Lara stood outside the thick, black metal doors. When Lara was younger, she remembered the doors upstairs used to be wood, but now, wood was replaced with forged iron.

She banged on the entrance with the side of her fist, creating a low rumble. A simple knock wouldn’t make enough sound. The two doors split open at the center, and Mozer slipped out, wearing nothing but a cloth over his groin. He was pale and lean and glanced up and down at Lara.

“The Silver Navy has found the remains you requested,” Lara stated.

The glowing candlelight from the stone walls shined enough to illuminate Mozer’s lips curling from ear-to-ear. “You mean, the remains of Zevolra? They’ve been found?”

Lara nodded. She could tell his mouth was watering.

“This is wonderful, wonderful news. Where is it?” Mozer leaned forward, his face just inches from Lara.

She took a deep breath. “It’s at the Navy post east of Lostonia. They found it in the Bolt Sea.”

“Take me to it right away, won’t you?” Mozer asked.

“Right now?”

“Yes!” Mozer strode down the narrow purple carpet in the middle of the flagstone floor.

“Don’t you want to tell whoever is in your bed where you’re going?” Lara said with a hint of snark.

Mozer froze and turned around slower than molasses. He crept up to Lara, standing inches away from her. Lara didn’t lean back or hesitate, even though her heart raced.

“I don’t answer to anyone,” Mozer said with a shaky voice, running his fingers through Lara’s hair. However, she remained still, furrowing her brow. “It’s just you and me here, darling.” Mozer cupped the back of Lara’s head and yanked her forward, locking her in for a kiss.

Lara shoved him away. “What are you doing?”

Mozer chuckled. “You’re really the closest one to me; you of all people should know me better than anyone, yet it’s taken me so long to do that.”

“Why now?” Lara clenched her fist.

“I’m feeling on top of the world, darling. And you always held a certain fear over me, until now.” Mozer winked.

“You really shouldn’t force people to do things like that.”

“You’re right; normal people shouldn’t, but I can.” Mozer blew her a kiss.

“It’s just you and me in this hallway. I could seriously hurt you; you know that, right?”

“Ah. Go ahead and try it then.” Mozer leaned his head forward, flashing all of his teeth with a twisted grin.

“Put on some clothes and have some respect for the Silver Navy that worked endlessly to find your treasure,” Lara snapped.

“Just for you,” Mozer said, slipping back inside his room through the iron doors.

Lara prepared a double-suited carriage of thirty-six horses from the royal stables. She made sure the carriage was filled with Silver Army infantrymen and that all the door locks functioned. She also requested the kitchen staff to prepare a variety of meads for the short trip.

Mozer strolled down to the stables, carrying a cane with a crystallized skull at the top. The infantry waited in front of the carriage, saluting him as he moseyed by. Lara held the door open for him. “Onward and posthaste!” Mozer announced before settling into the velvet booth inside. Lara closed the door, and the stable gates rolled open, revealing the early morning fog. The cab driver hollered out, and the horses sprinted west.

Along their smooth journey, the fog lifted, and the sun filled the land with a pink-orange hue. Mozer had spotted a man and a woman riding horses yards away in a field. They were gawking at the royal carriage.

Mozer grinned. “Stop the cart!” he screamed.

“What? Why?” Lara asked.

“Don’t talk back to me. I want this cart stopped now, so stop it!”

Lara glared back at Mozer and wrenched open the latch on the ceiling. A small ladder came down, followed by a gentle breeze. She hopped up the steps and trod on top of the double carriage to reach the front, where she told the driver to stop immediately. The cab driver swore and jerked the reins back, stopping all the well-trained horses without much delay. Lara went back down into the cabin.

“Get all the infantrymen out, now,” Mozer stated as he hurried outside with his cane. He strolled towards the couple that had stopped and ogled.

Lara opened up the door to the Silver Army cabin and instructed all of them to stand by.

“Hello! Beautiful horses, I must say!” Mozer smiled at the man and woman who were trembling.

“Hi!” The woman beamed.

“Is it you? Is it really you?” The man glowed.

“Yes, it is. My oh my, your horses are beautiful, but this specimen in front of me, well, she’s even more captivating.” Mozer leered at the woman.

“Uh, you talkin’ about the horse?” the woman asked.

Mozer chuckled and crept towards her. “Don’t be daft.”

“Uh-uh-that’s my wife you’re talking about.” The man took a deep breath.

Mozer halted and spun towards the man with a wide-eyed glare. “Are you a traitor?”

“N-no s-sir -I mean- Y-Your Highness. I just wanted to let you know that she’s w-with me in case there was any muh-misunderstanding.”

