The Sketch: The Voyage of Soal

Candid Caramel

Articulus's troops stopped with Shadow Hand's cue, and he was amazed at the kiwi army's stupidity. Charging far away, at the break of dawn, with armored kiwis, an obstacle already in front of them? This was the kind of plan Retna would make... or the Un-Character.

Their army flew down the hill, eight times faster than how slow they had been hiking the day before. A few kiwis near the middle were already injured, as they had tripped and were trampled by other soldiers. But Soal kept on roaring in the lead, Porter not far behind him. Although Sickle was damaged, it showed a sign of how persistent this perspicacious Un-Character was. When Flameberg came in the way, Porter had a combination of tactics. "Half formation!" his back head hollered. Many soldiers, including Porter, went to their left or right and stampeded right around the fortress, straight towards the enemy army. Soal and many kiwis from the center of the army trickled onto the railing and the central stairway, down to the Archer's Overpass, the central bridge that Kiwi and Soal had split up on earlier. The archers, including Retna and Anter, spread out on the bridge and would fire as soon as the opponent came into arrows' range. But Soal, in the front, had leaped over the railing onto a railing below him, and one below that. Several archer kiwis were perched on his back as he did, and used his Interloper powers to save himself each time. Finally he made it to the ground, and met Porter at the front of the army as it regrouped. Kiwi and some others stayed inside Flameberg for refuge. Now though, it was up to Soal to lead the outcome of the first major battle. Possibly the second. Both armies paused and slowed for a brief moment, pondering their success. Shadow Hand felt like he could do anything. But Soal was skeptical. So was even Porter, and every single kiwi.

I'm just a kid, Soal thought to himself, But I've been exposed to some terrible things. If I can live through earth, I can survive this. I wonder what my parents would have thought of this if they were alive. Think about it; a child leading men and women. The world had indeed turned upside down, like the centuries-old song:

If buttercups buzzed after the bee,

If boats were on land, churches on sea,

If ponies rode men and grass ate the cows,

And cats would be chased into holes by the mouse,

If the babies sold the mothers

to peasants for a crown,

If summer were spring and the other way 'round,

Then all the world would be upside down.

Humming this tune, Porter grunted at him, sending him out of his daze. He was distracted very easily! And it was only seconds before he was launched back into the battle, as Shadow Hand's army (or armies, whichever you prefer) and the kiwis met head on. Soal's shield was his lifeline, he was totally unprepared for the onslaught, everyone else swarmed past him and towards the Dark Soldiers and Hands, leaving him a sphere of safety that even the Dark Hands avoided. They could feel the presence of the Pure Light sword and safely flocked around it instead. Soal used this to his advantage, suddenly bringing down the broken Sickle into unsuspecting packs of Dark Soldiers. When he tried to jump and attack the Dark Hands, the glowing-gold sword just passed right through their fuzzy surface. Finally, though, the bubble of protection burst and Soal was sent right back into the battle. He plowed through the Dark Soldiers and the storm of Dark Hands, but couldn't tell where he was going.

Then he had a plan; because he felt his Interloper powers tingling within his body, under all that clanking armor and the months-old turtleneck sweater. Leaping up with a great heave, he landed on a Dark Hand, stabbed it, and hopped onto another as it was speeding through the school of black hands. In little time, he had made his way to the canopy of the murky, rushing forest. Only a few hands tried to shake him off, and they were all unsuccessful.

Finally, he was on the top of the surprisingly flat cloud. As long as he kept jumping, he could stay in the same spot and search for a good vantage point. Soon he began hopping across the wobbly hands; but he couldn't see past them, so he held on to a particularly smooth one and rode it across the battlefield- all the way to Flameberg., where he stabbed it and killed it. Only a few of the archer kiwis were still there, including Retna, who was creating flaming explosions on the hands, and Anter, whose arrows aggravated them more. In the middle of the battle, he talked with them (which is very difficult).

"RETNA! ANTER!" he shouted above the thunderous crashing of the Dark Hands into the slightly crumbling fortress, "I KNOW A SAFE PLACE TO GO! FOLLOW ME!" Retna ignored him, only averting her eyes toward him and gesturing her head. So that alerted Soal that he had to go alone. Running and ducking past the Dark Hands and a few Dark Soldiers who had made it there, he dove indoors, into the safety of the unbreakable walls. But time was beginning to show its mark. Some Dark Hands were lurking indoors, having broken some of the many-layered brick walls. Soal easily remembered the way to the Sword Hall in the center, and found Kiwi, along with a few others, including Kelly, Kipper and Wacky, in the heart-shaped room. "Kiwi!" Soal yelled above the sound of battle. "This is one of the only safe places! Follow me, the sword hall cannot be passed by the Dark Soldiers- you know, the knights." Kiwi nodded, but a squad of Dark Soldiers had followed him there. He was ready to fight.

But then, his vision became hazy with a purple aura, and he fell to his knees. Not now! No! he nearly said out loud, but then he collapsed onto the floor, unconscious. Kiwi had no time to fight back and the group was captured by the battalion of Dark Soldiers. But they were stupid and misunderstood, not only because their only purpose was to fight, but for they knew nothing of Interlopers. And Soal was becoming a true Interloper by heart. (Of course, he wasn't an Interloper- Interlopers were half human, half creature that represented their era: for example, birds like Lenli.) The candid caramel troopers dragged all of them away into the Sword Hall, where they were safe from bombardment... mostly.