Gabrio was glad that there was no cunning sea god that tried to kill them and although there was hysteria. There was also fear that appeared on Gabrio’s head.

Gabrio knew well that it took years for him to reach the thousand islands. He heard from the Kin that it wouldn’t take long for the fleet to arrive.

But it also gave me much to think about. Although Zyra had made mention of it, it really got to him lately that there are forces beyond his capabilities.

He was a Doctor with a long life. A Doctor who learned skills to keep himself sane from all the responsibilities and the fears grasping his heart.

Gabrio was rather simple-minded. He learned medicine to help people and mend instead of kill. But circumstances had forced him to learn skills and how to fight. Whether it was the bow or the sword or a gun. He learned the necessary skills to survive.

But to be faced with such powers he can’t understand made him feel powerless. He was nothing more than a Doctor and he was fine with that.

And yet knowing the voyage was going to end. It made him wonder what it would be like. He had been staying comfortably in the fleet for so long that the thought of living in another place or trekking new lands made him tremble.

He didn’t consider the other places as ‘land’. And knowing that this was their destination made Gabrio wonder if he would still have a place.

Everything must come to an end. Every journey has a destination and Gabrio knew he was nearing his own. He thought back to what made him come to this fleet.

He remembered the hopelessness. The heavy feeling of dread as he looked around Aon, finding work in wars, and then being thrown out of towns and communities for being a Doctor. A quack to the eyes of the people.

A stigma that he thought would never go away. He thought back to the shame he had almost done. But he was unfortunately too stubborn to do the deed and here he was, old enough to become everyone’s grandpa.

“Was I in some kind of spell?” Gabrio asked and yet no answers came.

Without the possibility of time running out. He had devoted himself to things that would allow him to find reason to continue. Of course, serving the people was enough, but there were times he was in pain, seeing them from silly toddlers to old men and women never fails to break his heart.

Gabrio thought of writing in his journal, but this was a feeling that he couldn’t easily pen down on paper. Afraid that someone would be able to inspect his heart and see through him.

It might sound foolish. But Gabrio didn’t want anyone to read his heart out loud and in a way it was something he couldn’t dare to write on paper to examine.

Gabrio also understood that despite his age, he never really did grow up nor cared about it. He was far too old and he thought simply that he had put away the childish fear and desire to be looked upon as this mature grown up.

Responsibility held that childness leashed. And despite wanting to be free as well, he wanted to help. To care for someone so that they may be able to continue on with their lives. Such a feeling never changed, and he doubts that it would fade away.

But the end of a journey means he was forced to realize that maybe this fleet will stop. It will finally reach its destination and the fleet can proudly say that it has reached its destination.

As much as he’d like to treasure such things. To be happy that despite it all he was able to live long enough to witness such a moment.

Gabrio was reminded that the existence of the Blinder meant that there was still trouble ahead. If such power exists, then his counter-balance must exist as well.

He cannot be the only strong force.

Terin Gaspar must know that he wasn’t the only one who held enough power and that if the Sea God was far crueler to them, they wouldn’t be alive at all.

The higher powers are watching and Gabrio had a feeling that he was reaching something that would change his life. Another turning point that would either break him or kill him.

That fear was back.

A fear he had forgotten after being so sure that his life would continue on and on.

Thinking back. He felt that it was a welcoming slap of reality to his arrogant use of time. To be reminded that there is nothing permanent and even this voyage couldn’t last long enough.

He had lost many people.

Forgotten a lot of them as well.

Their memories faded away and sometimes only he could remember that such a person existed. Gabrio thought back to such times. And now after looking back, it felt like he had filtered out and let some of these memories fade away.

Gabrio spent many years tending. And yet thinking hard, looking through his memories, he realized that he had chosen not to attach to himself carelessly. Or perhaps was it Ristina’s death? Or was it watching an old friend like Dom and Robert and Wiles fade away?

With his eyes turning gloomy. He made a sigh and thought how rather callous he was. He’d have to thank the sea god for reminding him that despite the time he has spent on this drowned world. He remained finite. And that his home could be gone as well.

The thought of this journey ending had never been something he would normally think about, but with the Kin and the blinder seemingly positive that they would reach their destination. It made him look back and realize that a long life meant nothing to the fates and the destinies of those who play an important role to the world more than him.

He was a stray.

He had been a doctor for generations, serving the fleet for as long as he could remember. He had seen it all - the birth of new life, the passing of old, and everything in between. He had watched as the ships in the fleet had evolved, upgraded, and changed, while he remained steadfast in his duties.

