Chapter One
Watchman was tired. His shift was supposed to end an hour ago and his
replacement have come into the tower, allowing him to get out of that
veritable meat cooker and into some cold water. Maybe a bath, he thought.
With bubbles! However, there was only one problem; Watchman was the only
one who signed up for this post. Ever. The huge brick-and-metal tower was
built with the idea in mind to be a guard tower, but no one ever took the
job. Until Watchman came along. He sighed heavily, thinking back to how
stupid he was.
"Why did I come out here in the first place?" He asked his spear. "It's in the middle of the blooming' desert! Oh sure the pay's good and three squares a day, but I spend every hour -waking or sleeping- in this godforsaken obelisk!" In his anger, Watchman hefted his spear and threw it out and over the edge of the tower.
"Gerbin fartch!" He growled. "Why'd I do that?" Watchman sighed and started to walk down the tower steps, but something caught the side of his eye. He turned, and spied something riding over a dune, backlit by the sinking sun. For the first time in seven years, Watchman bounded down the tower steps. All 32 flights of them.
*********
The figure Watchman saw was a small one, but it was a figure nonetheless. He couldn't tell what it was at first, but the figure was actually two; a doglike creature riding another four legged dog. The first rode straight and high, seemingly undaunted by the heat of the desert and the roughness of traveling on sand. His companion (rather, his vehicle) however was just the opposite. Head hung low, panting, and paws constantly slipping over the dune. Watchman burst out of the tower and, stumbling, snatched his spear from the ground and ran towards the figures with all the speed he had. With each time his feet hit the ground, his chest swelled with pride and anticipation, knowing that for the first time in seven years he would be able to do his job. Seeing Watchman running toward him, the rider of the dog reined his steed and stopped, posing a rather heroic stance against the sunset. "Halt." Watchman declared, having reached the traveler. "We have," replied the traveler. "State your name and business," Watchman declared, just like he was taught in the Grand College of Watching and Guarding. "Please." The traveler eyed Watchman and his spear for a moment. Then, hopping brusquely off his steed (which all but collapsed dead when he did) he declared, "I am Didymus, son of Gallantus, grandson of Mykus, nephew to Ephsus, brother to Jerymus!" Didymus flicked his head to the right and up a bit, his long whiskers all but catching Watchman in the face. "And I have come to be trained at the Greatly Rumoured School of Knightship and Heroism!" Watchman was taken aback. He was in awe of this.Didymus. He sported clothes made of fine satin and leather, beautifully crafted in Renaissance style. His gloved forepaws rested on the hilt of a deep red polished Lancesword, snugly sheathed at his side. He had a neatly clipped whiskerstache just above his debonairly smiling lips, which revealed a row of straight and white teeth, complete with canines. There was a glint in Didymus' eye that betrayed some mischief brewing in him. But the thing that Watchman noticed most was the long feather that hung from Didymus' hat. It was almost as long as its bearer was tall, coming to a weakly curved peak a few inches away from Didymus' head. The feather was brown and faintly green. There were a few other colors but Watchman couldn't pick them out, as it was very tattered and worn; in places parts of the vane were missing completely. Though in awe, Watchman tried not to smile at the outlandish sight before him. But a faint smirk pushed its way through. "Well then," Watchman said. "You've come to the right place." "Good!" Didymus said, smiling. "Does yon tower cap the school?" Watchman chuckled. "Naw, I'll show you where it is though. This way." Watchman turned toward his tower. "Come along, Ambrosius!" Didymus called to his steed. "You've had yourn rest but now we must continue our quest!" The dog whined, but with a stern glance from his master, feebly galloped after them.
*********
After a bit of walking, the tower loomed beside the trio.
"C'mon in," said Watchman with a wave of his hand. "It'll be a bit before we reach the school so let's have a rest up and some refreshments." Ambrosius yipped, overjoyed to be getting in out of the desert sun. However, when they got inside and he saw the huge staircase, he almost fainted again.
Watchman and his companions climbed the stairs. And climbed. And climbed. And climbed just a little bit more. Didymus kept seeing wooden doors accompanied with gold-plated signs with ornate numbers on them pass by.
10th.11th.12th.13th.
"Umm." Didymus cleared his throat. "Excuse me, sah, but when we were introduced only I gave my name.what is yours?"
"Oh, you can just call me Watchman."
14th.15th.16th.
