Talking about the ranking in this world it seems rather simple on the surface. For each profession there is ranks 1-9 then after rank nine is the legend rank followed by demigod then godhood. Each rank is divided into low level middle level and high level. Huld for example is a low level rank 2 witch doctor.
However it's slightly more complicated as one person can have many professions, creating different power levels as they work together. For example a low level rank 3 paladin with a high level rank 1 fighter side profession can create power at high level rank 3 instead of low level.
While this is not super common, with professions that overlap such as a wizard and witch doctor it's much easier than trying to be a fighter as well as a wizard. Having two professions is somewhat uncommon but not rare. Three professions is extremely rare of and four is almost unheard of.
Just as they finish their conversation on the intricacies of this worlds power system Marie passes a glowing dark red potion into Tom's hands. "Drink that and your heart will pump and lungs breath for a year. Permanent more overarching solutions are however much more... difficult to acquire."
Tom looks at the potion with his now purple eyes. He grabs it and downs it in one go and pauses. The first thing Tom notices is the thumping of his heart. He then feels the flowing of blood through his veins and his first breath since waking up in this world involuntarily happens.
Having breathing lungs and a beating heart never felt so good to Tom before. He thought he would be fine as an undead but now realizing what he missed he doesn't know if he can ever go back. It seems he may be attached to Marie longer than his contract states, as living is rather addicting.
Marie hands Tom a small knife, "Now my precious herb producer time to pay your due that potion is expensive you know. What I need right now is dream moss and void thyme, I have an experiment."
Tom grimaces holding the small knife, "What do I get in return for being your personal herb maker?"
Marie taps her finger somewhat annoyed, "I could just order you to make the herbs but I don't like one way deals. How about this, I'll train you in voodoo. How much you learn is up to you."
"That's the best I'll get I guess." Tom finishes and cuts two small lines in his lower arm. He focuses on the herbs he already has knowledge of from the fae's memories and from the cuts grows a dimly shining rainbow moss as well as thyme that seems to have no substance yet is still in its form.
Marie's eyes shine with delight as she carefully harvests the precious herbs. She then says, "Next up Kasiper and Arctic Lillies!"
This repeats itself with many different cycles however as time goes by the quality of these herbs obviously drop. Marie seems disappointed, "Hmmm what a shame it seems in terms of quality your limit is four cuts a day."
"How greedy, many of these herbs common casters and alchemists can't see in a lifetime." Huld exclaims.
"Yes well, now that we're done with that, let me take you to see your fellow students." Marie leads them to the three in the living area.
Up close Tom is somewhat astonished at their unique looks. The first is a girl reading a book with only a palm sign on the cover. The sad thing is she has no arms. Just bandages covering the stumps of her upper arms and shoulders.
Yet she makes up for it with the thirteen floating blue mage hands doing a variety of things for her like holding up the book and turning the pages. Or massaging her neck while another writes in a notebook. She has short black hair with natural white tips and red eyes above slightly freckled cheeks.
Marie introduces her, "This is Ella, she lost her arms after being caught as a thief a while ago but this mage hand book she got a hold of has completely turned her fate around. Say hi Ella this is Tom my new Herb slave. *Ahem* Student."
Ella doesn't say anything and only gives a slight wave with of one of the hands before returning to her book. Marie smiles and says, "She doesn't talk much but she's been one of my favorite students so far."
She goes on to look at Huld, "Much better than this fool who is only low level rank 2 after so many years. So little passion for the mystic arts."
She leads them over to the two playing chess. Both are animals. One looks like an anthropomorphic shiba inu with clothes and a tank of water on his back that leads to a shower head just over the top of his skull.
As they're walking over his head suddenly catches on fire. The shiba inu just sighs and presses a button on a remote he has close at hand. The shower head over him turns on quickly extinguishing the fire but also drenching him at the same time.
Marie walks over with Tom and Huld in tow gesturing towards the short dog man with a sour look on his face, "This is Dai. He's cursed but refuses to let me remove it, he says he wants to solve it himself which is why he's training under me. Say hi Dai!"
