Pardon one offence, and you encourage the commission of many.
Jaryun tried to argue his way by such a thought after hearing Horum's idea to pardon Zane.
But he didn't know the Priest pardoned Zane not because he invoked mercy inside himself, the Gutterborn was forgiven solely because…
"He is noticed by the Emberlord Priest Coin of the Crown Aurex."
People were just registering the words until Horum added:
"And someone with the favor of an Emberlord, their first crime is always pardoned. Forget dropping the idol, he would have been forgiven even if…"
Horum eyed each pair of eyes gawking at him.
"He had burned my church to the ground."
Collective gulps resounded around the crossroad and as if on cue, the Wardens bowed at Horum and spread out to their designated corners.
The crowd took many steps back as well, not covering Zane and Xavier like wolves circling lost cats anymore.
Zane didn't know exactly what was going on but he knew he wasn't dying today and also, no matter how grand Horum talked about him, he was still a Gutterborn. He didn't lose his status, just earned his life.
But unlike Zane, Xavier and Jaryun knew the deal.
And being this close from satisfying himself, Jaryun would not accept it at all.
"How are you so sure about this? How in the world could this shit catch the eyes of an Ember lord? What are you plotting here?"
"You want proof of my claims? Are you questioning me while having the authority of your likes?"
Horum's voice rose above a whisper and Jaryun's already sunken pale cheeks sank more.
[[ Art for Jaryun. ]]
The shopkeeper flinched at the clearly threatening voice of the Priest but seeing Zane so close, and the people looking at Jaryun, the man dared anyway.
"I speak by the authority of the loyal believers. This man had hurt us and he shall be punished. No one is above our First Flame and if… if there are some exceptions to this, we must see if this man really meets them or not."
Jaryun raised his fist in the air and his eyes went straight at the populace.
The people looked at each other and then at Horum. They hesitated but when they saw Zane…
"Yes!"
"Show us the proof!"
Their hesitation burned away.
They might be punished for raising their voice against the word of a Priest but if they turned out to be right, they would witness the execution they wanted to see since the start.
Horum was on his knee, in front of Zane and Xavier and with a tired gaze, the Priest looked at Zane.
"Show them."
Zane looked at Xavier.
Xavier shrugged.
Horum sighed. "Open your palm, kid."
At these words, Zane's brows shot up.
It really worked.
Zane instantly understood what Horum meant and in no time, he opened his right palm.
The sun had moved from Zane's head to Jaryun's and as his palm opened, the same shine penetrated the eyes of the watchers.
Zane's palm also burned but he endured it and he didn't have to endure for long as Horum reached out and took the item in his hand.
He stood up from his knee and held the item high in the air with two fingers.
Zane noticed that only he and Horum weren't affected by the light, otherwise even Xavier was forced to cover his eyes.
He will give it back, right?
Zane didn't want to lose it as the Priest had started murmuring under his breath while looking at Zane's item.
But he soon figured out what the Priest did.
The shine dimmed just after the Priest finished and everyone was able to open their eyes.
But the item itself had not dimmed even a little bit. Only its shine protruding on others had quieted down.
"Are you all seeing it?" Horum asked, circling around.
All eyes focused on Horum's hand but they only saw a golden glow as if Horum had a piece of a slab or the sun itself.
"No. We can't see it!" Jaryun hollered.
The crowd nodded in affirmation as well.
Horum smiled. "The fact that you all can't see it proves the authenticity of this relic."
It's a relic?
"Cut to the chase, Flamekeeper."
"I will. I will."
Horum placed the item on the center of his palm.
"I will tell all of you what this is and promise me you will believe me."
Jaryun wasted not one beat.
"That's not possible. We will not just promise that."
"Suit yourself."
Horum cleared his throat, made eye contact with everyone present and announced:
"This is a relic carved out from the Amnesty Cube. It's a separated block of the Haloheart showered in the continuous condensed mercy of the First Flame since the descent of the Haloheart on this holy land of our Dwarkam."
Brows were frowned and Horum added:
"Only the Emberlords, Pyrelords and the Grand Pyres have such relics. They are the keepers of our faith and if they had given one of them to someone, then they have been recognised by faith itself.
That's why, no matter what, the receiver's first sin or crime is forgiven. The First Flame himself forgives them. So, this man, he dropped our god but our God forgave him. And if he is forgiven by our God, then who are we to judge this soul after that?"
"Then why didn't we know about this? Why can't we see it?" Jaryun rebuked.
"It requires a certain rank, strength and belief in the First Flame to see it or even know about it. That's why I saw it from the parapet and came here as fast as I could. Also, the Relic receiver could see it and those whom the giver allows to see it can see it."
To know about it you have to reach a certain rank? But he is telling about it in front of everyone.
Zane questioned but he had other problems to deal with instead of worrying about the knowledge being shared.
