《The Monster Inside: The First Vampire》


 Chapter 1 The Innocence of Boyhood

    *The Eldovian Era, Year 1702*

    "Rassa! Rassa we''re going to play find the bunny!" called little Jane as she waved over at her nieghbour. Rassa sat helping his mother cook the bread they would need for the next few days. He always enjoyed pounding his little fists into the soft dough, watching his mother as she folded and pressed it with practiced grace. His never tasted as good as his mother''s though.

    "Why do yours always taste better mother?" Rassa would ask.

    His mother would smile, "Well its a secret, and I can only tell you if you promise to keep it!"

    Rassa would look at his mother seriously, determined to keep such an all important secret safe, "Of course!"

    "Well, with such determination how can I refuse?" asked his mother, then she would turn to the dough, showing him her repetitive movements in slow motions that he could follow, "You see Rassa, dough is like the clay you use to make pots. Only those hands that no how to guide without hesitation, and push at the right time, will get the submission of the element they mould".

    "Submission?" Rassa asked, confused by the new word.

    His mother smiled, "You have to show it that you''re a worthy leader. Somebody who will bring out the best parts of it if only given the time".

    Rassa frowned and turned back to his own dough, "Then I can''t hurt it?"

    "That''s right, you can''t hurt it, only push it in the right direction," his mother agreed.

    "But how do I know which way is right?" asked Rassa.

    "You''ll know," his mother replied, "When the time comes, you''ll know".

    Rassa still hadn''t found the right direction, even after watching his mother knead the dough over and over again.

    "Rassa, come on!" Jane insisted, stressing her impatience.

    Rassa looked over at his mother, "Go on, just don''t venture too far into the woods. It''s dangerous if we can''t find you".

    Rassa smiled, hugging his mother quickly before jogging over to Jane who held out a hand for him eagerly.

    Rassa looked down at it, then frowned at her, "I thought you were a big girl".

    Jane''s cheeks reddened. She''d scolded him just the week before about treating her like a child. She retracted her hand and turned away, "I am..."

    "Well come on then," Rassa grinned, jogging up the path. Jane only hesitated a moment before she ran after him, the grin returning to her face. Holding his hand or not, at least she got to play with Rassa.

    Jane had grown up with Rassa, she was a few years his junior, but that didn''t stop her from treating him like an equal. Rassa had never really cared. Jane was assertive and knew what she wanted despite her age, Rassa was different, quieter. He observed and therefore saw more than the other children. He could sense when something was wrong amongst them, and then he could push them in the right direction. Whilst he had done this largely unconsciously, it had made him an integral part of their group. Everyone knew Rassa, and despite his lack of leadership or extroversion, he was important to them. An important part that more and more of them seemed to be acknowledging. Jane was no exception. She''d noticed how the eyes of Falla, a girl that was a few months older than Rassa, had strayed to the boy on more than one occaision. How Falla would insist upon having him compliment her, or at the very least holding a conversation. She was not the only one, but she was the most prominent in Jane''s mind. This was mostly because Falla was the pretty as one of the porcelain dolls the Lords would give to their daughters. Skin like snow and long flowing hair with cheeks like a juicy peach. Everyone gushed at how adorable she was, and whilst Jane had no idea what the emotion truly was, it made her angry that she couldn''t draw that attention.

    Yes, Rassa, with his soft features and messy black hair, was one of the draws this group of children, Falla was the other.

    Jane ran with determination after Rassa as they made their way through the village towards the forest''s edge where the other children were gathering with a woven basket that held a white fluffy rabbit inside.

    "Rassa!" called Diggory, one of Rassa''s close friends and by far the most commanding of all the children. It had a little to do with the fact that his father was a local knight, and Diggory used it to his advantage on more than one occaision, "Come on, we''re going to start!"

    There were about twenty children in all, the oldest among them, Diggory, was nine years old, the youngest, a boy named Liam, and Falla''s little brother, was five.

    "Okay!" Diggory commanded their attention as Rassa and Jane joined the group, "You know the rules, the rabbit gets a count of thirty as a headstart then we all go after it. First one to catch it wins! If it goes too far in, we choose one of us to be the rabbit and the others chase".

    It''d been a traditional game for the children ever since James, the hunter''s son, had captured his first rabbit. Diggory turned to James, "Ready?"

    "Ready," James nodded with an excited grin.

    "And...release!" Diggory called. James lifted the basket and the rabbit darted forward as the children started counting together.

    "1...2...3...4...5..."

    "Hey Rassa," Falla smiled as she approached him, "What do you think of my dress today?"

    Rassa turned to Falla with a small smile, then watched as she twirled in her brown and green dress.

    "You look nice, Falla," Rassa replied, "I like your hair ribbon".

    Falla''s cheeks turned a little red, "Thank you".

    Diggory glared over at the group who weren''t counting, saying the numbers more forcefully to encourage them to join in, "...13...14...15...16...17..."

    Rassa joined in the counting as Falla moved forward and slowly took hold of Rassa''s hand. Rassa looked at her, only to find her counting as she faced towards where the rabbit was darting into the woods. Seeing her indifference, Rassa didn''t bother pulling away, and instead faced forward too. Jane, who had watched the whole encounter, seethed from the side, crossing her small arms over her chest.

    "...21...22...23..."

    The children readied themselves to run.

    "...26...27...2-hey Diggory, that''s cheating!" snapped Jane as Diggory drove forward before the thirty count. The children burst into chaos as the count just seemed to evaporate and all the children rushed forward yelling their war cries.

    Rassa smiled at Diggory''s antics as he ran with Falla and Jane by his sides, running slow enough to have Falla keep up with him.

    "Come on Falla, you''re slowing us down, we''re going to lose at this rate!" Jane teased, then burst forward.

    Falla frowned, then she released Rassa''s hand and ran after Jane, leaving Rassa behind. Rassa laughed at then two of them. They''d always been pretty competitive. Rassa looked around as the other young children all went in after their older friends and siblings. Making sure they were all present, Rassa entered the forest.

 Chapter 2 The Pursuit of the White Bunny

    The children all spread out, looking for the white fur of the bunny that had disappeared amongst the foliage. Diggory was far ahead of the others, but after a minute, James called out further to the east, "Over there!"

    Everyone turned their attention to where he pointed, and then jumped forward to follow the flash of white fur. The children giggled and laughed as they crashed through the brush, pursuing their target with none of the grace and finesse of true hunters. Instead they seemed to anyone who watched to be wild and crazed.

    Diggory, determined to be the winner, charged forward past the others. He''s spent far too much of the last few years holding second place to Rassa for attention. He was a knight''s son, and yet the son of a mere farmhand garnered more attention. It became more and more frustrating as he watched Falla, perhaps the only girl he''d ever felt close with, seek out his friend more and more often. It was only on occasions such as this, where Diggory was physically superior, that he could prove he was better than Rassa. Noticing he was further ahead, Diggory took a chance to look back at the others.

    James and a few of the other older boys were right behind him, but Jane was well on her way to being in their mix. Diggory didn''t like Jane, in fact it was rare any of the boys did, mostly because she was so good at things that boys should have been better at, like wrestling, and lifting heavy weights. Jane was without a doubt the odd one out amongst the village girls, but she never seemed to mind. Diggory could only ascertain it was because of how close she was with Rassa.

    The younger children and Falla brought up the rear of the main pack, and for a moment, Diggory couldn''t spot where Rassa had gone. Then, he spotted Rassa jogging at the back with some of the younger children. Diggory frowned in annoyance, he wasn''t even trying! It wouldn''t be seen as a competition if Rassa wasn''t even participating! How could Diggory win then?

    Taking his chances, Diggory called out over his shoulder.

    "Come on Rassa! You''re never going to get anywhere going that slow!"

    The boys jeered with him.

    "He''s as slow as a snail!"

    "We''ll have skinned, cooked and eaten that bunny before Rassa even makes it to the half-way mark!"

    Jane and Falla frowned, annoyed that the boy they both admired was being taunted so much.

    "You can''t talk Diggory! You''re a big cheat!"

    While Jane threw insults back, Falla turned back to Rassa.

    "Come on, Rassa! You''ll be left behind!"

    That was exactly why Rassa was staying behind. Well, not because he would, but because the younger children would. Their little legs couldn''t possibly keep up, so they spent most of their time at the back of the pack. There had been more than one occasion in the past where one or two of the children had gotten lost. As a result, the adults had had a stern talking to all the children, and Rassa was in no hurry to hear it again.

    "I''m coming!" Rassa called forward to reassure the others. He looked down at the younger children, "Come on, we''ve got a rabbit to catch!"

    "But we can''t run that fast, Rassa!" one of the children complained.

    Rassa smiled, "I''ll tell you guys a secret".

    He motioned them closer and they eagerly stepped forward.

    "A secret?"

    "What is it!"

    "Tell us!"

    "Yeah, tell us!"

    "Well," Rassa began, "A rabbit can clearly run faster than any of us...so how then do we catch it?"

    The children all looked confused, "But isn''t that the idea? To run after it to catch it?"

    "If it runs faster how can we catch it?"

    "It''s pretty simple...you just have to think smarter than the rabbit. Can you kids tell me what rabbits like most?" asked Rassa.

    "Carrots!"

    "No, lettuce!"

    "They love food, so you''re both right!" Rassa grinned, "And I just happen to know place where rabbits go to eat".

    "Does that mean we can catch the rabbit there?"

    "If we''re patient, come on!" Rassa jumped up and led the kids after the other group. He noticed that Falla and Jane kept on looking back at him jogging with the kids. He frowned in concern as he watched Falla stumble on the edge of her skirt.

    "Stop looking back, you''ll fall!" Rassa called.

    "No I''ll be-"

    "Ah!"

    Jane, ahead of her, had done just that.

    the boys all chuckled and laughed and Rassa sped up, running to her side as she sat up, "Jane, are you okay?"

    Jane attempted to look tough, but Rassa could see her grazed hands and the blood on her skirt. His father had told him it wasn''t appropriate to lift a girl''s skirt, so Rassa knelt beside her instead.

    "Are you okay?"

    Jane sniffed as she lifted herself to stand, "I''m fine".

    Rassa could see that she wasn''t. Falla looked over, "We''ve got to go, they''re getting further ahead".

    "Let them," Rassa replied, "They''ll get tired running eventually".

    Then he grabbed Jane''s arm and put it around his shoulders holding her waste as he turned to the north, "Come on, there''s a better way".

    "Hey! why are you-"

    "Stop complaining, you''re hurt," Rassa scolded Jane, "And I know you''ll be angry if I take you back to the village now. So I''ll take you to where I was going, and while the kids help me, Falla can help you check your legs for injuries".

    Jane paused, clearly annoyed at being scolded. But Rassa rarely spoke in such a strong tone, so all Jane could do in response was agree.

    Falla hesitated, but joined them anyway, helping Rassa escort the younger children.

    It took them ten minutes of walking north before they happened upon a meadow filled with little flowers and wild plants. Rassa shushed the group, and lowered himself down, then after a few minutes of the silence, the children''s eyes widened as the meadow began to fill with rabbits.

    "How did you know?" Falla whispered.

    "Please, I''ve played this game plenty of times, I know that chasing the rabbit only works half the time, the other half we either get too tired or lose the rabbit, sometimes both. So, I had to think of another solution. So, if this is one of the times when we lose the rabbit, which considering how fast it is, is pretty likely, then guess where the rabbit is going to show up next?" asked Rassa.

    "Where every other rabbit seems to be," Jane concluded.

    Rassa nodded with a smile, "You check your injuries, come this way kids, we''ve gotta get a plan ready!"

    The kids followed as quietly as they could so they didn''t disturb the rabbits, and Falla stood beside Jane, both girls still surprised.

    "I don''t think he''s been successful in getting the rabbit so far, do you?" asked Falla.

    Jane shook her head, "Even with the knowledge he''s got, it''s still hard to catch a rabbit on your own".

    Jane looked around, then lifted her skirt up to her knees, both of which had been grazed.

    "Ow," she mumbled sadly.

    Falla looked down in pity. Then she opened the pocket in her skirt and withdrew two long ribbons. They were supposed to be for her hair, but Rassa had said he liked the one she''d originally chosen anyway.

    "Here, we can tie these around it until we get back to the village," Falla stated.

    "Are you sure?" asked Jane. They were such pretty ribbons.

    Falla nodded, "I can always get more ribbons".

    So, Jane and Falla proceeded to tie the ribbons around Jane''s injuries. They didn''t exactly stop the bleeding immediately, but what else can children be expected to do?

 Chapter 3 The Boy, the Cave and the Dare

    Diggory and the others had long left Rassa, Falla, Jane and the younger children behind. They had also however, lost the rabbit. They''d been doing great, had nearly caught it, then it had unexpectedly dodged to the north at high speed and James, who had been right behind it, had slipped on the loose dirt and slid into a berry bush. He''d gotten plenty of berry juice on him, but had no white rabbit to speak of.

    The boys had proceeded north, determined to find the rabbit, but eventually, they''d reached the border line that had been clearly marked with coloured ribbons by the villagers as the end of part of the forest the children were allowed to play in. Beyond the line, the beasts got bigger, and the foliage denser, it made for a harder rescue mission certainly.

    "Maybe we should just turn back," one of the boys sighed, "Besides, Jane was hurt, we should go see she''s alright".

    "Who cares about Jane?" another said.

    "What do you think Digs?" asked James.

    Diggory thought for a moment, then pointed west, "Let''s follow the border line back that way for now, if we don''t find anything, we''ll head back to the village".

    The boys agreed and set off. Diggory was annoyed though. If there was no rabbit, he''d have to wait until next time to prove himself better than Rassa.

    The boys walked along the border line for some time before they reached the edge of what appeared to be a meadow full of wildflowers. They paused for a moment as they noticed the multitude of rabbits amongst the meadow.

    "Would it matter if we caught a different rabbit first?" James asked with a grin on his face.

    "Well the game was to catch the white one," another boy pointed out.

    "Hey look!" hissed another, "Over there, isn''t that Rassa?"

    The boys watched another boy, who was indeed Rassa, slowly crawled through the brush on the far side of the meadow. Diggory frowned at him, then noticed to his surprise, the white rabbit barely two metres in front of Rassa.

    "Cheater!" called Diggory.

    Rassa looked up, and so did all the rabbits. There was a moment''s pause before the multitude of rabbits darted out of the meadow and into the woods again, the white one included. Rassa jumped to his feet, rushing after the white rabbit. Diggory, not in the mood to be beaten, rushed to follow. The two boys converged on the rabbit as it headed further north...right over the boundary line.

    The boys didn''t seem to notice, crashing through the trees after the rabbit.

    "Rassa!"

    "Dig!"

    The calls of the other children weren''t heard as they boys raced forward. Rassa had the advantage, and he was nearly on top of the rabbit when Diggory suddenly lunged forward and tackled Rassa''s legs. Rassa crashed forward onto the ground, just missing the rabbit as it darted forward and into a cave the boys had failed to notice.

    "What did you do that for?" asked Rassa.

    Diggory frowned, "Do what for? I tripped".

    Rassa frowned back, disbelieving, but he stood up and dusted himself off, then looked where the rabbit had disappeared.

    "Digs?" asked Rassa as he took in the dark mouth of the cave. It seemed to swallow any light that entered it, they could barely see a metre inside, "Was there always a cave here?"

    "Who cares, someone has to go and get that rabbit," Diggory said, looking at the cave uneasily.

    "We''re passed the boundary line, we should go back," Rassa said, "The game is over when the rabbit passes the boundary, remember?"

    "But it''s right in there, you saw it disappear too!" Diggory grunted, "We''re barely a few metres passed the boundary, look, you can still see the edge of the meadow!"

    Rassa could indeed see the edge of the meadow where the other children waited impaiently.

    "Rassa!"

    "Digs!"

    They called worried about their friends.

    "Go on, I dare you to go and get the rabbit," said Diggory.

    "But the game is-"

    "What, are you scared?" asked Diggory.

    Rassa frowned, "Why are you acting like this? You''ve never been this way before".

    "Acting like what?" asked Diggory, "Just go in and get the rabbit, Rassa, it''s not hard".

    "Then why aren''t you doing it?" asked Rassa.

    "My dad''s a knight. I don''t have to go if I don''t want to," Diggory stated haughtily.

    Rassa shook his head, it was the most ridiculous excuse he''d heard so far. Something was wrong, and in the state that Diggory was in, there was little chance that Rassa could reason with him.

    "Fine, Dig," Rassa sighed, "I''ll get the rabbit then we can all go back to the village together".

    Rassa didn''t wait for a reply, turning and marching towards the entrance of the cave.

    Diggory couldn''t believe Rassa had actually done it. While he wouldn''t admit it, Diggory was sure as well that there had not been a cave here previously. None of the hunters ever reported seeing a cave here, and if there was it was unlikely they would have put the boundary line so close to it. Still, Diggory didn''t speak up as Rassa approached the cave. He paused outside of it for a moment, and then he entered. Diggory''s expression turned somber. He couldn''t see Rassa at all.

    "Rassa?" asked Diggory, beginning to regret issuing the dare. The last thing he wanted was for his friend to get hurt.

    There was no reply.

    Inside the cave, Rassa couldn''t see anything, it was pitch black. He felt along a wall, trying to steady his breathing as fear started to imbed itself in the young boy. Rassa had walked no further than ten metres when he felt something soft and furry at his feet. Slowly, Rassa bent down and felt the creature at his feet. Small, fluffy, and with two long ears. The rabbit!

    But something was clearly wrong. What wild rabbit in its right mind would sit and wait to be picked up? Rassa used his hands to pick it up, but as he did, he felt something wet and sticky beneath it. Rassa paused, then very slowly lifted up his wet fingers to smell them.

    It smelt metallic...blood. A deep rumble disturbed the eerie silence of the cave, and Rassa shot to his feet. A chill came up his spine. Turning, Rassa sprinted towards the exit of the cave, fear encompassing his being.

    He tripped and scraped his knee, and elbows, then scrambled to his feet again, running for the entrance.

    Only he couldn''t see the entrance. That was impossible, he was barely twenty steps inside the cave. Suddenly, Rassa hit a barrier of some kind he bounced back onto the ground, then looked up in panic. He leaned forward again, putting his hand against the barrier. The darkness rippled where he touched it, but nothing else. Rassa gasped.

    "Oh no," he whimpered, "No, no no!"

    He stood, pounding against the barrier with his little fists.

    "Let me out!" he yelled, "Let me out! I swear I won''t come back, let me out!"

    Behind him, a deep dark chuckle echoed.

    Outside the cave, the dark chuckle was heard too. Diggory stepped back, terrified.

    What had he done?

    "Rassa!" he yelled.

    The darkness at the entrance of the cave seemed to ripple and move, and diggory''s eyes widened, "Rassa!"

    He ran to the cave entrance, but bounced back off of the darkness. What was happening? He''d seen Rassa disappear inside not a moment before. Diggory stood, then pounded on the barrier.

    "Rassa!"

    A feint shout could be heard, and Diggory paused to listen.

    "Le...me...ut!"

    It was feint, but Diggory could tell it was Rassa.

    "Rassa?! Are you okay? I can''t get inside!"

    "Le...e...ut!"

    "I can''t, there''s a barrier, Rassa!"

    Diggory looked at the paniced ripples on the barrier, and somehow knew it was Rassa.

    "I''m going to get help Rassa!" called Diggory, "Stay here!"

    Then Diggory turned and sprinted back towards the village.

    Inside the cave, Rassa again heard the dark chuckle, though this time it was much closer than before. Rassa felt something coiling around his feet and up his legs.

    "Let go, no!"

    "Oh little one...you''ve barely had a chance to be welcomed...please, come on in".

    Rassa felt himself being jolted back deeper into the cave through the air, and he screamed.

 Chapter 4 The Red Eyes that promise Chaos

    Jane and Falla looked up in surprise at the rapidly approaching Diggory. He looked terrified.

    "Diggory?" asked Falla, "What happened where''s Rass-"

    "Rassa''s in trouble! We need help! He''s stuck in the cave!" Diggory insisted.

    the girls looked at each other as Diggory sprinted past them and towards the village.

    "Cave?" asked Falla in confusion, "There isn''t a cave around here. How far did they go past the boundary line? They weren''t gone that long".

    "Well, whatever happened, Rassa''s in trouble, we should go get help too," Jane insisted. She helped the other children towards the edge of the forest, Falla following behind.

    Diggory crashed through the forest edge and into the field next to the village, "Help!"

    The villagers who heard looked up in concern, and saw Diggory, Sir Lincoln''s son, sprinting towards them. They straightened, afraid that something had happened as they other children began to emerge from the tree line. Anxious parents looked for their child, relief filling their expressions when they saw them.

    "Help!" Diggory shouted again, rushing into the village. He made way to Rassa''s house where his mum was busy sorting through lentils out front of their home, "Help!"

    He said as he came to a stop before her.

    She looked at Diggory in surprise, "Diggory? What on earth is wrong?"

    Diggory gasped for breath, "It''s *cough cough* It''s Rassa...he...he''s stuck in a cave".

    "Cave?" she frowned, "There aren''t any caves in the forest Diggory, not for many miles".

    "I swear it''s true!" Diggory insisted, "Please we have to help him!"

    Regardless of whether or not there was a cave, this was her son the boy was talking about. She stood and turned to one of her neighbours who was watching with concern, "My husband needs to be told".

    "They are out in the far field, it will be some time before he can be brought back," the woman replied sadly.

    "He still needs to be told," Rassa''s mother insisted, then she turned to Diggory, "Show me. Show me where my son is".

    Diggory did not need to be told twice. Rassa''s mother moved to follow, then paused, turning and grabbing the axe from the wood pile beside her house, then she followed after Diggory.

    "Anne! Whatever is out there you can''t face it alone!" one of the women called as Rassa''s mother rushed past after Diggory.

    "Well if you wish to offer help, I would not be opposed to it," Rassa''s mother replied, "But he is my son, and whatever danger he is in, I will attempt to save him".

    A group of villagers drew together and followed Anne and Diggory into the woods.

    ***

    All Rassa could see was an endless darkness. He didn''t know how far he''d been dragged into the cave before he''d been held aloft, restrained by chain-like bindings that held his arms and legs in place. The only thing he could ascertain is that he''d been brought into a large cavern, as his cries for help echoed off the walls, and he couldn''t hear his tears hit the ground. Kept suspended in the air, Rassa could feel something touching various parts of his body. His chest, his arms, his legs, his head. It scared him immensely not being able to see what it was, but something told him he would rather be faced with the darkness that what horror had brought him into its lair.

    "Such a valuable specimen..."

    "Suitable..."

    "Yes..."

    "...Make the pact".

    "...Form the Seal!"

    Various voices spoke around Rassa, all of them sounded dark and threatening. And each time they spoke their words were echoed my so many others that Rassa''s best guess of how many creatures were in that cave with him was in the hundreds if not the thousands. As their words reached a climax, a feint hissing arose and grewlouder before stopping right in front of Rassa, and two blood red and glowing eyes opened inches in front of his face.

    Rassa shouted in surprise, trying to pull away but unable to move.

    "Boy".

    There was no mouth or nose or even a face, only red eyes in the darkness, but Rassa knew it was the eyes that spoke to him.

    "Please, let me go," Rassa begged, "I''m sorry if I trespassed, really I am. I was only looking for the bunny!"

    The dark chuckle Rassa had heard earlier echoed through the cavern, and was then repeated by various voices which cut off with the eyes'' next words.

    "You may leave freely...but only once we have made a pact with you boy".

    "Pact? What can I possibly offer you? I have nothing, my family are poor," he replied.

    "Material objects are not our goal".

    Rassa did not quite understand what the eyes meant, only that money was not what it desired.

    "What is your name boy?"

    "R...Rassa".

    "Rassa," the eyes echoed, and the name was passed around the chamber in various chilling voices.

    "And what race do you belong to?"

    Rassa frowned in confusion, was it not obvious? Did the eyes not see him?

    "Answer!" snapped the eyes, causing Rassa to flinch in fright.

    "Human," Rassa replied quickly, "Please don''t hurt me".

    "Oh, Rassa, dear boy, we don''t want to hurt you, quite the opposite".

    The eyes faded, then Rassa felt a presence at his back, but was unable to turn his head to see. But the voice let him know that red eyes was not behind him.

    "You see, we have been locked in the shadows for so long that my people are quite forgotten by the world, and we have no knowledge of what the world has now become, but once, in a time known as the Chaos, we were one of the most powerful races to exist. Our court was akin to a god''s, dazzling and blinding and rich beyond reason, yet our...habits...drew negative attention. The others feared us and our potential, so they locked us away, banished us to the shadows where we have remained ever since".

 Chapter 5 The Sealing

    Rassa had never heard of the Chaos, not in his tiny corner of the world where all that existed was farmland and peaceful trade. He had heard talk from the merchants of grand cities, and grander dynasties, but they did not exist in Rassa''s reality, only in his dreams.

    "Why...why do you want me?" asked Rassa hesitantly, he did not want to anger them, but in order to get out he had to know.

    "Do not fear us, Rassa, you are the most suitable candidate we have ever come across, we will never hurt you...in fact, we can only make you strong, strong enough to compare to a god," red eyes insisted as he appeared once more in Rassa''s vision, the red eyes the only thing Rassa could see amongst the blackness.

    "I...I do not need a god''s strength," Rassa insisted.

    "That is exactly why you are who we have selected," Red eyes insisted, "After all, we cannot entrust power to someone who could not control it or themselves".

    "But..."

    "Enough, you are who we have selected, Rassa, so you have two options. Either consent to the pact, and hence allow us to bestow our Seal upon you, or you will be trapped in this darkness with us for eternity," red eyes stated.

    It wasn''t exactly a choice. One would allow him to leave the cave, the other would not.

    "What...what must I do?" asked Rassa.

    "Just repeat the words after me," red eyes replied, "And then you are free to leave".

    Rassa let his final tear drop, then nodded.

    Red eyes chuckled, clearly pleased with Rassa''s resolve, "I hereby consent to allow my being to be changed wholly".

    Rassa frowned, not liking the sound of those words. But with no other choice, he repeated the words.

    "I hereby consent to allow my being to be changed wholly".

    Rassa didn''t know how he felt it, but somehow the air became still, everything around him seemed to pause in anticipation.

    "My body, my mind, my soul, all shall be rewritten".

    "I submit to the grace of Chaos, and in turn shall relish in its darkness".

    "Marr my body, mind and soul with your Seal, and from the time of my acceptance, let its power fill me".

    "So shall it be, so shall I never regret".

    Rassa finished repeating the words, and the world filled with silence and darkness. Then Rassa threw his head back and screamed as felt an immense pain cover his back. He imagined it to be similar to a fire poker stabbing threw his skin and into his muscles, then dragging across and through his back as if drawing something. But it was not only on his skin, Rassa also felt it deep within himself and within his head as well.

    It went on for so long and the pain was so much that Rassa lost track of time, he wished to escape it, but it was if it was forcing him to keep conscious, to experience every miniscule bit of pain. If that was not enough, Rassa could feel his body taking on subtle changes, every parts of his body hardening as if it was stone. His heart beat accelerated, pumping so fast and hard he was sure it would burst from his chest. His nails hardened and grew forming what he could sense was sharp points. His eyes, ears and nose all ached before he opened his eyes to find he could actually see the cavern. He was wrong before, there were not just hundreds or thousands of creatures in that cavern with him, there were millions.

    He had barely a second to think about it before his mouth began to ache with increasing urgency. Two of his front teeth grew to sharp points which tore into his tongue and lip. He screamed at its pain before both his injured muscles seemed to knit themselves back together with a tingling sensation that was probably the most pleasant pain out of all. Finally, perhaps the most painful of all the changes, Rassa felt his back swell, and beneath the skin he could feel something growing, he hunched forward tensing before the skin on his back burst off, and Rassa felt two massive appendages hand from just below his shoulder blades, wet and sticky with blood. The skin on his back mended with the same tingling sensation, as the pain began to subside, and Rassa gasped for breath, his throat raw from screaming, but even then that tingling feeling came again, and with a swallow, Rassa slowly raised his head.

    "What have you done to me?" Rassa asked, his newly improved vision focusing on the black, spirit-like mass in front of him. Red eyes moved forward, a hand touched Rassa''s cheek almost affectionately.

    "We have set you free".

    Rassa opened his mouth to reply, and the black mass moved to quickly that Rassa had barely a chance to react with anything but shock. It had gone inside him.

    And it wasn''t the only one. Rassa''s mouth seemed to be forced open as one by one, all of those millions of dark spirits Rassa had seen in the cavern began entering his mouth.

    Rassa could do nothing but struggle against it as they consumed him, and he consumed them. With each new edition, Rassa could feel himself growing stronger, though how he did not know. His muscles and bones were like stone, he could not feel it physically, but he could feel it. Was it his soul? It seemed to be the case.

    Rassa had no idea how long it took for them all to fill him, but as the last of them entered him, the chains that bound him broke, and a feeling of weightlessness overcame him as he began to fall. It was to this, and the vague understanding that the cave was crumbling around him, that Rassa was finally allowed to fall into unconsciousness.

    ***

    When Diggory passed the border line, Anne''s anxiousness had increased. He ran about a hundred metres past the border, only to pause amongst the many trees and look around in confusion.

    "I don''t get it," Diggory stated in panic, "There was a cave, right here!"

    Anne frowned, looking around, about twenty metres away, she spotted a small, pale figure lying on the ground, the black hair unmistakeable to her.

    "Rassa!" Anna called, dropping her axe and rushing over to her son as the other villagers around behind her.

    She knelt down by her son''s side. His shirt had been torn off, but there were no claw marks or bites. He was curled up on the ground, his dark hair covering his pale face. Too pale. Anna chocked on a sob as she leant forward and touched him. His skin was deathly cold.

    "Rassa!" she shouted, shaking her son. Her shaking turned him onto his back, but he did not respond. Anna took a deep breath and leant forward to place her ear to his chest. She waited a moment, and when she was about to burst out in tears, she heard it. A heartbeat, though very feint.

    Her eyes widened and she looked at his little face, "Rassa".

    She looked up at the villagers, "Help me get him back to the doctor, he''s still alive!"

    The villagers nodded, and the butcher stepped forward to pick him up, though as he did, Rassa''s back was exposed.

    The villagers gasped in shock, Anna included.

    "What in this world, is that?"

 Chapter 6 The Life Lines

    When Phillip, Anna''s husband and Rassa''s father, finally received the news and returned to the village, Anna was already waiting anxiously in the doctor''s front room.

    "What happened?" asked Phillip, stepping forward to comfort his pacing wife.

    "I...I don''t know," Anna admitted, "I just sent him off to play with the village children and...about an hour later Diggory came running saying that Rassa was trapped in a cave and needed help. We went to find him but...there was no cave, and Rassa, he was unconscious and barely alive on the ground, his shirt ripped off and his back..."

    "What about his back?" asked Phillip.

    Anna shook her head, "I...I can''t explain it. It was like nothing I''ve ever seen before. Phil...is he going to be okay?"

    Phillip drew his worried wife in for a hug. Rassa was her only child, and she''d nearly died giving birth to him. They had not been able to conceive since, and had been told only a few months before that it was unlikely they ever would. It had pained Phillip to see his Anna so heartbroken. He had wanted to give her a peaceful and long life ever since he''d met her. He''d given up everything for Anna, and had never had any regrets about it despite the negative views of his family. In the end, Rassa had been their anchor. The one thing that confirmed for them that this life was possible, and that they could live peacefully together all their lives. To loose him...despite her inner strength, Phillip wasn''t sure if Anna could take it. He wasn''t even sure he could take it.

    Just then, the doctor emerged from the back room, closing the door behind him. Anna turned expectantly, but the doctor''s expression...he looked confused.

    "How is he?" prompted Anna, "How is Rassa?"

    "Well...he''s alive, though I have no idea how," the doctor admitted, "His heart rate is far too slow, and he is far too cold and pale, but there are no other signs of distress. He isn''t sweating, his breathing isn''t irregular, he even appears...healthier than before".

    "What about...that?"

    The doctor shook his head, "I''ve never seen anything like it in person".

    Anna turned to look up at Phillip, then back to the doctor, "So he''ll be okay?"

    The doctor sighed, "For the first time in my very long life, I have no idea. We can only wait and see if he wakes up".

    "Can we see him?" asked Phillip.

    The doctor nodded, ushering them through to a back room where there were a few beds. Rassa was lying on one by the window, a sheet covering him. As they approached, he rolled over, and Phillip paused at the sight of his son''s back.

    Black lines curled and crossed from his lower back all the way up to his shoulders, at first glance there appeared to be no particular pattern or design, it was chaotic. But Phillip approached his son slowly, then ran his fingers over his son''s skin. The lines seemed to be a part of his son''s skin, as if they''d always been there, and as Phillip watched his son, he realised the longer his hands were on the mark, the more his son seemed disturbed. Phillip removed his hands, and the boy relaxed, continuing what looked to be a peaceful sleep.

    "Phillip?" asked Anna.

    "They...they look like life lines," Phillip said slowly.

    "Life lines?" asked Anna and the Doctor. Anna was confused, but the Doctor seemed to connect the logic.

    "They do I suppose, though I haven''t seen them in person I have seen images," the Doctor admitted, "But-"

    "But life lines are usually white or silver in colour, not black," Phillip finished.

    "What are life lines?" asked Anna, looking between the Doctor and her husband. Phillip sat back as he looked at his son''s sleeping form.

    "I''ve only seen them once, when I was still in training," Phillip admitted, "Life lines are marks upon the skin of any individual who possesses magic. They tell the story of an individual, and give the individual power, giving them a direct line in accessing not only their soul, but the energies of our world. Humans don''t possess them unless they become magicians, but races like the elves and dwarves possess them naturally from birth. But, like I said, their life life lines are white or silver, never have I seen or even heard record of black life lines".

    "So...Rassa possesses magic now?" asked Anna.

    "In theory...though I have no idea what that magic could be," Phillip admitted.

    "Is it normal for him to seem so...disturbed, when someone touches them?" asked the Doctor.

    Phillip nodded, "Life lines are that individual''s connection to their soul, their very existence mapped out on their skin. Touching it...I know amongst races that possess them from birth it''s taboo to do so by anyone but a life partner or blood relative".

    The adults were silent as they all watched the sleeping Rassa, then Phillip spoke, "We need to put a shirt on him, don''t let him see it at first. It''ll scare him. He needs to be calm, or this new power of his might very well lash out to protect him. Whatever it is. Just treat him normally, comfort him. When he is ready, he will ask on his own".

    The Doctor nodded in agreement, and Anna did so as well, scared for her only child.

    "I...I know it''s not the right time yet, but when it comes...should the Academy be notified?" asked Anna. She had no experience with the great and powerful entity herself, after all, no one in the village had ever received life lines.

    Phillip was silent, then shook his head, memories of the darker times in his life coming to the forefront. He spoke in one of the most firm and commanding voices Anna had ever heard him use then, "Not unless absolutely necessary".

    Anna stopped herself from asking why. Something told her she would rather not know.

 Chapter 7 The boy who had simply...changed

    It took Rassa a long time to wake up. Not because he was incapable of doing so, but because he didn''t want to. Every time he attempted to do so, his senses were assaulted with various sounds and smells that were so strong it gave Rassa a headache. It took him approximately thirty hours before he finally felt he had the ability to process all of the information coming to him and open his eyes. That was another thing he felt overly aware of. He could feel time passing, but not affecting him. Almost as if he was an observer to the world around him. He could count it in the heartbeats of his mother and father as they waited by his bed, in the beating of a bee''s wings as it collected pollen for it''s queen. It terrified him at the same time that it fascinated him.

