I wanted to become a necromancer, so I sold my heart to a crow

I was feeling much better now, like a new man. Heading for my room, I turned on my desktop computer to do some research, while enjoying my raspberry yoghurt coulis.

A magical forum, that should help me.

"Hi, my name is ...." Putting my real name online might be a mistake, I thought, so I opted for a pseudonym.

"My name is 'crow's voice', I'd like to understand how necromancy works and if anyone in the world currently practices it. I understand it's a rare form of magic".

The message was posted on the forum at 12.10 p.m. I waited an hour, trying to gather information from the books in my library. But no matter how hard I looked, the only hint I could find was that 200 years ago, in Morocco, an old man had used a complicated formula to demonstrate that there was another form of magic, different from Mana, that certain magicians could harness. He had called this magic "etheric".

Back on the forum, I was surprised, to say the least.

"It doesn't exist, no spam on the forum".

"Necromancy? Never heard of it, I know cyberspace and nano magic if you want to talk"

"Lol, the guy made up a random word"

"I'm in my 3rd year at the Noctimancie school of magic and nothing about it sorry"

The further I descended into the discussion, the more my hopes diminished. I was in no position to find out more.

I stroked Nizé's plumage, and wondered if my parents would let him into my room when they got home. So I set up a little corner behind my desk with newspaper and a bit of carving wood that had been lying around for years, it looked like a little nest, then I put Nizé down, who seemed satisfied. As soon as I set him down, his eyes closed and he slept peacefully.

A brochure slipped from my drawer: School of bestial magic, come and take the entrance exam, free of charge! Main school in Scotland, the exam can be taken at any magic school, so take your chance to become an archmage and make a fortune! Call ....

The brochure was very flashy, with garish colors and gorillas ridden by magicians. My father had unearthed a whole bunch for my brother Charles Junior. What if I tried my luck? After all, I've mastered magic now!

I grabbed the house phone, and a male voice quickly answered. 

"So you want to master bestial magic?" He was cheerful, his voice hoarse as he descended into the low notes.

"Yes I'd love to, I understand that....."

No sooner had I finished my sentence than someone knocked on the door of the house.

"Your examiner is here, good luck!"

"But...but" He had hung up.

I don't need to tell you how fast everything was happening. The day before I was eating a sandwich on a bench, and now it's 3pm and an examiner is knocking on my door.

They say that once change is underway, it's unstoppable, at least according to my bedside fantasy book.

Styling my hair as best I could while adjusting my shirt, I opened the door.

A woman, small compared to my 1m70, dressed in a pointed hat and yellow dress smiled warmly at me.

"You're Anoir, aren't you?"

"That's right, you've come to give me the exam?"

"Absolutely, call me Professor Dim, you know the number of students of bestial magic has only been decreasing since the space magic school in America was created, so let's not waste any time."

She was carrying a cage that appeared to contain birds.

"I suggest we do it in your garden, I can see it's well hidden with your large shrubs"

She took my hand and pulled me with a strength I would never have suspected came from such a small woman.

"The exam has become simpler and simpler with time, I'm counting on you to pass!"

Try as I might to determine her temperament, it was as changeable as the flame.

"First of all, here are 2 birds, they're sparrows, to pass the exam you must be able to either make them change shape by forced evolution, like this:"

The sparrow she held in her hand metamorphosed into an eagle, then a bluish phoenix. It stared at me accusingly with its luminescent eyes.

"Either control them to assemble a dollhouse, like this:"

She released the second sparrow, and with the phoenix, using the branches of the shrubs in the garden, they assembled a small house 20cm high, from foundation to roof.

"It's your turn"

I was stunned and disarmed. The truth would undoubtedly make Professor Dim realize that she had wasted her time.

"Professor, I don't know how to master bestial magic, at all..." My dejected air as I think I give a burst of strength back to the professor who was launching into complex explanations, but within my grasp.

"Is everything clear? Now try the best you can, I'm under no obligation at the moment so I've got a bit of time to let you experiment."

I followed his instructions to the letter. The sparrow, from the top of the little house, seemed to be wondering what the hell I was doing, taking it in one hand, then putting it down again and trying to work the magic.

Nizé's voice came into my mind, in runic language, explaining how to do it. So I acted.

The sparrow in my hand stopped hopping and making sounds. Professor Dim made a sound of astonishment. Two more wings sprouted, black onyx, its body grew in size and its feathers fell one by one, leaving only its skin, which also turned a deep black. His beak lengthened and the tip of it turned light red. He gave an almost human laugh and fell back into silence. Then it landed on my shoulder. It was far less impressive than the blue phoenix, which seemed to recoil instinctively as if frightened.

"Well, I think you've done it, congratulations." The professor had taken out a notepad and made notes on the bird, with a strange smile.

"Here's your admission badge, you've been accepted into Scotland's magical school: Fur, newly admitted section, however I see you're not of age yet, I'll need to have a word with your parents."

If my dad found out I could do magic, he'd probably say I'd been laughing at him all my life, it smelled like shit, it's going to be a pain.