AS jack pulled into his frats driveway, he couldn't suppress his excitment. While the somewhat nerdy achaeology major's academic pursuits were certainly an odd fit for Lamda Epsion Omega, LEO, he was just as fiercely proud of the brotherhood as anyone else. The reason for his excitement was the amulet in his palm. He'd just returned from a dig in central Africa and had come across an unusual golden lion mask. While normally he'd report such find to the other researchers on his project, this was different. It was a lion. LEO frat icon was the lion and they took the animal very seriously. The frat had its own lion costume, they collectively referred to their girlfriends as the 'lionesses' and all members were required to get a lion tattoo to become full brothers. The theme was more than just fun, however. Lions signified strength, power, masculinity - all of which the brothers openly touted. Most in the frat were on the football team, sporting large muscles, massive egos and generally low IQs - masculine qualities well matched to lions. Jacks academic interests meant he didn't have quite the bulk of the other members, but his charisma made up for it in spades. Funny, outgoing, handsome - he was an obvious choice as frat president and someone everyone got along with easily.
Stepping out of the car, he grabbed a bulky object shrouded in a concealing blanket - the mask - from the back seat. Glancing around to make sure no was watching, he slipped from his car into the Frat's common room.
Once inside and safe from prying eyes, he removed the blanket. The mask was stunning. Almost pure gold, its details were intricately designed, each lock of fur, whisker and contour expertly cut into the gold. It looked shockingly realistic, something Jack never would have imagined possible with goldwork. The one interruption in the gold were two emeralds, set into the cat's eyes. The gems had an oddly hypnotic quality: they instantly grabbed the eye, and oddly, jack found once they had the eye, they didn't like to give it up. When he first found the mask on his dig, h found himself transfixed for a good 20 minutes on the mask's glistening emeralds - something that confused and slightly scared him. There was certainly something oddly attractive about this mask.
Eyeing it now, he couldn't help but smirk at its splendor. Wanting to show it off, he brought it to the mantel above the fire place and set it dead center. A stately art piece that would loom over the common room and act as a commanding reminder to his brothers of their allegiance to LEO. Standing back, he admired the new art piece. As his eyes once more traced the details, they caught something new. Etched around the emeralds seemed to be an odd inscription. Squinting, he racked his brain to recognize the symbols. Thankfully, they seemed oddly familiar. Well educated in African scripts, these symbols seemed to be an odd amalgam of multiple african Tounges, brought together in intricate fashion and suspiciously designed to only be readable to an expert linguist like Jack. Just as he began sounding them out he was interrupted by a loud:
"What'cha that there Jackie boy!"
Jack turned. Standing in the door was Trent and Frankie, his two least favorite frat brothers. Both were meatheads, quick to anger and even quicker with the ladies. While certainly not Jack's style, they were lions none the less.
" A new mask I found on my dig, figure it could adorn our mantle!" jack replied "Now gimme just one second, I found some text on this thing and gotta translate it....lets see it reads...'Behold the mask of the pride. Only the worthy in its presence can join the ranks of the True Lions. All others shall serve the Pride as devout lionesses." As jack read, the lights in the room slowly dimmed, and an eerie green light seemed to flash from the lions eyes, casting a shadow on Jacks lips. Trent and Frankie grew concerned. This wasn't normal. Wasn't natural. And DEFINITELY not something they wanted to deal with before the big game tomorrow. Jack continued " Those who hear and read this inscription shall be charged with planting the seeds of the Pride, willing or unwilling. Their dwelling shall become a temple to the pride and their friends and brothers made followers of the Great Lion. Rejoice! For today is a new day for the pride! Be remade in the masks image and share its wonders!"
As jack finished, the green eyes sent a rapid fire flash of colored photons throughout the room. The photons traveled throughout the house, each choosing a unique section of the wall or object to strike and imbue with their essence. Two photons traveled to Trent and Frank, hitting them square in the chest and disappearing into their body. The stream of lights continued for a few moments more before a final blast flashed across Jack's face, sinking into his skin and filling him with the magic.
Then, the room went quiet.