    Drawing his eyes open in the stillness around him, Rassa first noticed his father sitting in a chair by the corner, sleeping deeply. The boy could see the bags under his father''s eyes, the worry in his frown. Better to let him sleep. Rassa shifted so quietly, the sheets barely fluttered. It was then that he realised he wasn''t inside his house, this was the doctor''s home. He knew because he''d been here plenty of times before, whether with a sore stomach, a broken arm, or a fever that was so high they had feared he wouldn''t live.

    The doctor himself was nowhere to be seen, but his mother was asleep in the bed beside him. someone had dragged it closer so that she could hold her son''s hand as she slept. Her knuckles were nearly white she held his hand so tightly, yet Rassa felt as if it was a feather against his skin. He frowned at the feeling, it didn''t feel right. After a better observation, Rassa determined that it was night time. He could see stars through the windows, and a light glow from the moon. Rassa knew he should go back to sleep, but he didn''t feel in the least bit tired.

    No...Rassa felt hungry.

    Lifting his head, he sniffed for food, and immediately turned to the inside of his mother''s wrist. His vision zeroed in on the blue vein that stood out against her creamy skin, and watched as each heartbeat pumped blood through it. Rassa tilted his head, and his gums started to ache. He felt himself start to lean forward, then he shook his head. What was he thinking? He should be looking for food.

    Rassa turned to his mother''s expression, and noticed she looked just as worried and tired as his father. Very well then, he could look for food himself.

    Rassa carefully released his mother''s hand from his own, tucking it back onto her bed and pulling the sheet higher over her. She shifted slowly, rolling over, but stayed asleep. Standing, Rassa moved around the bed slowly, passing by his father and making way to the door of the room. He opened it and cringed as he heard it creak. The sound was so loud right beside his ear! He turned back to see if his parents had heard it, but they remained asleep. He turned and walked out into the front room of the Doctor''s house, only to see a lamp light on in another room. The doctor. Rassa approached the room quietly so as not to disturb his parents, then looked inside. The doctor was barely awake, writing notes at his desk. Rassa knocked on the door, and was shocked when it flew open, knocking into the wall. The doctor spun around, and Rassa jumped at the sound, looking at the door in confusion, then his hand, before turning to the stunned doctor.

    "Sorry," he said, "I was hungry but my parents were-"

    "Rassa!" his mother shouted, throwing her arms around him from behind. Rassa barely moved, looking back at his mother as she hugged him tightly. Only he couldn''t feel it. Rather, he could feel it, but it felt nothing like before. He frowned in confusion, something was wrong.

    He managed to peak past his mother to where his father watched him. There was something in his father''s eyes. Something Rassa hadn''t seen before.

    "Don''t scare me like that!" his mother scolded as she pulled back, "Are you okay, how are you feeling? You''re not feeling sick are you? What about your body? any pain anywhere?"

    Rassa looked at the worried face of his mother, "I''m fine mum just-"

    His stomach gurgled and he looked down sheepishly, "Hungry".

    "Well of course your hungry!" she said, "You''ve been asleep for nearly two days. Wait here, I''ll be right back".

    She rushed off to what Rassa assumed was the kitchen and Rassa stood still, looking at his mother''s retreating back, then his father, then turning to look at the doctor. Both men stood very still as they appraised Rassa.

    "It really is remarkable," the doctor eventually stated.

    "Rassa, do you remember what happened?" asked his father.

    Rassa opened his mouth to reply, then stopped. The memories assaulted him in rapid succession. the rabbit chase, the cave, Diggory''s weird behaviour. The cave, the darkness, the...creatures within. It was all there, and Rassa could no longer deny it was what had happened, but, it all seemed so unreal. So terrifying that it couldn''t possibly occur in their little corner of nowhere.

    "Rassa?" his father spoke.

    Rassa was dragged out of his memories as he looked at his father. After a moment, he shook his head, "We were chasing the rabbit, then there was a cave, Diggory dared me to go in but it was over the boundary line so I said no, but he wouldn''t leave without the rabbit, so I went in to get the rabbit...I don''t remember after that".

    Rassa''s father watched him for a moment, then nodded, "Okay, tell me if you remember anything else. Diggory and your mum found you in the woods unconscious with your shirt torn off. You don''t appear to have any wounds so I don''t think you were attacked...but if that was the case you''d tell me right?"

    Rassa had never lied to his father before. He had had a need to. His father was an honest man, and Rassa had always looked up to him for it. But this...Rassa somehow knew that what had happened to him would terrify his father and anyone else he told. Attacked or not, Rassa would not say a word about this.

    So, forcing himself to put aside his guilt to protect his family, Rassa nodded, "Of course, father".

 Chapter 8 The Hunger Pains

    Despite the fact that it was well past midnight, Rassa, his parents and the Doctor all sat down as Rassa was given a soup and some bread. Looking at it, Rassa knew it was mutton soup, one of his favourite meals despite its plainness. He smiled in thanks to his mother then took up the spoon, leaning forward to take a bite. It smelled nice, but...there was something wrong with it, and Rassa couldn''t quite tell what it was.

    He looked to his mother who eagerly motioned for him to eat up. What was he thinking? His mum had never cooked anything that made him sick. Rassa took a spoonful, and swallowed. It was warm, which felt pleasant, and it was okay to taste. But as Rassa continued eating, and the food settled in his stomach, he realised one very clear fact. He didn''t feel the least bit satisfied.

    He finished off the bowl, then looked at his mum sheepishly as he picked up the bread, "Can I have some more?"

    His mum nodded with a smile, going to refill the bowl.

    "Good," the Doctor said, "It''s good you''ve still got your appetite".

    The Doctor ventured away then.

    It wasn''t until Rassa had finished the third bowl that he realised something was terribly wrong. He had finished three large bowls of soup where usually one was plenty for him. Even if he had been asleep for a day, there was no way he would eat this much. Yet...he still felt terribly hungry.

    Looking to his parents Rassa gave a small smile, "I''m sorry I worried you, I won''t go past the boundary again".

    His parents were silent for a moment, "Are you full?"

    He wasn''t, but he nodded anyway. They already seemed amazed by three bowls, Rassa didn''t want to watch their expressions turn from amazement to concern as he polished off more.

    "Come on then, we should go back to bed, you need your rest," Anna instructed as she stood.

    Rassa didn''t feel the least bit tired with his body still insisting he was hungry, but he followed his mother anyway. His father went as well, that strange look still in his eyes, and the three of them lay down on the spare beds, Rassa in between his parents. Rassa pretended to fall asleep quickly, and listened as his parents breathing and heart rate slowed to a steady pace and he was sure they were both asleep. Then Rassa opened his eyes and shuffled from the bed, taking the back door out into the garden behind the doctor''s house. The dead of night was intriguing to him, but a more urgent problem was arising, the hunger was becoming painful.

    As Rassa had waited for his parents to fall asleep, he had felt the aches begin on different parts of his body, aches that made it harder for him to move as quietly as he had before. As Rassa looked around, he realised that his vision was much better than it had been previously, he could see as if it was day, perhaps even better. He closed his eyes, tilting his head as he concentrated on his hearing. He could hear everything.

    The heartbeats and breathing of the Doctor''s sleeping neighbours, the shifting of the horses in the nearby stables, the wind as it passed through the leaves of trees hundreds of metres away, the spider in the corner of the eve three houses down weaving it''s web. Raising his nose, he sniffed. There were plenty of plesant smells that he sensed, but they disturbed him. He knew without a doubt they were coming from all of the people asleep nearby. Rassa opened his eyes again, why was this happening? What had those creatures done to him?

    Without waiting for permission, Rassa turned and ran in the direction of the orchard.

    ***

    Diggory had been worried about Rassa ever since he''d disappeared into that cave. Finding him had not alleviated the guilt, for something had clearly happened to his friend. Rassa had been asleep in the doctor''s house for over a day, and Diggory had only grown more and more concerned. Whilst his father, mother and older brother had all insisted that Rassa would recovered in the Doctor''s hands, Diggory couldn''t help the guilt in his gut. So, when he couldn''t sleep, he decided to go out and check to see if Rassa had woken up yet.

    Diggory was wringing his hands as he approached the Doctor''s house, nervous. He had never been this nervous about anything in his life. Was Rassa going to be okay? Had he woken up yet? Was he going to die because Diggory had forced him to complete a stupid dare? When his father had heard he''d given Diggory a right good scolding. How could Diggory not consider the consequences of his actions?

    Diggory looked up just as he was about to approach the main street, only to pause as a figure that Diggory could only see due to the moonlight, ran past the intersection a few houses away and towards the orchard. Diggory paused, was that Rassa?

    Diggory''s face lit up. He must be awake! It was great he was okay!

    Diggory hurried after his friend, wanting to make sure. He couldn''t shout in case he woke up the adults, but Diggory was confident he could catch up with Rassa anyway, he was faster and stronger afterall.

    But, as Diggory chased after his friend, it became clear that Rassa was much faster than he had been before. Diggory had no chance of catching him even if he pushed himself. By the time Diggory reached the edge of the Orchard, he was out of breath. He huffed and wheezed as he entered the Orchard, then paused as he slid on one of the fallen plums. He sighed, frowning to himself about how embarrassing that would have been if anybody had seen. Diggory went to stand again, only to have something catch his eyes.

    The farmers usually threw the rotten fruit on the ground, but this time around, Diggory could clearly see fresh fruit in a trail along the ground, each with huge bite taken out of it, different kinds of fruit and all from different trees. Was that Rassa''s doing?

    Diggory stood and followed the trail with concern, eventually, he found Rassa in the clearing between and forest and the Orchard. Rassa took a bite out of an apple then swallowed and waited for a moment before he threw the apple to the side. He threw it so far that it flew out of sight, and Diggory never heard it fall.

    "Urgh!" Rassa shouted in outrage, "Why am I so hungry! I eat and nothing helps! What the hell is wrong with me!"

    Diggory frowned, "Rassa?"

    Rassa froze, then turned to face Diggory. The first thing Diggory noticed was that Rassa was still pale. So pale that his skin almost shone where the moonlight hit it. The next thing he noticed was Rassa''s eyes. They were the same but...there was something different about them.

    "Are you okay?" asked Diggory.

    "I...I don''t know," Rassa said honestly as he turned away, his movements were so soundless and graceful, but Diggory barely noticed as he stepped forward.

    "Well did the Doc say you were okay?" asked Diggory.

    "He said it was good my appetite was there," Rassa said, "I''m not so sure".

    Diggory hesitated, then decided to asked, "Did he say anything about the mark on your back?"

    Rassa froze, "What mark?"

    Diggory frowned, "The black lines on your back. Everyone saw it".

    Rassa pulled off his shirt hurriedly and attempt to look over his shoulder, then under his arm, desperate to see. Diggory sighed, picked up Rassa''s shirt then took his hand, dragging him towards the pond that sat to the side, "Here".

    Diggory pointed to the reflection of the pond, and Rassa turned, looking over his shoulder.

    Rassa just stared. It was clear from his reaction that the doctor hadn''t mentioned the mark, but Diggory watched Rassa take it in, waiting patiently. After a moment, Rassa dropped to his knees, leaning forward as he touched his face.

    "What''s wrong?"

    "I didn''t realise I was so pale," Rassa replied, "I''m practically a ghost".

    "I know, it''s kind of creepy," Diggory said, "But...I''m glad you''re alive...I''m sorry, I was being stupid,I-"

    "Yeah, you were," Rassa agreed, looking over at Diggory, "But what happened to me isn''t your fault. It was the cave''s, or whatever was in it".

    "You...don''t know what happened?"

    Rassa shook his head, "I only remember going in the cave".

    "Then how do you know its not my fault?" asked Diggory.

    "You can be stupid and impulsive sometimes Dig, but you couldn''t do this," Rassa said as he pointed to his back, "Could you?"

    Diggory hesitated, then nodded as Rassa reasoning, "So...you''re hungry?"

    Rassa nodded, "And yet when I eat I still feel just as hungry as before".

    Diggory frowned, "That doesn''t sound nice".

    "It''s not," Rassa agreed.

    "Well what do you want to eat?" asked Diggory, "My mum says that when we''re sick our body knows what food it needs, and tells us, but its up to us whether or not we listen".

    Rassa froze for a moment, like he''d had a terrible thought, then shook his head, "I don''t know, just something to satisfy me".

    Diggory sighed, clearly he couldn''t help here. He felt better now that Rassa had reassured him it wasn''t his fault, but he still wanted to make sure Rassa would get better.

    "Well, maybe you should just drink some water or something, maybe if you think on it you''ll know," Diggory said, "Anyway, I should be getting back home. I''ll be in a lot of trouble if dad finds me out of bed at this hour. You should get back too. I know your parents will worry".

    Rassa nodded. Taking his shirt and slipping it back on.

    "I''m going to sit here for a while first, it''s peaceful".

    Diggory decided not to pry, and left soon after.

    Rassa stared at his reflection, denying ever part of the thought he''d just had. There was no way he was going to eat his friends, his family.

 Chapter 9 The Wisdom of the Father

    Rassa had decided he hated the daytime. It was obnoxiously loud, and bright. So bright. It peirced through his vision and made his head ache so bad that he had to ask his mother to cover the windows. After that the Doctor spent a lot of time looking at his eyes with concern. That was also irritating.

    The hunger had also not gone away. In fact, he felt worse than yesterday, and unfortunately his parents were beginning to notice. Whereas last night he had been active and hungry enough to eat three bowls of soup, during the day he refused any food in large amounts. He usually took a mouthful or two, and then turned away in disappointment.

    "You should eat more, Rassa, you won''t get better like this," Anna insisted.

    Only under his mother''s worried gaze did Rassa force himself to finish a bowl of food. After she left, Rassa turned to look at his father, the only other individual in the room with him. Rassa had always been close with his father, he had always known that his father was more than the farmer everyone saw. He was pretty sure everyone knew one way or another, but no one had ever spoken about it. Now, seeing the look in his father''s eyes, Rassa couldn''t help but feel conflicted. His father knew something, something that Rassa wasn''t sure would help him or not.

    "I''m okay, really," Rassa insisted.

    Phillip sighed, "No you''re not Rassa. You''re a smart kid, trying to hide your pain so that no one will worry for you. But I hate to break it to you, it''s only making your mother and I worry more".

    Rassa turned away, hugging his knees to his chest as he looked at the blanket that covered the window. Just because his parents knew, didn''t mean he could tell them, or that they could help if he did.

    "Are you going to tell me what''s wrong?" asked his father.

    Phillip had always been good at sensing when something was wrong with Rassa. The boy wore his emotions plainly, and even if he could hide them from his mother at times, he couldn''t hide from Phillip. Phillip knew his son was a spitting image of him, eager for knowledge and always willing to do hard work. Phillip had even managed to teach Rassa how to read like had had once taught Anna. Rassa had soaked in the knowledge like a sponge, but Phillip had instructed him not to brag to the other kids, as he knew that there were very few adults in the village who were literate, let along children. And now, despite his best wishes, he could see his son turning away from him. Rassa knew something, and he was keeping it hidden.

    "Rassa," Phillip sighed, "I can''t help if you don''t tell me. You know exactly what happened to you, don''t you? You know but you''re not saying. Why is that?"

    Rassa looked up at his father, his eyes pleading him to stop. To not ask questions. Phillip had never seen that look in his eyes before. And underneath all of that pleading, Phillip could see the fear. He saw the terror, and he hated the fact that his son had to experience that.

    Phillip stood and approached his son, pulling him into a hug, "This is not something you have to go through alone, Rassa. Please, all you need to do, is ask".

    Rassa buried his head in his fathers chest, trying his best to ignore the amazing scent and rhythmic beating that lay just beneath his father''s skin. Phillip was completely unaware of his son''s dilemma, and was instead concentrating on comforting Rassa, something he had rarely had to do.

    "The mark on my back," Rassa spoke softly, and he felt his father tense, "What is it?"

    Phillip sighed, "I hoped you wouldn''t notice until you felt better".

    Rassa frowned. He remembered every line as it burned into his skin and soul, as if he would forget it was there, he just hadn''t known what form it had taken until last night when Diggory pointed it out.

    Phillip pulled back, "Does it scare you?"

    Rassa hesitated and then nodded, "But...I know it won''t go away. I can feel it-" Rassa pointed to his chest, "In here".

    Phillip sighed, knowing his son meant his soul. The mark was there to stay, "It''s okay to be scared Rassa, new things are scary. But I know there is something more inside you, something capable of pushing past that, do you know what that is?"

    Rassa looked up at his father, then shook his head.

    "You have to be brave, Rassa," Phillip insisted, "Have the courage to push past the fear and learn from your mistakes. That is all your mother and I would ever ask of you".

    "So...I should just accept what I''m feeling?" asked Rassa.

    Phillip sighed, knowing from the look in his eyes that Rassa wasn''t going to elaborate.

    "Some things are hard to accept, and if it is hard for you, test the boundaries," Phillip replied, touching his son''s chest, "Ask yourself if what your soul is asking you to do is right, and if its not, is there another way?"

    Rassa looked down at his hands, then back up at his father, "So the mark...what is it?"

    Phillip smiled at his son, still ever eager for knowledge, at least that hadn''t changed.

    "Well, in order to tell you that I think I should tell you a story," Phillip replied, "The story of how I came to marry your mother".

    "What do you mean?" asked Rassa.

    "Well, I wasn''t born here, Rassa, I was born far away, in a place very different from our little village of Cordon," Phillip replied.

    "How come you haven''t spoke about it before?" asked Rassa.

    "Because it was a life I wished to leave behind,for you and your mother," Phillip replied, "The truth was, I was born Phillip Wilhelm Kildare, the third son of Duke Cornelius Kildare, the paternal cousin of the Emperor, Quatar Kildare of Eldovia".

    Rassa had looked at enough books with maps to know that the Eldovian Empire was the largest on their continent. Consisting of the three human countries, Eldren, Lovolon and Arkia. It was the most profitable place on the continent, and Cordon, their little village, lay on the western border of Arkia, bordering the immense Greenvale Forest that was home to the Elven races. Despite being so close though, Rassa had never seen an elf before, they travelled more frequently to Eldovia through the route that was further south. After a moment, Rassa looked up at his father, "You mean, the Emperor is your...second cousin?"

    Phillip smiled and shook his head, "Close, the current Emperor, Midas Kildare, is my third cousin, your fourth cousin. Your great grandfather, and the Emperor''s grandfather, were brothers".

    "If that''s the case, why are you here?"

    Phillip turned away, "Well...it started when I decided to become a Knight..."

 Chapter 10 The would-be Knight of Fountain Ridge

    *The Eldovian Era, Year 1692*

    Cornelius Kildare, master of the Kildare household and Duke of Fountain Ridge, slammed his hands on his desk in outrage, "That boy has been where?"

    Ludwig, Duke Kildare''s trusted secretary, sighed, "The Ridge Men found him at the Knight School in Barday milord, however, it seems he is set to graduate at the end of this semester".

    "Graduate, he''s been gone three years, I hardly think that''s enough time to graduate," Duke Kildare grumbled.

    "He excels milord, at least, that was what the Ridge Men found, he is undefeated in the Arena, and is set to lead his own group of knights after graduation," Ludwig elaborated, "I have the report with me if you are interested".

    "We are not a military family, Ludwig, how did he even get into the school?" asked Duke Kildare.

    "That...I believe he was enrolled under a false name, and when his true identity was uncovered more than a year later, he insisted on not letting you have knowledge of his whereabouts," Ludwig replied.

    Duke Kildare turned away, "Where are Francois and William?"

    "William is in Lovolan, negotiating a trade deal with the merfolk for pearlain silk," Ludwig stated, "I believe Francois was overseeing the trade in Varkevia".

    Varkevia, the Western Trade City that dealt most commonly with the elven products. Surely that would be far enough away that his free-spirited third son could think about the consequences of his actions in enrolling in a military academy after Cornelius had spent so much time training him to be a businessman. Besides, under the watch of his eldest brother he would surely fall into line.

    ***

    Honestly, Phillip had been shocked that he''d been able to keep his whereabouts a secret from his father for as long as he had. At the very least, Ludwig had allowed him to receive his knightage before being exiled to the Western reaches of the empire. No doubt though that the advisor would tell his father it was all Phillip''s doing. Phillip hadn''t cared for some time though. He had never wanted a hand in the family business, the Kildare family had so much money already, what need was there to earn more? So Phillip had followed his father''s wishes without complaint this time. When he was that far west, there was little his father could do or say to stop him in the moment.

    The journey had taken nearly six weeks, and by the time they reached Varkevia Phillip was ready to do anything but sit in a carriage. The mansion that the Kildare family owned in Varkevia was one of the larger ones, and Phillip had been escorted there easily. As Ludwig got off the carriage with him, Phillip turned to view the lower reaches of the city. It was built onto a rather large hill that dipped into the valley, the rich lived at the top, the poor at the bottom. Though, even the poor in Varkevia were well off.

    "Master Phillip?" asked Ludwig.

    "I''ll be back for dinner, Ludwig," Phillip replied strutting back towards the gates as he shed his expensive, silk lined jacket.

    "Master Phillip, I really don''t think-"

    "I''ll be fine, Ludwig," Phillip replied, turning to shake his purse at Ludwig before jogging off into the streets.

    Ludwig sighed in defeat, "That insatiable free-spirit will be the death of you one day boy".

    Phillip would not be deterred however, he spent much of the day venturing past shops and vendors, tasting wares and chatting animatedly with the people. This was the life he loved, the one where no one knew who he was. Where they weren''t terrified nor overly eager to please the moment they heard his name. It had grown old quickly. He never knew who to trust. His older brothers and sister had relished in their wealth and infamy. At the age of fourteen, Phillip had decided they were better off without him. He''d left in the dead of night, and not stopped until three weeks later when he''d arrived in Barday and met the son of an aristocrat who he''d beat in a duel. That Count''s son, Oliver, had brought Phillip with him to the enrolements of the Military Academy, and Phillip had passed with flying colours. He hadn''t looked back until he''d had to use his name more than a year later to stop some students from being unfairly dismissed. He felt sick, using his family for their wealth and power. Oliver had insisted he wouldn''t treat Phillip any differently, but Phillip knew he couldn''t keep that promise. Now, once again alone and free, Phillip ventured into the lower markets where the common people bartered and danced and laughed with each other.

    It was quite the spectacle, and Phillip was pleased just watching it. He sat there for over an hour before a woman to the side caught his eye. She was selling freshly baked bread with her father, an enchanting smile on her face that charmed anyone who passed by. Phillip couldn''t help but be drawn to that smile and her dark eyes. Her black hair tied in a bun on top of her head. He wondered what it would look like it it were to hang down her back and over her shoulders, surely she would look more beautiful then.

    After watching her for a while, Phillip stood and approached her stall, smiling as he did so.

    "Where abouts is all this grown?" asked Phillip with a friendly smile, "It must be close by, it looks so fresh".

    The young woman grinned at the compliment, "At Cordon Village, about sixty kilometres north of here".

    "Goodness, that''s at least four days in a cart, how did you keep it all so fresh?" asked Phillip.

    the woman tapped her nose, "Trade secret, if I told you I''d have to kill you".

    Phillip took up an apple and took a bite as he appraised the girl, "Are you sure you could?"

    The woman shrugged, "Won''t know until I try. Would you like anything else?"

    "Well, if I can''t have that secret outright, is there something that I could do to obtain it?" Phillip flirted.

    The woman paused, tilting her head in thought, "Well, its only the villagers who know, so I suppose your only option is to move there, or get married".

    Phillip pretended to think for a moment, "Well are you available miss?"

    The woman''s eyes widened in surprise, "Well aren''t you awfully forward".

    "I find it''s the quickest way to get things done, I''ll take a half-kilo of apricots and a few more of those apples," Phillip replied, "I''m Phillip by the way".

    The woman took the cloth Phillip offered and helped him tie up what he''d bought, "Well Phillip, that''ll be eight copper".

    "No name?" asked Phillip as he handed over a silver coin.

    The woman took the coin as she looked up at Phillip, afterall she was only as tall as his chest, "I don''t believe in a single meeting".

    "then how many do you believe in?" asked Phillip.

    "Three. Three coincidental meetings and I''ll consider giving you my name," the woman replied.

    Phillip smiled, "Very well, I look forward to our next encounter". Phillip took up his good and left.

    The woman smiled then looked at the Silver coin in her hand, "Ah, sir! Your...change".

    Phillip had already disappeared into the crowd. The woman frowned at the silver coin. If one hundred coppers equalled one silver, he''d way over-payed. The woman didn''t feel right keeping so much money.

    "Anna?" her father called as he approached, "How are sales?"

    Anna turned with a smile, hiding the coin in her jacket, she''d find a way to pay him back if those coincidental meetings ever happened again.

    ***

    Meanwhile, Phillip entered the Kildare mansion and passed his goods to the servants before he walked for the dining room.

    "I''m back Ludwig, see, I promised I''d be back for-"

    Phillip paused as he entered the large dining hall. The table was already set, and was very much occupied. Ludwig sat to the right of the table, and from their appearance, there were at least ten other advisors and merchants seated at the long table. Then, as quite a surprise, three elves sat to the left of the table. Phillip knew they were elves immediately from their peircing green eyes and long silky hair braided back. Their clothes were so clean cut and smooth that they were clearly made for showing off one''s figure. And though Phillip could not see them in their entirety, upon their skin looked like painted lines that seemed to reflect light, silvery in the centre and white around the edges.

    "Ah, my dear brother, so glad you could join us".

    Phillip turned his gaze to the end of the table where his eldest brother, Francois, sat with a very unimpressed look on his face.

 Chapter 11 The Bond between Father and Son

    *The Eldovian Era, Year 1702*

    "So, the elves have marks like mine?" asked Rassa.

    "They''re called life lines, they''re the manifestation of the power a soul is capable of wielding," Phillip replied, "Every mark is unique, it tells the history of that individual, and traces their acheivements and downfalls. The Elves and the Dwarves both possess them from birth. Magicians gain them when they develop an attunment to a certain magic. But, to be honest with you my son, I''ve never seen a mark like yours. First of all, its black".

    Rassa looked away.

    "Rassa, please. I promise I will be there for you no matter what it is," Phillip stated.

    Rassa felt tears well in his eyes, "I didn''t awaken to a power, I am no magician".

    Phillip frowned, "What do you mean?"

    Rassa turned to his father, "I was trapped in there, so they, it, gave me a choice. Enter into a pact, or be trapped there for eternity. I didn''t want to be trapped, father!"

    Rassa burst into tears and Phillip pulled his son into his arms, "It''s okay, Rassa, it''s okay. No one would. Can you tell me who they are?"

    Rassa shook his head, "They only said they were from the time of Chaos".

    Phillip frowned. He had never heard of such a thing, and he had been given access to the best educators in the Empire.

    "Alright Rassa, it''s okay," Phillip comforted, patting his son''s back softly.

    Regardless of what entity Rassa had encountered, Phillip was certainly furious that they had forced his son into such a position.

    Phillip spent the rest of the day comforting his son. Anna returned only a few times, choosing to leave them be, she knew that Rassa needed this, needed somebody to lean on. It pained her to know it was not her, but from the look in Phillip''s eyes, it was a good thing it had not been. She dropped off some food to them around dinner time, then said she had some errands to run.

    Phillip roused Rassa, who had cried himself to sleep, then offered him some food. Rassa shook his head, pushing the bowl back.

    "You need to eat, Rassa," Phillip stated.

    Rassa sighed, "It does nothing. That''s why I feel worse today. Nothing I eat makes me feel full".

    Phillip paused, surprised, then remember the look on his son''s face after finishing three bowls of soup the night before. He''d been confused by that look, but now he understood. His son was smart, likely he''d wanted to keep eating to see if the hunger could be satisfied, but decided it would scare his parents to keep doing so.

    "Well what do you want to eat?" asked Phillip.

    Rassa looked to his dad. Phillip knew from that look that Rassa knew the answer, but was terrified of it.

    "Just tell me Rassa, remember, new is scary, but what do you need to do to face it?" asked Phillip.

    Rassa looked at his father for a long time, he was so still that Phillip had to question whether his son had heard him, then Rassa spoke in a quiet voice.

    "Okay...I''ll have courage," Rassa replied, then he turned away and stared at the curtain, the light fading behind it. He said nothing more, and Phillip knew that it was unlikely that he''d coax another answer from his son.

    Phillip turned to the side and spotted one of the books on the shelves. It was a medical book, but any book at this stage would do. Phillip stood and reached for it, then walked back and handed it to his son.

    "Come and read to me, I want to hear how you''ve improved from last time," Phillip said. Rassa seemed surprised, but after a moment he opened the book and began to read.

    "The Anthology of Medicinal Plants in the Western Region," Rassa read the title, "Their properties and uses".

    Phillip listened as his son listed the plants and their uses, effectively distracting the both of them. Just like the sponge he''d always known, Phillip watched as his son eagerly soaked in the knowledge. When the Doctor came to check on him not long after Anna returned, Rassa even began to ask questions.

    "Do you use all of these plants, Doctor? They cure so many things".

    "Some of them are hard to come by, but I do the best I can. If you are really interested in medicinal plants, you should endeavour to meet an elf one day, using the forest wisely is their core culture".

    "Can the elves cure anything then?"

    "Some think so, but the elves are a myterious bunch, they only let you in on what they want you to know," the Doctor smiled. It was rare he came across such an inquisitive child. They talked for some time, Anna and Phillip watching on in amusement. For those few hour as the sun surrendered the sky to the moon and stars, they looked to all the world like a family without worries.

    Eventually though, the doctor left, the book was put down, and they all turned to sleep.

    Yet again, Rassa waited until he knew his parents were asleep before he stood and put on his boots and jacket. He struggled at times, his limbs aching worse than the day before. When Rassa finally managed to leave the Doctor''s house, he looked towards the forest in fear.

    He took a deep breath, then shook his head before looking up with determination.

    "New is scary, but we must have the courage to learn".

    Rassa stepped forward, and didn''t look back.

    From the shadows of the house, Phillip watched his son march towards the woods, a feeling of foreboding coming over him. Just what had happened to his only child?

 Chapter 12 The Loss of Innocence

    As Rassa drew further and further into the woods, he could feel anticipation filling his being. He couldn''t believe he was going to do this. If this parents knew...if anyone knew...what would they think of him? Rassa knew it was more than likely they would be repulsed by him. But if his intuition was right, Rassa had no choice in the matter. This was his reality now, it was time to stop denying it.

    Finally, his body aching so much he was standing through will-power alone, Rassa came to the edge of the rabbit meadow.

    Just like two days before, the meadow was filled with rabbits, undisturbed by Rassa''s soundless approach. Raising his nose into the air, Rassa inhaled, and scented the meadow. It didn''t smell as good as any of the humans he''d smelt, but his stomach was craving so badly that it readily let him know that this would be enough.

    Rassa hesitated only a moment before he gave over to those instincts. He was so hungry, so pitifully sore, that in that moment he would give anything to feel full.

    The meadow grew still for a moment, hanging suspended in time, before a small figure sprinted across the meadow and snatched up one of the rabbits so quickly that the others barely knew what happened. Rassa stopped against a tree on the far side of the meadow. The rabbit struggled in his hands, trying to get away. Rassa turned his back to the tree and slid down, looking at the rabbit with sad eyes, tears welling as he did so. The fact that he could hear its heart accelerate, and see its eyes darting, yet hold it before him so still. It made Rassa realise in that moment how utterly helpless it was against him.

    "I''m sorry," Rassa spoke softly, his voice cracking, "If I had another choice...but you are my other choice".

    Rassa''s gums ached painfully, and he groaned as he felt two of his top teeth extend down at least an inch. He had to open his mouth to accommodate them, and he whimpered at the pain. Then, looking at the rabbit one last time, he turned it and bit down where he could see the unmistakable pulse of blood.

    It was easy, like cutting threw butter left in the sun. There was no resistence, and if instinct had not stopped him at a certain point, Rassa was positive he would have bit the rabbit''s head clean off.

    The rabbit struggled against Rassa, but Rassa held it still as he took a breath, then sucked.

    As soon as the blood hit his tastebuds, Rassa knew this would satisfy the hunger. The taste left something to be desired, it was only slightly better than the way normal food had tasted to him in the past two days. Okay, but not enough flavour. Rassa breathed, sucked then swallowed in a continuous sequence until he realised there was nothing left. He withdrew his new fangs carefully, then took a long look at the limp, dead rabbit in his hands. He felt his tears fall, and hugged the dead rabbit as he bowed his head in shame.

    He''d killed it. And the worst part was, the hunger was still there. Rassa knew he''d barely scratched the surface.

    He cried for forty minutes before he finally accepted what had happened, by that time, the other rabbits had reluctantly returned to the field. Rassa placed the read rabbit carefully on the ground, then turned to the field.

    He had no choice.

    Despite the fact that his tears had long dried out, it was the second kill that was the hardest for Rassa. He was no longer testing a theory. He knew. This was what he needed to do to survive now. Blood was the only thing that could satisfy him, knowing that he would have to kill for the rest of his life whatever defenseless creature he came across just to satisfy this part of himself...he was a monster.

    Regardless, the second rabbit wasn''t enough either.

    It was well past midnight when Rassa finally felt full, and by that time, thirty rabbits had been accumulated around him. With no other choice, Rassa picked up a stick and dug deep into the ground, then buried the evidence of his extended meal. Looking down at himself, he felt disgusted, he was caked in blood and filth. Rassa growled in anger at what red eyes and the others had done to him. This was not his choice. Feeling the need to vent that anger, Rassa turned and punched the tree behind him. Unexpectantly, the tree, a good fifteen metres tall and its trunk wide enough that Rassa could only wrap his arms around halfway, let out a thunderous crack.

    Rassa watched in shock as the bark around where his fist had hit blew clean off, and then the tree creaked and fell back with the almight crash, taking another two tree with it and leaning on a third. Rassa looked down at his hands, his fist was on marred, he''d barely even felt the impact. This strength...it was no wonder he could no longer feel it when his parents hugged him tightly. They were but feathers in his shadow.

    Rassa turned and ran.

    He arrived at the river much faster than he thought possible. The river was attached to the far end of the pond by the orchard, it would have taken him nearly an hour to walk that far normally, yet...he''d reached this point in under ten seconds.

    Strength, Speed, his senses hieghtened beyond belief. It was like...he was a born predator. A true monster.

    As Rassa furiously scrubbed his skin and clothes, he couldn''t help the tears that fell again. He brushed them away. He''d been brave. He''d had courage. He''d faced his new reality. But it was abundantly clear that it would take him time to accept it. In the darkness of the night, with the moon and stars as his only witnesses. Rassa prayed that time would come sooner rather than later.

    In the woods, sitting on the trunk of a fallen tree, Phillip looked down at the grave he had uncovered in turmoil.

 Chapter 13 The Line is Drawn

    Phillip had to admit, this was nothing like what he had expected. It was no wonder his son had refused to say anything more. The fear in his eyes was justified. While Phillip had not been around to watch his son drain the rabbits of their blood, Phillip knew it must had been horrifying for him. But if it was blood that Rassa needed then...

