Dom had been asked to take care of the research. He was not the only one who had been toiling for the past few days. His work was rather satisfactory, neither fast nor slow. It was moderate due to the presence of the Doctor of Milostiv Galleon.

The Doctor of the Milostiv was a strange mix of a physician and a surgeon. There is a mistrust in the home continent about the profession of a doctor who had been known to be ‘quacks’ among the medicine community. Truthfully, Dom had such issues, but the medical knowledge of the Doctor, his single-minded pursuit of his duty and knowledge of the human body had made Dom take interest in the Doctor. There was a time that the Doctor left the Grand-Galleon and was thought to be killed. Nonetheless, the Doctor returned, though worse for wear, had been able to return to his duties.

Dom was certainly glad that the Doctor was safe. Among his peers in the Grand-Galleon, he was one of the many who did not hold any interest in the affairs of the fleet. He refused to participate in the quagmire that the groups had formed. Perhaps the Doctor is somewhat aware, but chooses to keep being ignorant of it or at least pretend to. Nonetheless, he felt thankful for his neutrality. Not everyone was willing to choose sides within their own fleet.

He was sure that there was a better way to handle it. Not that he would open his mouth about it. Dom preferred the pursuit of knowledge and this pursuit of knowledge had led him to this tiring task of transcribing the important details that would help the fleet prepare for the Great Seas. The native before him who had the air of exhaustion gave Dom a glance.

“Continue,” Dom commanded, “there is a need that this must be done. You must understand that this is better than rotting in a dungeon, no?”

As much as the native hated them for what they had done. This native across the table could only choose to continue. It didn’t help that there was a barrel of a gun not far from this native’s head. There are those who might think that the fleet was a war fleet. An invasion force that was heading to the thousand islands to colonize it. Yes, perhaps there is truth to it, but the route that one would take, the dead seas, the sea of corpses and hazards makes the trip hazardous to any fleet. The awful distance alone was not worth the trouble. The only reason that the fleet could go this far was undoubtedly because of the Elven-kin who had been their stern allies. Dom dreaded what to think of what would have happened if they had no abilities to blow the wind and push the fleet forward.

Dom calculated that it would take more years for a fleet to be ready without the help of any sail. He imagined that they would need a way for the ships to paddle without the use of the wind. But considering that most of Aon was landlocked, and there was barely any need for them to cross the seas when the states were locked together which formed a supercontinent only divided by national borders. Such technology was not developed.

Not to mention that those who had planned for the voyage had opted to reinforce the hulls of the Grand-Galleons for the purpose of resisting the tyrannical waves and monsters sleeping underneath it. The three Galleons alone would cost an unimaginable wealth to fund. This expedition could only happen because of the powers of persuasion, charisma, and the fear-mongering of the Chancellor of Aon who had been well-respected and feared that he could convince thousands to go through this mission. How one single man is capable of such a feat made him wonder if such a thing was possible without such reputation and abilities?

Nonetheless, despite how the fleet would look to others. It was a salvation fleet that was made to last for years. Before the voyage started he had many questions. Why was the fleet formed? How could they make it so that Aon would benefit from this? Unfortunately the first question was answered when the Cosmic Blink happened. Where a portion of Old Carthan turned into a desert made of salt. The manifestation of abilities that was beyond his understanding made him understand that this fleet was made to make sure that they learned everything that they can. After all, which fleet would employ so many scholars, haul so many books, and even dared to transcribe native knowledge for their own use?

Dom had speculations concerning why the Elven-kin had agreed to accompany the fleet when they have a history of mistrust and xenophobia towards the human race. Not to mention that the one who convinced them in the first place was the Chancellor of Aon himself. The man who was once their hated enemy. Even Dom could speculate that there was a need for them to work together. To the point that they rather put old grudges behind rather than perish because of it. The journey made Dom sure that the world was facing the end. At first, he thought it was absurd, but the more he saw the signs. The grand and frightening view made him determine that it was the only possible explanation. The sight of the broken and split in halved great gates of Brampi and the broken walls of the city made him sure of it.

The creatures of the interstice. All of it was frightening to the point that he understood why some of the fleet members had started to find reason to go to the Chaplains and Priests to worship the light of Sol found within the Grand-Galleons and the ships who keep them around.

