Alec was getting sick and tired of feeling helpless. To the point that he was getting sick and tired of being sick and tired of feeling helpless.

It wasn’t even the first time he’d had that particular thought, and the terrible irony was that if he compared himself to the Alec of just a few months ago, freshly kidnapped/rescued from the massacre of Mori’s Respite, the gulf was almost unimaginable.

The weapons training he’d received from Saiko, the bevy of magical equipment from the Seruatis residents, all the magical power that came from being bonded to Holly (or more accurately the power that Holly received from him given he was yet to cast a spell), the alchemicals taken from Sato’s corpse, the fact he’d killed a man…

The Alec of those previous months would have had no idea how to handle a skeleton running at him blade in hand. Current Alec would take the skeleton’s hand off at the wrist, reach through the ribcage and pull the spine apart, shattering the binding maintaining the undead servitor.

Despite all of that, he was under absolutely no illusions that either he or Holly had survived that trial on their own merits. To be so utterly in the power of others was a sensation he was heartily sick of, to have no input on whether they lived or died.

The feeling had gotten worse since Erebus had left.

Before, for all he’d had a similar lack of control over his destiny, he’d at least known there was an indefatigable guardian fighting on his side unconditionally. That if there was no way he could possibly hope to defeat a given monster, whatever it was was equally outclassed in the face of the necromancer in who’s wake he’d found himself pulled.

That illusion, and that safety, had been shattered by Erebus’ fleeing into the hells. It wasn’t just that there were threats so deadly Alec couldn’t hope to survive them, to witness the archmage in single combat with what was, ultimately, a demonic god, had rammed home that safety itself was an illusion.

There was always something bigger, something stronger, older, wiser or faster.

‘You’re moping.’ The thought was an intrusive one, mostly because it wasn’t his.

Alec rolled his eyes at the accusation, turning his head just a little to glance side-long at Holly.

The dryad’s lips were pressed tight together in concentration as she stared a hole into the back of the necromancer, Gardener Medin, tasked to lead them to ‘their rooms’.

Neither of them was convinced that the rooms wouldn’t be some kind of dingy cell. With just how committed necromancers seemed to be to the aesthetic that might very well just be where students were kept, no nefarious intentions needed.

But just in case evil was indeed afoot, Holly was ready to act. He could feel it in their shared soul, in the way Holly was pulling magicka, the unique refined mana every living being produced, from him, to cast a spell if needed.

It wouldn’t be artful. Holly’s spellwork currently consisted of just vaguely shunting force in a direction, though for Alec even that was enviable.

He could feel it in other ways, like the way her more human senses were bleeding into his own where she was pushing them aside to focus on the exclusively supernatural ones every dryad had.

It was a sign of just how much she trusted him these days, it was also nauseating as the doubled input washed over him, something the human mind had never been designed for as Holly let him decide if there was anything happening around her that she’d need to pay attention to while she searched for any plantlife that might respond to her call.

There was astonishingly little, with a building as old as the Necropolis she’d have expected to find a plethora of moss to entreat, old trees clinging stubbornly to life in courtyards never designed to contain such a large plant, grass aplenty as a decorative afterthought, but there was almost nothing.

And the ‘almost’ was strange. Normally plants were desperate to help a dryad in need, yet these plants were distant, physically and metaphorically, and loved her not at all.

With a shiver she pulled back her senses, taking back her hearing and sight from Alec in time to hear Gardener Medin exclaim, “Ah here we are. You’re rather lucky you know. Advanced students get their own room, though I’m told you two will have to share.”

It wasn’t the cold iron-barred cell both had been quietly expecting, at least from the outside, just a simple wooden door, cheaply made perhaps which was an oddity in itself given the Necropolis’ commitment to gothic grandeur, and one of several dozen identical doors that dotted the corridor in even intervals.

If the world had any romance to it, any inherent mysticism, then the number on the door would have been a thirteen, perhaps even a seven or the necromantically coveted eight, but Holly and Alec had no such luck, their door was number eleven.

“There’s only one bed I’m afraid.” Medin continued, “New students don’t usually have familiars large enough to need their own mattress.”

“Alec’s not a familiar.” Holly snapped, mischief dancing behind emerald eyes while a bark-hued arm went protectively around the teenager’s waist.

Alec’s glare would have earned him a standing ovation from Dus herself, he’d been about to protest on Holly’s behalf, just a half-second slower and a lot more sincere in the bargain.

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Medin chuckled, “Not my business. Though if you want to share your tale with me I’ll make it worth your while, good gossip’s hard currency here.”

Holly considered it for a moment before shaking her head, “I don’t want to tell you anything that might get you killed.”

The necromancer paused mid-titter, eyes narrowing, “Sweet Martyr, you’re serious. Well let’s just continue on with the tour, you’ve got a common room down the end of that corridor, never been there myself – I wasn’t an advanced student – but I’m told it’s cozy. You’ve got a small group of fellow students this year, though in my opinion they’re weirder than normal.”

He paused trying to think of what else was important to know, if this was part of Gardener Medin’s normal duties Alec would have eaten his scabbard.

