Acropolis

Fruit of Life

The next morning, Conrad had an intuition there were further parts missing in the will, so he called Acacia to find her refreshingly surprised he didn't buy into their luck. The passageway had more tunnels.

Again, Conrad and Acacia reached the first altar. Peeking out from an adjacent pile of bronze weapons, a calligraphy map preserved directions through mile-long tunnels or miners' catacombs. At the end of the farthest tunnel, the parchment pointed to another altar. The oddest fruit, one which resembled an enlarged plum or peach from Ondrea's orchard but with an ornate stem like a crown, lay encased in another glass dome.

"I must keep the weird-looking plum, so they won't find it," Conrad promised Acacia. She couldn't believe what she was hearing. She laughed. "Whatever it is, Jason and Ondrea can't have it for themselves. I'm not so sure about your friend, Kaz, either."

"Don't worry, I have control and you have my trust."

"No, the forensic specialists have control," insisted Conrad after lifting the glass.

After breaching the farthest tunnels, Acacia decided the time was acceptable for the town to hear the truth, or at least, half at the next hearing.

Later, more of the handwritten will was uncovered as revealed by Acacia in court: "'From Daphne, with love, I lend you the fruit of wisdom and knowledge. Share with everyone its meaning but never let the seeds fall into the wrong hands. Everyone has a special wisdom but if that determines their path of destruction then they are the wrong hands. The fruit can go far if the seeds are in your control, hear me. Your future gifts are unbeknownst.'"

Acacia read the broken will again as ordered by Counselor Henseworth. She looked behind her, startled. "This means nothing!" Jason's father heaved an outburst in court. Only the Drought's decisions leaned on the jury, so it did only to backtrack. "Your Honor, I don't want to hear made-up frilly nonsense!"

Acacia shook in her seat and nervous shivers traveled through her entire body and made her immobile. It wasn't the praise or welcome from Jason's father she had hoped for. It wasn't the respect Daphne needed. She stared glaringly at their family, hoping the jurors could not read her. Pierce hadn't knocked her gavel in an abrupt manner, as if she was waiting to pounce on the next intriguing turn of interruption. She cocked her head, almost in amusement. Acacia squeezed her knuckles on the edge of her seat and bit her lip, not wanting to control her fidgeting but to control her nerves, hoping Jason's parents would take notice of her shame.

Jason's mother spoke down to Anton. "Anton, I know this doesn't settle the deed, but it came from Daphne. I am terribly sorry, Judge Pierce."

The judge looked down her spectacles and shook her curly temples. "Apology isn't needed in these proceedings."

The next court day stood months ahead, but all families were sure where most of the inheritance was headed. Jason with his good assets was not intimidated but he understood what he missed. Jealousies were aroused between his good friends with him being the nucleus. The Alexander's were once jealous of him but being the center of jealousy no longer meant the center of town attention.

Acacia was too tired and weary of grabbing attention to bother. Sometimes she would sneak into the underground portal while every one of her alliances chased her in their secret intentions, and it was not a concern because she knew they would figure out the deed through word. Conrad kept the fruit, the real Domain deed, the known but missing part of the will, locked in a tin lunch box under his bed in a drawer and kept silent.

Myth became reality as Acacia came across one of "the gifts" the fruit gave her. She could not foresee the gift was inside her until it manifested itself in her visions. Other gifts unfolded with her pursuers, especially with young elder, Kazimir. Thence, Acacia continued her story. Her visions of the bonfire past flickered and came in waves. She continued a private journal, separate from the assignment. The court was already far behind her, but she became gifted in memory.