Soon the dinner was ready to be served, the Nome gathered in the dining hall, which was decorated, worthy of a welcome dinner of the Pharaoh, and Sadie Kane, the only living magician to have summoned Ma'at. Lucia stood and the hall went silent. "As you all may be wondering, looking around at the room, what be the occasion for the current state of the dining hall; I must announce that the Pharaoh, Carter Kane himself and his sister, Sadie, are visiting our Nome!" Cheers erupted, she smiled at their excited glances around the room. "Supposedly, in their scroll, they are set to arrive when I press the center of the Eye of Horus seal." She took the scroll from Helen and held it up for the room to see, then with her thumb pressed the center of the eye. Silence. The room was confused and when Lucia began to doubt, a screech was heard outside. Lucia ran to the large window out-looking the gate, a griffin with a boat attached to it, flew around in the sky. It bumped into the forcefield, screeching. "I, Lucia Romano, give that griffin and it's passengers permission to enter the Nome!" She called and with a flash of light, they were allowed to pass through the barrier. "Stay here," Lucia called to Ethan and the others, "I will be back." She ran out of the hall and down the stairs and out the main door. The griffin, who surprised her with it's speed, landed in front of her and screeched, it's wings vibrating. Lucia noticed him first, Carter Kane. In the First Nome, she had learned combat magic under him when he visited. He wore a white linen t-shirt and black jeans, with long curly brown hair and tanned skin. A blonde girl stood next to him, air skin, deep blue eyes, a mischievous, lopsided smile, and a caramel brown hair with bright purple highlights, a thin black jacket with tattered jeans and combat boots, Sadie. Lucia knelt to them, "Welcome to my Nome, my pharaoh, legendary magician, Sadie." She heard their footsteps on the stone path as they hopped off of their boat. Lucia stood. "It's been awhile, Carter." He smiled and nodded, "I can see you're more confident now, you had completed your training and left when I returned." Lucia then turned her attention to Sadie, "It is a pleasure to meet you, Sadie. Carter told me about you when I tutored under him." She smirked, "Oh really? And what did he say about me?" Carter's eyes widened, "wait-" Lucia smiled back, "Oh, something here and there about how even though you two quarrel, you're the greatest sister in the world and he should be thankful to have you." Sadie burst out in laughter and Carter glared at Lucia. "Oh Carter," Sadie said in between her convulsions, "you're too kind, too kind. Anyways," She stepped closer to Lucia as she wiped her eyes, "I don't like being recognized by someone I don't know, so, I am Sadie Kane," She extended her hand. Lucia shook it, surprised by Sadie's firm grip, "Lucia Romano, Sem Priest of the 84th Nome." Carter cleared his throat, "Now that that is over with, I assume you know why we are hear?" Sadie rolled her eyes, "Of course she does, she summoned us with the scroll, didn't she? It has clear instructions inside of it stating how to activate the Eye of Horus seal." Carter glared at her. "Anyways, am I correct?" Lucia nodded. "Of course, however, there has been… a complication. But, before we get into the nitty gritty details, I would like to welcome the Pharaoh and his legendary sister to the 84th Nome, with a grand dinner in your honor. Please, this way."

Lucia led them to the dining hall, where the others patiently waited. A small ruckus erupted as everyone turned to look towards them as they came up the elevator. Carter and Sadie followed behind Lucia. "Everyone, our special guests have arrived!" Cheers broke out and they surprised Lucia by giving them applause. Sadie whistled behind Lucia, "Wow, you really know how to make a girl feel welcome. I like you more and more." Lucia led them to the head table, away from the others. When Sadie and Carter were seated. "Now, Ethan, if you would." Ethan nodded and stood. He clapped his hands and the doors burst open with familiars carrying platters and pushing carts full of food.

After the food was served, talking rose up and everything seemed like a normal day at the 84th Nome. As they ate, Lucia spoke up, "Now, as I mentioned earlier, a complication - which is putting it lightly - has been found with my Nome as a whole." Carter rose eyebrow as he chewed a mouthful of food. "For you to understand, I must explain the Archive to you. The Archive is the brain of our defenses and information storage, it is a self regulatory and self-maintenance closed-loop magic network-" "Does that come in English?" Asked Sadie. Carter shot a warning glance at her. "Forgive her, but even I'm not sure what that means." Lucia nodded. "Generally speaking… It's a brain. Thinks, acts, and grows on it's own. Is that clear enough?" Sadie nodded. "Should have just said that from the beginning, I like you, but you sounded like Carter there for a second." Lucia couldn't help but smile at that. "I take that as a compliment." Sadie gave her a disappointed gaze as she slowly shook her head. "Please continue," asked Carter. "Understood. As I was saying, when the Archive was created, the idea of it was to be a self-sustaining closed-loop, self-reliant for a simple term, system; to sustain itself for hundreds if not, thousands of years without a connection to the outside world or human intervention; as it would seek help on its own when it deemed necessary. By this concept, all research and records of the magic or technology used to create it; was destroyed. It was a marvel to the magicians then, and to us today. I had discovered it upon my arrival here when I was assigned here." Carter wiped his mouth with a napkin. "You said it's a marvel to you today, does that even you cannot even glance at its inner works?"

