"-nes, -ones, Bones, Bones! Are you listening?" A nasal voice pierced through the skeleton's thoughts.

"Yes, no, I mean no, sorry, wasn't listening. What did you say again?"

"I'm saying I want a cushion to be placed in here. It's uncomfortable sitting on top of bones. Sure being inside here blocks me from direct sunlight. In addition, around the undead, the air tends to be cooler. Therefore keeping the blistering heat at bay. Awesome. But I want cushions. We are definitely getting cushions the next time we have a chance to..." The albino black mamba's complain list went on forever.

The skeleton's mind wandered again. Wandering to the events of the previous day. The day he got named.

Thunder rolled among the swirling. ominous black cloud. Droplets of rain poured down in buckets. Sogging the earth equally with no prejudice or exemption. Purifying the earth, dousing any fires of rage, vengeance and hatred.

In the middle of the field, a figure stood. Drenched from tip to toe. Yet he refused to budge. His heart engulfed in the whirlpool of emotions. Facing the sky, he dropped his hammer. Water dripped down his tusked face.

Splitting the sky asunder, a lightning bolt forked, racing amongst the droplets.

The next moment, the skeleton stiffened. Every bone locked in position, frozen.

Between the lightning and the pitter patter of the rain, the skeleton heard something mixed in. Something that made its non-existent blood ran cold. An image of his master struck by lightning flashed through its mind.

Its leaden joints refused to move. Feeling as if it was drowned in a chest-height bog. Its arm would not swing, its leg would not take a step forward. Time seemed to sit still. Everything was a blur as if it was submerged deep underwater.

-Are you going to lose everything yet again? A voice drenched with malicious intent whispered. The skeleton feeling its throat tightened by a clawed, jet-black hand. -Whether it be your master or whoever else. You are nothing but a disappointment, a cursed, mentally deranged child. Useless and bringing disaster wherever you go.

The skeleton gritted its teeth. -I want to save him. I don't want him to die. Isn't that enough for now? Isn't that enough of a reason to act? I don't know about misfortune or being a disappointment. Maybe I am in my previous life. But it doesn't matter, not right now. So, let me move! Move, you stupid leg! Screaming inside his mind, the skeleton thumped his fist against his femur.

The choking sensation around his chest and neck disappeared. Leaving behind a stinging pain to remember by. Nonetheless, the skeleton rejoiced. It can move again. It will move again. It will make it in time. This time, it will do what it could not for its master.

Taking off into a running stride, the skeleton pushed Cro off. Just in the nick of time. As the leathery beats grew louder and louder. A dark shadow appeared grabbing the skeleton with its razor-sharp talon. Pulling back its head, it gave off a mighty roar.

"Bones Rush!" A swirl of bones materialised, cutting through the humid air, piercing into the hide of the wyvern.

"SKREEE!" The wyvern let out a shriek of pain. However, it refused to let go, digging its talon even deeper into the skeleton's bones.

"Oi, oi, oi, you can't even eat me, you know? I'm just all bones and rags, no flesh at all. So unhand me, monster. Bone Rush!" The skeleton attempted another barrage. However, this time aiming at both of the wyvern's wings.

Roaring yet again, the wyvern flapped once. Instantly tucking its wings, flipped around as it nosedived. Most of the barrage of bones missed their mark.

"Heh, looks like this won't be easy." The skeleton muttered as the wind whistled past its ears. The wyvern itself showing no signs of slowing down at all.

Bang! The wyvern smashed the skeleton against the earth. Sending ripples of mud flying in all directions.

In the distance, he could hear Cro shouting. "Hey! Are you alright?"

-Honestly, why the hell do you sound so worried for a stranger? Why do you not kill even when they attack first? I don't get you at all. Ideals can save no one. Clinging to unattainable ideals, acting so upright as if they have a steel rod stuck up their bottom. I hate guys like those the most. I hate? Is that my feelings? Is that the kind of person I am?

"Rib Cage!" The skeleton shouted. Rising from the ground, bones sprouted, intertwining with each other, forming a prison.

