The head priest stayed in the temple and looked a the room where those two bodies were lying for a long time. To be honest, even without burning them, they looked a lot like Vars and Nilgu would in this situation. Since one had his face buried at the other’s chest and the other lowered his head, their faces couldn’t be seen clearly and the clothes were the right ones. Even he could believe it. Why wouldn’t the people of the temple of Bul?
He sighed and then went to grab the torches that he had prepared for Mu So. That traveler had only asked for one but he had felt that it would be better to be prepared so finally gathered three. Now, they would come in handy.
He went to light the first one and walked through the temple. Starting from the rooms furthest in the back, he lit on fire what he could. Those curtains in the old room of a priest that had long died, they would never be pulled apart anyway. He asked Jel for forgiveness and turned around, walking to the pantry with its meager collection of ingredients, and put fire to one of the half-filled sacks there. Going to the garden with the old, decrepit tree, he smiled faintly, and finally just threw the torch down to its roots.
"Goodbye, old friend. I guess this is our last day."
Sighing faintly he took the next torch and lit it on the fire on the ground, continuing his round through the temple. Smoke was already wafting through the corridors as the fire spread further.
The old head priest walked to the front of the building, making sure that the people from the temple of Bul would be greeted by a wall of flames when they came in. This way, they could not get to those corpses before they had burned a fair bit, making it impossible to recognize them.
Having made sure of that, he went back to Nilgu’s room. He stood in the doorway for a bit and then sighed again, coughing when he breathed in some of that smoke. He stepped inside and lit the curtains, the wood of the table and the chairs, and then the bedding. He couldn’t bring himself to light the corpses on fire. Even though it could have helped, he felt that it was too cruel. In the end, he just tossed the torch on the ground and made his way back to the door.
He looked at the room that was already set aflame and ignited the last torch before he gently closed the door as if he did not want to disturb the couple inside. He turned around and walked to the main hall, looking up at the statue of Jel.
There were tears glittering in his eyes but he still went to set a fire in the corners of the room before he put the torch down behind the god’s statue.
"Forgive me, Jel. Burning down your temple, as a priest, I never should have even entertained that thought. But there are three lives at stake and I can’t bring myself to not give them the best chances they could have. Nilgu is also your priest and I am sure that he will make you proud. I, on the other hand, had not many more years to live anyway. So let me just atone for my sins right here and now."
He knelt down in front of the statue and started to pray, not moving from his spot even as the fire closed in, and finally licked at his clothes.
Outside, the stars dimmed and the night sky brightened and finally, the sun emerged behind the horizon. In the temple of Bul, some people had gathered, looking out of the gate at the temple opposite them that was still burning.
"Do you think he really set it on fire or is he trying to escape?"
"Only one way to find out."
They left the temple, one group going over to the burned-down temple on the other side of the square while another two went to one of the gates of the city each, taking a look at the people that were slowly lining up to be let out.
The group that entered the temple of Jel furrowed their brows when they stepped through the remains of the gate. There was still the heavy smell of smoke everywhere and fumes were blown by their faces every now and then, making their throats burn. They still trudged on, going to the corridor where the priests had lived before.
There wasn’t much left to see. In any case, there had only been two priests living here. What were they supposed to find? They peered into dozens of empty rooms before they finally found one that had been occupied. A body had collapsed in front of the window, the limbs charred black, completely unable to be distinguished.
One of the men tilted his head. "That young priest?"
The other man crouched down next to the body and shook his head. "Shouldn’t be. Vars wouldn’t have left him like this. I think there was some traveler staying here. Maybe the door was stuck and he tried to get out through the window." He looked up to the small one that was pretty high up and so small that it was questionable whether a person could fit through. In any case, this one hadn’t made it.
He took another look but couldn’t find anything on the person to make sure of who they were. In the end, he could only get up and leave the room with the other guy, checking the other rooms.
Nilgu’s room was right on the other side of the corridor so it didn’t take long for them to find it. Seeing the charred corpses on the bed, the two exchanged a glance.
"Should be them?"
The other nodded and they stepped closer, taking a look at them. The bigger body had clearly worn some kind of armor but it had melted in the fire, sticking the two bodies together.
One of the men clicked his tongue and reached out, pulling at the corpse’s shoulder to get a better look. The bones below creaked, one of them snapping apart. Because of the metal, the corpses couldn’t be moved though.
The other man moved around to the head of the bed and looked from that side. "There seems to be something. He reached out with a disgusted expression, snaking his hands in-between the corpses and finally breaking some bones with a loud crack. When he pulled back, a shimmering ring was lying on his palm. Looking at it, he nodded. "That’s Vars’. I saw him hold this before."
"Maybe he just wanted to use it to make it look like it’s them?"
The first man shook his head. "No. It’s the engagement ring he prepared. He could leave anything behind but not this. It’s too important to him."
The other man gave a grunt and then smirked. "Well, he at least had guts." With that, he turned around and walked outside. "Let’s look for that old head priest of theirs."
