{Khlatus and Kratamarhl are two sides of the same coin. I searched but Kratamarhl had been lost for centuries.}
….
"Yes," Sheren nodded. "I need to speak with you about an important issue."
"What might that be?" Bri'el asked, putting the book in her hand back on the shelf.
"Khlatus."
Bri'el's eyes widened for a split second and Sharen caught on to it. She knew something and he could tell based on her reaction. The librarian nodded, pointing at a table by the wide window. "Let's sit. It isn't something we should discuss while standing."
Sharen wasn't surprised by her eagerness. Being informed by Goramel beforehand that she was highly enthusiastic about mystical research and the cursed artefact, he had expected the reaction albeit mildly.
"What do you want to know about Khlatus?" she asked, siting opposite to them.
Sharen leaned forward; lacing his fingers, eyes squinted. "I want to find it."
Bri'el smiled. Those words probably amused her. Pulling her long hair back, she eyed the two people in front of her. "Information about Khlatus has been lost for centuries. How do you expect to know so much as to find it?"
"This," Sharen pulled out the small book he'd gotten from Shar. "I am led to believe that you have the first half of this book."
Bri'el grabbed the book, flipping it with great interest and an ecstatic expression. She nodded. "I did have the first half of the book. Goramel was kind enough to lend it to me."
"Where is it?" Sharen asked hastily. His mind welled up with anticipation. The anticipation of getting the first clue to the cursed artefact.
Bri'el shook her head. "I gave the book back to Goramel after I read it."
Sharen eyed the woman carefully, finding nothing off with her bearing. She wasn't a threat as well since the system had graded her as a normal human. Then, he began to suspect that Goramel knew something more than he was willing to tell. Why had he led them to the librarian if he still had the book?
"Do you know if Goramel gave the book to anyone else?" Narene spoke up for the first time since entering the library.
"No," Bri'el shook her head. "Goramel is very possessive and I had to pry the book off him before I could even take a read."
Holding back his curiosity and paranoia, Sharen sighed deeply. "You read the first part of the book. What did it say?"
She shook her head. "Nothing much. It talked about the creation of the artefact."
"Really?" Narene asked, sitting straighter. The action made Sharen's heart beat rapidly as the urges came flooding in again. "Who created it?"
"I have no idea," the librarian shook her head again. "The author of the book speaks like…he's a team or that he wasn't really involved."
Sharen frowned, finding the new information to be uneven with what he already knew. The second part of the book which Shar had given him didn't speak of Khlatus or even its creation. From the little he'd read, it spoke of something else. "Have you done any research into this in the past years?"
"Oh, I've researched Khlatus all my life and I've come across some interesting things that will boggle the mind." She smiled, sitting back in her chair. The library was still quiet.
"What can you tell us, then?" Narene asked, taking the question out of Sharen's mouth. However, he also noticed that during this whole time, Narene never spared him a glance.
"It's rare to find people who share interests in finding the cursed artefact," Bri'el said. "Even Goramel thinks I'm crazy for going all out. He seems to have the idea that finding it won't resolve our problems."
"But you believe otherwise?" Narene asked, folding her hands over her chest.
"Yes," Bri'el nodded. "How about you? Do you believe that Khlatus is real?"
Narene stuttered, glancing at Sharen as if she was afraid of offending him. He knew—and had always known—that Narene didn't share his views on the matter. She was only supporting him, fulfilling her role as a devoted student yet Sharen felt slightly mocked by her lack of faith. Finally she said, "I don't know what I believe."
Bri'el turned to Sharen, shifting slightly in her chair. "I came across an ancient writing," she paused, looking around, seemingly afraid of being heard. "It talked about Khlatus and something else. Apparently, the ones who created the cursed artefact sought perfection of some sort so they created another artefact. They called it Kratamarhl."
Sharen sat up, his heart racing. He recalled that name. It was the artefact whose creation was mentioned in the second part of the book. "What has Kratamarhl got to do with this?"
"I'm not sure," she shook her head. "But they mentioned something about 'divinity' and godhood. It would appear that Kratamarhl was sealed off for a while. I also gained some knowledge about Khlatus. The artefact can be looked at as a living being."
"It has a mind of its own?" Narene asked, glancing at Sharen, her face showed shock and disbelief.
Bri'el nodded solemnly. "Are you familiar with the people of Dydil?"
"Dydil?" Sharen asked, tapping his finger on the table contemplatively. He knew the island. It was a place for giants and magic and rumours had it that they were very hostile, killing humans on sight. However, Sharen had never been there before. He had never been anywhere outside of Samak. "I'm familiar with their mythology."
"I've heard about their magic," Narene nodded as well. "Everyone in Dydil has magical energy and are blessed by the gods from birth…but they can't use magic. They say it's the reason why they hate humans. Especially mages."
"I don't know the reason for their hostility but that's not my point now." She said, rubbing her forehead. "I found connections between the island and Kratamarhl. I am led to believe that the disappearance of Kratamarhl led to their inability to use magic."
"Did you go to Dydil to ask around?" Sharen asked, his interest peaked. He never thought he'd come so close to finding information about the artefact he had had his eyes on. Now, more than ever, he felt assured. He felt like he was getting closer to his goals.
Bri'el nodded. "I did go to Dydil but it was a very unfortunate experience. After escaping the watch of the Shattered Knights, I was badly turned down by the people of Dydil. They threatened to kill me if I asked questions regarding the matter. I had no choice but to return."
"I don't get how this will help us in finding Khlatus." Narene voiced out her doubt.