Chapter 107: Heavy Reading

Chapter 107: Heavy Reading

Ben envied Ozzy's ability to sit quietly and calmly as Leroy blatantly presented his twisted version of what had happened. It annoyed Ben beyond words that he was getting away with any of this crap. He retreated from the courtroom before he said something stupid.

There was a lot of work that could be done, but he was ill suited to the heavy lifting. Instead, he made himself useful for a few hours helping cooks distribute food, running errands for Jorges, and fetching beer or water for thirsty workers packing half ton blocks of stone. Finally, exhausted, he retreated to a small empty room he had found on the second floor. With most of Sammy's crew gone, there was room for all the workers in the barracks. His current belongings amounted to two blankets, a straw pallet, and a pillow.

And a book detailing some rather nasty bugs.

A book he didn't remember taking out of his courier ring, but there it was, sitting on his bed. Harmony had warned him about these things wandering around and following their owners. Seeing the book made him happy, because it reminded him that he might be part of something larger. It also reminded him of Harmony.

Ben opened the book, and realized the family had vastly underestimated great uncle Damien. He wasn't hiding secrets about flies and chiggers. The book was a fake, disguising a hollow interior with several partitions. Two of those partitions held journals. One was titled ElectromagicalTheory and Experimentsand the second,Taming the Heavens Without Losing All Your Hair.

Both were written by hand, with copious notes in the margins, sketches, diagrams, and references to other books he had written. Enough reading material for a thousand sleepless nights.

Nestled into its own cavity was a signet ring of heavy gold. The shield shaped signet was silver with a diagonal red slash. A stylized 'F' was centered on the red with golden phoenixes above and below. The other quadrants held red dragon heads. He'd seen this coat of arms before, on Harmony's scabbard and belt. The ring smelled strongly of magic and ozone. Hesitantly he put on the ring, and turned it around to look at it from different angles. It fit him perfectly.

A sudden electrical pulse from the ring caused his muscles to seize up and he toppled onto his bed, nearly unconscious.

Franklin Bloodline detected and accepted. Attunement complete.Storage is 90% full.This essence is securely nested within the heart of Nøv€lß¡n★