Isakov pulls the bolt of his rifle. Wight stabs his bayonet on the creature while Aeka looks at the creatures that are crawling out of the depths and swipes her treant’s lumber-like arm, flinging them on the wall.

“Done!”

Isakov goes forward and starts shooting. Wight rummages his satchel and inserts ten rounds in his bolt-action rifle. Pulling the bolt, he joins Isakov as the Aeka points the cannon attached to the shoulder of the treant and blasts their charge.

“Reloading!”

Isakov opened the chamber of his gun and started reloading. Wight takes a step back and follows. Aeka, who maintained the barrier, pulls the rotary gun hanging on the leg of her Treant and then starts putting holes on them.

Aeka hears what seems to be gigantic footsteps and gazes on the path and sees a rather tall creature. It is similar, but much more muscular compared to the creatures they’ve faced.

“Firing shot!”

Aeka shouts, her Treant’s arm taking the blunderbuss on the other leg of the creature and firing it. The creature started back. It tried to charge, but Aeka’s Treant pummeled the creature, its sharp elbow breaking the neck. Aeka doesn't stop, she slams the creature down and stomps hard on the neck again.

Isakov finishes his reloading and scans the chamber. “I think that’s the last of them.” He blinks at the creatures massacred. It makes him wonder how in god’s name the older generation was able to fight against such creatures in hundreds and possibly thousands.

The Dread Line.

The Icean Spine

And the Battle in the Long Strait where the Blinder of Light and the Baron Blessed by Moonlight fought.

He was taught how to fight with a melee weapon, but his teacher did warn him to always use the distance rather than fight them up close. There is a difference in strength and durability that humans like him had to watch out for. Most fleet-kin are born to fight well. They must learn the ways of the Fleet and always remain someone who would contribute to the fleet. Right now, their flights have been suspended because they needed to clear the mines.

It has been weeks since they’ve been fighting. And once in a while they would encounter creatures that are like these. Rabid as if god had abandoned them. These creatures of the night. It has been long since the fleet had encountered them. The sea-kin, the undersea tribes, and the worst of them all, the creatures of the interstice have been the hunters of the night.

“Let’s finish them,” Aeka said. “The Doctor would want to study the giant. I will drag it out to be studied. The rest will be burned.”

Wight checks his canister and taps it. “I still got oil so might as well do this. I want to see some sun again.”

Wight and Isakov pours oil on the bodies while Aeka drags the colossal creature out of the cave, the treant extended its roots and hauled it out of the cave where a squad was waiting for them.

“Got a good one!?” The squad leader was someone familiar. It should be Milles who was a descendant of the teacher’s son. Unlike his brothers, it seems Milles wanted to be part of the troops in battle.

“I think so. Doc might be happy.”

Milles checks out the creature. “Oh, he will. Aeka, you okay, bud?”

“Fine, Milles.”

“Nice. Glad to you see three are in good pieces.”

Wight shoulders his rifle. “With Aeka around, it’s manageable. How are things on your side?”

“Okay. Not bad. We’ve been tasked with the cleanup while the hunters are pummeling down predators. Have you seen it? The elder treant punched one of those two legged beasts in the face and started dragging it to Rokata for examination. Geez, I think for once I’m going to be sick eating all kinds of meat. It’s an abundant hunting ground.”

It has been fruitful for the fleet to visit this place. For once, they were able to spare resources and fully stock the chambers full of food and new cattle were being turned to serve the fleet. If anything, despite the abundance of food, it only made them careful and wary.

Nothing good in life comes free.

The fleet-kin had been sure of that ever since the voyage. The hardships of the sea and the scarcity of food and the constant hardships had made the kin strong.

Hardships brought strength .

Their limitations brought creativity in which they could improve and innovate.

No one here would want to get cozy.

It felt wrong.

To most of the fleet this is nothing more than a plundering. A short term plunder where the fleet will get what it needs and go away. The discipline and teachings have taught them that.

Besides, despite it all, the fleet has been their home. Even those who got used to the land wanted nothing more than to go back to their home ship and continue their lives there. To stand on solid ground was weird. Expecting the land to groan as it breathes air from its mouth or the ship rolling and shaking.

“Creature is secured on the treantler.”

The tree crawler was a modified treant that stood on four legs with a space on the back and inside that allowed them to move. It’s been used to swim across seas and sometimes allow them to submerge. Treants could stay in the water for a month while the special ones could remain underwater. There are treants that could float by using the methods of the balloon to float, but so far they haven’t been able to imitate a flying bird. The Doctor said that it had to do with the structure of the treant. It seems to be able to swim and run on solid ground, but the moment it leaves the land. It seems to weaken.

Auntie Mana did explain that treants function by being connected to nature. It gets its life on the ground it steps on and the water it drinks. Without that connection then the treant dies and will wither away. It is the fuel that keeps the Treants alive.

“Everyone!” one of the soldiers shouted. “We got something strange!”

