Where Faith Leads Us

Part 3

The old priest kept quiet for a while, just watching Mu So mend the window. Maybe it was that he hadn't had anyone but Nilgu to talk for a long time but finally, he heaved a long sigh. "That boy had decided to become a priest when he was very young. Each day, he would come running over here, helping the priests, always talking about how he wanted to become one of them.

"We just laughed at that time, feeling that he would likely change his mind when he realized what it would entail to actually become a priest of the temple instead of just running over here when there was time. Back then, he and Vars already knew each other. Ah, Vars is that man who broke in."

Mu So nodded. He had already known so this didn't come as any kind of surprise. Although ... he hadn't expected that the story between those two went this far back.

"Those two, they were inseparable. Vars didn't have much interest in the temple whether it was this one or that one on the other side of the square. But he was happy to let Nilgu be and even followed him every now and then, helping out with some of the tasks he took over. I guess he just wanted him to be happy."

"Then how did he ..." Mu So furrowed his brows. From the little that Vars had mentioned when he met Nilgu, he could imagine that there was a little more to this story.

"Well, that's a story from several years later. In fact, it was the day Nilgu became a priest."

Mu So pressed his lips together. This sounded even worse.

"It is a ceremony that outsiders aren't allowed at so Vars couldn't be there with him. He had spoken with me the day before though and I guess he went out to get a little something to celebrate with him later. From what I know, while he was out, he was attacked. And when he was at that moment between life and death, it was one of the men of the temple of Bul who saved him. But in return, that man asked him to join the temple."

"And he just did? Couldn't he have said no and asked to repay them in another way?"

The old priest looked at him and shook his head. Who knew where this traveler came from that he didn't even understand this. "The temple of Bul doesn't work that way. What their god wants, he will get. They don't negotiate. At that time, Vars had two choices: Join their temple and live or give back the life that had just been saved."

"And he chose to live."

The old priest nodded. "He did. And I don't blame him. Nilgu doesn't either. Who wouldn't want to live? Who wouldn't want to cling to this world for even a moment longer? No matter how bad things stand, living is still something that we humans desire."

Mu So nodded but he couldn't help but think back to that scene of Vars's blade against Mu So's throat. The priest surely hadn't looked as if he was clinging to life. He had looked completely resolved to bid his time on earth farewell.

"Now, when Vars returned, the two of them had joined opposing sides. It naturally caused a dent in their relationship. Even though we would have accepted him to come over and see Nilgu, the temple of Bul would never allow it. And with time, the relationship between the temples worsened even further. They started killing our priests.

"From what I know, Vars never took part in this but now, there are only Nilgu and me here. They will expect him to take care of one of us and they would surely prefer if it was Nilgu to cut his last sentiments. It is how their temple operates. When the last attachments you have are gone, what keeps you from devoting yourself to Bul?

"And maybe enduring all that pain before makes them more willing to inflict it on others as well. Bul is not a benevolent god. He enjoys chaos and slaughter. Under his rule, there is only the rule of the strongest with Bul himself at the top.