Edward had enjoyed his dinner with Melody and was looking forward to working with her. But there were some things that he had to get done before meeting up with her for the noon train. He decided to start with opening the mystery box from Grandpa Ray. It took very little time to get the lid off once he was home. There was a letter sitting just inside. He checked. The side he had opened was the only one with exposed fasteners. He had worried for a moment that there was something more complicated keeping the letter as the first item in the box. He unfolded and read it:

  Edward, my dear young man,

  As you have hopefully guessed, I am not a breather. I haven't been for quite some time. And while I am not your undead, I do think of you as my young man. I enjoyed the time we spent together before my “death”. And you have great potential, far more than most of the idiots in your school. At your grandfather's request, I have done my best to set you up as a successful necromancer. For my own part, I have worked to make necromancy a lifestyle that you will enjoy. I know that you have wondered and worried about your minions. They are not like all the others. It's okay. They are fine.

  What really gets to a necromancer in the long term, is the isolation. You will need people to talk to. People that you like. The heirloom Animate Dead spell that I gave you is actually, Raise Major Undead. I developed this particular one. So it really is an heirloom. But your minions are far more powerful than what your classmates were raising. I asked them to hide it. They are intelligent and not compelled to follow your commands. I did interview them thoroughly before I chose them for you to raise. I don't expect you to have any troubles with them at all. Think of them as an adventuring party and you won't go far wrong. You will need a few things though, which I have included in this box.

  First you need two spells: Speak With Dead and Speak With Undead. Use the first for interviews if you want or need more minions. Use the second spell to talk to the ones you have.

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

  Next is what is taking up most of the room. I think you will appreciate it. Under the spell books, you will find two violins. One is for you. Become the musician you always wanted to be. Necromancers are known to be eccentric. No one will comment. The second one is for one of your undead. The skeleton in the hat and coat. They were a minstrel in life. Now they're a Death Knight and have agreed to teach you to play the violin or whatever you want to learn.

  You should probably learn those spells and go meet your minions soon. They will make good company for you on the road. Please forgive my deceptions. I will find you after your independent study.

  Best of Luck,

  Grandpa Ray

  The first thought to go through Edward's head was, “I'm so dead. Those undead are uncontrolled.” The second thought was, “Wait, he got me a violin AND a teacher?!?” Edward pulled out the spellbook. Then carefully pulled two matching violin cases from the crate. They looked sturdy and weatherproof. He flipped the latches on both and opened the lids simultaneously. He looked back and forth between the cases, trying to see both violins at once. To his eyes they were both beautiful. He grabbed the spellbook and quickly learned Speak with Undead. Then he took his violins to the undead field outside of town so he could meet his music teacher.

  Out in the field, Edward's thinking undead had been chugging along on several projects for the last month. The newest had grown into their powers. The older ones had long since mastered theirs. Most importantly to the four newest, they could finally all communicate with each other. Possibly more importantly, Alanso had learned to move. His earlier problems had stemmed from the extreme maneuverability of his phantom shape. The phantom had a cross section as large as a human. However, it was as thin as a piece of paper. He could float like a leaf in the wind. Or he could turn sideways and slide quickly through the air. And since he could change the shape (but not size) he could fit through almost any crack. In daylight, he looked like a shadow floating in air. In low light, he was invisible. And he loved it every bit of his new form.

  They could all feel the rough direction of the man who raised them. When Edward came toward them the night after graduation, they went to the edge of the field to meet him. Once the skeleton saw the violin cases and the silly smile on Edward's face, he let out a delighted peal of laughter to the other thinking undead. Then he stepped over the line the unthinking ones could not cross and approached his new student.

  Edward stayed until dawn, finally learning music. Meeting new friends. His thinking undead promised to find a box, put his name on it, and be “packed and ready, on the platform” by 11:45. They would carry the violins. Edward went to bed happier than he'd been in years.