Dom followed Robert out of the Galleon and into the meeting place held on the Arkshelled Island.

“You’ve become a full-pledged escort now.”

“Shut it.”

Robert stopped. He let one group pulling on a cattle go first. The cattle was twice his size and was as wide as a card. Long-eared and certainly filled with meat. The domesticated cattle of the Icean Spine were impressive.

They started to climb on the ramp of the tailbone port where most of the cargo enters. Robert followed the marked path until they found themselves on the neck of the monster. Surrounding the fort of the Arkshelled Island where the Ark was now embedded was surrounded with noble families from this place.

Dom held on to his book and followed Robert until they got into this circular seating room where in the circle the noble families were placed. It was spacious enough for five hundred people and was capable of holding a thousand if needed to be. The Ark was large enough and the recent expansion of the Ark made it even bigger than before.

There was a place for Dom. He sat next to the historians who were eager to record the happenings of this meeting. The historians were emancipated individuals with awful bags on their eyes. Dom felt his own eyes and thought that he must have been getting less sleep in the past few days.

“Silence!”

An old man in a black cassock walked with much pride on the upper stand just below the High Admiral of the Fleet. He traveled his gaze on the crowd, silencing them with his beady gray eyes. The man was Sullivan De Orca, the Commander of the Inquisitors. He raised and held a wrinkled hand.

“You are in the presence of the High Admiral and the Priest of Light!”

The other man who was with them was Lord Bishop Arcines who you wouldn’t mistake for an old man that was past his prime. Dom recorded their presence on the book and took notice of their hooded companions. If he could deduce their identities. Then they were surely the right hand of these two who are destined to take position in the chance that the two old masters are gone.

“We greet the High Admiral of the Fleet!”

The crowd stood up and gave a heart salute to the High Admiral. The High Admiral’s stern gaze acknowledged them and he stood up as well.

“Brothers and Sisters,” the High Admiral started. “For months we’ve sailed the dangerous waters of the world. I’ve been called by my fathers, and my father’s father to become the beacon of the world.

“To our foreign brothers who have finally joined us...I welcome you all to our Ark. To the floating state that we have created for ourselves. ”

The crowd clapped. Lord Sulliva raised his hand once more. The circular hall quieted once more as they waited for the next words of the High Admiral. He watched. His eyes remained constant on them.

“The Lord Chancellor of Aon had requested me to be part of this fleet. I’d called my blood brother a fool. For foolishly handing me the best of his soldiers. The best minds of our nation to be my subordinates. All that I’ve here is the best of what Aon can offer. We, the nightmarish states of federations, ruled by petty princes and lowly warlords had become one after my Lord Brother had decided that enough was enough.

“He had once told me that ‘Brother I shall be conquering the states. And I wish to unify all of it under one banner and one flag. A few years later he had done it. My good brother is a man of his word and under his guidance. We’ve gathered everyone. I believe that all of my subordinates here are sons and daughters of Aon… except for all of you.”

The High Admiral pointed at the ‘noble-blooded’ people of the Icean Spine. The Captains of the fleet pointed their eyes at them as well. The whole act made everyone nervous. The noble-blooded of the Icean Spine who had joined the Reconnoiter Company under Lord Seke’s banner turned their eyes towards him. He stepped forward as if ready and eager to answer.

“My Lord,” Lord Seke raised his head.

“Lord Seke… My scholars had recognized your efforts. Perhaps, if it weren’t for your assistance that we would have not won our battles. You’ve made an effort to prove your worth. You cultivated our trust and it blossomed as friendship. However, you are not Aon-blooded. There is not a single drop of blood in your veins. Nonetheless, we welcome you as comrade-in-arms.”

Lord Seke slowly nodded.

“I am indeed not Aon-blooded,” said Lord Seke. “There is not a single drop of blood of your people in me. I understand that. However, I worship the only God of Light! I worship Lumina! And the Lord had foretold that when the day came. The light and the darkness shall come to a clash.”

He carefully eyed the riflemen and the Vitate Protectors of the Elven-kin, clearing asking for their permission. Once they got their permission, Lord Seke unfolded scroll to which give forth an illusion made of light.

The light revealed figures that showed the believers of Lumina, the God of Light guiding a group of people who have a brand on their hands. Lord Seke raised his left brand and showed it to the council.

“I am Seke! A follower of light! I’ve been told that such a day would come. I’d wished and dreamt that I would not be the one to do such a duty.”

He smiled sadly as if lamenting his role on this.

“But alas we must take a step back to our homes and fulfill the promise of light! You can call me a betrayer of my people. A man who had no loyalties to my nation. But when God comes and tells us that it is the end! What kind of man stands by and lets this pass!? Call me what you like! I serve God! And God tells me that I must stand by those who carry the Blinder!”

