Gabrio stood on the deck with a grim expression on his face. The fleet sailed cautiously through the murky waters, the stench of death and decay heavy in the air. Everywhere they looked, giant carcasses floated on the surface, their bloated flesh slowly disintegrating into the water. The people of the fleet felt a deep sense of unease as they watched the grotesque scene unfold around them.

The sea seemed to swallow all sound, creating a sense of eerie silence that hung over the fleet. The only noise was the creaking of the ships and the lapping of water against their hulls. The sailors whispered among themselves, their voices hushed with fear and disbelief.

The Lady of the Milostiv, stood at the helm of her ship, her jaw clenched tightly as she scanned the horizon. They had seen some things in the dead line, but something like this in their entire career as seafarers, and they couldn't shake the feeling that something was deeply wrong.

As they sailed further into the sea of death, the sailors began to notice strange phenomena. Lights flickered in the water, illuminating the bloated carcasses from within. The fleet's compasses spun wildly, making navigation almost impossible. And in the distance, they saw strange shapes moving in the water, as if some unseen creature was lurking just below the surface.

Despite the unease and terror that gripped them, the fleet pressed on, desperate to escape this cursed sea. But as the days wore on, it became clear that something was preventing their escape. The sea seemed to stretch out endlessly in all directions, trapping them in its foul embrace.

Despite the fleet's efforts, they remained trapped in the sea of death, with no clear path to escape. It was then that a blinder of light finally got out of his meditative stance.

He immediately set to work, using his abilities to try to find a way out of the cursed sea. He spent long hours studying the water, its movements, and the strange phenomena that surrounded them, hoping to uncover some clue that would lead them to safety.

But despite his best efforts, he was unable to find a solution. The sea seemed to defy all logic and reason, and no matter what he tried, the fleet remained trapped.

As the days wore on, Terin seemed to begin to feel the weight of failure bearing down on him. He had always been able to solve problems through sheer force of will and power, but this time it seemed like there was no answer.

The people of the fleet watched his efforts with a mixture of hope and desperation, but as the days turned into weeks, their faith in him began to waver. They whispered among themselves that he was a fraud, that he had no real power to save them. That the fleet was now trapped in this sea of death.

He knew that he couldn't give up, that he had to keep trying no matter what. But the weight of the fleet's desperation was crushing, and as the days wore on, he began to feel a sense of hopelessness creeping in.

Gabrio watched this process. Sometimes the fleet’s children would knock on his office to ask and Gabrio would answer the same. That there was nothing to be afraid about.

But there was something off about the miasma. The dread creeping in made Gabrio suspicious of what this place does to the people.

As the fleet remained trapped in the sea of death, tensions among the people began to rise. They grew restless and desperate, and some even turned to violence.

They tried to keep the peace, using the sane soldiers to quell disputes and protect the weaker members of the fleet. But such efforts were often met with hostility and suspicion, as many of the soldiers had lost faith in the Blinder's ability to save them.

One night, as the fleet was anchored near a particularly massive carcass, a group of sailors mutinied. They overpowered the guards and took control of one of the ships, determined to make a break for freedom.

Their maddened howls made heard as they used the ship to try and get away.

Isakov and a few soldiers managed to board the ship and confront the mutineers, but they were outnumbered and outmatched. In the ensuing battle, many were wounded and the mutineers managed to escape, taking valuable supplies and weapons with them.

The loss was a devastating blow to the fleet, and Terin felt a deep sense of guilt and responsibility for their suffering. He knew that he had failed to save them, and that the situation was growing more dire with each passing day.

As the fleet drifted on, their hope fading with each passing moment, Terin resolved to redouble his efforts to find a solution. He would not give up, even if it meant risking his own life to save the others.

At least that’s what he told Gabrio as he flew off into the sky and tried to crush this mire of darkness.

As the days dragged on, Terin continued to search for a solution to the sea's deadly curse. He explored every possible avenue, from hoping that studying the carcasses for clues to using his power and the elven’s magic to try to break the curse. But despite his best efforts, the sea remained as deadly and inescapable as ever.

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The sailors had grown increasingly desperate, with many succumbing to sickness or madness. To the point that Gabrio had to concoct sleeping gasses to put them to sleep to prevent more and any sign of this malady that was happening on the fleet-kin was guarded.

One evening, as he was meditating on deck, Gabrio was told by Terin that he had a vision. In his mind's eye, he saw a powerful and ancient sea god, who told him that the curse could only be broken if a sacrifice was made.

