We looked at each other and spread out around the grave. Deciding to start with the obvious, we all began to clear space around the grave by simply pulling up the various weeds and grasses that grew wild. As there were four of us, we made good time with the task and soon enough, we had about a three-foot wide swathe of mostly cleared land around the grave. Drake supervised our work from his perch on Katira’s shoulder.

“Good job, Initiates. Does anyone know what would be a likely next step?” Katira asked.

Morita-san raised her hand. “Yes, Initiate?” Katira prompted, nodding at the young woman.

“Should we not clean the stones of moss and debris?” she asked.

“No. We will leave that. The reason is as follows: This gravesite was probably meant to become one with the land around it. If not, it wouldn’t have been placed so far away from civilization. We will leave the material that is on the grave precisely where it lies. Anyone else?” Katira replied.

Joaquin piped up with, “Em minha casa, honramos nossos mortos indo à Santa Missa e limpando o túmulo, se necessário. Aqui, eu pensaria que, como não conhecemos a pessoa, devemos apenas orar por sua alma.”

After Shutan translated for us, Katira responded with, “What if they were not Catholic or Christian? Would you tear them from their possible paradise by blessing the grave and praying for their soul to go to Heaven?” Looking at the rest of us, she softly said, “Remember Initiates. Not everyone will share your beliefs, and forcing them on another person is not the right thing to do.”

Robert scrunched his face up in confusion. “But you just said that we can hallow a gravesite by calling upon whatever deity we worship. What’s the difference?” he asked.

“Good question, Initiate, and thank you for asking it. Hallowing the land and praying for a person are two different things. The first simply marks the ground as holy. The second beseeches the aid of a particular deity to intercede on behalf of a person. What comes next is very simple. You honor the person,” Katira answered.

Stepping forward into the ring of cleared grass, Katira placed her right hand on the grave, near to where the phlox grew.

“To you, departed soul, we give thanks for your life. For the impact you made on this world while you lived, and for the feeding of the earth after. Thank you,” she said solemnly.

We all felt a chill rush through the still air, which was gone not a moment after it began. Stepping back, Katira smiled. “And that is a simple way to honor an unknown soul. Acknowledge the person and their accomplishments. Bring no mention of any deity into it, unless you know the person and their beliefs. Since the person has been honored, we may now begin the Hallowing process. Who would like to go first?” she asked cheerfully.

We looked at each other, nervous and self-conscious. Nobody wanted to be the first. Katira stood there, as patient as a statue. After looking at each other nervously for a moment, Morita-san knelt with her feet tucked under her body, clasped her hands in front of her in prayer, and was still for a few moments while the rest of us looked on. Oiwa’s face split in a wide grin before he too, knelt beside her.

“謹んで、天地の御霊とともに私の意図を聞き届けてくださる神々に、私の声を聞いていただきますようお願い申し上げます。悪を取り除き、邪悪で罪深い者を鞭打ち、この地を浄化してください、” she said solemnly.

As her words flowed out into the air, we all felt a calm settle around the small gravesite. It wasn’t profound, but it was definitely noticeable. Even the birds ceased their incessant springtime chatter.

Katira smiled and nodded as Morita-san rose smoothly. “Well done, Initiate.” Addressing the rest of us, she said, “Now you see the results of a properly performed Hallowing. It feels more peaceful here, does it not? This effect will only intensify with more and repeated Hallowings. Who would like to go next?”

Joaquin looked nervous as he stepped forward. “Do not know if God with me here. Can being a…Necromante work with God?” he asked quietly as Shutan placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder.

I, and I’m sure Robert as well, felt bad for the kid. Catholicism, especially Orthodoxy, denounced Necromancy in all its forms. I was wondering when this would come up for him.

Katira stood mute for a moment, obviously wrestling with something. She nodded once and took a breath. “Joaquin, you are right to be concerned. Your religion basically outlaws Necromancy. I want you to understand something, though. There have been more than a few Catholics who have been Necromancers. They all had to fight the same demons you are. I have personally had seven Masters who were Catholic. Watching this struggle was never pleasant, but most were able to reconcile their faith with their abilities. Remember: To you and all of the Catholics and Christians that I have known, your God created all things. Even us familiars. Including the very concept of evil. Nothing that exists would be there were it not for Him. You might find that you will never reanimate another creature after your examination and Growth, and that is totally fine. There are many other things you can do for the Guild. Lending your essence to certain endeavors is one. As is following Robert’s idea of simply making Message Stones. The pair of you could start a business do so, actually. I will leave that to you to contemplate.

“However, you will have to consecrate a gravesite during your examination. It would be best for you to figure out a way to do so as neutrally as possible. I cannot give you hints, as you must develop your own method in order for it to be as heartfelt and pure as possible,” she said, Shutan muttering the Portuguese translation in Joaquin’s ear.

This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

Joaquin nodded and stood for a moment in thought. Smiling, he lay a hand to his heart, extending the other to the sky. Loudly, he proclaimed, “Ó Senhor, abençoe esta terra; conceda paz a todos que possam entrar e coloque sua mão misericordiosa sobre todos nós.”

