The hours ticked by.
Claudina and Chronos sat against each other with chess board in the middle. The pieces moved in languid speed.
"How long do intend to continue this ruse?" Chronos took away one of Claudina's pawns with his bishop.
"When you concur." With a clever maneuver she took off his bishop with one of her knights. "I simply love the knight pieces. They have a unique range of movement."
"Hmm."
Sylvester kept himself awake by sipping the whisky. Chronos glanced at both of their eyes. Dark bags had formed even on the ever conscious Claudina. They must have stayed up many nights to gather all this information.
'What should I do? These children are quite stubborn. Reminds me of when I was younger.'
Minutes ticked on the various clocks in the room. The fire had to be rekindled twice. By now each of them had four pieces excluding the king each. A bishop, a rook and two pawns for Chronos and two knight, the queen and a pawn for Claudina.
Chronos fell into his musings. This proved to be a mistake for him as she was waiting for this opportunity.
She placed her queen in a black block in the open. Then she moved her pawn in front of his bishop. He moved his rook back but it was preyed by one of the knights. Later on one of his pawns was gone by her queen. Soon enough his king piece was surrounded. If he moved his bishop, her queen would be there. If he tried to move his pawn it will be eaten by one of the knights.
She checkmated him. He gave a wry smile at his defeat. She didn't tell him to concentrate on the game when she clearly knew his mind was off the game.
"Hold on to your words Chronos because I won."
He leaned backwards half hiding his mouth with his slender fingers. "So it seems. But it is quite late so ho-" "You are not getting out of it," Sylvester interjected now wide awake.
"Hahhhh…Alright you won…in a sense." Claudina shot him a glare.
He sat up right. "At the Fort Pierre Plateau all of us gathered and debated our next course of action. Although other gods are not privy of what each does with their powers in a moment of emergency it was required for them to know about your situation. I told them what you told me and they are willing to fight with us.
"It involves their survival so they will agree," Claudina commented.
"We have already formulated a plan to stop future incidents from happening. The future traitors will be apprehend and dealt by us gods. As for the ones that are present in our midst the current saint or saintess of each god will end them."
'He left out details,' Claudina thought.
"That means only Sylvester will go not you Claudina."
'Is he picking a fight with me?' "Why can't I go?" she asked.
"I recall saying the current saint or saintess."
"Yes and I am one too."
"Not in this timeline you are not. I am not able to acknowledge you as my saintess."
"…So you are going to abandon me?"
"Abandon is a strong word here."
"Claudina we are not abandoning you."
"It sure feels like it Sylvester."
"Ah my apologies then."
"Don't apologize, lad, you did nothing wrong."
"Why are you not sending me as well?! You expect this slobbering mutt to do better than me! Is that it, Chronos?! "
"Stop shouting." He glanced at Sylvester's reaction.
The boy was unperturbed at her words. Be it a man or a woman usually he would have slammed their faces on the ground for the slightest insult. 'He must really have mellowed in her company.'
Sylvester raised his hand "Sire I have no problem taking Claudina with me."
"You would be more than glad with her coming along. Still I can't let you. You just need to kill the traitors of our Nation. The other saints will do the same. Though the only problem is the ones that are outside of our protection; we have still not able to form a definite plan."
"Then send me to defeat the outer traitors!" She stood up.
"Absolutely not!" "NO!"
Both Chronos and Sylvester were taken aback that they said the same thing at once. Chronos was surprised that someone other than him would come to care for her.
"Why?!" She slammed the table making the chess pieces clatter and rolling off the board.
"It's too dangerous." 'No wait! What did I say just now?!' He stood up in an attempt to pacify her. He hit a nerve on her ego.
"…Dangerous? Dangerous?! DANGEROUS?!?" she shouted. He fell back.
"I who have lived a life in constant danger, you dare to say it's dangerous! The only time I felt at peace was when I was in my mother's womb but even then I am not sure! I waged war on demons, monsters, giant sea serpents, the supernatural, the undead, everything during my two year service as Saintess! And you dare to say it's dangerous?!"
Claudina was huffing from her outburst. Slight twitches jolted out her body. A pin drop silence fell into the room. Sylvester gaped at her temper. Chronos stared at her wide eyed. "I am going weather you like it or not." She spoke in a deathly quiet whisper. Her head was held up high while her eyes looked down at him.
"Fine. You can go finish off the outer traitors."
She smiled gleefully a small blush dusting her face. "I knew you would see my way." She sat down folding her hands on her lap. She collected the fallen chess pieces.
It unnerved him how quick her emotions changes.
"I will be putting these away. I will come back tomorrow after the morning prayers. If you will excuse me." And she gave a curtsy before leaving.
Sylvester was still shell shocked. "Sire if I may ask a question? I don't get married in the future now do I?" There was a slight tremble in his voice.
"You didn't, lad."
"Thank the Heavens!"
As she said she will, Claudina came right after the prayers ended. She had been standing right outside the doors of the prayer room. Later on Chronos was informed that the Saint left with her after exiting. He was also informed what they did the entire day; it was spent on finding Lady Sofia and somehow humiliate her. In the end, she had water splashed on her before landing on pile of animal dung. As it had rained in the afternoon they left for Claudina's current residence and there they stayed talking.
