The Tower in the Desert Forest

The sun beats down on the arid desert, which seems to merge with the sky at the horizon. Completely flat, with only a few cacti dotting it at random intervals. The desert is nameless, and is not found on any map. A lone man sits, clothed in only his skin, in the center of the desert. Nobody else is in sight. The man slowly awakens, and looks around to gain a bearing on his surroundings.

All he can recall is that his name is Joseph. He can recall nothing else, his memories elude him, remain stealthy until a more appropriate time. The mind is a dangerous place. He thinks to himself. Where had he heard that? He cannot recall that either.

Fragments of a solid memory float around his mind. Colors. He cannot piece them together. None of them give him a clue to anything on their own. All he discerns now is that the sun is beating down on his unclothed skin.

He slowly stands up, and tries to gauge the distance to the horizon. Many kilometers. Hundreds. All around there is nothing to see. He has no sense of compass direction, however, he can make something out in what he is now christening north.

It appears to be a large rock formation. It appears like a pebble on the distant horizon. He decides to go there.

He begins to walk. Unbalanced and slow at first, he eventually moves quicker with his momentum. Energy flows back into his legs. He can feel it like an electric bolt.

His throat soon becomes parched. He realizes that he needs water in order to survive; food in order to stay active. He examines his surroundings, and doesn't find anything. Just some rocks, and a bird.

A bird! He thinks to himself. He decides that it will make perfect meat. Albeit raw meat, it will still give him energy to go on. He picks up a rock, and throws it at the bird.

Missed! He grabs another rock, and hurls it. This one hits the bird, which lets out a horrific sounding shriek. He walks toward the now dead bird, and picks it up by the tail.

He strips off the meat with his bare hands, and then strips of the feathers. He then commences to eat the raw meat.

It is dry, and seems to have no taste; at least not a taste that Joseph would like to describe. After his meal, he looks for water.

In the jumbled up remains of his memories, he recalls that cacti store mass amounts of water. He decides to take his chance, and grabs another stone, and walks toward a cactus.

He then throws the rock at the cactus. Nothing happens. He picks up the rock again, and subsequently throws it, again.

Nothing. He does the process, again and again, until water starts to stream out of the cactus from a hole made from his rock. He quickly runs up to the water, and laps at it gleefully.

Once his thirst his quenched, he continues on toward his goal: the rock formation. The sand is hot under his feet as he walks for hours and hours. The sun suddenly is hot red, as it nears the horizon. The temperature quickly drops. Joseph begins to shiver, as the temperature gets colder and colder, and the rock formation does not seem to get any closer. Suddenly, cracks are heard all around, as Joseph wraps his arms around his body. He is now beginning to freeze. The sun is now completely gone, and the moon begins to rise on the opposite side of the sun.

The moonlight is very bright; almost bright as day. The temperature, however, does not agree with this rule.  Joseph stopped walking, and

 

 

dropped to the ground, squeezing his arms around himself tighter and tighter. He closes his eyes and tries to sleep.

Colors. Swirling around in his mind. Trying to fit into a large construct. It's like a jigsaw puzzle, except everything is square, and Joseph has never seen the picture. Nothing makes sense. Joseph dreams.

 

A tower. Rising out of a forest. It seems to extend toward the heavens. Babel? Joseph asks. He can see himself, in a white robe. Walking through the trees, up to the base of the tower.

Cobalt and marble, with precious gold, seem to make up the base of the tower; a natural blend of blue, pink, and gold. A sight one would remember for a long time. Unfortunately, Joseph has no memory of this tower. It is unknown to him.

A man appears around the corner of the tower, a sword adorning his robed waist. He turns toward Joseph, unsheathing his sword.

Joseph can only watch, as this unknown man carves into him. He watches himself fall to the ground, the beautiful tower base next to him, splattered with his crimson blood.

 

Joseph awakens with a start. The sun is almost to its pinnacle. He shakes his head, and stands up.

He feels dizzy. He needs water. He repeats the process from earlier with another cactus, and quickly satisfies his dehydration. He continues toward the rock formation.

More hours. The sand cuts against his feet. Fear slowly sinks into his soul, as he tries to figure out who that man was that killed him in his dream.

The rock formation grows slowly as Joseph gets nearer. His hopes begin to rise. His mind is still a mass confusion of colors and shapes; none fitting together with the other.

He gets thirsty, and as he looks around again, he notes with fear that there are no cacti around. He decides to continue walking toward the rock formation, hoping to find some.

As the formation grows, his throat becomes more and more dry. His stomach moans in pain, as it has not been fed for hours. He begins to tire, his steps slowly faltering. He sets his mind on the rock formation ahead of him, although it is becoming hazy as his head pounds harder and harder. He grows dizzy.

The rock formation is closer than ever, he almost reaches it, when he collapses from dehydration and thirst. The sun hangs over the western horizon, blood red and menacing.  Joseph dreams.