    Clearly, he''d had closer sources than the rabbits. It was through this logic that Phillip concluded that Rassa had consciously held himself back, to an even greater degree than Phillip had originally thought. It was a surprise even to Phillip the inner strength that his son had managed to muster. Rassa had no desire to hurt those around him, that much was clear. And this was the major reason that Phillip covered the mass grave of rabbits once more, then packed it down and spread leaves, branches and whatever else he could find over it. He might eat blood now, but Rassa was still his son, and until he was given a reason not to, Phillip would protect him.

    Unfortunately, Phillip knew the other villagers might not see things the same way. Even Anna, who Phillip knew was far more open-minded than the others, might hesitate to call Rassa anything but a monster. Phillip then moved back towards the village.

    It was only part way back that he saw a lone figure sitting on the small field between the orchard and the forest. Phillip didn''t hesitate.

    As he approached, Phillip realised that his son had taken off his top and jacket and washed them. both, letting them dry under the moonlight. His life lines were on full display, and Phillip noticed they had shifted ever so slightly in one corner to form the shape of a rabbit. Phillip turned away. Even if he knew what is symbolised, he still felt it was rude to intrude on that part of his son''s life.

    "You know then...what I did," Rassa said into the air before him. He hadn''t turned to look at his father, but Phillip had realised upon seeing the rabbits that his son had become quite the hunter. After a moment of surprise, Phillip sat down next to his son.

    "I do," Phillip replied.

    "I had no choice," Rassa stated. His voice seemed detatched.

    "That was your other choice, wasn''t it?" asked Phillip.

    Rassa hesitated, then nodded, "I''m a monster".

    Phillip sighed, "A lot of people will say that, yes. The question is whether or not you''ll believe it".

    "But I am a monster," Rassa replied, "I...it hurt less and less every time. What happens if one day, I feel nothing?"

    "What is a monster to you, Rassa?" asked Phillip, "How do you know a monster from any other being?"

    Rassa turned to his father, "How?"

    "A monster kills and takes without reason or mercy. They have no care for anyone or anything but themselves," Phillip stated, "You...you might have taken life, Rassa, but it was not without reason, and you certainly weren''t uncaring about it. The reason it hurt less every time, it was because you were beginning to accept that this was how you had to survive now. This was your reality, and while it is horrifying to many to you it is truth. So what will you do with that truth? With that awareness?"

    Rassa turned away again, silent.

    "No matter how many people speak the words, Rassa, you are not a monster unless you believe it, unless you submit to it," Phillip continued, "From what I''ve seen, you are determined to fight. Now, will you continue to fight, and in the end conquer your instincts, or will you submit to them".

    Rassa continued to stay silent, then his father touched his shoulder, "You will always be my son, Rassa, monster or not. I will do everything in my power to protect you. Now come on, let''s get you some dry clothes". Phillip stood, and Rassa followed slowly before he paused and looked at his father.

    "If I submit...don''t let me become a true monster," Rassa said, "Promise me".

    Phillip hesitated. The look in his son''s eyes was so determined, so resolved, despite his inner turmoil, Phillip could not refuse, "I promise, son".

    Rassa nodded then picked up his wet shirt and jacket.

    "I advise you keep your life lines covered, in order cultures that possess them, it''s considered a grave tattoo to touch or stare at them without permission," Phillip stated as they walked back to the village side by side, "Also, we''ll come here every night from now on, it''s time you learn how to defend yourself".

    "I don''t think there''s a need for that, they can''t harm me," Rassa replied.

    "You''ll learn all the same. There are more powerful foes out there than trees," Phillip gave a small, amused smile. And Rassa, despite his dark emotions, couldn''t help but crack his own smile at his dad''s joke.

    "Yeah, that tree was pretty tame," he added.

    Phillip chuckled.

    So that was it. The line had been drawn. They were father and son, but now they were also monster and tamer. Teacher and student. The path ahead was not at all clear, but they had resolved between than to try their best to make it a better future. To make it so that despite his differences, Rassa could live in peace.

    They would try their best. That was all either of them could ask for.

 Chapter 14 The Warm Reception

    The following day, the Doctor advised that Rassa was well enough to leave. He was still pale, and his eyes were still very sensitive to light, but he was much more energetic and was even eating again unlike the day before. The Doctor simply gave instructions to Phillip and Anna to bring Rassa back should any problems arise, and to keep a close eyes on him. After all, they weren''t entirely positive as to what power Rassa had awakened.

    As for his sensitivity to light, the doctor could only give advise, which was to ensure Rassa would either remain in shadowed places, or wear hats to block out direct sunlight. Rassa didn''t think that would be enough. In his experience of the previous night, he''d pretty much worked out that night time was better suited to his new body. Unfortunately, he lived in a village that was most active whilst the sun was high in the sky. Until he discovered another way, he would just have to make do.

    Returning home, Rassa was pleasantly surprised to find Jane and Falla, and even Diggory waiting for him.

    "Rassa!" the girls called out happily. They raced up to greet him, both of them flinging their arms around him. Rassa barely felt them as they landed on him with their full weight, but for the sake of appearances, Rassa pretended to fall back onto the ground.

    "Girls!" Anna scolded, "Careful he''s only just gotten better!"

    Rassa chuckled, "I''m fine, mum, promise".

    Falla and Jane moved back though, looking at Anna sheepishly.

    "Sorry," they mumbled, then they turned their full attention back to Rassa.

    "Are you okay?"

    "Why are you so pale?"

    "Are you feeling better now?"

    "What''s with the hat?"

    The rapid fire questions caught Rassa off guard for a moment, then he just smiled.

    "I''m fine, the Doctor says I''m better now, but he doesn''t know why I''m so pale, maybe its a side effect of whatever I had?" Rassa questioned. The official story that had spread around the village was that Rassa had caught some kind of disease, therefore, he hadn''t been allowed visitors in the Doctor''s office. Anyone who had seen his life lines had agreed to keep quiet about it. After all, there was no need to talk about something that could very well be used to bully the poor boy.

    "What about the hat?" asked Falla.

    "My eyes are a bit sensitive, so the Doctor said I should either wear one or keep to shadowy places from now on," Rassa replied.

    Falla nodded, accepting the information easily, Jane nodded too, though was annoyed that Rassa had directed the answer at Falla.

    Diggory approached slowly, then held out his hand to Rassa. Rassa smiled and let Diggory help him to his feet, "Glad you''re feeling better".

    Rassa nodded. Then frowned as he looked at Diggory.

    "Don''t you have lessons this morning?"

    Diggory scratched the back of his head awkwardly, "...No..."

    "Dig, you need those lessons if you want to be a Knight," Rassa frowned. It was at this point that Phillip and Anna decided to leave their son alone with his friends, venturing back to their home.

    Diggory sighed, "Knights only need sword fighting, why do I need to know any of that reading nonsense?"

    "But if you can''t read, how will you know who you''re supposed to fight? After all, a knight must listen to the Lord he is sworn to serve, but a lord can''t always be around so he sends letters," Rassa stated, "And what must a Knight then do upon receiving this letter?"

    Diggory sighed and rolled his eyes, "...read it".

    Rassa gave a small smile, "The rest of us don''t get to learn, Dig, you should at least try for us. I know I would be very happy if I could learn to read".

    After all, his father had taught him without the knowledge of the rest of the villagers, and Rassa couldn''t read in front of his friends for fear of them thinking ill of him. Being literate was a sign of higher status, and clearly, with Phillip being a mere farmer, Rassa was not of a high status, at least, not in the eyes of those in the village. If he was to say he now had a family name, and a Duke''s family name at that...there was no telling how they would react.

    Falla''s eyes stayed on Rassa, "You want to learn how to read, Rassa?"

    Rassa hesitated, then nodded.

    "What use is reading around here?" asked Jane, scoffing, "There are so many better things to do!"

    "Exactly," Diggory pointed at Jane, then seemed surprised he was agreeing with the girl. Jane seemed surprised too, and frowned at him in annoyance.

    "Come on, we''re going to go and help with the apple picking," Jane insisted, then she grabbed Rassa''s hand and began dragging him towards the orchard. Despite the fact that it was now incredibly easy for Rassa to resist, he relented, letting himself be dragged by Jane. He looked back over his shoulder at Falla and Diggory.

    "See you!"

    Diggory had lessons, besides the fact that he would never hear the end of it should his father catch him doing the job of someone of a lesser status. And Falla...well, her family was more a merchant family than farmers. She often took lessons with Diggory, though Falla never talked about them, and never endeavoured to show her knowledge.

    After they were well on their way, Jane dropped Rassa''s hand awkwardly and dropped back to walk beside him.

    "Are you really okay?"

    Her voice sounded smaller than usual, not as straightforward.

    "I''m really okay," Rassa reassured her.

    "Because when you disappeared like that...then they brought you back like that...well it scared me," Jane admitted.

    Rassa looked forward, "Well I promise I''m fine. How are you?"

    "Huh?" asked Jane.

    "You fell over when we were chasing the rabbit, you''re okay now right?" asked Rassa.

    Jane''s eyes widened in realisation, "Oh, right, yeah. I''m okay. The doctor gave me some bandages".

    Rassa nodded in acknowledgement.

    The truth was, Jane had complelety forgotten about her own injuries. She''d been so busy worrying about Rassa for the past few days that she hadn''t cared much about her own pain.

    "Well anyway," Jane perked up with a smile, "Mr Harold said that the harvest this year is especially good!"

    Rassa listened aptly as Jane animatedly told him the happenings of the last few days. And all the while, he could not help but wonder.

    Will she still smile at me like that when she finds out I''m a monster?

    He did not realise how much he appreciated her smile until he realised it might be taken away.

 Chapter 15 The First Lesson

    As the sun went down, Rassa''s eyesight became clearer and clearer. Finally, when darkness descended, he did not struggle in the slightest. His eyesight was even clearer than it had been in the day before his change. He ate dinner with his parents, then, towards the end of the meal, his father stood and indicated for Rassa to come with him.

    "You''re going out?" asked Anna, confused.

    Phillip nodded, "I think it''s time Rassa learn about...my past".

    Anna''s eyes widened, but after a moment she nodded in acceptance.

    "Not too late okay, he still needs his rest," Anna insisted.

    "It''ll be a nightly thing from now on," Phillip informed Anna. Anna only nodded. It was clear from this interaction that Anna knew enough about her husband''s past to know that despite her wishes, there was no way Rassa could avoid his bloodline forever.

    Anna simply grabbed Rassa''s coat and ensured he put it on then waved them out with another reminder not to stay out too late.

    As they exited the village, Phillip spoke in a low voice, "Are you hungry?"

    The truth was, Rassa wasn''t. He felt that maybe he could do with a glass of blood, but he wasn''t starving like he had been previously. If possible, he wanted to avoid that eventuality for as long as possible. He shook his head.

    "No, I''m fine," Rassa replied.

    Phillip nodded, "Come on, we''ll be walking for a while. If I''m going to train you, I have to know what your abilities are now. It''s a good thing if you know as well. If you know your own strength, you''re less likely to make reckless decisions".

    "Then...what are we testing?" asked Rassa.

    "Well, from last night''s incident it''s clear that your strength is far superior to anyone I''ve ever seen," Phillip stated, "And I think you also know you are quite fast now, yes?"

    Rassa nodded, "Last night, from the tree to the lake by the orchard...it took me less than ten seconds?"

    Phillip looked surprised for a moment, then thoughtful, "Perhaps your life lines are enhancing your physical attributes".

    "Is that possible?" asked Rassa.

    "I''ve never heard of it before but I suppose it''s possible. A new kind of magic. Your eyesight is effected too?" asked Phillip.

    "Not just my eyesight, all of my senses," Rassa stated, "I could smell you the moment you came out of the forest, and hear every footstep as you approached".

    "What about touch, is everything more sensitive?" asked Phillip.

    Rassa shook his head, "It''s..."

    Rassa paused, frowning. Now that he thought about it, it was only really the strength or force of something he could not feel. The features of something that touched him, whether it be skin, clothing, fur, food, wood or something else, he could feel every fibre to a minute detail. He tried to explain this to his father who nodded.

    "I see. It''s indeed interesting".

    Phillip said nothing more as they continued walking north along the forest''s border, past the orchard and into the uninhabited hills beyond. After a while, Rassa realised it was unlikely they were going to stop soon, and decided to ask a question.

    "Can you tell me more?"

    "About what?" asked Phillip.

    "About how you met mum?"

    Phillip looked down at his son, for a moment he said nothing, then he nodded, "Very well, where did I finish last time?"

    "You walked in on your eldest brother holding a business dinner," Rassa replied. Phillip chuckled.

    "Ah yes, he was not very happy about that..."

    ***

    *The Eldovian Era, Year 1692*

    The doors crashed open and reverberated against the walls as Francois Kildare entered the main study with his youngest brother strolling in unperturbed behind him. His guests had left to the elder sibling''s apologetic sincerities and the younger''s indifference.

    "You were supposed to arrive just after noon," Francois snapped, turning to glare at his youngest brother.

    Phillip shrugged, "I did. Thought I''d spend some time getting to know the city for the day".

    "Varkevia is one of over forty trade cities in the empire, and over a hundred outposts of the Kildare Trade Association, getting to know one city is not worth your time," Francois stated.

    "I think it is," Phillip replied, "After all, how can we know what the people here want if we do not know them?"

    Phillip relaxed onto the day bed to the side and Francois glared over at him.

    "So you''re serious about the family business then?" asked Francois.

    Phillip scoffed, "Do I have a choice?"

    "No," Francois replied, "Though considering you were galivanting at that knight school for the last three years I think you''re far behind what is expected of you".

    Francois picked up a document and handed it to Phillip, "Here, what do you think of this?"

    Phillip took the sheet of paper and scanned it quickly, "This is the trade deal with the elves?"

    Francois nodded, his expression softening. He may have been disappointed in his brother''s earlier conduct, but Phillip was still his brother. If anything, Francois was reluctant to squash the free-spirit that had brought such light to their household in their early years when their father was rarely present.

    "Why trade with them for food? We have no lack of fertile crops in the area, nobody has starved to death in years, a feat I remember the Emperor is well-known for," Phillip stated.

    "It''s not just food," Francois replied, "Volotun Fruits are ripe with magical essenses, eating them has many extraordinary benefits".

    "Such as?" asked Phillip. He had never heard of Volotun Fruits.

    "It can heal incurable diseases, make the lame and insane well again, even regrow limbs in the right circumstances. And, in rare instances, it can awaken latent Magician Genes," Francois stated, "The Emperor is very eager to get his hands on them for the advancement of the people".

    Phillip''s eyes widened as his brother''s list grew, "And the changes are permanent?"

    Francois nodded, "Very much so. It''s already been tested at Jarrica".

    Jarrica, the coal mine. It was a well-known prison mine, and there were talks of what went on there. Of inhumane experiments on those of "lesser" status.

    Phillip frowned, "Are you sure its safe? And what do they even want in return?"

    "That''s pretty simple actually, they want to be able to use our Magicians," Francois stated, "After all, their people can only produced Earth and Nature based Magicians, Magicians of the other elements don''t appear there".

    "Why?" asked Phillip.

    "Sorry?" asked Francois.

    "Why do they want our magicians? I mean, its reasonable to assume that we want this Volotun fruit to do the miraculous, but the Elves have been a stable society since before the Lithian Era*, why do they want access to the other elemental magicians now?" asked Phillip.

    Francois paused at this, as if it was not a thought he''d had before, then shook his head, "It''s not for us to question. This is a mutually beneficial deal, and I have full authority to negotiate and sign off on it. You''re here so you can watch and learn".

    "But-"

    "You''re already on thin ice with dad, Phillip, please don''t push it," Francois begged.

    Phillip had never seen his brother beg. His brother was domineering and unmoveable, the perfect heir to the Duke''s title. And yet...there was more to his position than met the eyes. More to this family and its business. There was a reason Phillip had run, he was just too cowardly to acknowledge it. Now...it seemed he would no longer have a choice in the matter.

 Chapter 16 The Coincidental Meetings

    Anna, despite all her talk, truly hoped she''d see Phillip again. He was one of the most charming young men she''d ever met. His words were normal perhaps, but the way his eyes sparkled with mischeif and promise had lured Anna in...though it helped the young man was exceptionally well-built as well.

    His sun-kissed skin and defined muscles had drawn many eyes, though he had not seemed overly aware of it. He''d had eyes so blue Anna had been reminded of the sky above the orchards on a cloudless summer''s day. And his jawline...carved from stone, for there was no other explanation for how well defined and smooth it was.

    Anna had indeed been enchanted, until she''d seen his high quality cotton shirt, and his tailored trousers. And then when he walked away, this pure leather boots. That chocolate-haired, blue-eyed man was not a commoner. At least not your average commoner. The silver coin had also been a pretty obvious red flag.

    Anna had pretty much written-off ever seeing him again, but that didn''t stop her hoping he''d show up. Her, her father and the other merchants from Cordon spent the week in the markets, then, out of stock, returned to their village, all without the young gentleman Phillip showing his face again. Anna could only hold onto the Silver coin, and let it pay for their passage out of the city. They left Varkevia behind until the next harvest which was still some months away.

    So Anna returned to her simple life. Her days full of chores and interactions with her childhood friends. It was a few months after their return that Carter, one of her closest friends when she was a child, returned from his training at the Knight Academy in Barday.

    He was now a fully-fledged knight, and had sworn his allegiance to the local lord, Baron Peters. Carter bragged amongst this childhood friends, and many commended him for his efforts. But Anna was indifferent. Carter had always wanted to be a knight, and so he had become one. Coming from a family of Knights it was not unexpected. and yet, Carter tried several times to gain Anna''s attention through stories of his time with the Knight Academy. He was unsuccessful, especially when some unexpected visitors arrived at the Baron''s estate.

    It had been six months since they had last seen each other, but Anna knew those eyes and that chisled jawline the moment she saw them, she''d nearly dropped the basket of plums she was bringing back to the village store rooms.

    He led a procession of a dozen noblemen and knights into the town on horseback. Judging from the hunting equipment, clearly they were a hunting party. But a Hunting Party all the way from Varkevia? It seemed a stretch. As Anna watched him, Phillip turned, and spotted her in the crowd of onlookers. After the surprise washed over him, a charming smile appeared, and he held up two fingers. Anna knew exactly what he was thinking.

    ''This is the second coincidental meeting, next time I''ll get your name''.

    Anna blushed and hurried on her way. She denied hearing his chuckle echoing behind her.

    It was indeed a hunting party. One that would be staying in the area for a month. Anna did her best to ignore the information, but it was hard when all of her friends were talking about the handsome noblemen that had arrived. Using her best efforts, she managed to avoid him for a full week. Finally, quite by accident, she bumped into him when she stayed late in the orchards one evening thinking the hunting party had already arrived back.

    It had, but apparently Phillip was into long walks.

    "And so it appears my prays have been answered," Phillip had stated simply. Ann had jumped in surprise and turned to find Phillip leaning against the trunk of one of the larger apple trees.

    "You scared me," Anna said, her hand over her heart.

    "My apologies, I thought you heard me".

    Phillip knew she hadn''t. He''d made an effort to be quiet so she couldn''t avoid him like what she''d been doing for the past week.

    "Do I get a name now? After all, we''ve met three times," Phillip smiled.

    Anna sighed, looking down at the basket before her, "Anna".

    "Anna," Phillip tested, "It suits you".

    "You probably say that to all the girls," Anna replied.

    "Not at all, I met one young woman some time ago whose face was quite resemblent of a rat, do you know what her name was?" asked Phillip.

    Anna looked on expectantly.

    "Petunia".

    Anna let out a short laugh before covering her mouth, "Sorry, that was rude".

    Phillip grinned as he shook his head, "She''s not here to hear about it".

    "What are you doing here?" Anna asked.

    "I''m taking a stroll," Phillip replied.

    "No, here, in Cordon," Anna replied.

    Phillip''s expression dropped slightly, and his sparkling eyes became slightly guarded, "Oh, a hunting party. The others wanted a change of scenery and my brother encouraged me to go along with them".

    "Well I hardly think that''s enough of an excuse to-"

    "Anna!"

    It was Carter, and he approached with a frown on his face.

    "Anna come on back it''s getting late," Carter insisted. He was practically glaring at Phillip. Anna frowned at him, then looked back at Phillip who smiled amusedly.

    "Do you two know each other?" Anna asked.

    "No".

    "No? Goodness Carter I didn''t think you''re memory was that bad," Phillip then turned to Anna, "We were classmates at the Knight Academy".

    Anna''s eyebrows rose, "You went to the Knight Academy?"

    Phillip nodded. Perhaps he wasn''t as high in status as she had assumed.

    "Then you must know some of Carter''s achievements there," Anna stated, "Is it true he hasn''t been defeated in one-on-one combat?"

    Carter blushed and stepped forward to grab Anna.

    "Come on".

    "Oh, but-"

    "I''ll see you around Anna".

    anna was helpless to do much more than wave awkwardly.

    "Carter? What''s wrong with you?" Anna asked.

    "You shouldn''t talk with him, Anna. His family is bad news," Carter cautioned.

    "Bad news, whatever do you mean?" asked Anna.

    "Just...don''t talk to him, okay?"

    Anna could only nod.

 Chapter 17 The Art of Books

    Phillip hated to admit it, but the meeting between himself and Anna truly had been coincidental. Despite how he had been drawn to her that day, because of the inhumane schedule his brother had given him, Phillip had had no time for anything but business deals and goods inspections. Not to mention the myraid of parties that Varkevia had nearly every night. Finally, after months and months of adhereing to his brother''s every command, Francois had released him.

    "Go and take a break".

    A simple order, but Phillip had decided to take full advantage of it. He''d assembled a hunting party amongst friends and business associates and then not hesitated to ride North. Not because of Anna, though he would later claim it was so to charm her, but because Cordon was the closest human village to where the Volotun Fruits were grown. Phillip did not trust the Elves and their deal, it was simply too good to be true. And a month before, he had discovered he was right.

    He''d run into an Elven Warrior who was attempting to rob their household. A bold move, Phillip had commended him for it, then asked what the hell the Voluton fruit really was.

    It turned out, the Voluton fruit did exactly what was described...if you ate it once.

    Indulging anymore than that, and it could have severe side effects for humans. A tid-bit Philip was not sure Francois was aware of. There was a cure, but only if it was taken within a week of the first Voluton fruit, and it would completely reverse the effects of the fruit. Together, the Elf, Gerrick, and himself had plotted to find proof of the Voluton fruit''s side effects in order to present a case to his brother. Hence, his venture to Cordon.

    But of course, now that he knew Anna was here, he was not going to shy away from her company.

    It took a few more days, to the point where Phillip had begun staying until late at night in the Orchard reading whatever book had took his fancy, and it was on one of these occasions that Anna sought him out.

    "What are you doing out here?" she''d asked.

    "Reading," Phillip had replied, "It''s peaceful here".

    "In the dark?" Anna had asked, skeptical. And she was right to be, no ordinary person could read with such faint light. In answer, Phillip had rolled up his sleeve to expose the mark on his arm. It was an image of two concentric circles, a line of block-like text in between them. Anna had squatted down with intrigue, forgetting herself as her fingers rose to trace it.

    "It''s so beautiful, what is it?"

    Phillip cleared his throat, momentarily taken aback by her forwardness, "It''s...It''s a Magician''s circle. It gives me the ability to see in the dark".

    "Magicians can do that?" asked Anna with surprise.

    "Light element Magicians can, for the right price," Phillip had admitted. His had been a parting gift of the Academy for his achievements.

    "I''ve never seen a Magician before," Anna admitted with a frown.

    Phillip smiled, "Not even in Varkevia?"

    Anna shook her head.

    "I suppose Varkevia is an outlying city," Phillip reasoned.

    "What are you reading?" Anna asked, pointing to the book.

    "You seem awfully talkative today, any particular reason for that?" Phillip smiled.

    "Just tell me," Anna rolled her eyes. It was at this moment, seeing that look of so many meanings in her dark eyes, that Phillip fell in love.

    He turned away after he saw her blush, thanking whatever gods there were that she could not see he was blushing too.

    "It''s a collection of poems," Phillip admitted, "By Isaac Minor".

    "I''ve never heard of him," Anna replied, "Would minstrels know them? Perhaps I have heard one and didn''t know it".

    Phillip doubted it. Isaac Minor was not the most optimistic of fellows.

    "He''s not well known," Phillip replied.

    anna hesitated a moment, then leaned against the trunk of the tree beside Phillip.

    "Read to me," Anna said.

    Phillip couldn''t find a reason not to.

    "Upon the graves of mournful souls the bloody men do dance, the web of lies and tricks they weave their only true romance..."

    ***

    Anna never mentioned to him why she came every evening to accompany him, but he was vaguely aware that her family was encouraging her to marry Carter, a union she did not approve of. They met so often in the evenings that Anna had insisted that Phillip teach her how to read, and he could not refuse her.

    They grew closer, so much so that near the end of his stay, Phillip could hardly think of leaving. He liked life in Cordon. It was peaceful. And of course, he had Anna. She was kind, and hard working. Her eyes full of life. It was only ever alone with him that she showed her insecurities, and even then she did not seem aware she was doing it. Not until Phillip mentioned it.

    Since he had loved her since before she had asked him to teach her to read, Phillip had begun teaching her without restraint. She learned diligently, to the point where it was her reading the poems, not him. Though she stumbled and struggled like a child Phillip never complained.

    One night, as he watched her struggle to read, he could not contain his thoughts any longer.

    "I love you".

    Anna paused, shocked, and looked up at him in surprise. The truth in his eyes was undeniable.

    "But...you hardly know me," Anna argued.

    Phillip smiled, taking the book from her as he leaned forward and pecked her lips, "I know enough".

    He stood and walked off through the orchard, one hand in his pocket, leaving Anna completely gobsmacked.

    The following night, he waited for her like always, this time with a letter of his own writing instead of a book. He waited until four hours after the sun went down, then could not help but sigh in disappointment.

    "You humans are so childish," Gerrick sighed as he dropped down from one of the trees above, "Love is so fleeting to you".

    Phillip scowled, "Don''t rub it in Elf. And since when were you spying on me?"

    "Long enough to know you''re infatuated," Gerrick replied, "Even if you do a good job hiding it".

    Phillip stood, putting the letter on the ground near the tree with a rock on it as a weight so it wouldn''t blow away.

    "What''s the use of that, you scared her off," Gerrick stated.

    "Call it a lover''s hope," Phillip snapped, "Come on, let''s get this over with".

    Phillip accompanied the Elf deep into the woods as he had done for many nights after Anna had left. After nearly two hours of walking, just after midnight, they reached the side of the crops and hid as they had done many time before.

    But unlike the times before, this time was different.

    This time, they had a human magician there, and when that magician whose power had come to fuition months before in the mines of Jarrica had been unable to resist the temptation of having one of those divine fruits again. The backs of the elves turned, and he ate his fill.

    And then exploded into a million pieces.

 Chapter 18 The Time of Love and Mourning

    Anna had been unwilling to accept it when she''d seen it herself, but there was no doubt about it. A man had exploded from eating that single piece of fruit. She had not intended on following Phillip and the Elf, but upon reading the letter he had written to her, she had desired nothing more than to tell him she loved him back. She had followed them, and seen what they had. She had been unable to move from the shock, even as Phillip had told the elf that he was going to report this to his brother as soon as possible. That he would be riding off at first light.

    She was not there to see his searching eyes as he left the village. She was in the Orchard, reading over the letter again and again until she could not help the tears spill over.

    She hated that there was a part of herself that believed he''d merely used her. That she was merely a fling. But she''d seen the truth in his eyes. He did not have to spend every evening with her, but he had. And she had loved it.

    He was not a bad person like Carter had said. Though with how knowledgeable he was, it was clear his family was far more influential that she had originally been led to believe. No ordinary child would have knowledge like his. And...she loved him for it.

    Loved him, and yet not had the courage to say it when she had the chance. Now, when would they meet again. His letter was unclear despite the depth of his words. He truly, truly loved her, and intended to marry her. He had even given her a ring with the letter.

    "Wear it with pride and happiness, for if you wear it with anything else my grandmother will surely haunt you".

    The words had made her giggle between her tears. The ring was simple to any who didn''t know better, carved on the inside with the words ''forever and always''. But the metal itself was Anthrite. then most expensive substance in the known world, a metal with crystalline qualities. She had tied it on a string around her neck and put it beneath her top. She would indeed wear with pride and happiness until the day he returned for her.

    It was only several days later when her joy was crushed. When, late in the night, her home had been broken into, and she was taken against her will. Her father had attempted to defend her, and been killed in the process. She would never forget the image of her father bleeding out on the floor, reaching for her in a last ditch effort to save her.

    It was not to be.

    She was thrown into a carrige, the door locked behind her, and in the seat opposite, with a lamp by his head, sat an older and leaner version of her Phillip.

    "Who the hell are you!" she shouted, "You killed my father!"

    "Do be quiet girl," the man sighed, "Or I''ll have to make you suffer a lot more than I intended to".

    Anna glared at him, "Who are you?"

    "My name, Anna, is Francois Kildare," he replied, spitting her name like it was a foul substance, "I am Phillip''s oldest brother".

    Anna''s eyes widened, and she sat down on the seat opposite him in shock, "...Kil...Kildare?"

    "At least you know that much," Francois frowned in disapproval, "Now be quiet and sit still. The last thing I want to do on this journey is hear the whims of some country bumpkin".

    Anna had no argument. Kildare? She''d known Phillip''s family was influential but...direct relations with the Emperor? Good lord, what one earth was one of the Emperor''s relations doing in Cordon?

    Anna was not to have an answer for several days. They passed many farming villages before they entered a mountain range, and finally stopped at a mining camp. A huge mining camp.

    "I would say welcome to Jarrica, but I don''t think anyone feels welcome here," Francois spoke. The door opened, and a couple of burly men stepped forward, taking Anna deep into the mines. Her eyes took a long time to adjust, but when they did the men were leading her into a cell, and locking her wrists into manacles. They left, closing the cell door behind her.

    "Is this her?" asked a deep voice from the side. A man with golden hair and brown eyes stepped from the darkness, older than Francois who had come to stand before the bars as well. Despite the light, Anna could see their similar features.

    "This is her," Francois confirmed.

    "Anna," the man spat. He stared at her for a moment, appraising her head to toe before he scoffed, "We''ll I''ll admit she''d quite pretty, but that hardly justifies his adamance. If he''s decided to be obedient, then perhaps I''ll let him f*** her before she dies".

    Francois looked indifferent.

    "I wouldn''t want my brother to be tainted, father," Francois admitted slowly.

    So this was Duke Kildare? He was not in the least bit impressive in these dark mines.

    "Bring him in," called the Duke.

    A door opened to the side and a scuffle was heard.

    "Get off me!" snapped a familiar voice, "I can walk on my own!"

    Anna''s eyes widened as Phillip appeared before the bars, and he froze on the spot as he made eye contact with her. Then he launched himself for the gate, only for chains to drag him back. He fought, but it was no use.

    "Nice of you to join us, brother," Francois spoke.

    "Let her go, she has nothing to do with this," Phillip snapped.

    "Nothing?" asked the Duke, "Not only did you attempt to sabotage a long awaited trade alliance with the Elves, you also insisted on marrying this...filth!"

    "The Volotun Fruit isn''t safe!" Phillip said, "How many times do I have to tell you? Taking it more than once will result in death!"

    "Ridiculous, you have no proof but the word of an exiled elf," the Duke insisted.

    "This concerns the good of the entire empire, if you don''t act you''ll have an epidemic on your hands!" Phillip insisted, "If the Emperor wants more powerful soldiers, father this is not the way to do it. It''s not worth the risks involved".

    "Be quiet! You disobedient child, I should have been harder on you," the Duke stated, "Now, your ridiculous statements have landed you in this position. Bring it!"

    A man walked through the same door, in his hand, a purple fruit the size of an apple, but with skin like a plum.

    "What are you doing?" Phillip asked, his tone grave. as he watched the man pass him, and then enter the cage where Anna was chained. Phillip pulled on his chains with such strength that he was able to rush forward to the bars, only stopped by the gate closing once more.

    "No!" Phillip shouted, "Anna don''t eat it!"

    "Like she has a choice," the Duke stated, "This is what happens when you are disobedient and start to have feelings for someone beneath you. Learn well boy, I don''t want to have to teach this lesson again".

 Chapter 19 The Sins of the Father will not be that of the Son

    Phillip watched as the fruit was force fed to Anna, who struggled but had no choice but to swallow in order to get air. She coughed, and the men stepped back as Anna''s body convulsed. She cried out in shock, the screamed as pure silver life lines began appearing on her skin, burning into it. Phillip shouted for it to stop, but to no avail.

    After what seemed like hours, Anna hung from her manacled chains, breathing heavily.

    "Maybe she''s not entirely useless then," the Duke sighed, looking at the life lines, then he turned to Phillip, "But that doesn''t mean I''ll let her live".

    He turned to the man in the cage and nodded. The man produced another piece of fruit and Phillip froze.

    "You knew," he said, "You knew what would happen when more than one fruit was eaten and you still made the deal".

    "Of course I made the deal," the Duke said, "Can you even imagine what an Empire full of Magicians would look like? We would be unstoppable".

    "We have no need for a larger or more powerful Empire, we already rule the entire continent!" snapped Phillip.

    "Na?ve boy," the Duke scowled, "Since when has that ever stopped us?"

    The man approached Anna and Phillip screamed, "NO! No Please!"

    Bu the Duke barely glanced at him as they once again force fed Anna another piece of the Volotun fruit. Again, Anna''s body convulsed and she screamed as more lifelines appeared. This time it was longer than the first, and the Duke and Francois watched with wide eyes as Anna withstood the pain and the change before passing out.

    "How is this possible?" asked the Duke, "I thought no one had ever survived the second piece?"

    The man in the cage shrugged, "I have no idea, my lord. Perhaps she has elf blood?"

    "Ridiculous, if I want the damn girl dead, I''ll just have to do it myself," the duke stated, drawing a sword from a nearby guard. Phillip stood and stepped in front of his father.

    "No," Phillip said, "You don''t get to kill her. You don''t get a say at all".

    "Move aside," the Duke ordered, raising his sword to Phillip''s chest, "Or you die too".

    "Then kill me," Phillip replied, "I''d rather that than whatever putrid future you have in store for me. I will not bow to the whims of a power crazed Emperor and his extended family".

    The Duke seethed, pushing on the sword, but in the blink of an eye Phillip stepped forward around the sword and disarmed his father before pulling the duke into his chest and holding the sword to his throat.

    "Move, and I will kill him," Phillip said as the guards stepped forward.

    For the first time since Phillip had arrived home with news of the fruit, Francois showed an emotion other than indifference. He looked scared. That was the brother that Phillip had come to know but had been reluctant to see. The brother who seemed strong, but was only a puppet for his father. Too obedient and submissive to lead himself.

    "Release me, boy," the Duke managed.

    Phillip leaned down to whisper in his father''s ear, "I am not a puppet, father, I have a will of my own. A will I quite frankly think you are terrified of, because god forbid I want to lead my own life. Well, here is a promise for you, the first and last I will give you as your son. I will never again claim the name Kildare. I cast it off as I would depravity, and all that comes with it. My descendants shall not hold your name, and they will only known enough of their ancestry to know that it is nothing worth going back to. When I leave here today, I hope to never see you again, because if I do, I will do more than give you a permanent scar, I''ll rip everything you care about from beneath your feet". Then Phillip turned to the main inside the cage, "Release her".