Mozer grinned at the man on his horse for a moment. He twirled the cane in his hands back and forth before catching it and clubbing the horse’s leg. It snapped like a twig. The horse screeched, falling over and crushing the man’s thigh.

“AHHHH!” he wailed.

The woman gasped and slid off her horse.

“No! Marianne! Run away! Run away! Please!” the man screamed, pinned to the ground by the squealing horse.

Mozer smirked as he jumped towards the woman. Mozer lunged to grab her leg, but he missed as she hopped on her horse and trotted off in the distance at breakneck speed.

“You vlarking dolt!” Mozer bellowed, taking his cane and bashing it against the man’s face. “I get whoever I want! Especially any man’s wife! I’m the king, which means your property is mine!”

The man whimpered and cried as he dawned a crimson mask. Mozer cocked his head back and spit a massive glob on him. “Vlark off.” Mozer sneered and stomped back over to his thirty-six horse-drawn carriage. He approached Lara and frowned. “I was in such a good, vlarking mood! Gimme all the mead in the cabin, now!”

The horses trotted along the countryside. Mozer glared out the window to his right, taking long pulls from the various meads held in the center of the cabin by a metal cupholder.

“Can’t you go a little easy on the juice? It’s barely morning, and I don’t think you’ve eaten anything,” Lara said.

“Why don’t you worry about yourself?” Mozer gulped another mouthful of mead, scowling at Lara.

The rest of the ride was silent. Entering the Navy outpost’s main gates, Mozer’s lips curved up. The carriage crept inside the massive stables held together by evenly stacked gray stones. Inside, it reeked of hay and manure, but Mozer didn’t care. He hopped out of the cabin first before the Silver Army could escort him. Mozer took off like a jaguar.

“Let’s follow him to the storage house.” Lara rolled her eyes and directed the Silver Army as they marched a few paces behind Mozer.

Mozer threw open the door that led to a hallway, and he skipped all the way down, taking a right and a left until he was in front of a massive arched iron entrance. Unable to contain himself, he shoved through the middle and marveled at the gigantic pile of bones surrounded by the Silver Navy. Several metal chandeliers were hanging from the ceiling, aglow with bright candles. A boulder-like skull sat front and center with a crown of spikes poking out. The rest of the bones were behind it in a disorganized mound.

Mozer’s jaw dropped, and his limbs dangled like cooked noodles. He was entranced as he stepped closer, paying no attention to any of the crew even though they all froze in place to salute him.

“Admiral,” Mozer uttered.

“What did he say?” a naval member whispered to the other.

“Who’s the vlarking admiral of this post?!” Mozer screeched, echoing off the walls of the chamber.

A man wearing dark blue plated armor with jagged silver streaks across the chest stepped forward. “King Mozer.” He saluted.

Mozer eyed the tall, muscular man. His pupils traced his mustache that matched his dark hair. “Very well done.” Mozer slithered toward him. “What’s your name?”

“You really don’t remember me?”

“It’s been a while, boy.” Mozer’s grin faded.

“Admiral Holtmeyer. We’ve met on a few occasions.”

“Mhmm.” Mozer’s eyes narrowed. “All I wanted to say was, bravo.”

“These are the remains you requested, yes?” Holtmeyer stood with a precise upright posture.

“Lemme take a gander.” Mozer stepped away and circumnavigated the pile.

Lara and the rest of the Silver Army filed into the storage house. When Mozer came back around from studying the crevices and curves of bright ivory, he touched the tip of a rib that stuck out to the edge. Mozer shuddered. “You brilliant bastards! You found it!” Mozer sprinted back up to Holtmeyer and clutched his hand as he shook it emphatically. “You’ve done very well for the kingdom, and I do believe a promotion is in order.” Mozer beamed.

“I’m honored. Thank you, but before we discuss anything further, I’m sorry, Your Highness, but what plans do you have for the remains? We’ve been searching for years, and we’ve finally acquired it. What now?”

Mozer’s lips collapsed on both sides as he leaned his head forward. “My plans?” His eye twitched.

Holtmeyer winced for a microsecond, smelling the alcohol on the king’s breath. “Perhaps I should rephrase. What would you like us to do next for you?”

Mozer’s lips curled up. “I want you to kiss me.”

Holtmeyer dropped his jaw and took a single step back. “I beg your pardon?”

Mozer lurched his head and locked his lips with Holtmeyer as he squirmed and tried to pry the king off him. All the Silver Military members gasped.

“What are you doing?” Holtmeyer finally shoved him away.