Didymus could see Ambrosius getting tired again. "Umm.Watchman?"
"Yes?"
"How many more flights of stairs shall we be traversing?"
"Oh," 17th. "About six more."
"Ah, six."
18th.19th.20th.
Didymus cleared his throat again. "How tall is thine tower, Sir Watchman?"
"Well, its got about thirty-three floors."
"Great Scot! How dost thou manage?"
"Oh, I've been here awhile. It's good exercise."
They ascended for a few more flights, and even Didymus began to break a sweat. Just when he thought he might faint and tumble down all of the stairs, Watchman stopped abruptly.
"Here we are!" He said, turning onto a landing. "Floor 23, the Rest and Relaxation room, as I calls it; the Mess Hall as others does." The three sauntered into the room, Didymus and Ambrosius looking desperately for a chair. Watchman motioned that they sit wherever they liked.
Didymus picked the chair that he first fell into. Pulling himself upright, he leaned his head back and stared at the ceiling. There was something strange about the room, but he couldn't quite place his paw on it. Didymus looked around the room quizzically. He saw Ambrosius sitting about six feet away under a table and Watchman about twenty feet away at a large barrel getting some drinks. He continued his scope when it hit him. He was sitting about ten feet away from the door, when the chair was only about two feet away when he walked in. And how could the room be thirty feet across when the tower was no more than ten? And what about all the other rooms?
"What in the devil is going on?" Didymus suddenly jumped up, knocking his chair over and drawing his Lancesword at the same time. He stood battle ready, as if the room itself would start attacking.
"What do you mean?" Didymus whirled around to meet the voice behind him. It was Watchman! How did he get there so fast from so long away? And there was Ambrosius, suddenly behind him! But behind Didymus was where Didymus was just facing, and How did I get on top of a table?
Didymus began to feel dizzy. It seemed like the room was coming apart, brick by brick.
The tower was collapsing!
He was falling!
Falling!
Sitting!
What? Didymus was sitting upright in a chair, Ambrosius at his feet, whining. Watchman stood over him, with a concerned look on his face.
"Are uh.you all right, Didymus?" Watchman spoke slowly. Didymus patted his own chest, trying to make sure all of him was there.
"I.think I.am I? What happened?" He began to get excited again, and tried to stand up, fingering his weapon. But his balance faltered, and Watchman laid a hand on Didymus' shoulder in an attempt to steady him. Ambrosius let out a low growl. Watchman let go. Didymus swallowed the huge lump in his throat and tried to speak again.
"The room." he began. "It.was breaking.swirling.the table.Ambrosius!" He finished with a great deal of effort and fell back into his chair, mentally exhausted. If I should try to stand again, he thought. I shall dirty this floor!
Watchman pulled up a chair behind him and sat down. "Don't worry about it. Your in just a little bit of shock."
"From what, may I be so bold?"
"Jump magic."
"Jump magic?" Didymus asked.
"Jump magic." Watchman nodded his head.
"Jump magic." Didymus repeated. "Well.what is it?" Watchman leaned upwards and rested his back against the chair, giving Didymus some room.
"When they built this tower, " he started. "They originally wanted it to be some sort of barracks for people to protect the school. Sort of a student army. But they realized they didn't have enough space for all the rooms they wanted to put in. So they tried redesigning it, brought in all the best architects from all around! But nothing would work. Just not a whole lot of supplies in the desert.
"Then one day when all the head honcho administrators of the school; the Dean, the president, the vice-president and all their kick-around guys, were fussing and arguing about how they were gonna fix the bloody problem, some lone wanderer comes around. At first they were frightened of him; they say he had the wildest eyes you'll ever see. Hard and demanding, like a slave driver, while at the same time being as soft and inviting as a lamb's cut fleece. Well, he said he could fix the problem. He said he had invented a new kind of magic for just the thing. Well, them administrators didn't want to have nothing to do with magic! 'A perversion of the natural way!' the Dean said. But somehow the stranger convinced them. Some say his eyes can hypnotize people.
"So, anyway, they built the tower out of what they had. Regular size, real small rooms. And then they had him look it over. He walked around inside and he said he could do it if they doubled the price of what they were gonna pay him. Only he said he didn't want money. He wanted them.
