Chapter 23 — The Dawn Voyages
Port of Manila — Year of Our Lord 1273
I. The Morning of Departure
The harbor lay draped in mist.
Ships lined the docks in solemn ranks — great carracks with hulls of black oak and banners of crimson and gold.The air smelled of tar and sea salt, of sweat and incense.Priests walked among the sailors, sprinkling holy water over coiled ropes and polished cannon.
Above them, the Imperial Flag of Aragon fluttered — the crowned cross gleaming beneath the rising sun.
From the palace hill, Emperor Leon I watched as the fleets prepared to depart.Behind him stood his council, their armor shining like liquid light, their voices hushed.Beside him, Fray Rodrigo murmured prayers of protection.
"Two fleets for two horizons," the monk said. "One toward the lands of gold and corn, one toward the islands of jade and pearl."
Leon nodded slowly, his eyes fixed upon the horizon.
"The Gospel shall go farther than any sword," he said. "But the sword shall guard the hand that bears it."
He turned to the two admirals kneeling before him.
II. The Two Admirals
Admiral Hernando de Aybar, commander of the Fleet of the West, was a veteran of the Zaragoza campaigns — broad-shouldered, bearded, his eyes like smoldering coals.He had seen empires fall and rise; now he meant to build one.
Admiral Juan de Estrella, commander of the Fleet of the East, was younger — dark-haired, scholarly, with the calm of a navigator who could read the stars as easily as scripture.
Both knelt as Leon placed a jeweled crucifix between them.
"Hernando," said the Emperor, "you shall sail west, beyond the islands of the Indies, beyond the sea of storms. Seek the lands our explorers call Anahuac — there, the sun sets on a world unbaptized. Bring them light."
"I shall, Your Majesty," said Hernando, bowing low. "By God's grace, I will plant your cross where no crown has ever stood."
Leon turned to Estrella.
"And you, Juan — eastward to the isles and coasts beyond Formosa. Map the unknown, claim what the heathen neglect, and make every harbor a sanctuary of our faith."
"As you command, Sire," Estrella said softly. "The stars shall be our scripture, and the compass our psalm."
III. The Blessing of the Sea
The Archbishop of Manila raised his hands as the bells tolled.
"In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit — may these ships carry not only men, but the Word of God across the face of the world!"
Drums thundered.Cannons fired a salute.The crowds on the docks roared as the admirals ascended their gangways.
From the ramparts, Leon raised his hand — and the wind itself seemed to bow before him.A thousand sails unfurled at once, catching the golden morning light.
The Fleet of the West turned toward the horizon of storms.The Fleet of the East slipped toward the rising sun.
Their prows carved the sea like blades through silk.
IV. Across Two OceansAboard the "Santa Esperanza" — Hernando's Flagship
The waves grew wilder as they entered the open Pacific.Weeks passed without sight of land; storms tore the sails and lightning struck like spears from heaven.
"Hold fast, men!" Hernando roared over the wind. "If the Lord has called us to cross His ocean, no demon of the deep will bar our way!"
They lashed the masts, sang hymns through the rain, and pressed westward.The compass spun madly; the stars hid behind clouds — yet still they sailed.
At last, after three moons, the sea calmed — and far ahead, land rose like a dream.A green coast glittering with rivers and mountains.
"By the saints," whispered the first mate, falling to his knees. "We've found the Western World."
Hernando smiled grimly.
"Then we name it not for gold, but for grace. Send word to Manila — we have reached the shores of Mexico."
Aboard the "San Gabriel" — Estrella's Flagship
Meanwhile, to the east, Admiral Juan de Estrella's fleet cut through calmer waters.They charted new islands — lush, untamed, filled with songbirds and dark jungles.They named them in the Emperor's honor: Philippinas, after the eastern light of the empire.
They built small chapels, traded with the islanders, and hoisted the red-gold cross upon every beach.By the year's end, Formosa too was claimed — the Pearl of the North, gateway to Cathay.
Estrella stood at his quarterdeck, the setting sun before him, murmuring:
"From one sea to another, His will is done."
V. The Emperor's Prayer
Months later, word of both fleets' success reached Manila and Seville.
When Leon read the twin dispatches — the Cross over Tenochtitlan and the Cross over Formosa — he fell to his knees in the palace chapel.
"Lord of Heaven," he whispered, "You took a soldier from a dying world and placed him here to rebuild one anew.Let me not fail what You have begun."
The candlelight flickered upon the Imperial Seal beside him — now engraved with new words:
ARAGONESE EMPIRE — DOMINION FROM EAST TO WEST"Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam — To the Greater Glory of God."
And outside, the bells of two continents rang in harmony.
End of Chapter 23