"Bone Rush," This time, he aimed towards the eyes. Dodging most of the bones by weaving and ducking its head, it seemed as if it would get away unscarred. At least it seemed. Among the last few spurts, two splinters made its way to each eyeball. It pierced and drew blood. Spraying it against the soggy, dark sky.

Shrieking in pain, it thrashed about. Beating its wings, each limb rampaged as if they got a mind of its own. Using this chance, the skeleton squirmed its way out of the cage. But not before one of the hits landed squarely in its right shoulder. Cracking, the shoulder joint caved in.

Unsurprisingly, the skeleton felt no pain. The skeleton got on its feet after leaving the cage. Enraged and in agony, the wyvern ripped out multiple whirlwinds with every beat of its wings. Slashing absolutely anything that comes near. Rendering the cage useless almost instantaneously.

"Hey, you alright?" Cro shouted once more as he inched his way closer. One arm gripping tightly on to the hammer. Seeing the hammer, the skeleton thought of an idea. "Bone Rush, bone structure edit, quantity one." The skeleton pictured in its head the shape of the bone that it wanted.

Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

Materialising exactly as he wanted, he drove it in the rampaging wyvern's neck. At least it tried to. After multiple misses, the bone finally found its way to the target. The bone shaped like a stake. Not a moment too soon as well, as the skeleton got blown immediately by a whirlwind.

"Now! Cro! Drive that stake in!"

"No... Way..." Cro shouted as he took a deep breath, pulling the hammer back as he dashed forward. Swinging the hammer in a sideways arc, he drove it in the Wyvern's ribcage. Simultaneously exhaling while shouting. "IN... HELL!" A powerful electric current flowing in both their bodies."I abhor needless slaughter. I'll heal it and release it afterwards."

"Hahaha," The skeleton laughed weakly. "Thought you would say that... "

However, Cro did not turn around. He froze. His lungs did not work the way he wanted to. Starting to hyperventilate, Cro trembled. His heart felt as if it were squeezed every last drop of blood out of it.

"Cro? What's wrong?" In the pit of his figurative stomach churned. The skeleton felt something was off. Panic started festering deep within his soul. -What, what happened? Did he get injured or something? His regenerative powers stopped? Did the electricity finally overloaded his regenerative powers? Eh? Is he going to die? After I tried to save him? Calm down, calm down and access the situation.

In the edges of his vision, he realised that not only Crow but every Orc in the vicinity froze as well. Plunging the skeleton back into panic. -Eh? Is this my fault? Its mind rushed through all the possible scenarios.

However, the answer did not come from within, but from Cro. It took a while before Cro could stop the chattering of his teeth to properly hold a conversation. Biting his lower lip until he drew blood, he finally stopped his shiver.

"Hey, did your cloak fall off by any chance?"

Instantly, like a bolt from the blue. The skeleton was struck by an epiphany. It realised.

"A-ah, yes, sorry. I'll pull it back on." Even to itself, its voice sounded distant and flat.

Picking up on this, Cro roared. "Argh, I'm so pathetic." He bashed his head against the ground.

"Ehhh?" The skeleton gasped.

"As if I would be controlled by fear of death!" Cro struggled. Getting up, he turned around, facing the skeleton.

Immediately, he was ravaged by a desire to puke. A desire to dig a hole and hide. A fervour to kill himself to escape the fear.

-Kill myself? What the hell am I thinking? As if I would let myself go with such a lame ending. He would totally laugh in my face if he ever finds out. Anyways, Rui and Hev are still here. I can't afford to go yet.

Smacking both sides of his face with a loud, clear clap. It was as if the dark haze around his eyes have lifted. At the corner of his eyes, he could see the message. [Active Innate Ability: King's Roar]

The clap resounded far and wide. Erasing their traces of fear, allowing them to move again. It was as if multiple statues burst into life.

"Wahahaha," Cro laughed with fake bravado. However, there have been cases when the counterfeit becomes real. "You're really an undead huh? But I never knew a skeleton. Hmm, that's it! Bones! That shall be your name! It doesn't follow the three-letter naming system that Orcs have. But eh, who cares you're not an Orc anyways. What do you think? Fitting right?"

"Bones huh? Nice and simple, yeah I don't mind it."

