The hunt for the Corpse-Stalkers proved to be successful. It also revealed that there was someone who had the power to wield the light. This person was not of Elven-kin. He was Terin Gaspar.

Certainly, such news was welcomed with strange bafflement. But the appearance of a supposed savior did not do any good for the morale of the people.

How would you react when a person who was supposed to appear at the end of world emerges? It was a strange thing to feel happy, that the son of light who would bring forth salvation to the world would walk before them. Many started to fear Terin Gaspar for his very role while those who put their faith in the hands of God welcomed it as a sign that the fleet was blessed, and that they are heading to God’s promised lands where they can accompany the son of light in blinding the eye of the world.

There are many thoughts inside of Gabrio’s head.

But caring about the son of light when he was merely the doctor-on-board of the ship was hard. Not to mention that most of the time he was crowded by the people who were curious enough to look at the son of light.

A week then passed and all that changed was the air being cleaner again. During that week he stayed tending to the ones weakened by the foul stench of air. There were days that made him want to just refuse patients, but Gabrio thought to himself how foolishly addicted he was in tending to those who needed patching up.

He just have to keep on going about. No need to make it hard for himself by thinking about what he could not control.

Gabrio was at topside dealing with brawny sailors who were sitting near the railing in line. A chair was placed where Gabrio let them sit on the chair.

“Damn, Doc,” one of the sailors said. “I looked clean.”

“And you better look clean so you don’t get your gums covering your teeth again.”

“Wish the Miss would do the cleaning though.”

“You’d like that, but unfortunately for you. She will take care of the ladies of the ship. Next!”

Another sailor took the seat. Gabrio tapped the razor he used on the side of the basin and wiped the side of the razor. Water dripped on the razor and flick the water aside. Taking his scissors he started thinning the man’s beard until it was thin enough for the razor to do its job. Doing scratching motions around the man’s jawline, Gabrio thinned the man’s facial hair.

Some of them preferred to make their facial hair thinner. There are sailors who got a haircut and a shave. There are also who let Gabrio dictate on whatever he should do. It took hours for Gabrio to shave and clean the sailor’s faces and by the time he was done. He collected enough hair to make a wig.

With the afternoon sun striking the water. Wind lashing on his side. Gabrio turned to the direction of the Island where most of the carpenters and builders were working. He sat on a barrel to watch them work the houses and paved the way for the crews who will be using the carved path around the Shoulders of Arkshelled. The whole Island was moving the same pace as the ships and it was only between early morning, noon, and late afternoon that the ships could anchor themselves on the Island through the tailbone.

Keeping his tools inside his bag. Gabrio kept out of the sailors who were working the deck. He dodged the crowd of people who clambered up topside to breathe some fresh air. Though they are miles away from that dreadful rotting sea. There were still traces of the filth that stuck on the hulls of the ship. At the moment the Island was not moving so that the ships could take care of the barnacles, mollusks, shipworms, and rotten meat that was stuck on the hulls.

These meat were rotten. One of the sailors who dropped the meat saw how it exploded into these finger-sized worms that crawled on the surface. Arkshelled helped in cleansing the ships by consuming these worms through the powerful digestive organs of the Island. Sometimes, Gabrio had to remind himself that it was a living island turned into a puppet by the Elven-kin.

Over the middle-area of the beast were rocks that naturally formed on the shell alongside soil. In the middle of Arkshelled Island was the gargantuan elder tree that produced a spring of water that falls on both side of the Shell’s rocks. Most of the barrels of water are being filled and there was a supply of water for the ship. Though most of the crew called it as another miracle from the Elven-kin.

Gabrio saw it differently. He saw how the roots were acting like hoses and purifying the salt from the water into drinkable water. Each ship was donating one of their cattle to the island. As for the plans to use the slopes of Arkshelled Island as farmland was still being planned and debated by the people who managed the fleet. Though Arkshelled Island become a valuable asset. The fleet hasn’t forgotten the true purpose of the Reconnoiter Company.

Reach the Thousand Islands.

If there are natives of the Island then if possible, make peace.

If they aren’t willing to make peace. Then the fleet itself would wage war and take the islands.

Gabrio understood that clearly. But he also wondered if the fleet would still be big enough the moment they reach the Thousand Islands. How many more seas they have to cross to reach the Islands?

They aren’t even in the Icean Spine. They were clueless on whatever they will encounter after the Icean Spine. However, that was if they could reach the Icean Spine. After all, if the legends were true, and the records were right.

