“The maggots are easily carried by the wind.”

Ristina wrote on the paper. There was certainty on the strength of the line of her script.

“They should not cause damage unless we seal most of our supplies. The Elven-Kin had noticed this problem first, and it seems they were right. The spirits cannot function well within this stench of death.

“For you to deliver this missive means that our conclusions are right. The Lady has been using her Artes to her very limits. I believe that Milostiv and the Grand-Galleons are safe for now. The ones we should worry are the other ships

“They do not have the restrictions and control of the Grand-Galleons. They function within the old system and some of them are not as equipped to handle the extreme environment of the Sea of Reeds.

“The rotting of the Sea of Reeds is something even Elven Artes cannot fix. They cannot compose the right ‘barrier’ that might protect the ships in a bauble of protection. Purification rituals are useless against the natural stench of death and rot.

“This inables the Elder Tree on the back of Arkshelled to not function. It should be no surprise that you would have noticed what is happening. Elven Artes is weak when it comes to rot and death. I cannot help you right now. Oh, the plants that we have here are safe, but most of the time the weakening effect of this ‘stench’ is draining them of their energy.

“The Grand Admiral has issued a decree that he shall be moving his quarters and Officers to Arkshelled. It should have been warned to the fleet, but a beast lurks the area and I believe that it has sunk four caravels, seven sloops, two brigs, and a frigate.

“Such monster now hunts the ships and the patterns we have observed is how it targets those who are outside the fleet formation. Most of these ships were scouts and I believe that this beast is targeting us. I am telling you this because I have nothing to inform other than this. The Man-o-Wars and the rest of the longboats are in the hunt alongside one of the mercenaries in the Milostiv. Caldor Ando and his group should in the hunt.”

Gabrio placed the letter on the side. He took the cork off the bottle and started reading the letter.

“If you have thoughts about the Sea of Reeds, please do not forget to inform me. One of my colleagues, Sir Bartolommeo, has deduced that instead of an apex predator, there was a great event that killed everything. Most of the beasts here were not torn or bitten by anyone, and from the softened bones, we believe that there was a great boiling that effectively killed the beasts. Of course, we cannot know for sure other than guesses, but I personally believe that the Dread Line, and the Still Seas are caused by this sudden boiling that killed most of them. The thing is that the Sea of Reed become a ‘graveyard’ for the creatures and gathered the predators attracted by the stench. That predator that bit the side of the Shelled Beast was certainly one of the predators. Though we have been ‘intimidating’ the predators by moving within one giant formation. There are those who are not spooked by the formation of the fleet.”

“These predators are like the hyenas of the Southwest, but are amphibians who use the carcasses as their homes. Corpse Stalkers, is what we will call them for now. They thrive in this maggot-filled infested Seas and they are one of the lowest beast that hunts in the area.

“Considering the conditions, there is nothing more we can do other than immediately vacate this area and go straight to the Icean Spine. However, the Icean Spine is only the ‘start’ of the true journey to the thousand islands. It is almost disheartening to think that for the past months we’ve been in the seas and we are still in the doorsteps to the thousand islands.

“One thing for sure is that there are enemies beyond the seas. Enemies that are hostile and predates on whatever that is that can be eaten. And to think that anyone would dare to sail these oceans with this kind of environment."

Gabrio frowned as he reads.

“I may be speaking in a way that will reveal something to you. I’ve heard from Caldor Ando your name. Truthfully, I do find your aversion to knowing their secrets as odd, knowing, that you are Gabrio of Fort Rava. I don’t believe that you would do this without reason, and thus I cannot say this further. But Caldor Ando, no, Terin Gaspar and Rosalve Merete are the ones that might lead this Fleet in the future. Now, as you are reading this, I can tell that your face would warped into helplessness, knowing, that you just read that line.

“You can tell. I know that you do know what is up with them. Even if we do not have all-seeing eyes, even if we do not see every action that they do. I believe that even a fool could deduce what their purpose is. You are not a fool, so I know you can figure it out. You may wonder why I choose to write this, knowing that the Inquisitor will read this. It is because we are not fools and they should know as well. Other than the threat of the maggots that crawls on everything that it could. We have both invisible and visible enemies. I cannot help in defeating the visible enemies, knowing that we are living in their filth for the moment. That is why I choose to reveal what the fleet is fighting to you. Nonetheless, I have so little to tell you that I might as well read this. You can be stubborn as a bull, but your avoidance of truth can be irritating when spoken.”

Gabrio couldn’t help but sighed at the content of the letter. It was good that the fleet knows the threat of the ‘maggots’ that seems to crawl on herbs and such. But was it necessary to say more than needed?

*****

Then after a time, Gabrio was called to the Captain’s room alongside all notable officers of the Milostiv. Captain Malfor, Officer Claudel, Daro, and Inquisitor Cooper. It was the first time that Gabrio saw the Lieutenant Commander of the same rank as the Captain. Lieutenant Heron Silva of the Reconnoiter Company, former Soldier under the banner of the Chancellor, now serves as the one of Milostiv’s best.