"The stranger boasted that that soon a new kingdom would rise, a kingdom that would be perfectly awesome, ruled by magic and mystery, and that he, this poor little wanderer, would reign over all the lands. And then he said that he wanted them to be his servants, to worship him and then he would be kind to them in return. Well, as you can imagine, the fools just scoffed and laughed it off, 'cuz what could he do? But they decided to humor him, 'cuz the Dean wanted to make a joke outta this fellow.
"So the stranger smiled this eerily enchanting grin, and suddenly a crystal, perfectly round, appeared in his hand. He threw it at the tower and it shattered into a million tiny pieces. The sound was horrible! It almost blew all of the administrators' ears out! When the ringing had gone, the stranger smiled again and told them that it was done. At first, they didn't believe him, but when they walked into a few of the rooms; they saw that they were larger than the tower itself! Well, they all went back down and found the stranger standing their looking all happy, so the Dean said 'Watch this, men' and handed this bulging money sack to the stranger. 'Here's your homage O Lord!' the Dean said and mockingly knelt in front of the stranger. All of his lackeys burst into laughter. The stranger's smile dropped, and he threw it back at the Dean. 'We had a different deal,' he said. The prez and the VP were really rolling now.
"' Right!' the Dean laughed. 'Us upstanding members of society be your servants in this new world order to come?' Everyone's side just split. Except the stranger's.
"Suddenly the he began to grow, and started shaking the whole desert! The tower looked like it might fall! He grew until he was this colossus, this wondrous sorcerer dressed in glorious flowing black. The Dean and his lackeys were all scared spiteless. They couldn't get their eyes off his. They were red and white at the same time, burning the very essence of fear into those poor souls. Again suddenly, he had a crystal in his hand. He threw it at the administrators, and when it smashed, they began to morph.
"They lost their normal shapes and began to twist and mold into these grotesque, slimy, green, rude things. They didn't even look like they had once been something that was alive! They started roaring and burbling and gargling, and fell on their knees and started to worship that magicmancer, 'cuz they were his slaves now. Then all in one instant, all of them, the Dean, his cohorts, and the stranger, were gone."
Watchman leaned back in his chair again, and watched Didymus' jaw hang open. "Good story, eh Didymus?"
The dog-creature closed his mouth. "Yes but.what shall I do if the rooms be charmed?"
Watchman smiled. "Just don't think about it. If you notice something was moved or changed around, don't think about it and the charm won't get you. And don't try to walk anywhere either. Just think about where you want to go and suddenly you're there."
Didymus thought for a moment. "Jump magic?"
"Jump magic."
"Ah."
"Why did I come out here in the first place?" He asked his spear. "It's in the middle of the blooming' desert! Oh sure the pay's good and three squares a day, but I spend every hour -waking or sleeping- in this godforsaken obelisk!" In his anger, Watchman hefted his spear and threw it out and over the edge of the tower.
"Gerbin fartch!" He growled. "Why'd I do that?" Watchman sighed and started to walk down the tower steps, but something caught the side of his eye. He turned, and spied something riding over a dune, backlit by the sinking sun. For the first time in seven years, Watchman bounded down the tower steps. All 32 flights of them.
*********
The figure Watchman saw was a small one, but it was a figure nonetheless. He couldn't tell what it was at first, but the figure was actually two; a doglike creature riding another four legged dog. The first rode straight and high, seemingly undaunted by the heat of the desert and the roughness of traveling on sand. His companion (rather, his vehicle) however was just the opposite. Head hung low, panting, and paws constantly slipping over the dune. Watchman burst out of the tower and, stumbling, snatched his spear from the ground and ran towards the figures with all the speed he had. With each time his feet hit the ground, his chest swelled with pride and anticipation, knowing that for the first time in seven years he would be able to do his job. Seeing Watchman running toward him, the rider of the dog reined his steed and stopped, posing a rather heroic stance against the sunset. "Halt." Watchman declared, having reached the traveler. "We have," replied the traveler. "State your name and business," Watchman declared, just like he was taught in the Grand College of Watching and Guarding. "Please." The traveler eyed Watchman and his spear for a moment. Then, hopping brusquely off his steed (which all but collapsed dead when he did) he declared, "I am Didymus, son of Gallantus, grandson of Mykus, nephew to Ephsus, brother to Jerymus!" Didymus flicked his head to the right and up a bit, his long whiskers all but catching Watchman in the face. "And I have come to be trained at the Greatly Rumoured School of Knightship and Heroism!" Watchman was taken aback. He was in awe of this.Didymus. He sported clothes made of fine satin and leather, beautifully crafted in Renaissance style. His gloved forepaws rested on the hilt of a deep red polished Lancesword, snugly sheathed at his side. He had a neatly clipped whiskerstache just above his debonairly smiling lips, which revealed a row of straight and white teeth, complete with canines. There was a glint in Didymus' eye that betrayed some mischief brewing in him. But the thing that Watchman noticed most was the long feather that hung from Didymus' hat. It was almost as long as its bearer was tall, coming to a weakly curved peak a few inches away from Didymus' head. The feather was brown and faintly green. There were a few other colors but Watchman couldn't pick them out, as it was very tattered and worn; in places parts of the vane were missing completely. Though in awe, Watchman tried not to smile at the outlandish sight before him. But a faint smirk pushed its way through. "Well then," Watchman said. "You've come to the right place." "Good!" Didymus said, smiling. "Does yon tower cap the school?" Watchman chuckled. "Naw, I'll show you where it is though. This way." Watchman turned toward his tower. "Come along, Ambrosius!" Didymus called to his steed. "You've had yourn rest but now we must continue our quest!" The dog whined, but with a stern glance from his master, feebly galloped after them.
