To him who has nothing it is forbidden not to relish filth.
Zane had nothing but he couldn't relish filth. Mostly because, he was filth.
Horum peered deep inside his eyes as he said the relic didn't wash the gutter from his blood.
Zane felt no intent from the Priest and the Priest sounded like he wasn't being rude, he just stated a fact.
But more than the fact, Zane encountered another question.
"The relic I have, you described it as extraordinary. Forgiveness for my first sin shouldn't be the only effect it has, right?"
Horum scoffed.
He turned around and faced the line of the gutterborns.
"Everyone," he said.
He will answer after they go away. Understandable.
Zane could understand keeping the relic's talk as a secret. He didn't know that much but Horum wasn't as ignorant as Zane. He would keep it in private.
Zane and Xavier waited for Horum to send the Gutterborns away and the gutterborns waited for that as well. They already knew what would happen; they were just standing in hope for a miracle.
The miracle being getting food after the exhaustion of the allotted time. The status of lives determined what could be considered a miracle.
The Gutterborns stared at Horum's chest and Horum eyed them in return.
The Priest showed nothing on his face and soon, his hand went to an ashbread.
Zane frowned and Horum… smiled.
"The offerings will be distributed as usual. Come and receive."
Brows shot up.
The miracle had happened.
The religion that stays rigid in their rules and laws, the ardent follower of that very same religion was ready to distribute offerings after the time for that was over.
"Don't be amazed, young one. Their wait should not turn to anger for the First Flame. Their daily prayers helps him to keep us safe. We can bend a rule once in a while for them." Horum said and Zane watched the back of the priest with a new light.
He indirectly called Zane filth earlier but with conviction as if he wasn't insulting him, just stating the obvious.
But he might, might have eyes that could look past the filth and see Humans. Jaryun or someone else would have never given the food, whether their prayers helped the first flame or not.
Heck, Jaryun didn't even care about the first flame. He simply hated Zane and his kind.
Recalling that, Zane decided to reveal it.
"Can I share something related to Jaryun?"
Zane asked for permission first. Just because Horum exchanged some words with Zane doesn't mean he could speak whatever he wanted. He was taught his place ever since he opened his eyes in Dwarkam. He couldn't forget it.
"You may." Horum said, preparing the offerings on the counter before calling the first person forward.
Zane got the green light and cleared his throat.
He would speak louder for the other people to hear him as well. At least the gutterborns in the line.
"Moments away from killing me, under the pretense of reciting a prayer he whispered in my ears, and I swear on everything I hold dear, father, they are his words. Not one breath was mine in these syllables. He said to me: I don't give a damn about our God. I simply hate your kind."
Zane made sure every word came out exactly like Jaryun's and as he expected, some gasps escaped but they belonged to the people who were in the crowd supporting Jaryun.
Xavier's brows quivered at the words as well.
The gutterborns in the line had heard Zane too but with their bowed heads they couldn't show their expressions. And they were only surprised by Jaryun not caring about the First Flame. The hate your kind part, they were familiar with it.
Zane went silent after sharing that and Horum stayed quiet.
He carried on placing the offerings on the metal table and when he was finished, he looked up at the line, not at Zane.
"Before Jaryun's belief," he said, looking at the ground beside the table. "Prove yours."
Zane gulped.
Horum spoke less and softly but his words carried weight.
He looked at Xavier and the commoner gestured towards the ground.
Zane darted his eyes and he saw the same thing Horum was looking at.
Upon seeing it, everything clicked and Horum's words finally made sense.
They were looking at the idol of the First Flame.
But Zane wouldn't move and pick it up unless he was asked to.
Horum didn't turn around and continued speaking:
"I know Jaryun was telling the truth about you letting our idol fall. He wouldn't have constructed this lie after knowing that I allowed you to have any offerings in any quantity. He had figured that you have my favor and due to this, he wouldn't dare to lie about you to satisfy his personal agenda.
Therefore, the fact that he attacked you, meant he had a perfect reason. You gave him the chance. You deliberately dropped the idol and that was really a sin worth death."
Horum paused and raised his head at the sky.
"The relic saved your life, kid. It gave you forgiveness. Flamelord Coin was kind enough to let you have it. He must have seen your future or he just gave it on a whim. Only he knows. And Jaryun might be a non-believer as you said no wonder he went against me. He didn't value our Flame. And in return, the Flame didn't value him. He attacked me and because of his insult to our God, believe me, he suffered a fate worse than death. But now it's over. So obey this command now: Step forward, bend, and pick up the Flame with utmost respect. And I don't think I need to tell you but try something else…"
Horum finally turned his head around.
"And you won't be forgiven anymore."
Chills run down Zane's spine.
Horum's eyes conveyed his worship for the sun and those eyes looked nothing less than two flames.
Zane waited not even one second and bowed.
"I… I understand."
He stepped forward, walked around the table, bent his knee and touched the idol lying on the ground.
He picked it up, pressed it to his forehead, asked for forgiveness and held it close to his chest.
But the next second, the plus mark on his chest burned so he pushed the idol a little away from his skin.
He then stood up and walked back where he was standing, behind the Priest.
Zane kept the idol near to his chest. Even if Horum wasn't looking at him anymore, he wouldn't risk anything.
I should have just gone home.
Zane sighed regretting his decision to stay but he knew one way or another, Horum would have made sure the gutterborn picks up the idol. Going home wouldn't have helped Zane.
And in all honesty, Zane did drop the idol deliberately.
Nevertheless, Horum finally smiled and the pressure around Zane lightened.
The priest then called the first person of the line forward and gave the blind woman double offerings than usual.
The woman felt the weight of her sack heavier than ever and with a smile, she left while praising the Flame.
"You both can ask your questions now." Horum said.
Zane opened his mouth right away but even after being so fast, he still lost to Xavier.
The commoner blurted the first question he carried on the tip of his tongue and hearing that, Zane almost dropped the idol again.
"What kind of priest are you if you didn't even know that the man distributing the offerings was an atheist himself?"