The Society of the Ethereal Medallion

And So the Adventure Begins

"Your father's diary?!"

"Yes, his diary. Why do you have it?"

"I've had it since I was a baby."

"No," he shook his head unbelievably. "No. This-this belonged to him. I remember this book; he would write in it all the time; he had all of his research in it."

"Are you sure that this book belonged to him?"

"Yes, I-" He raked his hands through his hair; I noticed he always did that when he was either frustrated or stressed.

"Well, if it's him, then why did my parents give it to me?"

"You tell me."

I reached out to grab the book from him; he glared at me hesitantly to hand the book over. 

"They said the answers are in that book; maybe there's an explanation to this as well." 

He still held the book warily in both of his hands. 

I placed my hand over one of his. "Please." He had to know how important this was not only to me but to him. "You've worked all of your life for this moment. Don't you want to know?"

We sat staring at each other, my hand over one of his, in such close vicinity. 

I could smell his cologne again and the faint scent of tobacco; now that I was closer, I could also see his brown eyes contained honey-speckled flecks towards his pupil. Maybe that's why Jane was so helplessly attracted to him; much like Ares, his eyes were hypnotizing. 

He looked shocked that I had made such a gesture, but I was desperate, desperate enough to offer him comfort.

Nauseating.

He breathed out a sigh and handed me the book, "I expect it back."

"Stop being such a child," I growled as I flipped to the first page past my parent's letter to me. 

William scooted his chair closer to me, his right leg shamelessly laid against mine. 

I gave him a sharp look before looking back at the diagrams drawn on the page with neat, cursive notes.

"Well, you were right about Egypt." 

My parents dedicated many pages to the Pyramids of Giza; on one page was a diagram of the Tetractys. The author wrote a poem next to a detailed sketch of the Great Pyramid:

Balance among the seasons

The only constant is change

Every day presents us with new mysteries

Preserve life and its necessities

Excercise self-protection, be aware of your surroundings and yourself

Seek comfort amid the chill

Let go of the world you know and step into a new one

When my parents said the answers were in this journal, I expected a handwritten biography and complete explanation, not riddles and puzzles. 

I huffed, "More riddles for us to hunt down and attempt to solve."

"This riddle isn't the hardest one; you just have to have a fair amount of patience and skill."

I ignored his insult, "Well then, what does the riddle mean, Great One?"

"Well, since you called me by my actual name, I'll tell you."