Koyuki, the Necromancing Foxkin

It took Cassie a day to prepare everything for the horse. My crawler was still a work in progress and I spent some more time researching their anatomy. They did not have blood but they had some sort of liquid inside their body. Perhaps I could circulate something through it? But would that be enough to create a vampiric crawler?

Meanwhile, Rose was getting really excited about her horse and practiced the runes I gave her all the long. The next day we are ready to raise her mount! All of my friends and undead were there to witness the event.

"Uh, why are you carrying a barrel, Skadi?" I asked.

"That's your blood. Horses are big, you know." Skadi replied. "It's a good thing that we are inside Frost territory, knowing the local lord makes it much easier to get resources."

"It's pig's blood and I have used the poison from Rose's fangs to enhance it. There is also a bit of vampiric nightshade seed which I got from Hans. I really want to experiment with this new drug and see if there is something useable for undead. I mean, the side effects are bad for the living but the dead might not care." Cassie explained.

"Don't get arrested for making drugs." Skadi warned her.

"I am not going to experiment unless I have a deal with the local lord, don't worry." Cassie assured her.

"Knowing Cassie, anything she has can explode on a moment's notice anyway." I joked.

"Hm…" Cassie looked thoughtful.

Skadi sighed.

"Normally vampires use their bite to create undead, right?" Helena asked. "Why isn't Rose biting the corpse? Wouldn't that help?

"Biting works to turn the living into undead, or it can be used to paralyse the victim via blood magic. To turn someone the vampire poisons the blood and fills it with death mana which kills the creature. It also prepares the body for the raise dead spell. However, that would not do much on a corpse and the lack of blood flow would mean the poison would not spread. Cassie can add the poison to the blood we are using and then Rose will circulate that. It mimics the biting process partially and combines it with a normal raise dead." I explained.

"I can't recommend biting a corpse unless it's fresh." Hatsumi added. "Once the blood is dry there is not much we can do with our fangs and the taste is bad."

While we were talking Rose had begun to work. She had defrosted the corpse, which had been frozen for preservation, and was now filling it with the blood from the barrel. The corpse was lying on the stone floor on its side. We had erected some ice walls around it to stop any blood we spilled from going everywhere. Ivy jumped on the dead horse and started kneading it, while purring. If she was actually helping with the blood circulation I had no idea.

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"I think it's flowing like you showed me!" Rose exclaimed.

"Good! Keep cycling it for a few minutes and then we will start raising it." I told her.

When everything was ready I kneeled beside Rose, who was touching the belly of the horse while concentrating on the blood. I took Rose's hand and began our joint casting. We were only going for a tier two but it being a vampiric undead made it a more complicated spell. I could feel Rose's magic as she formed her runes and she was doing well.

Working with affinities I did not have was still not pleasant but I completed my part and the spell activated. The horse changed. The fur became black while the mane and tail turned into a deep red. Crimson eyes opened and stared at us.

"Meeehhhow."

"Horses are not great at meowing." Helena mused.

Ivy jumped from the new undead as the horse rose. Then it just stood there and stared at us.

"It is tier two, right?" Skadi asked.

I nodded. "Yes, it is a tier two vampiric horse and the upkeep is shared between me and Rose it seems."

"A magnificent mount, well done Rose." Kaito said. "I am working on commands for Goro, if you want to we can exchange ideas."

Meanwhile Rose hugged the neck of her horse. "I love it! I name you Thorn!"

"A great name." Hatsumi said.

"Have you considered neckwear for Thorn?" Garm asked.

"I wonder what a vampiric horse can do? Can it drink blood? Horse teeth are more designed to eat grass, right?" Helena wondered.

Rose stepped back from Thorn and looked at his mouth. I could feel her giving some command and the horse's mouth opened. Then blood started to coat the teeth, adding some very sharp points.

"Wow, this is creepy. Cool but creepy." Helena said.

"Is it using the same ability that you are using for your blood claws, Hatsumi?" Skadi asked.

Hatsumi looked closer at Thorn and poked the blood covered teeth. "I think so, yes. The blood is certainly hard here at the tip and could easily pierce skin. How powerful they are will depend on how much mana Thorn has and what other inborn abilities he possesses."

"I still have the expensive goblins I got from the ambush, we could use one and see how Thorn devours." I suggested.

"You are going to use those goblins as food?" Cassie asked.

"They are not that great, I can do better if I get corpses. With the support of House Frost and House Ashburn I should be able to get some more." I reasoned.

"We need a goblin camp to raid, or something like that." Skadi stated.

"I think we might be allowed to join more missions from the army in the third year. Perhaps we can get some monster extermination assignments?" Helena mused.

While we were talking I ordered one of the expensive goblins to join us. When it arrived it stood before Thorn. The undead horse stared at the undead goblin.

"Um, is something supposed to happen?" Cassie asked.

Eventually Thorn opened his mouth and bit the arm of the undead goblin, then it began to chew.

"I think Thorn prefers things with blood." Rose said.

"Can it prefer things as a tier two?" Skadi asked.

"It has instincts but not real feelings. The instincts are usually based on the corpse you use but I think the type of undead you create will influence them as well. As a vampiric undead it makes sense that it is drawn to blood." I explained.

While Thorn was still chewing the arm the cats started to devour the remaining goblin. Despite their affinities they had no problem eating anything really. Overall this had been a great success and seeing Rose happy felt good. Necromancy could be really beautiful.