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"I wish I could do more for you Please do not obsess over choices you cannot change Mistakes happen Learn from the past, but concentrate on the present and the future Difficulties like I have never faced await you I don’t want to guide you toward harm, but when the world is about to end, the only real option is to save it With a threat like the opening of Zzyzx ie will repeat if you uncork the bottle again It will play only for you Good luck"

The gaseous foras was inside, Seth pressed the cork into the est! Too much! Seth squeezed his head For so to try to save the world, and quite another to receive that assign really did depend on hiht All safe choices were gone And trying to hide from the responsibility would be a choice as well A bad one At least Patton had shown him a path to follow He would do his best, one step at a ti to the desk, Seth found an envelope with his name on it in the second drawer he checked Beside it he discovered the dungeon keys Opening the envelope, Seth scanned the pages inside He saw the pro explanations and descriptions At the end he read about the Eternals and the final steps required to open Zzyzx

Satisfied that he had everything Patton had promised, he folded the papers back into the envelope and tucked it in his pocket "Coo see if those satyrs have shown up"

As the gole the coin to contact Bracken It would be painful and e to explain how he had lost the Translocator, but Bracken could possibly find ways to help After all, he was at Living Mirage, and he seeuy Who knehen a well-tiht provide an inore any possible assets

Chapter 16 The Sealed Shrine

Near the top of the stairway, Bracken grabbed Kendra by her upper ar me," he whispered

"Is he all right?" she asked

Bracken paused, listening inwardly "He’s unhari Luna used hih in more than his words Your friend Coulter has perished"

"No," Warren said, reflexively rejecting the news

"My condolences, but Seth seeuilt, potentially enough to break hi hi to be done about it now"

Kendra tried to choke back her tears How could Coulter be gone? He was supposed to be safe back at Fablehaven! Warren watched Bracken expectantly

"Seth says Graulas destroyed the foundational treaty of Fablehaven"

"He needs to get out of there," Warren said

Bracken nodded, holding up a finger "Seth says he will depart soon Apparently he has received advice froess, and Seth is now preparing to euidance," Warren said

"I’ Seth that you two are withhiency of our own, and a hi the Translocator I can tell he appreciates the support, but he is still wrestling to cos for a way to make restitution He has put away the coin"

"Will he be all right?" Kendra asked anxiously

"I think so," Bracken said "Evidently your ancestor gave hio into specifics, but if Seth can channel his energy into an active endeavor, it should help hiain soon We must press on"

They continued upward The stairway had been tunneled through sing into this stairway," he said

"These walls are harder than steel," Bracken agreed

The stairway ended at a blank wall Warren recited an unintelligible phrase, and the wall faded, alht?" Bracken asked "Keep it shining," Warren said

They passed through the ghostly wall into a cave colared off the glossy black stone Glancing back, Kendra noted that the wall appeared solid again

Farther along the cave, a creature stood at the edge of the light It had the body of a large bull and the head of a bearded arbled language

Bracken answered with equally strange speech

"Don’t worry," Warren whispered to Kendra

The creature spoke again

"What is it?" Kendra asked in hushed tones "What is it saying?"

Bracken took her hand, and the garbled words beca

" many years it is a relief to have a shred of hope"

"We will do our best," Bracken promised "You have met Warren This is Kendra"

The creature bowed his head politely "Greetings"

"Kendra, this is Halad," Bracken continued, "one of the proud lammasu enslaved by the Sphinx"

"He is no sphinx," Halad stated in his strong, caluard over this secret entrance to the dungeons," Bracken explained "He is not an evil being, but he would be bound by covenant to slay us if we trespassed here without pernment," Halad said stoically "Nevertheless, a sworn sentinel must perform his duty"

"Any sense of what lies beyond the cave?" Bracken asked

"My vision is restricted to my domain," Halad answered "As you shall observe,a prison"

"We thank you for safe passage through your domain," Bracken said

"I lament the loss of your horns," Halad replied "Go in peace"

Bracken released Kendra’s hand "Off we go"

"No trouble?" Warren asked

"Just exchanging pleasantries," Bracken explained

They advanced quickly The lae that Kendra doubted she could reach the bottom of his beard even if she ju stone away Warren led the way out of the cave into the predawn light They crouched behind soe contains a lot of land," Bracken whispered to Kendra "In fact, the careful observer will findfence than there should be"

"Several of the preserves are like that," Warren added "Kind of like the knapsack but on a larger scale"