That was part of what Ghastly disliked about Necromancers. Not that their magic fed off death. Not that they tended to be an antisocial bunch, each out for their own reward and nothing else. It was how they treated their younger sorcerers. And that, he suspected, was the reason Skulduggery never tried to pull Solomon out of the Temple after that first time, after Solomon firmly made his final decision. No Necromancer ever admitted it, but they were a cult. A religious cult, and a certain amount of brainwashing always went hand-in-hand with that. The childhood of a Temple-born Necromancer was stunted, ingrown, lonely, barely even a childhood. Skulduggery thought he could rescue Solomon from that, since Solomon wasn't Temple-born. Even then, the idea ultimately failed.
But this was part of that brainwashing. Anyone else saying the things Solomon was trying to say now, and Ghastly might have thought they were being melodramatic. Solomon... wasn't. He well and truly did not see a point to anything beyond Necromancy. He couldn't. He'd spent his entire life believing there was nothing else worthwhile. Now he was faced with it, and he felt like an outsider looking in to something unattainable, and Ghastly was kicking himself for not seeing this sooner. Sorcerers were very good at hiding things; Necromancers, obviously, were no exception.
Ghastly drew in a deep breath and let it out slowly. "He doesn't have any idea what he has. He doesn't take anything for granted, which... well, is just as unhealthy. It means he doesn't even see the important things anymore. He's been like that, ever since the war." Less so recently with young Valkyrie as his partner, admittedly, which was why Ghastly hadn't continued objecting to the partnership. Skulduggery may not be the best influence on a teenage girl, but Valkyrie was doing worlds of good for him.
"He knows what he has, but he doesn't see it. You see it, but you don't know it." Honestly, Ghastly didn't know which was worse. "That means you have to earn it, where Skulduggery just has to accept it. It doesn't mean it's not possible. For one thing, the pair of you - you have each other."
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But this was part of that brainwashing. Anyone else saying the things Solomon was trying to say now, and Ghastly might have thought they were being melodramatic. Solomon... wasn't. He well and truly did not see a point to anything beyond Necromancy. He couldn't. He'd spent his entire life believing there was nothing else worthwhile. Now he was faced with it, and he felt like an outsider looking in to something unattainable, and Ghastly was kicking himself for not seeing this sooner. Sorcerers were very good at hiding things; Necromancers, obviously, were no exception.
Ghastly drew in a deep breath and let it out slowly. "He doesn't have any idea what he has. He doesn't take anything for granted, which... well, is just as unhealthy. It means he doesn't even see the important things anymore. He's been like that, ever since the war." Less so recently with young Valkyrie as his partner, admittedly, which was why Ghastly hadn't continued objecting to the partnership. Skulduggery may not be the best influence on a teenage girl, but Valkyrie was doing worlds of good for him.
"He knows what he has, but he doesn't see it. You see it, but you don't know it." Honestly, Ghastly didn't know which was worse. "That means you have to earn it, where Skulduggery just has to accept it. It doesn't mean it's not possible. For one thing, the pair of you - you have each other."