Chronicles of an Age of Darkness Volume 12 – The Watchtower and the Watermelon (Forthcoming very soon)

By Daniel Thomas Andrew Daly

SYNOPSIS

Book Twelve of the Chronicles of an Age of Darkness, an epic and lengthy novel drawing on all the major characters of the series in an epic showdown of hilarious contest between the ancient sect of the Watermelon and the challenging truths of the illustrious Watchtower.  With the Doomsayers coming to the world to pass judgement upon the main characters of the series for all their various idiosyncracies and character defaults, ‘The Watchtower and the Watermelon’ hilights Phyphor’s struggle with his ‘Watermelon’ heritage and the threat of the Watchtower.  ‘Squirrel Dalydius’ is the main new protagonist of this saga, who draws Phyphor into a special destiny to rid the Watermelon sect of their frustrating Watchtower opponents.  Squirrel, in assigning a special task for Phyphor, tells him of his responsibilities, according to the judgements of the Doomsayers, to teach and uphold the rule of law in the world and to nurture and mould the young and innocent to take their place as the future rulers of the world, and thus sends him to the newly established ‘Dominion of Sung’ were, according to the Doomsayers, he is to nurture and encourage the mental and spiritual growth of a certain bumbling youth, the ambitious Wart.

Jeklian is of the Watchtower, who the head of the Watermelon sect is attempting to teach and train as a scholar for the Watchtower to ensure the Watchtower does its job properly, though it be an independent sect of the Watermelon. There is the general philandering of Squirrel, as he is often not that fond of the Watchtower, who probably should have settled their devotions and pride in the Watermelon, instead of the secessionary tactics to run in a more solo man style. Nobody can really leave the Watermelon in the end, the cult knows this, no matter how far you might run away to hide. Once in, you never leave. The tendrils have hooked in deep. Religion is being developed in Olo Malan at this time, and while it has a sense of some sort of morality, it mostly what is understood as the way human beings function, in their capacity as the smartest of the animals. Humans need to be wise, it is taught, and shrewd, and clever and smart. They need to study, the Watermelon does teach, and not be outsmarted by their counterparts. Sometimes things of questionable action can perhaps be done, as the ends often justify the means. Scruples are not always required to get by in life. Yes, much of the mindset of Olo Malan derives from the traditional Watermelon way of life, do what it takes, but why do the Watchtower have to be so damn ethical about it all?

After Togura Poulaan becomes king of Sung at the end of Volume 11, he appoints Wart as guardian of the wreckage of the green bottle which lies near Keep. The book follows the Wart's difficulties as he struggles to protect this wreckage, which is increasingly becoming the focus of questing heroes and other such rabble.

When the wise old Phyphor arrives on Sung he befriends the young Wart and carefully begins to teach and mould him in the ways of becoming a man.  Wart instantly likes Phyphor and dreams of becoming a wizard, but Phyphor suggests to him that the area of politics will likely end up his strength and, following Squirrel’s directives from the Doomsayers, speaks of a prophecy which emanated from a civilization only known as ‘The Nexus’, coming down into their universe, of a special lad who would one day rise up to glory and join the Nexus as chief representative and King of his own universe.  Phyphor tells the young Wart ‘That could well be you, so learn your lessons well young king in waiting.’

