{I apologise for rambling. I started this mess for I awakened Khlatus and now it seeks sentience. Freedom.}
….
Suppressing his suspicion, Sharen followed Goramel into the house. On entering, he found that the inside was brightly lit, the mottled glasses reflecting the lights and making it shine brighter. Several magical balls of light floated about, announcing—with pride—that the house owner was a mage.
Sharen found this odd. Was the man unaware of the Shattered Knights' hunt for mages or did he not care? Thinking of the Shattered Knights, Sharen felt the wound on his side throb. He nodded thoughtfully then asked, "You aren't afraid of the Shattered Knights?"
Goramel turned to him, a smile gracing his bearded face. "Why would the Knights care about a small blue cored mage like me?"
Blue cored mage? Sharen found himself eyeing the man closely. If the system hadn't shown him that he had a mix of cores then he would've fallen for the trick yet he still felt that the man was bold. The Shattered Knights went after any mage—even if they had orange cores.
"Have a seat," Goramel pointed at the chairs that were neatly arranged in front of the large table. "What brought you here?"
Sharen sat down alongside Narene though the latter sat a good distance from him. He was thankful that she had considered his discomfort. Sharen heaved a sigh, struggling to keep his desires checked, then he fetched the small book that Shar had given him, pushing it towards Goramel.
The man eyed the book, carefully running his fingers down his beards. He reached for the book and flipped it open then smiled. "Ah, I see you're after the legends."
"Do you know anything about it, then?"
Goramel shook his head but kept flipping through the book. "I'm just an art enthusiast not a scribe. But tell me, do you believe in the rumours about the spawning artefact?"
"I'm not sure," Sharen shook his head. "I wish it is true. It might provide an easy solution to stopping the monsters that plague us."
Goramel closed the book and threw it back on the table. He sat, his fingers interlocked together and his gaze fixed on them. Finally, he said, "Khlatus' existence might not mean an easy solution to our problems. Have you thought of what the artefact could do if it has the power to spawn those monsters?"
"There's another thing," Narene spoke up, glancing at Sharen. "The Haklarans are getting smarter and stronger."
Goramel nodded. "Whether or not Khlatus is real shouldn't concern us. We should focus on easing our pains."
Sharen took a deep breath and then said, "I was informed that you had a part of that book. It might help me get some clues."
When he heard that, Goramel frowned, sitting back like a bee had stung him. He observed Sharen closely then asked, "How do you know this?"
Sharen smiled, folding his arms across his chest. "I have many informants across Shokhi."
The man nodded thoughtfully then said. "I did have the book but I gave it away to Bri'el. She is a lover of legends just like you and seemed to want to jump on the idea that stopping Khlatus would save the world."
On hearing that, Sharen perked up. His interest in this Bri'el peaked when he considered that she might share his drive and vision. He had always wanted to meet someone else who believed in stopping Khlatus. He looked at Goramel firmly and asked with a voice that conveyed his expression, "Where can I find Bri'el?"
Goramel smiled, standing up from his chair. "She is the librarian at the city library. You can find her any time you pop in there. She never leaves except for the nights."
"We'll visit her, then." Sharen said, standing.
Goramel turned to him with a frown. "I haven't offered you tea yet. You can't leave like that."
"It's fine," Sharen said, wincing as the pain in his side erupted again in waves. "We didn't plan to stay long."
"You can drop by any time if you want to talk about artistic stuff," Goramel smiled then waved his hand, making a piece of paper materialise. "Here's my doctor's contact as I promised."
Sharen took the slip from him, looking at it intently. The pain made him grimace again and he felt certain that if he didn't get it treated, it would lead to his untimely death. He shook his head. No, he didn't want to die just yet. He wanted to find Bri'el, find clues to Khlatus and destroy the Haklarans. He had to give himself that pleasure before dying.
With a nod, he turned to Goramel. "Thank you. I will check on the doctor soon."
Goramel nodded, paying them little heed as he played with his beards like they had been separated for a long time. Sharen couldn't help but wonder what had attracted such a man to Shar. But then, again, what did he know about Shar? For all he knew, she was just as twisted as he was. He had to remind himself that he was still under Shar's spell.
The moment they left the house, Narene whispered to him. "I think Goramel is abnormal."
Sharen glanced at her, suppressing his surging feelings. "You noticed too?"
Narene nodded. She still had her hand pressed against her pouch, ready to whip out her sword in case of an attack. "His bearing and the way he speaks make him stand out. He didn't even question the reason we came but just talked on. I suspect he knows something."
Sharen nodded. "Capturing him might be a difficult task but first, let's focus on getting the book."
Narene paused. Sharen glanced at her and nodded. "Say your mind."
"You really think that Khlatus is real?" she asked, turning her eyes away to avoid his gaze.
Sharen was thankful for he couldn't hold her gaze for more than two seconds without the carnal desires in him sprouting like fungus. "Narene, do you enjoy living in fear, not knowing when the next monster will attack or where it will be spawned?"
She shook her head. "No."
"Then would you do anything to stop this madness even if it means losing your sanity?"
Narene hesitated a bit but then nodded. "I think that I would try…"
Sharen nodded and walked forward. "Then you should understand me, Narene. I can't rest until I am proven wrong. Until then, I must search out Khlatus."
Narene remained silent as they walked back towards the stable where they had kept their horses, the cold evening air brushing against their skins as they meandered through the group of people who were also rushing to return to their houses amidst the night lamps.
Then Sharen froze. "How will we know where to meet up with Fryssel?"
In their haste, they had forgotten to establish a meeting place and he felt that young Fryssel might get lost in the big city.