    The man didn''t hesitate, neither did the guards that unlocked his manacles. Phillip paused as he went to take Anna, knowing that he could only do one at a time between fighting them off and taking Anna away. Luckily, he did not need to choose.

    Green vines shots out of the ground and locked around a few of the guards, then Gerrick appeared from the shadows, his life lines glowing as his power flowed through his veins.

    "Go!" he shouted as the vines lurched the Duke and the closest guard away from Phillip and Anna. Phillip didn''t hesitated, he grabbed Anna and lifted, her jogging into the clear corridor behind Gerrick. There, Gerrick pulled up a wall of vines to block the tunnel, and turned to Phillip and Anna.

    "Let''s go," Phillip said.

    Gerrick shook his head, then took out a syringe full of clear liquid and jabbed it into Anna''s arm. She frowned in her unconscious state, whimpering in pain as the silver lines seemed to fade and disappear.

    "She''ll be sick for a few days so take care of her. She won''t remember what happened after she ate the fruit," Gerrick stated.

    "Thank you...but aren''t you coming with us?"

    Gerrick shook his head, "Someone has to cover your escape".

    Phillip paused, "But..."

    "Call me an old romantic, but I think it better than you two young ones survive this than me? I am old and abandoned by my people. I have little left to live for," Gerrick stated, "Just promise me you''ll stop the trade deal".

    Phillip hesitated then nodded, "Thank you".

    Gerrick sighed, "Go".

    Philip didn''t see Gerrick ever again.

    Nor did he see his family.

    In the year that followed, Phillip and Anna were nomadic in their movements. They stopped only to tell the story of the Volotun fruit. Many did not believe it at first, but it only took one or two incidents before the people began to protest and rise up.

    The stores of it were burned, and the Emperor had no choice but to order to trade deal to cease. On their last stop, Phillip and Anna were married, and returned to Cordon. After some words with Carter, now married to Rachel, another of the village girls, the two were seen as nothing more than a farmer and his wife. They gave birth to a baby boy three months later, and named him Rassa.

 Chapter 20 The Training of a Monster

    *The Eldovian Era, Year 1705*

    "Yo, Rassa! Heads up!"

    Rassa tilted his head to listen, then raised his hand to catch the apple coming his way. He wrapped his hand around it with a smile, nodding to James who stood with an annoyed pose at the base of the next tree over.

    "Thanks," Rassa said, taking a bite from the apple then turning to Jane who was picking apple beside him, "Want a bite?"

    Jane rolled her eyes, "We''re supposed to be picking the apples, not eating them".

    "Come on, you know you want it," Rassa grinned.

    Jane glared at the pale boy with a deep set hood that cover his eyes and only allowed for that kind yet mischievous grin she knew so well to peek out. It didn''t matter how long she knew Rassa, every time she looked at him, he seemed to make his way deeper into her heart. She leaned forward before taking a bite from the apple in his hand. Rassa turned back to where James watched, the other boy still seething.

    "I think he''s jealous," Rassa stated, taking the apple back to eat it.

    "That''s his problem," Jane sighed, swallowing.

    "Are you ever going to give him the time of day?" asked Rassa.

    "Not while he''s like that I''m not," Jane replied, bending down to pick up her basket of apples.

    Rassa grinned, then picked up his own basket which had been full since quite a while ago, and followed her out of the Orchard.

    It''d been nearly three years to the day since he''d been trapped in that cave, but apart from his father, no one suspected a thing. Rassa had discovered that he only needed to drink blood once a week to feel satisfied, and hence his guilt of killing animals was lessened. Especially when he discovered that larger animals were more satisfying - mostly because they contained more blood. He therefore had not had a repeated incident of the mass grave of bunnies.

    That didn''t mean he wasn''t careful though, nor that he had fully accepted that this was a part of him.

    Despite the fact he knew that it did little for his wellbeing and was only really for the sake of keeping up appearances, Rassa ate normal food like everyone else. It didn''t taste nearly as good as it used to, which was a massive disappointment for him, but he ate it all the same.

    A few months into his hat wearing, he had gotten sick of the damn thing flying off in the breeze or having some of the other children steal it. Seeing this, his mother had made him a deep-set hood that folded over slightly at the front and kept his pale eyes in the shadows. He loved it so much he only ever took it off when he needed to bathe, or when night came around and the hood was nothing more than an inconvenience to him.

    As for the training sessions with his father, they had progressed slowly at first. It was no easy for his father to see Rassa''s limits, but his father insisted on Rassa testing himself until he could say things like "I can''t do this, or I wouldn''t be able to do that". It took some months because not only was Rassa getting used to his new physical abilities, he also seemed to be getting stronger. The more blood he took in, the stronger he felt. On more than one occasion he''d felt a pull from his life lines, letting him know that something was changing, shifting. It was times like this where he would take himself back to the lake and look down at his reflection by moonlight to see what had changed.

    Some of it was easy to understand, such as the rabbit that represented his first kill, or the moon that represented his preferred time of day. Others were more obscure, like the small rose at the base of his spine. While he vaguely remembered when it had appeared, he could not pinpoint exactly what it represented, and there were time when it irked him.

    After several months of testing his limits, his father had finally started to teach him combat. Unfortunately, they had worked out rather quickly that it was not safe for the two of them to spar as the odds of his father being hurt were quite high. Instead, his father gave him basic drills to build his muscle memory, and then let Rassa get creative. His father would critique him, but often times Rassa exceeded expectations. He picked up the art of swordplay and hand-to-hand combat with such ease that it baffled his father. Even more to the point, Rassa was so elegant in his movements. Even as a twelve year old boy, Rassa was so relaxed and fluid in his movements that there were times beneath the moonlight where Phillip could not help but compare him to an avenging angel. As if swords were not enough, Rassa began training in other weapons, whatever he could get his hands on. Spear, bow, axe, hammer...and every one of them was learned so well that Phillip questioned if he was actually teaching, or was simply a witness to a military prodigy.

    The truth was, instinct drove Rassa. As soon as he began the drills he could feel it in his very soul. He left his muscles learn the movements, and honed his instincts with ever session, forcing himself to stop randomly, or react to the unexpected. He knew his father was training him so that Rassa could not be harmed, but the truth was, Rassa was positive he could decimate the entire Empire with little to no effort. There was no real challenge for him, and hence his frustrations could only grow.

    It was at the end at one of these sessions that Rassa finally admitted to his father that the weapons he used, while deadly to a human, would barely glance scratch someone like him. Even if it did, his ability to rapidly heal, which he had discovered quite by accident whilst out hunting one night, would ensure he would be very VERY hard to kill.

 Chapter 21 The Answer to all the Killing

    Regardless of whether the training sessions were valid or not, Rassa still ventured out every night, usually much later than normal and without his father''s company. Sometimes it was to practice, other times to hunt, but the most common thing that Rassa loved to do more than anything else, was run.

    Rassa could spend hours moving across the north-western landscape with nothing to bar his way. He had practically mapped the entire thing to memory, and it was during one of these occasions that he discovered the pleasures of the Varkevia Night Market.

    After all, if a two kilometre sprint took him barely ten seconds, 60 kilometres was easy for Rassa to cover in a little over 5 minutes.

    Despite his poor attire of a shirt, trousers, boots a jacket and his hood, Rassa realised quite quickly that his pale skin drew attention. His dark hair and eyes were also a topic of discussion, as he realised by listening in on the various conversations in the market. After some consideration, he pulled up his hood and continued on his way.

    The market was filled with all manner of goods. Clothing, jewellery, baskets, pins, candles, and all manner of food, whether freshly cooked or freshly grown. Rassa marvelled at its splendour, and even paused in the central square where a minstrel band played merrily for the crowd that gathered. It was walking past one such Vendor that Rassa was forcefully drawn in.

    "Hey! Boy, come over and try these brand new honey cakes! They''re all the rage in the capital!" the Vendor bragged.

    Rassa paused for a moment and looked over, the flower shaped cakes were small, but glazed over the top, and Rassa looked up at the Vendor, "I have no money".

    The Vendor seemed disappointed, "What about your parents? Surely one of them is around?"

    On que, the Vendor looked up and down the street then back at Rassa.

    "Sorry," Rassa shrugged with a small smile.

    "Ah, probably for the best," the Vendor sighed in disappoint in a much quieter tone, "These things are addicting their so sweet and such sweet things are best had in moderation. A little every day".

    Rassa knew the statement was not directed at him as the Vendor went to draw another customer in. But still, the last four words suddenly reverberated in Rassa.

    A little every day? Why hadn''t he thought of that?

    As the realisation dawned on Rassa that perhaps, just maybe, he wouldn''t have to take lives so easily to survive anymore, he was filled with excitement.

    He didn''t dally any longer in the market, he exited the city directly, and made way for the woods.

    It had only been four days since he had fed previously, so he was a little hungry. Deciding it was closer to the lake, Rassa waited until he was closer to the village before he hunted.

    He found a large stag, and didn''t hesitate to lock his sights on it, directly bringing it down to the ground and locking its kicking limbs in place.

    Rassa extended his fangs, a process that had once been painful was now second nature. He leaned forward, and sunk his fangs into the stag''s neck.

    It had taken Rassa some time to practice cleanliness when drinking blood. The first several times the blood easily spilled from his mouth and ran down his chin and neck, staining his clothing. Eventually, Rassa learned to take smaller mouthfuls so that he could swallow more easily. It was almost embarrassing, and had there been others apart from his father who could have gotten past the fact that Rassa was drinking blood, then perhaps he would have been more self-conscious. After all, learning to swallow with your mouth wide open and at various angles was not exactly easy. He had learned eventually though. With the added affect of his fangs producing a toxin that immobilised his prey, it made learning cleanliness while eating that much easier.

    But, like every time Rassa began to drink blood, the overwhelming need for more encompassed him. Forcing control over his instincts, Rassa sucked and swallowed in smaller amounts, paying attention to his appetite. While is mind told him to continue, his body told him it was enough.

    It was as he''d thought, the Stag was still alive. Terrified judging from it''s rapid heartbeat, but alive. Rassa couldn''t help the joy that spread through him. He didn''t have to kill! He began to pull back from the Stag''s neck, but his instincts fought against him. They urged him to continue, to complete the kill. After closing his eyes and forcing his instincts to submit, Rassa succeeded in pulling away. He felt another urge as he his fangs retracted, the urge to lick over the wound he had made on the Stag. Rassa frowned in disgust. These instincts just kept getting weirder. Turning away, Rassa ran towards the lake to clean up. After all, the Stag would be able to move shortly, larger animals were better at fighting off the immobilising toxins than smaller ones.

    ***

    The following morning, as Rassa accompanied his father to the fields, he spoke of his discovery in a low voice. His dad was thrilled for him, and encouraged Rassa to keep experimenting with this theory and to keep training in submitting his instincts. Rassa nodded seriously. After all, this was the first time in three years that he saw an end to the killing. Regardless of whether they were just animals or not, Rassa did not like taking life. He had come to see it as a necessity for blood, but that didn''t mean he was comfortable with it, expecially when in his worst moments of hunger, his fangs would ache for the blood of those he loved. Be it friends, family or any random individual, nobody was safe from Rassa''s hunger, and he had worked incredibly hard to ensure their safety. It was likely they would never know what he suffered. When his body ached so terribly he struggled to move even a muscle. When his throat burned like a branding iron yet there was no relief to be found. No relief, bar from that which was sitting just beneath the surface of every individual''s skin. There had been nights where he''d almost surcumbed, only to have his father direct him to the woods like one sheepdog with its flock. Thankfully, those days seemed a distant memory now.

    It was not until that afternoon when the hunters returned with the body of stag with fang marks on its neck that Rassa realised his mistake.

 Chapter 22 The Beast in the Woods

    Rassa did not know it then, but he''d taken too much. The Stag had died from blood loss. Despite the fact that Rassa had not drained it dry, by leaving the wound on the Stag''s neck open, the Stag had bled out whilst the immobilising toxin was still in its system. An immobilising toxin that also prevented the blood from clotting.

    The Hunters had found it the next day, lying in a pool of blood. At first they''d been confused as to how it had died. There were no apparent wounds on it. Then they''d found the two, thin puncture''s in the Stag''s neck, and been dumbfounded as to what could have caused it. It was a free kill, that much was clear, but the Hunters were cautious. What beast could have caused this? Wolves and bears were far more violent in their kills, and they wouldn''t have left a beast whole. There were few other carnivorous beasts in the forest, and it was doubtful the elves had made the kill as they were vegetarian. With limited knowledge, the Hunters carried the Stag back and communicated their concerns to the Doctor, asking for him to examine the body to see if he had any insight.

    Sir Carter was also called in, as was Baron Peters. Eventually, in the evening when many had left, Phillip was also called over. Sir Carter rarely called on Phillip as Phillip had insisted he had long left his knighthood and family behind. Considering the lack of contact Cordon had had with the Kildare family since Phillip and Anna had arrived as a wedded couple, Carter was inclined to believe him.

    Still, Phillip was more knowledgeable and more well-travelled than the rest of them.

    So, when Phillip arrived late at night to find the Hunter Marcus, Sir Carter, Baron Peters and the Doctor surrounding the body of a dead Stag, he felt a sense of foreboding. He knew Rassa had already left for the night to hunt, and he was terrified of what might be conveyed unintentionally during this meeting.

    "What''s wrong?" Phillip asked.

    "We came across the Stag this afternoon, dead in a pool of its own blood with only two thin punctures on its neck. Doc insists it bled out, but from such a small wound? And why didn''t it clot? It concerns us as we have no idea what did it, and we were wondering if you have any insight?" asked Marcus.

    Phillip looked thoughtful for a moment, "Can you tell me anything else about the wound Doctor?"

    "All I can tell is that it was not done by any animal in those woods, and it is very unlikely it was an elf kill as well. In fact, no creatuer I know of could have done this," the Doctor stated, "What''s most alarming...and I feel quite hesitant to bring this up...the brusie marks around the two puncture wounds suggest a mouth similar to ours".

    "A human did this?" asked Sir Carter, the Doctor had not brought this us before.

    "I can''t be certain, all I know is the line of teeth marks would suggest these two puncture wounds were fangs on the upper jaw of a human-like creature," the Doctor supplied.

    "It certainly does not sound like a beast I know of," Baron Peters admitted, "We don''t even know what it wanted? Did it simply make the Stag bleed out? Why bite it and not take the flesh to eat?"

    "Oh it was not after flesh, my Lord," the Doctor cut in, "Judging from the lack of blood left in the stag, and the description the Hunter gave me, it was likely that whatever this thing was...it drank blood".

    "What kind of foul beast would do such a thing, even wolves take the meat to feed themselves, why only take blood?" asked Sir Carter.

    "It is certainly a mystery," the Doctor admitted, "Can you offer us any insight, Phillip?"

    The group turned to the man in question, but Phillip simply looked at the wound on the Stag with calculative eyes.

    "We have not had an incident like this before in Cordon, correct?" asked Phillip.

    "There is no record of one, no," the Baron confirmed.

    "Then for now, treat it as an isolated incident. We don''t want to cause panic in the populace unnecessarily," Phillip stated, "I have not heard of this creature either, but this could indicate that it is reclusive, and simply passing through. It is better we do not disturb it. If it sticks around...we will determine our course of action based on its behaviour".

    The others hesitated for a moment, but agreed it was the best option. Nobody wanted their wives or children to be terrified of a creature they had never seen nor heard of before. After some further discussion, the group dispersed, and Phillip returned to his house where he found Rassa also sneaking back inside. He pulled the boy aside, cautious in the darkness.

    "Father? What''s wrong?" asked Rassa quietly.

    "They found the Stag," Phillip said, "The one you hunted last night, it was dead, died of blood loss".

    "But it was fine when I left it," Rassa frowned, "Immobilised, but alive".

    Phillip sighed, "You said their was an instinct, one to lick the wound?"

    Rassa frowned, then realised his father''s line of thought, "You think it seals the wound?"

    "Whatever you hunted tonight, you need to go back and check. It would have taken a long while for that Stag to bleed out with such small wounds, and its unlikely that they wouldn''t have clotted, so perhaps your venom prevents that as well," Phillip stated, "Go, now".

    Rassa didn''t hesitated, he moved back to the forest quickly.

    However, it seemed he was too later.

    The Hunter Marcus had been unable to keep his concerns at bay. He had ventured out again, and this time, found a doe, immobilised and bleeding out. Rassa watched silently from the shadows as the man put it out of its misery, then carried it back as a second peice of evidence.

 Chapter 23 The Hun

    The next day, a search was ordered. Every able bodied man was to venture into the woods and comb it for the hide out of this new beast. Phillip and Rassa joined the hunt, but could do nothing to guide the others in any particular direction, such as away from recent gravesites.

    While Rassa had worked to ensure the sites were disguised as his father had showed him earlier on, there was little he could do it the grave was too shallow, and opportunistic carnivores had dug up a free meal.

    Luckily, nothing was found that day of the three kilometres of forest they had combed through. Phillip warned Rassa to be very careful when he venture out to hunt. While Phillip wanted to prevent Rassa from going out entirely, the last thing he wanted the hunters to find was a fresh grave site once his son became too hungry and once again had to take a life to satisfy his hunger.

    Rassa was incredibly cautious that night. Instead of running along the ground where the hunters patrolled, Rassa took to the trees, jumping from one branch to another with grace and little more sound than that of his bare feet hitting the bark. Bare feet because his boots would make far too much noise, and they wore down too quickly with his speed anyway. Rassa went deeper into the woods this time, at least an hour''s walk from the village. There he hunted a boar and took the equivalent of a large cup of blood before he reluctantly licked the wound. Rassa watched as the wound closed over at a speed visible to the naked eye. Rassa then retreated to the branches of a nearby tree, and waited to watch as the boar fought off the effects of Rassa''s venom then eventually left.

    Rassa felt much better seeing the results of this hunt. Licking a creature had seemed gross at first, but knowing his saliva had healing properties was good. Was it just to heal bites from his fangs or could he heal other wounds too? He stayed a little longer to enjoy the moonlight before carefully making his way back.

    It was in this way that Rassa spent the next three days. Hunting further and further from the Village as the Hunters hunted him. During the days he would accompany his father through the woods, until it became clear that more men were needed for the upcoming harvests. Phillip stayed with the Hunt, and Rassa went back to the Orchards.

    "Is it true what they''re saying?" asked Jane as he accompanied her like he usually did.

    "About what?" asked Rassa.

    "That this...creature the men are hunting," Jane paused, unsure of how her next statement would be perceived, "It drinks blood?"

    Rassa paused in the middle of picking an orange, turning to look at Jane from beneath his hood. Jane took his silence as confirmation, and it pained Rassa to see the fear in her eyes.

    "What if...what if it can drink any kind of blood?" asked Jane, "I mean, I know it''s only taken deer so far, but...there''s a possibility. Right?"

    Rassa looked away, eventually replying in a serious tone, one Jane rarely heard him use, "Don''t worry. If it''s only been here a few days like evidence suggests, then it doesn''t seem to have left the forest, so if you stay out I''m sure you''ll be fine".

    "And if it''s been here for longer?" Jane asked hesitantly.

    "Isn''t that better?" asked Rassa, "If its been here for longer it clearly proves it has no interest in us as we haven''t found anyone dead with two pucture marks on their neck have we?"

    His tone was harsher than he meant it to be, and he saw Jane look at him with surprise. Rassa sighed, picking up his full basket and heading for the edge of the Orchard.

    "Sorry, I didn''t mean that," Rassa stated as he left.

    Jane watched him leave. She had never seen Rassa so...solemn. It was a vast difference from what he''d been a few days ago when he''d laughed and smiled at her like normal. Abandoning her basket, Jane jogged after Rassa, then threw her arms around him from behind, hugging him tight. Rassa froze in surprise.

    "What-"

    "It''s okay," Jane said, "Whatever is bothering you. I know it''ll be okay. Besides, you know you can talk to me right? I''ll always be there for you. You''re my best friend".

    Rassa couldn''t help the tears that were welling in his eyes. He remembered the fear he''d seen in her eyes. Remembered the sound of her rapidly beating heart as her mind constructed the picture of a monster. She wouldn''t be there for him through everything. He knew that.

    "Sure," he replied, making sure his tone was even, "Always".

    After a moment, Jane let him go, then watched as he disappeared back between the trees. There was something wrong. Very wrong. And even if she tried, Jane somehow knew he would never tell her.

    This was why, when they got off work that evening, Jane took Rassa''s hand and dragged him deeper into the Orchard. When there was no one around, Jane paused, looked back at Rassa then moved forward and pecked him on the lips. When she drew back she was blushing, and Rassa simply stood, frozen in surprise.

    "I really do promise. I''ll always be there for you," Jane said simply, then she turned back towards the village and walked off. After a moment, Rassa raised his fingers to his lips touching them lightly.

    He couldn''t deny that his first kiss felt nice. He could see why the older boys said it was pleasurable and talked about it so much. That and...other things. But there was an added affect of pleasure for Rassa, one that he was positive the other boys couldn''t feel.

    Being close enough to feel the pulse of blood through her lips was truly intoxicating.

 Chapter 24 The Graves

    The next day, Rassa avoided Jane. He didn''t want to, they''d been friends for as long as he could remember and the last thing he wanted to do was hurt her feelings. But the strange craving he felt after she''d kissed him had scared him. It''d been a long time since he''d felt that close to losing control.

    As those in the orchards took a break for lunch and ventured back to the edge of the Orchard to eat together, they were witness to the Merchant carts pulling into town. From a distance, Rassa watched as Falla, whom had been absent with her family for several months now, stepped down from the carriage. She was adorned in finery as always, and looked around her, revealing that her face had thinned slightly. She no longer had peaches for cheeks, though she was still very pretty. Rassa tilted his head curiously, she''d certainly grown up.

    He took another bite of his lunch as Diggory stepped up and greeted her, a smile on his face as he did so. Clearly he was happy to see her as well. From her mannerisms and behaviour, her family had clearly paid for etiquette classes whilst they were away.

    While Rassa was more than capable of listening in on their conversation, he suddenly became very aware that Jane had approached and was sitting down next to him.

    "I''m sorry if what I did yesterday wasn''t appropriate," she spoke softly.

    Rassa paused in his eating, not daring to turn to her, then took another bite before he replied.

    "It was unexpected, that''s all".

    "But...?"

    Rassa frowned, not knowing what else she wanted him to say. He could hardly tell her that she''d smelled very yummy and he''d been very tempted to drain her dry. That''d hardly be the answer she was fishing for.

    "But...?"

    He asked back, turning to face her.

    Jane''s expectant look dropped as she blushed and turned away, "Nothing".

    Her eyes drifted to where Falla and Diggory were talking.

    "Falla looks pretty," Jane commented.

    "Falla always looks pretty," Rassa said, "Though she does look more grown up than a few months ago".

    "..."

    Jane said nothing, though Rassa could practically feel her reluctance to continue on that subject. Clearly this change had not given him the ability to understand girls.

    "Am I pretty?" she asked.

    Rassa frowned and looked at her. That''s what she was looking for? A compliment?

    "You''re a girl," said Rassa, as if that explained everything.

    Jane frowned, "What''s that supposed to mean?"

    Rassa rolled his eyes at her defensive attitude, then stood and picked up a basket, "All girls are pretty in their own way".

    Jane didn''t know whether to feel flattered or terrified. If he found all girls pretty then what would distinguish her from everyone else?

    ***

    It had been months since Falla had stepped foot in Cordon, but she was grateful to be back. She certainly didn''t mind her father''s business and the travel associated, but it was nice to come home, and that''s exactly what Cordon was to her. It''d been nearly half a year since she''d been back, and she was more than ready to spend some time with her old friends.

    So when she spotted Rassa walking home that evening with the hood he''d come to be known for pulled up to sheild his eyes, Falla didn''t even attempt to hold back. She stepped forward and flung her arms around him.

    "I missed you!" she grinned.

    Rassa was frozen stiff before he cleared his throat, "Ah, hey Falla, it''s been a while. Have you been well?"

    Falla stepped back, "Of course! I hope you have been well too".

    Rassa nodded, a small smile appearing, though it seemed half-hearted. Nothing like the cheerful Rassa she remembered.

    "Is something wrong?" asked Falla.

    Rassa looked up at her, "Well...not with me, but the town is a little nervous right now".

    Falla tilted her head in confusion, "Oh? How come?"

    "A monster appeared in the forest," Jane cut in as she arrived, "It drained the blood of two deer. Nothing left but the puncture marks for a pair of fangs".

    Falla''s eyes widened in shock, "Oh my gosh! Is everyone okay?"

    "Well...it hasn''t hurt anyone in the village...yet," Jane said.

    "The Hunters are trying to find its hide out in order to chase it away but they''ve been unsuccessful so far," Rassa cut in, "So, just be careful, we''re not allowed to go into the forest without supervision".

    Falla nodded in acceptance, "Fair enough. I hope everyone stays safe".

    There was a short silence then Rassa moved to walk away, "Anyway, I should get back home. It was nice seeing you again, Falla. See you tomorrow, Jane".

    The two girls waved as he left, then Falla turned to Jane, "What''s wrong with him?"

    Jane looked surprised, then shook her head, "I don''t know what you''re talking about".

    "Oh please! We both know that''s a load of cr*p," Falla scoffed, her ladylike demeanour disappearing along with her love interest. Jane rolled her eyes, same old Falla.

    "I don''t know okay, he won''t tell me," Jane said, "But it''s gotta be something to do with that creature, he was fine before we discovered of it. Now he''s...guarded".

    "You don''t think he knows something, do you?" asked Falla.

    Jane smirked, "Don''t be silly, he might be smart, but what would he know that we wouldn''t?"

    Falla frowned, "Well there was that time when he suddenly turned pale and his eyes became overly sensitive to light, not to mention that mark on his back that practically everyone pretends not to see".

    Jane''s smile faded, "He would have spoken up if he knew something Falla. You know he cares for everyone here".

    "Maybe that''s why he''s not speaking up," Falla reasoned.

    Jane sighed, "Look, Falla-"

    Jane stopped, spotting movement from the edge of the forest out of the corner of her eyes as the hunters emerged all at once. The looks on their faces quite the opposite of victorious. She turned to listen as one lady stopped the Hunter Marcus and asked what was wrong. What had they found?

    "Graves," Marcus had replied, "Countless graves".

 Chapter 25 The Curfew

    "121".

    "Did you find all of them?"

    "We can''t be sure. But some of them had more than one animal inside".

    "Then...how long has this thing been around?"

    "..."

    "We can''t tell. But best estimates are around two years".

    Silence befell the room, and Baron Peters stepped forward, "Call a Curfew. Everyone is to be in their homes by the time the sun sets. We can assume from the evidence we''ve collected that this thing hunts at night...so we''ll need a few volunteers to go out and hunt it then seeing as we''ve been quite unsuccessful during daylight. The rest will have to take turns patrolling the streets".

    "Is a curfew really necessary? It hasn''t stepped foot out of the forest".

    "As far as we can tell. But this thing was smart enough to bury its kills, and well. It was only after Marcus noticed a patch of very fresh vegetation among a dry clearing that we found the first one. If its smart enough to do that, it might be smart enough to hunt outside the forest in other areas," Sir Carter stated, "The Curfew will be enforced from tomorrow night, and we''ll need people on watch tonight".

    "We can''t sustain this forever, Sir Carter. We''ll have the full harvest soon, we''ll need all the helping hands we can get".

    There was silence for a moment before Baron Peters spoke up again.

    "I''ll send word of this to my contacts in Varkevia. Hopefully, they can send some troops and hunters to help out in a week''s time".

    This was the best that could be done, so the meeting was dismissed after sorting out the watchers for the night.

    Phillip returned to the house quickly, though he would know of the fact that the graves had been found, Rassa wouldn''t know about the curfew. Phillip felt immense relief when he found his sun finishing off dinner with his mother.

    "Phillip?" asked Anna as she looked up. Seeing the concern on her husband''s face, she frowned, "Is it bad?"

    Phillip glanced briefly at Rassa before turning back to his wife, "A curfew will be enforced from tomorrow at sun set. There will also be hunting parties scouring the forest at night, and volunteers patrolling the streets to ensure the curfew is kept".

    "How many did they find?" asked Rassa.

    Phillip heistated, the sighed, "121. They estimated it''s been around for two years rather than the few days we initially thought, and they know it''s intelligent by how it hid the graves".

    Rassa looked away as Anna covered her mouth in shock, "Are we safe here?"

    "It hasn''t disturbed us yet," Rassa stated, "We''ll be fine, mother. The Baron and Sir Carter are just taking precautions, right father?"

    Phillip nodded, "Of course".

    Rassa finished off his dinner, then took and book and retreated into his room. After Phillip ate his meal, he stood, handing his bowl to his wife, "I''ll go and check on Rassa".

    Anna nodded, concern showing on her face.

    Phillip entered Rassa''s room, then closed the door behind him, turning to where his son sat by the window, looking up at the moon outside.

    "You''re going to say it''s not a good idea to go hunting, aren''t you?" Rassa guessed.

    Phillip sighed, "This isn''t something we can redirect now, Rassa. They''re following your trail, a lot faster than I anticipated, and it''ll only get worse now that the Baron is ordering reinforcements from Varkevia".

    Rassa turned to his father, "Did it occur to you that the longer I wait, the more likely I am to kill something else? I have a way to get past it now father, and even if they see me, it''s not like they can catch me".

    "I realise that Rassa, I just-" Phillip paused, giving a deep sigh, "I just don''t want you to suffer at their hands".

    "What was it you told me when this first happened to me?" asked Rassa, "New things are scary. But we must be brave and have the courage to push past the fear. To learn from our mistakes. Maybe it''s time they learn".

    Phillip frowned, "Not everyone will be accepting of this, Rassa".

    "I''m well aware of that," Rassa replied, "But the longer I''m like this, the longer I have had to wonder...what if there are others like me? Afraid to step out of the shadows and face the others? Will we decide to remain in the shadows forever, avoiding everyone more and more until we have nobody left but ourselves and are no better than animals, or is all this just the precurser to something greater? To an entirely new race that despite its quirks, has so much to offer the world".

    Phillip was silent as he watched his son with sad eyes, then, quite unexpectedly, he felt the door behind him open and his wife peek her head in.

    "If it''s what you want, Rassa, your father and I will support you as much as we can," Anna said softly.

    "You knew?" asked Phillip.

    Anna frowned as she looked at her husband, quite unimpressed with his comment. She stepped into the room and cross her arms over her chest defiantly.

    "He''s my son. As if I wouldn''t sense a change in him," Anna grumbled, "As for why he didn''t tell me...I''m assuming he thought it would scare me. To be honest, it did. For a long time. But he''s still my baby boy, and knowing he was working to overcome his hardships made me see that despite his...quirks...he is the same boy from before that accident. Perhaps even better".

    Rassa had frozen in the corner as he watched his mother speak, then without hesitation, he moved and hugged his mother close, "Thanks, mother".

    Then Rassa stepped back and took his mother''s hand, pointing at the ring on her finger.

    "The answer is Anthrite," Rassa said, "I don''t know how to explain it other than it saps my strength if I touch it. If I need to be subdued...Tell them".

    Phillip was very hesitant. This was the first weakness apart from sunlight that''s he''d seen from Rassa. To know that this naturally found element was a weakness...it indicated that whatever Rassa was, there had been others like him in the past, however long ago. Apart from his mother''s ring, there was no other Anthrite that Phillip knew of in Cordon. It was doubtful that Rassa had simply developed a weakness to such a random item in three years. More than likely, it was a weakness he''d inherited from whatever had given him his abilities. After a moment, Phillip nodded, reassuring his son.

    Rassa then turned and looked out the window, "I won''t go if you don''t want me to. But the longer I don''t feed, the more harm it will do".

    Anna and Phillip looked to one another.

    "Go," Anna said firmly, "And come back safe".

    Rassa gave a small smile, then there was a small breeze that passed by Anna and Phillip. When they looked to the window once more, their son was gone.

 Chapter 26 The Request of a Certain Ex-Knigh

    Knight General Quince Turney had had to deal with many strange and fantastical requests in his long and successful career. He believed above all else that his his career had been so successful in this peacetime because of these requests. The noble class of the Eldovian Empire was something to be marvelled at, though, those in the right position would know that their position also gave them certain priveleges.

    These privileges came in all shapes and sizes. Some were as simple as requesting a little extra force for a sanctioned mission. Others were eccentric to the extreme, such as escorting several crates of an unspecified substance to a particular location, and then turning a blind eye to a particular lords...fetish.

    In short, nearly all of these requests at Fountain Ridge had to be sanctioned or disposed of by Knight General Turney. His success had weighed on the fact that he was capable of judging which of three categories these requests fell into:

    Menial Tasks - those which could be carried out without impact to the economy or social order of the province

    Disposable Tasks - those that were not worth doing nor reporting.

    Impactful Tasks - those that were reported to the local Duke for him to have a say in matters.

    Whether or not the requesters approved of the Knight General''s sharing nature or not was not a matter he concerned himself with. He had been in this role for twenty years, the last thing he was going to do was make a decision that could very well bring the weight of the entire Kildare Family down on his shoulders.

    That is, until he received a certain letter from a certain exiled man.

    The day that Quince Turney received that letter was quite plain. A typical spring day. The sun was shining, interrupted intermittently by white fluffy clouds that decorated the sky as they saw fit. A light breeze was blowing into his office through the window, rustling the documents and forms weighed down by various weights and trinkets.

    With his reading classes sitting delicate on the bridge of his nose, Knight General Turney had been busy going over a report from a recent feud in the market place of Fountain Ridge''s capital, Agua. The feud itself seemed trivial at first, there were two vendors who were fighting over rights to own a certain stall front. The problem was that this storefront was on a corner that was considered prime real estate. The previous owner had left the establishment to his son, one of the fighting vendors. But this Vendor''s uncle had sold the stall to the second Vendor in the disagreement, then run off with all the profits. Needless to say, the report detailed how Knight Captain Harding had had quite the headache after listening to the dispute for nearly four hours the previous morning before insisting he bring it up with his Knight General. It other words, Turney can have the pleasure of dealing with you.

    As the General decided on a way to resolve the matter, his Scribe, a young man named Sam, entered with the mail.

    "I have the mail for you, Sir," Sam said.

    Turney barely glanced up, "Yes, yes, put it on my desk, anything urgent?"

    "Not that I can see, Sir, though there is one letter that has made it quite the distance, the return address says it is from Cordon, that tiny village on the edge of the Greenvale Forest in Arkia. It must have taken at least a month to get here-"

    "Give me that," Turney said immediately, completely abandoning the report before him and standing to walk swiftly to the table where the Scribe had left the letters. Sam was quite taken aback by this. What would the General have to be so concerned about from someone in such a middle-of-nowhere remote town? Nevertheless, he handed over the letter, and the General looked at the address intently.

    It read simply: The home of Phillip & Anna, Cordon, Arkia.

    "You are dismissed, give me some peace," Turney said softly.

    Sam was still quite shocked by the General''s behaviour, so with no other choice, he bowed quickly then exited the office, shutting the door behind him.