So that was how the skeleton got named.

"But even so, don't you think he was worrying far too much?" Hebi's voice brought him back to reality.

"Hahaha, you think so?" Hebi was referring to this morning, on the day of departure.

"Uwahh, do you remember to bring the food? Drinks? The weapons? Herbs?" Cro stammered on.

"My god, are you our mom or what?" Hebi scoffed.

"Don't worry about it, it's all packed." Bones confirmed. Hebi spontaneously decided to travel with Bones. Saying that travelling with a company is better than being all alone.

Waving goodbye, they head northeast. While the Thundere Ravines was west of the Orc camp. According to the world map that the Orcs had, their home was close to the southernmost edge of the world. Therefore to discover more civilisation of some kind, they decided to travel northeast. However, they would need to cross a desert.

As they faded into the distance, Cro shouted. "Bones! Come along anytime you hear me? You're always welcome here! Of course, Hebi is as well!"

"I'm just an add-on?" Hebi snapped back.

"Anyway, don't forget about the cushion," Hebi demanded again just as Bones finished his reminiscence. Hitching a free ride within Bone's ribcage, Hebi was sheltered from the heat, sand and dust.

On the other hand, Bones trudged on the blistering desert, step by step. Leaving a trail of boot soles impression on the sand. A lizard scampered under a rock, hiding away from the heat. Yet Bones trudged on. Showing no signs of exhaustion or heatstroke, it moved like clockwork, pretty much the same pace as it first started. Travelling through the endless rolling undulation of the sea filled with sand that stretched on to infinity. Gales of burning wind kicked up clouds of dust occasionally. As the sun relentlessly glared upon the desert, vultures circled from above, casting shadows. Swooping down on those who showed a hint of weakness on this bleak, unforgiving land of suffering.

"By the way, how come my aura has no effect on you?"

"Hmm, didn't I tell you? I'm immune to curses and the like."

"Ahh, right. Hmm? I see something." Bones pointed into the distance with its phalanges.

"Again?" Hebi asked, tone dead, not even stirring. "It's probably just another mirage."

"Well, if you say so..." Bones trudged on, however changing direction.

"Wha-!" Splash! Sputtering, Hebi swam upwards. "What's the big idea?" Bones grabbed Hebi out of its ribcage and threw it into a pool of water.

"What do you mean? I'm just checking whether it is a mirage?"

"There are other better ways to check it isn't there? You're mad that I'm just freeloading while you do all the work right?"

Bones replied with a totally ambiguous. "No, I'm not."

"Hahahaha, you two are very good friends." As gentle as the plains' breeze, a lady's voice floated.

"Who's there?" Bones immediately went on guard. Lowering its centre of gravity as well as unsheathing the pair of knives that Cro had given him before they left.

"My, my, put those dangerous things away. I'm not here to fight." Even though she said dangerous, her tone carried not a sense of alarm. Instead, continuing to project a relaxed, placid sort of atmosphere. From the lush of the vivid green vegetation, a middle-aged, mature looking woman appeared. She had pearly white skin, a dazzling smile brighter than the sun and timeless, unmatched beauty. Her sensual curves were accentuated by the aquamarine, one-piece dress made of soft, satiny fabric that she wore, matching her hair and eye colour. Her bewitching collar bones were exposed between the straps and her long, slim legs poked beneath the short skirt.

Hebi and Bones were left breathless by her elegance. Though in Bones' case, he already was breathless twenty-four seven.

"Keh, these pushovers... I don't get why you choose them." From a different direction, a boy approached. He looked to be around 15 years old. Tanned skin and muscular, he had a sandy, bleached hair. With aquamarine blue eyes. 

"Acey, don't say that. If you don't get along with them, I'll be troubled."

"Acey? Puhahaha." Hebi tried to hold back his laughter, tearing up slightly.

"Sh-shut up!" Acey grumbled. "Mom, I told you a million times, Ace is already embarrassing enough, don't make it even worse."

"Now, now. Hebi, runaway prince of Zmei race and Bones, ambassador of death, welcome to The Oasis. The name's Bianca Camille Fleur. I am what you call a witch."