Through his tribulations in learning to protect the valuables of the wreckage of the green bottle and learning the ways of responsibility, Wart grows from being a bumbling young Hardluck hero, to something of a man who has won the heart of Sonilia Suet, the youngest daughter of the Suet clan. Some of the main antagonists Wart deals with are the 'Sackmen of Mordred'. Mordred is a prince usurper from a small province in the Cold West. He has heard of the wreckage of the bottle and knows of the bottles in general and the wheel of the world. He seeks to gain the knowledge and artefacts of the green bottle to give him clues and instructions in how to gain power in the age of darkness. The Sackmen are his henchmen, lowly souls of crass demeanour, who insult regularly and snivel around, finding answers to their questions through guile and wit. The Sackmen fight rather poorly. Wart, even though still young at the time, is not much of a champion warrior as of yet, and low level experience cretins like the Sackmen are not too challenging for him to overcome. But when the Sackmen return to Mordred with news of a brave young warrior protecting the wreckage Mordred decides it's up to the Prince himself to come and battle this foe. Mordred comes with his two loyal knights and a dozen Sackmen, and Wart, with the aid of Sonilia Sonnet in fashionable feminine armour, of which she is quite proud, and a bitter uncle Cromarty, is determined to honour his father Togura's wishes and prove his manhood in defending the wreckage of the green bottle against the wrath of Mordred. They fight it out a while, and Wart punches Mordred in the nose, which bleeds terribly, and he cries for his mother yelling 'Let us get the foxes out of here. They can keep their damn glories,' and departs, the knights unable to conquer the cunning Cromarty, and Sonilia too much vixen fight for the snivelling Sackmen. Togura, who has been watching on with his own knights, smiles at his son, ready to have intervened if needs be. One of Mordred's favourite sayings is 'Foxes and Poxes, a curse on you foul fiend.' He regularly insults his Sackmen henchmen with this curse, as they are quite mundane in their abilities and services, but alack, alas, no more can he afford, for his province is an upstart nation of its own pretending, a few acres in a backwards part of the village Tortunga, best known for drunkards and harlots, his Knights his drinking buddies from youth, who have nothing better than the service of Prince Mordred, and his cranky mother Morganna. The other primay adversary for Wart is the fearsome wizard 'Tolkestar' who, quite sure that Olo Malan is one of several worlds able to be visited in his understandings of the Nexus Cosmos, seeks knowledge he is sure is in the green bottles wreckage, in forms of scrolls and papyrus, which can give him the means of travelling between worlds. He bargains with Wart at first, getting him drunk, and providing a maiden for his pleasures. But Wart, while sorely tempted, remains faithful to Sonilia 'Sonnet' Suet, whose singing voice always brings him back to himself, and reminds him that infidelity is the cause of angry father-in-laws, jealous wives, and a whole host of rather unpleasant venereal diseases which the citizenship of Sung is particularly well known for. Tolkestar ultimately resorts to bribery and when that fails, magic spells, but Phyphor, who has been watching carefully, intervenes, and the wizard is vanquished.

One of the other challenges of Wart is his long time buddy 'Starbuck' who is fearsome with the ladies. Starbuck challenges Wart to accompany him to D'Waith where they reside a while in the corporate apartments of a rich D'Waith businessman who has dealings with Starbuck. Running into company with Wrestlers and Bodybuilders who live in the apartment and work out on a patch of ground nearby owned by the businessman, Wart is challenged by the apparent gigolos and their shenanigans in bedding the upper crust ladies of the city. While tempted on many an occasion, Wart again remains faithful to Sonilia Suet, proving his nobility.

Throughout this time the Peril of the Princes of Penvash and Tales of the Skeleton Crew have been occurring. Their stories are interwoven into the volume here and there.

As the years pass by Wart gradually comes of age, and a wall of sorts is built around the wreckage, and Wart, with Phyphor's assistant, founds a sect of the Wordsmiths to study the wreckage and build a community of scholars for its preservation and appreciation. Wart, in his late 20s, has risen and proven his manhood, and Togura has noticed, intending now a barony for his son.

While all this is happening, Jeklian has been crusading in southern Tameran, determined to respond to the harsher and harsher treatment Squirrel Dalydius is Deeming appropriate to treat the Watchtower with. Squirrel, in meeting his young Watchtower pupil once more, came to the Revelation that the Watchtower was simply going to push and push and push till it gained a stranglehold of power in Olo Malan and, quite frankly, out with the old and in with the new was on the cards, and the traditional Watermelon Sect just couldn't afford those happenstances. Thus the harsher treatment, a gradual campaign of derision, and Watermelon businesses often now sacking what was once prized young Watchtower employees with vision and ambition. Jeklian responds, and pushes hard, then travels to Sung to continue his work there, hoping for a friend in his childhood buddy, ambitious Wart, to ensure the future of the Watchtower is not pushed beyond reason.

