Blake unrolled the map he had brought ashore. He looked at his surroundings. Three large palm trees, each with a tall rock at the base in front of him. A gentle tide far behind him, not showing any signs of the storm he knew was heading his way. He grabbed his binoculars and looked at the mountains in the distance. The pattern was similar. He was unsure if it was here, but the map he acquired had led him here and he was determined that this would be his moment to find the final piece to his puzzle. Fate was the only thing that could stop him now.

"This looks like the place. I want teams of two digging 20 feet apart from this location going south, east, and north." The excavation crew Blake hired leapt into action. 15 groups started to dig where he instructed, while he himself started to dig where he stood. Where the map said he would find it.

"Do you want any help with that Blake?"

"No thanks, Danny. I think it's here, but I want them digging in case I'm off by
a little."

Danny sighed and put her hands on her hips.

"I don't even know why you brought me along. I may be your bodyguard, but since you found the last ring eight months ago no one else has even tried to attack you."

"It's probably because the rumor I spread has them scared."

"Rumor? What rumor?"

"That the last ring made me immortal, unkillable."

Danny sighed.

"I think that's stupid. Just because you found the tenth and final ring, people automatically assume a rumor like that must be true."

"It's brilliant right?" Blake said as he playfully throws some dirt at her. She gets
annoyed and puts her hand on her knife.

"Sorry. Sorry. People were amazed at the things I could do. I did those with just three rings. Sure, I slipped a little and said that power was from the rings and..."

"And, that was when people started coming after you. When they knew they could have that power for themselves, people started coming after you. Some wanted just to steal them. Others, the crazy ones, wanted you dead for them."

"Which is when I hired you."

She puts her hand over her mouth and laughs a little.

"Yeah. Hired," she said while making air quotes. "You came on to me outside the bank I went to just as I was about to go in. You gave me a really bad line and I was just about to tell you off when the guy behind you pulled a knife on you and demanded your rings."

"Hey, I was hitting on you. I would have noticed him if I wasn't."

"Sure. I know you well enough by now. Anyway, I knocked him out with one punch and you hired me on the spot."

"It took me twenty minutes to convince you though. Still, all those zeroes are the reason you decided to put up with me."

"Pretty much the only reason."

"Best money I ever spent. You still didn't even know who I was until the next day."

"I know. Four years later and you're still trying to get into my pants."

"Maybe so, but you never had a boyfriend the entire time either. I bet if-"

Ping!

The noise stopped their conversation abruptly. He looked down in the hole he made. He kneeled down and started brushing away the sand and dirt. Slowly, he uncovered a small box.

"I guess we'll finish our stroll down memory lane here, Danny."

"Yeah. You were beginning to bore me anyway."

He placed his hand over his heart.

"Ouch. Still know how to get me. Tell the others to stop digging, alright?"

"Sure."

As Danny yelled to the crew, Blake became serious as he looked at the box. It wasn't all that big; about two feet in every dimension. However, the box itself was a work of art. It was made of some kind of metal; Blake wasn't sure what kind. Every inch was covered with decoration of some sort. The lid, the sides, even the bottom had drawings on them.

Danny returned, crew in tow, as Blake stepped out of the not-so-deep hole he had dug. Box in both hands, he proceeded to look around.

"Where's Sawyer?"

"Right here sir!" exclaimed a small, yet aged man who emerged from the crowd.

"You're the expert of the group. Care to check if we found the correct item?"

Sawyer adjusts his glasses.

"I would be pleased as punch sir!"

As he went to take the box, Blake noticed that the wind had picked up and the sky started to darken.

"Better make it quick Sawyer. That storm cell we were tracking may get here sooner than we thought."

Sawyer looked at the sky out to sea. A flash of lightning streaked across the sky in the distance past their cruiser, anchored off shore. He nodded to Blake and began examining it.

Even though one of Blake's rings could clear up the storm, he knew it could affect the weather elsewhere negatively. It may have only happened once, but he didn't want to test whether it was a coincidence or not. Each of his rings gave him a different ability and was strengthened when he found another. Even though he had spread the rumor falsely, when he found the tenth ring and put it on he felt almost like he could be invincible. However, being as smart as he was, he had known better.

"I believe, Mr. Steely, that this is indeed the item you have been searching for."

Blake chuckled to himself. He did most times since changing his last name legally. It was much better than Rearman. He was teased plenty for it growing up.

"Excellent! Finally, the last piece of the puzzle is contained inside this lockbox!

Everyone pack up and head back to the ship."

As everyone went to collect their gear, Blake stared at the box. He knew the contents would make his fantasies, every single one of them, come true.

"You want to marry that thing, Blake?" Danny exclaimed.

"Maybe. I'll dump it for you if you're that jealous."

"Not a chance."