The rain slowed until there was no more. I was sopping wet and motionless on my back.

Mozer stomped over to Wynn, and Betty charged with her skull lowered, but Wynn hollered, “No, Betty! Don’t get in this fight. I can do this!”

“Aw, come on, eye for an eye, summon for a summon, it’s only fair!” Mozer grinned at Betty.

Betty halted and backed away.

“Nevertheless.” Mozer crouched down and clutched Wynn’s throat, pulling her up until her feet hovered above the ground.

Wynn struggled for breath and squirmed in his grasp, but he didn’t let go. Mozer beamed like a child receiving a birthday present. He pulled her down close to his face, his lips puckering and twitching.

Betty, Lara, Telyos, Holtmeyer, the Silver Army, and I all dropped our jaws.

With her free hand, Wynn formed a tiny fireball and threw it in Mozer’s eyes.

“Ack!” He stammered backward, holding his hands over his face. “I wanted to make this fun! Fun for you and me!”

Wynn held out both of her hands in a triangle and blasted out a jet of roaring flames. Mozer was engulfed and shouted in anguish.

“This isn’t how it was supposed to end! Nezura, Lavarund, the world! I hold the key!” Mozer croaked through the raging flames. He was still grinning, and his eyes were popping out of his head.

Wynn held her hands forward. The blaze streamed as tears fell down her cheeks. Her face was contorted with pain. She let out a scream before the fire died out, and she collapsed to the ground. Mozer’s body was ablaze as he fell to his knees, glaring and grinning at Wynn. His skin became nothing but a seared crisp.

Everyone stood still.

Mozer fell to the ground as smoke plumed from his lifeless body. We all stared and waited for what felt like an eternity before anyone said a word.

“It’s done,” Telyos said. But with the way his voice pitched up, it sounded like a question.

Yes, it was done. This nightmare was over. That dreadful man would no longer be the ruler of Lavarund. His days of spreading hate and division were finished.

Mozer was charred, unrecognizable. The smoke disappeared from the body, but something made me squint.

The body twitched.

I thought I had hallucinated, but no. It twitched again with more force.

“He’s still alive!” I screeched, and everyone gasped.

The body stood back up with jerky motions and movement. It stared directly at me. A piece of burnt skin chipped off from the mouth, revealing a grin.

Goosebumps scattered across my body, freezing my movement. Betty stood beside me and didn’t react.

“Wynn, get up! He’s not done!” I hollered, but she was still knocked out. “Wynn! No! We need you!”

The burnt body jerked in different directions as if possessed. It let out a guttural howl as more burnt pieces flaked off, revealing new, glowing skin.

The body had a curve that appeared more feminine than Mozer. Nor was there as much muscle mass as before. He appeared shorter. A black cloak suddenly covered the body, flowing in a breeze.

I gasped. “It must be the evil energy thingie! From the original Zevo—”

“Or maybe it’s me.” The face was revealed, one that I recognized. Younger than I’d ever seen. My jaw fell, and I couldn’t help but cry.

This must be a dream. This is all a dream.

“Akara?!” Telyos beamed. “How did you—”

“Telyos.” Akara bowed her head and walked towards us. “It’s good to see you all.”

Betty hopped with glee, sprinted to Akara, and squeezed her with a hug from her boney arms.

“Yes, yes, it’s exciting to see you, too, Betty, believe me.” Akara rubbed her back. The two of them walked over to me, and Akara crouched down. “I’m so proud of you, Maximilian. You did a wonderful job. You have a bright career ahead of you.”

“Explain, now, please,” I said.

Akara smiled. “I suppose everyone here deserves an explanation. Let me wake up Wynn first.” Akara reached in my pocket and pulled out my uncle’s dagger. “Sorry, I’m going to need this.” Akara stepped over to Wynn and said an incantation. A blue light hovered over Wynn. Then one hovered over me, and my body’s aches and pains melted away. I could move my arms and legs again.

Wynn picked her head back up. “Did we win?” she uttered and locked gazes with Akara, who was standing over her and reaching her hand out. “Oh no, don’t tell me I died?”

“You didn’t; you’re very much alive, and so am I,” Akara said. Tears spilled down Wynn’s face as she grew the widest smile I’ve ever seen. Wynn bounced up and gave Akara the tightest hug possible.

“You’re crushing me!” Akara forced out.

