As the sea receded from the rock the Fool sat on, he saw the ruins of the Tower. It was a strong tall tower and now it was lying in sandy mud. He decided to walk towards the ruins and see where to go next.
He got about halfway there when people started showing up along a stone road that the Fool hadn’t seen before. It leads to a bridge that went over a small creek that wound through the mudflats. They seemed to be excited about something. They all looked away from the bridge.
A general or king of some sort on a white charger materialized out of thin air and followed the path towards the crowd and the Fool.
The crowd cheered. The king has returned. He has conquered the barbarians and returned. A man with a trumpet blew long loud blasts.
The king trotted down the road between the crowd of people as they held willow wands pointing at him. Some threw rose petals. This was a victory march. The king even held out a wreath of laurels to show his accomplishments. The king was proud.
Appearing behind the king were soldiers marching in uniformed columns. The soldiers created a percussive rhythm as they came down the stone path. They held shields and their spears stuck high in the air.
The Fool could hear the crowd talking about the king. They said he conquered the unconquerable. They said he led the soldiers to victory. He will soon cross the Rubicon and be the hero we need. The people loved the great king who marched down the road and over the bridge. He was going from one success towards the next challenge.
The king and the soldiers marched over the bridge. The king and his horse got to where the Tower used to stand and disappeared into the air. The soldiers that marched behind him walked through the invisible curtain where the king was to go. The people followed after the last soldiers passed and disappeared as well.
All that was left was the cobbled stone road and bridge snaking through the mudflat. A great blue heron took off from somewhere in the distance and glided off into the horizon leaving the Fool alone on the old road.