Lucia nodded. "I've tried, but failed every time. I think it has set instructions to deal with outside intrusion, any time I thought I was getting somewhere, It changed algorithms and out-smarted me. However, I can access its stores of information it collects. During our internal investigation to figure out your interest in that staff, we discovered that records of it's arrival does not exist or has been erased; including the names of all who entered the Library during and before the date the Staff was brought in. That is all we have to go off of." Carter seemed to be less interested in the food he was previously scarfing down as he slowly lowered his fork and knife. "The records were destroyed, right?" Lucia nodded. "Then how did someone access it?" Lucia shook her head. "That is what we would like to find out. Until further notice, the Library has been set in lockdown mode. Only everyone at this table is permitted to enter and exceptions for ones we give permission."

Carter nodded. "That indeed is a complication." After dinner, Lucia allowed the Nome members to meet Carter and Sadie and ask them some questions, one at a time. When they had their fill, Lucia lead them to the Library with Ethan, Helen and Celo. In the Library, Helen locked the doors behind them and a light blue ward flashed to life on it. A ward is a jumbled mix of hieroglyphs of multiple different purposes, overlapping each other; indiscernible from one another. "Is it safe to talk here?" Asked Sadie. Lucia nodded. "Wards are built into this Library to prevent eavesdropping by physical and magic means." Sadie sighed. "Finally, down to business. I assume you want to know why we are interested in the Soul Harvesters Staff, right? Well allow me, the all knowing Sadie to enlighten you by starting off with a question; do you know how we defeated the chaos snake last year?" Lucia nodded. "No magician doesn't know. I must thank you personally for saving the world, and indirectly, mine and everyone's life here." Sadie smirked. "And I like you again." Carter elbowed her, who protested by saying, "Hey! It's nice to get some recognition, you know!" She shook her head and gave them an exasperated expression as if saying can you believe this guy? Lucia smiled, finding the situation amusing. "But, before I go any further, I must ask that each of you hold the secret I am about to tell you close to your own souls and never let it slip. This is something we'd never tell if the situation didn't warrant it. It is possible to perform an execration spell on a Shuet or 'shadow' of the soul." She paused as if reluctant to continue, "even on a god. Me and Carter, as well as help from our immortal pals, used this technique to destroy Apophis.

"The Staff of the Soul Harvester is important, because, while it harvests souls obviously, it holds the power to forge or even reforge one's soul. However, this technique… requires the sacrifice of the life force of a living soul; the stronger the soul being reforged, the more sacrifices needed. The removal of the life force of the soul is messy, usually resulting in an explosion or rippling waves of magic energy-" "Wait," Ethan said, Sadie seemed annoyed that he interrupted her, she wanted to protest but Ethan continued. "Doesn't that sound like the reports about what happened when the Soul Harvester was cornered? The 1906 San Francisco earthquake?" Lucia nodded. "Could the Harvester have activated the staff upon his final breath?" Sadie shook her head. "No. It requires the full life force of a living soul, someone who was dying couldn't activate the staff." Lucia thought she was going to be sick. "Then…" Carter spoke up, "something else entirely happened in 1906 San Francisco." Lucia had enough for one day. She rubbed her temples. "Then what exactly happened?" Sadie shook her head, "we don't know, but we are here to take the staff and secure in the First Nome before-" "Before what?" A deep voice had said that shook the room. Lucia drew her daggers, Helen summoned her hieroglyphs, Ethan drew his wand, Celo prepared his combat magic; Carter drew his hook and flail, Sadie drew her wand. "Who is that?" Celo asked, Sadie and Carter acted like they had seen a ghost. "Oh, little Kane's, It's been too long."

Sadie shook her head. "Impossible! You're-" "Destroyed?" The disembodied voice said, then filled the room with deep laughter. "You don't even realize what is going on. Something… Big is in the works, not even you can stop it. Not Percy. Not Jason. This time, I WILL DESTROY OLYMPUS AND SWALLOW THE SUN!" It's rage filled shook the room, cracks and dust filled the room, wards all over the room began to flash in a displays of thousands of colors; which would have been beautiful except for the crushing force encircling the room. An hieroglyph appeared in the air, Isfet; Chaos. Black tendrils began to snake across the room, a large gale blew from the hieroglyph, books flew off their shelves, Shabti crumbled, the wards flashed brighter and a loud audible crack appeared in a few. "The wards won't hold!" Lucia shouted over the wind. "The staff!" Carter yelled, swatting away a swarm of books. Small black tendrils split from larger tendrils and formed hundreds of black snakes. They surrounded Celo, Helen and Ethan, separating Carter, Sadie and Lucia from them. They got in formation, Helen in the middle, casting hieroglyphs, Ethan fired blasts of magic at the snakes, Celo slicing and punching with combat magic. They were trained and skilled, but they were being overwhelmed, Helen couldn't produce hieroglyphs fast enough. Lucia gripped her daggers and lunged. A feeling deep in her gut exploded, filling her gut with a weird tugging and tingling sensation; but she couldn't let it stop her. She would never let a Nome member die again if she could have prevented it. She slashed, cut, sliced, and casted, the snakes seemed to be endless, as well as the tugging sensation that continued to swell up.

When she came too, she was standing in the now destroyed Library, breathing heavy, thousands of cuts all over her body and bleeding. She was breathing heavily, looked around for more snakes, but only to discover Carter, Sadie, Ethan, Helen, and Celo staring at her in awe. She came down from her adrenaline rush, and her legs buckled, her vision flickered and danced, she stumbled, but Ethan caught her. "Is-" She coughed, "Is everyone alright?" Ethan smirked, "Madam, are you alright?" Her eyes narrowed, "Wha-" Her vision darkened.