the way her body was shaking made her efforts futile.