“I do whatever I want! And no questions shall be asked! Do you not trust your king to defend you from those dirty, blasphemous necromancers?”

Holtmeyer stepped backward as Mozer inched closer to him. Mozer held up his cane. The crystallized skull at the top twinkled from the chandelier light.

“We trust you! I just need to know what to tell my crew!” Holtmeyer said.

“Well then, if it’s such a vlarking need, listen carefully. Every last one of you bleedin’ vlarks listen, because I’m not gonna repeat myself!” Saliva scattered from Mozer’s mouth. “These remains are highly sought after by those wretched ‘mancers. This is a powerful tool that has more value than all your miserable lives put together. Once a week, I will come here to ensure that all you bloody idiots are doing your jobs by guarding this treasure. When I come in to inspect, you all must evacuate the room to give me utter privacy as I make sure nothing is touched. Is that understood?”

The room responded with silent nods.

“Good. Very good. Now get the vlark out of here and let me inspect every bone we have! It’s gonna take me a while for inventory.”

All the guards exited the storage house, and Mozer locked the door behind them.

Turning around, he approached the mountain of gigantic bones and smirked as he stood before the skull. He pulled off the crystallized head from the top of his cane, unsheathing an ivory knife. Staring wide-eyed at the blade, he whispered an incantation. With a stab of his hand, a blinding flash shot out and struck the head of the Zevolra.

* * *

After breakfast finished up, Betty and I went outside to enjoy the breeze coming in off the Bolt Sea. We played fetch with a stick on the beach while waiting for Akara to join. Wynn was the first to leave the house, juggling a set of three fireballs with her hands, but her face looked disinterested while I stared in awe.

“All right, all right, let’s start with you first today.” Akara strode from the house and pointed at me.

“Uh, sure, what did you have in mind?” I said as Betty delivered the stick back to me.

“I need you to summon a simple bonefish.” Akara dropped tiny white pieces on the sand. “You got your blade on you?”

I yanked it out from my pocket. “Right here!”

“Let’s see what you got.”

I took a deep breath, my heart rate kicked up, and I started overthinking the incantation. I needed to focus on a balance between bringing new life to the fish and uttering the magic words: “Bones are vessels of the soul. I give my blood to bring life as toll. Rise within and become my companion. Awaken and r-rise, reform, and mend. Become one, once uh-again.”

The tip glowed. I crookedly pointed the blade at my hand all too fast, missing the palm’s sweet spot.

“Ow!” I shrieked as I dug the glowing white blade in. The bones assembled together halfway, resembling a floating goldfish, but they collapsed into a lifeless scatter. I hung my head and sighed.

“It’s okay, chin up, and give me your blade. Use mine. Let’s try it again.” Akara exchanged razors.

My breath stopped.

I’m holding Akara’s legendary blade, which summoned an army of skeleton warriors, grizzly bears, lions, and other powerful magical creatures. It was a solid, dark purple handle, with a black line that rose through the ivory, like an intrusive tree root.

“Is it true you’ve summoned the remains of a unicorn with this blade?” I gaped.

“Yeah, it’s a good blade. Give it a go; let’s see what you’ve got.”

“O-Okay, su-sure.” I beamed at the remains and took a deep breath.

The incantation flowed through my mouth like a gentle river, no interruption, no stutter, no hiccup. The blade glowed white-hot, and I stabbed my hand with no hesitation. The pain was nonexistent, while blood rained on the ground.

Vlark yeah, that’s how it’s supposed to feel.

But the fish didn’t resurrect.

How was that possible? That was probably the best incantation I’ve ever delivered. The concentration was there, the thoughts felt perfect, and there wasn’t an ounce of pain. Why, why couldn’t I—

The ground shifted beneath me.

Sand parted down the center of an object pulling itself from the ground. As it floated up, it became clear that I had summoned the bones of a full-grown great white shark. I stepped backward and tripped onto the ground. Betty backed away, and Akara smiled. I glanced back, and even Wynn was staring in awe. The shark bones glowed white, and it floated in the air as if it were inside an invisible tank.

“I don’t believe it! I-I don’t, ha!” I was on the verge of tears. “Akara, that’s the largest summon I’ve ever conjured! This is so amazing! I did it! Me! This shark looks so beautiful and sturdy! You figured it out, Akara! It was my knife all along!”

Akara glared at me.

My internal joy fizzled out. “What’s the matter?” I asked.

“My knife is cracked, dull, and old, not to mention, it’s my backup knife. It’s in horrible condition. Yours is actually far superior to mine, even better than my primary one! The problem was never the knife, but your inability to believe in yourself.”