Anders rushed into my room without even knocking. I had been sitting on my bed, doing research on my laptop, when he burst in.

"Gather the team. I need you to go down to the shipyard docks and collect someone for me." He exclaimed loudly. I felt the vibration from my phone as he texted me the coordinates. I leapt from my bed and followed him out, as he continued down the dorm hallway to knock on the doors of the others. We all had followed him out to the main hall, getting dressed and gearing up on the way. Ethan stood against the wall, half dressed and half awake.

"Focus up, we have an emergency." Anders said, continuously looking down at his phone. "I have an Order member doing recon in the field at the Harbourfront docks. He's secured an Artifact that was being transported by what we believe to be agents working directly against the Order. He has sustained injuries and needs evacuation. I need you all to head down and secure them both and return them to the Cathedral. Am I clear?"

We all nodded our agreement, but Anders frowned.

"Where is Erik? I tried getting him first but he wasn't in his room." He said. It felt nice to know I had been his second choice to lead the mission.

I understood that Anders had been under a lot of pressure, and that Erik had taken on the burden of being like his second in command. Which had left me to lead our missions as of late. I felt like there should have been more veteran Order members here. My parents had once been part of Anders' team back in the day, but they had both left to pursue careers outside of the Order after their friend, another team member, had been killed in the field. It felt like when Anders had been given the Toronto Branch, it had been like giving someone an antique. He had slowly and carefully put together our team, and used all the resources he could to get this place up and running. But essentially, we were a group of teenagers bumming around in the renovated basement bunker of an old Cathedral.

"He's probably out with the new girl." Amelia said with attitude. Anders grimaced.

"Did they leave for a training mission? Doesn't matter. I need you guys to go now." His voice was frantic, so we packed up our stuff and headed out.

~*~

How the heck was I gonna fit this massive golden coffin in the sleigh?

“Do you even know what’s in there?” I asked the dude dressed in all black. He looked rough and was laying against the side of the thing. I offered him ambrosia, but he waved it aside.

“I haven’t been able to get it open.” His voice was hoarse, and his jaw barely moved.

Amelia prodded the thing with Gae Bolg, even going so far as to try and jam the spear inside to use like a crowbar. She was unsuccessful.

“Who were the guys trying to get their hands on this?" I asked. He had explained the Golem, which were super cool, but that didn't tell me who the real bad guys were.

“I have a feeling I know, but I need to talk to Anders first.” He tried to stand, but his legs shook and gave out leaving him leaning heavily against the sarcophagus. I hesitated to offer my help again, but when he reached out for a hand, I felt obligated. I wrapped my arm under him, and waved Tadashi over to help. Together we managed to get him into the sleigh. The reindeer all started jumping about and pulling away. I looked at buddy in the black dress shirt and he shrugged.

“They never really liked me.” He grimaced as we jostled him into the rocking sleigh.

“Alright mister, we don’t mind helping you out…” Amelia started in between grunts of whacking the sarcophagus with her spear. “…but you gotta answer some questions. Who are you, and why all the hush-hush? Anders has never mentioned you before and I’ve never seen you at the Cathedral.”

She was right, we did need some answers, but now was hardly the time to interrogate the guy.

Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

“Probably better I let Anders explain. I'm Chase. I used to be part of the Order.” He sighed.

“Used to?” I said. I knew now that there was a much bigger story at play here. Was Chase part of Anders old team? Did my parents know him?

“Hey guys, the dock ledgers confirm that the ship docked here was named the Queen Anne’s Revenge. You’d think someone would have asked more questions about a huge pirate ship, but apparently, it’s not the first time its been here. Our pirate friends have been docking here on and off, for the last few years.” Ethan called out as he made his way back to the party. “Also, someone stuffed a dead security dude into the guard shack locker. It was not pretty."

All our eyes turned to the new guy and he shrugged again.

“Must have been the Golem.” I said, diverting their attention. I gave Chase a sideways glance, but headed back over to the artifact. Maybe Amelia was missing something. Sometimes she had a bad habit of brute forcing things. But I preferred a more intellectual approach. I was the kind of nerdy guy that liked puzzles. I often tried to get the others to join me for escape rooms in the city. I crouched down beside the thing and felt it all over, running my fingers along the engravings and looking for latches or anything else that stuck out. I found something familiar.