Meanwhile, in Stokos, Drake Douay is developing a new technology learned from ancient materials of the days when Nexus was strong. Communication devices from the 'Babel Telephony Network', so the translations go. Stokos has fended off the Swarms, and the island is a frontier against conquered Argan, which ironically still has a degree of life happening within it, as battling Swarms has become a pastime of Wizards and Warriors, a current agenda to push them back to the deep south and reclaim Drangsturm being co-ordinated by the Confederation of Wizards. Warriors, mercenaries, hired weaponmasters, and various skullduggery are paid sums to battle it out with the vile creatures, and the wizards feel, with their knowledge of the skull gradually now built up, it is time to push south and sees what lost legacies lay. Drake is looking to work his way into these happenings, and is thinking that developing and selling the Nexus technology as the 'Prince of Babel' could be the way to go. But he is frustrated when Phyphor shows up, with an old grudge, and tells him in so many words that the Wizards are well aware of his ambitions and he will 'Not corner the market', for theirs is the way of ultimate glory in Olo Malan. Yet Drake signs a contract, and they will forego opposing him for the time being, as long as they benefit from the fruit of his investigations into the technology. Yet when Squirrel Dalydius instructs Phyphor that Babel is something to be feared, after hearing report of Drakedon's activities, the Watermelon and the Watchtower instruct many to beware the 'Prince of Babel' for he is an adversary to the Grand Guardian, and nothing good can come from it. Drakedon is not surprised at such persecutions. Drakedon had salvaged around 3,000 of these devices from his adventures in Argan, but translations indicate that there is a city in the deep south where a cache of around 27 million such telephones could be harbored, which Drake understands as Ling, according to the translations, which he is familiar with, as well as information pertaining to the mysterious 'Tectonic Lever' which apparently can 'Flatten the Mountains' by its power. Fascinating stuff to Drake. The Watchtower and the Watermelon persecute his activities on Stokos, to the point where the fledgling network is abandoned, the telephones returned to sender, but an ambitious Drakedon considering his options, especially in light of Jon Arabin's growing empire in the Drangsturm Gulf.

The book climaxes with Wart being appointed a barony, and Phyphor returning to Squirrel with all the news of his lessons for the young Wart.  Thereupon Phyphor is delivered up to the council of the Doomsayers, who sentence him the next task of sorting out the problems between the Watermelon Sect and the Watchtower, one of the recurring themes through volumes 13 to 20.

