The Sketch: The Voyage of Soal

Contraptions in Meinhaym

The mountain that Soal and his army were climbing reminded him of something, but he couldn't quite tell what. Him and Porter were in front of the infantry, trekking the mountain's smooth coiling paths leading up, and up. At the top of the mountain, there was a shoot that would safely take everyone down to the other side, to their current destination. But they were far from that!

Looking up, Soal noticed rectangular holes etched into the heights of the mountain. Before he could say anything, Porter told him. "The planters of Meinhaym used these contraptions to automatically water their seeds every spring. Huzzah!"

"What's all the fuss about?" Soal didn't understand Porter's point, but he soon realized his point.

"That means we've made it to Meinhaym! In actuality, we have to make it to the fortress, at the end of the kingdom. But we must be deliberate- these shoots have been building up for centuries. If we're not careful, we could release them, and that large amount of water would send us running for the hills. But we do have these." He turned to a slight mouth in the face of the rock, probably a place to hide from the water in case it rained too hard. "This slight mouth in the rock is a place to hide from water, in case it rained too hard. We must use these in case any water spills. The force of our army's steps is certainly enough to spill the containers. And it is very hot water. Burning to the touch." Porter's advice was as ironic as it was useful.

As the army continued up the mountain, they made it about halfway through. From one side, they could observe the lost kingdom of Meinhaym. It was a gigantic city, filled with decaying forests and crumbling villages, with a crushed, ivy-covered palace in its center. The kingdom was surrounded by dull, flat mountains, but there was a slight gap in the middle of the northern hill, behind the kingdom. Soal admired the scenery when he could, but he couldn't help asking what happened here. "Kiwi," he asked. He had adopted a habit of asking any question just by saying Kiwi's name, who was directly behind him in the front of the army.

"Oh, that," understanding entirely, "is the mainland of Meinhaym. Thousands of years ago, after the Anakian Wars, the Lubornidians, the Anakians' enemy during the war, had nowhere to go. Their trail of tears led up a mountain (now Voltale Volcano) where they found the rainbow bridge. The refugees followed it all the way, and desperately traveled vast distances in search of a home. Meinhaym, a thriving economy at the time, was met by the Lubornidians, who begged for room and board. Instead, the people of Meinhaym (a very war-driven race) attacked, but the refugees packed quite a wallop, despite their weakness from the Anakians. This resulted in all-out war, and as in the Anakian Wars, both sides were obliterated. We'll have to be traveling through the city in order to continue our quest. The fortress behind the mountain protects an ancient treasure that Articulus's troops are still heading for. But the problem is, Articulus's troops are occupying the city. We'll have to go around, beyond Meinhaym Dam, and past the river, to reach our destination. And that's not if the troops attack us." Kiwi explained no more as they walked. Soal had learned enough of violent histories. He wanted no part in it, but he was proud to be the Un-Character, and felt he ought to be the one fighting alongside the armies. He continued to hike the alp without thought of asking anyone anything.

Soal and the front of the army were about five minutes to the summit, but Porter's predictions came true. Their military was in quite a hurry, and the trampling of their feet caused the entirety of the craggy mountain to rumble. "Quick! To the wall-holes," Soal was quick to react, and most of the kiwi soldiers followed the orders. Soal stayed back in one near him, back against the wall, and panted heavily. However, a few kiwis did not fit inside the frequent holes, and they were swept off the mountain as the onslaught of boiling water flooded from the planter's cavities in the face of the rock above them. After a few seconds, the water stopped, and then it started again. Porter stood on the path, as his steady hooves could withstand such surging, (although he was becoming weaker,) but many soldiers were less fortunate. This began a pattern of on-off water. To this Soal devised a plan.

"Porter! You run up to the top of the mountain and shut off the water flow. I'll tell everyone else what to do." His scheme was, in his ways, genius. "Fellow soldiers! When the water stops, move to the next wall-hole. Continue this strategy until we make it to the peak!" And so they did. Within the split second of no water, they ran to the next hole just in time for the water to pass them. And then the next. Many kiwis were being swept off the edge, but Soal's plan was still successful, and he heard Porter limping up the ramp, far above them.
After about two minutes, Porter made it to the tip of the mountain, to find a hole in the center. This was the shoot with the ladder, but he could also see the four water containers tipping over, up, and over, in a cycle that was made from pulleys and string. A mere wooden lever sat beside Porter, one that was constantly moving from side to side, like the water flow. There was no turning this on or off. So, he simply crushed it to splinters with a print of his hoof. The containers just kept pouring water, on and on. It was so close to Soal's face in the wall-hole, he could feel the burn that it contained, and closed his eyes in slight pain. But this water was beneficial, as because it kept pouring out its water, the drink was wasting away. Finally, the last drop of it emerged from the containers and splatted on the pathway below. "The water's safe. Keep moving," Porter confirmed that the water was over and out. After a while, Soal and the front of the army met him at the summit, and they all climbed down the ladder's shoot onto the flat, dull face of a hill, overlooking Meinhaym. After everyone had left through the shoot, the army kept moving, down the smooth slopes of the hill, but away from the city. Their only option was to go around, along the river and the Dam. It would be a while until then. But it would be only a matter of trekking; and the methods of travel as dictated by Soal.