“Neith dear, do you see that wooden box in the back corner? Go and open it carefully,” Ethel instructs me.
“Whoa, hold on,” Reed says. “It’s not going to hurt her, or curse her or something, right?”
“No, of course not,” Ethel says, understandably sounding a bit offended.
Reed winces, “Sorry. It’s just . . .”
Ethel’s voice is kind as she replies, “I know. You’ve been through a lot, and I am extremely grateful that you are as protective of Neith as you are.”
“They’re awesome,” I grin as I do as Ethel asked, and make my way over to the wooden box that she pointed out.
I have to admit that I didn’t even think about the potential dangers of opening a box with something so guarded in it, and that’s mostly because I completely trust House and Ethel.
“Actually, bring it here before you open it,” Ethel says. “Everyone is going to want to see what’s inside.”
I nod and pick up the box. It’s a lot heavier than I thought it was going to be. It’s not a big box, so I didn’t expect to struggle to lift it.
I haven't been to the gym for a while though, maybe this is my sign that I need to go back.
Once I’m back with the others, Reed takes the box off me and holds it so that I can open it.
“Can I?” I ask Ethel, just to double-check, because I really don’t want to have any nasty spells attached to me.
“Go ahead. I’ll explain what it is, and why certain members of the dead are looking for it after you’ve had a good look,” Ethel replies.
Reaching out, I unlatch the lid and lift it. Singing in my head the music that always plays when a box gets opened in the movies.
Huh, that’s not what I was expecting at all.
Frowning, I ask, “What exactly am I looking at?”
“A bone. At least that’s what it appears to be,” Doc says as he leans closer to study it.
“It’s inscribed using symbols that I have never seen before,” Raiden adds.
Griff frowns and looks at Ethel, “Why are you guarding a bone?”
“Because if the wrong people get their hands on this bone, then they can use it to bring back a very evil race of supernaturals that were hunted to extinction a millennium ago. They are sealed in a prison of sorts in the Spirit Realm. If they were to be brought back, then the realms as we know them would end,” Ethel explains.
Yikes.
I nod. “So it’s like a key? Wouldn’t it be easier to destroy it so that it's never a possibility that it’s used to bring back these supernaturals?”
“Destroying the bone will set into motion the events that will unlock the prison that these creatures were sealed in,” Ethel explains. “The bone isn’t the only piece of the puzzle. It’s a lot more complicated than that, and was designed to be that way, so that they could never be freed.”
“Ahh, gotcha. Don’t break the super old bone,” I reply with a slight smile.
Raiden leans closer to get a better look, “I don’t recognize any of these symbols, not even one. What kind of creature did this bone come from?”
“The easiest explanation would be that it's from a god,” Ethel replies. “Although it’s not strictly correct.”
“A god?” Doc asks, doubt in his tone.
“Yes, one of the originals,” Ethel says.
“And you’ve been guarding it?” Van asks.
“Yes, and every now and then, some of the dead get it in their heads to try to take it. They have never succeeded, and they never will. It’s not a new situation for us,” Ethel explains, not sounding worried at all.
