Hieroglyphs of Ages

8: The Bracelet of Thoth 𓁟

After a few weeks in the hotel with what I found out was the kinda stolen ancient artifact known as the Bracelet of Thoth. It's a golden bracelet with hieroglyphs written on it and small curly bits on the bottom of it. Technically, it was stolen, but it was only taken to protect people from whatever evil is coming our way. Without knowing any of those 'Egypt words', I was holding an all-powerful amulet of awesomeness that I could not use. It was a boring few weeks, but I received word from Banshee's servant that the investigation was over and he was cleared for a crime he definitely did commit. I believe he will return it once he is done with it. Anyway, I got ready and went into the car, which will take me to the mansion.

___

Dec.1st 1922

"Where is he?" Banshee asked one of his servants. "He should be arriving any minute, professor. "
"Good!" The weary professor exclaimed. I pulled up. I got out of the car, and I held the brown paper box containing the magical bracelet as I walked towards Banshee.
"Phew! You're a sight for sore eyes! Were you alright. Did you find my clues?..."
He clearly was worried, for me and the bracelet. I lifted the box to show him. "Good, indeed!" The professor and former suspect and prisoner sighed in relief.
"Can you show me how--?" I tried to ask as Professor Banshee shushed me. He answered, "All on good time." It looked like he wanted to make sure no one noticed. Without another word, we all walked in, one formerly homeless boy, one magical professor, and a whole bunch of servants ready to fulfill any demand.

Once we entered the manor, I gave the Bracelet of Thoth to one Professor David 'Polyveiw' Banshee. He was excited to see it still within his possession. He went to the library to go to the secret study when he realized the secret panel was missing. I told him I had forgotten it by the statue. We ran the back way to the statue. But when we got there it was gone!

"Gone!" Said the forlorn professor. "It could have gotten anywhere! How will I be able to study it without being able to go to the study? Worse off, who has it now? If it's one of them investigators, they may use it as evidence. If it's someone else, who knows what would happen. "We need to find out where it will be!"
Banshee is right. No matter who has it, it could spell out trouble for us and our mission.

"I'll send my finest servants to search for it. In the meantime, we MUST study the - eh - 'antique'! We'll, I just have to make the library a temporary study, " said the wise Magarch. "I guess we shall." I said, trying to sound professional but failing.

We went back to the enormous library. It was books as far as the eye can see. It had books ranging from antique mideval treaties to popular works of fiction such as Robin Hood and Sherlock Holmes. We fashioned a small work area at the northeast corner of the library. We sat around a small square table. The light was subtle. We placed the bracelet on top of a small cotton cloth folded to add more cushion.

He observed for many hours, under magnifying glass, the bracelet in question. It was quite ancient, dating back to the OLD KINGDOM of ancient Egypt. For long hours, we sat there. I fell asleep twice, and on my third nap, I woke up with a bang! "Wait! I'm awake!!!" I shouted. What woke me was a book. It wasn't really a book. It was the panel! A metal box with two buttons, one red and one blue. It was encased in what is a false book cover.
On the blue button was a dial that switched from several inputs. The last input it was on was "the statue."

Banshee was ecstatic! "Yeah! Now, I might be able to actually be able to study. Truth was, he just couldn't focus on his studies when in his library. There are so many books, vases, and art pieces that he couldn't get himself to pay attention.

We were about to head to the secret tunnel to go to the secret study when I noticed a small piece of paper wedged  in with the panel much like the cipher before. I grabbed it, and (written in blood) it read:

Chernoble is of Jackal's Breath!

I asked Banshee if he knew what it meant. "This is serious." Banshee stated, "Sa'eb Cha'uw, Jackal's Breath is a declaration of death. It means a horrible fate will follow you till your most painful death!"

___

We've been studying the artifact for several weeks now. Professor Banshee even showed me to activate the Bracelet of Thoth. I put the bracelet on my hand, hold my arm horizontally in front of me, and speak the name of the hieroglyph. Simple enough.

I noticed the calendar in the library had all the numbers crossed out, leading to the number 25. It's Christmas! More importantly, it's my first major holiday since I was adopted by the professor. My first holiday, no longer homeless. "Merry Christmas!" I told Banshee. "Merry Christmas to you as well, Chernoble!" He patted my head as real fathers should. We looked outside at the beautiful snowfall, how it glissened in the winter sun. It fell gently down upon the snow filled ground.

"Perhaps we could take a break and build a snowman!" I suggested to the professor. "Or maybe a snow-sphinx, or snow-mummy!" He added. He clearly had been working too long. He can't stop talking about Egypt. Well, as long as he's happy. I built a standard snowman by an old oak tree along the inner court of the manor. That oak was bear for it lost its leaves in the fall, and now it is officially winter. I stood proud, looking at my snowy friend, and all of a sudden, a snowball knocked my snowman's head clean off. "What in Hades!" I said as I turned around. Then I saw, with astonishment, a life-sized statue of Ramses the great, as it was from the temple of Karnak. "How did you make that in time?!" I shouted. "It's what I like to call, CREATIVITY!" He said mockingly as he shared his but in my direction. Then he threw a snowball at me. It hit me right square in the jaw with its icy composure. "Ow! Warn me next time!"

The professor jumped behind the trapezoid shaped snow bank behind him, and the battle had started. He flung several snowballs at me, someone great, some small. I went this way and that and barely dodged the frozen projectiles. Then, using the remains of my fallen comrade (snowman), I quickly built a makeshift snowfort. Then I threw my first ball. After that, it was an all-out war. We were flinging snowballs at each other ceaslessly. Meanwhile, Professor Banshee kept blathering about how he designed his fort of the design of the ancient Egyptian tombs known as mastabas. Then he told me how a wise priest from Egypt named Imhotep designed the first pyramids from the mastabas. He put smaller mastabas on larger ones until they became the pyramids we know today. As he flung three large balls, he continued telling me how Imhotep also pioneered many medical practices that we use today. He was an amazing architect, doctor, author, and even the Greek father of modern medicine said he built upon the work of Imhotep. It really sounds like he might have a man crush!

After the snowball fight, we just laid in the snow, making snow angels. "It is precious, time is!" Banshee told me. "How times like these will always stay with us, will be apart of us, even in times of hardship we'll face!"
"You say hard times are ahead. How do you know?" I asked, wondering what it's all about.
He hesitated on answering at first, but he felt as if I deserved an explanation.
"Eh- well, here it is. I have -eh- sources telling me there are a collection of Magarchs and Mages who are preparing for a war."
"A WAR!!!" I shouted in fear.
"I thought we weren't supposed to have any more WARS!"
"I wish that were true, but alas, it was not."
He paused again to gather his words.
"I know not the names of the people involved. I know very little. All I know is that the persons in question are to meet somewhere in Europe!"
He looked downward as if he could see all the lives lost in this upcoming  battle. He looked quite glum, depressed even. I tried to lighten the mood.
"So, have you ever been to Egypt?"
Ah, what a dumb question to ask. Of course he's been to Egypt, he's an Egyptologist! It seems to cheer him up slightly from his slight smile.
"Plenty! It is perhaps my most favorite place in the world to be."

"I just realized!" Banshee became frantic. "I forgot to get you CHRISTMAS PRESENTS!"
I looked at him as if he were a crazy person. "Banshee, you've already given me it!" I didn't need any physical gifts. All I wished for was someone to live life with. I always wanted what now I have, a FATHER!