"Hi herb slave, I can't talk right now this game is intense." Dai responds not moving his eyes from the chess board.
Tom looks at the state of the game and realizes Dai is losing. Badly. He turns his head to looks at the final student to be introduced to. It's just a sheep. Not anthropomorphic or anything. Just a sheep sitting upright with its legs crossed and a hint of ridicule in its eyes as it stares at Dai.
As Dai makes his move the sheep instantly goes, "Baaaaaa!" Surprisingly Tom can vaguely understand it as 'pawn to A1, Queen me!' However the others can't seem to understand the sheep.
After the sheep 'baas' a small mouse heads onto the chessboard carefully and moves a pawn to the end of the board exchanging it for a queen. As Tom looks around carefully he notices two other mice making for three that seem to be subservient to the sheep.
Looking at the recently exchanged queen, Dai's eyebrow twitches in anger yet he keeps playing stubbornly. Marie pipes up, "This final one is more of a guest, she just showed up one day with her mice and refuses to leave. I've tried to make her leave and I hate to admit it but she's more powerful than I am..."
"So here she is?" Huld says.
"So here she is." Marie replies.
"Life's been harder on you than I thought Teacher." Huld says solemnly.
"Well. Say hi sheep."
"Baaaaaa!" (Hello herb slave.) The sheep baas.
Tom at this moment pipes up, "Can you guys not understand this sheep?"
Marie looks surprised, "Can you?"
"Well yes..."
Marie at this moment looks only slightly surprised while Dai looks excited. The sheep stares at Tom with a strange look before leaning over and personally knocking out Dai's king.
"Baaaaaa." (Checkmate loser midget dog.)
"What'd she say?" Dai asks.
Tom replies with a shortened version, "Checkmate loser."
Dai clenches his fist before giving the amused sheep the finger and storming upstairs. As he walks off his head catches fire again and he angrily presses his remote drenching himself in water once again.
"Hey my dear student can you kindly ask this sheep to leave? I'm sick of cleaning up shed wool and losing in poker." Marie asks Tom.
"Baaaaa. Baaa baa." (Not until I'm done thrashing you guys in these simple games.)
"She said no." Tom relays the message.
Marie mopes a moment before returning to the main point. "I suppose you can understand her because she's a fae creature as well. Makes sense, I'll have to look up methods to deal with fae and finally get rid of this beast.
"Baaaa!" (In your dreams!) the sheep snorts after baaing.
Marie turns to Tom, "Well I guess I'd better teach you, let me divine what Huld needs right now though. His matter is rather urgent."
Marie next waves her hand and many pieces of dark bones with faint green lines running through in a vein pattern. Next to them is a simple clay cup. "Bone shards and cup made personally by oracles in Delphi for divination."
Huld sighs, "I envy your wealth Madam Laveau. I'm still using the set of tarot cards you gave me twenty years ago."
Marie then proceeds to unfurl a simple map of the east coast of America she lays it on the table used earlier for tea. She throws the bones into the cup and shakes it around before throwing them onto the map. The shards spew across the map in apparent chaos.
But Marie can see hints of the truth and fate in their chaos. This practice requires years of training and strong wits about oneself. Not enough time in this magic art or being just a little too dumb can lead to incorrect divinations or even in extreme cases backlash from fate itself.
Marie looks at the bones intently for a few minutes her eyes carefully studying their angle, position, and meaning. "My dear apprentice, what you seek is in a cemetery in New York. Make haste as time is not on your side. Yet beware for your life, as in those tombs lies an evil presence."
Huld nods at Marie and with a simple "Thank you teacher." he heads silently towards the door.
Madame Laveau quickly stops him and passes him a familiar looking contract. "To make up for the help you've lost."
Huld nods and heads out the door. Tom doesn't chase or offer to help, they've only known each other for less than a month. Yet he can't help but worry about the kind, middle aged witch doctor that brought him into this world.