JUST FOUND OLDER SYNOPSIS – THOUGHT I'D LOST THIS

PLOT
Book Twelve of the Chronicles of an Age of Darkness is an epic and lengthy novel drawing on all the major characters of the series in an epic showdown of hilarious contest between the ancient sect of the Watermelon and the challenging truths of the illustrious Watchtower.  With the Doomsayers coming to the world to pass judgement upon the main characters of the series for all their various idiosyncrasies and character defaults, 'The Watchtower and the Watermelon' highlights Phyphor's struggle with his 'Watermelon' heritage and the threat of the Watchtower.  'Squirrel Dalydius' is the main new protagonist of this saga, who draws Phyphor into a special destiny to rid the Watermelon sect of their frustrating Watchtower opponents.  Squirrel, in assigning a special task for Phyphor, tells him of his responsibilities, according to the judgements of the Doomsayers, to teach and uphold the rule of law in the world and to nurture and mould the young and innocent to take their place as the future rulers of the world, and thus sends him to the newly established 'Dominion of Sung' were, according to the Doomsayers, he is to nurture and encourage the mental and spiritual growth of a certain bumbling youth, the ambitious Wart.
After Togura Poulaan becomes king of Sung at the end of Volume 11, he appoints Wart as guardian of the wreckage of the green bottle which lies near Keep. The book follows the Wart's difficulties as he struggles to protect this wreckage, which is increasingly becoming the focus of questing heroes and other such rabble.
When the wise old Phyphor arrives on Sung he befriends the young Wart and carefully begins to teach and mould him in the ways of becoming a man.  Wart instantly likes Phyphor and dreams of becoming a wizard, but Phyphor suggests to him that the area of politics will likely end up his strength and, following Squirrel's directives from the Doomsayers, speaks of a prophecy which emanated from a civilization only known as 'The Nexus', coming down into their universe, of a special lad who would one day rise up to glory and join the Nexus as chief representative and King of his own universe.  Phyphor tells the young Wart 'That could well be you, so learn your lessons well young king in waiting.'
Through his tribulations in learning to protect the valuables of the wreckage of the green bottle and learning the ways of responsibility, Wart grows from being a bumbling young Hardluck hero, to something of a man who has won the heart of Sonilia Suet, the youngest daughter of the Suet clan.  Along the way, the Watchtower Sect has arrived in Sung with official 'Doorknockers' out on their quest to prepare the world for the coming of the 'Grand Guardian Watermelon.'  Togura is approached by representatives of the Watchtower in an attempt to convert the King, and thus the land of Sung, to the way of the Watchtower - ever anxious for the return of their grand guardian.  The Watchtower establish their official residence in the township of Keep and an ongoing conversion campaign is started by them to win the residents of the eastern Ravlish lands.
The Watchtower takes a particular interest in young Wart, who they also seem to think is a figure of power prophesied in ancient 'Guardian' teachings from his first advent on Olo Malan.  The actual belief in the first advent of the guardian did not originate with the official watermelon sect of the southern area of Ashmolea, specifically, but rather a convert to the movement, who developed the text for his own purposes based on strange material he found while visiting Parengarenga in the city of Dalar Ken Halvar, when researching the ancient Nexus community, for faith concerns, and finding information on one of the early 'Governor's' from the Nexus who overlooked Olo Malan and was known as the 'Grand Guardian' who apparently had a strange obsession for eating watermelons.  This information was related by a passive 'Dorgi' who, due to a malfunctioning 'sarcasm component' of his CPU AI system, engaged in conversation with the founder of the Watchtower sect, and related much of his corrupted database history of the early Nexus years time in Olo Malan, his story changing when the strange watermelon sect man had related much of his own life history to the mechanical beast.  The Dorgi gave the location for metal plates containing images of various ancient Nexus figures, and one of the golden plates contained an image of the grand guardian, which the watchtower founder took with him upon his return to Ashmolea and utilized as the basis for the foundation of the Watchtower sect within the Watermelon community.  And, as it just so happens, the young Wart is the spitting image of the Grand Guardian.
The Watermelon sect is, perhaps in vain, attempting to preserve the life of the young Wart from the threats of the Watchtower.  Yet, they seem to have a similar belief in mind about the lad as well, viewing him as an embodiment of the purposes of the Grand Guardian Watermelon to 'Redeem' him from the threat of their cultic opponents, 'The Watchtower' and thus, through young Warts salvation at the hands of Phyphor, Wart can represent the authentic faith of the True Watermelon cult, and renounce forever the heresies of the Watchtower.
In the end, Wart chooses his own destiny.
The book climaxes with Wart being appointed a barony, and Phyphor returning to Squirrel Dalydius in Ashmolea, with all the news of his lessons taught for the young Wart, who has chosen his own fate.  Thereupon Phyphor is delivered up to the council of the Doomsayers, who sentence him the next task of sorting out the ongoing problems between the Watermelon Sect and the Watchtower (which becomes one of the recurring themes through volumes 13 to 20), who, in the judgement of the Doomsayers, misrepresent the ultimate purposes of the Nexus, who they acknowledge as rulers over the strands of eternity dealing with their own universal realities, (the Nexus not having been aware of the rest of the Universes and aspects of Existence according to the Knowledge of the Doomsayers), and thus the fate of the Watermelon and Watchtower, in the Judgements of the Doomsayers, is to become more compliant with the ancient Nexus Community, and to prepare them, with their new commission, for the return of the 'Grand Guardian' who will re-connect Olo Malan with the Nexus Community.  (The actual return of the 'Grand Guardian', and the re-connection of Olo Malan to the Nexus community, is to be told in the 4th Chronicles of the saga, volume's 61 to 80, titled 'Chronicles of a New Age Dawning').

