The beast had pus all over its body. Its eye had a slit. Gabrio froze at the sight of this beast. Before he could scream or shout. He saw something glow outside the ship.

He heard the boom of artillery coming from above. The cannon fire sounded closer. Were there cannons on this deck? How could they fire them underwater? Gabrio didn't have the time to think. His legs moved on their own as he dashed outside the halls and followed the sound of cannon fire. Upon nearing the source of the cannon fire, he saw the gunners firing on a square tube. They were moving the cannon by adjusting the levers on the side.

"Doctor!" A constable halted his step. "Step back!"

"There's a beast on the side of the ship!"

"We know!" the Constable shouted. "We've been trying to fend it off!"

The cannons thundered. Five gunners were manning the cannon. After the shot, they would retract the extendable square tube from the hatch. Pull down the sliding hatch that prevented the water from entering the ship, and load the cannon. When the cannon was ready to fire, they would slide the hatch up. Insert the cannon in the square tube. On top of the cannon, there was a man who was looking through a spyglass.

"Downwards!" the man shouted. The men that loaded the cannon adjusted the levers. The butt of the cannon was then pointed upwards.

"Fire!"

The cannon fire shook the room. Gabrio braced himself on the walls as his ears rang. The Constable neared Gabrio. Giving him earplugs as the five-manned crew continued firing at the monsters.

Gabrio wore one earplug and went to the next room. In the next room, other four-lined cannons were firing one after another. Running around the sixth deck. Gabrio had discovered that there were cannons on the fifth deck as well. Using the same mechanism in the sixth deck to fire the cannons.

Cannon fire rumbled the upper and lower deck of the Milostiv. The air broke as artillery fire from the mortars smashed the still sea. Gabrio returned to his cabin, watching the pus-ridden beast pummeled by cannon fire.

When the cannon fire penetrated the beast's scale. A cloud of green opaque smoke exploded on the water, infecting the water with its color. It was then that Gabrio saw harpoons the size of logs puncturing the top of the pus-ridden beast. From inside his cabin, Gabrio could hear loud cheers coming from the upper decks.

His door opened. A Constable urged him to follow him. Gabrio followed to the upper decks, clutching his medicine kit on his hand. Along the way he met people cheering, hugging as they proclaimed victory for the Galleon. He wove through them alongside the Constable. He arrived at the block where the cannoneers were. Some of them had their hands burned by the black blast produced by the cannon.

"Line up!" Gabrio commanded.

The wounded gunners lined up. Gabrio called for the Constable with his eyes. "Tell Wiles to bring bandages! If anyone asks then I am in this deck! Now go! We need to fix them up!"

Gabrio started his treatment. He then had a barrel of water beside him. And had one of the gunners scoop water to wipe the wound. He had to get rid of the powder that was stuck on their wounds. The men were sturdy and gritty enough to handle the treatment. After the treatment, the men returned to their stations. Gabrio had to move around the deck. Cleaning wounds and bandaging the fools who had accidents. Wiles joined him after a time, carrying a sack of bandages slung on his shoulder.

After a time of treatment, Gabrio settled outside the passage leading to the hatchway. His eyes were on the pus-ridden beast. Around the beast were whaler ships that had attached their harpoons on the back of the beast. They were attaching the beast to their ships, dragging it to the Ark. The beast left a green trail on the sea.

It was then that Gabrio realized that it was not the only beast that found its way on the fleet. Near the Galleons, surrounding the caravels and junks. Were smaller sized creatures with the same appearance as the beast. The difference was that the beast did not have the pus-like lump growing like mold on their scales.

Before long, a crowd gathered on the stern of the Galleon. A rope was being pulled and at the end of that rope was a man whose head got smashed against the hull of the ship. Tracing where the rope came from, Gabrio noted that the sudden battle must have pushed the man off the mast. His body swung on the hull, smashing his head.

Gabrio had the sailors help put the man down. When Gabrio examined the body, he found a tattoo on the arm of the sailor. He couldn't recognize the face, but he recognized the Frontiersman Symbol.

"Wiles, had them wrap this man. We'll have to throw him off the board, his family should be around."

Wiles nodded. To deal with death and wounds were part of the job. Wiles was adjusting well, as expected of a corpse bearer. After a moment, the wife of the sailor burst into tears as she appeared on the deck... By her appearance, she looked like she was a housewife, and by the looks of the boy with her. Who was tidy and was clean compared to the boys running around with buckets. The man was a veteran sailor who owned his cabin. With the father gone, someone had to take a role in the Galleon.

The Chaplain arrived on the deck. He greeted Gabrio with his eyes and turned to the departed. Gabrio had let the Chaplain manage the funeral rites of the dead. He left that part of the deck and went to the stern where the morning finally broke the clouds.

Watching the scenery for minutes, Gabrio clapped both of his cheeks and returned to his work. On his way back to the clinic, he still heard the cheers of the victorious.

*****

A slap landed on his face.

“Why can’t you save him!?”

