There will be a much longer author's note at the end but guest and anyone else who was wondering-Nina's gram died the summer before her senior year. Oh and HoAMR aren't you a clever girl. ;)

Chapter 5

House of the Wise

"Okay, don't panic," I told my friend who was starting to freak out and mumble about how we were going to die. (Apparently the Osirian spirit made him braver too because this was an Eddie I hadn't seen in years). "And let's think."

"Think about what?" Eddie grumbled. "I mean what is even the purpose of this riddle?" He looked to the demon for a response, but none came. However, something in my mind clicked.

"Eddie you're a genius!" I squealed. "The purpose of these tasks are to make sure you learned enough when you were alive to be culpable for your actions. If you don't understand the world then it wouldn't be fair for you to be judged for what you've done or what you haven't done."

Understanding dawned on Eddie's face, "So whatever the answer is it's something we should have learned well we were alive." Quickly as it came, however, the joy disappeared, "But we're 19 Nina. How are we supposed to know everything about living when we're NINETEEN?"

Eddie was right, but he'd always been my strength so now I could be his. "But we've lived a whole lot more than most people ever do. We've fought cults, ghosts, the Apocalypse, gods… we have to be able to figure these out or the Ra-three would never have even tried."

"Ra three… I like that name," Eddie decided with the slightest smile. "So what do you get when it's too late to be useful?"

"Well you get regret," I suggested, but Eddie immediately shot it down.

"But if you had regret before you did something that made you regret you wouldn't understand what you're regretting... if that made any sense at all." It didn't really, but I got his point. Even if regret came early you'd still make the same mistakes.

"But I think we're on the right track with mistakes. That seems life-lesson-y, right?" Gran always said the point of life was to learn from your mistakes so you don't make them again. But what keeps you from making them again?

"Wisdom," Eddie breathed with a happy smile. "I mean most people who die are old and aren't old people supposed to be wise."

"Eddie, I could kiss you if we weren't like second cousins once removed!" Even if we weren't related through our evil shared ancestor, Rufus, I wouldn't have kissed Eddie anyways- I so don't like him like that-but the point was made. "You get wisdom by making mistakes, but if you had wisdom you'd never have made the mistake in the first place! Cry of the Stillborn's Mother," I addressed the demon. "Is your answer wisdom?"

Like I said, the demon doesn't exactly have a face, but if blades could smile maliciously his definitely would have been beaming. "Yes, you've passed the first test on your way to the Throne Room of Osiris. Good travels Chosen Ones, once-Osirian."

When the demon vanished and a door to where our godly… travel companions… waited appeared, I heard Eddie grumble. "Is there a single person in this place who doesn't know who we are."

"I doubt there is a single person in this place who does," a young man interrupted causing me to spin around in surprise. "But as for everyone who is not a person… even for a Paragon and Osirian you two are legendary. The girl who finally fulfilled her destiny and reassembled the cup. The boy who banished Senkarah, defeated Ammut, and then stabbed the pesky Anet in the heart before sacrificing his powers to save the world… oh yes we all know of you."

"And who exactly are you?" Eddie questioned of the tall and well-dressed man. "No offence, I mean you look nice enough, but can't be too careful in a place like this, can you?"

The intellectual-looking man only laughed softly, "None taken. You'd be wise to be careful. This is the place of the lost, the demons, and the gods and while the demons look horrifying, we gods are much worse."

Oh great. Another god. "You wouldn't happen to be Thoth, right? I mean you just look like the smart, wisdom god, type," I questioned.

"I see your intelligence is truly worth Anubis' constant bragging," Thoth told me with a smile. "Yes. I am him, though if my looks give me away so much maybe I should change."

"I mean I'm more of the leather jacket kind of guy," Eddie noted. "But the tweed works on you. So what are you doing here?"

As Eddie spoke, Thoth had been considering his jacket, but when he spoke I knew every ounce of his attention was directed at me. "Well you did just pass my wisdom test, but that isn't entirely why I'm here. I wanted to see the ones I'd heard so much about, but before you go meet up with the Ra-three as you like to call them, I have a warning for you." Okay, when a god comes to give you a warning you know something big is up. They don't ever do anything lightly. "Beware Raet. Khepri and Khnum are harmless this century, but Raet has an unmanageable need to be in a position of power. And, as long as she's in control of your lives, she's the most powerful one around." Oh dandy. Wasn't this day just getting better and better? "You might not know it, but since Egypt moved on from us and decided to worship only one god we true gods have been involved in a cold civil war. We don't have a leader because the aspects of Ra can't become one again without the Touchstone that is well protected, and Horus hasn't exerted his right to rule in decades. The Du'at- it's an anarchy. I would not put it past Raet to use your lives as bargaining chips to get Osiris and Anubis on her side before she makes a bid for leadership."

"So what are we supposed to do?" Eddie asked frustration clear in his voice. "We can't go on without her; this place is huge."

"And if Raet knows you don't trust her she will make her move then and there," Thoth told us rubbing his chin in consideration. "Sometimes the wisest person does not act until an option presents itself. Hopefully, there will be a better answer than just being pawns in an unwinnable war. I do not envy you two one bit. Good luck, and I'd suggest not telling anyone that you saw me. Raet will know I came to warn you."

"I like Thoth," Eddie decided once the god disappeared and we headed back towards our godly guides. "He seems like a sane god."

"I'm not so sure the words sane and god can ever work in the same sentence," I noted as I pointed to where the three aspects of Ra were bickering.

"Oh good, you didn't get yourselves beheaded," Nile noted with the slightest hint of disappointment. "Well Raet, you're the guide here."

After the slightest eye roll, Raet spun on her heels and set off in the other direction. "You having fun yet?" I asked Eddie sarcastically.

As we set off towards the next stage of our dangerous quest all Eddie could do was sigh deeply and shake his head.

Okay, long A/N time. I have a few questions for you and would really appreciate if you'd review with answers.

1. How many of you are reading this but haven't read "The Ring of Osiris?" I completely understand if you are- it's long, but I want to post a re-cap of sorts with all the things you need to know if you haven't read the original. So who hasn't read the first one and would like the re-cap?

2. I'm going to start a series of what-ifs. Like 'What if Eddie came to the house at the same time as Nina'. I'm really good at cause-effect so I'd like to know if anyone has any requests for 'what-ifs'

3. If I was to start a kinda-Neddie fan fic based on the quote from the Vampire Diaries "Does Elena (think Nina) enjoy having you two worship at her Table" would anyone read it? Or would I be stoned for abandoning Peddie and Fabina?

4. If I was to start one of the above things would you be mad because then, once I get back to school, I'd probably update only every-other day? I mean i know authors who go a week between updates so i don't think it's ridiculous, but would the suspense kill you?

Okay that's all. Thanks for reading and if you will answer my questions with either a message or a review I'll love you more than I already do!