“Let’s see… don’t go to the library without a fully qualified necromancer to protect you. The skeletons in the red uniforms should do whatever you tell them. If any of the ghosts try to lead you anywhere, and I mean anywhere at all, you yell for help and try to find a living mage. And I do mean living, you never know for sure who the liches will side with. Here’s your room-key, try not to lose it, and if you do lose it under no circumstance try to pick the lock… I think that’s everything. Good luck.”

Medin started to walk away, leaving Alec holding a surprisingly heavy brass key. The teenagers staring at his retreating back before they realised their only source of information was making his escape.

“Wait a minute!” Alec yelled, running after the not-quite-fleeing mage, “What about lessons? What about food?!”

“Not my job.” Medin snapped back over his shoulder, “I was told to see you safely to your room and I’ve done that. Now I’m getting away from whatever deadly secrets you idiots are holding before someone decides I’m the one who knows too much.”

Alec and Holly were left staring at the empty corridor as Medin rounded the corner, the necromancer starting to pick up the pace into a full run as he got away from the information equivalent of Patient Zero.

“That could have gone better.” Alec noted bitterly as even their guide’s retreating footsteps disappeared.

“Could have gone worse.” Holly countered, “Noone tried to kill us.”

“Yeah, normal necromancers are merely scared to be seen breathing the same air as us.”

“I don’t mind them being scared of us.” The dryad stated, showing far more teeth than necessary in her smile.

“I do. We’re going to need some friends here if we’re going to stay alive because I do not think Natalya’s sticking around to protect us.”

Holly shrugged at that, “Cowards make poor friends.”

Alec conceded the point, walking back to her to slip the key into the lock and, with the resistance of tumblers that hadn’t seen oil this side of the century, twisting it to let the door swing smoothly open. Predictably it creaked.

The room was… surprisingly nice. The furnishings, while old, were more weathered than ruined. The bed frame an elderly teak, and the wardrobe and dresser the same. A small bookshelf was affixed to the wall opposite the bed, devoid of books admittedly which made it just a shelf for now.

There was even a stand by the bed for his staff, and the bed itself was borderline luxurious, at least by the standards of a teenager who’d been having to use the floor as oft as not lately. He’d been expecting a small cramped bunk in the corner with a straw mattress and a pillow that was at least half filled with something analogous to concrete.

Instead the mattress had a definite bounce to it, as Holly found out as she more or less threw herself on it with a pleased sigh. The pillows were numerous and feather-filled and it even had a full duvet.

The only real problem in the room was the mage-lamp in the corner that neither Alec or Holly had any idea how to turn off, at least until the noted the carefully folded sheet of black cloth for just covering the orange-yellow glowing orb.

“I see I’m taking the floor tonight.” Alec observed dryly as Holly burrowed her way under the covers, the teenager beginning to unpack his bedroll.

‘Don’t be ridiculous.’ Holly thought bluntly at him. ‘Just share the damn bed.’

It was moments like this that reminded Alec that for all he shared his soul with Holly, they were still very, very different people with very different upbringings.

His own, as a totally random and in no way relevant example, had been, if not outright prudish, then at least had enough of a focus on modesty that Holly’s well intentioned thought had turned his cheeks a deep strawberry red at least until he realised he was being ridiculous.

If Holly planned to perv on him then all she had to do was piggyback his eyes the next time he tried to bathe, and vice versa. Perhaps shockingly, at least to an outsider, neither of them had made the tempt, or even been tempted for that matter.

He could feel her emotions washing over him right now and there was nothing coy, lustful or even curious coming across, just bemusement and annoyance that he was making this a big deal.

With a shrug Alec moving to lay on the bed, staying above the covers so he could stare at the ceiling. A bleak edifice of concrete that was about as featureless as the ice of the northern wastes.

“Your sword’s digging into me.” Holly complained, tunneling up to the surface next to him.

“Sorry.” He mumbled, embarrassed as he unclipped the blade from his belt and placed it carefully under the bed, making sure the hilt was to hand if he needed it before adding his hoard of alchemicals on the basis that blowing himself up by rolling over in his sleep was a pretty shoddy epitaph.

“So necromancy lessons…” The dryad began, not quite sure how to even complete her question.

“It will be dangerous.” Alec answered anyway, “Erebus never made a secret of the fact students die sometimes.”

“Yes, but then…” She let out a deep breath, “but then it’s our turn to be the one people depend on.”

Her human half considered his answer carefully, “Yes, but that doesn’t mean we have to walk in his footsteps. We’ve got options.”

Erebus had been very clear on that. The necromancer desperate to dissuade them from following in his footsteps and both of them could see why. When they’d last seen Erebus, carrying his beloved teacher’s broken body through a gate to the Hells, neither of them had ever seen anyone look even half so lonely.

“We’ve got each other.” Holly pointed out, the warm smile cooling into something steely as she added, “And we know what’s out there now.”

“Some of what’s out there.” Alec corrected, “But you’re right, someone’s got to… to stand up and fight when monsters attack. There’s no good reason why it shouldn’t be us.”

The young dryad nodded but didn’t yet put voice to the other thing they both agreed on, the silence stretching between them for a subjective eternity until they broke it both at once, “I’m scared.”

The duo shared a glance then broke into nervous laughter, Alec continuing, “Of course we’re scared, we know what’s out there.”

“Some of what’s out there.” Holly flashed him a thousand volt smirk.

She didn’t get a retort, Alec just shaking his head in false exasperation before he closed his eyes and tried to get some sleep.