Scribbles & Squabbles

The Garden

This was a random idea that sprouted a few days ago.  It ends abruptly so don't pay any mind to that, please and thank you.  Advice is always welcomed.

Enjoy I suppose~

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"Who are you?"

The voice came from behind.  Maelo turned and sure enough a young man was standing there, holding a lantern.  It was the only light on the pathway other than the starry night sky above them.  There were no street lights, nor did any light come from the houses that surrounded them.

The young man stood in front of the gate that Maelo had previously passed through, "Well?  What are you doing, walking about after dusk?"  The man wore a sort of perplexed expression.  As though he couldn't fathom the thought that he'd run into a stranger during a nightly walk.

"Sorry, I'm just lost.  My name is Maelo, and you are?"

"Tiam.  I'm a night guard."  His voice was calm and clear.  The entire time the two exchanged words Tiam's voice never raised.

Maelo examined him a bit further. They couldn't tell exactly what he was wearing, but it looked like a long sleeved black turtleneck with silver arm gauntlets.  There was some sort of green cape that wrapped around his shoulder too.  He wore tall combat boots and strange poofy pants that were also black.  But all is clothing was most green, black, and silver.
He didn't look like a guard, but Maelo didn't push it.

"What's all the noise for?"  A new voice said.  Quickly followed by the appearance of another young man.  Though, he looked slightly older than Tiam.  He was dressed the same however.

"Mr. Tarrent," Tiam bowed at the newcomer like he was a prince, "I found this person  walking about after curfew.  But they say that they're not from around here."

"Oh?" Mr. Tarrent walked over and stood beside Tiam, "Are you from a different garden then?"

"Garden?"

"Yes," said Mr. Tarrent, "This is the Sage Gardens of Scholars.  You said you are not from here.  So do you come from another garden?"

"Perhaps the Ruby Gardens of Seamstresses?" Tiam questioned.

"Uh- no."

"What about the Gardens of Violet Serpents?"

"No."

"The Garden of Lovers?"

"No-"

As the two named more gardens, Maelo continued to reject all of their guesses.  And as he turned them down more and more, the two became more and more confused.

"How could you not be from any of the gardens?" Tiam asked, "Where else is there?"

"There are a few smaller gardens, is it possible that you are from one of them?"

Maelo sighed, "Listen, I'm not from any garden.  I don't even know what you're talking about.  I don't know how I got here so I was just trying to find a place to rest."  They looked around at the homes and shops that surrounded the three of them.  Not a single light or other person was around. "Why isn't there anyone out?  What time is it?"

Tiam turned and shifted his gaze to the sky.  He then rose his hand up  and began turning it, closing one of his eyes.  He then turned back to face Maelo, "It is two hours past midnight."

"It doesn't matter anyway.  It is long past curfew." Mr. Tarrent finished.

Maelo cocked their head, "Curfew?"

Mr. Tarrent nodded, "Yes, everyone at the Sage Gardens of Scholars go to bed at eight in the evening."

"With few exceptions, of course."

"I suppose the two of you are exceptions?"

"Yes, the night guards and a few others have different schedules to others.  With the occasional holidays as well."

"It's all written in the rules."

"Rules?"

"Yes," answered Mr. Tarrent, "all 20,000 of them."

Maelo choked. "TWENTY THOUSAND!?!?!?"

The two Night Guards raised a finger to their lips and hushed Maelo in unison.

"Shhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!"

Tiam now wore a more concerned expression, "Raising your voice is against the rules."

"That and everyone is asleep, you'll wake them up if you keep yelling."

"Why do you even have that many rules!?", Maelo whisper screamed.

Tiam smiled, "To maintain order?"

"Seriously!?  You need TWENTY THOUSAND RULES TO MAINTAIN ORDER???  How do you live with all those rules!?"

Mr. Tarrent answered, "Because we lived with them our whole life.  I'm sure for you it may seem outrageous.  The other Gardens also see our ways extremely strange.  But this is all we've known and we're okay with it."

"Our garden believes in order and cleanliness.  To maintain strict rules allows for us to create better versions of ourselves."

"So what? Are you not aloes to party? Slouch? Drink?"

Mr. Tarrent chuckled, "Who said anything about drinking?"

"We're allowed to drink.  Alcohol comes from the berries of the earth.  So naturally we may consume it.  As long as we're over the age of 18."

"We're simply not allowed to drunken ourselves and waste away our sorrows.  It's disgraceful to the garden and ourselves."

"The Ruby Garden of Seamstresses makes especially good wine," Mr. Tarrent close his eyes and smiled, "They grow plenty of grapes, so their wine is always flavorful."

"And because we have such a good relationship with them, we get first dibs!"

Mr. Tarrent and Tiam seemed to be enjoying themselves as they bragged about the different wines that they've been able to try from the Ruby Garden of whatnot.  Maelo had yet to wrap their head around on the concept of 20,000 rules.  What could they possibly make up all those rules for?