I was so busy, I almost missed my favourite class, advanced death magic. I had been checking on the corpse when I realised what time it was.

  I hastily locked the room and started running. I arrived at the same time our teacher did.

  “Sorry!” I exclaimed, still breathing heavily.

  “Looks like you made it just in time.” Gronir said with a smile.

  I hastily took my seat as our teacher walked to his desk. Then the door opened again.

  Nyx entered, riding on top of Chariot. Gronir raised an eyebrow while I blushed. I had not noticed that Nyx fell slightly behind. It’s not like she was slower than me. And Chariot could run too. Of course, the feline did not show any hint of embarrassment as her mount trotted next to my seat. At least she had closed the door behind her, with telekinesis.

  “Now that everyone is here we can begin.” Gronir said with amusement. “Today's class is going to be about tier three undead. A topic that is usually not that relevant to a first year, but Koyuki has changed that.” He looked at Nyx.

  Then he continued: “We have talked about tier undead before, but what I want to cover today is their creation. Not the actual runes used for them, mind you. You still need a license to attempt to create a tier three.”

  Leo raised his hand.

  “Leo.”

  “How can I get such a licence?” He asked.

  “You do need to become a senior mage for that.” Gronir replied.

  “Koyuki is not a senior mage.” Leo pointed out.

  “Technically correct, but she has performed some advanced magic and her core is large enough. I am sure she will officially become one soon.” He winked at me. “The important part is, she has the capabilities to create and control one. Koyuki, why is that important?”

  “Because a tier three could take control of you. If you are not strong enough to subdue it, it will either free itself or enslave you through the bond.” I replied.

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  “Exactly!” Gronir said. “A tier three has a core and can exist without a bond. They can just break free. Or they can use the bond to control you. Performing advanced magic shows that you have mastered your spellcraft to a point where you can focus on subduing the new undead. It also means you won’t run out of mana in the process. Keep in mind that even most senior mages don’t bother with tier three undead though.”

  Tim raised his hand.

  “Tim.”

  “But why? Aren’t they really strong? Do you have a tier three?”

  “Strength is relative. A tier three has a core, true. But they can be at the level of a normal mage. The larger their core grows, the harder they are to control. They can even evolve, over time. When you create a tier three they are more than just a tool. They are intelligent. You can’t just park them in a cellar all day and expect them to eagerly do your bidding. So you need to take proper care of your minion, while part of your mana is now used up. Having some tier two undead to work for you is much more convenient.” Gronir explained.

  “Where a tier three shines is in combat, when they command other undead. Or if you need an elite strike force. But that would require you to put a lot of trust in them. The most effective use for most necromancers is still to create an army of zombies, or skeletons. Something you can replenish easily in the field. Necromancy allows you to overwhelm the enemy with numbers. Tier three undead are interesting when you reach the heights of a grand mage, or archmage. Then you can have a few of them, and an army while still having some mana left to defend yourself.”

  Tom raised his hand.

  “Tom.”

  “Did you ever create a tier three?”

  Gronir nodded. “Yes. It was destroyed in combat years ago.”

  I raised my hand.

  “Koyuki.”

  “What would happen if you intentionally freed a tier three? Could you simply create a lot of them and turn them into free undead?” I wondered.

  “Yes, but that would be illegal. Any tier three undead needs a master, they are too dangerous by themselves. Despite having a core they need to feed on mana, or creatures containing mana, on occasion. Something that is not required if they are bound. Although the king does have the power to grant a tier three the right to exist freely. It has not been used in a long time, but there has been a vampire in the past who was rewarded for his service.”

  “But there is one topic about a tier three that I haven’t discussed yet, their personality. As you know, you can raise a dead person as a tier three undead. But you can also create a new creature using a sufficiently powerful corpse. But what is a new creature like? In some ways it is a gamble. Which is another reason why many don’t bother with a tier three. You might imagine creating a powerful warrior, a great general, but what if they are just not suited for the role?” Gronir asked, looking at us.

  It was something I had not really considered.

  Gronir continued: “The corpse that you use will influence their personality. Dragons are prideful creatures and an undead dragon would be the same. But there are some ways you can influence them. Over the centuries necromancers have modified the spell to create a tier three. And your own personality does play a role. They tend to see you favourably, at least at first.”

  Leo raised his hand.

  “Leo.”

  “But you can control them. They have to obey.” He said.

  Gronir nodded. “Of course. But obeying an order and trying their best to fulfil the order are different things. If you ordered your general to fight the enemy army, it does matter if they want to win. And how skilled they are.”

  “You can break their will, punish them if they fail.” Leo suggested.

  “Willing obedience will always work better than forced obedience. But since they are intelligent you can punish them, that is true. Just like you can train a beast to work willingly with you, or force it to.” Gronir said.

  I looked at Nyx. She was a tier three but she was most certainly also a cat. What personality would a fellow foxkin have? I certainly wanted a willing servant.