Through the week, Wynn skated in the sky every day, looking smoother with each flight. Akara set up hovering wooden targets over the water for Wynn to blast with fireballs as she flew around.

For once, I was taking it easy by playing fetch with Betty on the beach.

“Are you ready for your final part of your last lesson?” Akara asked.

“Of course!” I beamed. Betty came back and dropped the stick at my feet.

“Memorize this scroll.” Akara unraveled a roll of parchment.

The Bone-Crushing Curse

Death comes to those innocent and guilty

I concoct the spell of greatest responsibility

It should never be the first, always the last

Resort. Contort. Crush. And demolish.

Or a structure no more can prosper

The only method I should foster

It can break barriers or walls

But its intent is always for all

Unity.

Toting the thin line

Of death and life

I take in, I ensure,

Virtue in my conjure

I wet my brush in death’s goblet

But this paint will create beauty in life.

This paint will create beauty in life.

“Wow, uh, that's some intense stuff,” I uttered. There was more information at the bottom.

Instructions:

It is imperative your subject remains still or relatively still. You must focus on your subject every moment. During the words “I wet my brush in death's goblet,” your knife should glow a dark red, and that's when you stab your hand. As you impale your hand, say the last two lines.

“How do you feel about it?” Akara asked.

“I think I can do it, might be a little tricky not being able to practice the words and motions on someone.”

“I trust you can memorize it and make it happen. We can even trade knives again if you really want.” Akara winked. “I’d love to have your knife again.”

I smiled. “I think I’ll hold on to my own. Thanks, though.”

One night, after Akara, Wynn, and I finished up dinner, we were about to relax for the evening in our rooms when Akara’s expression soured.

“We need to talk,” Akara muttered.

“What about?” I asked. Even Betty picked her head up from lying on the ground.

“You sound so serious.” Wynn shivered. “More so than your usual teacher voice.”

Akara feigned a smile. “My dreams have been filled with nothing but storms lately. It’s just me sitting outside during heavy rain, red lightning crawling over the clouds like a centipede.”

“That doesn’t sound so bad. I have nightmares where the Silver Army is after me, and I can’t shoot out wind or fire. Now that’s scary,” Wynn said, and an awkward pause lingered.

“I think something is coming. I thought I would know more, but this future is obscured with uncertainty. Just keep on your heels, and watch closely for any omens,” Akara said.

“What do you think is coming?” I asked.

“Something evil.”

My skin tightened with goosebumps, and all my hairs stood on end.

***

A week later, King Mozer woke up before the sun greeted the castle. He stared at himself in his vanity mirror that extended up the vaulted ceiling. A twisted grin crept up his face. Mozer stormed out of the hall.

The doors to Lara’s room swung open just as she was lying in bed, locking up her iron chest.

“Good morning.” Mozer grinned.

Lara’s heart thumped in her neck like a bass drum. She stared back at Mozer and smiled, tucking the iron vault under her covers.

“Whatcha got in there?” Mozer inquired.

“Just a book,” Lara said in a low voice.

“And you have it stashed in that box?”

“Sir, I don’t have a bookcase, nor a nightstand.”

Mozer scanned the room from left to right and took a deep breath. “Yeah, you don’t have much in here. We ought to fix that. Perhaps later today, but we have more pressing matters to tend to. Are you ready to go to the outpost?”

“Of course.”

When the royal carriage entered the Navy outpost, Holtmeyer stood guard by the door to the storage house. Mozer sprinted up to him and grinned, which was Holtmeyer’s cue to leave. Once Mozer slipped inside, Holtmeyer went to the stables. Lara sat in the royal carriage, and she beckoned for him. They met inside the cabin.

“He’s in there. I figured out a way to peek inside without him knowing,” Holtmeyer said.

“I don’t know how I feel about it,” Lara said.

Holtmeyer’s jaw dropped.

“I mean, yes,” Lara defended, “I think we should spy on him, but I’m sensing something is going to happen.”

“Like what?”

“I don’t know. I’ve been having these visions lately in my sleep. Something’s going to happen today.”

“Well, why don’t we confirm what’s going on?” Holtmeyer held out his hand to Lara.

“Do you have a group of men that would follow your orders over the king’s?”

“Why yes, I’m confident that every single one of them would.”

“That’s good because I think we’re going to need your forces and my forces combined.”

“Lara.” Holtmeyer pursed his brow. “Do you mind telling me what the vlark is going on?”

“Let’s go check on Mozer.”