“Everyone has gathered,” Captain Malfor said.

“Yes, now out of it, Captain,” Lieutenant Heron said. “I have watching to do with all of the fog coming our way. This stench of fog reeks. Surgeon, what are your thoughts about this?”

“My colleague is much knowledgeable about this,” Zyra replied.

He turned to Gabrio. “Student of the Butcher of Fort Rava, what are your thoughts about this fog of death?”

“Filled with air-carried maggots, and we don’t get out of these Seas. I believe that everyone will have to deal with inhaling maggot-filled air.”

“You don’t mix words,” Lieutenant Heron’s lips parted with a grin. “Captain, what are the thoughts of our Lady?”

“She’s doing her best in protecting the whole fleet. From what we know it would have been worst, but in truth, there is something more that I think that most of you have known.”

Everyone’s face turned grim. Gabrio remained expressionless as he stared at the Captain.

“A blue blood, one of the Dynasty’s Children is around.”

Everyone nodded as if they already know this. It was easy to tell who it was. Even Gabrio could deduce who this person was with how she talks and acts with ccontempt. Not to mention that very same temper that was famous around Aon. The very same temper that killed many.

“But there’s more,” Captain added. “My friends, we all know that this voyage was one of a gamble. Aon itself paid for this continent with the hopes of reaching the thousand islands. Some may think that it is foolish, but in truth this voyage is nothing more than that. A foolish gamble that everyone here should know. One of the passengers, is the Blinder. The one who deals with the Serpent.”

Everyone’s face froze.

The prophecy of the blinder was one of the tales spread in every country. It was said: “When the light itself blinks, then the Blinder shall ferry himself in mercy, and pay the ferryman his dues to the world’s limbs. He shall then blind the light and reach the heart of the world.”

There are more to the prophecy of the blinder, but Gabrio recalled that most of the prophecy was expunged from the records by the dynasty, leaving only the first paragraph out of the four.

“The light itself blinks,” Officer Claudel grinded his teeth. “Is that what happen in Old Carthan?”

“Yes,” Captain Malfor confirmed. “At the end of the Chancellor’s Captain against the Dynasty, we spared some of the Dynasty’s blood as mercy, and that the Chancellor knew that at the end of the Campaign, the Dynasty’s Head was blinked, as if light swallowed him whole. Seeing light itself blink, the Chancellor knew that we have little time left until we need to act.”

Lieutenant Heron’s face was that of a man in control of his boiling rage. Gabrio could feel the tension trying erupt from his heart.

“The Chancellor spared the Merete in hopes that she can helped the blinder in his journey. You all know that Caldor Ando is guarding them, and alongside Caldor Ando is one of the primal-blooded humans who have connection with the blood like the Elven-kin. Our Chancellor had discovered their Sanctum, tamed them and had them become part of Aon.”

“So they are in the same boat, in OUR ship?”

Lieutenant Heron said to the Captain. The Captain nodded with a sigh.

“Yes, the ones we are ferrying is the group of three that is here to help us reach the heart and eye of the world. It won’t be long until they announce their presence and take the reins. Not even the greatest Elven-Artes could reproduce what the Blinder can do. There is a reason why we are accompanied by a legion of the Elven-kin afterall.”

“Then that Banner of Light at Old Carthan, the Giant of Light, was that the blinder?”

“Yes it was.”

Everyone nodded. Gabrio could only nod as the weights were pressing on his shoulder. That same ‘weight’ that he had been avoiding all this time were being forced into his shoulders.

“And how is this related to this rotting sea?” Quartermaster Daro asked.

“There are enemies lurking behind the fog that has been hunting down our ships. I believe that every one of you know what happened in that coral atoll. In that place we saw the giant of light fight something in the clouds. Those creatures are from the Interstice, the in-between where the beasts rule. They are Dread Lords that we need to slay as we pass through the Oceans. One might say that the beasts that are hunting down our ships are one of the interstices.”

“So that’s it then?” Lieutenant Heron mocked. “Kill the monsters and the path opens?”

“No, of course not, the environment around us itself is the enemy. Don’t mistake them, this goddamn sea itself is our enemy. It will poison us and sicken us if we stay too long. What I am saying here is that in order to double our chances of succeeding, then we will need to make use of the powers of the Blinder and herald us to the thousand islands. Let’s accept it, the farther we go, the biggest and the stranger our enemies are. We rely on the Elven-kin Artes too much and our supplies WILL run out if we don’t get any more supplies. How can we fire our cannons without the powder and cannonballs? How can we defend ourselves without the very fangs that allows us to cruise through these deadly seas? We would need to find a way to gather more resources and lessen the use of our cannons and make the Blinder fight for us. We have little choice now.”

Captain Malfor said with a grim tone. Then he looked up and glared with the ferocity of a man who is in control of his emotions.

“But it doesn’t mean we’ll just let one goddamn person dictate what we should do and feel. Everyone, prepare for battle, the next two days will be exiting the Sea of Reeds and preparation for the enemies. Failure is not an option.”