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A/N: The Haventon Born ebook has been released. See here for where you can get it!

Matthias leafed through the papers with a deepening scowl.

“What do they say, dad?” Karen attempted to read over his shoulder but the notes were extremely complex and at least partly in draconic.

“I only understand about half of this,” he replied. “But it’s bad. If I’m understanding this, whoever did this can use the heart bracelets to suck the energy out of the wearer. I think he’s saying that the bracelets are connected to something and were planning to use us as batteries.”

“Let me see,” Darlryan said. Matthias handed him the notes without comment. He leaved through them and began swearing in draconic.

“I take it I had understood them correctly?”

“Yes,” Darlryan looked around. “Those of you wearing bracelets, I’d take them off if I were you. Whoever did this is unlikely to activate them soon but I don’t think walking around with a bomb on your wrist is wise. I’ll talk to others and we’ll make you amulets for now until we can teach you to maintain your energy here.” He frowned at the notes some more. “Whoever did this really believes in planning ahead.”

“Hmm?” Matthias looked at him.

“Well, according to his notes Likadrian reckoned they are part of a device someone was building and was planning to use them as the power source. He was also certain the device was still a work in progress. Building something over millenia takes some dedication.” He flipped another page and began swearing again.

“What is it?”

“He traced connections between the bracelets and the Lost Ones’ prison. It looks like they are planning to use them as a power source as well.”

“Xantaria, then,” Laxmi said.

“Possibly,” Darlryan said. “She’s certainly top of the suspect list but we don’t want to jump to conclusions. There were other people involved in setting up the prison and any of them might be behind this.” He gave wry smile. “That included Fellaria-ida, actually. I doubt it’s her – it’s really not her style – but we should talk to her. See if she remembers anything that might help.”

“Not a bad idea,” Matthias said. “So I guess we have one more stop before home.”

“I’ll send Alaryia-miria an imp,” Darlryan agreed.
***
“I was only tangentially involved in making the prison,” Fellaria said. “I don’t think I know anything that can help you. I didn’t even know they’d made it so horrible or locked Lanaria in it until later.” She leafed through the notes and stared at the diagrams. “And this I’m certain I know nothing about…” She frowned. “So why does this pattern look so familiar? I have seen something like it before but not in this context.” She started rubbing her temples. “I’m sorry, when you’re as old as I am chasing down one memory can be difficult. At least it’s fixable, if a bit complicated and long winded. It looks like we may owe Likadrian some thanks for uncovering this. Now there are words I never thought I’d say.” She scowled at the pages some more. “I am really sure this is familiar in an unrelated context and it’s not a good memory but it’s vague. I think it’s from before the purge…”

“Do you think it’s Xantaria?” Darlryan asked.

Fellaria closed her eyes. “Yes! Yes! Now I remember. She was just a child at the time and she was drawing a very similar diagram in the dirt for a group of us… I don’t think she was planning to make it. She was asking if we knew what it was… But she was certainly aware of it.” She scowled. “That was a bad meeting; it was the same one where the rest of us had to put down Garilda-miria because she went beserk and tried to kill her daughter… Garilda was Xantaria’s mother. I bet Takilyan-mirian remembers it as well.”

“We’ll ask him after the battle tomorrow,” Matthias said. “We need to get some rest before then.”

A/N: The Haventon Born ebook has been released. See here for where you can get it!

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