Claude de Lune

Pandora

Claude bit back the thousands of questions dancing on his tongue. There was so much he wanted to know, so much he needed to know, especially after seeing everything she's built for herself in this region. He had to stop himself from looking towards the door again, at the shoes. Had she just... abandoned him? He shook the thought from his head before it could fester into something more.

"Claude, how long have you been looking for me?" His mother asked quietly. He sensed an edge of something in her words. Guilt? Regret? He couldn't tell. Her hands were clasped tightly in her lap and her lips pressed into a thin slit.

He ran a hand through his windswept hair. "Since I was sixteen." He couldn't say the ten year figure out loud but by the way she nodded her head and swallowed, he knew she'd done the maths in her head. "I left Lehm when I stopped getting the letters from you, and made the long journey to the Divine City. At the time I didn't know..." his words trailed off. It felt horrible trying to justify it, make excuses, knowing what he knew now.

"You didn't know I was a necromancer," Esther finished for him. He sensed no malice in her voice. "It's not as though I was forthcoming with that information. Go on."

He curled his hands into fists and looked down at them. "I had heard that joining the priesthood was easy and that priests travelled around a lot. I thought it would be the perfect opportunity to look for you. I..."

"Mmhm," Esther hummed. "That's how they lure you in. They tell you you'll be able to protect your loved ones from the scourge, you'll be able to feed your family, save humanity, be a hero."

Gods, he felt so stupid and embarrassed now. "But when I learned what sin and symphony meant. I felt disgusted with myself. They never let the new recruits in the catacombs where they kept the hostages, but we heard the stories of what they did to necromancers." His stomach turned just thinking about it. "I was always worried that one of those necromancers would be you."

"Did you try to leave?" she asked.

He nodded. "But I couldn't. The only way a Priest can be released from their duties is with the permission of a high ranking officer. They didn't care that I wasn't the best with a sword, or that my chanting was weak. They wanted to keep their numbers up. The upside to being a priest was that I came into contact with a lot of necromancers. The downside was that none of them would give me the time of day."

His mother breathed a laugh. "The Divine City knows about the archives. They send their spies to their death every other month."

Claude nodded and absentmindedly rubbed his neck. "Well, I was stationed in Hedalda for most of my tenure. That's where I met Octavia and Quintus. I knew it was a long shot, but I figured if I helped them, they could help me."

"I'm surprised your superiors didn't reprimand you for that."

"Any other superior would've. Mine were a tad more lenient than the staunch prefects at the Divine City. I resigned in winter, left Hedalda about a month ago and travelled with Amadeus and Undine to the Caldea Coast. From there I was on my—" His hand chose then to cramp, the pain shooting through his bones. He hissed in a breath and cursed that damn blight.

"What? What is it?" his mother asked. "Are you hurt?"

Claude shook his head. "I got blighted on the way to Viperstone. Amadeus got rid of it, but my hand's been cramping like crazy since."

"I see. The roots must have gotten into your bones. It'll take a while to heal but there are things we can do to speed it up." She took her hand between both of hers and massaged it in slow circles. It alleviated the pain far better than anything Claude had tried. "What happened at the Coast.?"