    As soon as Turney heard his Scribe''s retreating steps, he tore open the letter and began to read:

    To my old Mentor and Friend, Knight General Quince Turney,

    I know you have no reason to trust me, and even less reason to read this letter, but know that I would not send it unless my situation was dire. I have no way to combat the current threat to my home, and am so forced to admit the fact that in this case, I need the resources my previous name can provided. Recently, the Hunters came back to town with the body of a dead Stag who had bled out. There were no wounds or signs it had been attacked, none bar one: a human-like bite mark with two distinct punctures through skin and muscle and into the bloodstream upon the neck. Since this discovery of an unknown creature hunting in the woods, we have discovered over one hundred grave sites of animals with similar wounds. There is something new in Greenvale, my friend, and it threatens my home. While the Baron has called upon Varkevia to send a knight squadron and hunters to aid in this quest, I cannot say for sure it will be of any help. But don''t assume from this that I am asking you to send your elites, no. Honestly I doubt they would be much help either. I only need your help in one thing, though I fear even it will be too much to ask for.

    I need Anthrite Chains, as much as you can get, and an Anthrite Mask which covers the mouth. I cannot tell you how I know it will help, only that I will use it if the situation calls for it.

    My father will no doubt refuse this request and see my claims as the folly of a boy who wishes to once again claim his name. I have no such desire. I am happy here, and will continue to be as long as my family is safe.

    Yes, family. If you must tell my father, tell him that. I know that none of my siblings have been able to concieve children, even in Cordon we hear of the Kildare Curse.

    My son, Rassa, will no doubt be of use to him, though I cannot promise Rassa will be a willing participant. He is much like his father in that respect.

    I wish you all the best, friend, and await your reply eagerly,

    Phillip

    ...

    There was silence in the office for a long time before Turney folded the letter once more. He sighed heavily, as if the weight of the world had been placed on his shoulders, then he squared himself and exited the office.

    "Sam!" he called.

    The Scribe appeared near instantly, "Yes, Sir?"

    "I''m going out and won''t be back until evening," Turney informed him, "Give all urgent matters to Knight General Deputy Kulai".

    "Understood, Sir".

    Then Turney left without another word.

 Chapter 27 The Impossible Grandchild

    He might have worn the same luxurious clothing and finery. He might have conducted business with the same arrogance and pride. He might have even still used his position of authority like he was a god. But the simple fact was that Duke Cornelius Kildare was not the man he had once been.

    The loss of his third son had been more impactful than first thought. His son had run away with that country wench, denouncing his name and the assets that came with it, then, to add insult to injury, had spread damning rumours regarding the Volotun Fruit. Cornelius had decided that the worst possible punishment he could give his son, was to grant him what he desired.

    Phillip was no longer considered a Kildare. He had been erased from the family registry and all contacts had been severed. Cornelius had thought this sufficient.

    Then a year passed with no contact...then two...then ten.

    Nothing, not even a peep.

    Cornelius that thought for sure that the boy would seek aid at some point or another, but no word had ever come.

    And worse still, the Elf that had saved them that day had used the last of his natural power to curse the entirety of the Kildare line. Cornelius had only ever heard about Elven curses in stories. They were only ever given to those who had committed the worst sins, but they were powerful. Powerful enough to last thousands of years without ever fading. Cornelius remembered every word that Elf had spoken.

    "For their arrogance, greed and malicious intentions, I curse the Kildare bloodline. May only those who do not boast the name Kildare and all it encompasses be blessed with offspring".

    Cornelius had laughed at the picture of the dying Elf. But that had been then. When Francois was married a few months later, he had tried for months to conceive with his wife. Months turned to years, and they bore no fruit. William had been the same. Even his daughter, Patricia, who would only inherit a dowry, had not been capable of conceiving after her arranged marriage.

    But the news grew worse still...the royal bloodline was incapable of conceiving as well.

    This had been heavily concealed from the public. So top secret was it that Cornelius had not even told his own wife of the news. For if news got out that a damned Elven curse had stripped the great Kildare bloodline of their capability to produce heirs, it would be devestating for the entire empire. An Emperor incapable of producing an heir was no Emperor. What was clear was they needed to find a way to break the curse, and it was entirely feasible that they only had a decade more to do it before their children grew too old. Considering this first decade had seen no progress, Cornelius was losing hope.

    Ludwig entered the Duke''s office with his usualy unemotive air.

    "My Lord, Knight General Turney requests an immediate audience. He insists that the news he brings is urgent," Ludwig reported.

    The Duke sighed, he had been unmotivated in his current work anyway. What was the use in sustaining an empire that would fall upon the current Emperor''s death. He had perhaps 40 years left in him if he were to die of old age, but that was hardly feasible in a deteriorating political environment.

    "Bring him in".

    Ludwig gave a short bow then exited. A few moments later, Knight General Turney entered with quite the flabberghasted expressed.

    "God Lord Turney," Cornelius sighed, "What has happened to make you even uglier than usual?"

    For once, Turney didn''t seem insulted by the comment. He simply stepped forward and placed a folded letter upon Cornelius''s desk.

    "This...I received it just an hour ago. I thought it best you read it," Turney stated.

    Cornelius looked at the letter, then Turney''s expression. Deciding he had nothing better to do, Cornelius picked up the letter, only to freeze at the name scrawled on the outside in an elegant script he never thought he''d see again.

    Cornelius didn''t exactly know what he expected to feel if he ever encountered evidence of his third son again. Anger? Disappointment? Whatever it was, he had not expected the overwhelming loss that overcame him in that moment. He felt as if a hole had been carved into his heart, and it ached terribly. After a moment''s pause, Cornelius opened the letter and read it.

    ...

    ...

    ...

    Rassa.

    Cornelius had a grandson. His only grandchild. Rassa. In that moment, Cornelius didn''t care that the boy had been born of a common mother, he was legitimate. An Heir. An actual Heir that had been conceived after the curse. Cornelius paused for a moment, then read Phillip''s words again. It appeared that Rassa would be the only grandchild he would ever get if Phillip had requested something of the Kildares, but Phillip had instead requested this of Turney. Anthrite Chains for a monster that plagued their little corner of nowhere. A monster nobody had ever seen or heard of before.

    Cornelius put down the letter. It the curse was to be taken literally, helping Phillip in this venture would likely mean he would be incapable of conceiving more children. As the only one that was currently capable, Cornelius knew he shouldn''t risk it. He looked up at Turney.

    "Do what you have to...but you cannot use Kildare resources," Cornelius instructed.

    Turney looked grave, but nodded, "I will therefore requested a leave of absence".

    "No need," Cornelius stated, "You have been a great aid to Fountain Ridge for over two decades, Turney, we have no desire to lose you. Return to your post, as your patrons we shall prepare a gift for you".

    Cornelius knew it was a risk. But if it was a gift that Turney had acquired, perhaps the curse would let it pass.

    "Do with it what you will".

    Turney nodded, then excused himself, leaving the letter with Cornelius. Again, the old Duke read the letter over, and for the first time in ten years, he felt a sense of happiness.

    He had an heir. An assurance that his bloodline could continue. If there was anything to work for, there was that.

 Chapter 28 The Knights that became Hunters

    It had been over a month since the Curfew had been enforced. Ten days following the Curfew, a battalion of Knight had arrived in Cordon. They were all skeptical about the existence of the monster, and quite unhappy to be sent so far from home, but upon seeing the evidence, they had taken it far more seriously.

    Rassa never pushed his luck. The rotations of the Knights guarding the town changed every few nights, and Rassa would always spend that night memorising the pattern instead of hunting. Would he have been able to sneak past them given the opportunity? It was likely, but now that his parents were actively hiding his nature, he knew that if he were captured, they would be implicated as well.

    The Hunting party was even more erratic. They had built temporary camps in Greenvale, and had even gone so far as to communicate with the Elves regarding this development. The Elves, surprisingly, were already aware of the monster''s presence. Their connection with the forest had allowed them to see the impact that the monster had made on the life of the forest. Whilst they had been keeping an eye on it, they did not see it as a cause for concern quite yet, as it behaved just as a large predator would. It only took what it needed. It wasn''t greedy or lustful. It simply ate, and returned the bodies of those it killed to the ground. As such, the Elves were not that concerned, especially since it had been around for so long, and had only stuck close to Cordon.

    It was this that gave the Knights insight to one very important clue.

    The Monster might very well be living in the village, not in the forest.

    When this was brought up at a village meeting, there were many denials of such a claim. The village had seen no new individuals come into the town to live permanently since Phillip & Anna''s arrival over a decade before. And no one who claimed temporary residence had stayed for longer than six months. It was quite the conundrum, and so, the Knights had no choice but to continue their hunting raids at night.

    The Hunting raids were random and often chaotic. Rassa had had a few close calls whilst he hunted his own prey. Once, when he''d been finishing off a snack, and another time when he''d slipped on a tree branch in his haste and made more noise than he wanted. He''d thought it impossible to lose his balance considering how aware he was of his body constantly, but all it took was for him to lose focus in favour of stress and suddenly he''d been clumsy for the first time in three years. It had irked him, and he''d berated himself all the way home.

    Thanks to his small blunders, the hunters had been able to ascertain that the monster was fast and highly agile. And, to make matters worse, they''d put watchers in the trees.

    With the amount of obstacles climbing, Rassa wondered if it would be better if he did stop for a few days. Perhaps lay a set of indications that he had left the area. But he didn''t think he was skilled enough, and hence decided that perhaps he should expand the area he hunted in, so as to throw off the Hunters who thought their net was growing smaller.

    Amongst all this sneaking and planning, Rassa couldn''t help but think his earlier statement of coming out of the shadows was ironic. He''d seen the knights and their various contraptions, the cage they''d built to contain him. They weren''t just looking for a monster to kill. They were looking for a monster to take as a prize. Their benefactor, whoever he was, had a vested interest in the outcome of this hunt.

    Much to Rassa''s increasing disgust, he spent the better part of three months dodging knights and hunters alike until finally he decided he could take it no longer. He wanted peace again. Peace and quiet to enjoy his nights rather than spending them dodging every man and his dog that wanted a peice of him.

    After much thought, Rassa didn''t go out. He stayed home and waited.

    After 3 nights, the Hunters realised the lack of the monster''s presence, and Reports from the Elves, who were being surprisingly cooperative, confirmed it.

    After 5 nights, Rassa''s hunger started to become more urgent. He could tolerate it, but there were some, such as Falla and Jane, who asked him if he was feeling alright.

    "Just a little tired," Rassa had brushed them off quickly so as not to draw attention to himself.

    After 7 nights, the battalion were becoming convinced the monster had moved on, but with no way to confirm where it''d moved on to, they wouldn''t leave, and patrols were kept up.

    Rassa was aching with his hunger by this stage. It had become difficult for him to move as he had before, and hence had feigned a flu despite it being the beginning of Summer. He was brought to the Doctor''s Office and his parents visited him frequently. But by day 10, Rassa was too hungry and sore to notice the suspicious looks of the Doctor.

    So during the morning, when Rassa was doing his best to sleep away the aches to no avail, the Doctor left his house and ventured to where the Knight Captain of the Battalion, an older man named Jameson, had made his camp.

    "Doctor, what brings you here today?" asked Jameson.

    "Well, Captain...I have a request, one that may help us uncover the identity of our monster," the Doctor stated.

    Jameson looked up at the Doctor in surprise, then his expression turned serious.

    "By all means, make youre request".

    So the Doctor delved into the story of Rassa''s strange disease that had turned him pale and impacted on his eyesight nearly three and a half years before, and finally, he spoke of how Rassa was currently in his offices with a ''flu'' that had no real flu symptoms apart from aches and pains. After the story, the Doctor made his request.

    Seeing that the story had more indicators and clues in it than any others, Jameson agreed.

 Chapter 29 The Monster in the Shadows

    Rassa was hungry. So hungry that he couldn''t remember what it was like to not be hungry. Physically, he was exhausted, stiff and sore. His body had been getting progressively worse, and had not, after twelve days without feeding, had gotten to the point where he couldn''t move without making a sound of protest. He vaguely knew his parents were there at different times. Watching over and supporting him. Both of them read to him, and if Rassa was any less hungry, it probably would have given him some form of comfort. But all he could think about was eating.

    All he could think about was the feeling of his fangs sinking deep into the veins of something living, and the rush as blood filled his mouth and soothed his burning throat. And yet, at the same time, a nagging voice that he was beginning to want to ignore told him NOT HERE, NOT NOW.

    Rassa knew better. He was hungry, why should he deny himself? Yet he listened to the voice all the same.

    Rassa was vaguely aware of time passing around him, yet nothing really changed. He could blink and nothing would be different. He was still hungry, and that was all that mattered. The smaller part of his brain, the one that was telling him that constant NOT HERE, NOT NOW, was terrified. Terrified of the thought that someone he cared about could die, and Rassa would only think about the Hunger. The ever insistent and worsening Hunger that contained nothing but pain and emptiness. Such was his plight, one that nobody could ever understand because he was alone. There was nobody like him.

    He remembered saying the words what if. What if there were others like him in the shadows. There weren''t, Rassa was positive. The dark shadow that had creeped its way further and further into Rassa''s empty hollow had confirmed it. There was nobody like him, and he alone wielded all the power of his race. Power he could only sustain through blood. Hence the hunger.

    Hungry. He was so Hungry!

    Distracting thoughts. Rassa needed distracting thoughts. Had his father gotten the Anthrite? The shadows hissed at that. The shadows called it the Draining Metal. The weapon of cowards and day walkers. The one thing that made their kind weak. Killable. That made them hunger even if they had just eaten their fill.

    Hungry, Hungry, Hungry.

    NOT HERE, NOT NOW.

    With his eyes closed shut, Rassa''s other senses alerted him to another presence in the room. A heartbeat, human, faster than normal. From the smell, it was the Doctor. Had something happened? Was someone hurt? Had someone died?

    The shadows took over. Hungry, Blood, Hungry.

    Rassa clenched his muscles, holding himself tightly. NOT HERE, NOT NOW.

    The Doctor leaned closer, the heartbeat increasing. Rassa felt the Shadow rear up, and the itching pain of his fangs on the verge of poking through his gums. He clenched his teeth.

    NO. No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no-HUNGRY

    NOT HERE NOT NOW.

    As the shadow pushed for control, Rassa pushed back, pulling all the mental strength he had into this one command.

    The Doctor paused for a moment, then gently touched his hands to Rassa''s wrist. Rassa had no doubt he could feel the tension in his clenched muscles. No doubt it made it hard for the Doctor to feel his pulse. There was another pause, then the Doctor breathed out a short sigh before standing and moving away.

    The footsteps receded, and the door closed behind him. Rassa released the tension in his muscles. The shadow hissed in discontent.

    ''Why do you not feed when the food is presented to you on a platter?''

    The voice surprised Rassa. The shadow had yet to speak anything but the words ''hungry'' or ''hunger''. As Rassa weighed his reply, he realised how remarkably similar the voice sounded to Red Eyes, the being who had made him commit to the seal.

    Anger overcame Rassa. How dare the shadows continue to haunt him! Had he not sacrificed enough for their continued survival? they had taken nearly everything he was, and twisted him into some creature that everyone he loved feared. It didn''t matter that his mother and father showed support to him now, Rassa had no doubt that is he had released that shadow just now, no one would ever look at him as anything but a monster.

    ''Do you think the terms of those mortals are so lofty? They are beneath you. You are the apex predator of this world, nothing can stop you.''

    ''Anthrite can.''

    The shadow hissed in outrage.

    ''Perhaps we made a misjudgement, you are too tame, too caring.''

    ''Well it''s a little late now isn''t it?''

    The shadow was silent as Rassa collected his thoughts, then thought of the answer to the first question Red Eyes had asked.

    ''It is not that I do not want it. It is that taking it would mean I gave in. Taking it would mean becoming what they believe I am.''

    ''You are still so naive.''

    Red Eyes was silent after that. There were no more statements nor hissing. Just silence. Even the shadow seemed to recede, though it was still very much present, as if biding its time.

    It was night when the door opened again, and very late. Rassa clenched his fists again in preparatioin for holding back the hunger. But what came through the door was wholly unexpected.

    Despite it''s quiet movement, Rassa could here its soft padded feet as it investigated the room. It''s little nose twitched, and its eyes darted from place to place.

    A rabbit.

    As Rassa thought how it was possible a rabbit had made its way into the room, he subconsciously unclenched his muscles, relaxing. His eyes opened slowly, and he glanced at the little rabbit that sat comfortably just a metre from him. All thoughts of possibilities went out the window. Rassa moved his aching muscles with such precision it was like he had not been bedridden for the past two days. He moved into a crouch as the sheets fell silently back onto the bed. His eyes set on his target, and his fangs slowly extended. He and the shadow relished in the feeling. And without further argument, Rassa moved across the room, snatching up the rabbit and taking it to the shadows in the far corner.

    He let his fangs sink in without hesitation, and drank all he could, sucking the helpless creature dry.

    For an instant, however short, the pain subsided, the hunger lulled. But it was not enough. Rassa knew it was not enough, and he had no way of leaving to get more.

    Rassa closed his eyes in anguish. What had he done? All that work of keeping himself from the woods, and what had he done? Pounced on a bunny no doubt let in for this exact purpose.

    Seeing no reason to hide, Rassa simply held the rabbit it one hand as he leaned back against the wall with his knees up and arms resting on them. His head dropped back, letting his fangs show on full display as he closed his eyes and accepted his mistake.

    This was how the Doctor and the Knight Captain Jameson found him just a few minutes later. As they looked at Rassa in horror, a drop of blood having escape from the side of his mouth and rolled down his chin and neck, the Knight Captain drew his sword to point it threateningly at the twelve year old boy before them. Rassa simply spoke in a low tone bordering on amusement at their reaction.

    "Thanks, I was hungry".

 Chapter 30 The Boy who became a Monster

    When Jane heard in the early hours of the morning that the Monster had been caught, she was ecstatic. Finally! Finally she could venture out after the sun had set without fear. And just in time for the Summer Solstice too. She had decided that this year she would ask Rassa to dance. She had practiced all year with her mother so that she would not make a fool of herself when the time came. Falla her danced with him at the last solstice, and many had complimented them. Rassa''s movements were as elegant as noble courtiers they''d proclaimed, despite the fact that very few of them had seen such men.

    But this time? This time it would be her they complimented, she was determined.

    Despite her relief though, there was also curiosity. What had been plaguing their town for so long? What did it look like? Was it human? Was it as intelligent as the Hunters had theorised it was? Was it true that it fed on...blood? That was just impossible. Right?

    Jane dressed for the day and headed towards the Doctor''s house, hoping that she''d be able to see Rassa before she went to the Orchard for the day. He hadn''t been doing well these past few days, a terrible flu the Doctor said. He made sure nobody but his parents saw him, and even then they were only allowed a short window for visitation. The only thing Jane had managed to hear was that he was bedridden, which didn''t bode well.

    On her way, Jane spotted Phillip and Anna as they too approached the Doctor''s office.

    She waved to them and hurried over, "How is Rassa today, have you seen him?"

    Anna smiled and Phillip shook his head, "We''re headed over now. Hopefully he is better than yesterday".

    Jane nodded, "Do you mind if I join you?"

    "Of course," Anna said before Phillip could protest. Jane had always seen Rassa''s father as rather quiet and private. He was a nice man in general, but there were certain parts of him that Jane could sense he would never let come to light.

    The three of them approached the Doctor''s house together, and as they drew closer, they noticed a crowd increasing outside. The whispers reached the ears of the three of them, and they paused in their tracks.

    "He was the monster? So terrible".

    "It''s true! My gosh I can''t believe it".

    "The Doctor is quite perceptive to have thought of that incident three years ago".

    "How could nobody have noticed the changes?"

    "Surely his parents knew".

    "Oh my gosh, there they are, do you think they know yet?"

    Everyone hushed as Phillip and Anna were spotted, then the crowd parted to where the Knight Captain Jameson and the Doctor stood beside an iron cage on a specially made cart. The cage itself was no bigger than that used for a wolf, but it was not the cage that shocked Jane to her core.

    It was the boy inside it.

    Rassa.

    He had been stripped on his shirt, displaying his black lifelines completely. His black hair came down just past his shoulders and his pale skin was an immense contrast to it. His eyes were closed, and he was sitting in the cage almost comfortably, but the thing that had frightened everyone, the evidence that the Doctor and the Knight Captain were intent on using, was the trail of blood from the side of his mouth down over his chin.

    It was dried, and darkened, but there was no doubt in the world that it was blood.

    Jane covered her mouth in shock, "Rassa".

    It was only whispered, but Rassa heard it. He had smelt her before that, but had wanted her to realise first. To realise what he was. The sun burned his eyes, and he raised and arm to sheild them as he looked over at her, and at his parents standing stock still behind him, a mixture of shock and anguish on their faces.

    Seeing movement, those around the cage stepped back. Their heartrates increased, they were terrified of him. Horrified by the mere thought of what he was capable of, of what he had done already. After all, the Doctor and Jameson were holding up the dead rabbit as if it was a trophy.

    "See! Such terrible eyesight in the day, hence why he could only hunt at night!" shouted the Doctor over the crowd.

    Rassa ignored him, his eyes fixed on Jane and his parents. His gaze softened as he tried to show them his sincerity. That he was sorry it had turned out like this.

    "Such a beast, his greatest camoflage is being in the body of a child! If he grows into an adult, what kind of destruction can he then cause? What kind of risk is he to our humble and safe way of living?" asked the Doctor.

    "Kill him!"

    "Yes!"

    "Hang him!"

    Once the shouts and jeers began, they didn''t stop. Rassa felt the first rock on his back, right on his lifelines. It hit the metal as it passed through the bars, hurting his ears with the resounding ringing.

    Rassa flinched at the hit, and curled away from the bars, but it didn''t stop. Rocks, rotten fruit and vegetables, even dung. They threw it all at him and he was forced to endure it.

    Until his father stepped in front of them.

    They paused, shocked someone was stepping so close.

    "Phillip, what are you doing?!"

    "Rassa," Phillip called, ignoring the warnings of those around him, "Rassa are you okay?"

    Despite the hunger that tormented him, Rassa inched towards his father''s side of the cage, only to flinch at the ringing of metal on metal as Jameson whacked the iron bars with his sword.

    "Don''t get any ideas, boy!"

    "Stop it, he''d not going to hurt me," Phillip snapped through the cage.

    "Don''t, father," Rassa insisted, his voice cutting through everyone like a knife. His gaze hardened as he turned his gaze upon the Knight Captain, "I was hungry, and they were kind enough to let a rabbit into the room. I spent twelve nights without food just so they could repay me by sticking me in a cage. If I have to live in here for the rest of my life just because they''re stupid and proud enough to stick a boy who is a little different in a cage for everyone to fear and jeer at like I''m a monster so be it".

    Rassa then turned back to his father, "But I won''t break. I promise. Not to them. So promise me you won''t either".

    Phillip could see the conviction in his son''s eyes, the unspoken words he had said. Don''t let them get you too.

    Phillip didn''t care.

    He turned to the Doctor and Jameson, "He only needs the equivalent of a cup of blood every day once he is full. He functions just the same as everyone else then. He has never taken blood from a human, and when he has killed before he mourns every death. He was not born this way, he was forced to become this after he was trapped in a cave with some very dark and evil entities. In the three years he had been like this, he has been in full control of his actions, and I believe had he been allowed to live in peace, he would endeavour to hurt another soul unless necessary. Just like everyone here. But you will call him a monster anyway. So when my son the monster is finally free of you. After you''ve starved him and carted him around to every nobleman under the son for entertainment fees, I hope to whatever gods there are that he decides your life is worth more than his years of shame and humiliation. I highly doubt he will judge you so".

    Then, quite to the surprise of everyone present, including Rassa, Phillip stepped up to the cage, pulled up his sleeve, and shoved his arm through the bar.

    "Drink, I know you need it".

    "No," Rassa said, turning away.

    "Rassa," Phillip warned, and Rassa turned back slowly to look at his father, "It''s okay. Drink".

    Rassa looked up at everyone there, at all the terrified eyes and vicsious smiles. Then he looked to his mother and Jane, who was still frozen where she stood.

    Finally, Rassa''s eyes settled on his father.

    "Drink".

    Rassa wanted to say no. He really, truly wanted it. But he was so hungry. Any relief would do. Rassa carefully touched his father''s arm, then opened his mouth.

    The crowd moved back with gasps and screams as Rassa''s fangs extended from his gums, then, as his eyes welled up and his tears fell, Rassa carefully sunk his fangs into his dad''s arm.

    Phillip froze, the paralitic becoming active, he winced at the pain, though did his best to hold still for his son. Rassa knew it was hurting his father and after a minute, he drew back and carefully licked his father''s arm before shoving him out of the bars so that he wouldn''t go back for more.

    Phillip fell to the ground, dizzy as the paralitic began to wear off and the pain receeded.

    Rassa had curled in on himself, and people witnessed it as his wounds received through the thrown rocks healed over quickly, replaced with pale skin and his solid black life lines. Rassa''s shoulders shook and the sound of a child''s sob clearly cut through the crowd.

    In that moment, nobody quite knew what to do.

 Chapter 31 The Sincerest Apology

    The answer the villagers had come up with was to take Rassa to the Battalion Camp until further notice. He was placed on the edge of the camp closest the forest. Not because they had any sympathy for him, drinking his father''s blood had pretty much set that ship sail. No, they put him on the edge of camp because they were terrified of him.

    It became abundantly clear in the next few days however, that now they had caught the monster, they had no idea what to do with it. The Doctor, after seeing that Rassa was at least somewhat cooperative, want him for research. The Baron wanted to sell him to the highest bidder, if anything just to get rid of him. The Jameson wanted to take him to his superiors in Varkevia. That was what they were arguing about now.

    They were in the centre square, a good kilometre away from where Rassa was being watched by torchlight. Rassa could hear them though. Usually he tuned out the sounds that travelled from far away, but now, when he couldn''t roam anywhere, his senses were on high alert. The fact that he had sat so still for so long was starting to freak out those that watched him. Ever since his interaction with his father, Rassa hadn''t moved at all. They hadn''t offered him anything, much less a rag and water to wash himself, and Rassa didn''t seem the least bit upset about it.

    He was upset, but there was nothing he could do about it that would make him appear less of a monster to them. Now, much to Rassa''s annoyance, even sitting still and minding his own business had become scary to them.

    The Elves had come to, curious now that the Monster had been captured. Of course, everyone else was unaware of that fact, as the Elves were simply using their magic to observe him. He''d let them. He would not run now. It would do him no good. Besides the fact that his parents could face retribution should he leave, Rassa was only twelve years old. He had no way of making a living for himself, and even if he offered to be a farmer in another community far from this one, the result would be the same. If this was what they wanted him to be, then perhaps he should learn. Perhaps he should teach himself their fears and expectations so that when it came down to it, he could overcome them.

    That was what he told himself at least. But he had no idea what they would do to him in the long run.

    "He''s a boy!"

    Anna''s shrill shout echoed through the square, silencing everyone.

    "You talk of him as if he is property, or as if he is a beast, but he is merely a boy!" Anna stated, "Yes, my son went through a terrible accident of fate that left him with a different body, but that does not mean his soul is changed. He is still my son, and you shall have to kill me before I allow you to sell him like some lamb for slaughter".

    "Good, you can be his next meal!" the Baron snapped, "Quiet you stupid woman, or you will be escorted away".

    Phillip stepped forward, wrapping an arm around his wife, and the Baron''s expression became more hesitant, he knew exactly who Phillip had been before he came here. Had hosted the boy in his previous life.

    "You are out of line, Baron," Phillip warned. Then he held up his arm, which was clear of any mark or scar, "My son has control over his appetite, and the other day was the first time he''d ever fed on a human. I only offered my blood to him to show you that he can in fact stop. That he only takes what he needs. And after starving himself I guarantee he didn''t even take that today".

    Rassa sighed. Talking like that wasn''t going to help. They were too far past reason to listen. Though Rassa appreciated the effort his father was going to. Despite all that was happening, or perhaps because this had happened, it was nice to know that there was at least someone who stood behind him. That there was someone who believed in him.

    Rassa listened for a little longer, but realised that all he would get by listening is knowing that they were continuing to insult his parents. He already knew that Jameson had put his parents under watch to ensure they didn''t break Rassa out.

    As if he couldn''t do it himself if he wanted to, but they didn''t need to know that.

    As Rassa went to try and get some sleep despite it being night, the time he enjoyed the most, he sensed someone which he didn''t expect.

    The guards were several metres away from the cage, further away than the forest line, and it was from the forest line his visitor was approaching. Though cautiously. He was a mere two metres away, just behind the closest tree, when Rassa spoke aloud.

    "If you come any closer they''ll spot you".

    Diggory froze behind the tree, "You can hear me?"

    Rassa breathed out, relieved that Diggory wasn''t running away terrified.

    "Technically, I smelled you before I heard you".

    "You...are you saying I stink?"

    Rassa couldn''t help the smile that came to his lips, "Dig, I can smell the rotting fruit on the ground in the Orchard".

    "But the Orchard is on the other side of...oh, oooh!" Diggory realised the power of Rassa''s senses and frowned, silent once more for a moment before he spoke up again, "Is it always like that? With everything?"

    "Yep," Rassa said, "Just another thing I got used to over the years".

    Rassa sensed Diggory''s unease, from his tense muscles to his stressed heart rate and breathing. It was silent for a long time, with just the two of them before Diggory spoke up, "I''m sorry".

    Rassa lifted his head in surprise. The guards sensed movement, and Rassa looked at them for a moment, schooling his expression, before dripping his head back down again. He waited for them to resume their usual watch from a distance before he spoke.

    "It''s not your fault Dig," Rassa stated, "We were nine, it''s not as if we knew what I''d encounter in that cave".

    "What did you encounter?" asked Diggory.

    Rassa hesitated, unsure of whether Diggory should hear about it or not. It wasn''t exactly a fun story. After a moment, Rassa answered in what he had decided over the years was the best way to sum up the events in that cave.

    "I encountered those born of Chaos, and they wouldn''t let me leave unless I too became one of them".

    Diggory was silent for a while longer, and Rassa smelt the saltiness of his tears as they began to fall. Diggory sniffed softly, "Oh god...Rassa, I''m so sorry".

    "It''s not your-"

    "It is," Diggory corrected him, "You never would have gone in there without my stupid taunting".

    "And then the cave would have remained to take somebody else," Rassa stated, "What happened to me isn''t your fault, Diggory. Never forget that. I do not blame you, nor will I ever. This only became my burden to bear through coincidence, and I don''t want you to think otherwise".

    "What you do...it''s not a fate I would wish on anyone," Diggory admitted, "Least of all a kind and gentle soul like yours. A true friend".

    Rassa felt a tear of his own fall, and he didn''t bother to wipe it away.

    "Fate gives us many things. Love, hope, prosperity. In our little corner of the world, we seem to forget that Fate is not all good. It does not take sides. It doesn''t favour any one life over another. It simply allows us to be, and then propels us in the direction of our end. Because, one way or another, we all must travel our journeys to our end. No shortcuts, no bypasses. If this is the life I am fated to lead...then so be it. But it is mine. And the one thing I have learned from this fate, is that if you cannot choose it, learn to own it. Because no one else will do that for you, just as no one else life your fate," Rassa finished, pausing for a moment, "If it had been you who had gone in that cave instead of me, I would feel guilty as well. I would blame myself. But in the end, there is nothing I could do about it. It is our past, and dwelling on it will only make us forget we have a future".

    The two of them sat in a companionable silence for a while, before Rassa spoke again.

    "The guards change soon, you should leave before they spot you".

    "But-"

    "Face forward, Dig, not backward. We''ll meet again one day, and hopefully I''ll still be that friend with a kind and gentle soul. If not...well...I hope that day never comes".

    Rassa would not see Diggory again for a very long time. After his father discovered he''d talked with Rassa, Diggory was sent away to the Knight Academy in Barday where he would remain for six years.

 Chapter 32 The Nature of Good Men

    The Knight Oath, which every graduate of the Knight Academies had to take, was more than a simple promise. The Knight Oath was hope, for every man, woman and child in times of peace and turmoil. A hope that no matter the state of the Empire, Justice would be upheld for every citizen. That they would be treated respectfully, and their problems judged in kind.

    Rassa was beginning to question whether or not Jameson ever took the oath.

    Rassa had been sitting in the mid-summer sun, wearing nothing but torn trousers and covered in rotten fruit and vegetables and excrement for the better part of a week. His Hunger had returned, and the aches and pains were just as he remembered them. He tried to welcome them as an old friend, but if he was honest with himself, he would have turned them out without a second thought had circumstances been different. He had yet to see his parents after that day. They were kept far away from him and watched at all times. The only people that Rassa did see were the Doctor, Jameson, and the rotating guards on watch. The Doctor sat murmuring to himself at least once a day for an hour. He brought a notebook and didn''t stop writing for the entire time he sat by Rassa''s cage. Rassa wasn''t sure if it''d ever occurred to the Doctor to ask questions of Rassa''s experience, but he seemed content in creating his own hypothesis (about only 5% of which were actually close to the truth).

    The three main theories the Doctor had surmised and frequently revisited regarding Rassa''s case were as follows:

    The Elves had done it, Rassa was some kind of hybrid elf gone wrong.

    Rassa had been born like this, and the Gods had punished him for some inexplicable crime, cursing him to only drink blood for the rest of his life.

    And Third, the Cave story was somewhat truthful, some dark force had inhabited Rassa, and the Doctor needed to find a way to expel it.

    At least with the third he was somewhat right, though Rassa doubted the process could be reversed. Considering Phillip and Anna''s adamant claim that Rassa had become this way after the incident three years ago, the town seemed to have settled upon the third theory. This meant, against the Baron''s wishes, a Light Magician was requested to arrive at their earliest convenience.

    Jameson also seemed quite peeved about this outcome. Not only did requesting for a Light Magician mean that he would be forced to stay here longer, it also meant that the curiosity surrounding this new beast would increase. The more people that knew about Rassa, the more parties that would fight over him. Jameson however, was bound by his Oath to serve the word of the Lord whose jurisdiction he resided under. While the Baron was not whom he had sworn to serve, he was the authority of this area. Hence, Jameson couldn''t go against him unless the Baron made a decision which impacted on the safety of the community. Unfortunately, the Baron''s decisions, though also made unwillingly, were quite the opposite in this case.

    And this is the reason why Rassa''s opinion of the Knight Captain had continuously decreased. You see, Jameson seemed to have developed a thirst for...mistreating his new pet.

    The Knight Captain would stop by on his rounds every morning, draw his sword, and poke and prode at Rassa as he pleased. The cage was only so large, so Rassa could only avoid it''s blade for so long. At first the tiny cuts and bruises had healed quite rapidly, much to the disappointment of the Knight Captain and the Guards, but as Rassa grew hungrier, and his limbs grew heavier, they healed more slowly, and Rassa strained to escape the worst of them as he once had.

    The worst cuts, without a doubt, were those that slashed at his life lines. It was those cuts that hurt. The others were barely stings, annoying more than anything else, but those that impacted his life lines were far worse. The physical damage was no different to those on the rest of his body, but as many had discovered after gaining life lines, damage to them was damage that was felt in the soul, and the soul could only take so much pain before it gave way.

    This was the primary reason why elves and dwarves prohibited others from touching their life lines. Not only were they incredibly personal and sensitive, they were also pathways to the soul, an individual''s weakest point. Rassa, despite his invincibility with most things, was no different.