Holtmeyer rubbed his chin and debated if he should continue to ask. He sighed. “Fine.” Holtmeyer climbed out of the cabin, and Lara followed. He took her upstairs to a wooden closet filled with armor, weapons, rope, and nets. “Check out what I’ve done up here.” Holtmeyer guided Lara to the end of the room with a tiny hole poked through the wall. “Take a look.”

“That’s the size of a small nail. How can I possibly expect to see anything?” Lara said.

“Take a look,” he repeated.

Lara put her eye to the hole and saw a wide landscape angle of the storage house. “I’m impressed,” she murmured.

“I put together a series of microscopic lenses to get that view,” Holtmeyer said.

Lara could see Mozer standing front and center of the massive remains.

“Oh my, he’s pulling out a knife. It’s glowing brightly. He just stabbed himself in the palm!” Lara narrated. “The bones on the head and neck are attaching!”

“You must be joking!” Holtmeyer whispered.

“He’s a necromancer! I knew it!”

Holtmeyer blinked. “Well, it makes a lot of sense now.”

“He’s just fully summoned the remains of the Zevolra!” Lara wanted to look away and talk to Holtmeyer, but she had to watch every moment.

“Zevolra?” Holtmeyer said. “What’s that?”

“A prehistoric monster that used to have flesh and created the Earth or something.”

“What the vlark? What’s happening now?”

“The neck just connected to the head, and it—”

A deep bellow boomed from the storage house that shook the entire structure of the Navy outpost. Lara’s body vibrated.

“What the vlark was that!” Holtmeyer yelled.

“The Zevolra. It’s been summoned, and now Mozer is glowing white!”

“Let me see!”

Lara pulled away, and Holtmeyer peeped through the hole, gasping. “Not only is he glowing white, but he’s also hovering through the air.”

He backed away and let Lara stare through, and she saw Mozer floating towards the massive skeleton. A crown of bone spears enveloped Mozer at the top of the Zevolra’s head. It screeched as it spread its sparse bone wings and bent its knees. The Zevolra launched itself through the roof, and the outpost quaked. Wood, iron, and rain poured through the hole. Holtmeyer and Lara tumbled. They waited in silence before the ground settled.

“We have to leave right now! Assemble your men!” Lara screamed.

* * *

Mozer cackled until tears streamed down his face as he flew through the air in his cage of bones. The clouds assembled in dark gray armies across the horizon as rain and lightning followed behind. A bright white aura flowed from Mozer.

A new power awakened deep inside his core.

I can stretch out these wings, and no one can see a thing! But I can see them through the rain as if it’s clear skies! I feel invincible! The memory spell has activated; no one will ever know! No one will ever know, he thought.

Mozer howled through the swath of storms.

I was relaxing all evening, talking with Wynn and petting Betty in the living room. After another day spent summoning the unicorn remains, I was exhausted. After my first successful attempt, I kept trying it again and again. I only summoned it successfully one more time. It required the right amount of concentration and precision. If something were off the slightest bit, the necromancer’s block would knock me like a boulder.

At 8 PM, I was lying in bed with Betty resting next to me when a tap at the door cracked it ajar.

“Come in,” I called out. Betty lifted her head up.

“Hey, am I bothering you?” Wynn asked.

“Not at all.”

“A thought crossed my mind, and I wanted to ask you something.” Wynn took a seat at my desk.

“Yeah, what is it?”

“What do you hope happens after all this?”

I paused for a moment and smirked. “To be honest, I don’t know what ‘all this’ is. Akara selected me to be here, and I still don’t know what evil we’re going up against.”

“It’s King Mozer,” Wynn said without hesitation.

“Yeah, but are the three of us expected to take him out? Mozer and the Silver Army? I don’t want war, but believe me, I want Mozer gone.”

“I guess we’ll have to see, but we’re an integral part of the process.” Wynn shrugged. “I think we just need to find a way to sneak into the castle and ambush Mozer!”

“Yeah, don’t know how we’ll do that. But to answer your original question, I just want to go back to Nezura and be recognized and respected as a real necromancer. Show off my skills on the Caster’s Court, the big park in Nezura where all the talented ‘mancers strut their stuff. But deep down I think I just want to be accepted. That’s all. What about you?”

“I wanna be Queen Wynn, I think. Or try to have the normal life I always wanted.”

“I have faith one of those two things will happen. Living a normal life is probably the most likely.” I chuckled.

Betty lifted up her head as we heard patter on the rooftop.

“It’s okay, Betty, it’s just rain.” I rubbed the top of her nose, but she scrambled up and jumped onto the floor, trembling. “Whoa, something’s really bothering her.”

