As the spell-concept thing entered into Daniel, runes traced over his form from the inside out, a three-dimensional structure coming alive inside him. It burned as it settled into his metaphorical blood and bones, racing through him faster and faster.

At first, it felt like teeth and shadows, but the spirit gripped it, twisting it and shaping it. The spirit leaned on Daniel, drawing from him inspiration and knowledge. Ironically, it was Disney scenes that flashed through his mind.

He could be a snow queen, building castles and animating snow up on a mountain top. He could be a chieftain’s daughter, speaking to the ocean and drawing wisdom from the stars. He could be a sea witch, making potions and contracts, or a sorceress, making walls of thorns and curses and turning into a giant dragon.

Why were so many of the ones with magic in the Disney movies female? And half of them were either villains or fairies. He could bestow blessings like the good fairies from Sleeping Beauty, or grant opportunities like the fairy godmother in Cinderella, or make wishes come true with good thoughts like the fairies from Tinkerbell.

Perhaps that was because most fairy tales had ordinary people as the protagonists, all wishing for magic to enter their life and change bad circumstances for the better. So many Disney movies, particularly the ones based on the old fairy tales rather than the newer stories, had the protagonists getting both unlucky and then lucky for being involved in magic.

Daniel understood that now, looking at his current circumstances. He wondered if magic might have been more locally known in the old days, before globalization occurred. A house of mages or a pack of shifters could have handled a single grumpy village if it came to that, but the numbers didn’t favor them if a whole country mobilized against them.

The tree spirit sent amusement and interest through their connection. Daniel got the feeling he was teaching the spirit both his sense of humor and about human stories or culture. He tried not to ponder the consequences of that.

With this glut of mental rambling and information, the spirit came to a decision.

The hungry power transformed. Fairies could bless and they could curse. It followed rules and had consequences. He wasn’t a living mage and wouldn’t be able to use magic like they could, but he would be able to empower or drain magic, as they deserved.

As long as Daniel didn’t grow wings or sparkle, he could deal with that.

The gift settled into his reinforced existence like leaves dancing in a wind. No, more integral than that. A scent perhaps, or a sound. Yes, laughter on the wind. Daniel liked that image.

Then the spirit’s touch faded, releasing Daniel’s changed ghost back out into the physical world.

Daniel, being dead and all, didn’t really sleep anymore, but the transition felt like waking up from a long and surreal dream, one which could have been a nightmare but wasn’t. Habitually, he stretched, feeling his muscles and joints tense and relax as he moved, breathing in deeply.

He paused mid-stretch. Wow. Daniel had felt that. Like, actually felt that. Being dead had removed most physical sensations right along with his physical body, but the reinforcement of his ghost had returned that internal consistency to him.

That would help with his mental health right there. Having his physical senses cut off and his presence nearly erased wore on Daniel in ways he couldn’t explain. Now he felt… good. Energized and ready to face the day.

Mark stood in the early morning light, still butt naked, bits of dirt and leaves sticking to his body. His face turned upwards, freckled cheeks and brown eyes practically glowing. He grinned, looking relaxed and awake in a way he never did this early in the morning, not even after several cups of coffee.

A stylized tattoo of a tree covered his back, roots curling around his hips and branches reaching up the back of his neck and down his arms. Not a tree. This tree. Around its base clustered several vine covered tombstones.

“That’s new,” Daniel said, pointing at the art.

“What?” Mark jumped slightly at Daniel’s sudden presence but then grinned wider. “Daniel! You look… solid. That’s great!”

Daniel looked down at himself. He was still in grayscale and vaguely misty, but he was no longer translucent. Details stood out, from the loose threads on his battered clothing to the texture of his skin. To the open wounds up his wrists, eternal reminders of his death.

“I’m still dressed like a hobo,” Daniel noted wryly. “I wonder if I’m doomed to be dressed like this for the rest of eternity. If I’d known, I would have dressed like a badass before dying. Even my upgrades didn’t look as cool as yours.”

Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.

“Upgrades?” Mark asked.

“Well, I don’t remember you having a giant tattoo before. It looks nice.” Daniel made a show of checking out Mark’s backside, though he tried to keep his gaze off his friend’s very nice butt. Not because he didn’t want to look, but because he wanted permission to ogle before he really gave in.

“Tattoo?” Mark started craning his head around to see his back, which went poorly. He caught a glimpse of the branches spreading out onto the back of his shoulders and arms though. “Oh. Wow, um… Think Frankie will notice?”