The other man gave a hum and weighed the ring in his hand, looking at the two bodies contemplatively. In the end, he threw down the ring and turned away, leaving the room as well.
At the same time, Vars and the other two were standing huddled together not too far from the gate.
Mu So couldn’t help but look around. "Why aren’t we going yet? Shouldn’t we hurry up? The sooner we go, the better our chances to escape, right?" He’d rather be far away before those guys from the temple of Bul could go after them. As long as they hadn’t noticed yet, they should be able to put some distance between them.
Vars shook his head though. "They will go out to check everything first thing in the morning. By the time the gates open, a team will be here to check. At that time, we can’t be among the people lined up there or they’ll kill us immediately."
Nilgu nodded. "That or just catch us to torture us back at the temple. I heard of stories like that." He paused for a moment and then looked up at Vars. "You didn’t take your sword. If they really get us …"
Vars gently squeezed his hand. "Don’t worry. At that moment, I will not hesitate." He could take it but he’d rather kill Nilgu with his own two hands than to let him suffer at the temple. He knew all too well just what would await him there after all.
Nilgu nodded and then went back to watching the people line up. The sun climbed higher and the guards of the city came to open up the gate. Before they finished though, a couple of figures in dark armor appeared, scrutinizing the people in front.
Nilgu shrank further into Vars’ arms while Mu So took a step back and lowered his head. He was probably the one who needed to worry the least but his heart still couldn’t help but pound heavily.
Vars narrowed his eyes before he retracted his gaze and pulled Nilgu deeper into the shadows, lowering his head as well and turning to face the other side. He would have loved to keep an eye on them but the more he looked, the more he might draw attention. Most people would turn away as soon as they saw somebody from the temple of Bul, hoping not to be noticed. He just had to act the same way.
Half an hour later, the guards were finally ready and opened the gate. They searched the people while the men from the temple of Bul stared at everyone suspiciously, actually grabbing a few people to take a closer look before they pushed them away when they realized that they weren’t who they were looking for.
Mu So felt his stomach sinking when he saw these scenes. "We … Are we really going to make it outside?" He didn’t think that they could stay in Lald any longer since it was much more likely to encounter somebody from the temple of Bul but if these guys continued to linger around the gate like this and kept on the lookout for them, then they couldn’t leave either.
Vars didn’t even look over there. "Don’t worry about it. They’re just checking. If they don’t see us soon, they’ll leave again."
"Are you sure? Isn’t there a gate on the other side of the city? Maybe we could leave from there …"
This time, Vars threw him a glance. "Do you believe the temple of Bul is like the temple of Jel with not even a handful of people? They will have sent people to search the temple, then a team to each gate, and maybe even one to check the cemetery. They will make as sure as they can that they don’t let anybody get away."
Mu So nodded but he still felt ill-at-ease. Had he known that things were like this, he wouldn’t have gone to seek shelter with a darned temple. Even camping outside seemed better than this in comparison.
Nilgu finally lifted his head and threw him a look. "Will you stop it already? With your attitude, you’re just going to make them suspicious if they see you."
Mu So smiled wryly. "Well, what do you want me to do? You’re the ones who told me that they’re going to torture us to death if they find us!"
Vars turned his face to the sky, sighing faintly. Yes, maybe it would be better to talk less. He turned back to his lover and hugged him tightly, ignoring the traveler next to them.
Soon enough, the two men that had searched the temple of Jel came over, shaking their head. "There is nothing in the temple. What about here?"
The team from the gate shook their heads as well. "Nothing here either."
"Let’s go and take a look at the other gate."
The men nodded and the group turned away, leaving in the other direction.
Mu So turned to look at Vars but he still hadn’t moved. The traveler really wanted to ask but after the attitude he had gotten before, he couldn’t help but hold back. Who knew what the reason was?
Another hour went by and finally, Vars moved. He brushed back Nilgu’s hair and looked into his face as if searching for something.
Nilgu faintly raised his brows.
"I think the priest’s robe wasn’t a good idea." Vars tugged at Nilgu’s robe with a dissatisfied look. Originally, everything had been organized by Mu So. And last night, they had been busy with getting the bodies and preparing the temple so he hadn’t thought too much. Now though, he couldn’t help but worry. The last lookout should have left by now but if the guards saw Nilgu leave like this … if somebody talked, the temple of Bul would realize what was up. That wasn’t a risk he was willing to take.
He thought for a bit and then gently turned his lover around, starting to braid his hair. Nilgu stood still, letting Vars do as he liked. Despite the years that had passed since he entered the temple, he still trusted him with his whole heart. In fact, this familiar touch really brought him back to a different time. His heart was at peace feeling Vars’ fingers gently combing through his hair.
Vars faintly tugged when he reached the end, coiling the hair around itself to make it hold fast. Then, he grabbed Nilgu’s robes and pulled them up, exposing the pants beneath. A priest’s robe was really too obvious but with a few changes here and there, it could at least be made less obvious. Pulling the fabric up by about a foot, he folded it to make it look like an additional piece of fabric was wound around his body and then took off his own belt to secure it in place around Nilgu’s waist.