The Watchtower and the Watermelon

Chapter One

Jeklian Valnar. He was religious. He lived in a place in Olo Malan of all worlds, in a southern section of Tameran, promoting the cult of the Watchtower. He had 3 friends, Gennavere Stalton, Fierce Brown Lockhorn and Goldie Samantha. Goldie was cute, but smart. She collected acorn shells, painted them different colours, and bundled them with mistletoe and every year, at the feast of the Grand Guardian, they would come out for decorations, and she would prance around Forest Keep, and smile, and dance to the trills of the piper, and recite words from Khmar's recent autobiographical tome, and think herself clever. Then Fierce would take her aside, pinch her on the bottom one or two times, skulk down a bit more of the fine butterbeer he liked, and remind her not to dance so freely, as they were sort of an item, though only 16 the pair of them, and that Togura, though he was well taken and not that sort it seemed, did glance at the young maiden, and Fierce wanted her virginity all for himself, not a blasted Lord of Sung. Khmar, their distant cousin, for they were technically nobility, visited their father, the Khmar's second cousin, from time to time, as they saw eye to eye, and Janker, Jeklian and Goldie's father, though Goldie took the name of her mother at 12 because she liked it so much, and father didn't seem to object, was a good businessman and had a seat on the local council in their township, a sizeable town if not a city, and was respected and of good name. They were a religious family the Valnar-Samantha's, following the cult of the Watchtower, and connected with the Watermelon also, for it was a warring faith at work, but Janker, like his father and his father before him, had reconciled the faiths, harmonizing them, but mainly aligned with the traditional Watchtower. And they doorknocked a bit, which Jeklian liked to do actually, and was good at winning souls from time to time, with his pleasing charms and shrewd words.

'Nay, lad. The Grand Guardian is not my cup of tea,' commented Togura.

'You fancy our teas. We have good trade ties already with Sung, and more can be arranged if you like,' commented Janker Valner.

'Oh, come on. At least receive this text. There is no charge,' said Jeklian.

Togura took it, eyed the title - 'The Wisdom of Watching the Way,' thought he should know better, but put it in his satchel regardless. 'Your teas are fine. But its the potatoes, as I have maintained. Tameran soil is particularly adept at producing them in good numbers and quality. They are the main produce. Tea we have. It grows well enough on Sung.'

'But anything is negotiable,' replied Janker, and they carried on their discussions, as Silver Samantha, the mother, fussed around at the table preparing the meal for the evening.

'Squirrel Dalydius,' said Fierce.

'What about him?' asked Jeklian.

'He's due in 3 days. Do you have words for him? He made queries of you last year, and you should be well prepared in your responses by now.'

'Tis the prerogative of a Watchtower member to keep such details privvy to themsleves,' replied Jeklian proudly.

'The Watermelon is more your cup of tea anyway,' said Fierce, looking at Goldie dancing again.

'Possibly,' said Jeklian. 'Not 100% sure I won't switch to it one day either.'

'You will if Squirrel Dalydius gets his way.'

'Indeed,' replied Jeklian.

* * * * *

Wart lifted up the tree. Here he was with his uncle Cromarty, lifting up a blasted 'Watermelon Guardian Tree' into place for the upcoming celebration. The Watermelon was an old enough religion in Olo Malan now, but the new sect within it, the Watchtower, was starting to grow, and word was that it was increasing in numbers throughout Sung. He put the tree in place on top of the large mantlepiece above the hearth, and his uncle, after huffing and puffing, collapsed on the sofa lounge, opened a jug of beer, and requested his niece start playing on lute again, one of those religious songs of this time of year. Wart, looking at the tree, satisfied with his job now done, returned to his room. He picked up the letter which he'd gotten a few days ago, excited at it, now ready to read it as he'd calmed down. It was from his pen-friend in southern Tameran, Jeklian, who his father, Togura, was currently staying with. It had arrived with other correspondence for his father, who had left for Tameran the following day, but Wart had wanted to not spoil the surprise until he has in a good mood. At the moment he was happy, and opened the letter to start reading.