“Sorry!” Wynn put her down, sniffling and wiping the tears away with the back of her hand. “I just thought you were gone! And now you’re here! It’s a miracle!” She laughed, but her smile faded. “But what happened to Mozer?”

“He died. Allow me to explain what happened.” Akara cleared her throat as we all listened closely.

“I performed the hardest necromancy spell I’ve ever done in my entire life. Necrocarnation. Believed to be a myth, and to be honest, I wasn’t sure if I would be successful after seeing all the different futures. None of them guaranteed this triumph. Necrocarnation requires a brutally long incantation, immense focus, and another subject. You must have the understanding that your old body will die. Here’s how it works. Your spirit is absorbed into your knife, and you stab it inside the subject. If done correctly, the knife disappears inside your target. But the tricky part is they must die within twenty-four hours for your soul to claim the body. And, bravo, you beat the tyrant Mozer within the limit, and I claimed his body at its current age. Good thing he was younger, right?” She giggled, a wonderful giggle which I longed to hear.

“So, what happens now?” I asked.

“A lot. The kingdom of Lavarund is yours and Wynn’s now. Don’t forget Lara, too, and her allies, they deserve something special. But you’ll figure it out. As for me, I want to go back to my island to live out my days in peace and solitude.” She held Wynn’s hand and my hand. “Since I never had children of my own, please promise me you’ll visit.”

“Of course! We’ll figure out a schedule!” Wynn beamed.

“Yeah, that sounds great.” I nodded.

We pulled her in for a triangular hug.

“What should we do? How can we ensure a prosperous kingdom?” Wynn asked.

Akara laughed. “Don’t ask me. You’ll all figure something out. Enjoy your fame. If ruling a country really makes you uncomfortable, you can give it over to Lara and Holtmeyer. They seem honorable and benevolent. But as for me, I’m going back to my island.”

“Don’t you at least want to stay and say hello to the people of Nezura? They worship the ground you walk on; they’d be amazed to see you and what you’ve done,” I said.

“Eh, that’s okay. I’d rather live in the shadows undisturbed at my island. If something ever comes up, you two know where to reach me. I love you both. I’m proud of what you accomplished, and you should be, too. Have Telyos give you a Nezura town ceremony before you do anything else.” Akara pulled Wynn and me in for one last hug. “See you both soon.”

Akara walked to the west, and we watched her walk off into the sunset over the hills. The clouds had cleared away. Wynn, Betty, and I shared a heartfelt stare and put our arms around each other.

“We did it! We’re heroes!” Wynn hollered. “Now we can each get a castle and do whatever we want!”

“What about Telyos, Holtmeyer, and Lara?” I asked.

“Castles for them too!” Wynn had tears streaming down her face again. “I’m just so happy.”

Telyos and Lara walked up to us.

“Well done, you three.” Lara smiled.

“I believe a ceremony is in order, yes?” Telyos asked.

“Sure,” Wynn and I both said at the same time.

“I want some more mead. That stuff is delicious!” Wynn’s lips curved up.

Telyos chuckled. “Let’s go back to my house; there’s plenty of mead for all of us.”

* * *

After a long weekend of heavy mead consumption, hanging out with the Nobles, and enjoying my new place in Nezura, Wynn and I attended the ceremony on the Necromancer’s Primacy that Monday at Caster’s Court, which had been cleared of rubble and set up with a stage in the back.

Wynn, Betty, and I sat in black cushioned chairs in front of thousands of cheering people. We shared the stage with Lara and all the Noble Necromancers. Telyos stood at the podium.

“Thank you all for spending your holiday at this ceremony,” Telyos announced. “Today, we pay tribute to the two people and dinosaur summon who saved Nezura. After spending time with these extraordinary individuals over the weekend, we reaffirm the belief that no matter who you are, even if you’re a necromancer who isn’t the best and struggles to fit in, you can achieve greatness. Or if you’re going through a challenging period, be patient, and you will get through it; there are better days to come in the future.

“I would also like to apologize to Maximilian, someone who was never given the amount of time and care needed to blossom. We should have never let him go, nor should we have ever let anyone feel left out. With all that said, I would like to thank Wynn and Maximilian once again and give them two of the finest forged necromancer knives. Both of which are made with the bone remnants of the Zevolra. Please stand up and accept our gift.”

I would never forget the sight; Nezura was alive with energetic people and summons, and the audience thundered with applause. Wynn, Betty, and I stood up, bowed, and accepted our rewards.

Standing next to Betty and Wynn, I felt like I was finally home and where I belonged.