The priest turned around, his gaze gentle. Even though they had embraced each other the whole morning, this felt the closest they had gotten in all this time. Maybe it was less about the contact of their bodies and just the fact that he was able to surrender himself into Vars’ hands like this. In any case, he felt as if he had gotten something back that he lost.
Vars looked him up and down and nodded but then turned to Mu So, motioning to give him the bundle he was wearing.
Mu So smiled wryly but still handed it over. In any case, it was pretty clear that Nilgu needed some kind of disguise. Whatever they could do, they should go ahead with it. As for him who had only come into the city two days ago anyway, it wouldn’t make a difference.
He handed it over and Vars helped Nilgu put it over his shoulder. He gently cupped his cheek and kissed his forehead before he motioned to the gate. "Let’s go then."
Nilgu nodded and Mu So just followed after them, lining up behind them at the gate. He couldn’t help but glance over his shoulder but he couldn’t see anything of the people of the temple of Bul. He didn’t dare to breathe a sigh of relief just yet and just turned back around, waiting for it to be their turn.
Finally, they made it to the front of the line. The guards looked them over like the people before them, questioning them while they took a closer look at the bundle Nilgu was wearing but didn’t seem to find anything suspicious. They just waved and already turned to the next person.
Vars and Nilgu walked out of the city, the priest’s head lifting faintly when they stepped past the shadow that the gate threw on the ground. Mu So was right behind them, trying to hold back a sigh of relief. He couldn’t draw any attention to them now that they had made it out. Even though the greatest danger was over, they weren’t yet out of it completely. After all, they were still clearly visible from the city. If any of the people of the temple of Bul came close to the gate, they might spot them.
Together, the group of three walked down the path in front of the gate, putting more and more distance between them and Lald. When the city seemed to have turned into an indistinct shadow in the distance, Nilgu stepped closer to Vars’ side and reached out, intertwining their fingers.
Vars glanced at him and smiled before turning back to the front. They had made it out. There might always be a hint of worry left in their hearts but as long as they continued to make their way forward, it would diminish little by little until it could be a faint doubt at the back of their minds that they would only be reminded of every now and then.
Mu So cleared his throat and reached out to take his bundle back from the priest. Putting it back onto his shoulder, he did heave that sigh of relief after all, feeling as if everything had gone back to normal.
He accelerated his steps and walked next to the pair of lovers, flashing them a smile. "Well, I guess that’s it then. You’re out, I’m out. We can just go wherever our feet carry us. I wish you luck." He nodded at them and then turned back to the front, passing them by and walking ahead.
Vars and Nilgu exchanged a glance and smiled and then just continue to walk.
After a while, Mu So couldn’t help but turn back to them. Some distance had opened up between them but they were still clearly following the same path despite the fact that he had already left the main road leading away from Lald. "Why are you still going in the same direction as me?"
Vars just chuckled. "Where else are we supposed to go? We grew up in Lald, I don’t have a weapon any longer. I’d say it’s safer to go in the same direction. Along the way, if we find a place to settle down, then we’ll leave. Until then, I’m afraid you’ll be stuck with us."
Nilgu nodded, clearly sharing his lover’s thoughts.
Mu So stared at them in exasperation but then just shook his head and turned back to the front. Whatever. As long as he wasn’t walking behind them where he had to see them displaying their affection, it wasn’t that bad to have somebody travel with him for a while.
Nilgu and Vars exchanged another glance when he didn’t refuse them and they smiled faintly. It seemed that they had made the right call.
Nilgu glanced at their hands and then slowly pulled his back, plucking a few ears of corn from the field at the side of the path. He slowly braided them together into a thin string and then grabbed Vars’ hand again, wrapping the string around his ring finger.
Vars gave a hum and followed suit, looking into his eyes while he tied the ring. "I’ll get you a real one again one day."
Nilgu shook his head though and just held his hand again, pulling him along. "I don’t need a ring. I just need you to stay at my side so that this time, we can go together to wherever faith leads us, never to be separated again."
Vars nodded. "I can promise that." He paused for a moment and the corners of his lips rose faintly. "I’ll still get you a ring or something. One that’ll hold a bit longer. I don’t quite trust your braiding skills." He glanced at their hands that were still adorned with the makeshift rings but at least his seemed to fray at the end as if Nilgu hadn’t tied it securely enough.
The priest cleared his throat and looked the other way. "If you can’t remember the sentiment without the ring, don’t bother about it. In any case, this is enough for me."
His lover just gave a hum and smiled while watching his expression. This was enough for him as well but who could fault him for dreaming of more after having to do without this person at his side for so long? Now, he wanted nothing more than to make up for the lost time so that in the future, those years in-between would seem like nothing but a distant nightmare or a test on their path to the future that had been destined for them.
