CHAPTER 3:

Xar was sitting in front of the fire in his house, watching the flames burn, pretending to think over something he had already decided on. He had just finished filling his journal, an activity he had done every day since he escaped the Labyrinth. He was thinking about what he witnessed today. A young girl, Clauren, had managed to escape the Labyrinth recently, and Xar had decided to take care of her adaption to the Nexus personally. And he hadn't been wrong about it. She was only seventeen and she could do magic as complicated as thirty year olds could. She had told him about her past and he had found that quite amusing too. She had been born with no magic, but with a medallion with her name on it (on Patryn language "clauren" means "a shadow"). Xar had looked at her medallion closely. It had some really powerful magic cast on it. Xar was sure that if he wanted he would be able to activate it, but he decided that it was Clauren's medaion in the end, and it was up to her to learn how to activate the magic.

Another interesting fact that Xar found about Clauren was her ability to learn quickly. Ever since she went out of the Labyrinth, she had spent a lot of time in the Sartan (now Patryn) library, studying mensch languages. The outcome was that she had now almost mastered all human, elven, and dwarven languages, and even some Sartan.

Earlier that day, Clauren had come to ask him about the elven magic. Xar knew very well that the Sartan books had a lot of information on the topic, but she had obviously come to ask him about more. That's when Xar decided that was the time to start a delicate conversation:

"Well, Clauren, most of the information I just gave you was in Haplo's report on the world of Arianus. Still, you had questions. Maybe there is more infornation that we can get. And I am interested in what Haplo will bring from Pryan..." Xar was watching carefully at Clauren's expression. She was sitting in a chair opposite him and she was staring intently at her hands, her face grim. "I wonder," he started but then hesitated. Would he be too direct? He risked, "if there are any Sartan left. No, not in Pryan. In the whole universe created by them. And if there are not, what caused them to disappear." He looked at Clauren again. Her expression had changed. He could feel anger flowing from her into hot waves.

"Yes." She said suddenly, softly, "I was wondering the same myself. But from what you, Lord, tell me, the realms are big. It is impossible for one person, being a demigod or not, to explore all of them and find the Sartan."

That was just what Xar had wanted to hear. And he was now seeming to consider whether to send Clauren to explore the Death's Gate with Haplo. But inside he had already decided. He had to admit that he had been trying hard to convince himself that he was sending Clauren for good reasons. He was telling himself that he chose her because of her ability to hide her tattoos and, consequently, to pretend to be a human, even a Sartan. Xar was also telling himself that her quick learninig would be useful, because she would be able to study a greater part of a realm in less time. He was even telling himself that her magic, being stronger than the average Patryn, would be useful in possible difficult situations. The last was, of course, a lie that nobody would believe. Even the weakest Patryn child would be able to beat the weak mensch at magic.

So whatever Xar was telling himself, no matter how hard he was trying to convince himself that Haplo really needed help, he knew his true reasons: Xar was afraid. No, he was not afraid. The Lord of the Nexus had fear of nothing. What Xar felt was deep, strong doubt. He knew that there was something terribly wrong with that girl. He could sense it with every nerve, every rune on his body, every second spent with her. And still, she was sitting opposite him, staring at her hands, asking him for advice.

He would send her to Abbarach. He had decided that long ago. He needed a rest, he needed to spend some time to calm himself down and look at the matter from another point of view. But he wouldn't let Craulen travel with Haplo. Haplo was his most loyal and reliable servant and Xar would need advice from someone unaffected...

(this is a letter written by Xar to Clauren the same night):

Dear Daughter,


I know that I should have told you all this in person, but as you know, I have an urgent engagement in the Labyrinth. I really regret that I won't be by your side when you start this difficult task, but it's something I cannot change.

I hope you remember the time when we were talking about the Death's Gate. I hope you remember what I told you about its spinning and how to pass it. I hope you remember, because you will need it now. As you know my servant, Haplo, left for the Realm of Fire a while ago. Now my reliable sources tell me that he has passed through the Death's Gate on his way back to the Nexus with his report on Pryan. When he doesn't find me, he will decide to sail his ship to the realm of stone, Abbarach. And what I want you to do is to go there before him. A ship has been constructed, especially for the purpose, and it has been carved with runes to protect and guide it. I want you to use this vessel to go to Abbarach and study it. While Haplo's job on the world is to find the Sartan and tell me about them, as well as cause any kind of chaos for me, to prepare the mensch for my arrival, your job is to study the world. I need everything you can find about the mensch, their magic, their beliefs, hopes and fears. I also want you to use your tatoo-hiding magic to disguise as a Sartan, and if possible to pretend to be one of them, and understand all you can about their universe, about the other realms, and most importantly what they know about us, Patryns.

I trust you will do that with no problems. I want to give you some advice before you leave too. I have put my trust in your skill in magic, in your quick thinking, quick learning, and loyalty. I want you to use all of these qualities when necessary, but I forbid you, I beg you, do not uncover your identity. No matter what, do not show anybody that you are a Patryn; nobody needs to know it yet. And my last advice – do not reveal this guise for Haplo either. He does not need to know that I have arranged someone to help him. I want you to keep an eye on him (and his dog), but never get too close.

I put my trust in your hands, and may your path be clear and your journey successful.

Your Lord:

Xar, Lord of the Nexus

Hey, let me know what you think, is it good or bad, or if you have read it please say smth doesn't matter I won't offend...

btw the next chapter might take a while...