Chương 13: Sul's Blessing

"Arien, today is a very important day," his mother said.

"In the temple, no talking, no running. Can you promise me that?"

"Arien good," he said, though his stomach tightened. The temple loomed in his thoughts as another kind of test. What if the gods saw him and didn't like what they saw? What if they knew he didn't belong? The morning heat pressed down early. Everyone wore their best clothes. They were cleaner than usual, though still rough and patched. Arien's new green tunic was only slightly less itchy than his rags. They set off briskly, joining other families heading toward the village gate, its doors wide open.

The village blurred past him in fences, smoke, and noise, but Arien barely registered any of it.

"Look how he wrinkles his nose," Sari laughed.

"Maybe he doesn't like Ted's workshop." Zed snorted.

"Or he's just too good for honest work." Arien shot them a look but said nothing. Eventually, they reached the temple. The walls were built from enormous grey blocks joined with dirty pink mortar. There were no windows, statues, or decorations of the sort Arien had expected from a temple. A crowd had already gathered before the large oak doors, though for some reason no one entered. Two temple attendants stood beside the entrance, occasionally beckoning particular families forward while everyone else waited.

Arien soon noticed the pattern. The first to enter wore the finest clothes and were greeted by name. A second group followed soon after, less impressive but still clearly better established than much of the crowd. Terry moved forward with them, and the rest of the family followed. Arien glanced back at the families still waiting outside. He had assumed his own household sat near the bottom of the local hierarchy. Apparently not.

Despite the lack of windows, the temple was fairly bright, illuminated by several large chandeliers hanging from the high ceiling. Stone columns rose from the floor and branched near the top like the limbs of giant trees. Most of the space was filled with rows of wooden benches surrounding a large statue on a stone platform. The statue of an armored warrior stood on the platform, a horn in one hand and a sword at his side, staring toward some distant battlefield.

It dominated the temple, and for some reason Arien didn't like the feeling of standing beneath its gaze. More importantly, mana gathered around it in impossible quantities. Arien stared. He had seen mana around people, around priests, around living things and flowing water. This was different. The mana seemed to gather around the statue rather than merely flow through it. Then Mari's hand pressed lightly against his back, urging him forward. Most of the front benches were already taken.

But the family found seats in one of the middle rows. His parents greeted acquaintances with nods. The only sounds in the temple were the footsteps of arriving worshippers, rustling teenagers, and occasional cries of infants quickly quieted by mothers. This state lasted for several minutes until, from the far end of the temple, a priest stepped onto the platform with a group of older children assisting him. Varix, Arien remembered. He was dressed in the same robes Arien had seen him wear before during his tests.

The only difference was the heavy orange-bronze chain hanging around his neck, each broad link large enough to draw the eye even from several rows away.

"Welcome, everyone!" he began in a firm, deep voice, and they all stood as one.

"I am glad that despite the many duties waiting for you in workshops, homes, and fields, so many of you have come today. Sul always looks kindly upon those who strengthen their spirit rather than their wealth or stomachs. Before we begin, let us welcome those visiting Sul's temple for the first time: Mog, Alies, Grod, and Arien!" Arien felt his father lift him high above his head, showing him to everyone present.

He spotted two of the other "victims," their confused faces suggesting they were enjoying the attention about as much as he was. A murmur of approval spread through the temple, interrupted only by a sudden piercing cry of a child. The author's narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

"Our new brothers and sisters in faith passed the tests and have been accepted by Sul into his temple, which means that no evil spirit of the Abyss dwells within them, and from today they may begin their journey as soldiers of Sul, our Father Creator! And now let us pray for strength for them and for good harvests this season." Then the prayers blurred into repetition. Harvest, protection, obedience. Arien nearly fell asleep twice.

The monotony broke only once, with a story about a boy who stole, denied it, kept stealing, and ended his days pulling gold from a mine for someone else. It was a short, pointed story, and the priest let the resulting silence linger. Arien suspected the story wasn't accidental. Halfway through, Arien noticed that much of the congregation had turned slightly toward a boy in the back rows.

He looked about eight, with dark circles under his eyes and his jaw set as he stared straight ahead, as though even blinking might be used against him. He didn't flinch once. The woman beside him stared at her hands. Arien watched him for a while and decided he knew too little to judge.

"I remind you that everyone is always welcome in the temple and may come for guidance, and with Sul's blessing, we will surely figure something out. And remember: taking justice into your own hands is forbidden. Any such incidents will be reported to Ribenne, and the City Council there accepts no excuses. Thank you again for coming, and I wish you a blessed day. Today's donations will, as usual, go toward equipping the temple. If anyone has urgent matters, I invite you to my chambers."

With those words, the priest stepped down and disappeared behind a small door on the back wall. Two older teenagers who had stood behind him during the prayers took positions at the exit, while two younger ones stood on both sides of the statue with woven baskets. Arien watched the departing priest; his skin prickled. Then people from the front rows began to stand and approach the statue one by one, dropping coins into the baskets.

As they passed, Arien noticed the differences in their clothing: better cloth, cleaner sleeves, brighter dyes. After leaving their donations, both adults and children knelt and kissed the statue's feet. The procession moved slowly through the temple, one family after another. Arien watched the statue instead. By the time his family's turn came, the concentration of mana within it had noticeably weakened. Terry dropped several bronze coins into one of the baskets, then handed Arien to Mari.

The others knelt and kissed the statue's feet in turn. Finally, Mari stepped forward with him in her arms.

"Arien, touch the stone with your mouth," she instructed, bringing him closer. He didn't like being watched while standing this close to something that might belong to a god. His mother nudged him.

"Arien." He swallowed. Fine. If gods here were real, he'd just have to bluff. The absurdity of the thought almost made him laugh as he touched his lips to Sul's great stone toe. A warmth spread through his body, too clean and precise to be imagination. His muscles immediately felt lighter and stronger." You have received Sul's blessing (common) — Sul appreciates your effort put into work for the community. For 72 hours, you gain +2 Strength, +2 Vitality." Arien's breath hitched. Something had answered.

Then his Status flickered. For a heartbeat, the blessing line wavered. Arien felt a brief resistance inside himself, as though the new effect had pressed against something already there. The line finally settled, and he immediately checked his Status. Sul's Blessing (Common) Remaining duration: 71h 59m Was a god watching him now? Could it read his thoughts? Or was the System only translating some force this world had decided to call Sul? He barely noticed Terry lifting him back onto his shoulders.

Barely noticed the crowd spilling out of the temple, the sudden heat outside, or the road passing beneath them. By the time they reached the village gate, his thoughts were still circling the same impossible question. Only Sari's voice pulled him back.

"I feel sorry for Milo. Everyone thinks he's stealing, and it's Edra who's spreading lies and rumors…"

"Sari, do you always have to cause trouble?" her mother cut in sharply.

"The poor Carters. Half the village already charges them more because of that boy."

"But Milo says…"

"I don't care," Mari said.

"And you're forbidden from speaking to him." Arien caught only fragments of the argument. After that, nobody spoke much on the way home. Terry smoked while the boys argued quietly behind him, and Alia walked beside Mari with their hands clasped. Arien sat on his father's shoulders and looked back at the temple until it disappeared behind the first bend in the road. No wonder the temple was full. Faith was one thing; three days of stronger arms and healthier bodies during the working season were another.

He still didn't know whether anything divine had actually noticed him. The blessing might have been automatic. Perhaps the System was only translating some force the people of this world had chosen to call Sul. Maybe no god had looked at him at all. Yet something had answered, and something else had resisted. Arien had no idea what either of them was.