The Sketch: The Voyage of Soal

A New Threat

"I already knew that," Soal responded, "It was in my dream last night."

"You have Interloper qualities in you," Retna knew her facts straight. "Good going for later on. Reminds me of old Lenli."

"What's an Interloper, and who's Lenli?" Soal was always questioning those around him as they expected him to know these things.

"Interlopers are a strange race, graced with the Eye of Ethau. They are capable of climbing the Fourth Wall at the edge of the Outlands, an impossibly high structure that will lead to other Eras. But no matter what Era they exist in, they remain distinctly human. Their purple eyes can foresee the future. Lenli was the Lubreighan Royal Babysitter, and when she raised Anter and I after the king and queen's death, she was an intelligent young woman fun to be around. She was also a talented musician. But a few weeks before the Great Flood, when Lubreigha was sunken, she abandoned us to a bunker near the mountains. We didn't know it was her family tradition to retreat under a new identity and study the art of witchcraft. And we also didn't know that it was her visions of the future that had told her to retreat to the flood-proof bunker. It was only recently that we we met her again. Kiwi had met her earlier, but he didn't realize he had met our babysitter. The Most Knowledgeable One was a very much changed Interloper. She was an old woman who had created the Magical Hands in her time underwater, and after we met her once more after thousands of years of separation (and she gave us Pure Light), she climbed the Fourth Wall and we never saw her again. But she was the closest we had to a mother back then." With that Retna sniffed and sobbed, and she walked over to another area in the volcano to be alone. But her cries could be heard anywhere around the region. It was devastating to hear and reminded Soal of his own life.

Walking over to the the gate, Soal found Porter, who was waiting for him. His front head had something to say, and he was hiding something beneath him.

"What happened to Retna?" Soal asked Porter. "She's not herself anymore."

"She had a very traumatizing childhood. I was there to see it too, but thankfully not in person. It was a very bloody age." Porter relieved him. "Now, General Soal, Anter told me to give this to you. Her sister told her that you'd mastered training. Show me one last time!" Using his hoof to push the practice sword to Soal's shoes, he said, "Fight!" in a sharp and quick voice. Porter reared on his hind legs and held a sword in his mandibles. As he fell to his normal position, the sword fell above Soal's head. Blocking it with his iron shield, he used this opportunity to lightly stab Porter with his practice sword. Had he been a real enemy, he would put much more force into that blow. Dropping the sword, Porter staggered back in pain, and as he looked up, he said with a slightly grave voice, "You are a seasoned warrior, General Soal. Now you are ready to venture out into the world, where your real quest will begin. There all dangers will be serious, and you will have to fend for our army. But I have faith in you, Soal. Articulus will fear you. But you can't leave the safety of the Great Sea with that on." Looking down, Soal remembered he was still wearing the red turtleneck sweater he had been wearing since he first arrived in the Sketch world. Porter pushed something to his feet, something shiny. Picking it up, Porter told him, "Drop that practice sword. You will be needing it no longer."

What Porter had given him was a shiny suit of armor, for almost his whole body, that went with his helmet. Pulling it on over his shirt, it fit him perfectly. When he tried to stab himself with the practice sword one last time, it didn't even hurt, nor did it make a dent in the armor. He also pulled on the shorts and boots. It felt fitting to be in, as he now felt like he had been a fighter his entire life. And boy, did he feel proud, as he placed the shield on his back. Then Porter pushed over one more thing with a warm smile on his face. It was a sword in its sheath. Picking it up and drawing it, it was a golden sword, and it felt as unbreakable as a diamond just to hold it. On its crest, there was a blue emblem on a silver handle, and Porter told him something. "This is Sickle, the sword of Moth. It is the same sword he used to seal Articulus in the frame thousands of years ago. Ah, I remember the day when it happened. When he saw it coming... oh yes. When this sword glows, an enemy is nearby. Use this to your advantage, General Soal. Tomorrow is the big day, when we will take the troops and venture to the Outlands (The giant border of land Soal started out on). Follow me back to Kiwi City. We must prepare for the mission."