{It was then that I had the idea to awaken Khlatus.}
….
The buzzing sound in his head was more than enough to snap him to full wakefulness. Sharen groaned, feeling around his head. The sudden penetration of sunlight into his eyes made him realise that he wasn't in his box. Blinking hard, he sat up, wincing when his side throbbed badly.
He reached out and touched the spot and discovered it had been bandaged up. Memories of the fight came back to him and he grimaced when he recalled the sword digging into his flesh, tearing away his bones. How had he survived such a fatal wound? A wound that even magic couldn't cure?
"You're finally up!" a voice said beside him and he turned, his heart beating faster.
It wasn't Narene but someone else. A woman with an infectious smile and raven black hair that reached to her waist. Sharen felt his head clear away as his senses rang for him to be prepared for an attack. He tried—but failed—to conjure magical energy. He was still drained from exertion.
"You should relax," the woman said walking towards him with gentle steps as if she was afraid of hurting the insects that crawled underneath her feet. "The potions I gave you have weakened your magic slightly but you'll be good again."
'So, I'm not drained?' and his guess was confirmed when he felt his body surged with strength. He looked around. "Where am I? Where's Narene?"
The woman chuckled and leaned towards him, their lips only separated by a few millimetres. "I see you still remember your little girl. I'm Shar."
Sharen had many thoughts passing through his mind but one thing stood out at him. No matter how close this Shar got to him, it didn't provoke the desires in him.
Shar sighed and stood again, walking to the other end of the room where a shutter was. Cold air blew in through the shutter. "You don't feel anything for me do you? It appears it only works on that little brat you were with. What does she have that I don't have?"
Sharen struggled and sat upright, his wound still throbbed. "What have you done with Narene?"
"She's somewhere around this area. Probably warming water." She said that in a trivial tone that gave Sharen the urge to pull a weapon on her. He coughed slightly, deeming that thought suicidal.
He'd just survived a fight with three Shattered Knights—one which he saw as a miracle. Shar, who seemed oblivious to his confusion, went on with her rambles. "It seems that bastard did something to me!"
Sharen wanted to say something but a hand held his shoulder gently. "You should lie down."
He turned to find Narene with a bowl of soup in her hand. She had a warm smile on her face and a thick coat over her. Despite his pains, Sharen still felt his heart react, longing to touch her, caress her and to have her. He shut his eyes and when he opened them again, he noticed that Narene had distanced herself a bit.
He sighed. 'She probably thinks I'm a pervert for a master.' His curiosity wasn't calmed though. "Narene, why are we here?"
"You were injured and I found Shar passing so I begged for her help and she healed you."
"But I couldn't heal myself…"
"Please," Shar turned to them. "You call green core magic? I wonder how you were able to survive three Knights. In the end, either they were just incompetent or very foolish."
"How long have I been out?" Sharen asked.
"Today makes it two days."
Sharen nodded and accepted the food that Narene had offered but then he hesitated. "Did you cook this yourself?"
She nodded. "It was hard but I had to learn."
Sharen nodded, watching as Narene left the room. He gulped down the soup, disregarding any sense of etiquette. Shar turned back to him with a smile. "You know, she's as paranoid as you are. She refused to eat food that I offered and made her own. She doesn't trust me."
"I don't trust you either," Sharen said while prepping for any attack.
Shar sat down opposite him, her legs crossed before her. "You shouldn't, Hero."
Sharen almost choked on his soup. He coughed and looked up. "What did you just call me?"
Share chuckled. "I didn't actually help you as Narene assumed. I captured you and you are now my prisoner."
Sharen dropped the bowl with a thud, eyes fixed on Shar. "What do you want?"
"Simple," Shar said, twirling her hair seductively but nothing seemed to get Sharen's attention. "I fell in love with a man—and he is insanely cute—but after a while, this man ran off, taking my heart along with him.
"I want you to hunt him down."
Sharen gave her a flat look, feeling that he'd been slapped in the face. Shar, however, didn't stop there. "I'm a very pretty woman and you have to admit that I look stunning, don't I?"
Sharen could admit that much: she was indeed stunning. "I guess you are."
"Then why would a man leave me?" Shar asked then she turned to Sharen. "Why aren't you looking at me with lust?"
Sharen shrugged lightly. "I don't hunt humans."
"Trust me," Shar smiled. "Goramel isn't an ordinary human. I caught his attention due to my fearsome use of magic."
"If you're that powerful," Sharen asked, noting the pride in her eyes. "Why can't you hunt down this Goramel?"
Shar whipped towards him with a smile. "Because you're Sharen. The Hero, the Survivor, the greatest mage of Samak, the slayer of Haklarans! If anyone can hunt down that bull headed man then it's you."
Sharen stood to his feet, suppressing the pain he felt. "Sorry, but I won't help you. Thanks for the help though."
"If you don't help me," Shar's voice echoed through the room in calm waves. "I will not lift my spell on you."
Sharen froze. He turned to her and caught her smiling broadly. It dawned on him. The sudden urge he'd had to kiss Narene and Shar's annoyance that he felt nothing for her now made sense. Sharen clenched his fists, letting his eyes burn green. "You cast the spell on me?"
Shar smiled, standing. "I love twisting men to my will. The spell, however, seems to work when you're around the girl."
"Undo your spell now!" Sharen thundered but Shar held up her finger.
She stepped closer to him, eyeing him seductively. "If you kill me, you'll live forever with the lust of a beast. Help me and I'll lift the curse."
"I will not help you!"
"I can give you something else in return," Shar held out her hand and a small parchment materialised on her palm. It was a small book with aged pages and slightly torn edges. "I know what you've been looking for."
Sharen looked at the small book with eager eyes. "Where did you get that?"
Shar chuckled. "I've been a traveller for long. Even the Holy Emperor can't destroy all evidence that points to Khlatus' location."
It was indeed true. The small book talked about Khlatus. Before Sharen could say anything, Shar added. "I have half the book and Goramel has the other half. If you find him then you can find a whole book that can point you to finding Khlatus."
Sharen needn't think twice about accepting the offer. He'd worked hard for years, looking for clues to the cursed artefact and now it presented itself, in the form of a book. There was no way he could refuse.
"Where is this Goramel?"
Shar smiled. "That's when you're living up to your name: the Hero."