Isakov climbs down the tree, sitting on the base of a tree is a man called Wight, of similar age, and like every fleet-kin born man, has a tan.

Isakov adjusts his light clothing. He takes another look at the hideout before shaking his head. Wight thumps him on the shoulder, eyes traveling upwards where the Doctor of Milostiv was resting.

“You told the good Doctor?”

“I did.”

Wight observes him. “You look distraught. Did the Doctor scare you?”

He raises a brow. “Not all. Though I do have a feeling that I was disturbing the Doctor. He rarely rests. So I feel odd.”

Wight leans on his shoulder. “Indeed. He always goes on rounds to check up on the people.”

At first it was the Milostiv getting checked up. But as the population expanded and many people began living on the back of the Arkshelled. The Doctor would roam the six communities and sometimes visit the other Grand-Galleons to help out.

Most of the Doctors and Surgeons of the fleet have been taught by the Doctor and as they passed on knowledge. The Doctor rarely had to teach unless one requested it. A local legend among the fleet-kin. It is said that during the times of conflict, the Doctor had done a deed to gather the attention of a goddess.

The Doctor’s usually kind. But he was also the person who the criminals of the fleet are bound to see if they are deemed as sinners. The Doctor’s experienced, with years of fighting and strength that hasn’t weakened despite his age.

Not that they know the exact age of the Doctor. He only shares it to people who he knew right from the start of the voyage of the Reconnoiter Company, now named the Lighthouse Fleet. Isakov wonders if it’ll change, knowing how the island has improved throughout the years. Isakov was an Arkshelled-born child. Wight here came from one of the Grand-Galleons that have been turned into a town-ship.

With the help of the Elven-kin. The Grand-Galleons have become mighty. Like the Ark that sits on top of the Arkshelled Island, where the island is steered, the Grand-Galleons should be called Arks, but they couldn’t abandon the old names.

Wight leads the way. They pass through the trees that are webbed together. The island is small and so there are many of the kin living vertically in trees carved inside, allowing them to live in them.

“It’s awfully foggy lately,” Wight said.

“Indeed, but thank heavens for it.” Isakov took a step to the right, avoiding the water buffalo pulling a cart full of vegetables. Everything grown on the island is done vertically to maximize the space. Isakov rarely does find ones unless they need water to grow.

The two steps into a bridge made of hardened vines and roots with a solid bark laid on top of it. They could see the elder spring’s waters flowing down the side of the island. Wight leans on the vine-railing and squints his eyes.

“Look at that. Looks like barnacles again!”

“Really?” Isakov leans. “Ugh, I'm tired of it. I do wish the cook would cook it with salt.”

“Not with this kind of weather,” Wight said. He continues moving forward, arriving on a view where one could see Lundy and the tailbone ports.

There were a lot of workers gathering on the claw of the island where the ships are lifted. This time however, they pulled a creature that hasn’t been seen for a long time.

Traveling the oceans for years. Sustained by the bounties of the water and the rare leftovers of mountain peaks that have been broken up by the waves. There are times where the fleet stops to look at the small patch of land and check for any resources. The divers tend to bring curious things and a hypothesis was made through the observation.

Scholar Dom, a friend of the Doctor of Milostiv, had written in his book, before his passing, that the world waters must have been raised. He doubted the very fact that the fleet could travel for years without seeing land. They couldn't have been possibly lost with the help of the Elven-kin and even if the world they live in was wide and the lands are despairingly separated by miles of ocean. They should have seen an island or a small country.

And so there was a lot of debate about this theory. Many agreed while the others believed that the world was much larger than they thought it would. In Isakov’s case, he believed in the Doctor’s theory that the world is large and the oceans even wider. But lately there is evidence suggesting that perhaps Scholar Dom wasn’t wrong.

The cool environment. The times where they saw ices forming and even creatures that are unheard off. It was last year when they caught these strange flightless birds that are colored black and white with stiff black wings. As tall as a child, these birds seemingly fly in the ocean and seem to travel by colony.

Their meat were quite rare and the fleet had been trying to add them to the cattle, though the Doctor, after thorough dissection, had said it's better to keep the eggs. The creatures are rather strange. Doctor Gabrio described them as having spikes on their tongues and the roofs of their mouths. Other than the flightless birds. The new creature that they have found adrift was a strange one with small hooves on the tips of its fingers and toes. It has a tail and webbed feet which led them to believe this creature could walk on land.

Find this and other great novels on the author's preferred platform. Support original creators!

They had been dissecting the creature after it landed. The whole fleet encountered a group of it and the rest were captured while the biggest one is still being butchered.

It tasted like whale meat. Isakov didn’t know what a whale was, but it did provide them with a source of food and oil. People have been telling him that oil from this beast could be helpful.

Having enough of the stench mixing up with the cool wind. He went past the fruit trees where the fruits are pruned so the trees would grow straight upward from a platform. The elven-kin, guarding the fruit trees, watches them.