“The poison had seeped in his pores, Madam. If I try to remove that then there might be a risk of infectious pus contaminating the deck. I cannot allow that as the Physician of the ship.”

“You are supposed to save people!”

“I do. When they can still be saved,” he said without a tone in his voice.

The woman’s face crumbled. She turned to the man laid on the side. She dropped to her knees and placed her forehead on the man’s chest. Body shaking sobs escaped her.

“I’ve called for the Constables, Sir.”

“Thank you, Wiles,” Gabrio caressed his cheek.

“She’s confused, Sir. I hope you don’t take offense.”

“You know her?”

“No.”

Gabrio stayed his gaze on Wiles before putting it on the woman. This was the second death in the day. Most of the gunners were not harmed. Only those caught unaware by the cannon fire and people who had tried to poke the pus-ridden beast.

After dealing with the woman. Gabrio had been informed that he needed to take a boat to the Ark. He didn't wait for the funeral rites of the man. He bid his farewell when the Chaplain arrived to take charge of the situation. He had left the rest to Wiles and the Chaplain.

Then he went to the side of the Galleon, got in contact with the pilot that would take the boat to the Ark. While the boat was being lowered he spotted Caldor Ando in conversation with Zyra. To his surprise, she didn't have the calm temperance that he had expected of her. She looked rather annoyed. Shaking his head, Gabrio decided to leave her alone to her business.

When the boat was on the still water of the dread line. The Constable, who was always tasked with calling him or leading him somewhere he needed to be, was looking at him.

"What's your name?"

He nodded at Gabrio. "I am called Robert, Doctor."

"No last name?" Gabrio asked.

"Is that a problem, Sir?"

"Gabrio of Fort Rava," Gabrio reached out his hand. "You don't mind a bondless Ravaian?"

"Oh," Robert took Gabrio's hand. "Must be hard, Doc. Being a Ravaian recently freed from the bond."

"Sure is," Gabrio said. "So what's your second name going to be?"

"That's hard, Sir," Robert folded his arm, he looked at the direction where the wind had blown.

"Don't you find it odd that they bond us with all sorts of contracts. Then when we are boundless, free from those, they tell us to have a second name? Kinda odd don't you think?"

"It means that we are a freeman. Free men must have second names to differentiate."

"Thank the Chancellor for that," Robert nodded.

The pilot keeps his head as he rowed. He had a visible frown on his face.

The bondless were what they called as semi-slaves. People who had been abandon and given a chance by giving them the right to set themselves free.

It was a strange old world system that they had developed to father children who had lost their parents. And also the way to

"I heard that Fort Rava was worst than Fort Bali."

"Yes, it is," Gabrio said. "But then again we don't talk about that, do we?"

"Not at all, Doc," Robert eyed the pilot, before throwing a tiny smile at Gabrio. "Though I was the only idiot that came here, Doc."

"Pretty sure that we aren't only ones, Constable."

"I know," Robert said. "People don't like telling other people that they are from a fort. Well, anyhow, we should stop before our friend's frown here deepens."

Gabrio eyed the pilot. "You have a problem with us?"

"None, Sirs," the pilot said. "Hard to trust the bondless, Sirs. I know that you are all not the same, but can you blame a man for keeping it safe?"

"You're not hiding it well, friend," Robert said. "We are lenient, but try not to show that kind of look to former bonded. Do you understand?"

"Yes, Constable, Sir," the pilot looked down.

Gabrio nodded at Robert. He folded his arms the pilot reached the stern of the Ark. It felt like there was a giant cliff made of wood in front of the boat. When the boat docked to the ramp on the west side of the Ark's ramp.

Gabrio saw the interior of the Ark. A giant space with a block that had buildings. He saw a building-lined street. A market filled with goods. And on the eastern part of the dock was a containment area where the pus-ridden beast was.

Boxing the beast were researchers, and men of science accompanied by the Elven. Their frown deepened as the single-minded individuals had the beast hoisted up. Seeing what that pus could do to people. Gabrio started to where they were and warned them

Gabrio expressed his thoughts to these men of science. He told them of the specifics. Added the details of what he had seen before the ships acted against the pus-ridden beast. When they had died down and had sure that they won't come in contact with the pus. Gabrio saw something floating in the pus that leaked on the ramp. He saw tiny crustacean-like creatures swimming on the pus. He took a look with his magnifying glass that he keeps on his satchel.

Parasites. What he saw were parasitic creatures. So tiny and opaque that it takes a magnifying glass or keen eye to spot them. Gabrio pulled a leather glove from his satchel and took a tiny parasite with his forceps. He then produced a round-bottomed flask and placed three of the parasites inside.

After taking the samples he joined the discussion with single-minded fervor. He presented the sample and spent time discussing it. He had to be here to put his input after being the only Doctor aboard one of the Galleons that had a close call with the beast. He was here to add information.

But at the time his mind raced. He thought that he had contacted the Inquisitor so that the pus is cleansed from the hulls of the ship. The parasites that lived in that pus were dangerous.