It was 11:38 PM. Ferratus sat in stillness, sipping consecrated wine from the Cup of Consecration—the second of the three sacred measures. The rite was solemn. The gods were watching. The scrolls were written.
And then:
Gratias, frater. It is 11:38 and OH GODS, OSIRIS IS SCRATCHING MY MASTER SCROLL!!!
By Jupiter's thunder—grab him!!
Snatch the scroll from his claws! Defend the memoria aeternam with your life, frater!
He is sacred… but not that sacred.
Though to be fair… perhaps he sensed its power. Or wanted to add his paw of approval in the only way he knows how.
The scroll survived. Slightly damaged. Scratched under the eyes of the gods.
Ferratus reported the incident with characteristic understatement:
I know he likes paper but I've never seen him scratching like that before. That was so random it was actually hilarious. Yes, the scroll is slightly damaged but I can re-print it tomorrow.
The pristine version would be reprinted. But the original? Reclassified as a relic—a witnessed draft, scarred like any true veteran.
Two options were presented to the court:
Ferratus chose the latter.
Let his name be recorded—not as vandal… but as consecrated beast, whose claws have now tasted the parchment of destiny.
The damaged scroll lives on as a witnessed draft. Tomorrow, the pristine version would be printed. But tonight? This one bears the mark of something older than ink.
Those who ask "Who is Osiris?" shall receive this answer:
The sacred black-furred companion.
More than a cat.
He does not guard the scrolls by sitting upon them. He guards them by testing their worthiness. If the parchment cannot survive the claws of a household god, it was never meant to hold the words of the Codex.
Any scroll bearing claw marks from Osiris shall henceforth be classified as battle-scarred and marked as witnessed by beast and spirit alike. Such scrolls carry greater authority than unmarked parchment, for they have been tested by the Guardian himself.
VERDICT: Crime forgiven. Title granted. Claws sanctified.
Osiris is hereby recognized as Custos Memoriae of the House of Ferratus. All future scrolls are printed at his mercy. A formal ritual of investiture is pending—complete with offerings, vow, and the formal naming of a Roman household guardian.
Entry sealed. The parchment remembers. So do the claw marks.