*********
After a bit of walking, the tower loomed beside the trio.
"C'mon in," said Watchman with a wave of his hand. "It'll be a bit before we reach the school so let's have a rest up and some refreshments." Ambrosius yipped, overjoyed to be getting in out of the desert sun. However, when they got inside and he saw the huge staircase, he almost fainted again.
Watchman and his companions climbed the stairs. And climbed. And climbed. And climbed just a little bit more. Didymus kept seeing wooden doors accompanied with gold-plated signs with ornate numbers on them pass by.
10th.11th.12th.13th.
"Umm." Didymus cleared his throat. "Excuse me, sah, but when we were introduced only I gave my name.what is yours?"
"Oh, you can just call me Watchman."
14th.15th.16th.
Didymus could see Ambrosius getting tired again. "Umm.Watchman?"
"Yes?"
"How many more flights of stairs shall we be traversing?"
"Oh," 17th. "About six more."
"Ah, six."
18th.19th.20th.
Didymus cleared his throat again. "How tall is thine tower, Sir Watchman?"
"Well, its got about thirty-three floors."
"Great Scot! How dost thou manage?"
"Oh, I've been here awhile. It's good exercise."
They ascended for a few more flights, and even Didymus began to break a sweat. Just when he thought he might faint and tumble down all of the stairs, Watchman stopped abruptly.
"Here we are!" He said, turning onto a landing. "Floor 23, the Rest and Relaxation room, as I calls it; the Mess Hall as others does." The three sauntered into the room, Didymus and Ambrosius looking desperately for a chair. Watchman motioned that they sit wherever they liked.
Didymus picked the chair that he first fell into. Pulling himself upright, he leaned his head back and stared at the ceiling. There was something strange about the room, but he couldn't quite place his paw on it. Didymus looked around the room quizzically. He saw Ambrosius sitting about six feet away under a table and Watchman about twenty feet away at a large barrel getting some drinks. He continued his scope when it hit him. He was sitting about ten feet away from the door, when the chair was only about two feet away when he walked in. And how could the room be thirty feet across when the tower was no more than ten? And what about all the other rooms?
"What in the devil is going on?" Didymus suddenly jumped up, knocking his chair over and drawing his Lancesword at the same time. He stood battle ready, as if the room itself would start attacking.
"What do you mean?" Didymus whirled around to meet the voice behind him. It was Watchman! How did he get there so fast from so long away? And there was Ambrosius, suddenly behind him! But behind Didymus was where Didymus was just facing, and How did I get on top of a table?
Didymus began to feel dizzy. It seemed like the room was coming apart, brick by brick.
The tower was collapsing!
He was falling!
Falling!
Sitting!
What? Didymus was sitting upright in a chair, Ambrosius at his feet, whining. Watchman stood over him, with a concerned look on his face.
"Are uh.you all right, Didymus?" Watchman spoke slowly. Didymus patted his own chest, trying to make sure all of him was there.
"I.think I.am I? What happened?" He began to get excited again, and tried to stand up, fingering his weapon. But his balance faltered, and Watchman laid a hand on Didymus' shoulder in an attempt to steady him. Ambrosius let out a low growl. Watchman let go. Didymus swallowed the huge lump in his throat and tried to speak again.