As before, we all felt the calm descend upon us, intensifying the feeling of being relaxed and safe. Katira smiled at Joaquin. “Good job, Initiate. You found a way to word a prayer that was unintrusive to the rights and wills of those around you. You’re smarter than you give yourself credit for. I think you’ll do just fine in this world,” she said, then looked between Robert and myself. “Well? Which of you two boys wants to go next?”

Robert and I looked at each other. Raising his left fist, his right extended palm-up, he said, “First to three? Winner goes last?”

Playing rock-paper-scissors to decide who went next for the Hallowing wasn’t high on my list of ways to make this choice, but since he suggested it…

“I suppose this is the fairest way to do this. One, two, three, then throw?” Robert nodded. “Okay. Let’s go,” I said, mimicking his hand positions.

“One,” we said in unison, our fists tapping our palms.

“Two.”

“Three.”

As our fists came down the fourth time, I threw Rock, and Robert scissors. One for me.

“One, two, three!”

Robert threw scissors, and I paper. One each.

“One, two, three!”

Robert threw rock, and I scissors. Two to one.

“One, two, three!”

We both threw rock.

“One, two, three!”

We both threw paper.

Irritated, I shook my hands and arms, determined to win. Robert smiled softly.

“One, two, three!”

Robert threw rock, and I threw scissors. Three to one. Shit.

“Your turn, Stu. Good luck!” Robert said with a smile.

Grumbling, I turned back to the grave, seeing a slight smirk on Katira’s face. I shook my head to clear my mind, and thought for a moment. Just what could I do to hallow this earth? Who could I call on?

Wait… This was the land I was hallowing. Cleansing. Why call on my gods at all? I could simply call upon the spirits of the land itself, the landvættir. Who better to cleanse and consecrate this gound than the ones that lived here to begin with?

I reached into my pocket for the bottle of water and bit of sandwich. Pouring a bit into my hand, I walked around the grave, sprinkling it on the ground. Reaching what I assumed to be the ‘head’ of the grave, I reverently lay the leftover sandwich on the ground and spoke to the spirits of the land.

“Spirits of the land, hear my plea. Make this ground safe and sacred for all, drive out the unworthy, and bring us peace.” I took a drink of the water, then poured the rest on the ground. “Thank you, and farewell.” The sandwich vanished.

As before, the sensation of peace and tranquility intensified, and it almost seemed like we were in a bubble of calm, the eye of a tornado.

“Good work, Initiate. Calling upon the natural spirits that reside in an area is always a good idea for a Hallowing. Finally, it is your turn, Initiate Grimes,” Katira said, turning at last to Robert.

“Well, this is awkward. I’m an atheist, and I don’t have any deities or spirits to call upon,” he said, rubbing the back of his neck in embarrassment.

“No matter. A drop of your essence in each cardinal direction will do, Initiate Grimes. You needn’t call or invoke anything. Just fill the essence with your desire to see the land Hallowed, and your essence will do the rest,” Katira said by way of an answer.

Robert looked mollified and relaxed visibly. Looking about for a sharp rock or something, he began to get frustrated. Drake bounded over to him and presented his claw. “Thanks, little guy. I appreciate you helping me here,” Robert said gratefully.

Extending his hand, Robert closed his eyes. Quick as a blink, Drake’s taloned hand flashed out and punctured Robert’s index finger. Robert winced and looked over at the blood beginning to well up from the tiny hole as Drake bounded up to my shoulder this time, and curled around my neck.

Robert closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Opening them, he paced the grave once, letting a droplet of blood fall onto the ground at each cardinal point. As it was three times before, we once again felt a calm descend onto the gravesite, and looked up at Katira, who was beaming happily.

“Good work, Initiate Grimes. Excellent job, everyone. With this, I can teach you no more. I’ve shown you the barest of the basics. You understand your essence, and how it impacts your life. You should be safe when your Growth manifests itself. If you desire more training, you may head to the Guildhall and request training from another Necromancer. Someone will respond to your request. Let’s all head back to the cave,” Katira announced.

We looked at each other and smiled. Our initial training was over, and we should be safe enough to survive. To our surprise, Joaquin reached over and took Morita-san’s hand and the pair began to head back towards the cave.

“How utterly shameful,” Oiwa murmured as the pair left.

“What? They’re holding hands, Oiwa. Nothing shameful about that,” I replied in confusion.

“Hmph. He could've at least requested my permission,” Oiwa said disdainfully.

Shutan chuckled and laid a bony hand on the Oni’s shoulder. “My young friend, we will grow through this together,” he said softly.

The massive Oni sighed and relented. “I suppose we will. Let us catch up to them,” he said, loping after the pair at a trot, followed closely by a clacking Shutan.

Robert and Yin followed the quartet with a soft smile. Katira slid her arm around mine, and we brought up the rear, speculating quietly about the future of the young couple ahead of us.