Caldor Ando stood with Rosalve as they faced Admiral Magnus, Captain Malfor of the Milostiv, and Lady Eletha of Roan.

“Caldor, Rosalve, it has been long. You’ve grown old, Caldor.”

“I can say the same Seadog Mag. Heh, must be nice living the life of having the Elven-kin next to you.”

“Chancellor Aedan had been gracious to offer you, but then again you would rather side with Rosalve here.”

“It has been quite a long time as well, Magnus.”

“Indeed, you have frown with enough power I see.”

“And you have been cozy with our ‘kin’ it seems.”

Eletha remained like a statue. Captain Malfor wandered his gaze from the Admiral to Rosalve.

“That’s enough. I know it would end up like this again. Now, can we talk about the matters instead of arguing about what happened in the past?”

“Your temperance is truly admirable, Captain.”

Rosalve stared at Eletha with a slight smile on her face. Eletha however remained like ice with her expression.

“Enough,” Admiral Magnus demanded. The authority in his voice made even Rosalve take her eyes away from Eletha. The time for small greetings were done.

“We’ve been fortunate that we’ve reached this far. Our charts ends at the Icean Spine and I believe that we might see the Glacieans in our path.”

Eletha nodded slowly. She sang and a map the size of a rug drawn in a leather skin was carried by spirits and was hang on the overhead of the room.

Any Captain who commandeers the Grand-Galleons would know of this map. It was the ancient map that they had used to passed through the seas. It may looked like they were traveling in one direction, but Eletha had been navigating the fleet in the course that they have charted using the ancient map as a reference. On the bottom of the map was Tascam’s Point, the maw of the world, and on the farther top was the Icean Spine that was barring the map from left to right.

“The Sea of Rotting Corpses, and the Empty Seas. We’ve expected resistance from these Seas, but it seems that we were too naïve.”

“We have been able to minimalize the damage done to our fleet. And before you can spout that mouth of yours, Caldor. Taking out the Corpse-Stalkers, and the defeating that Beast from the Interstice is not enough compared to what you hatefully despise as ‘kin’ have done,” he pointed out.

“Hmm, indeed, our merits are not worth it to be talk about. We’ve been hiding our secrets in hopes that we don’t bother those who might target Felecia and the Blinder.”

“I can accept that,” Admiral Magnus glared suddenly. “But I will ask you this, Rosalve. Do you intend to put this Felecia in the pedestal of this fleet?”

“Our intention is to do what must be done. I am sure that many of you would love to extinguish the bloodline of the Dynasty, but I assure you that she has devoted her heart in finishing this task in hopes that she may atone for the sins of her dynasty.”

“Is that so?”

Admiral Magnus made it sound like her words were nothing but air. Rosalve closed her eyes and opened it again. Caldor Ando kept a deadly look on his face as he stares down. But Eletha who was standing on the side wouldn’t let this continue.

“I have been navigating the oceans and directing the spirits myself through the use of the Ark. Unfortunately, the recent consumption has made it hard for me to increase the range of my detection, and after all we have to make sure that the Island that we are standing on remains floating.”

One of the plans that they had been told to was how they need to turn a giant creature into their puppet. They were hoping for a beast that was large enough to act as a deterrent for the other creatures, but the Shelled Beast was worth spending her abilities to refine into a puppet that they could control. Not only that the Shelled Beast was compatible with the Elder Trees, it was big enough to become a home for them.

“If it wasn’t for the Ark’s properties, and the help of my kin. I could not possibly control the Island. My kin is handling the matters, but we cannot possibly continue to direct our attention away from the fleet while we are developing the Island and make sure that we could survive the upcoming troubles.”

“Your words are rather straightforward.”

“I am simply telling the truth. The Sea of Reeds should have been a place where the fleet could recuperate our losses. We have hoped to find more of the beasts, but they are all dead. Even the Empty’s Reeds have been replaced with corpses.”

“The Cosmic Blink happened below the sea or that it happened long before we know that it happened. How could we know? Even our spirits aren’t able to understand the Cosmic Blink.”

“I’ve thought that Chancellor, in his infinite wisdom, would know?”

“Would you know?”

Rosalve gave a smile. Their faces were that of a flat stone as they continue.

“Then what should we do regarding this ‘trouble’ that the fleet is facing?”

“There is a chance that the Icean Spine would not match our expectations, and like the Sea of Reeds. It would become a place that we have to tread lightly. The Icean Spine separates these seas from the Azure Tides that we’ve heard about from the tales. If we can get passed the Icean Spine, and find the Icean Channel, then we would have to deal with whatever it is that is in our way.”

Rosalve and Caldor Ando could sense something was off. They turned to Admiral Magnus with a complicated expression.