'Her head must be cooled by now.'
Late in the evening the two saints came creeping at his door.
They sat down in front of him. Claudina was holding a plate of biscuits and sweets. He glanced over his book.
"What are you doing?"
"Looking for a way to send you back to your timeline."
"Oh."
Chronos was still reading on ways to send Claudina home and like usual none came up. This time travel appeared to be something only Claudina could have done. How or why she could have done it was nowhere. However that doesn't explain why most of his powers were sealed. He was starting to wonder if she was somehow his child. 'No that is impossible. I never once shared a bed with a human.'
"Do you want to hear what we did today?"
"No."
Silence filled the room. Claudina tore her eyes away from the book to stare out. The moon was bright. It added a sharp contrast to the fire lit room. Sylvester watched the fire embers turning into ash. He took a biscuit and bit into it.
"Awfully quite today aren't we?" he asked while flipping a page.
"You hate our conversations so we talked on the way."
He snapped the book close. "I have a question for you Claudina."
"What?"
"Why is it that you want to fight the outer traitors so much? Don't tell me it's because you are the Saintess and it's your duty."
Claudina didn't look at him. "Claudina?"
She spoke after a while. "Chronos do you believe that children should carry the sins of their parents?"
He was puzzled at her question but he answered her regardless "They should not. Children are free from the guilt of their parents." He lowered his gaze. "However there are some people who force the burden on to their children."
"Then what about those who wish to harm your beloved humans? They are also good in your eyes. From murderers to rapists; can you love them?"
"Can you call them human? Can you still call them beloved then? Even when they are riddled in sin?"
"Yes."
She laughed with her shoulders caved in but it sounded tragic. Almost broken.
"That's the difference. I cannot call them humans. I cannot love them. That is why I want to tear them into pieces as if they were subhuman."
He stared at her. "The laws of the kingdom is strict and rigid like the inner mechanisms of a clock. A simple pickpocket is sentenced with their hands being cut off. As the crimes go on the harsher the punishments. Yet there are people who still do it."
"The first task of a Saintess is to forgive so that they can atone. You are forgetting it Claudina."
"What atonement? Blood runs thicker than water Chronos." Her eyes narrowed dangerously. "Children learn from their guardians. They repeat the same mistakes then their children repeat those and the cycle continues."
"Because they repented past crimes need to be forgiven? Don't make me laugh. What about the victim? They will just suffer in the dark while the offender runs free? And I need to forgive them even if they do something wrong to me? That's hypocrisy."
She finally faced him. Her green eyes glinted with a strange light burning in them. "I am not a saintess that forgives. I am a saintess that will judge your crimes in accordance. If I need to kill them I will do it. I am not afraid to bloody my hands to clear off a bit of filth. And if my god refuses such a saintess I will still follow my ideals."
He was mute at her statements.
Claudina had proved time and again that she has no care for other's suffering. It was a façade she created over the years.
For once he was able to see through that mask she lives under.
Sylvester stared open mouth at her confession. "…truly…"
'So that is who you really are? So I was not wrong then in choosing you as the 22nd Saintess.' "Although I do not approve of your reasoning I will still allow you to do what you please."
"Thank you."
He exhale. "Then who do wish to go after first? In the list provided there were many enemies who are outside of the Five Nations. Some of them are leaders or sovereign of countries. Killing them is...ill advised. Maybe maiming them to send a message?"
"What is this the underworld? Sending a message really?" He frowned.
"Don't worry. I already made preparations. You only need to watch the show."
"So you are killing them yes?"
In response she smiled and went back to watch the moon.
But now Chronos had a question for his 21st saint.
"Sylvester are you alright with Claudina using you like this?"
"She is not using me, sire. We have a transaction business. She tells me ways to seal demons that my future self has trouble dealing with so that I am able to take countermeasures before hand and I follow with her plans." He continued. "Beside I can always have a good time with Claudina around."
Chronos face was grim. "And you Claudina? Doesn't it hurt your conscious seeing your fellow saint being talked about behind his back after you leave for your timeline?"
"We don't know when I will be able to get back though."
"Suppose you went back in two days what will you do then? Let Sylvester face the backlash? You two put up a very convincing act of lovers. Half the kingdom is waiting for Sylvester to propose to you."
She directed her gaze to him. "Oh when will you Sylvester?" "Let's see in a month or so… which flowers do you want in your bouquet?"
"Claudina!! Sylvester!!"
"It was just a joke! Neither of us have any intention to get married now or ever."
"And it was a social experiment anyways. We wanted to see the reaction of people in our close approximate if they hear we were courting each other. The results are amusing."
Vines pulsed on his neck. "Am I to think you have prepared for you the consequences of your actions?"
She turned her head sideways. "Don't worry. I will leave a hurricane behind. It will continue to shake the roots of Chronostis even when I turn to dust. That way Sylvester will never be talked about. " She faced the moon again. "I will kill one of my mother's suitors and one of the traitors; the emperor of east Ezra Cramadilis.
She chuckled darkly "So fun~"
"What did I tell you? There is always a good time with her."
Chronos groaned in frustration.
'I am going insane!'