“There’s a Star of David here. I didn’t know the Jewish buried their dead in sarcophagi.” I told the team.

“Sarcophagi aren’t exclusive to Egyptians. Other cultures and religions also revere their dead. It can be a sign of respect to the deceased. But my question is, what would they want with a dead Jew?” Chase piped up, popping his head over the edge of the sleigh. When he moved, the reindeer had a fit until he sat back down. He turned to glare at them.

“Well, can anyone read Hebrew?” I asked, running my finger over the engravings. I didn't actually expect any of my team mates to know, and their shrugs reassured that.

“I can and I did.” Again, all eyes went to our new friend in the back of the sleigh.

“It is the body of Elijah Ba’al Shem, Rabbi of Chelm. The man who first created the Golem.” Chase told us.

“I thought you said you didn’t know what was in there?” I frowned, waving my arms dramatically at him.

“I said I hadn’t been able to get it open. I know what’s in there.” He said, slumping back into the sleigh.

“Listen here mister!” Amelia moved toward him quickly, Gae Bolg still at her side, but I put my arm out and she stopped. I gave her a look that made her simmer down.

“How are we even supposed to get this damn thing back to the Cathedral?” Ethan said, knocking gently on the lid.

The sarcophagus slid open and I swear I had never heard anyone scream so loud in my life and like a little girl no less.

“Oy vey! You would not believe the headache I have. Lock an old Rabbi in a trunk for years, they did! How long have I been in there anyway?” An angry little Jewish man popped out and started flailing around. Ethan stumbled over his own feet and fell over. The ancient Rabbi turned to face him.

“What’s a matter bubbeleh? You look like you’ve seen a dybbuk!” His voice sounded like sandpaper felt.

He spun around to look at all of us. "What's everyone staring at?"

Most of his clothes had rotted away, except his ridiculously large hat. He was mostly just taunt skin pulled across dry bones. One of his eyes was missing but he still wore his old cracked glasses that rested on what was left of his nose. Amelia gagged, and honestly, I felt like doing the same. Chase popped back over the railing to the displeasure of the reindeer. I'm sure they would have been much more disturbed by the zombie Rabbi.

“Shalom Rabbi, I apologize for the disturbance. You were being hauled onto a pirate ship by Golem. I managed to fight them off and we were just trying to figure out how to get into your coffin.”

“Meshugaas!” The Rabbi exclaimed. It was a raspy sound from his dried throat. “Used my own Golem against me, those putz.” He crawled over the edge of his coffin and his arm fell off. I heard Ethan vomit somewhere behind me.

“Oy gevalt!” The Rabbi seemed very upset at his arm. He turned to look at me. “Would you mind getting that for me?”

I didn't know what to do or say, I was super grossed out. I picked up his arm gently with the tips of my fingers and handed it back. He made a quick jostling motion and shoved it back into the socket where it reattached itself.

“Rabbi, would you return with us to our place of business? I know someone who is going to want to speak with you.” Chase asked. I looked at him in horror as I tried to contemplate how I was going to get the zombie on my sleigh.

“I suppose so, where else am I gonna go?” The Rabbi said, looking around. He cackled and it was a horrid, dry noise.

Tadashi helped Ethan to his feet and wiped away some of the vomit on his face with his sleeve. The two stared at each other for a moment. Long enough that it was noticeable.

“Thanks for the hand.” The Rabbi said to me as he passed me, inviting himself to the sleigh. Ethan looked like he was ready to walk home instead.

“He’s not sitting beside me.” Amelia whispered to me before dismissing Gae Bolg and climbing in beside Chase. Everyone piled in awkwardly in the back, while the Rabbi clamored into the front, right next to me. He looked over at me with his one bloodshot eye and gave me what I assumed was a smile.

I didn't even need to call out the reindeer's names this time. They were happy to be away and gone and took off into the sky.