Koyuki, the Necromancing Foxkin

CHAPTER 314: A new Friend

While the extra lessons for my friends ended, I had the pleasure of learning more about infusing water. I had the suspicion the headmaster wanted to prevent me from working on my new corpse right away. My undead stayed as well, since most of them had a water and a death affinity.

Interestingly I realised that I had already infused water with death mana before, it was how I had made the draugrs. I just had not considered using it for other spells.

"Why would I use death mana in a water shield? Is it so I can use it to hurt someone in melee?" I wondered.

"That can be a part of it, but it is not the main reason. Tell me, what does death mana do?" Irene asked.

I scratched my head. "It, uh, kills. Well, in some cases it creates life, in a way. Undead are not really dead, just a different kind of alive?" I was quite uncertain how to define that.

"Let's ignore the necromancy aspect for now." Irene said. "Death mana destroys, often by aging. It does not really influence time, mind you, it just mimics natural decay. So, why would that matter in a shield?"

My eyes widened, as I realised where she was going with this: "It can decay spells!"

Irene smiled. "Indeed. A death mana infused water shield will be more resistant to magic, because it will not simply block the spell, it will attack the spell itself. Assuming you do it correctly; you need the death mana to interact with the incoming spell and weaken it. Against magic a death water shield will be more potent than an ice shield. Physical attacks are still a weakness though, for them an ice shield is preferable, although a water shield can block them if you use enough mana."

"Can I also use it offensively, like you did with your steam?" I asked.

"Of course! To get the full effect you need to properly prime your death mana inside the water. Just putting the mana into it will harm someone, but it won't be that strong, unless you really go overboard with the mana. What you want is a primed blob of water that hits an enemy, then you want to attack them with the death mana within. Death mana is a lot more deadly inside the body, so ideally you would hit a bleeding target. Alternatively you can embed entire spells in the water that trigger on impact. That is even more advanced magic, but it can really catch an enemy offguard." Irene explained.

To properly use the technique I would have to train a lot so Irene gave me several exercises to get started. By the time my lessons were over it was too late to try anything with my orthos corpse. Before I left I asked Irene some more questions about dark foxkin and guardians. Sadly she did not have any additional information but she promised me to look into it.

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It was Solday until I finally got time for some necromancy. Tomorrow classes would start again, so I was eager to raise my new fluffy friend. Gronir had returned and approved my plan, so I found myself in a lab with my friends. They had been busy with preparations while the teachers had kept me busy.

"So there is still blood inside the corpse but we are going for a draugr, right?" Skadi asked.

I nodded. "I feel like another vampire might be tough with the two heads. Gronir confirmed that it will make the spell harder, even though there is only one soul. The animation spell for such a corpse is more complex to give it the benefits of a second head. Also, the orthos had a very strong water affinity, trying to add earth could weaken that."

"We are still circulating something, right?" Helena asked.

"Yes! Hatsumi will help too, this time. We are going to keep the blood inside and we will additionally circulate some death magic infused water next to it!" I announced.

"How would that work?" Cassie asked.

"Hatsumi is going to take control of the blood and keep it from mixing with the water. Because Hatsumi is my undead and we are linked, I can include her easily in the joint casting." I explained.

"Why don't we drain the blood? Will it actually become part of the undead?" Skadi asked.

"There is power in blood." Hatsumi answered. "I suggested this technique and I am confident it can improve the undead. It will be a special draugr. The blood is just there to help strengthen the body while the water circulation will help to develop its water powers."

"So the blood is kind of just an enhancement for the corpse? Interesting." Cassie mused.

"Why is Nyx on one of the heads, making biscuits?" Skadi asked.

"I believe she enjoys the fluffiness of the orthos." Kaito stated.

"Let's get started!" I announced, excitedly. "Cassie, you have the water?"

"Sure. It's a weak water based potion that includes some ice viper poison and should not explode when mixed with necrotic mana." She replied.

"What do you mean, 'should not explode'?" I asked.

She grinned. "Alchemy experiments explode frequently."

"Only your alchemy experiments." Skadi replied. "And don't worry, Hatsumi helped and we tested it, it works. If it will yield better results for an undead than normal water is another question."

"Hopefully it will help with the orthos' ice powers." I said, then we got to work. I infused the water, my recent training actually helped with that, then Helena circulated it. Hatsumi took care of the blood, ensuring it did not mix with the water.

The tier three spell itself was a joint casting between Helena, myself and sort of Hatsumi. Hatsumi joined through the link but was not part of the traditional joint casting. Since she was my undead her mana inside the corpse did not interfere and just became part of the spell.

The raising itself was tiring, as usual. The second head added some novelty, as the spell construct for such a creature was different. Trying to incorporate the blood did not make it easier. Our discovery that an undead was the spell actually helped, it gave us the idea, and confidence, to personalise our spell.

As I focused on the runes and formed the spell I heard the reassuring purring from Nyx, she was still on one of the heads. I almost collapsed when the magic finally finished but Kaito was next to me and stopped me from falling. Cassie offered me something refreshing to drink, it was one of her alchemical creations.

"It is done." I said and studied our newest friend. The orthos had changed, like most of my undead. Its fur became pitch black, with grey skin underneath. The exception was a strip of dark blue fur on its left forehead.

Both heads opened their bright blue eyes and regarded us curiously.

"Meow." The left head said.

I looked at the orthos in shock.

"Did I do good?" The right head asked, looking at Nyx, who sat on the left head.

Nyx nodded.