“Are you?”

“Yes. I want the Blinder of the Light in front. This is his duty, so we might as well make use of his powers.”

“You are expecting him to join the fight?”

“And what of it?

Admiral Magnus asked. His voice did not shy from being demanding. He wasn’t going to stop reminding him his role in this fleet.

“He’s still green.”

“It’s exactly why I want him to learn. Caldor Ando, Rosalve, you should know better that we must temper this Blinder for the fight. If he is the one that blinds the eye of the world. Then am I safe to assume that he will be the hunted by the Servants of the Interstice?”

Rosalve looked like she didn’t want to answer, so she nodded.

“We know the legends as well,” Eletha said. “We know what his role is, and even though the Chancellor had warned us of this coming storm.”

Terin Gaspar owes his life to the Chancellor. Right now, they were using the fleet as their passage to the thousand islands where the Eye of the World was. Alone, the Blinder of the Light would have to gather enough forces, a strong ship, and allies. But the Chancellor himself had allowed this to happen by forming this fleet. They were at the mercy of Chancellor Aedan, and through this ‘mercy’ that they could even dream of finding the eye of the world.

There are other ways to reach the eye of the world. But that would mean they have find a hole in the ground, and fend off the Beasts of the Interstice, and that would take an army. Not to mention that it would be hard to find a brave group of men who would travel with them. Maybe if they wait it out and force good men to act at the end of the light, but that would mean they would be too late to blind the eye of the world.

“I understand the idealism that comes with it. But if he wants to be tempered then he must continue fighting like he had already done.”

“Sending him to the front won’t guarantee the he’d stay alive.”

“If fate demands that the Blinder won’t reach the eye of the world. Then let it be so.”

“Magnus, you-“

“And? I do not need those who would exempt themselves from the fight. This is ridiculous despite how you have thrown this man into the fray already. Now when you faced us you would exempt us.”

“The difference is that you want him to fight in the front.”

“And he was not fighting? Please, Caldor Ando and Rosalve Merete, your distrust of those who rule Aon is clear, and I do not care what your grudges are. You two sitting in the fences, watching, hoping, that somehow things will change and that everything would remain the same. Sometimes, I wonder why I haven’t thrown you two out of the fleet.”

“Calm, Magnus,” Captain Malfor stepped in. “The Chancellor had allowed them, and can you blame for chasing what was right? We fought because we had enough of incompetent rulers while they choose not to fight against those who were forced to the service of the dynasty. But you are here to speak proper words not that of venom. I implore that you calmed this. I hate to say this, but he is right, Caldor Ando. The Blinder needs to be strong and tempered if he wants to face the Eye of the World and blind it. He is hunted by the Interstice’s Beasts and there are those would try to stop him from his tracks.”

Caldor Ando and Rosalve’s face hardened. Admiral Magnus crossed his arms and lifted his chin and allowed Captain Malfor to continue.

“A cultist of Damon might be hiding in the fleet.”

“Are you sure?”

“Some of our Agents have started to sense these Cultists. They have not done anything, and I believe that they are still hiding among the ships. We have made sure that all of the passengers don’t have any trace of the taint of Damon in them. Once we detect them, we would make sure that they would be removed from the waters. But even my reach cannot find all of them when the fleet is spread. The Grand-Galleons and Arkshelled Island is safe, but right now I believe that they are not stupid enough to show their faces. Some might spend their time influencing the men and women of the Company if we cannot stop them.”

“So we are infested with rats as well.”

“One of the reasons why we want the Blinder of the light out of in the frontline is partly this. These heathens will try to make a move when they can, but it doesn’t mean they will when he is near. It pains me to say this, but Caldor Ando and Rosalve Merete. I implore you to temper this ‘savior’ of ours. You may be given ranks in the fleet, and you will be under my command, and Malfor will be your commander. I understand that you are careful, but we must work together to win.”

Admiral Magnus was not looking for forgiveness. He was not trying to atone himself in the choices that he had done in the past. Caldor Ando understood this, and yet hearing this man act as like this made him bitter.

“You understand, Caldor. Despite what you have said and what have been done. You understand that I must not let anyone undermine my position as the leader of the fleet. Men are easily swayed by the divine, and the way some of those men looked at his light as if he was he same as that man, bothers me. I will not allow it. I will not allow the same mistake here. I have allowed your passage in this fleet because you have done nothing. But now that you have shown who you are with, I am afraid that I cannot be blind as you want me to be.”

Everyone in the room was silent. Caldor Ando clenched his hands so hard that his arms shook. Rosalve glanced at Caldor, and his eyes calmed to a still.

“Very well,” Rosalve said firmly. “We will accept this, Admiral.”