Stranger Spirits

Pine Cone Wishes [Chapter Seven Part Four]

"We'll make sure to come back before nightfall!" I waved off as Atticus and I stepped out of the building bound right towards the fountain.

"Vaughn!" Alfred pointed the other way. "Town center is that way."

"I knew that!" I laughed turning around and began to walk in the right direction. "I was just testing you Alfy!" Alfred closed the door chuckling and now it was just me and Atticus.

"Can you believe it? Atticus, we're only a week's travel from Port Lundy and then we head East for Ilcryst!" Although I sounded excited I was actually pretty nervous. The Gods may be pushing us in that direction but they've given no indication of what awaits us there.

"Vaughn," Atticus brought me back from my thoughts. "I have faith that we'll make it through." I looked him in the eyes. "As long as we're together we'll be fine."

My chest felt just a bit tighter as I nodded. "I think so too." With that, we continued to walk towards the center of the city. I had to tell Atticus to slow down a little because the cobblestone streets had a bit of a downward slope to them.

"We'll need to throw that stick away Vaughn. You're using it as a crutch; you look fine to me."

I laughed. "How about this? Once we leave the Sincostan, I'll use the stick for our next campfire."

"Deal. I don't want to see that thing ever again!" Atticus laughed digging his hands into his pockets. Scratching behind my ear I looked at him and just felt the now familiar feeling of knots in my stomach.

Sometime later, we finally arrived at the center of town and before us was this mesmerizing fountain. There were three tiers of green emerald tiles and at the highest point laid a giant clam. within it laid a green man and woman embracing one another with only a blanket to cover themselves.

The man was leaning back onto the clam's open mouth while the woman was above him. Her face showing pure enjoyment as she pushed her hand behind her ear. Everything was in different shades of green and it looked like a moment in someone's life. It was such an amazing work of art.

A man loving a woman. I mused. I just don't see the appeal besides the obvious social obligation of reproduction. I crossed my arms gazing at the woman's body. Her breasts were well proportioned with the rest of her body. Her arms were lean and her stomach was smooth. The lower half wasn't exposed because of the strategically placed blanket. She looked lovely...but I didn't really feel anything.

The man told a different story. Though he was smiling like the woman his expression was different; it was one of lust. His body was spread open in a seductive manner and his lips curved into a mischievous smirk that let you know what was on his mind. He had a large brawny chest and had a well-defined abdomen. That's a body I could get used to.

Before my mind dipped into lewd territory I decided to hurriedly look away from the male piece of the sculpture I noticed at the lowest base was the pool was another set of shimmering jade tiles that turned the water into a unique blue-green hue. I also saw that there were quznos scattered across the bottom.

"That's a waste of money." Atticus took the words out of my mouth as we gazed at the bottom. Why would people throw away money into a fountain?

I watched as a young mother brought her young daughter to the edge of the fountain. "Sweetie, make a wish." The mother handed her daughter a quzno.

"Okay, mommy!" The girl scrunched her face up as she held the coin. After a couple of moments, she threw the coin into the fountain. "Mommy! Want to know what I wished for?"

The mother laughed. "If you tell me then it won't come true."

"Aww, but it's such a good one!"

"Then keep it in!" Her mother laughed hugging her tight. "Alright Annie, let's go to the bakery."

"Yay!" Annie wrapped her legs around her mother's waist and held tight as they walked away.

"That's sweet." I jerked my thumb in their direction. "You can make a wi-" I stopped to see Atticus frozen in place a tear trudging down his cheek. "Atticus." My tone softened.

"I miss her. I miss my mother." His voice trembled and he slumped down and sat on the fountain's edge. "She didn't say goodbye to me." He looked at me lips quivering. "She didn't-" Dropping my walking stick I kneeled beside him and pulled him into a tight hug. Atticus's breathing was ragged as he sobbed onto my chest.

"I'm so sorry Atticus. She probably had her reasons." I stroked his hair as he let it all out.

After a couple moments, I could feel his breathing calm down and I loosened my grip on him allowing him to go. He took another moment to catch his breath and he pushed himself gently from me. "Mother and I used to pick at pine cones. Whoever picked the last piece got to make a wish." He sniffled wiping his nose. "My wish was always the same. To be chosen by the Gods. To make my father proud...what if her wish was the opposite? What if she never wanted me to go?"

"I can't tell for sure Atticus." I wiped the tears off of his face. "But Nicolo told you that Ilcryst is where your road is leading to. That's why we're leaving tomorrow. We're going to fulfill your role for the Gods and then you can return home to her."

"No, we'll return home." He smiled.

"Yeah." I smiled for a moment. I completely forgot that my end goal was to be back with my family as well.

I'm going to take care of this spirit haunting me so I can return to my family. Return to my life back with the Quidel...but it won't be the same. I thought as I wiped Atticus's tears off my hand. My feelings for Atticus are not the same as before. Can I just go back to Spendule and pretend like I don't have feelings for him as foreign as they may seem to me? Could we return home if our relationship developed into something new?

My thoughts began to flip black to what started all of this confusion: the Winter Solstice. Maybe I should tell Atticus what happened during that night. He should know. I mean, if not now, when am I going to tell him? "A-"

"Well," He jumped up and brushed off his legs. "Enough with all of this seriousness! Let's grab a snack at one of these stores and head back to Alfred's." He held out his hand and I grasped it pulling myself up. Grabbing my walking stick I swallowed my confession and followed him to the nearby bakery.