It also didn’t help that the more he learned of the history and beliefs of the Icean Spine, the more he wanted to shut his ears. If it was not for his duties and craving for knowledge. He would have long refused to do such tasks.

*****

The Icean Spine scholar who had spoken through the day had returned. As the Milostiv’s chronicler, historian and scholar. He had command of a few guards who were willing to carry the books of lore that the native had told him. It was a shame that he had little command of the Icean Spine tongue and he doubted that he would have the ability to read all possible lore and knowledge that they had. To have a treasure trove of books and not knowing anything saddened him.

Two months was not enough. The amount of information that they must consume was enormous. As much as he would like to consume the knowledge of the Icean Spine. He didn’t have the time to do so. It pains him, regrettably there was little choice to be found in a fleet that didn’t have time. The guards placed the trunk filled with the newly written books. He took the ones he had marked personally, laid it on his messy table, set his lamp up, and placed a new set of papers.

Lord Admiral, Dom started his report. It is to my pleasure to report my findings. Though this is merely a summary of my findings. The books in question shall be sent along the bookmarks that your loyal servant would advise the Admiral to take careful examination of the contents. As the Lord Admiral had given me the permission, I shall tell what my studies have discovered so far.

Dom opened the book he personally transcribed just in case. He felt his right hand ache, but he chose to endure. Within the accounts, journals, and personal history penned by the historians that have been transcribed mentions of a great searing basin that spreads like roots. The best image that they had offered is a submerged pot with firewood sticking out of the stove. Curious, I’d cross-examined such statements, and found that these mentions are mostly repetitions of a classic tale. I’m sure that my colleagues would be able to deduce this as well. Nonetheless, I’d found the exact verbatim pointed by one of the accounts. Historians, chroniclers, aren’t exactly the best source of information. However, they are official sources and if we had more time, I would surely have tracked down a much more reliable source of information that would allow us to grasp accurate information of the surrounding areas.

There is great tradition in these shores that the people of Icean Spine do travel beyond their shores. I believe that my colleague, Jered, would have discovered, transcribed the information regarding the known monsters that would attack this continent’s shores. Adding to my findings, one of the most repeated lines and words are that of a thick and black inflammable liquid. I believe that there is a great source of such substance way past these shores. The Lord may think that because of the weather of the Icean Spine, may assume that the biome of said region would remain cold.

He checked what he wrote, and nodded as he continued writing. Nonetheless, as always, I had always cross-examined the truths of what they had written, and through disregarding ‘mentions’ of lines which the author who had penned down refers to what he merely heard through word of mouth despite not being there in the first place, I am able to make an assumption that one of the biomes that we might face overflows with substance which produces blue flames. They do not mention which part of the seas where this blue flame was, and unfortunately they have a rather archaic way of sailing which is based on natural and manmade landmarks, the flow of water, and through following their stellar marks.

The stellar marks seem to resemble some of our constellations which I believe would be useful to our travels. There is also merit in finding these manmade and natural landmarks that could help us cross great distances, if they are still around. Because of the lack of clear information, and the hateful knack of these “chroniclers” of referring to ‘their friend who heard it from a friend’ that I insist on that we form our own education deduction despite the lack of information. It should be noted that our navigators are to make a deduction using these materials as reference, and perhaps our progress would allow us to complete and formulate a route that the fleet could take.

Of course, as I had repeatedly mentioned in this report. It would be best if the navigators would take what the writers who refer to their ‘friends’ with a grain of salt, knowing that they have no factual evidence. I had attached notes and referrals to which illustration, drawings that these chroniclers are pointing out. I had also told my colleagues that journals, accounts, biographies of said persons would have to be tracked down. I believe that there is a good reason why the Icean Spine natives had not expanded past their homeland, and remained in their continent.

Dom started listing down the materials that they might need. It was odd that despite winning against them physically. The fleet was now facing another threat that they could not overcome through sheer power. Not to mention that if they are deduced wrongly and are caught unprepared, they would surely suffer greatly.

As much as Dom hated to accept it. There is merit that the fleet takes in the natives who had knowledge of the region while also taking into account the dangers of doing so. Yes, they might be able to rely on these scholars, but at the same time, Dom advised in the report that they shouldn’t be dependent on the native scholars of the Icean Spine as well. The lack of time to gather important information bothered Dom, but at the same time what can they do when the world is turning into a desert of salt?