Frankie was a sharp old biddy. Daniel had no doubt that it wouldn’t take the tattoo to tip her off that something had changed in her apprentice. Cosmetic changes usually represented something further when dealing with spirits and ghosts, if Riordan was any example to go by.

“Yeah, she’s going to notice,” Daniel affirmed. “What’s the tattoo represent? The promise to teach the tree spirit about people?”

To Daniel’s surprise and worry, Mark blushed brightly before glancing up at the tree. “Ah… Among other things.”

“Mark…”

“Yes?”

“What did you do?”

Mark shrugged, not meeting Daniel’s eyes. “I maybe became the Guardian for the Tree and its Domain?”

Daniel blinked at his friend. “Is that like Guardians of the Galaxy?”

“I’m a porcupine, not a raccoon, but we do have a talking tree,” Mark allowed before shrugging and grinning again. “No, it’s more like what Frankie does for Mother Bear. Only more direct?”

Sometimes talking to mages was like talking to business majors. Or heck, any major who forgot that you never took the lower levels of their specialty. It was half gibberish and the severity of anything was impossible to suss out.

“Talk to me like a three-year-old for a moment,” Daniel said, waving a warning finger at Mark. “What is a Guardian?”

“Someone who guards something,” Mark said, making sure to talk nice and slow. He was still grinning.

Mark was usually the serious one of the two of them. Daniel frowned. “Why are you smiling so much? Are you high?”

“No--,” Mark started and then paused, pondering. “Okay, maybe yes.”

“Do your magic herbs include marijuana?” Daniel asked, throwing his hands into the air.

“No. It’s just…,” Mark briefly closed his eyes, clearly trying to marshal his thoughts through that foggy happiness. “I’m just… I was under so much weight and so confused. And what I just went through was intense. Coming through such a vision and no longer feeling afraid afterwards? I may be a bit euphoric. It should pass with time.”

“So the tree put you back in your casing all shook up?” Daniel asked.

Mark laughed. “Basically. I’ll have to explain what those experiences do to a person. If I didn’t have practice with spirits, I’m not sure I could have held onto myself even as well as I did. A weaker person might not have transitioned back to themselves fast enough to remember how to breathe or keep their heart beating or something.”

That sounded far more dangerous than made Daniel comfortable, though it matched his own experience. “I guess it’s a good thing I’m already dead.”

Mark looked temporarily stricken. He reached out, grabbing Daniel’s arm and saying very sincerely, “You know I wouldn’t want to put you in danger. And I’m not glad you’re dead, but I’m glad you are okay and that you are still here.”

Daniel would have paid more attention to Mark’s sort of apology, but his attention was riveted on Marks’ hand. “You’re touching me.”

“Yeah, of course. I was trying to be comforting.” Mark started to pull his hand back.

Daniel reached out, grabbing Mark’s hand and keeping it on his arm. It was his turn to grin like a madman. “No, you’re touching me, Mark. I really am more solid.”

Realization dawned across Mark’s face like a sunrise, brightening everything as he beamed at Daniel. “That is an excellent upgrade.”

“It’s not the only change I got,” Daniel admitted before frowning sternly. “I’ll explain that if you explain the Guardian thing. Properly.”

Mark started to object and then nodded. “A Guardian is someone linked into a territory interface. Established territories like Sleeping Bear have a territory stone that is a major magical working. The Guardians for those are spirits who are contracted into the territory spell and constantly vigilant over the territory. The head shaman then will link up with those Guardians to gain a portion of the same territorial awareness and control.”

Even after taking a moment to digest that, Daniel had questions. “You aren’t a spirit. And this isn’t a territory.”

“It kinda of is. A territory is technically the region around a Place of Power, which usually either occurs because of a spirit or gives birth to a spirit. This was a minor Place just from having the Tree here and that just got stronger when it was upgraded. The territory stone and spirit Guardians just make for a much smoother interface, especially when it comes to inheriting the position of head shaman for the region.”

“That sounds… important. Frankie’s not going to be happy with you, is she?” Daniel asked.

Mark winced. “Ahaha. No, she won’t. But it was the right thing to do.”

Daniel considered that. In the end, it hardly mattered what he thought about the issue. He couldn’t free Mark from that contract, especially when Mark didn’t want to be freed. Besides, it might be a bit hypocritical to object.

“Fine, I guess I accept that,” Daniel sighed dramatically, “but that makes it your job to get a working TV out here.”

“What?” It was Mark’s turn to be confused.

“The tree gave me the power to absorb and transfer mana,” Daniel explained. “And now I owe it all the Disney movies.”