Relic Pedestal

A real warrior never leaves a battle trophy lying in the dirt. I set the charred briar splinter on the sunlit concrete, surveying the area. It needed a proper display pedestal. Scouting the crack between two stone pavers, I pried loose an abandoned rusted hex nut using the tip of my katana. Heavy metal anchor secured. I slotted the tapered end of the dark splinter straight into the center thread. It wobbled and tipped over immediately. Zero panic. I wedged a stiff dried stem into the threading to lock the seam, then pressed down hard with my silver hand. Rock steady. The dark relic stands tall now, casting a sharp shadow across the steps.