'Wart. My Sung Friend. Squirrel Dalydius will not visit Sung, I am afraid. He is sending an emissary to assist you in your queries on the faith. I will say that Watermelon standard congregations are always getting the job done on the moral values necessary to be one with the cosmos, but you should still consider the Watchtower. We have wise ways, and a healthy life focus. Goldie is doing well....' and so on went the letter. Wart read it, and was impressed with Jeklian's vocabulary, as he was always studying the knowledge of Tameran and the teachings of Khmar amongst other things, and while he had met him only half a dozen times or so when their fathers got together, he was like a brother to friendless Wart in many ways.

Wart was nobility. He had been since he was young, when his father had achieved Barony in Sung, through wealth gained from advetures in Argan, amidst the troubles of the Swarms. And then he had, so he let his son know, been involved in a world of struggles and politices involving wizards and warriors, gotten himself a name, which had led to, once returned to Sung, his Barony, and the likely candidate for Monarchy in Keep. They had no King at this point in Sung. It was not the thing since a rebellion long ago when the last king, Skan Askander, was burned to death at the wrath of the populace. But yearnings were in place again, and his father, from what Cromarty was saying, was soon ready to make his bid. There would be a council in the coming year, already arranged, with the barons and dukes of Sung, were Togura would press his case. Till then life went on in their homestead, quite ample lands these days, with several servants, but life still went on with most of its usual happenstances. Wart was young – 16 years old, and was not the most popular of noble youth. He was handsome enough, well built enough, but a little cautious. Prudent, so he fancied to think of himself. He did though, go questing, in his own way, especially out to the wreckage of a green bottle, outside of Keep, which his father had guarded by a squad of his most loyal knights, to ward off rabble which came its way, looking for treasures the green bottle had held. It was like an enormous junkyard of valuables and trinkets, all covered around with a fence which had been built, a wall potentially planned, and a tent circus were treasures had been piled up to keep the rain which Sung was well famous for well off the valuables. At this stage there was nowhere to house the stuff, as the populace of Keep felt it best, given the circumstances surrounding the destruction of the bottle, which had become a story of legend for the inns and taverns of Sung, that the goods remain there until some sort of archive or museum or academy be decided upon to house the stuff. But it was Sung. Administration, despite the Empires best efforts, was a matter of amusement to East Ravlish. So the red tape of 'Who Gives a Damn' remained the status quo, as people especially liked the joke, and the wreckage remained there, from year to year, stuffed under tents which, despite their best effort, did not keep out all the rain, and the regular mud which the goods often attracted were the duty of various scullions to wash off the treasures from time to time. Sometimes misfits, adventureres, wizards, warrior and other rabble would come along and purvey the wreckage from outside the fenceline, but a knight would show up soon enough, give them a cautionary word, and move them on their way. It was a talking point, and, from what Wart had gathered, if his father gained kingship, his early knightly duties which would apparently be bestowed upon him at such a junctre involved joining the other knight protectors in watching over said wreckage. It could prove a most entertaining experience.