"If only high ranked priests can have it then how do you know it belongs to the Emberlord Priest Coin? It can belong to anyone."
"Each high ranked priest receives a piece of the Amnesty Cube to make a relic of their own choice. They can pick the shape of their liking. And if they are affiliated with a Crown, they have to use the symbol of that Crown family on one side of a coin and one side is always reserved for the First Flame."
Zane recalled the coin and indeed, it had sun on one side and the other side had a sword with some designs he didn't pay attention to before.
Jaryun opened his mouth but Horum raised his hand.
He then raised the coin in the air.
"This relic is in the shape of a coin, meaning it belongs to the Emberlord Priest Coin. And on one side a sword with an eye behind it has been carved, suggesting Priest Coin has ties with Crown Aurex. This is orange in color, and if someone still has doubts about this, if someone still has some questions about its authenticity…"
Horum tossed the coin at Zane and again, looked straight in the eyes of people.
"I will call the personal Sigiled of Crown Aurex to answer all of you."
The coin went above Zane's head, making it hard to catch.
Fortunately, the coin stuck on a small vertical cervix made on the road.
Zane turned around, darted his eyes down and picked up the coin.
And when he raised his head…
He jerked it at Horum.
His eyes were wide and Horum had a smile.
There was no crowd anymore.
Not one eye looked at Zane.
The merchants went to their shops.
The drivers went to their carriages.
The vendors went to sell.
The customers went to buy.
His words made them fear. Who are the Sigiled?
That was the only explanation. Just after Horum mentioned the Sigiled, the crowd dissipated as if the commotion never took place.
Zane kept the coin inside his pocket, keeping his hand above his pants from the outside over the coin. It wasn't burning anymore mostly because the sun wasn't dancing above Zane anymore.
It was behind Jaryun now who… had clenched both his fists.
"Priest Horum, if not this filth, then his friend should be punished at least for helping this gutterborn. He aided this man in his sin."
Jaryun's teeth almost shattered by speaking through gritting them.
However…
"Hah!" Horum just scoffed.
He stood between Jaryun and Zane.
Both Zane and Xavier were still on their knees on the crossroad.
Horum bent while reaching out both his hands to both young men.
"No one will be punished today, Jaryun. He helped his friend in a sin, yes. But that sin was pardoned. And if that sin wasn't a sin, then helping doesn't make any difference. Both of them are free to go."
"But…"
"My order is absolute." Horum didn't turn around. "You have already stepped outside your blanket a lot of times today, Jaryun. Careful or you might catch a cold."
Hairs stood all over Jaryun's body all the while Horum faced Zane and Xavier.
Jaryun took a deep breath. "I… I wanted to become a Flamekeeper."
"And that won't happen today. Find some other sinner and kill them. The First Flame is kind. You will get what you want sooner or later. Go back to the shop. The Believers are waiting in line."
Zane and Xavier held Horum's hand.
"Yeah." Jaryun spoke. "The First Flame is kind. Kind enough…"
Zane's ears rang, his heart slammed against his chest. Sweat arose from his pores and his body screamed…
The wish of murder.
It could come from the only possible place at the moment and Zane looked there.
Jaryun had shoved both of his hands inside the empty space and this time, he wasn't taking something out.
He already had what he wanted.
Jaryun moved the space itself.
His nose spat blood as he pulled the space closer and closer, nearing Horum.
As if he had held the air and would slam it on the Priest.
"You are right, old bastard. The First Flame is kind. Kind enough…"
Zane's eyes widened.
Horum was holding Zane and Xavier's hands.
Zane opened his mouth.
"Behind you!" He shouted.
Jaryun laughed.
"It was kind enough to show me another sinner as well!"
Jaryun's space touched Horum's cheeks and Horum, while still holding Zane and Xavier's hands…
"Grestum."
Horum spoke.
"Flemir."
Another word.
Heavier. Darker.
"Kaljurm."
The last word fell and the next moment, black flames erupted from Horum's back and Zane tilted his head to see.
The flames soon took the form of two hands and Horum repeated the three words, the flame increased and a humanoid figure made of abyssal black fire formed.
It climbed out from Horum's back as if opening a door and soon, a humanoid black flame stood in front of Jaryun.
Before Jaryun could even utter help, the abyssal flame held Jaryun's face with both its hands.
Jaryun's eyes bulged out of their sockets, his voice betrayed him, and the black flame humanoid opened its mouth.
All eyes couldn't help but stare at the scene as the black flames brought its mouth above Jaryun's head and in one full vertical descent, Jaryun went inside the insides of the black flames.
In front of everyone's eyes, in the center of Veyndral City…
The Black Flames swallowed Jaryun.
Priest Horum swallowed Jaryun.
The protector of the First Flame got extinguished…
By The Last Of It.