    On the eighth day after his last feed, Rassa was no better than when they''d given him the rabbit. He was in pain all over, and he could barely move. So when Jameson arrived on his morning rounds, Rassa did the only thing he could do, he rolled over onto his back to protect it.

    "Morning, Rassa".

    Jameson spat the name, as if it was a curse.

    "Did you have a nice rest?" asked Jameson, unsheathing his sword and poking it through the bars to prod at Rassa. Rassa felt the sword cut his into his skin at his waist, and turned his head to face Jameson.

    "I didn''t think you''d care enough to ask," Rassa managed a sarcastic reply. He resisted begging. He was hungry, but the small rational part of his mind that was left knew pigs would fly before Jameson gave permission for him to be fed.

    Jameson looked down on Rassa in disdain, "What''s wrong? Hunting not bountiful last night?"

    Jameson smirked as Rassa''s eyes narrowed.

    Jameson flicked his sword again and a gash appeared on Rassa''s stomach. A gash that even bled for a few minutes with blood so dark it was nearly black. Rassa felt himself grow even hungrier with the loss.

    "Is this how it works? The hungrier you are the easier it is the kill you?"

    Red Eyes chuckled inside Rassa''s head, ''I will kill him first''.

    Rassa, as he watched the bleeding finally stop as the wound began to knit itself together with an aching slowness, couldn''t even bring himself to protest.

    Scoffing at Rassa''s lack of an answer, Jameson pulled back and turned away, "Enjoy the sun while you can, boy. In three days time, a Light Magician will arrive from Toulle. When they fail, I''m going to bury you in a hole so deep you''ll wish I killed you first".

    Red Eye''s chuckles turned to a full on laugh, his mirth so prevalent that even Rassa couldn''t resist the small smile that appeared on his face.

    ''Foolish humans...I only need two more days''

    Rassa couldn''t help the confusion that came over him.

    ''Two more days until what?''

 Chapter 33 The Old Friend who comes bearing gifts

    While Rassa wasted away in the cage, fighting a losing internal battle with Red Eyes, and a hopeless external one with Jameson, Phillip and Anna did their best to appear normal.

    In many eyes, they had failed epicly at doing so. Who would not suspect them after their son had been like this for three years? After Phillip had displayed knowledge that he had known about Rassa''s condition before the rest of the town found out. They were, to say the least, outcast from their social circles.

    Those who had once called themselves friends now paid the pair no mind. In their work they were held to unreachable standards, and shamed for their lack of results. In the grand scheme of things, the only thing that they were better off for than their son was that they were at least still allowed to eat.

    It was in this poor condition that Knight General Turney found his old student in. He arrived in the evening, a single rider dressed in travelling clothes and carrying a broadsword. He''d asked a question to one of the men passing on the street, and the man had cautiously pointed him in the direction of Phillip and Anna''s house. Turney arrived at the house, lit dimly from the inside by candlelight, and knocked on the door.

    "Oh for the love of god, leave us be!"

    Phillip snapped as he swiftly opened the door. Phillip''s angry expression dropped instantly into that of shock. Turney looked older. Nearly seventeen years older, but it was still his old master. Phillip recognised him in an instant.

    "You came".

    "I''m assuming that at least I am welcome then?" asked Turney, taken aback by Phillip''s rage.

    "Come inside," Phillip sighed, "I''ll explain over dinner".

    Turney was not going to refuse a meal. He tied his horse to one of the posts outside then followed Phillip inside. Their house was small, the main room hosted the kitchen and dining room in one, and the bedrooms through the doors to the rear of the house. Anna was busy at the stove. Turney had not ever had the pleasure of meeting Anna, he knew only that she was of common birth. Regardless of such circumstance though, she was very beautiful, more so than he had been led to believe. It was no wonder Phillip had fallen for her.

    What amazed Turney more however, was the difference between the life Phillip was born into, and the one he led now. It was such a drastic change, and Turney couldn''t help but question if it was some kind of joke. After all, what noble-born prince would want to choose such poor conditions over his lavish birthrite?

    Then, it was Phillip. He''d never been one to follow the majority.

    "Anna," Phillip spoke softly. Anna turned from the stove to look at the large man whom Phillip had brought inside. He was older than Phillip by at least two decades, his muscles and skin worn with age. Despite this however, the man looked strong, perhaps even on par with her husband in terms of skill, "Anna, this is Knight General Quince Turney of Fountain Ridge. He''s an old friend".

    Anna looked over the Knight General for a moment, and Turney had to admit there were few times where he''d felt such a discerning gaze before. Anna then turned her gaze to her husband.

    "You contacted your family?" asked Anna.

    Phillip sighed, "Not exactly".

    "He''s from Fountain Ridge, your family will know either way".

    This woman was perceptive, and clever. It was rare Turney had ever seen Phillip struggling for an answer. Phillip sat down at the table.

    "The Anthrite, I had no choice," Phillip said.

    Anna turned away, back to the stove, "Come in, Knight General, take a seat".

    "Quince is fine," Turney replied, "I''m not on duty".

    He did as told, and there was silence in the room for a moment as Turney looked around, then he finally spoke.

    "You mentioned you had a son?"

    Phillip''s expression turned grave, and Anna paused in her cooking, turning again to her husband.

    "You told them about Rassa?!"

    Phillip sighed, "I know my father, he wouldn''t have wanted to cooperate with us for any other reason. He is too proud".

    "But if he is dragged into-"

    "He won''t be...definitely not now," Phillip admitted. He looked at Turney, his expression grave, "I was not entirely truthful towards you in the letter. But understand I only did it so I could get what was needed".

    Turney was silent as he waited for Phillip to explain, it was not as if he was not used to the troublemaking methods of the Duke''s third son.

    "The monster I talked of in my letter...the reason I know the Anthrite chains are the only way...the monster is Rassa," Phillip stated.

    Turney was silent for a long time, his expression unchanging. This was what Phillip had disliked about his teacher. He was a brilliant teacher, but he was so good at keeping a poker face that Phillip oftentimes didn''t know exactly how to react. Finally, after some thought, Turney spoke again.

    "Then he is...adopted?"

    "No," Phillip said, "He is my son, my blood. But an accident happened just over three years ago in Greenvale. He entered into a cave that had not been there the previous day, and was possessed by whatever evil lay within. It has changed him. He even has life lines now. Still, the changes are only physical, Rassa is still my son. He is still intelligent and kind-hearted. He has never touched any human, and I have spent years training him so that he knows his limits. But nobody else will see it that way".

    "They captured him then?" asked Turney.

    Phillip nodded, "Ten days ago. He''s been in a cage in the Knight encampment on Greenvale''s border the whole time. Though I know he is more than capable of escape, he hasn''t attempted to break out. And even worse, they refuse to feed him anything. He will starve soon, and I honestly don''t know in the end what will win out. His will to do no harm, or his hunger".

    "Then the chains are for his hunger?" asked Turney.

    Phillip nodded, "When the Curfew was enforced to hunt the monster, he admitted that Anthrite was the one weakness he had come across. He said I should use it should he not be able to control himself".

    "And can he?" asked Turney, "Control himself I mean?"

    "He hunts only what he needs from animals in the forest. After he is full, if he is given a certain amount a day he has no problems controlling himself," Phillip stated, "But the Hunger...it''s unpredictable. So far he''s held it in, but I don''t know what will happen if it gets worse. I also cannot judge when it will get worse as they won''t allow me to see him".

    "Then can we-"

    Another knock sounded on the door. Phillip held a finger to his lips as he stood and walked to the door. Then answered it with a frown.

    When he met no one immediately in front of him, he looked down, and found Jane standing nervously in front of the door.

    "Jane?" asked Phillip, his voice and expression softening as he stepped back to look at her better, "What are you doing here?"

    "I..." Jane pasued, unsure how to go on.

    "Look, you should get back to your parents, they won''t like it if they find out you''re-"

    "I want to know," Jane said.

    Phillip paused, "Sorry?"

    "About Rassa," Jane clarified, "Please, tell me about him".

    There was silence for a moment before Anna appeared at the doorway, looking down at the girl, "Come in, Jane".

 Chapter 34 The Red Eyed Hunger

    Why had Jane come again? Phillip and Anna had warned her countless times of how dangerous it was to approach Rassa when he was like this, let alone the penalties she''d face should the Knights catch her. She''d spent over a week worrying about whether or not she should believe that Rassa wasn''t a monster. His parents insisted, but Jane had thought she was closer to Rassa. She''d even...kissed him.

    It seemed silly now for her to have done something like that. No doubt Rassa had had bigger problems to deal with than her feelings. But no matter how Jane tried to rationalise Rassa''s condition, the fact was still quite clear. He''d lied to her.

    And so, after she spent time thinking about every possibility as to why that would be the case, Jane finally decided she needed to talk to someone who was closer to the truth. If not Rassa, than his parents.

    Jane listened. She learned. And then she was told to go home. As if she could just go home after learning all of that about her best friend. The one person outside of her parents who had never looked at her with anything but kindness, even after he''d changed. To chain, this was a simple decision.

    She just needed to make sure he was okay. Nobody but the knights and the doctor had seen him in days, and they refused to give any information regarding his condition, apart from the fact to ''reassure'' everyone he was not drinking blood, animal or otherwise. But after what Phillip said...not drinking blood seemed to have a more concerning outcome than him drinking it. At least when he was arrested by hunger Rassa was able to act normal. So normal that no one had noticed his changed state for three years!

    So, calming her racing heart, Jane took a deep breath, and crept forward through the forest''s edge to the cage. As she crept closer, Jane notice how fragile Rassa looked. He was curled into a ball on the floor of the cage, his body still covered in grime and filth. He looked, quite plainly, as if he was dead. Jane''s eyes widened, and she stepped forward in concern, only to see the slightest twitch of muscle. She stopped, then whispered loudly.

    "Rassa?"

    There was no response. Not even an acknowledgement of her presence.

    "Rassa? Can you hear me?" asked Jane.

    ...

    Of course Rassa could hear her. He''d heard her as she stood nearly a kilometre away, pacing back and forth as she deliberated on her next move. He''d smelt her sweat and nervousness as she approached. But most of all, he''d smelt her blood...

    Rassa had never thought that something could be so divine and so horrible at the same time. He had no energy left, the only thing he was capable of doing, was trying to hold himself back. He''d tried tuning out the world, focusing on the smells of the rotting food that still covered him instead of the blood of the guards mere metres away, but it wasn''t working. Worse still, Red Eyes was starting to make sense.

    He was hungry, of course he should feed. They were all prey, it didn''t matter the sourse, so long as the aches went away. So long as he could feel himself again.

    No, please, no.

    His protests had diminished from a command to a plead. If anyone were to hear the conversation inside his head, he was sure they would think him pitiful. What kind of monster argues with itself over the condition of its next meal? Rassa was truly a conundrum, one that Red Eyes was officially sick of.

    ''You have held back long enough child, any longer and you will begin to decompose. Then only a blood sacrifice will save you''.

    ''A what?'' Rassa asked, shocked at this new peice of information.

    ''It is our nature'' Red Eyes elaborated, ''We can survive without blood for months of course, but that is only after we have been unsealed, only after we have trained ourselves for countless years to resist the hunger, to suppress it. You are an sealed child, barely three years old. In the life span of a being that can live for tens of thousands of years without any problems, you are nothing more than an infant. Your will power might be stronger than any other your age, but you cannot prevent yourself from the subdeath that will come upon you when the sun rises in seven hours. You are foolish to wait this long, not I have no choice but to teach you a hard lesson, one I hope you will learn from diligently''.

    ''What are you talking about? What lesson?'' asked Rassa, suddenly terrified. He could hear the dark tone of Red Eyes'' voice. The warning in it.

    ''Learn well boy, watch while I take care of your hunger, and handle a few trivial matters while I''m at it''.

    Rassa filled with dread as he suddenly felt his life lines, no his very soul, unleash something he had no control over. He flinched, tightening his muscles.

    ''No. Please, no!''

    There was only a dark chuckle, ''This will be fun''.

    ...

    There was no movement seen by Jane as she called out to Rassa, no sign of true life. She lowered her head.

    "I''m sorry, Rassa," Jane spoke softly, "I had no intention of turning my back on you, not ever. I promised you I wouldn''t didn''t I? So, I''m sorry. I''m so sorry I doubted you. Sorry I thought you were the monster they all said you were. Sorry I...I understand if you don''t want to forgive me. But please Rassa, don''t prove them right. Stay strong. Please".

    Jane looked up with teary eyes at Rassa''s body, only to find him squatting inside the cage, staring at her with the most bored un-Rassa-like expression she''d ever seen. But worse still, and the thing that caused her to fall back into the tree behind her in shock and terror, was the bright red glow of his eyes.

    "It was a pretty speech little girl, I''m sure your Rassa would be tickled pink hearing your faith in him," Rassa spoke, but to Jane, one thing was very clear. That was NOT Rassa.

    His words were loud enough to attract the attention of the guards. They drew their swords as they stood, surprised to see the boy who had been practically lifeless for two days suddenly up and about. The Rassa-who-was-not-Rassa titled his head as he sighed regretfully, "However, Rassa isn''t around right now, he was a little naive in thinking he could hold his hunger back long enough for his father to get the Anthrite chains. Perhaps if they had acted just a few minutes sooner they would have succeeded, I can hear the incessant ringing of that damned metal from here".

    The boy leaned forward, clutching the metal bars of the cage delicately as his fingernails extended into sharp points nearly an inch from the tip of his finger. They resembled lethal claws, and Jane drew back further in fear as she watched fangs extend down from two of Rassa''s top teeth, his smile looking murderous.

    "Run along now little girl, this monster is rather hungry".

    Jane didn''t need to be asked twice, she turned and stumbled as she dove into the woods, just in time to miss the detection of the guards who approached the cage arrogantly, swinging their swords with no skill or grace whatsoever.

    "Oi! Pike down you, or we''ll have to do more than just starve yo-"

    The Guard didn''t even have time to finish his threat. Throughout the camp, a shriek of metal rung out with such clarity, that it sent a chill down the spine of everyone who heard it. It was barely a split-second later that the Guard was decapitated by his own sword. So quick and clean was the cut, that the guard even had a second to register his own demise before he fell to the ground, his head rolling away. The Red-Eyed Rassa turned towards the other guard, who had soiled himself in fear as he dropped his weapon and shook so fiercly that he lost his balance.

    "Pathetic".

    A second head rolled.

 Chapter 35 The Massacre at Cordon

    If anyone were to ever ask Rassa what it felt like to be trapped within his own body, unable to control it, but a witness to everything it did, he would tell them simply, it was not something one enjoyed. He''d been trapped in a metal cage, but at least he''d known inside that cage he could get out if the situation called for it. It was as simple as bending the bars. Here though...here there was no way out. This didn''t stop him from trying though.

    He crashed his fists into the invisible barrier of his soul, a witness to everything that occurred outside. A witness to everything Red Eyes was doing with his body.

    "Red Eyes! Let me out!"

    There was never any reply, no matter how loud Rassa shouted.

    "Stop it!" Rassa cried as he watched another guard die at his hands, the already bloody sword thrusting through the guard''s chest to the hilt before Red Eyes reached out and took the spear the now dead guard had been holding, turning and hitting another guard in the head hard enough with the end that his head caved in, "Stop killing them! You said you were only hungry!"

    But Red Eyes didn''t listen.

    He continued to move around with such grace and fluidity that if anyone were to watch, they could do nothing but admire him. He was covered in rotting food, sh*t and blood, but none of it marred him. Even Rassa knew, despite his protests to what was happening, that Red Eyes was much more than Rassa had ever imagined him to be. What exactly had he lived through to make him so efficient and fluid in battle? To be so unfeeling that the only expressions he could possibly give as he slaughtered 10, 20, 40 knights, were indifference and disgust?

    Finally, Red Eyes met with a group of six knights holding nocked bows, Knight Captain Jameson standing behind them.

    "Ready, Fire!" Jameson ordered.

    Red Eyes didn''t bother using his speed this time, he approached at a leisurely pace, using the sword he picked up off the ground to deflect the arrows. Seeing the first volley was ineffective, Jameson shouted again.

    "Fire! Fire you fools!" shouted Jameson, a touch of fear in his tone.

    Rassa''s eyes narrowed, he should be afraid. Red Eyes had promised death upon the Captain, after what Rassa had just witnessed in the span of a mere three minutes, he had no doubt the promise would hold true.

    The Knights were slow, fearful. They only managed to let off one other volley, which was again easily deflected. Rassa reached them, killed three of them in the blink of an eye, then grabbed a series of arrows and knocked down the other three knights before driving the arrows through their wrists and into the ground, pinning them. The Knights screamed in agony as Red Eyes stood, turning to face Jameson who''d already turned tail and run.

    Red Eyes hissed in outrage, then used his superior speed to appear before Jameson in an instant, knocking him down. He grabbed the Knight Captain''s wrists, then dragged him back to the pinned knights. Then, just like those knights, Red Eyes pinned the Knight Captain to the ground by his wrists, then by his ankles. After that he grinned at Jameson''s screams as he squatted down beside the man.

    "Does it hurt, Jameson?" asked the boy, "A shame you don''t have my ability to heal, it would come in handy right about now. Not to mention your pain tolerance might allow you not to scream like a child".

    The boy held up a single finger for Jameson to see, then took that claw and sliced down the clothing on the Knight Captain''s torso, exposed his hairy chest and less than impressive stomach.

    The Knight Captain was shaking now, tears filling his eyes.

    "Please! Please don''t kill me. Kill them! They forced me!"

    The boy chuckled, "Adorable. You''re begging just after this? What has this world come to? Your soldiers are pathetic, and your leaders are cowardly pigs. If I desired, it would be all too easy to conquer your entire world, and I don''t even have access to my full arsenal of abilities yet. Truly a horrendous outcome".

    "What are you? What do you want?"

    Red Eyes expression hardened, "I am a Vampire. My only desire is blood. I am not greedy like your people, I need only enough to fill my appetite, unless of course you offend me".

    The boy dragged his claw across Jameson''s stomach, opening a wide wound that exposed his inner organs. Jameson screamed.

    "I will not give you the honour of feeding from you. Instead you and your subordinates shall serve as my warning to all who dare suppress me without cause. Now, you can watch in your last moments as I feed from your subordinates. Had you fed me a week ago, I would not have to take a single life, let alone two. But alas, you starved me instead. Denied me what was rightfully mine. Let this be your lesson".

    The boy stood, then took the arrows from the wrists of the nearest guard who cried out as he begged.

    "Please, no please-"

    The boy tilted the guard''s head and bit down, drawing blood into his mouth and soothing the fire burning inside. He couldn''t help but release a moan of ecstasy, like a man who''d found an oasis in an endless desert.

    The guard froze, and to the surprise of those watching on, his expression turned blissful as he turned paler and paler, then the light faded from his eyes all together.

    Rassa had stopped begging a long time ago. Watching on as Red Eyes tortured Jameson then drained two of the guards. In this entire encounter, the only thing Rassa was thankful for, was that Red Eyes made their last moments pleasurable. They did not feel as if they were dying. Rassa did not even know he was capable of doing that.

    After the second guard was drained, Rassa felt the walls trapping him fluctuate, and he stood, pounding on the wall again. It gave. Only a little, but enough for Rassa to know he could retake control before Red Eyes massacred the entire village as well.

    Red Eyes looked down at the last guard, now full, he turned his attention to suppressing the boy trapped within him as he spoke.

    "If you happen to survive, I believe you can pass on my warning. I will not take more than is necessary for me to survive, but I will also not tolerate being suppressed".

    Red Eyes turned away then, raising his nose to the air as he scented the air.

    "Now...where has that little girl gone to?"

    Rassa froze for a split second as he registered the words, then he pounded on the walls of his prison with renewed vigour.

    "No! Don''t you dare!"

    "Pike down boy, I won''t kill her...yet".

    The Vampire moved.

 Chapter 36 The Call of the Wind

    Jane ran, the screaming following her like a vengeful ghost. She couldn''t count the amount of times she''d stumbled and fallen. It had slowed her progress significantly, but she didn''t let it stop her. She needed to keep going. She needed to warn everyone. She needed to tell Phillip.

    Through the fear, she''d managed to register what the Rassa-who-was-not-Rassa had said. Phillip knew a weakness. That metal, Anthrite, whatever it was, the monster didn''t like it at all.

    Jane broke through the edge of the forest, sprinting towards the town, as she reached the border, she realised she couldn''t hear the screaming anymore. She''d never thought silence could be more terrifying than the sound of tens of men screaming, but as the fear nearly paralysed her, she realised she never wanted to hear silence again. She forced her limbs to move.

    A burst of wind came from behind her, though it did not feel entirely natural. Jane didn''t dare turn around as she sprinted through the town.

    "He''s out!" she screamed, "Rassa is out!"

    This, more than the distant sounds of the camp, alerted the town to the current situation. Some who were closer had speculated, but others had tuned it out, unwilling to face reality. Now, they had no choice. They were awake, and god forbid if they saw the horror that awaited them.

    Phillip, Anna and Turney all stood from their spots at Jane''s shouted warning. It had echoed down the quiet streets, there was no way anyone wouldn''t hear it.

    "Phillip!"

    The shouted echoed, and Phillip didn''t hesitate a second longer as he turned to Turney, "Get the chains".

    Turney moved the same time that Phillip did.

    The older Knight General made for the door, opening it and running to his saddle bags which sat undisturbed on his horse. It was here, as the Knight General removed the large travelling coat that he''d placed to conceal his sword, that Turney hesitated. He eyed the sword, and after only a second''s hesitation, unsheathed it.

    Inside, Phillip rushed to his room, quickly shifting the bed and lifting a loose plank of wood there. He took out his own sword just as Jane''s voice rung out again, much closer this time.

    "Phillip, help!"

    Phillip was on his feet in an instant, moving out the door swiftly. He looked down the street, spotting Jane running towards him, then he turned to face Turney.

    "The Cha-"

    Phillip took in Turney holding the sword, and his eyes widened, "No! Get the chains!"

    Turney looked shocked at Phillip''s insistence, and he hesitated a moment before turning to grab at the Saddlebags, unstrapping them as quickly as he could.

    Phillip turned back to where Jane was running towards him, his eyes widening as he spotted the blurred figure rapidly approaching from behind her, eyes glowing bright red.

    "Rassa, no!" Phillip shouted.

    The boy didn''t listen, one second, Jane was running towards Phillip, the next, she was pinned against the well at the other end of the street, staring into the startlingly red eyes as she gasped for breath, a pale hand as strong as steel wrapped around her throat.

    "Ra-Rassa?"

    Jane asked, struggling for breath.

    "Rassa, please!"

    "You did well to make it that far little girl," the boy spoke. That voice...it still wasn''t Rassa''s, not the one she knew anyway.

    "You-You''re not Rassa".

    "Clever too I see," he smirked. His grip loosened, and she dropped to the ground, coughing loudly as air was allowed back into her lungs.

    Jane looked up as the boy''s eyes closed, and he shook his head.

    "Your little friend has one strong will," the monster admitted with a smile that seemed almost proud, "He hasn''t stopped fighting, not even when I took a detour to wash the filth from his skin. Another moment with those foul smells attached to me and I might actually have slaughtered this whole pathetic village just to spite them". His eyes opened as he looked down at Jane, "But where''s the fun in that?"

    "Jane!" Phillip called as he approached, chains in hand.

    The monster hissed in rage.

    "Naive man," the monster said, then he knelt before Jane, holding her neck once more, but more gently this time, "Seeing you like little Rassa so much, I''ll do you a favour. It''ll be better this way".

    The moster leaned forward and Jane panicked.

    "No! NO!"

    In her panic, Jane felt something inside of her just...click. It was like she''d never realised that there had been a part of her missing and now...now it was just there, filling her and making her whole. She grabbed a hold of it, hugging it close for her own security, and it responded in kind.

    The Monster was thrown back down the street with an immense burst of wind magic, and it rolled nearly 40 metres before digging its claws into the ground to stop its momentum. The magic had blown Phillip and Turney away as well, and the chains lay down on the ground, in the middle of them all.

    There was an instant for everyone to pause in shock as the wind fell quiet. Then, the Monster dropped down to his knees, clutching at his head.

    "Not yet boy!" it shouted.

    Jane watched curiously as the monster struggled for a moment.

    Rassa, her Rassa. The monster was holding him back, struggling for control. Jane''s gaze locked in determination as she got to her feet, clutching onto that part of her soul again. She ignored it as her skin over her shoulders and arms burned and lit up with a silvery-white light. She simply stepped forward, and thrust her arms towards the chains.

    The Monster''s red eyes snapped up, and it began to move out of the way.

    "Oh no you don''t, give Rassa back!"

    Jane thrust her arms forward and the chain lifted off the ground, shooting towards the Monster. It tried to dodge, but from within, at that important moment, Rassa crashed down the wall inside his soul. His body was caught on one end of the chains which whipped around to entangle him and he fell to the ground hard, shouting in pain as the Anthrite chains irritated his skin painfully.

    Jane fell to her knees, suddenly exhausted, she watched as Rassa gritted his teeth in pain, then opened his eyes to look back at her, the red slowly fading.

    She could see the apology there, the sincerity. Then, her job done, Jane surrendered to the weakness overwhelming her body, and fainted.

    Rassa didn''t fight the chains despite the pain he was in, he could feel them sapping his strength at an incredible speed. One second he was in full control, his hunger satiated and abilities restored, the next, he was no better than a mere human.

    Rassa breathed heavily as he came to terms with what had just happened, then looked over at his father who appeared to be nothing more than shocked.

    Rassa turned away again, and let the tears fall in his relief.

 Chapter 37 The Silence of a Guilty Conscience

    Phillip stared through the bars of Cordon''s only prison cell with immense sadness. Since they''d chained his wrists to the rings on opposite walls and fastened the mask over his face, Rassa had been still and silent. That had been last night. Now, the morning after, when the town had had enough time to at least take in what had happened, Phillip had come to tell his son what they planned to do.

    But what exactly could he say? Had it been Rassa that had done those things last night, or had it been something else? Something much more evil...

    The truth was, Phillip was horrified. After living with Rassa and his condition for three years, he had made himself believe that a reality where Rassa was anything but a boy with a different appetite was completely possible. He''d been living it, and would continue to live it. When he''d seen his son attack Jane, his best friend since they were old enough to understand what that relationship meant, Phillip had been dumbfounded. That...thing...it was not his son. Phillip had no idea what it was.

    Then the chains had wrapped around Rassa, and he''d fallen to the ground in pain, the red glow fading to his ordinary dark eyes and Phillip had seen nothing but guilt and remorse. Phillip had understood in that moment that Rassa had let that thing out. He''d submitted when he promised he wouldn''t, and 48 people had paid the consequences for it. And not just people, Knights, highly trained knights. The only surviving witness said it had taken no more than five minutes. That the boy had seemed like a god of war and death. It had been easy for him, so easy he''d appeared bored with it all.

    Phillip looked up at his son, his arms were raised out to either side because of the chains, he was kneeling on the ground, his head hung forward with the chains locked together around his upper torso. The skin beneath was an angry red, as if he was indeed allergic to the metal.

    "I..."

    Phillip yet again didn''t know where to begin. He sighed, rubbing his face and massaging the bridge of his nose. When he looked up once more, his son stared back at him. His dark eyes the only thing that weren''t covered by the metal mask, but they expressed everything the boy wanted to say.

    It was as if his son had just told him, ''It''s okay, father. I know what I did, just tell me what you need to say''.

    Phillip felt his eyes well with tears as he looked away. He wiped his eyes quickly then took a breath before he spoke.

    "Total body count was 48. They''re currently collecting identification to send back to the families. Unfortunately we don''t have the facilities required to prepare so many for transport back, so we''re preparing pyres to send their ashes back instead. The village is shaken...to say the least. They''re demanding your head, but the Baron will wait for the Light Magician to show up seeing as the surviving Knight stated you seemed possessed...were you possessed?"

    Rassa neither shook his head nor nodded, simply stared back as if to say, ''Does it matter now?''.

    Phillip sighed again, "Jane...she hasn''t woken up yet but the Doc says that physically she''s fine. She''s just sleeping off the effects of establishing her Life Lines. We won''t know for sure until the Light Magician shows up but she seems to have awakened as a Wind Magician. She''ll be sent to the Academy without delay".

    Beyond relieved that Jane was okay, Rassa didn''t reveal anything else in his expression, after a moment of silence from Phillip, Rassa''s head dropped once more.

    Phillip looked down at the dark and dirty paved stone floor as well, and sighed deeply, "I...I''m so sorry, Rassa. I...There''s nothing I can do".

    There was no response from his son, but Phillip knew his son was smart. Rassa had likely already reached his conclusion.

    "If I''m honest I...I didn''t believe you''d ever become like that. You''re just a child. You have such a kind soul. You...what happened can''t have changed that in you. It hasn''t...right?"

    Phillip looked up at his son for an answer. But Rassa didn''t move nor respond. In that moment, Phillip had his answer. Rassa had no clue. He had no idea if he could stay the way he''d always been, or if this would inevitably change him. Phillip dropped his head.

    "I see," he replied, "Well then...despite it all Rassa. I really do wish you the best. Because whatever path you are forced to take from now on, I very much doubt I will have any kind of position in your life. After all that has happened, I doubt you will allow your mother and I to try for fear of harming us. I cannot begin to understand what you are going through but...I understand that much. Take care, my son. And after all you have said and hoped for, my hope for you is that you do not spend your life in the shadows. However long that life will be".

    Phillip could remain no longer, and he left the cell without delay. Rassa continued to remain silent as he listened to his father''s retreating footsteps, somehow knowing it was the last time he''d ever hear them.

    This was the right thing though. He had no other choice. After what had happened last night...Rassa needed time. If he was to die then so be it, but Rassa doubted that would be the case. There were too many interested parties outside of Cordon now. So, with the assumption being that he would live, Rassa needed to find a way to practice control. To learn his limits and strengthen his will so that what happened the night before would not happen again. So that he wouldn''t loose control again to the monster than possessed him. So that every move he made, and every life he took or didn''t take was his own choice.

    How better to do that than from within the confines of Anthrite Chains? The very thing the monster within him despised.

    **********************************************

    AUTHOR''S NOTE

    Yo, writing this here because the normal author''s note section only allows me to write so much.

    First of all, thank you for your ongoing support, I truly do appreciate it. Second, I feel the need to address some concerns regarding storyline holes/skewed character development. This is quite literally the first draft of this story. I am writing it as it comes to mind and as I want the story line to go in general. I also have not physcially written down any form of plan. This may sound like a stupid thing to do to some people, but I have found in the past that if I plan out a book that I''m writing, I tend to abandon it quite quickly because essentially, now I know what''s going to happen so I''m bored of it. I don''t want that to happen with this story, hence why plot holes may appear. As I have mentioned before, when I have finished writing this first draft, I will go back to edit and fix these plot holes to the best of my ability to a point where I am happy with it. No major storyline occurences will change, but some developments to do with individual characters may be more clearly laid out so that it makes more sense as to why the characters make certain decisions (such as Rassa allowing himself to be captured/starved etc.). If it disturbs some people that this is the way I write, I would advise that they stop reading now and come back when I begin the second volume. I estimated that this first volume will be between 70 and 90 chapters, depending on how much I choose to focus on Jane''s story as well. I hope that clears up at least in part some concerns of my audience. In future, chapters that are edited shall have a (*) symbol attached to the front of the chapter name. I ask for your understanding in this and appreciate any continued support of my work.

    -Jelim

 Chapter 38 The Light Magician Arita

    Arita Jekani had been on the road for a week. She was bored out of her mind. One minute she''d been minding her own business during the weekly Toulle City Guild Meeting, and the next she''d been handed a mission notice that she''d apparently volunteered for. She didn''t remember volunteering, no doubt that righteous b*tch Lena had done that on her behalf. Why? Well, mostly because Arita was not well-liked amongst the Magician Community. Her views were...well, they didn''t align with what a Light Magician should be responsible for. Healing and Ritual Guidance. Light Magicians were the only passive Magicians around, Arita had her own opinion on that. If she had her way, every Light Magician would be out there with the rest of the Elemental Magicians, taking on the more dangerous requests. But no, she was confined to an old abandoned laboratory where her colleagues put her so that she''d stop complaining. None of her work was ever taken seriously, but the Guild tolerated her. Why? Because Arita was one of the most powerful Light Magicians to awaken in the last two decades.

    No one really wanted to talk about it as a serious problem, but Light Magicians were on the decline. No one knew why or how, but it was a fact, and Arita had spent much of her time researching this. It garnered little results, which only led to her further ridicule at the hands of some of her more respected (though less powerful) colleagues.

    So, with no other choice, here Arita was, on her way to some backwater town in the middle of nowhere to perform an exorcism on who knows what. She wasn''t even honestly sure an exorcism would work from the description, in her opinion, it was a load of bogus. There was no such thing as the monster they described, and if one were to materialise, she highly doubted it would be in the body of a twelve year old boy.

    "Grandmaster Jekani, we''re approaching Cordon," the carriage driver announced.

    Cordon, that was it! She''d honestly forgotten it. Nobody talked about Cordon, there were few people that even knew of it. Though, if the report was to be believed, there would be plenty that would know of it sooner or later.

    Arita moved aside the curtains to look out, The town was indeed small. Perhaps only a population of 100 individuals from the looks of the housing. A larger house stood to the southern point, no doubt the local Baron''s estate. It was hardly as impressive as the nobles of larger cities, but Arita knew it would be rude to comment on that.

    Much of the north looked covered in a well spaced Orchard of various fruits, and to the far east was the border line of Greenvale Forest. From where they approached from the west there were only a few fields of necessities such as wheat and a few vegetables. No doubt the villagers hunted in the forest for their meat. As for their milk or butter, Arita thought it more likely that every few families kept goats, as they were less expensive to keep than cattle.

    All in all, despite it''s lesser known status, Cordon seemed to be quite the self-sufficient village. It was no wonder so few people knew of it.

    Drawing closer though, Arita sensed the ominous aura surrounding the village. Something was wrong. It was not as picturesque as it had appeared from a distance. The shadows seemed longer, and a sort of mist that only an adept Magician could see had settled over the town. Most Magicians referred to this mist as just that, Mist. It was the essence of those that dwelled within. It carried their emotions and their hopes and dreams. Mist was a layer over the surface of the material world that carried the secrets of those that dwelled there. It was more concentrated in some places than in others. And, should there be beings with life lines within it, it was also more responsive. The Mist after all, was what gave magical beings their Life Lines, a well guarded secret by any creature with Life Lines. The Mist was theirs alone to enjoy, it would do them no good to share its secrets with those not granted the privelge to see it.

    As Arita drew close enough, she suddenly gasped at what she saw within the Mist. Death. So potent and rampant that she nearly chocked on its thickness. Whatever had caused this...it was certainly not human. Arita wasn''t even sure if it was real. Such dark and indifferent emotions had caused this. It was...evil. Arita had never encountered anything like it before. And worse still...the Mist didn''t seem to have any problem with it. It was not rejecting it in the slightest.

    Arita had been led to believe that the Mist would inform a Magician should the world''s Order be tipped out of balance. It was a Magician''s responsibility to listen to that, to aid it in fixing a problem. But this...it was almost as if the Mist was actually happy. Like it was welcoming this presence, whatever it was. The driver took Arita to the Baron''s estate, and she alighted from the carriage with cautious eyes.

    The Baron Peters came to greet her, though he looked rather haggard and stressed. Not at all like the nobles she was used to dealing with.

