The fleet could not easily leave without gathering information on the Great Seas. Dom, who had been part of the council, meetings, and discussions had been eager to transcribe and translate knowledge written by the people of the Icean Spine.

Dom placed two books on the long table. One book was empty, the other was being read by one of the scholars of the Icean Spine. It was fairly certain that the people of the Fleet, who had their own languages, could not understand Icean-speak without the sprites. The sprites hovering on their shoulders could not ‘translate’ the words written on their books. To go around this conundrum, one scholar was ‘tasked’ to provide a reading of the book containing five hundred pages of first-hand accounts, lores, sightings, and phenomena. Dom was in charge of transcribing what the Icean Scholar said, while an allied soldier, native to the Icean Spine, would confirm what the scholar said to avoid misinformation.

Gabrio found it reasonable that the fleet would stop for this. Two months, that’s what the fleet wanted to get from the Icean Spine so they could prepare, adjust, and examine what their plans would be in the coming future. How the fleet would move. What formation would they have to do, and insight on the creatures found in the Great Seas.

Dom had chosen to erect a tent next to the medical tent Gabrio's staying. He had been going at it for six hours, and the five hundred page book was barely half done. Their pace was neither slow nor too fast. The scholar was given time to rest for a minute, wet his throat, and continue reading the book loudly.

Such books contained first-hand accounts. What Gabrio found interesting was the testimonies of their great sailors, and seamen that fought the monsters of the Great Seas. One of the phrases constantly mentioned in the reading was the ‘bottomless seas’ which seems to refer to the depth of the ocean they are crossing. He had heard the ‘bottomless seas’ for the two hundredth time ever since then. Most of the soldiers had already driven out most of the natives who were trying to take advantage of the medical tent. The rest of the soldiers were in constant watch, and the days had been mostly about warning the natives of the city to back off or get shot.

The food taken to the fleet was also checked first before they were taken, inspected for any rot and strange odor. The ones who checked on them were the elven-kin who had been willing to check the strange fruits and vegetables. They seemed to plan on taking the fruits and vegetables to Arkshelled Island to be cultivated. Speaking of Arkshelled Island, it had settled in the water where the Fleet took the materials and resources of the city. Creating defenses, reinforcing structures, and making elven-kin structures that could be folded and unfolded if they wished to. There are vessels that have been confiscated as well, taken by the Arkshelled Island to be towed, and be used as spares just in case there was a need for them. They weren’t just normal sized ships either. They were robust and sea-kin worthy, some could even rival the man-o-war of the Fleet.

The ship in question was a heavily modified vessel called the Kalista. It was a vessel with a triangle bow, and an opening that could spit grease fire. The formula of such a fire-spitting weapon made the ship-captains want to arm them. Of course, it would be impossible to modify the ships, training the men would take time, so only the Kalista was allowed to keep the flamer.

To manufacture the ammunition of this flamer. One of the Icean scholars had been told to give the secrets. Composed of a thick foul-smelling liquid that was flammable, impossible to put out without dousing it with sand. It could even burn while in water, which made it even more interesting to the captains and commanders who proclaimed they could find many uses for it.

Of course, Gabrio’s interest was on the medicine side of the Icean Spine. Unfortunately, their practice on medicine and surgery was rather inferior compared to what Aon had. All Gabrio needed was take one long look at the leeches, herbs, and their equipment to understand how capable they were. He did find worthy concoctions, formulas, and medicine worth studying among them. Sadly, some of these medicines can only be found in the Icean Spine, they are also sparse, and their botanical garden was bare because of the recent war. He had the remaining ones harvested since he thought a medicine for coughing and colds were worthy of taking with them. Not to mention that they have sedatives, pain relievers, and their brand of opium that could relieve their fighters of pain. Their opium was effective, and its poppy was worthy of harvest.

Half of the seeds were going to Arkshelled Island for cultivation, while the rest of the plants were concocted into pain-relieving medicine. The Grand-Galleons got most of the medicine, while the rest of the vessels had to be taught on how to apply it and had little stock. The Inquisitor, Cooper Ackie had also given a notice to every crew member that anyone who dares to abuse such opium would be thrown overboard or sentenced on maintaining the ship while it was moving.

*****

Other than medicine, herbs, and strange formulas. One of the most peculiar instruments that Gabrio found was a piece of equipment that seemed to be made of something. It was made of a brass cylinder with hollow copper tubes and gears. Inside the brass cylinder was some leftover water put in using this opening that reminded Gabrio of a pot. Gabrio took the equipment with him inside his cabin, it was no more than a model, it was about twenty centimeters tall and ten centimeters wide. It had a crankshaft and a connection rod attached to a cylinder and an unknown device. There was a wheel attached just next to the crankshaft. Gabrio had played around with the device, but was unsure how it truly worked.

