Alexis walked slowly up to the temple in awe. The towering building was magnificent with its white stone décor and stained glass windows. People were pushing passed him rudely but he shrugged it off, absolutely struck by the building's beauty. His purple eyes scanned the crowd waiting to enter taking in every detail of the multitude of patrons all wearing a holy symbol somewhere on their person. Lost in reverence, he almost didn't feel his hand being tugged by his small sister. Anara was as anxious to get inside as the rest. He smirked down at her. "What's your hurry little one?"
She looked up at him incredulously. "Two thousand people come here each day. That's all they allow before they shut the gates. I'd like to be one of them!" Her lavender eyes scowled up at him from her cute little elven face, her ears pointed straight up to the sky. He ruffled her hair and quickened his pace. He helped her weave and bob through the crowd getting them to the large wooden doors faster than most of the people yelling curses at them. He ignored them completely and so did his sister. They were used to it.
Only when they were let inside the temple did they stop and look around in wonderment. It was even more glorious inside. Every wall was decorated with images of their religion, each pillar was intricately hand carved. In the center was the fountain they had heard of. Each that entered got to ask for a wish from the Goddess of Life. All one had to do was flip a coin and wish before that coin hit the water. Many had said that the wishes always come true. Others said that it was the church's way of stealing money from society. As he looked into the clear water he saw hundreds of coins resting at the bottom.
He reached into his pouch and pulled out a coin for both his sister and himself. She had been practicing her flipping and wishing so much she had it down to an art. She had told him it was because she needed time to get her entire wish out before the coin touched the water so he didn't bother her about it. It was cute. He watched her flip her coin and silently say her wish. Her radiant smile told him that she had finished in time.
Just as he was about to toss his, a hand caught his wrist. His gaze followed the hand, up the arm to a very dark and ominous face. The old scraggly man had only a few teeth in his mouth, his eyes a milky white as he eyed Alexis. The black cloak he wore did little to hide the man's gnarled and boney body. He man's breath was atrocious, spitting as he spoke, he only said one statement. "Be careful what you wish for!"
Alexis blinked and the man was gone. He blinked again. Still gone. He looked down at his sister to see if she had seen him. She was arching her fine brow at him as if he were stupid. He palmed the coin and looked through the crowd trying like mad to find the person he had seen to no avail. Severely shaken, he pocketed the coin and walked his sister around the temple, ever watchful for the creepy figure that came with his warning.