    "My name is Arita Jekani, a Grandmaster ranked Magician of Toulle Magician''s Guild," Arita greeted.

    "Greetings, Grandmaster," the Baron stated, "I am the Baron of Cordon and I thank you for coming on such short notice".

    "You said you needed me to perform an exorcism?" asked Arita.

    The Baron nodded, "Yes, apologies, but I believe it would be best if you ascertain what this monster has done so far so that you are aware of the danger it poses. Afterall, I doubt you have come across anything like it".

    "What is has done? My understanding was that it was simply drinking blood from forest animals and that you''d captured it already," Arita replied.

    "That was before last night..."

    Arita''s gaze narrowed, "What happened last night?"

    The Baron pointed to the field behind Arita where various Knight tents were set up, "We requested Knights from Varkevia to aid us in hunting the monster. They were keeping it in a cage in their camp. Last night it got out...and slaughtered all but one".

    Arita''s eyes widened in shock. She could certainly see where all the death had condensed over the field. She''d never expected those victims to all be Knights. But as she continued to watch, the Mist could only oblige her curiosity as to how it was possible. It did so with what Arita could only describe as glee. It twisted and turned, forming the images of the massacre that had happened only the night before. And within it, moving with more grace than a imperial dancer, was a twelve year old boy, eyes glowing red. Arita closed her eyes to the images, swallowing heavily. This was not normal. It was anything but. Why had she been assigned this again? It was more suited to a Miracle or Saint Class Magician. This was absolutely insane. How could a mere exorcism solve this?

    "How was he stopped?" asked Arita cautiously.

    "One of our villagers...the boy''s father...he had ordered Anthrite chains. It seems to be the Monster''s only weakness. One of our young girls managed to get the chains around him after she awakened as a Wind Magician last night," the Baron admitted.

    Arita spun around. An Awakening as well? No wonder the Mist was thriving so much here.

    "Where is the girl?"

 Chapter 39 The Kiss of the Air

    Jane was not all that aware of her surroundings when she regained consciousness. Mostly because her arms and shoulders ached as if she''d been lifting baskets of fruit for a week straight. She frowned and moaned at the pain, then lifted her hands to rub her shoulders. As soon as her fingers skimmed over her shoulders, she jolted upright. What by the gods was that feeling? She shifted again, eyes wide as her fingers skimmed over the skin of her shoulders and she felt it inside herself. She looked down, and then gave a little squeak of alarm as she noticed the glimmering silvery-white lines that covered her shoulders and upper arms. She hurriedly stood from her bed, moving to the door of her room and out into the main room where her mother and father were sitting with worried looks on their faces, Falla sitting beside them. They all looked up at her sudden entrance, and stood in surprise.

    "What happened?" asked Jane.

    Falla grinned and moved to Jane, wrapping her in her arms, "You''re okay, thank the gods!"

    Jane frowned, "Seriously, what happened?"

    Falla moved back, "You don''t remember?"

    Jane shook her head, turning to face her parents for an explanation.

    "Jane you...you were attacked by Rassa after he got out last night," her mother stated, "You awakened as a Wind Magician and used your new power to fight him off and capture him".

    As her mother spoke, the memories came back to Jane is a rush. After a moment, she spoke again.

    "That wasn''t Rassa," Jane insisted.

    Jane''s father sighed in annoyance, "Of course it was, the boy is a monster. I can''t believe I allowed you to be so close with him all these years, he is one of the best examples of a sheep in wolf''s clothing. You should not blindly trust-"

    "I don''t blindly trust him!" snapped Jane, "He''s my best friend! I think I''d know it if my best friend attacked me".

    "You sound ridiculous, Jane," her father stated, "I won''t have you talking about it anymore".

    "But-"

    "Jane, come and eat something, the Doctor insisted you should after you wake up-"

    "Mother, I-"

    "Enough!" her father snapped.

    Jane was silent as she looked at her father in shock. What had gotten into him? He''d always loved Rassa before. All the adults had. Why was it that now he had changed, they all treated him as if he was always like this? As if there hadn''t been any significant change that occurred to him. It seemed as if in their eyes, Rassa had always been a monster.

    Jane turned to Falla, "You believe me, right?"

    Falla''s eyes looked sad, "I..." She looked at Jane''s parents and their disapproving gazes, then she started again, "Well...he did attack you Jane".

    "That wasn''t him," Jane insisted.

    "I won''t have that boy mentioned in my house again, now eat up," Jane''s Father insisted before he picked up his hat and boots and left the house.

    Jane frowned, "I''m not wrong. I know that wasn''t Rassa".

    Jane pushed passed Falla and back out the door, determined to find her best friend for proof. Only, as soon as she stepped outside, she was met with her father''s back as he too stood in front of their house, looking at the beautiful woman who stood beside Baron Peters.

    After a moment of surprise, her father hurriedly bowed his head, "Baron. What brings you here today?"

    "Ralph, this is Grandmaster Arita Jekani, the Light Magician we requested from Toulle. She espressed an interest in seeing your daughter," the Baron spoke.

    "I see, wel-"

    Arita paid no attention to her father, rather, she passed him and went directly to Jane. She squatted down before the girl and pulled her dress''s collar to the side to expose her life lines. Baron Peters and her father looked way in embarrassment. Even if Jane was still a child, she was a girl, and it was impolite to look.

    "Interesting," Arita stated softly as she looked at the lines her fingers ghosting above but not touching them. After a moment, Arita looked to the other shoulder, then she allowed Jane to fix her clothes as she stood, "You are quite powerful little one. Usually we call someone like you Air-Kissed".

    "Air-Kissed?" Jane frowned.

    Arita nodded, "Yes, the making of a Saint-Class Magician. Though such a rank is not achieved without hardships. I see your determination though, you can achieve it".

    "What''s a Saint-Class?" asked Jane. Then she shook her head, "Nevermind".

    She turned to the Baron, "Where''s Rassa?"

    Her father frowned down at her, "You are certainly not going to see that monster".

    Jane glared back at her father, "He''s my best friend. I will see him if I want to. Monster or not".

    There was silence at her sudden defiance, and Arita gave an expectant look to the Baron.

    The Baron sighed, "He''s chained in the Jailhouse".

    Jane''s eyes widened. She''d heard stories of how dark and awful the Jailhouse was, the children had always been too terrified to venture near it. A thing their parents were grateful for.

    "You put him in the Jailhouse?" asked Jane, directing her anger at the Baron, "How could you!"

    "Jane!" snapped her father, turning to the Baron, "Apologies for her disrespect, Baron Peters, I''ll ensure she''s properly disciplined".

    "You will do no such thing," Arita replied.

    They all turned to look at the Magician, and she rolled her eyes at their ignorance, "She is a Magician now, she falls under the jurisdiction of the Academy, and by extension the Guilds. If you have a problem with her behaviour, take it up with them. Besides, he may be a Baron, but he''s most probably the least known Baron in the entire Empire. I''d like to see how he''d try to go up against the Academy on that front".

    Arita then turned to Jane, "Show me to the Jailhouse, let''s see what we can do about your friend".

    Jane was awestruck by this woman. She''d never seen anyone treat the Baron with such disrespect and get away with it. Sure she''d spoken like that a few moments before, but she''d done so in anger and frustration, not any kind of reasonable tone.

    Snapping back to reality, Jane pointed behind her, "It''s this way".

    The Magician nodded then dug her hand into the satchel by her side and withrew a peice of bread, "Eat, it''ll help you feel better".

    Jane took the bread then munched on it as she turned to lead the way. No way was she saying no to this woman. If she could speak to the Baron without consequence, she must be really powerful!

 Chapter 40 The Dark Gaze of a Monster

    The definition of Jailhouse for Cordon was certainly different to that of a city such as Toulle. In a city Jailhouse, as many as four hundred individuals could be imprisoned, in Cordon, they would be lucky to fit five people in the single basement cell. Needless to say it was a good thing crime rates were so low in Cordon, else they would have had to share their cell with the boy who had massacred so many only the night before.

    The underground room was dark and cold. There were no windows, only torches that lined the walls and what little light travelled down the staircase from the main level. Jane, the little girl who''d awakened the wind element the previous night, didn''t hesitate to go down the stairs. Though Arita could tell she was scared of what lay beneath. When Arita''s feet hit the stone floor of the basement, she only had to take two steps to get a decent view of the chained boy.

    He was kneeling on the stone ground, and while nothing held his lower body in place, the Anthrite Chains wrapped around his upper torso and spiralled up his arms and neck. On his face Arita could see a pure metal mask, the silver of the metal contrasting greatly with his dark hair and pale skin. Both of his wrists were cuffed and in turn chained to opposite sides of the cell. Despite how uncomfortable it looked, the boy seemed content. He was so still, that the only way Arita could tell he was still alive was by his small periodic breaths that made no noise and barely any movement.

    It took a moment before anyone said anything, all of them just seemed to be taking in the sight of the boy there. They all seemed to be thinking the same thing. How could something so small and helpless looking cause such slaughter? How could it generate such fear from the populace? Arita had to admit she wasn''t sure she wanted to know. But this was what she''d been sent for.

    Jane stepped forward, clutching the bars as she too knelt down in an attempt to meet the boy''s downcast eyes.

    "Rassa?"

    His eyes lifted with a snap at the call of his name, and they locked right onto Jane. Everyone backed away at his gaze. It was so hostile, angry. But Jane just kept watching him.

    "It''s okay. I''m alright," she said softly.

    His eyes seemed to rove over her, checking for injuries, he glimpsed the life lines peaking out of her collar and paused for a moment, then his gaze softened ever so slightly.

    "Are...are you okay?"

    Is he okay? What kind of question was that?

    Rassa simply stared back, the mask preventing him from making any sort of reply. After a moment, his gaze turned to those in the shadows behind Jane. Jane turned to see what he was looking at then stood, pointing at Arita.

    "Ah, this is Grandmaster Arita Jekani. She''s a Light Magician. She''s going to help," Jane said, trying to give him a soft smile.

    Rassa''s dark eyes met Arita''s and despite not knowing anything about the boy, Arita knew exactly what he wanted to tell her.

    ''You cannot help me. This is what I am''.

    His gaze was so expressive. Such that in a way, Arita regretted stepping back when she had first seen it. His eyes had not been hostile towards them, rather, he''d been angry at himself. Frustrated. If he was truly a monster as the entire village seemed to believe, at the very least he was one with a conscience.

    "Your Life Lines..." Arita stated, the boy tensed. He hadn''t been given a shirt, so they were still visible, "May I see them?"

    The boy''s gaze looked surprised, like nobody had ever asked before, they''d just taken. Arita felt quite disturbed at that. Life Lines were sacred things, even if they were different, they shouldn''t be messed with. The only reason she had not asked Jane was because the child had just awakened. If the stories were to be believed, this boy had had his Life Lines for over 3 years.

    It took a moment, but then the boy nodded.

    "Open the door," Arita ordered.

    "Are you insane?" asked the Baron, "He''ll kill you".

    "He''s chained to two walls and has a mask over his face, I''d like to see him try," Arita snapped back.

    The Baron looked bristled to be spoken to in such a manner, but moved forward with the keys and unlocked the door.

    "Your funeral".

    Arita rolled her eyes and stepped forward to enter, but not before Jane, who rushed inside and threw her arms around the boy.

    "I''m sorry," Jane said softly.

    Arita stood in the doorway a moment, and was quite moved to see tears form in the boys eyes. They never fell, but the experienced Magician could tell that he was very sorry to be in this position. That it was not something he had desired.

    Arita waited another moment, then walked around the outside of the cell to view the boy''s back. Jane, sensing her movement, pulled away and watched Arita with cautious eyes.

    Arita never moved forward to touch the black lines that covered Rassa''s back. From the boy''s reaction he clearly disliked anyone going near them. Instead, Arita stood a distance away and attempted to read them as she had Jane''s earlier.

    But she could read nothing. The lines were random, clashing with one another and tearing each other apart. There was no distinguishable pattern or symbol, it was just...a mess.

    "Have your lines always been so...chaotic?"

    The boy looked over his shoulder, his eyes showed confusion.

    ''You cannot read them?''

    It was what he appeared to ask her, and Arita shook her head, "I''ve never seen anything like it. There are no distinguishable patterns or happenings. I...I don''t even know what you are".

    "Last night," the Baron piped up, "Last night the Knight that was left alive said that the boy had stated he was a Vampire".

    Arita frowned, "I''ve never heard of it before".

    She moved back towards the door, "I think...I need to contact my superiors about this. I''m not sure I can deal with it alone".

    "Does he not just need an exorcism?" asked the Baron.

    "An exorcism?" Arita scoffed, "He has Life Lines. Those who are possessed don''t get Life Lines".

    "Then...what do you expect us to do with him?"

    Arita looked from the Baron to where Jane still sat beside the chained boy.

    She gritted her teeth in thought for a moment, then turned back to the Baron, "I''m taking him back to my Laboratory in Toulle. Hopefully we can find some answers there".

    "And if not?" asked the Baron.

    "Why do you care? Once he leaves here, he is not longer your problem".

    Arita knew that was exactly what the Baron wanted anyway.

 Chapter 41 The Insincere Farewell of Cordon

    In the few days that followed, a lot happened in the small Village of Cordon. The Knights who had passed on were all burned on Pyres, their ashes collected and stored in urns.

    Arita also went to interview the surviving Knight. She demanded an account of every detail, and the Knight, though reluctant had obeyed. It was from this account that Arita learned the story of how the boy had changed to begin with, and the detail the villagers had all failed to acknowledge...he had to be fed, even a cup of blood would do, but it needed to be done.

    Through all this information, Arita deciphered that the change he had undergone was permanent, and that the only reason the massacre had occurred was that some kind of ruthless, life saving instinct had completely overpowered the boy''s will. Though no one seemed willing to accept that. This was the reason why, despite her beliefs, Arita did not release the boy from his chains. She only removed his mask. When she later ordered a hunter to bring something back alive, he was annoyed, but he obeyed the order. Arita then brought a Rabbit to Rassa.

    When Arita entered the cell, the boy looked up cautiously. He seemed surprised that the Magician was once again approaching him, and this time with a meal.

    "I heard you need to feed regularly to prevent what happened before," she stated.

    Despite having his mask removed, the boy rarely spoke. His sentences were always short, and sometimes he just wouldn''t answer at all.

    "I cannot escape".

    He gave a tug on the chains and Arita raised an eyebrow, "Will that still be the case when your instinct for survival overpowers you again?"

    The boy turned away, unwilling to answer. Arita waited a moment, then approached Rassa, raising the Rabbit to his mouth. He gave a deep sigh, as if regretful, then Arita watched as two fangs extended from his top jaw and sunk into the rabbit''s neck. The rabbit froze nearly instantly, it''s heartbeat rapidly working in its fear.

    Rassa frowned with concentration as he drank. How had Red Eyes made the Knights feel so Euphoric as he drank from them? How did he activate such an ability? Rassa drew a few more times, then he sensed that if he were to take any more the rabbit would die. For a split second, he considered just draining the rabbit dry. Afterall, the Anthrite made him hungry near constantly as it drained his energy. And in hindsight, it was just a rabbit, they were likely going to kill it for meat anyway. But compassion won out. He would have to learn control anyway. Why not show them he was not greedy at the same time? Rassa drew back, then to Arita''s surprise, licked the Rabbit''s wound.

    "Why would you...?"

    She trailed off as she watched the Rabbit''s wound seal over.

    "You''re not still hungry? The Villagers mentioned that they found mass graves in the forest," Arita reasoned.

    Rassa looked up at her for a moment, contemplating whether or not to tell her the truth, then he turned away once more.

    "A monster cannot control his bloodthirst".

    Arita''s eyes widened, "So you are trying to show them you are not what they believe you to be?"

    Rassa didn''t respond, and Arita released a heavy sigh as she turned and left, the rabbit in her hands beginning to twitch as the paralytic wore off.

    "It''s a nice sentiment Rassa, but once people have made up their minds about something, you''ll find it''s increasingly difficult to convince them otherwise".

    Following this interaction, Arita came back every day with another animal. Sometimes it was a rabbit, sometimes a warthog or a possum. When the hunt for the day had been bad, Arita bought one of the goats and took that down instead. Each one came back alive, though was a little woozy until the next day. Like Arita had said though, no one changed their opinion towards Rassa, if anything his continued consumption of blood fuelled their dislike of him.

    His parents never visited. In fact, from what he had managed to hear from Jane, Phillip and Anna were keeping to themselves. Rassa couldn''t blame them for distancing themselves from him, but at the same time, he dearly desired that they would come and say goodbye at least.

    Alas, as it turned out, it was Rassa that was to leave first.

    The blacksmith had recast the cage that Rassa had been trapped in. Upon Arita''s insistence he''d also made it bigger. In the early morning 10 days after Arita''s arrival Rassa was brought up from the Jailhouse and moved into the cage. The Anthrite Chains were locked onto either side once more, though Rassa had more room to move about than the last time he''d been in this cage. After that, Arita tied a burlac cloth over the cage. She''d been told he disliked sunlight, and she thought that the cloth would not only cast him in shadows, it would also block those on the outside from looking in.

    Rassa was more grateful for that than anything. The last thing he wanted was to spend the height of summer in a metal cage being stared at like a circus freak.

    Following this, his cage cart was attached to the back of the carriage that would carry Arita and Jane. Arita had wanted to wait for more combat magicians to arrive so that their small procession could be protected, but the longer she waited, the more likely it was that another interested party would turn up wanting to buy Rassa if not outright take him.

    And so, as the small procession prepared to leave, Rassa watched from the shadows of his cage as Jane said goodbye to her family and friends, Falla included. The pretty merchant''s daughter kept glancing at the covered cage, though never made any move to approach it. Rassa observed that she was not scared of him, rather, scared of what others would think should she approach him. He could not blame her for that. To the other side, Rassa could hear his parents, hiding in the shadows of a nearby house. He closed his eyes and listened to their heartbeats. For the first time, he did so not because of his hunger, but because he desired comfort. He hoped they knew. He hoped they knew he didn''t blame them. That this was his fate and it was not something they could prevent.

    The cart pulled away, and Rassa shifted ever so slightly to the side of the cage, the chains jingling so little that anyone would just assume it was the movement of the carriage and not the creature within that caused it. Looking out of the bars and through the small gap in the material, Rassa spotted his parents as they watched their son be taken away.

    Rassa did the only thing he could do in that moment. He gave them the most genuine and reassuring smile he could muster.

    To anyone else they would say it was the leer of a monster. But to Anna and Phillip, it was nothing but the smile of the kind-hearted boy they''d loved dearly since the moment he was born.

    "Live well, Rassa. Forge the path that is right for you," Phillip said in a small voice, "That is all we will ever ask of you".

    "We love you," Anna added, "And we are so sorry".

    Rassa did not share tears this time. Grateful only that his parents had not said goodbye.

 Chapter 42 The Magicians Path

    Despite finding a Magician with a boatload of potential, Arita had been so busy organising her departure that she''d neglected to address Jane''s no doubt burning questions. She''d only managed to explain the life lines to the most basic degree when the little girl had admitted she was terrified of them and she wanted rid of them. Arita had to hold back an amused chuckle when the girl had done a 180 degree flip and started caressing the life lines like little pets. Though as adorable as it was, Arita would have to nip the habit in the bud, it was considered inappropriate in public.

    "Alright, I''ve neglected you the past few days so ask any questions you have now. We have a six day journey ahead," Arita stated.

    Jane grinned, "You mentioned there are classes of Magicians, what class am I?"

    "You''ve only just awakened so we consider somebody like you to be an Apprentice Magician," Arita replied, "Magician classes are not based solely on magical ability, but on experience as well. The classes begin just after awakening at the Apprentice Level, then move on to Senior Apprentice, Master, Grandmaster, Miracle, Saint and the fabled God Level Magician. In all, seven Classes, and you are addressed by your class when in the field".

    "So you are a Grandmaster? The Fourth Class?" asked Jane.

    Arita nodded, "Yes. You''ll find that most Magicians make it to the Master or Grandmaster levels. Only the lucky few make it beyond that, and you only every hear stories about Magicians becoming Magic Gods. It hasn''t happened for so long now that most people believe it''s not possible".

    Jane thought for a moment, then spoke again, "Why must I go to the Academy? Can''t I just learn it from you?"

    Arita chuckled, "No, I am a Light Magician, you must learn from someone who has the same element as you, an Wind Magician. The Academy is a congregation of teachers and students, so it is the easiest place for one to learn, and certainly a great place for you to be acknowledged by Guilds. The better the Guild you are enrolled into when you become a Senior Apprentice, the better your job prospects will be".

    "I thought it was simply one guild per city?"

    "Most of the time that is the case, but in larger cities one Guild cannot possibly reach the demands of the populace, so more than one are usually in place. For instance, Toulle only has one Guild as it is only a small city, but a place like Barday where the main branch of the Academy is has ten Guilds".

    "Why Barday?" asked Jane, "It''s so far away".

    She''d been given access to a map on more than one occaision through her friendship with Falla. Barday was a city to the south, they called in the Academy City because all kinds of trades were learned there, the main ones being Scholars, Knights and Magicians.

    "Barday was originally the capital of the Empire, then some generations ago, the Emperor moved the Capital further North for a less tropical climate. But Barday had been the centre of trade and business for some time, it was not as if the people were going to just abandon it," Arita explained, "You will go to Barday because you are only an Apprentice Magician. Every Apprentice goes to Barday, only those Senior Apprentices without Guild alliances are allowed to attend the branch Academies. They almost act like Guilds of their own, though they aren''t technically Guilds because they do not profit from jobs, only enrollments and donations".

    Jane turned silent once more and after a while Arita couldn''t help but smile, "What, out of questions already?"

    Jane sighed, "Just...what will happen to Rassa? He''s not coming to Barday is he?"

    Arita''s smile dropped, "No, he won''t be. I don''t know yet what they will want to do with him. I only took him to learn more about him, perhaps discover what being a Vampire means. What they are. After all, it is unlikely he pulled the term out of thin air. There has to be some record, no matter how long ago it was".

    "You mean, he''s not the first to change like this?" asked Jane.

    "I cannot say for sure. But what is clear is that he is the first in a very long time. So long that knowledge of such a race is completely erased from the mainstream. Perhaps only Higher Order Scholars could know of something like this," Arita admitted, "But enough of that. I know he is your friend but you have more pressing concerns at the moment. No doubt he can look after himself anyway".

    If his abilities the other night had been any indication, there really was no doubt the boy could fend for himself. Arita just wasn''t sure how effective the Anthrite was, especially if he was in that instinctual state he''d been in. But, she was not be testing it out any time soon, she''d decided to use the horses to ensure that.

    In the cage at the back, Rassa listened in on their conversation as he gazed through the gaps in the fabric that covered his cage. Despite being wrapped in Anthrite chains and put into a cage, he was the most relaxed he''d been in weeks. Of course, through studies with his father he''d already known about the Magician Classes and the City of Barday. His father had not neglected such things. Despite his knowledge however, Rassa''s only trip outside of Cordon and Greenvale Forest had been to the Night Markets in Varkevia. He had never been West. As it turned out, West was simply rolling green hills dotted with various farms and villages. Some were much larger, but most seemed to be only slightly larger than Cordon. The Woman in the carriage did not speak about them, and Jane never asked, so Rassa could only consult a mental map he had contructed with his father''s teachings. Updating this map, as well as filling in any other information about the landscape, became Rassa''s way to pass the time, and avoid the inevitable hunger that kept poking at him for attention.

 Chapter 43 The Knight General Turneys Repor

    At the same time that Rassa, Jane and Arita were making their way towards the Farming City of Toulle, Knight General Turney was arriving once again in Fountain Ridge. He had pushed horse after horse to their limits to make it back as fast as possible. Cutting his month long journey nearly in half. However, as Turney approached the fabled Kildare Castle to give his report to the Duke, he found himself pacing back and forth. He''d been wondering the same thing for his entire journey and had yet to come up with an answer.

    Exactly how was he going to tell the Duke that the Grandson he had placed so much hope in was actually...

    No, Phillip had told him not to use the word monster.

    But the speed, the strength, the pure power. The merciless killing. All of it added up to that one word. It was times like this that the Knight General truly resented his position. This is hardly what he imagined when he dreamed of climbing the ranks.

    As Turney paced, he noticed the figure of the old skinny beanpole of a man, Ludwig, that was the Duke''s foremost advisor. Turney knew as soon as Ludwig spotted him, that there was no avoiding this report any longer.

    "Knight General..." Ludwig began, looking over Turney''s dishevelled appearance, "You have returned rather quickly from your journey".

    Turney gave a deep sigh, then straightened his shoulders, "I need to see the Duke, Ludwig. I''m afraid the report is rather urgent".

    Ludwig decided not to mention the fact that if it was urgent, the General wouldn''t have spent so long pacing back and forth before the gates. Though, in all his years of service, Ludwig knew that such avoidance of an audience with the Duke only meant one thing. Bad news.

    "I''ll have the kitchen prepare some calming tea," Ludwig stated. Though there was only a 50% chance the Duke would drink it instead of throwing it across the room.

    Turney followed Ludwig into the Castle.

    ***

    "...And so, that''s why I made my way back here so quickly, my Lord," Turney finished reiterating what he had learned and the events that had taken place in Cordon. The Duke, whose expression had turned darker and darker as the story unfolded, was silent as he sat behind his desk. The Duke''s dark stare unsettled Turney, perhaps as much as Rassa''s had when he''d attacked the little girl, and Turney tried very hard not to fidget and maintain his composure. After a moment, the Duke asked a simple question.

    "So my Grandson...not only drinks blood...but is also one of the most powerful beings you have ever come across?" the Duke asked.

    Turney nodded, "I hate to say it, my Lord, but I very much doubt anybody could stand against him if not for the Anthrite-"

    "HA HA!"

    The Duke cried out triumphantly, jumping to his feet as a dark grin took over his face, "The Gods have seen fit to bless us with a miracle! That damned elf would never have seen this coming!"

    "My Lord?" Turney asked, surprised by the turn of events.

    "Good work on bringing this news to me so quickly Turney, you will be greatly rewarded for your efforts," said the Duke.

    The Duke motioned for the Knight General to leave, and Turney did so with an obscene amount of confusion. The Duke was...happy about his Grandson being a monster? Had Turney read his expression wrong?

    Regardless of his questions, Turney was not privy to what occurred next in the Duke''s Study.

    The Duke was silent as he looked at the now closed door, Ludwig turning to face him with a short nod. The Duke turned to the bookcase to his left, and it swung to the side on cue with barely a whisper of sound. From it stepped a younger man of perhaps Francois''s age, though he was somewhat taller, and if possible dressed all the more regally.

    "Not exactly what I had in mind when you said you had important news for me, Cornelius," the young man spoke, almost gliding across the room with practiced grace before he dropped just as elegantly onto the couch, brushing non-existent dirt of his knee, "So this...Rassa...he was born after the curse?"

    Cornelius nodded, "Though it seems with his new physicality our plans have grown all the more difficult".

    "Nonsense, you heard it yourself," the man said, "This boy is without a shadow of a doubt one of the most powerful beings our world has ever had. And the Knight mentioned a witness heard the boy say himself that he had not even grown into his full abilities yet. The boy simply needs to be ignorant to the fact that we are grooming him, and when the time is ripe, we can have him sire all the heirs we need. With the boys abilities passed on...our dynasty will likely remain unchallenged for another thousand years, no doubt more".

    "Forgive me, your Majesty, but we do not know enough about him yet. We don''t even know if he can-"

    "Then find out," the man said, "You are not incompetent Cornelius, don''t make me believe you are. What was that man''s name? The one who experimented with the Voluton Fruit those years ago? Sagen somebody?"

    "Doctor Sagen Zaroth?" Cornelius asked.

    The man eyed Cornelius, "Surely after his last failure he is looking for a new project?"

    Cornelius grinned, "It shall be done with the utmost discretion, your majesty".

    The man stood, turning to the study door, "Good, it seems this trip wasn''t in vain".

    Ludwig opened the door for the man, bowing as he exited, then he closed the door again and turned to Cornelius who was sneering at the closed door.

    "Like a petulant child, no respect for his elders," Cornelius mumbled, "Ludwig, have the Ridge Men retrieve the boy, and send a message to Doctor Zaroth detailing what we know so far. Tell him to expect the boy...and ensure he is stocked for my grandson''s unique...dietary requirements".

    Ludwig nodded with a boy, "It shall be done, my Lord".

    "Remember, Ludwig," Cornelius warned, "Discretion, the boy must not know".

    Ludwig retreated from the study, "Of course, my Lord".

 Chapter 44 The City of Toulle

    After six days on the road West, Arita and her charge finally arrived at Toulle in the late afternoon. It was quite picturesque from a distance. It was built up on one of the larger hills, surrounded by a stone wall that was certainly more for display than for practicality. Jane could not quite see it so far out, but Rassa could see every detail. Each panel of the wall was carved with images of the farmers who had made the city famous. Cattle, Wheat, Corn, Orchards, Sheep, and that was just what Rassa could see facing the East. Each thick column which was topped with a guard house on top of the wall, was carved with large descriptors of the founding of the city. Rassa had to admit, if he were to say anything of Toulle, it was that they were quite a proud and patriotic people.

    "Go to the Northern Entrance," Arita instructed the driver.

    Seeing as the path to the Northern Entrance no doubt led to the Northern Districts of the Empire, it was safe to say it would be the least busy. There were few villages North of Toulle, as at the opposite end of valley Toulle stood at the southern end of was the beginnings of the Endless Lake. This Lake was so big that one could not see the northern end from the south, nor the western edge from the east, unless they came to the Mountain range that was at the Northern end. This Mountain Range, the unimaginatively named the Northern Mountain Range, split the Empire from the Desolate Northern Land that had been uninhabited for quite some time. The Mountains themselves were the home of the Dwarves. The Range travelled all the way across the continent, from the shores of the Wide Ocean in the East, to that of the Jade Sea in the West. It was said that no one that had crossed the mountain range to the Desolate Lands had ever returned.

    The city of Toulle seemed to be set up in rings. Farms and outer villages made up the outer rings, and the inner rings were those that sat beyond the carved wall. Markets and higher end stores of various descriptions, as well as the homes of the noble class. In the centre of the city stood four buildings; the Knight Barracks, the Magician''s Guild Hall, the Church and the City Administration. The four, despite being the centre of the city, were entirely separate buildings, designated by their unique structures and signage. The City Administration looked mostly like a converted townhouse, though much larger. The Barracks were just like they sounded, housing for the Knights, a few offices for those of higher ranks, a training field, and stables for the horses. The Guild Hall was perhaps the most rustic looking. In true Magician style, it seemed much more nature oriented, and was far harder to determine in some parts of the structure if it were man made, or simply occured naturally. Finally, the Church was the complete opposite of the Guild Hall, a huge man-made gaudy monstrosity that everyone could see from beyond the city wall. Of course, Rassa was not privy to all of this detail through his small gap in the cloth. He only heard about it from Arita''s gushing after Jane had asked.

    The Carriage was taken through the southern gate without much resistence. The Knights who were on duty simply glanced at Arita''s crest and waved them through. They gave strange glances at the cage in the back, but didn''t ask about it. Having no experience with Magicians himself, Rassa couldn''t help but wonder if not asking was an ettiquette of respect, or just common sense. If someone drove into his home with a covered cage, he''d want to know what they were bringing in. In this case however, he supposed he should be grateful for their negligence.

    Being late afternoon, the streets were relatively busy, but Rassa could see little details. From all the glances the cage was getting, he was doing his best to stay out of sight. The last thing he wanted was to draw attention to himself in this state. Chained with his unique black life lines on display.

    After a few turns and long roads, Rassa finally got his first glance at the Toulle Guild Hall. Just like Arita''s description, it was hard to tell what parts were entirely manmade, and what had been naturally formed. Towers of the Hall seemed to be carved from massive trees, and another section was shaped so delicately from the earth that it looked like it had always stood there. Rassa knew that such formations could not possibly be naturally occurring, but that didn''t take away from the aesthetic. It was beautiful to say the least. After showing Arita''s Guild Crest, the Carriage passed through the side gates and into a section at the rear of the building that was seperated from all outside interference.

    Arita then turned to Jane, "Come with me, I need to give my report".

    "What about Rassa?" Jane asked.

    "He''ll be fine here".

    Rassa didn''t bother arguing, he would rather stay in the cage than be paraded around. At least behind the cloth he could keep some semblance of dignity.

    Rassa watched as they retreated out of sight, the driver leaving too. He sighed, alone with his thoughts at last. Just as he was relaxing, he sensed it, that part of his soul that Red Eyes had inhabited. It stirred, and yawned to life once more. Rassa sensed he was angry, but not in a violent way. No, it was more like disappointment. He could sense Red Eyes ascertaining the situation, but the dark spirit remained silent. After a moment, Rassa could take it no longer.

    ''What do you want?''

    ''It doesn''t matter what I want. I can''t get out of these chains. Just the act of leaving the protection of your inner soul is taking its toll''.

    Rassa felt somewhat relieved at that, though to his surprise it also disturbed him. He had nothing to fall back on now if something went wrong. He truly was only relying on himself.

    ''Not exactly,'' Red Eyes admitted, ''I may not be able to get what I desire now, but that does not mean I won''t in future''.

    ''Neither of us can break out of these chains, and it would take a miracle for someone to let us out''.

    ''I can''t break out because I''m only a spirit. You can''t break out because you are still sealed''.

    Rassa frowned, ''When do I become unsealed?''

    ''Taking into account your growth and maturity...I would say around your eighteenth birthday''.

    Just over 5 years. 5 years in chains. It didn''t sound so appealing now. He''d just wanted to use the chains as an insurance policy in case he lost control. Not as a permanent state.

    ''Now you understand your stupidity,'' Red Eyes scolded, ''Such a long time...we shall have to take advantage of this''.

    ''Take advantage?'' asked Rassa, ''What do you mean? Practicing control? It''s hardly practice if it''s not me that''s choosing when to feed''.

    ''That can be a part of it, but I was actually thinking of training you,'' Red Eyes stated, ''Properly''.

    ''...''

    Rassa didn''t want to ask what that training entailed, but he knew he would find out anyway.

    ''It''s actually quite simple, and something you will be able to do as well in the distant future should you have the desire. Alas, being chained as you are this is the most I can do. One lesson a week should be the most I can manage though. These chains drain me too quickly,'' Red Eyes admitted.

    Seeing nothing better to do, and knowing this would help him to understand what he was more quickly, Rassa conceded.

    ''What do I have to do?''

 Chapter 45 The Toulle City Magicians Guild

    Despite the fact that they took the back entrance, Jane hadn''t been able to close her mouth since she''d entered the Guild Hall. Nearly the entirety of the first floor was one massive communal room, boards posted on the sides with various jobs for the Magicians to take on in their own time. There were also consultation rooms to either side, though they were well hidden behind alcoves and impressive statues of some very famous Magicians of the past. The Lady of the Singing Sands Louisa, the Great Fire Breather Altair, the Shadow Weaver Caruso. Even Jane had heard of such famed names, such were the heroes of bed time stories since she was old enough to understand them.

    Despite the clear admiration Jane showed, Arita did her best to hurry her along to a staircase on the side that led up to the second floor. Up here it was slightly more enclosed. A large meeting hall and a library dominated the floor, as well as the records rooms. A few administrative offices as well. Arita bypassed all of these Guild exclusive rooms and climbed another set of stairs to the third floor which was dominated by personal offices.