It was only when he showed it to a smith that he suggested putting water in it. Gabrio had already done it, and yet there was nothing worth mentioning. He did however notice that below the cylinder, there was soot below the brass cylinder. Putting those two together, he heated the cylinder, and yet still found nothing special. For the past few days he had been intrigued and only earlier in the morning did he smack his head for being an idiot, placed water in the cylinder, and heated it up. To his surprise, the model started to make a spinning motion.

He had shown it to Mana first who wondered if he had somewhat gained the ability to manipulate the sprites. Her reaction was that of surprise first, but Gabrio wondered why she was disappointed.

“A strange device, fascinating.”

“Isn’t it? A shame that the owner seemed to have been gone. I saw no manuals, journal and who made it had not penned down how he made such a fascinating device.“

“Do you mean to take it apart?”

“I will if I have time, but I must draw it first. I don’t want to destroy such a device.”

“So it turns because of the boiling?”

“The steam seems to make this device turn. I think this thing here,” he pointed to the tube-like part of the device, “makes it somewhat turn. I wish to dissect it, study it, but it’s really nothing of importance. It’s probably a toy made for children.”

“It is interesting, so I can understand. So, was this all you wanted to show me?”

Gabrio raised a brow, “Oh, yes, but would you tell me what had transpired here?”

“We can speak in the tavern.”

After that, she told Gabrio of what had happened while they were acting against the city. How the Light’s Blinder cut the walls and how he had opened the great gates of Brampi. If he had heard it before the voyage, he would have thought of it as some folklore. Gabrio could only imagine how awesome such a sight would be. Nonetheless, even such a destructive act, despite the beauty of it, would have been quite an awful sight to see.

Later, as about to part with Mana and bid her goodbye. She gave him a strange look that Gabrio never really understood. Nonetheless, she shrugged, and told him that the elven-kin council had decided to offer him some perks. Despite him being fully human, the treeheart in him made him worthy enough to stand before them as kin. Gabrio thought that such honor was undeserving, to which Mana had been rather angry about him.

“Do not say that. It may be nothing more than a duty to you, but you have saved my life. You had risked your life to save your patient. We are not people who get along well with our neighbours, we have secrets, and there are many among us that see humans who are not attune to nature as strange. But we know the meaning of respect, we acknowledge it. Gabrio, I advise, as your friend, that you should not speak too lightly of what you have done. Sometimes, to speak of it lightly is an insult.”

Gabrio was muted for a second. “Forgive me if I had made you think that way.”

“No,” she smiled consolingly, “I understand that what you did was nothing more than a service to your patients. But I do cherish it,” she squeezed out the last word with a rather low voice.

Gabrio thought bitterly how indebted he was to them. He tried not to show it to his face, but Mana’s meaningful look battered his thoughts. “I understand.”

“Do you?” she asked teasingly. She raised her lips for a moment, before shutting it. “Sometimes, it’s best if one would take it slow. Make one understand what the other party wants. Now, how does understanding happen? To spend time with another and understand each other through conversation, no?”

Gabrio slowly nodded. “Well, it can't be helped now, can’t it?” Gabrio said to her. “If others would hear me, they would think of me as mad for not taking the opportunity.”

She sighed, “Indeed. It is already fortunate that they are willing to give you privileges in speaking with them. There are only a few who have such privileges, so don’t miss it, Gab.”

“I will. Since you insist on it, Mana.”

Mana left the Grand-Galleon and went back to Arkshelled Island after their short break. Gabrio returned to the medical tent stationed near where the Grand-Galleon were anchored. Dom was still transcribing the texts, the soldiers standing on guard, and the rest of the city was starting to transition from its initial chaotic state to a calmer one. The dead had been lifted out of the streets, buried in mass pits while the better off natives were able to take their dead, and bury them. The fleet had occupied most of the city, and the natives were segregated to the spacious parts of the city. Thankfully, Lord Seike had managed to convince the natives to stay quietly. It was rather easy to persuade the natives when the Light’s Blinder was going in and out of the castle where the negotiations were happening. Gabrio was not important enough to attend the matters between two parties, and he did not dare to attend such discussion, knowing how little he knows about such matters.

It was made clear to them that they would have to spend two months in the city before they could proceed to the Great Gates. Such process would take time, and after months of fighting against the natives of the Icean Spine.

The Admiral knows that the people of the Fleet needed this rest. There are those who desire to leave immediately, after that they are wasting time. However, Gabrio believed that the Admiral’s choice was the right one.

The fleet needed to stock up, clean up, and maintain the fleet. With reasons such as that, it was hard to argue with the Admiral. Not to mention, no one was willing to enter the Great Seas without knowing anything. This fleet was not made out of a whim, and recklessness was not one of the qualities of the fleet.