He made his rounds, checking on the crew and tending to their needs, he couldn't help but feel a sense of oddness. It wasn't that he was tired of his job or the people he cared for, but rather that he had witnessed so much in his time that it almost felt surreal.

He had seen countless crew members come and go, ships that had once been the pride of the fleet now decommissioned and replaced with newer models. He had seen the fleet go through battle, epidemics, and natural disasters, yet somehow it all felt like a distant memory.

Gabrio couldn't help but wonder what his purpose was now that he had witnessed so much. Was he just a relic of the past, a reminder of the fleet's history, or did he still have a role to play in its future?

As he continued his rounds, he found comfort in the knowledge that even though he had seen so much, there was still so much more to discover. He was a doctor, and his duty was to care for the crew and ensure their well-being. As long as he could do that, he knew he still had a purpose, no matter how many generations had passed.

***

Sailing for what felt like a generation, the fleet traveling across the vast ocean in search of the legendary Thousand Islands. For years they had braved treacherous storms, navigated through unknown waters, and fought off sea monsters, all in the hopes of reaching their destination.

Gabrio waited on the deck as many of the Fleet were ready to finally witness what the Thousand Islands were in their dreams. Was it a lush paradise? Or a battle-scarred ground? As they break through the fog, and get closer to the shores of the mainland of the thousand islands.

They were met with a landscape that was desolate and barren. The beaches were littered with debris, washed up by the constant waves that crashed onto the shore. The sand was black and gritty, and it crunched underfoot with every step. The air was thick with the stench of decay, as if something had died and rotted away long ago.

Looking out into the distance, the soldiers could see nothing but endless stretches of gray, lifeless terrain. The islands were devoid of any vegetation or signs of life, and it seemed as if the place had been abandoned for centuries. The soil was dry and cracked, with no signs of moisture or nutrients.

The water surrounding the islands was equally lifeless. The once crystal-clear sea was now murky and brown, with the remains of gigantic sea creatures floating lifelessly on the surface. It was clear that this was what they had been hoping for.

The crew walked further inland, searching for any signs of life or hope. As they journeyed deeper into the islands, they saw that the landscape was scarred and barren, with no signs of vegetation or animal life. The only sounds they could hear were the harsh winds that whipped across the islands, and the creaking of the ships as it rocked against the shore.

The islands were barren and desolate. The beaches were littered with debris and the air was thick with the stench of decay.

Gabrio couldn't believe it. They had sacrificed everything to get here, the fleet had given up so much, and now it was all for nothing. They had sailed for so long, risked so much, and all they had to show for it was this wasteland.

Gabrio expected it as such. Knowing that there was a battle that would decide the lives of many… but deep in his heart was hoping that there was something more to it. A paradise where they would hope instead of such crushing despair.

The crew went back to the shore where they saw the equally depressed faces of the crew that explored.

As he stood on the shore, gazing out at the bleak landscape, Gabrio felt a sense of hopelessness wash over him. All the dreams he had, all the plans he had made, were now meaningless. They were stranded in a place that offered them nothing, and he didn't know how they were going to survive.

But then, as he looked around the fleet, he saw something that gave him hope. They were a resilient group of people, and they had survived countless challenges already. They had made it this far, and he knew that they could make it through this too.

The island was still around.

Arkshelled still lives on and with the help of the Kin.

Perhaps they could make the thousand islands their home?

Gabrio strengthened his resolve and thought of going back to work. He watched as Terin Gaspar’s glow filled the bleak landscape and as he approached the shores.

Gabrio saw a thin white line of energy that was faster than anything he had seen break the very air itself and create a shock wave that creates a powerful force shaking the ground and rattles every ship. It was so powerful that it can cause damage to the hulls of ships. It was such a terrifying and awe-inspiring sight, that Gabrio for a second believed that it was a sign of the gods or a portent of some great event.

But it was not.

That terrifying shot removed Terin Gaspar’s torso.

He was alive, but he was missing his chest and stomach.

The resilience of the Blinder showed as he tried to gather the glow around him to heal himself.

Another shot from somewhere came and disintegrated what’s left of Gabrio and pierced through the head of the Arkshelled Island. As the Blinder’s glow faded, Gabrio saw the giant figure clad in moonlight, nocking its bow again, but this time it was targeting the whole fleet.

Gabrio hardened. He pulled the mask hanging from his belt and activated the Vitae within it, trying to warn everyone, but that arrow was loose and all he saw was a bright light that covered his vision.