Terin knew what he had to do. He gathered the fleet's leaders and told them of his vision, explaining that in order to save them all, one of them must offer themselves as a sacrifice to the sea god.

The Kin were reluctant to accept this grim proposal. But as they considered their options, they realized that it was their only hope for survival. In the end, one soldier stepped forward, offering to sacrifice himself for the greater good. To damn his soul in hopes for the fleet to escape.

He was held and he had little time to live. His body was scarred and it looks he was holding on to life by the root-prosthetics that Gabrio had installed. Terin wanted to try again and use the Elven-kin to solve this problem, but even the combined might of the elven-kin did not do well.

This God of Sea that Gabrio hadn't heard wasn’t allowing the fleet to pass this sea. Why it was blocking the fleet, Gabrio had no idea, but he knew that only through this ‘sacrifice’ would they be able to get out of this predicament.

With the consent of the soldier performed a powerful ritual, using the Kin’s magic to amplify the sailor's sacrifice and offer it up to the sea god. There was a great flash of light, and then the curse was simply broken. Gabrio found nothing other than the man’s soul being ripped out of his flesh and then it was just gone.

The sea returned to its normal state, and the fleet were able to escape.

As the fleet sailed away from the cursed sea, everyone knew the sacrifice of that brave soldier would never be forgotten. Gabrio watched on the sideline, he was powerless, and against the might of a god… he felt like an ant.

After all that confusion he had time to ask Zyra. He was then directed to Lady Rosalve who had asked him to join her in her tea time as the fleet calmed down.

The Grand-Galleon has a window and their place in the Milostiv gave them a view.

“They found the ship. It came back. I believe that the crew perished.”

“They were under a curse. We lost more here than the massacre we caused.”

“You have no filter, Doctor. I admire that trait in you. Though it is rare for you to visit me for a talk.”

“Perhaps.”

“I’m sure that the Doctor is here to inquire about this unfortunate event?”

“There’s a god of the sea?”

She smiles. “Indeed… perhaps an ancient one that was created. The Goddess of the Earth that granted you your treeheart existed, so you must surely have assumed that such a god would exist?”

“Maybe I did.”

“It is safe to assume that such gods exist. But the god we faced is simply a fragment… a curse that has remained on these seas. Our world is vast. So large that the seas would take years to traverse. But that is not the case. We are trialed by the sea god and you must surely know that when the world dimmed. This god has been keeping us trapped in the seas… we are simply lost. No light to shine our way. The sea god is a fickle god, but not necessarily unkind for it believes that it’s the god that gave life to the creatures that walk the earth.”

She told Gabrio of how the fishes came to the land and grew legs. It was somewhat eerily similar and took hold of some memories he didn’t know where came.

“Legend has it that the sea god's name was Tethys, and that he was one of the most ancient and powerful of all the gods. Tethys was said to have control over the oceans themselves, and was revered by sailors and fishermen alike” She added.

According to the legends, Tethys was a benevolent and wise god, who was deeply respected by all who knew him. But as time passed, his power began to wane, and his influence over the sea began to fade.

As the sea grew more dangerous and unpredictable, sailors began to fear Tethys, believing that he had grown angry and vengeful. They offered him sacrifices in the hopes of appeasing his wrath, but nothing seemed to work.

It was said that the curse that had befallen the sea was a result of Tethys' anger and frustration. He had grown tired of the disrespect and indifference of mortals, and had decided to punish them by trapping them in his deadly domain.

“So this sacrifice was meant to appease this Sea God?”

“That is correct. Tethys does not care usually, but there are times where he would be unwilling to let mortals pass by his trials and he must have smelled and felt that warmth of the sun and grew curious. Think of it as a trial and an offering.”

Gabrio kneaded his head. “Are there any more gods we need to be wary about?”

“Lesser Gods and Aspects… but Doctor, you must understand we are in a completely new cycle. We are simply leftovers… remnants of an era that once passed. Our time has come to an end and once the Blinder finishes his duties… then perhaps we shall find our ends as well.”

“Grim.”

“That is life. But we are fortunate enough to live another day. To see the world. Isn’t it wonderful? To be alive?”

Gabrio nodded. He had many questions to ask and despite the many troubles inside of his head and the work needed to be done after such… curse.

For once, he thought of unraveling some mysteries. And the Lady was grateful enough to answer him without riddles. It took a while for Gabrio to be appeased and after noticing that the sun had hidden long ago and the moon came out. He bid his farewell and took a look at the pyre that was lit up around the island.

The ship that was used by those who committed mutiny became their final resting place as it lit up the night.