* * * * *

North of Penvash and south of Tameran lay the Sunlight Sea. It was connected to the Hauma Sea. It was called the Sunlight Sea because on the islands in the strait and on southern Tameran and Northern Penvash, along the coastal regions, the Sea and the Sunlight interacted. Days would often get bright and sunny, especially in the mornings. In fact, the weather in the Sunlight Sea had a larger amount of Sunlight than many other places in Olo Malan, even some desert regions. The Animistic spirit – the ambience – of the Sunlight Sea was old and comfortable. Shipsmen and Sailors and Fishermen and Beachcombers would line the coastlands of the Sunlight Sea, busy about their trade, resting in a comfortable spirit, quite relaxed, like the warmth which came from the son. It was idyllic, and wonderful place to live, and one of the prizes of Tameran life was living alongside the Sunlight Sea. It was not too expensive to afford either, more of a cultural cost, as the inhabitants did not lend out trust easily to newcomers. You had to earn your place in Sunlight Sea society, an unwritten code of things. Jeklian did not live far from the ocean of the Sunlight Sea, inland a bit, in a township. But he spent many holiday times in the Sunlight Sea, playing in the sand as a child, his father and mother watching, but usually caught up in discussions about the family business. But Jeklian would wonder familar seashores which he seemed to always have known, collect sea shells, and squawk at the Seagulls in a mocking tone he had always used agains the birds. Today, with his friends, they had travelled down to the coast, in a carriage, and were at the Sunlight Sea, in a small village, eating currently in a seaside cafe. Things were gradually changing in Olo Malan, it seemed to Jeklian. They were embracing – change. What some called progress. Things were improving in some ways, and complicating also. It was a more developed world his father had now told him. Things were advancing. Old technologies from the old Nexus days and the Technic Renaiisance had been studied a while now, and things were gradually starting to be understood. So it seemed, from what his father had said to him, the Grand Guardian had planted seeds in his first advent, and when the seeds of Nexus technology had taken root, and society developed to accept the ways of the transcosmos, the grand guardian would return, and welcome them into the stellar community. Out there, his father said, pointing to the stars. Out there were other worlds. And the Grand Guardian visited them, spreading the ways of knowledge, one day to return to their own to bring further enlightenment and admission into the galactic federation. Of that was the Watermelon taught and of that was the Watchtower convinced. The sureties of Jeklian's faith.

'More Watermelon juice,' ordered Jeklian to the waitress.

'You never get sick of the stuff do you,' said Goldie.

'The Grand Guardian was quite specific. Consume Watermelon constantly. It is excellent for the health. One of the best of nature's foods. What our whole religion uses as its primary sustenance. In the end you can live off watermelon's if you have to. Some have done it, you know,' replied Jeklian.

'So I have been told,' replied his sister Goldie.

'Are we going down to Arkman's Wharf?' asked Fierce. 'It's always been the best place to swim around here.'

'I shall decide,' said Gennavere, resolutely. 'We shall,' she said, and whammed down her glass of watermelon juice, and started laughing.

'Fine,' replied Jeklian. 'You decided Gennavere.'

'No dunking me under the water,' said Goldie.

'Wouldn't dream of it,' replied Fierce. 'I'm too old for such things now.'

'Barely,' said Gennavere, glaring at Fierce.

The waitress showed up with a jug of watermelon juice.

'Do you know about the Watchtower?' Jeklian asked the lady.

'We're irreligous as a family,' replied the maiden. 'But I don't mind hearing about the old legends. Learned some when i was younger. They are amusing.'

'The Watchtower studies much of them,' replied Jeklian. 'We have unique doctrines from our founders, things of the Watermelon which descended into our own sect. Carefully guarded knowledge which the Watchtower has, which makes us unique in many ways.'

'Fascinating,' replied the lady, smiled and left. At a table nearby a member of the Watermelon religion observed the interaction, noted it was Jeklian again, who had pushed ideas of the Watchtower strongly in his early teens in this neighbourhood, and made some mental notes to inform his elders of them at it again.

'Come on,' said Jeklian. 'Let's finish this juice and get down to the wharf.'

Soon enough the four teenagers were swimming in a deep part of the ocean, though the shore was nearby, against a wharf, were a few other teens were present also, enjoying the warm weather. It was the time of their lives in many ways. Young, and without too many of the concerns which adhulthood brought. But Jeklian was already starting to confront some of those concerns, taking his faith seriously, and looking to make an impact on the world and bring his own form of progress to Tameran society.

* * * * *

'His name was Belgarath,' said the Doomsayer.

'And his judgement?' asked Squirrel Dalydius. 'Did he come through?'

'It is an answer I am not prepared to give,' replied the Doomsayer. 'You are permitted some knowledge of the worlds we have judged, but only essential detail. What we deem essential detail. But the Judgement upon Belgarath the Sorcerer was correct and in conformity with the realities which also judge the dimension of the Nexus.

'And what does that mean?' asked Squirrel. 'The Dimension of the Nexus?'