Ever-stoic and perpetually cool. Wight bid them goodbye and went to the area between Rostford and Watford where a field meant for the skyships is staked to the ground. There’s only about seven skyships that have been built and the rest are the balloons that are used by the Skyvers to patrol the skies and deploy the eight lanterns that extend the light of the tree to the whole fleet.

“You two are late,” a calm voice said. Isakov looked up and found a woman with a thin frame wearing a sash around her hip. Aeka, is among the youngest of the elven-kin and had been assigned to their skyver ship.

Wight controls the internal parts while Isakov steers the skyship. She’s the windcaller and acts as their lifeline if the ship goes down. On Aeka’s back is a treant that she carries around. If they ever fall down the treant would rapidly expand and spread its webbed limbs to slow down their fall and glide down like a fallen leaf from a tree.

While Wight climbs up. Isakov checks the hull of the skyship while Aeka follows him around with her eyes.

Isakov stops. “Is there something wrong?”

Aeka crosses her arms and then leans on the mast of the skyship. “Uncharacteristically late.”

“Auntie Mana sent me to find the Doctor. I had to climb the tree, you know?”

“Doctor Treeheart?”

“Yes.”

“I see. I shall excuse you. Though was there a need for Wight to come with you?”

“Not really. But I doubt he’d work without me.”

Aeka looks at Wight adjusting the ropes and checking on the parts of the skyship. “I don’t know if the man is lazy or he simply doesn’t care unless you are here.”

“Because he knows we can’t fly without supervision. How are the winds today?”

“Fine. The sprites are rather curious about what they saw in the butchering area.”

“The butchering area? Oh, the giant creature.”

“A toothed whale,” Aeka sat on the railing. “It has been the talk of the fleet. I believe you have the logs?”

“I do have the plans for the recon.”

Aeka extends her hand and pulls Isakov up. Isakov looks at the sturdy rigs and moving parts of the skyship that allows it to support the ship from the heavy winds and continue flight while lessening the resistance mid-flight. Checking the steering wheel, and testing the rudders and the elevator-balloons on the ‘rib’ of the ship that would lift the ship from the ground.

The plan was to scout the jagged rocks and the small hills spotted. Too tall to be clambered on, and too flat to try and climb. Honestly, there were only a few real climbers in the fleet. So one of the Captains of the fleet decided to test the skyships to be tested and find a path that can be used to check out the area.

“A bit foggy, but we can do it.”

Aeka studies the jagged crown shape and puts down the telescope. “We can take that path and make a map of that area.” She sends out the sprites and the little creatures sit on their shoulders as if natural.

Speaking to the sprites with care, Aeka tells them to lift the skyship. Wight pulls on the levers and pulleys, adjusting the wings and sails of the skyship.

“Brother, I need more tilt on the right.”

“Aye, can do that. Needed more heated air though.”

“Please wait, they are trying their best to heat up in this cold.” Aeka whispers the words of power as the winds heated and carried them up slowly. Slowly, but surely, the skyship leaves the boundaries of the fleet and floats mid-air.

Like it’s being lifted by invisible ropes and moving like it’s on stormy water. Adjusting the sails, the cambered shape of the sails produces force. The skyship moved forwards, the bow tilted down, moving them closer to the land they are scouting.

With the sprites taking care of the flames and the winds. Aeka climbs the rig and scouts the shallow water surrounding this mass of land. As the skyships climb up, Aeka calls out.

“It’s like a bowl and inside seems to be a forest?”

“A forest? Really? Can you see structures of any sort?”

“None. But I can see a forest and more land.”

“Huh? What do you mean?”

“It’s a huge land, Isakov. The fog seems to have blinded the whole fleet. Looks like the jagged rocks hid the cliff faces.”

“More cliff faces?”

“Yes! Goodness, it’s a big land! We might be able to step on a big solid land!”

“Can you steer for a moment?”

Aeka hesitates before leaping down, and taking control of the skyship. Isakov scales the rig and looks up the cliff faces with his telescope. The fog was cleared, so he could see better.

Plateaus of green and ice that has formed together. The summit seems to overhang the base by nearly fifty meters. He could see a long, deep, narrow body of water that reached far inland. Despite the fog hindering his visibility. He knew that it was what they call a fjord. It was the largest land that the fleet had encountered for years. With their ship just beneath the clouds, he could see the end of the land and yet with the cliffs and small mountains surrounding the land.

Isakov felt his heartbeat grow louder. Wight, who couldn’t contain his curiosity, clambered, and gaped in awe at the jagged peaks, and stunning coastlines. With the skyship drifting sideward, Isakov caught a glance of the red backdrop of what seems to be a tundra.

Witnessing the view, Isakov leapt down and took hold of the steering wheel. He looked at the crew and said determinedly. “Let’s go back. We need to tell the fleet we found land!”