His resolve-filled voice made the Captains look at him with respect. If he had denied himself as a betrayer then he would have the scorn of the Captains. The Admiral however looked at him so placidly that he was like a statue that was waiting to pass on judgement.

“You speak with faith. I accept it. There is merit in what you speak. You come here in hopes that you will join us. To allow you to be part of our fleet. If it’s you alone I would permit it, Lord Seke. However, you bring with you sons of old blood. Sons of lineages who carry the old hatred that we have. Those who have blue-blood walks among you.”

The mention of the blue-blood made everyone stiff. The Vitaes kept their hand cannons pointed at them as if ready to eliminate the plate-armor wearing individuals who wore their lineage’s pride.

“May I have permission to speak?”

One of them who looked old and battle-weary approached the stand. He wore a magnificent steel armor that showed scars. What surprised Dom the most was the standards of this suit of armor that he wore.

“I am Rudolf of the Greyhawk Clan!” he told the crowd. His speech contained the old tongue that was rather crude but was still understandable to the crowd that gathered.

“My father was a warrior that came with the Fleet of White Sails! We had sailed into this continent hundreds of years ago to follow Godiric! My ancestor was his first legion. My father’s father was among the clansmen who took upon their duty to educate the barbarian families of the Icean Spine! You come here as conquerors as well! You’ve conquered it as well! You call them ‘traitors’ of our homeland when in truth the Icean Spine belonged to the Godiric line! When the Old Ruler of the Icean Spine Lost his reason, this land had long been splintered! Look at this place! It is not civilized! Half of our lands still belong to the woods and the rest to the monsters! We are trapped and cornered like dogs in thick black walls! Those who know me and had started to learn of the deeds of my family can witness that the Greyhawk’s had never once stopped its dream of cleansing this land in the name of the old homeland! I have not sworn loyalties and have always been loyal to the cause!”

Dom eyed the Patriarch of the Greyhawk Clan. Fortunately for them there were others who still had their last names in the Fleet. And even their long-distance cousins were rather surprised by their existence. It’s because of this that they actually had the right to speak in front of the council. It was obvious to Dom that Lord Seke had brought the Old Patriarch here after his youngest son was cared for.

The Admiral who heard of his speech turned to his advisors. From what Dom could tell they had already informed the Admiral of the existence of the Greyhawk Clan. The Greyhawk Patriarch, who was in front of the Admiral, didn’t budge at the sight of the Old Admiral.

Pride was dangerous. But that same Pride was useful for the Patriarch. They may have betrayed their land, but they could only claim that they did it for the sake of their lives as well. Dom refused to believe that they did all of this for the sake of a mission and a goal. The Icean Spine was clearly on its last legs. The monsters of the Great Seas will come and the Fleet, the one that destroyed at least this part of the Icean Spine was clearly lost. Of course, they only conquered the Eastern Parts of the Icean Spine through a lightning campaign.

The Western-side of the Icean Spine, although they should have been hit by the Gates of Brampi being opened, had not reacted to the deeds done by the Fleet. Nonetheless, Dom had heard of movements coming from the West of the Icean Spine. Even they should know what the goal of the Fleet was.

If only they were truly so righteous that they could believe them. But other than the Greyhawk and Lord Seke. The other noble families were rather… unworthy of their trust. The nobles who came after Lord Seke and Greyhawk Patriarch tried to do the same. But they did not have the ability and the voice to truly make the council believe them.

However, there was merit to taking them in. Their forces could act as a scouting fleet. Besides, even if they are doing this to intimidate the newcomers. It was also for the Admiral to show them ‘respect’ as their new allies.

Before all of this. He was a prosecutor in the Eastern Plains and then one of the scholars sent to be part of this great voyage. Dom had always thought that such acts of intimidation and cross-examination were utterly fascinating.

He was rather thankful that this was the only thing they needed to do. Dom lifted his writing stick and made sure to add extravagant details to the record. It was sometimes tiring, being a Historian of the Fleet, but it was his role.

“I bet they'll be happier if they were the one who were here,” Dom said, thinking of the scholars who were hard at work back in Milostiv. They were swift and efficient and with the press making some of the transcription efficiently. The ‘hearing’ continued for a while. At the end of the hearing, the Admiral stood up and declared to the Fleet Captains that the Reconnoiter Company will resume their journey to the Great Seas.

At the same time Dom heard from one of the livelier Captains the appearance of a large Sea-kin horde West of the Icean Spine. The creatures that they had seen when they first arrived in the Icean Spine had shown itself once more.