“Yeah, it’s okay, Betty,” Wynn added, but the tapping from the precipitation grew louder.

The door to my room flew open. Akara rushed in, wide-eyed.

“Everything all right?” I said.

“You two need to stay inside.” Akara ran up to Wynn and me, giving us each a sapphire talisman. “If I tell you to leave, leave.” She reached in her robes, yanked out two scrolls, and gave one to each of us. “Read the letters if—or when—I tell you to leave.”

“Akara, what’s happening?” I asked.

“You know how to use the transportation talismans, right?” Akara asked.

“Yes,” Wynn said. “Spike it on the ground and stomp on it, correct?”

“Great. Now stay inside and keep Betty calm!” Akara sprinted out of the room.

“What the vlark?” I squeaked.

“Let’s watch.” Wynn chased after Akara, and I followed.

We stared out the living room window. Akara craned her head up at the dark gray sky as it poured buckets of rain.

A deep bellow shook the house, louder than any thunder I had ever heard. Betty wrapped her arms around me and quivered. I rubbed the side of her body.

“Oh no!” Wynn shrieked.

“What the vlark was that?” I blurted.

Wynn pointed at the window, and just barely, I saw the faint traces of a giant ivory monster sailing through the air like a battleship.

I gasped. “Is that the—”

“I think so. Max, this is it.” Wynn clutched my shoulder.

“This can’t be happening.”

Akara spun around and ran inside the house, drenched. “Get out of here with the talismans! Now! One of you hold on to Betty and go!”

“But Akara, what’s—”

“Just leave!” Akara slammed the door shut and returned outside.

Wynn and I stared at each other for a moment as I held on to Betty with my left arm and the talisman in my right hand.

“Guess we better go,” I said. I checked my pockets to make sure I had my knife and Princess Nezalon’s crown.

“I wish we could watch!” Wynn said.

“Yes, but there’s no time! Are you ready?”

Wynn nodded.

“Three, two, one!” I said, spiking the talisman on the floor at the same moment as Wynn. We both crushed the gem, and it crackled as we stomped. I felt my skin dissolve into nothing.

* * *

Akara stood at the center of her island as lightning flickered, rain flew sideways, and palm trees bent backward. The skeletal Zevolra descended from the sky, with King Mozer standing in the bone crown atop the skull, cackling as the monstrosity floated down.

The Zevolra was larger than the island, and half of its body lay down in the water, while the other half lowered its head and retreated the bone cage. Mozer stepped down the slope of the skull as the rain misted.

“Why, I don’t believe it. It’s so good to see you,” Mozer called out, smirking and sauntering forward.

Akara clenched her jaw and tightened her grip on the knife concealed in her robes.

“I legitimately thought you died.” Mozer cackled. “I was taking my new pet out here to stretch its wings, and just as I flew over the Bolt Sea, I saw a bizarre fog. And whaddya know, with a closer look, it’s your cute little island home!” He stood a few feet away from Akara, glowing with a white, wispy aura. “How did you do it? I must know because I definitely killed you.”

“There’s a lot about necromancy you don’t know.” Akara gritted her teeth.

“I was just trying to make conversation. I assume you had a resurrection spell ready to go. I’ve only heard about it in texts; I didn’t think it was possible. So, congrats on the discovery! You’ve given me hope.” Mozer exhaled. “I’m just so glad I found you here so I can kill you again, for old time’s sake.” Mozer winked.

Akara remained silent as Mozer stepped closer.

“Do you remember what happened the last time we were together?” Mozer asked.

Akara narrowed her eyes.

“I always think about that kiss. I’ve never kissed someone so powerful. It was beautiful and so satisfying.” Mozer leered at Akara up and down. “I’ve been craving another kiss from you ever since.”

Akara ripped out her cracked knife from her robes, but Mozer leaped forward and knocked the blade out of her hand as he gripped her throat. He forced her head closer to his lips, but Akara pulled out another knife with a glowing tip from her robes and stabbed Mozer directly in the chest. He roared as the white aura around him flowed into the blade, which exploded into a million crumbs of osseous steel.

“Go ahead. Finish me off with another bone-crushing curse.”

Akara grinned one last time before her world went blank.

Mozer collapsed and took in a few deep breaths. He lay on the grass of the island. “That bitch!” He groaned. “That vlarking bitch! She took my power.” Mozer hobbled back to the obedient Zevolra and clambered to the top of the skull. He gripped his chest to soothe the pain that lingered, though the stab wound disappeared. The bone cage erected once again, keeping him safe. “Let’s make another stop.” Mozer grinned and chuckled weakly.