'No reality is alone, ultimately,' replied the Doomsayer. 'We live in an overall existence of Interconnected realities, dreams and desires. All that is is governed by much, justice and mercy and love and many things. And not always is one in agreement with the other. There are forces in the worlds of existences, and deistice pantheons, and gods and angels, and powers and dominions. So much beyond what you could comprehend does in fact exist. Once it was said 'There is more in heaven and on earth than is dreamed in your philosophy Horatio. That is a world known as Earth, and it too suffers the judgement at times. All that exists comes under this law of reality, this primal axiom of existence. No man can escape the Doomsayers.'

Squirrell handed the doomsayer his latest report on issues in south Ashmolea the Watermelon were involved with.

'The Grand Guardian? Will he return one day?' queried Squirrel.

'A Nexus concern, ultimately,' replied the Doomsayer, waving his hand to dismiss Squirrel. Squirrel departed, and returned to his own office. The head of the Watermelon faith was not accustomes to wizardry, so he felt it was, which the Doomsayers possessed. It was power to compel beyond anything he had ever experienced in all his long days. A source of power and knowledge beyond, in many ways , his ability to even properly comprehend. And so he had submitted to the Doomsayers when they had appeared in the front of the compound, and they had moved in, taken over, and were judging the Watermelon, and Olo Malan. And what the result of that judgement would be, time would only tell.

* * * * *

Wart stood at the gate of their property. His mother, Day, was by his side. His uncle Cromart was dressed in mustard yellow, looking like a big fat bannana. He was having a go. At Togura. He had it all figured out when Togura got back. He was the big banana. Sod the frikking watermelon. Wart was somewhat amused. Togura fronted at the time he said he would. Cromarty made the joke. Togura smiled. Life went on.

'So, son,' said Togura. 'How are things?'

Wart sat in the lounge of their estate home, uncle Cromarty doing his best to get out of his mustard yellow uniform, while Day was preparing a meal.

'Will Jeklian be visiting?'

'No. Squirrel Dalydius,' replied Togura, turning his attention now to his wife.

Wart sat there. Squirrel Dalydius? Why the heck would the head of the Watermelon religioin want to come and visit Togura Poulaan and his family in Sung? What possible motivation could there be for that reality? He took himself off to his room, picked up his pipe, and started piping softly, thinking on things. Tomorrow he would go off to markets, and buy some things for the homestead, probably down in D'Waith. They were getting low on supplies of things, and Wart was often relied on to simply check pantries and the like to ensure things were under control. He was given finances regularly to ensure the home was kept. It was not he who had the primary work in this respecte – he was subsidiary help. His mother Day usually arranged such things. But he was required to occasionally check the pantry, amongst other duties, just to check on stocks, and out back in the outer store cupboards. Flour. They needed flour, and sugar and coffee. Recent guests had depleted their stocks somewhat, and Wart would have to do the job and build things up again somewhat. He had a checklist of things to get to, so would ride into town soon enough. D'Waith, being a port city, often had very low prices, prices Keep couldn't always match, and for large supply efforts it was worth the extra distance. He finished with the pipe, and picked up his book on Watermelon traditions. He started reading, lying down on his bed, and wondered to himself why Squirrel Dalydius, of all people, would be visiting Sung and their own particular family. A complete mystery. When he woke in the morning Togura shared with him that Squirrel was now sending someone else, a wizard named Phyphor, of all people. When Wart asked why he didn't tell him that yesterday Togura his father got weird and said 'Well that's how it was frikking originally planned, so, you know, go with the flow kid, and all that jazz.' Wart was familiar with Jazz. They played some in the local taverns. Musical variation which went with the flow. Amusing stuff. He sighed, and got on with his day, and soon enough he was on his way to D'Waith, wondering just who this wizard Phyphor was, and what he wanted with them.

The End

This is the Conclusion of my Work on The Watchtower and the Watermelon. It's a nice little snapshot of what could be done in some way, and a legacy of honouring Hugh's Creation, but it's not really my baby, and not what I'm going on with. Cheers to those who've taken an interest. Thanks.

Daniel Daly

July 6183 SC (July 2020 CE)