I tossed the plaque aside before I got up to investigate whether or not my theory of a hidden chamber was correct. When I reached for the pedestal, my hand found the edge of an opening where the plaque had been and I breathed another sigh of relief for having my theory proven correct. Not really caring whether or not they had booby trapped the chamber at this point, I recklessly reached inside and felt around for the beast's heart or whatever item they had sealed it inside.

      My hand came to no harm as I searched but they must have set up some sort of alarm instead because when it found the rough surface of a wooden box it seemed like all the monsters in the forest gave a bone chilling howl just before the hybrids began their attack on the barrier in ernest. I ignored them and pulled the box out to examine it better. It was lighter than I thought it would be when I pulled it out of the chamber and onto my lap to inspect it. Under closer inspection, it turned out to be a large twelve inch cube with strange symbols carved into its sides and without any apparent top or lid.

      I continued to further probe it in the dark with my fingers and found a series of deep grooves. They were close to the edges of the cube and ran parallel to them; some of which ended in sort of notch when they came to the corners of the cube. It was almost as if the sides of the cube were slotted together like they were part of some kind of three dimensional jigsaw puzzle box. And from what I could tell, a fairly basic one at that. But it couldn't be that simple.... Could it?

      Jumping on the possible solution, I began to eagerly push and pull sideways on the sides of the cube looking for the one that would come out first and, in turn, open it. While I searched, Indy's root and vine barrier creaked, groaned, and rained small bits of dirt and debris down on me as it resisted the hybrids' vicious onslaught. From the sounds I was hearing, I could tell it was slowing giving way to them but it was making them pay for every bit they chipped from it.

      Fearful thoughts began to surface in my mind as I listened but I pushed them away like I had done earlier with my worries for Indy. Fear and worry would only hinder me and Indy had done her job of getting us here. Now it was my job to free the black beast and see ourselves safely home.

      Eventually, one of the side I was tugging on, popped free and slid effortlessly free of the others. When it did, a jolt of energy traveled up my arms. It was possibly backlash from braking the magic seal or tripping a magical trap the monsters had placed on the box. Knowing them there was a good chance it could have been both. Either way I was unharmed by it and I set the freed box peice aside in favor of looking into the box itself.