The Glacies tribe should exist there.

*****

In the clinic there was a new occupant. Dom had decided that he would occupy one of the spots to do his work. Zyra, she was not around all the time, and she pursued her own that made it hard for her to stay in the clinic. Not to mention that between attending the patients, teaching Millie, and being a companion of the Blinder. She had little time to spend in the clinic.

Robert was busy with his rounds. He had insisted that as part of his training that he would be the one recording the patience. Wiles had the same duties and though he was approaching Millie every chance he could get. It didn’t bother Gabrio as long as he takes his duties seriously. Most of time he does and it left Gabrio no reason to deny him of his courtship.

Dom was trying to be productive as a scholar, but Gabrio was sure that his writing stick wasn’t moving at all. Upon closer inspection, he was stuck on a certain line.

Leaving him to his worries. Gabrio went to his own desk with his bag placed on the side. It has been quite a day for him. He had to act like a barber once in a while. Gabrio didn’t mind. And though they should be able to shave on their own. It was still better that they could rely on him. Of course, he wasn’t the only one who could cut hair, but there are just so many people inside the Galleon that it was hard to accommodate everyone. That’s why he could only help the sailors and nothing more. The other noble-blooded passengers also had called for him to attend to their hair.

Gabrio suspected that this was going to be one of the things that he had worry about when everyone grows their hair again.

Still, he wondered if he should shave as well. Not that he have time for himself with all the duties he had to perform all around the Galleon.

Leaning on the chair, he stared at the ceiling for a moment. Then he leaned forward, cracked his neck, reached out to one of the papers and started sorting it out.

No sickness.

Even the supplies were safe as well.

That was good for Gabrio’s mind. He could only imagine what a disaster it would be to the health of the crew. Quartermaster Daro made sure that everything was accounted for. If it wasn’t for the iceboxes that they would have a hard time managing the supplies of the ship and taking it all into account what boxes were infested. There were no infestation and that was that.

Gabrio placed the paper containing details of the supply and then took the paper that came from the Inquisitor’s office and absorbed the information. After reading the papers, he got off his desk and walked to his room where he could find some silence and peace alone.

He took out the molded bread and watched rather gleefully as some of them started to become the desired color. Usually it doesn’t take even a week for bread to mold, but the bread he had harvested were taken care off by the three weeks he spent watching over the mold. Gabrio used his syringe to extract the ooze-like substance from the blue mold. Though he was fermenting them while following the ‘dreams’ he found in his head.

Hiding them back below his bed. He took out another project that he had been working on his spare time.

It was a steel mask that was bent to shape. On the mouth area of was holes that he had bored painstakingly. These bores if blown would replicate ‘dit’ and ‘dah’ sounds.

“I can’t replicate how they pronounce their words. How do they make those sounds? Is it the click of their tongues? Perhaps some kind of organ that they are using? Hmm, no, they use that as well.”

He adjusted the part where he blew wind on it. He needed the mask to place the dried pig bladder and some of the thin layer of animal skin that he padded the mas with. The sound was lackluster, mechanical, and was off-tune. Gabrio was perplexed and decided to put away the mask, tucking it under his bed.

Gabrio stretched his limbs. Grabbed on to the gap in the overhead, doing pull-ups and propping down for push-ups. After that, he laid on his bed watching the afternoon sun melt into the night. He let go of the thoughts in his mind. Each and every problem just vanishing away into this vision of the nightly sky he imagined inside his head.

No thoughts. He abandoned his senses and let go of the duties. After a few hours of stillness. He got out of his bed, returned to the clinic, and checked on the medicinal supply. Making sure that the supply was still satisfactory, he started up one deck to find the bar where he could get some meal. Eating some roasted meat cooked over a fire box, he dipped his thought in ale and then enjoyed the music that was being played by the entertainers.

With the ships anchored to Arkshelled Island, the crew had time to get into the Grand-Galleon’s bar where they could be merry. Gabrio was called around by sailors, soldiers, passengers, and patients who he have been looking around. The bar was going to be crowded, so he walked out of the bar and was about to return to his clinic. When he saw a figure walking around the passageways.

She was ethereal.

Gabrio almost forgot to breathe with how close she was and how it felt like there was a sound of strings being plucked by an instrument.

The woman walked to his direction. Gabrio could only lower his head and gave a greeting as she passed by quietly without a word. Seeing her disappear from the passageways, Gabrio continued down the passageway and back into his room.