The creature was in rags. Its skin was gray and its eyes were glowing. “Creatures of light… you have come here to--”

Before it could continue. One of the squad members belonging to Milles shot it on the knee. The creature, who seemed to be surprised by the audacity, tried to stand again only for the shooter to shoot the creature on the other knee.

“HONORLESS CURS!”

The creature spoke a language they could understand. Their faces turned serious as the treantler and Aeka’s Treant pointed their guns at it.

Isakov points his rifle at the kneecaps creatures while Milles pumps his firearm and keeps his distance.

“This weapon is full of grape shots. I will cave your chest and behead you.”

The creature looks at them. The easygoing atmosphere. The friendly mood around them was long gone. No, the creature seems to have mistaken their amiability for weakness.

“Lay down on the ground.”

“Or wha--”

Milles pumped the creature full of lead. Aeka throws constrict roots on the creature. Isakov moves in, he draws his ten inches long blade. He chops the leg and then presses his left leg on the back of the creature while Wight points his gun’s barrel on the head.

“We said don’t move. You can understand that.”

“You cannot kill me!”

Aeka wraps the creature. “This is a demi-creature. It’s probably a creature of the interstice that has noticed our presence.”

“An elven-kin.. So far from your great forests and you Aonians dogs. Ah, we sunk your lands when you lost your light. It seems that some of you maggots have escaped. Ah, like the worms that you are… crawling and crawling. We have beaten you! This land is ours!”

Aeka ignores the creature and sends a word out to some of the nearby forces. “They should be sending out the Soundless soon. The Jesters will probably be here as well.”

“Can I shut this creature up?”

Aeka blinks at Milles who has his gun pointed and nods.

Milles grins and slams the butt of his firearm on the creature repeatedly until it is unconscious.

“This changes everything.” Aeka said. “This creature will be our top priority. It might have friends so we’ll keep this place secured. Milles, you and your crew will scout around with the crawler. We’re going to keep this creature secured until they arrive. We’ll talk through the sprites.”

“Understood.”

Aeka secured the creature. Isakov lights a torch and starts burning the creature’s limbs to prevent it from generating. It has been years and many measures have been drilled into their heads if they fight creatures that could survive two or more shots without roaring in pain on the ground. If it can speak and understand the language then there are only three words to follow.

Neutralize. Restrain. Capture.

It took a while for the Soundless and the Jesters to arrive where they are. Unlike the rest of the fleet, they were strangely more equipped with metal guns and blackened ceramic armor that seems to be organic.

Isakov looks at the members of the kin as they surround the creature. Following out of the skyship was a familiar face wearing a mechanical mask. Everyone knew whose mask it was.

“Doctor.” Isakov greets. The Doctor studies Isakov for a moment, checking if he had wounds and then follows the Jesters to check on the creature, taking out his bag, and taking samples.

“No tumors. No lumps. There are external objects attached to its skin. We’ll use the quarantine ship to check if this creature is contagious.”

The creature was flipped. The Doctor rips the rags off the creature and traces his scalpel on the chest area.

“This creature is male. It has a reproductive organ.”

The Doctor motions the crew to open the mouth of the creature. Then he pulls the creature’s tongue out. “Its tongue suggests that it can speak the words of power.”

The Doctor takes a vial out of his bag and lets the creature smell it while the Soundless and the Jesters hold it down. The creature wakes up and roars. It tries to utter a spell, but the Doctor simply takes the two-finger length needle from his bag and injects the creature with it.

“It’s spirit-blooded. It should be able to cast a spell. I recommend a silencing spell to disable its capabilities. I can’t test him for now so we’ll transport this creature first to the ship.”

The Doctor packs his tools and lets the crew that he came with drag the creature back to the ship they were using. He stood in front of the crew and studied them again.

“Good job. I will inform you now to go back to Bluepur and have Mana inspect you for any sign of diseases. We don’t know that creature’s intention or does it have anything on it that is infectious. Also, bring that creature on your back. After Mana is sure, you can continue your duties.”

The Doctor turns around. Isakov had to ask. “Is it a creature of the interstice?”

“Perhaps. Ah, that reminds me. I hope you write whatever information that you have seen and heard while dealing with the creature. Do it while Mana inspects all of you. And to answer your question, student. It might be. But we don’t need the fleet to know this for now. Do you understand me, children?”

“We understand, Doctor.”

“Good. Good job in capturing this creature,” he stares at the creature being hauled by Aeka. “And that one. Bring it to Mana. I’m sure she’ll be busy with whatever that is.”

The Doctor joins the Jesters and the Soundless and flies away with the creature.

“That’s quite something. Anyway, you heard the Doctor. We should go. It’s a good time to rest anyway, so we might as well use this chance to do so.”

The crew boards the treantler and heads back to Bluepur with the giant creature in tow. As they headed back, Isakov’s thoughts went to what the creature said.

Did the Great Forests of the Elven-kin and Aon fell after all?