 

Joseph was walking with the man who had cut him before. They were next to the same tower.  He was talking with him.

"You are better than I originally thought.”

"Really, master? You think so?" Joseph asked.

“Your fencing ability is exceptional. You have good stamina, and excellent acrobatics, Joseph. You are the best."

“What does that mean?” Joseph questioned, confused.

"Wait here. I'll be right back." The master walked around the tower, out of sight.  Joseph waited. 

The master then came around the corner, his sword adorning his waist.  He turns toward Joseph, and unsheathes it.

 

Joseph awoke from the dream.  He was still thirsty, but the formation was just out of his reach. He could do it.

The sun was nearing its pinnacle. Joseph must have slept through the night. Short dream to a long night. He recites mentally.

He stands up and continues toward the formation. He doesn't feel as dizzy, and he can stand the stomach pains; it's the lack of water he cannot stand. It seems to gnaw at his throat. He coughs.

He finally reaches the formation. Large rocks are all around him. He hears rushing water, and rushes toward the sound. He sees a small stream, an oasis. He runs to it, and drinks the water deeply.

Once his thirst is quenched, his head begins to spin. The rocks seem to grin down at him. He dreams again.

 

He was fencing someone. Up, down, left, right, the sabre seemed to move in all directions. His eyes remained steady on his opponent's. It is like a dance. He spoke to his opponent.

"Do you think you can win?" Joseph inquired.

"No, of course not. This is only an exercise, a test, you know that." His opponent replied.

The chamber they were fencing in was cavernous. Long drapes adorned the marble walls. Pillars supported the ceiling in a neat row. There were platforms around the chamber, to practice acrobatics. Joseph jumped onto one of these platforms now.

His opponent followed him up, they seemed to be walking up stairs, right, left, right, left, their sabers whizzed through the air, it created a hissing noise.

The two fencers watched their opponent's movements almost religiously. They paid no attention to whatever else they were doing,

where they stepped, or jumped. They moved with a grace that is rarely bestowed upon humans.

Joseph finally delivered the final blow, sending his opponent off the platform, and crashing down on the cold, cobalt floor. The sound of his saber hitting the floor echoed ominously throughout the chamber.

Joseph sheathed his saber and jumped off the platform. He landed on his feet, and he looked down at his opponent.

"You lost." Joseph stated simply.

"You're right." His opponent jumped to his feet, "You really are the best."

"What is that supposed to mean?" Joseph asked.

Suddenly, a noise is heard, as one of the doors to the chamber open. The master opens the door, and said, "Joseph I need to talk to you. Leave your saber in here."

Joseph nods, tosses his saber away, and follows the master outside.

 

Joseph awakes with a start. Someone is standing above him; the rock formation eclipses the sun, causing the head to appear eerie, in its robed hood.

Joseph springs up, and quickly subdues the person. He sits on top of them.

"Ow, can you get off me?" A woman's voice. Joseph quickly stands up, off the woman, as she stands up. She pulls back her hood, to reveal sun bleached blond hair.

"Who are you?" Joseph asks.

"You don't remember who I am, do you?" She replies, staring at him questioningly.

"No, I don't."

"Are you sure, you don't remember me?" She presses.

"No, I'm quite sure I don't." Joseph is getting angry.

"Maybe this will jog your memory." She then hits him over the head with a rock. He blacks out.

 

The woman led Joseph up to the tower. He is unclothed; the stones are rough under his feet. She led him up stairs, which decorated the front of the tower.  He could feel desert wind behind him.

The master walked down the stairs, greeting them. "Hello, Marie. Is this our new student?"

"Yes. He seems to possess amazing skills. I think he would be a fine

addition to your…training regimen." Marie replied.

The master grinned, "I do too. Now, boy, what is your name?"

"Joseph." He replied.

The master grinned again, "Hello, Joseph. I will be your master."

"Have you got a name?" Joseph inquired.

"My name is none of your concern." The master replied. Joseph shrugged, "Okay."

"Now, let me introduce you to our star student." The master introduced him to his opponent. "Now, to test your skills, Joseph." The master continues, "I would like you to fence this fellow. Oh, but first." He lifted a robe from a stack on one of the stairs. "Put this on." He pulled out a saber, "And use this." Joseph nods, and puts them on.

"Good, now follow me." The master said. Joseph follows the master and the opponent into the tower. They enter a large chamber, with long drapes adorning marble walls, and a cold cobalt floor. "Now, tell me who the winner is. I must reflect outside." The master walked outside, shutting the door behind him.

Joseph faces his opponent, pulls out his saber, and begins the duel.

Joseph woke up. Marie was standing above him. "I remember you now." Joseph says.

"Good." Marie replies, "Now follow me."

Joseph nods, and follows Marie out of the rock formation. He can see something on the horizon.

A tower with a cobalt, marble, and precious gold base.  In a desert forest.  It reached to the heavens.