"The room." he began. "It.was breaking.swirling.the table.Ambrosius!" He finished with a great deal of effort and fell back into his chair, mentally exhausted. If I should try to stand again, he thought. I shall dirty this floor!
Watchman pulled up a chair behind him and sat down. "Don't worry about it. Your in just a little bit of shock."
"From what, may I be so bold?"
"Jump magic."
"Jump magic?" Didymus asked.
"Jump magic." Watchman nodded his head.
"Jump magic." Didymus repeated. "Well.what is it?" Watchman leaned upwards and rested his back against the chair, giving Didymus some room.
"When they built this tower, " he started. "They originally wanted it to be some sort of barracks for people to protect the school. Sort of a student army. But they realized they didn't have enough space for all the rooms they wanted to put in. So they tried redesigning it, brought in all the best architects from all around! But nothing would work. Just not a whole lot of supplies in the desert.
"Then one day when all the head honcho administrators of the school; the Dean, the president, the vice-president and all their kick-around guys, were fussing and arguing about how they were gonna fix the bloody problem, some lone wanderer comes around. At first they were frightened of him; they say he had the wildest eyes you'll ever see. Hard and demanding, like a slave driver, while at the same time being as soft and inviting as a lamb's cut fleece. Well, he said he could fix the problem. He said he had invented a new kind of magic for just the thing. Well, them administrators didn't want to have nothing to do with magic! 'A perversion of the natural way!' the Dean said. But somehow the stranger convinced them. Some say his eyes can hypnotize people.
"So, anyway, they built the tower out of what they had. Regular size, real small rooms. And then they had him look it over. He walked around inside and he said he could do it if they doubled the price of what they were gonna pay him. Only he said he didn't want money. He wanted them.
"The stranger boasted that that soon a new kingdom would rise, a kingdom that would be perfectly awesome, ruled by magic and mystery, and that he, this poor little wanderer, would reign over all the lands. And then he said that he wanted them to be his servants, to worship him and then he would be kind to them in return. Well, as you can imagine, the fools just scoffed and laughed it off, 'cuz what could he do? But they decided to humor him, 'cuz the Dean wanted to make a joke outta this fellow.
"So the stranger smiled this eerily enchanting grin, and suddenly a crystal, perfectly round, appeared in his hand. He threw it at the tower and it shattered into a million tiny pieces. The sound was horrible! It almost blew all of the administrators' ears out! When the ringing had gone, the stranger smiled again and told them that it was done. At first, they didn't believe him, but when they walked into a few of the rooms; they saw that they were larger than the tower itself! Well, they all went back down and found the stranger standing their looking all happy, so the Dean said 'Watch this, men' and handed this bulging money sack to the stranger. 'Here's your homage O Lord!' the Dean said and mockingly knelt in front of the stranger. All of his lackeys burst into laughter. The stranger's smile dropped, and he threw it back at the Dean. 'We had a different deal,' he said. The prez and the VP were really rolling now.
"' Right!' the Dean laughed. 'Us upstanding members of society be your servants in this new world order to come?' Everyone's side just split. Except the stranger's.
"Suddenly the he began to grow, and started shaking the whole desert! The tower looked like it might fall! He grew until he was this colossus, this wondrous sorcerer dressed in glorious flowing black. The Dean and his lackeys were all scared spiteless. They couldn't get their eyes off his. They were red and white at the same time, burning the very essence of fear into those poor souls. Again suddenly, he had a crystal in his hand. He threw it at the administrators, and when it smashed, they began to morph.
"They lost their normal shapes and began to twist and mold into these grotesque, slimy, green, rude things. They didn't even look like they had once been something that was alive! They started roaring and burbling and gargling, and fell on their knees and started to worship that magicmancer, 'cuz they were his slaves now. Then all in one instant, all of them, the Dean, his cohorts, and the stranger, were gone."
Watchman leaned back in his chair again, and watched Didymus' jaw hang open. "Good story, eh Didymus?"
The dog-creature closed his mouth. "Yes but.what shall I do if the rooms be charmed?"
Watchman smiled. "Just don't think about it. If you notice something was moved or changed around, don't think about it and the charm won't get you. And don't try to walk anywhere either. Just think about where you want to go and suddenly you're there."
Didymus thought for a moment. "Jump magic?"
"Jump magic."
"Ah."