    She had no hesitation in her steps as she walked to the far end of the hall where a large, double door office was erected, the door shut tight. On a plaque to the side of the door were the words, ''Guild Master''s Office, Miracle Magician Lothwick Dannefor''.

    Arita shoved open the doors without so much as a knock, Jane having no choice but to follow.

    There were three individuals inside the office. Two men and a woman. The man behind the desk, the Guild Master himself, was an older man with scraggly white hair and beard. He had large round glasses perched on his nose and his skin was wrinkled terribly. While he had clearly not aged well, no one who knew who this man was would dare to cross him. After all, there were few who made it to Miracle rank without facing some very dangerous odds.

    The man and woman before the desk were both younger. The man seemed middle-aged, with short brown hair and an elegant air about him that made him appear a vast intellectual. The woman was younger again, perhaps in her late twenties, and was one of the prettiest women Jane had ever seen. She was slim, with elegant curves and beautifully smooth chocolate skin. Her curly black hair was tamed to perfection, each curl placed strategically to make her appear all the more alluring.

    As the doors banged off the walls, all three of them turned to face Arita and Jane with varying degrees of annoyance. The Guild Master simply sighed, as if expectant. The other two were significantly more miffed at the interuption.

    "Ms Jekani, we are in the middle of a meeting, you should-"

    "You should address me by my rank, Grandmaster Lokai," Arita snapped, "I address you by yours but if you continue to disrespect me I shall come up with a far more creative name for you".

    "Well, ''Grandmaster'' Jekani, I don''t see how that has anything to do with your rude interruption," Lokai grumbled.

    "I was in a meeting, Arita, this better be important," the Guild Master cut in.

    Arita nodded her head respectfully, "The case you sent me on to Cordon, it appears that it was far more serious that we were led to believe".

    The Guild Master raised an eyebrow in interest, but the young woman simply scoffed, "Please Arita, it was a simple Exorcism, I would think you were capable of such a thing".

    Arita frowned, "Except it wasn''t an exorcism, Lena, it was something else entirely. I have never seen anything like it, and so I have had no choice but to bring it back here for my seniors to ascertain its origins".

    "What in gods name have you done now, Arita?" Lokai asked, "And who''s the child you have behind you?"

    "Newly awakened Wind Element Magician, her name is Jane," Arita stated, "I have brought her back for registration and enrollment into the Academy, but that is not the most pressing problem at the moment".

    The Guild Master stood, taking up his cane, "You seem fairly serious, Ms Jekani, so I shall accompany you to hear your report for now".

    "But-"

    "Oh please, another grant for your research into Elven Herbs is going to need a lot more discussion than whatever cr*p you''re going to sprout today, Lokai. Come back when you have a better argument than the ones you''ve made before".

    With that, the two other Magicians were left in the Guild Master''s office as Arita retreated with the Guild Master back down the hall, Jane on their heels.

    "What is it that has distressed you so, child?" asked the Guild Master.

    "I assume you remember the report we received, Miracle?" asked Arita.

    "I do, it was quite strange. A beast that survives on blood," the Guild Master stated, "And with the body of a young boy as well".

    "Well...it is not as ridiculous as what we believed," Arita replied.

    "Then it is true?" asked the Guild Master.

    Arita nodded, "It also happens that while Cordon was awaiting a reply, they were starving the boy. The night before my arrival, he reached his limit, and a sort of survival instinct kicked in. He slaughtered 48 knights, their captain included, and was only subdued because Jane here awakened and caught him by surprise, wrapping him in chains made of Anthrite. Now that the instinct is subdued the boy seems more lucid, if not perfectly reasonable. If not for fear it could occur again I would have taken the chains off him myself".

    "And you are sure it is not possession?" asked the Guild Master as they walked into the back yard of the Guild Hall. Arita''s expression turned grim as she approached the cage behind her carriage then carefully lifted the cloth on one side.

    "Positive," Arita replied, "You''ll see why".

    Lifting the cloth completely so that the Guild Master could see, Rassa was revealed.

    He appeared to be sleeping, his back leaning against the bars at the back of the cage. Arita rounded the cage as the Guild Master took in the sight of the boy. Apart from being very pale, and having more muscle tone than was normal for his age, he appeared like any other twelve year old.

    It was not until the Guild Master joined Arita to look at the boy''s back that the Guild Master understood. He leaned forward, adjusting his glasses as he looked at the black Life Lines there.

    "How interesting," the Guild Master spoke, "I cannot read them, and yet the mist has no problems with him".

    "I thought the same. Despite the massacre the mist seemed almost...joyful".

    The Guild Master turned to look at Arita in surprise, then reached up to pull down the cloth, "Keep him hidden, take him back to your laboratory. I shall consult with some old friends and come to see you tomorrow morning".

    Arita nodded at the instructions, then indicated to Jane, "Shall I register her now or...?"

    "I''ll bring her with me. I''m assuming she knows the boy".

    "Rassa is my best friend," Jane spoke, "You aren''t going to hurt him, are you?"

    The Guild Master looked down at Jane with a warm gaze, "I cannot make you promises, little girl, but I can say that if he does not give me a reason, then I will not harm him".

    Jane seemed satisfied with that answer. Meanwhile, Rassa continued to sleep, unaware he was being watched so closely.

 Chapter 46 The Heir of Star Crash Coven

    Rassa remembered little beyond agreeing to undergo Red Eyes'' training. As he shook off his grogginess, he opened his eyes to adjust to the light of the day once more. The cage was surprisingly comfortable, like he was lying on a cloud, and the roof appeared further away than before...

    Wait.

    Why was the roof covered in high quality paintings of naked beings? Cloth tastefully draped over their more private areas...and rimmed with gold leaf? What? Where was he?

    Rassa tried to sit up to have a better look around, but instead his body responded by rolling over, his arm curving around a very real and very naked young woman.

    Seriously, what?

    The woman moaned as his hand pulled her back into him.

    "Please, no more, my Lord, I need some rest..."

    Rassa wanted to ask the woman what was going on. Why was he here and not wrapped in chains in a cage in Toulle? He was honestly starting to freak out. Then his lips moved, though he said nothing he wanted to say.

    "Such a spoil sport Lasandre, you promised me all night".

    That...that didn''t sound like Rassa''s voice.

    "It is morning now, my Lord," the woman mumbled back.

    Rassa tsked in dissatisfaction then rolled out of bed with the grace of a cat, moving to the thick velvet curtains that hung down over floor to ceiling glass windows, so clear and clean that Rassa could barely see the glass if not for his enhanced vision. Beyond it...it was like nothing Rassa had ever seen.

    From the view, they appeared to be very high up, they must have been in some sort of tower. Below them a city flourished, alive with activity the likes of which Rassa had never glimpsed before. There did not just seem to be tens of thousands as Rassa had been led to believe cities were populated with through his studies. There appeared to be millions. All of them different from the next. Some with life lines, some without. Of those that did have Life Lines, most of them were black like his own, but there were a few that were silver or white or somewhere in between. Their clothing too, was elegant and practical, nothing overly showy or colourful like what was so common to see amongst the higher class that Rassa was used to. The buildings were as unique and various as the people. So different was the city from anything Rassa had ever seen, that he would have to stare at it for days to truly take it all in. But what truly captured his attention before anything else, was the giant glowing crystal that was placed in a tower just beyond the city wall. What was that? It seemed to pulse with light as it rotated on the spot, and Rassa had barely enough time to take it in before he suddenly closed the curtains to block out the brilliant light.

    "What morning?" he asked as he turned back to the woman who was still curled up amongst the sheets. He went back to the bed, crawling over to her, "I certainly don''t see the Sun Crystals glowing just yet".

    The woman gave a small smile of amusement as Rassa turned her over onto her back. He leaned forward and touched his lips to her collarbone and neck, whispering them up to her lips. She moaned as he kissed her, and he delved deeper slowly, trying to entice her to wake up as his fingers ghostered over the smooth skin of her bare hip. She pulled away with a smile.

    "You can''t avoid today, my Lord," she argued, "To become the official Heir of Star Crash Coven is quite the celebration".

    "Does that mean you''ll be celebrating with me?" asked Rassa, smiling back.

    "Will you need me to celebrate my Lord? Surely there will be plenty of other women desiring your attentions now that you are to become the most powerful Vampire in the Coven," Lasandre pouted.

    Rassa sighed, bowing his head to rest on her chest and rolling onto his back, "I would rather not deal with your pitiful jealousy so early in the morning, Lasandre".

    The woman seemed to realise she''d taken the game a step too far, and turned to win back Rassa''s attentions.

    "I''m just concerned you will forget about me," Lasandre admitted, "When you find someone tastier that is".

    She offered up her neck to him and Rassa didn''t even hesitate, leaning up to sink his fangs into the woman''s neck and sitting up so that she was comfortably sat in his lap as he drew on her blood. The woman clung to him, moaning at the euphoric emotions he forced into her being through their connection. A few moments later, the woman seemed to realise she was starting to feel drowsy, and the pleasureable feeling was turning to one of pain.

    "Ah, my Lord, please-"

    Rassa ignored her, draining more of her blood.

    "My lord, I, please stop I can''t take anymore!" She said, more desperate now.

    Rassa continued to ignore her. Black stars began to appear in her vision as she forced the words out, the words she knew he wanted to hear.

    "My Lord...I''m sorry! I swear...I''m sorry...I will...not question you...again".

    Rassa pulled away, licking her wound gently, then pushing her off his lap and onto the bed. He stood and crossed the room lazily in his naked glory. He opened the double doors of the bedroom into what appeared to be a very large dressing room and looked to the bath prepared in the corner. He approached it, ignoring all else as he stepped into the enormous bath tub, then addressed the servant who stood with head bowed and hands clasped in the corner.

    "Clean that up. I want it gone by the time I''m back," Rassa spoke, taking up the notes on the table beside the bath tub and looking at the front page. After a glance at the title, ''Invitations from the twelve Covens for the Heir of Star Crash Coven''. Rassa threw the sheet of paper back down and looked to the end of the bath where his reflection could be seen in the full length mirror. Rassa, who had only speculated until now, gasped in surprise, though saw no reaction in the reflection. Instead, what he saw was a man that appeared in his twenties, the glow of youth but eyes with the maturity of someone much older. His skin was pale, and life lines curved from his back over his shoulders, black as night. His facial structure was so precise and sharp, his hair a startling white, and his eyes...red.

    The man stared at his reflection then gave a little smirk, "Quite the lesson, isn''t it Rassa?"

    Rassa was silent, shocked. If this was not him, where was he?

    "I am the original form of the one you call Red Eyes. My name then was Victor Lurossi, and how you see me now was the day that I became the official heir of the Star Crash Coven, a Coven of over one million, not including those that serve us and are allowed to live on our territories. If you have not already figured it out, this is how I will teach you. You will experience my memories, and through them you will learn of vampire politics, heirarchy, abilities, and more. I would get used to your wishes getting ignored, it is only in moments like this when I do nothing and am accompanied by no one that I will be able to converse with you. Otherwise, you will have to figure out the rest on your own. Learn well, child. For when these lessons are over, I will be able to teach you no longer. With your awakening, I will cease to exist along with all my brethren, our legacy will be left behind for you to do with as you see fit. Our only hope is that you do not waste it".

    Rassa was silent for a long while, then spoke again, "That woman, was she...?"

    "We called them many things over the years. The Sanguine was what we eventually settled on. They are contracted slaves, we give them a home and food and ensure their safety for the contract period. In return, they give us their blood when we desire it," Victor stated.

    "Then...why did you try to kill her?" asked Rassa.

    Victor chuckled, "You have a lot to learn boy. Contracts, particularly those made with blood, are very easily blurred".

    Rassa thought for a moment, then asked a final question, "Jane...you weren''t trying to kill her were you?"

    "I said I wouldn''t," Victor replied.

    "You didn''t ask," Rassa accused.

    "I''m a Vampire. I don''t have to ask. I just take".

 Chapter 47 The Registration of a Magician

    Jane was nervous. Not only had she left Rassa behind, but she was also in a strange place that was intimidating to say the least. The giant building made from the earth was nothing like anything Jane had seen before, and it''s sheer size made Jane feel all too small. This, along with the knowledge that those she had so far met were all Magicians, was enough to render the young girl silent and timid, afraid that she would step out of line without meaning to.

    She followed behind the old man whom Arita had called the Guild Master with quick footsteps, afraid of being left behind. She was a little disturbed that Arita had handed her over so easily. She had had a few days to talk with and get to know Arita, and she found she had quite liked the Light Magician. It annoyed Jane quite a lot that she''d been passed off so easily. But on the other hand, Jane also understood that someone needed to stay with and protect Rassa from anyone who wanted to hurt him.

    He''d been so quiet the last few days. So reserved. It worried Jane. What was going through his head that made him so? Was it because he was now in chains? That seemed the most obvious reason. Jane wouldn''t like it either. She couldn''t understand why Rassa had allowed himself to remain captured like this. He hadn''t even put up a fight. For what reason was he punishing himself?

    "It was Jane, yes?"

    Jane was dragged from her thoughts by the old Guild Master who was looking down at her expectantly. Jane nodded quickly.

    "Yes, sir".

    "No last name?" the Guild Master confirmed.

    Jane shook her head. She was of common birth. Few of them had a surname, if it was required, they would use the mother''s name for a girl, and the father'' name for a boy. Seeing as this seemed to be the next question, Jane readily gave the answer.

    "Helen," Jane said, "My mother''s name is Helen".

    The Guild Master nodded, turning into the records room where a younger individual sat behind the desk there, looking quite bored. He looked up as the Guild Master entered, and his back straightened quickly.

    "Guild Master Dannefor, sir, how can I be of service?" asked the young magician.

    The Guild Master placed a hand on Jane''s shoulder, guiding her to stand before him, "This is Jane Helensdaughter, she needs to be registered for the Academy".

    The young magician moved hurriedly to a nearby shelf of different documents and took one from the haphazard stacks. He moved back and grabbed a quill, writing down the information quickly, "And her element?"

    "Air," the Guild Master replied, "As for the report on how she awakened. Say self-defence against an attacker, then place my seal beside it".

    The young magician looked up surprised. Such a small description? Usually the Academy liked to know every detail. To not give those details...the magician glanced down at Jane. The lack of details only made him curious as to what had happened to the girl. Still, he only hesitated a second before doing as his Guild Master asked.

    "Age?" asked the young magician.

    "I''ll be thirteen in the late autumn," Jane replied.

    An average age for an awakening.

    The young magician turned the document to face Jane as he spoke, "Can you read or write?"

    Jane shook her head.

    The magician nodded as if he expected this and presented a small sponge filled with ink beside Jane.

    "Place your thumb on this then press it hard onto the paper here," the Magician pointed to the end of the document and Jane did as told. The small sponge made her thumb black, but looking to the young magician this seemed normal so Jane continued with the process, watching as her thumb was imprinted onto the peice of paper. The Magician then turned the document to the Guild Master, who picked up a quill and signed it quickly on the line just below Jane''s thumb print.

    The Magician folded the document just as soon as the ink dried, and then placed a wax seal on it, stamping it with the Toulle City Guild Crest and handing it to the Guild Master.

    "Thank you Senior Apprentice, good work," the Guild Master stated before he turned and left, Jane following closely behind.

    The Senior Apprentice, despite his curiosity in Jane''s case, was disappointed by the short visit. He''d been sitting behind the desk for hours and this was only his third interaction for this shift. Giving a deep sigh, he slumped back into his chair and waited for his shift to be over.

    Meanwhile, the Guild Master was guiding Jane out of the Guild Hall and across the quarter square to a side street filled with large houses. He walked for some time in silence before he turned down another street and nearly immediately walked up to the front door of a rather plain and simple two storey house. The Guild Master knocked, turning back to look at Jane as he waited for an answer.

    It took some time for an answer to come, but the Guild Master seemed to expect this and didn''t become impatient or worried. When the door finally did open, it was to a man similar in age to the Guild Master, though with considerably less facial hair and far smaller reading glasses. His clothes were also quite simple, a thin silver chain with a pendant in the shape of an eye his only adornment.

    "Dannefor, what are you doing here?"

    It was the most disrespectful tone Jane had heard used when addressing the old man.

    The Guild Master placed a hand on Jane''s shoulder to reassure her as he spoke, "I was hoping you could help me with a problem I''m having. Being as knowledgeable as you are".

    It seemed that the man was quite easily flattered, as his harsh expression softened ever so slightly, "And what is it that you require my services for?"

    "Something new, or perhaps it is something very old...we were hoping you could help us with that," the Guild Master said mysteriously.

    It was the mystery of the problem that clearly drew the man to invite them inside. The only consolation Jane held in her heart as she looked at the man''s excited expression was that his Greed seemed to stem solely from that of knowledge. Hopefully, he would not have any ulterior motives towards Rassa.

 Chapter 48 The Moment of Realisation

    When Rassa finally woke up from his experience in Red Eye''s - no Victor''s - memories, he felt more mentally exhausted than he''d ever felt. He''d experienced an entire day inside those memories, experiencing life amongst a coven, a group of vampires, as Victor was crowned its heir. It seemed that unlike human society, titles were not dependant on bloodlines in Vampiric society. Whilst the Coven Head''s children were the most likely to succeed, it was not necessarily the eldest nor a male heir, and they had to prove their ability before being officially named an Heir. If someone outside the bloodline proved to be better suited to lead, then that was who took over the job, plain and simple.

    Rassa had thought it strange at first, but the longer he watched, the more he understood. Victor was in fact his father''s third child. His eldest brother was too greedy and prideful. His elder sister, the second born, was too submissive to be a leader. Victor had been prideful and arrogant, but he''d also always put his people first. While Rassa had not experienced the memory, stories of Victor''s work in stabilising disputes in some of the sub-covens of Star Crash had been quite impressive. It seemed he had gained a lot of respect from his peers and elders. So much so that no one but his older brother was willing to oppose him in ascending as Heir. His elder brother''s opinion has been silenced by their father quite quickly.

    In addition to this dynamic, Rassa also learned more about the Sanguine. For the most part, they were human. The length of their contracts seemed entirely dependent on the wish of their master, but most of them ranged from 2 to 10 years, depending on the youth of the slave. Rarely, slaves were serving under life contracts. This was mostly because their masters got bored with them quite quickly. It also didn''t seem uncommon for a Master to drain their Sanguine dry. It was frowned upon, as it showed the Master didn''t have control over his hunger, but it wasn''t punished.

    Despite these harsh conditions, the Sanguine didn''t appear to be in the least bit unhappy about their situation. No, as Victor had explained when he had a spare moment to himself later on, the contracts were entered into willingly. This was when Rassa again brought up why he hadn''t asked Jane.

    "You need a readily available source to feed from. She seemed to be the most willing. The only one still willing after all of that," Victor stated, "If I''d succeeded, I certainly wouldn''t have made the contract lengthy. Simply long enough for you to escape and set yourself on a better path".

    As for if Jane would have been willing to come with him on said venture or not, evidently the slaves were quite obedient to their Master''s will once contracted.

    Shaking off his mental exhaustion enough to take in his surroundings, Rassa was surprised to see that he had moved. His cage now sat at the far end of a large room, though what was more surprising was that Rassa was no longer in the cage. He was still bound by the Anthrite chains which were in turn attached to a metal ring on one of the walls, but he was lying on a soft bed, and a bowl of water with a cloth sat beside him as well as a fresh set of clothes. Rassa looked around. How had he not noticed he''d been moved? His senses were unparralleled. the only explanation was obvious. Being dragged into Victor''s memories clearly disconnected him from the outside world. Next time it happened, Rassa would need to feel that he was safe before entering into the memories.

    As he took in the room, which also held all manner of books and experimental equipment, a door opened to the side and the Light Magician Arita entered.

    She spotted him sitting up and nodded, "Good, you''re up. I''ve never seen you sleep so heavily before".

    Rassa decided not to explain what he''d actually been doing.

    "I realise that bathing with the chains and putting on new clothes may be difficult for you, but the simple fact is I do not trust you enough to release you just yet. Can you understand this?" Arita asked.

    Rassa could, but that didn''t mean he had to like the fact. So, instead of replying, he again remained silent, expectant as she stared back at him.

    Did she expect him to undress and bathe with her in the room?

    Arita seemed to catch on after a minute, "Right...I''ll give you fifteen minutes, then I''ll come back with something for you to...eat".

    She''d fed him consistently so far, so Rassa wasn''t overly worried that she was lying. She left, and Rassa looked at his loose fitting chains. They''d been changed somewhat, so that now the Anthrite was wrapped around his neck rather than his wrists and torso. While it wasn''t comfortable, it was better than being as restricted as he had been for the past few weeks.

    Rassa almost ripped off his pants. He was happy to be rid of them, they stunk. Thanks to not being fed any human food the past few weeks, he at least hadn''t had to sit in his own excrement, not that it made his imprisonment any better, but he did see it as a positive.

    Turning to the bowl of water and the cloth, Rassa took a moment to look at his reflection, and after a moment of hesitation, turned to look at the life lines on his back. They''d changed again.

    A chalice sat to one side, a representation of his discovery that he need not take a life to sustain himself. Whilst they were not red, two eyes sat at the base of his spine, drops of blood pouring from them like tears. And finally, some of the life lines themselves had changed, turning into something resembling chains rather than thick black lines. Rassa frowned at this development. Had he been too naive to believe that somewhere out there, there was someone who would treat him like an ordinary person? Who wouldn''t tip toe around him like he could kill them at any given second. He could, but that wasn''t the point. He despised the treatment he was receiving, but as he picked up the cloth to wash himself, reason made an appearance.

    What exactly had he done to prove he was anything but a monster? Sure, he could control his thirst. And sure, he wasn''t putting up a fight with the chains. But for all they knew he was just cooperating until he got bored and massacred a tonne of people again. Was it strange he was cooperating? Of course, but what sane human would let a wolf roam free amongst their sheep just because it wasn''t hungry at that moment in time?

    Rassa needed to prove himself if he wanted to be treated normally. The problem was...he wasn''t exactly sure what normal was for someone like him.

 Chapter 49 The Order of things

    True to her word, Arita had brought in a small goat for Rassa to feed from after he''d completed his bath. The clothes he''d been given were simple, just some trousers and a cotton shirt, but at least they smelled clean. At least he smelled clean. The clean smell, the soft bed and the meal was admittedly enough to turn his mood somewhat lighter, but that was soured by the reality that he was still in chains. He was growing unbearably bored. He tried to sleep for a few hours, but as the midnight hour came he had no desire to do so. The high windows gave Rassa the perfect view of the moonlight, and he basked in it as best he could. He sat there for hours, just thinking. Mostly about his choices up until now. What could he have done differently to ensure he didn''t end up in this position. Evidently many things. But all of those paths, aggressive or passive, still would have brought him back here. It was simple, he was something different. And if those history books his father made him read were any indication, difference was something to be feared if not eradicated.

    Arita returned in the early hours of the morning just as the sun was beginning to rise. Rassa turned to face her, and noticed she was accompanied by two old men and Jane. Jane grinned when she saw him, and ran over to him. Unlike everyone else that came near him, Jane didn''t hesitate to hug him.

    "How are you? Did you sleep well? You''ve been treated well right?" The questions tumbled from Jane''s lips as she backed up to check over him. Rassa looked over Jane''s shoulder at Arita.

    "I''m fine," he replied.

    The old man with far more facial hair snorted, "Quite the statement from someone chained to a wall".

    Rassa''s gaze narrowed, "I doubt you''d live if I wasn''t fine".

    Silence engulfed the laboratory before Arita cleared her throat.

    "Rassa, this is the Guild Master of Toulle City Guild, Lothwick Dannefor, and this is the High Scholar Erik Loch," she said, "They''re here to...well to speak with you".

    Rassa looked between them, "I''ll admit it, that''s a new approach".

    "Would you prefer us to starve you?" asked the man who had yet to speak, the Scholar, "I heard that didn''t go as planned for the Knights".

    After all Rassa had been through in the last few weeks, he couldn''t help but crack a smile, "No, it didn''t".

    Jane looked somewhat ill at ease from this display, but didn''t move from her spot beside Rassa on the bed.

    "So, we also heard that you called yourself a Vampire. Care to explain what that is?" asked the Scholar, taking charge of the situation.

    "I''m not entirely sure yet, haven''t had the chance to fully comprehend it," Rassa replied.

    "How long exactly would you need?" asked the Scholar.

    "With these chains keeping me confined? At least another 5 years, probably more," Rassa stated.

    "And without?" asked the Scholar.

    Rassa scoffed, "You''re not going to let me out".

    No one denied it.

    The Guild Master spoke up, "So what can you tell us? From what we''ve seen of your life lines they''re unreadable. They make no sense, they''re-"

    "Chaotic?" Rassa finished, "I suppose they are".

    "What did you just say?" asked the Scholar.

    Rassa turned to the Scholar, "Ring a bell did it? That''s good. I''ve been wanting to know what the Chaos is, what it means".

    The Scholar frowned, "That''s a myth".

    "I assure you, those dead knights would say otherwise," said Rassa, then he glanced at Arita, "As would the Mist, wouldn''t it?"

    Arita seemed surprised but again, didn''t argue with him.

    "What are you thinking, Erik?" asked the Guild Master.

    "It''s a very old story. So old that most believe it''s just a story. Designed to terrify more than anything else," Erik relented, "The story of creation".

    "What the whole, ''Order decreed there be land and so there was land to balance the depths of the ocean'' speil?"

    "That''s not exactly how this story tells it," Erik stated.

    "Before the world began, there was not one entity, but two. They had no names to speak of but over time they became known as Order and Chaos," the Scholar begun, "Order represented all things good in the world. That which was light and even and justified. Chaos was the opposite, he was dark and selfish and unreasonable. As you would imagine, they fought, and their war with one another created many worlds and many existences. There were many races that were created, some who walked the path of Chaos, and others the path of Order. But only one race walked between the two. Humans were a blank slate, one that could be manipulated to either order or chaos. One that had the ability to choose, at least to some degree, which side of the line their fates would fall on. Both factions thrived in their own way, but they were always destined to fight. When the fighting reached an apex, Order took the opportunity to eradicate every being of Chaos that existed, and so the world was rid of such races. At least, that was how the story goes. But Chaos and Order are two sides of the same coin, you cannot have one without the other, certainly not indefinitely. It seems, in this young boy, Chaos is making a reappearance".

    The room was silent as they took in the story, and then Rassa nodded. It sounded about right from what he''d heard so far, "The story fits with what I know".

    "What do you know?" asked the Scholar.

    Rassa grabbed the chain around his neck, hissing as it irritated his hand immediately, "I''ve already given up my greatest weakness, let me keep a few secrets for a while would you?"

    The Guild Master guffawed, "May you at least tell us your feeding habits so we don''t have a repeat?"

    "Well at the moment it''s hard to tell because the chains ensure I''m always hungry, but from what I learned before, once I was full I need the equivalent of a large glass of blood every day to keep it at bay. I figure if you keep giving me goats I''ll be fine, though I''d rotate them so they don''t die from blood loss," Rassa replied.

    "Does it matter what kind of blood you have?" asked the Scholar.

    "I''ll equate it in terms you understand. You know how certain foods taste better than others, but for the most part they have the same or similar nutritional value? It''s the same thing with blood," Rassa stated, "Human blood tastes the best, but I''ll make do with animal blood".

    The room was silent as they took it in, then the Guild Master spoke, "Well, I suppose we won''t disturb you for much more this morning, your friend here needs to make her trip to the Academy in Barday so we''ll let you say your goodbyes".

    "Can I get a book or two? I don''t care what," Rassa said.

    "A book?" the Guild Master asked at the same time the scholar said, "You can read?"

    Rassa knew he''d say something like that because Rassa was born a commoner and therefore it was unlikely for him to be able to read, but he still found it annoying.

    "Yes," he replied, "Quite well actually. I''m rather bored with nothing to do so a book or two could help to pass the time".

    They had no complaints as they left him and Jane alone.

    Rassa turned to face Jane as they left, and she remained still for a moment.

    "What''s wrong?"

    Jane looked at Rassa, then away again, "You don''t sound like Rassa".

    Rassa sighed, "You hardly expected me to be happy-go-lucky whilst chained to a wall did you? That''s rather a stretch".

    "No, your...you sound more cynical...rude," Jane said.

    Rassa''s eyes widened as he tilted his head in consideration. He supposed he did, though he didn''t feel like that was a bad thing in this situation. He sighed, deciding it was best not to argue that point.

    "I''m sorry you feel that way, Jane," Rassa said, "I''m also sorry I attacked you. That was uncalled for".

    "That wasn''t you," Jane said.

    "Yeah," Rassa cut in, "It was".

    Jane froze, turning to look at Rassa, "No, it wasn''t".

    Rassa sighed, "Look, Jane, I really do appreciate your friendship, and I wish we could continue like this. But for the foreseeable future, I''m going to be chained to a wall, and you''ll be learning how to be a Magician half an empire away. So please, just drop it. And don''t assume that our experiences are going to keep us as the same people. Mine certainly won''t".

    Jane watched Rassa for a long time, and finally, deciding he was being serious, she slapped him. Without his strenghth to aid him, Rassa''s head whipped to the side, but he didn''t look angery or shocked, instead he turned back to face her slowly.

    "You''ll do great Jane. I know you will. You''ve never needed me to be great," Rassa admitted.

    Jane glared at him, "Idiot".

    She turned and stormed out.

    That was the last time the two saw each other as children.

 Chapter 50 The Boredom of a Chaos Child

    Rassa finished another book, dropping it on the floor beside the bed to join the tens of other books he''d been through in the last week. He placed an arm over his eyes breathing a deep sigh as he recalled and complied the information that he''d read through. He was beginning to discover that his memory had improved by leaps and bounds. He had never had access to such a large supply and variety of books, and despite the fact that reading in general had become quite boring, he was also learning quite a bit. In fact, his memory had almost come to the point where he only need recall an image of the book to be able to recite it start to finish. In some ways this discovery scared him, but in others it allowed him access to a broader knowledge base. One which allowed him to think more clearly and reasonably.

    Nobody had really cared what books Rassa had been given. They''d gone for practically anything. There were a few volumes on Magician law and practice, histories of the Eldovian Era, books on the Geography of not only their own continent, but the Seven Isles which lay just off the southern coast, the southern continent, and the two continents on the other side of the Jade Sea. It was a lot to take in, but there seemed to be no problems for Rassa. He soaked up the information like a sponge, and when Erik the Scholar came to visit him every few days with more books, he quizzed Rassa out of curiosity. To see the twelve year old boy was capable of reciting exact quotes from books after merely a few days, the Scholar was quite impressed. It was through this that Erik started having more in depth conversations with Rassa, attempting to get the boy''s opinion on political stances and trade negotiations. Rassa humoured him. Just a few hours before he''d finished up an argument about the line of succession for the Empire''s throne. Apparently the rumour was that the entire Kildare family was struggling for heirs, and their children were only getting older. Erik had been adamant that if on the slim possibility the Kildare line was to die out, that the Reviks, the Empress''s family, would be quick to take over the throne. Rassa had argued back that the loss of the Kildare line would make such massive waves in the political and economic structure of the Empire that they would no doubt descend once more into civil war, Reviks or not. When Rassa made his points clear through evidence, Erik had to admit that the boy was right.

    "So what would you think society would have to do to avoid civil war?" asked Erik. He''d said it more as a passing thought, not actually expecting Rassa to answer.

    "The Empirical way of thinking is too old anyway. Better to give cities control over themselves with the soul reason for peace being trade. No one city in this empire can survive on its own, it needs the others, so if they were to self-govern, they would need to communicate with each other. So the best way to avoid a civil war would be to create a council of representatives of the cities to oversee all-encompassing problems, and deal with smaller ones on their own".

    Self-government? The idea had surprised Erik. This boy''s way of thinking was near blasphemy for condemning the need for a royal family, but still...he made sense. The idea had left Erik in deep thought, and he''d left Arita''s Laboratory with a renewed spark in his eyes.

    Rassa smirked. He''d only mentioned the system because it was what he''d seen in his first lesson with Victor. That was how the Vampire Covens had governed. The Head of each Coven was considered royalty in their own right as whatever they said was law. But in terms of the Vampire race as a whole, there was a council of thirteen Covens. These Covens were the originals, and beneath them were several sub-covens that had grown as a result of their increased population and their inherent need to seek fresher pastures. Rassa had liked the idea of the system as soon as he''d seen it, though it was clear that it was also a system that was easily corrupted. Vampires were selfish beings afterall, in it for themselves and their individual Covens.

    Arita entered then, leading in a small goat after her. Rassa turned, and the goat dug its hooves in. They were learning he was a predator, and they were the prey.

    "Come here you silly thing, he won''t kill you!" snapped Arita, trying to handle it closer to Rassa.

    Rassa sighed, "Evening".

    Arita grunted in response, finally shoving the goat close enough that Rassa could grab it. He hated being slower than before, he felt like it was one massive joke having these chains sucking his strength from him.

    Arita sighed and leaned back against a nearby bench as she watched Rassa wrestle with the goat then sink his fangs into its neck.

    Like he''d been doing since he''d realised he was capable of doing it, Rassa searched for that part of himself that could influence what his prey was feeling. He''d reach for an emotion of his own and try to force it upon his prey. Try to inject it, but every time he failed.

    This time was no different. The goat was still terrified and in pain. Rassa withdrew and licked the wound to close it then grumbled as he turned back to the bed.

    "You don''t seem to be in a good mood," Arita commented as she waited for the goat to regain its ability to move.

    Rassa sighed, "There is a certain ability that I know I have, but I haven''t worked out how to use it yet. Or perhaps the chains are preventing me from doing so? I don''t know. It''s frustrating".

    "What ability?" asked Arita.

    Rassa hesitated a moment before he spoke, it wasn''t like she''d been anything but nice to him...except for the chains, but he didn''t blame her for that.

    "When I was...well, more unreasonable. I discovered I was capable of making those I fed on feel something other than pain and fear. But I don''t know exactly how I did it," Rassa said.

    Arita nodded, curious. She didn''t seem the least bit disturbed by the subject anymore. She''d watched him feed enough times.

    "I''m sure you''ll get it eventually, if your abilities are anything like your memory I''m sure they''ll just click," Arita replied, "Do you need something else to read by the way?"

    She pointed at the stack of books by Rassa''s bedside.

    "Not until morning," Rassa replied. Despite his boredom, he figured he''d take a break tonight. Besides, he was expecting Victor to awaken soon for another lesson.

    Arita nodded as the goat got on its wobbly legs to stumble for the door, "I''ll see you in the morning then".

    "How''s Jane?" asked Rassa.

    Arita paused, looking back at the boy, "I can''t say for sure, she left a week ago so she should be nearly in Barday by now. One of the Senior Apprentices went with her, so I''m sure she''s fine".

    Rassa just nodded.

 Chapter 51 The Ridge Men

    It had been quite some time since Aegin had been given a mission of this importance. Well, in saying that, it wasn''t really his mission, it was his father''s mission, and Aegin was being taken along to learn the ropes. So technically, it was his first mission, but Aegin liked to think he had enough experience through the minor tasks he''d been given over the last few years.

    Indeed when watching Aegin in action, many would be surprised to learn he was only thirteen. But then, that was the expectation of the Ridge Men. The elite squad of agents that served Fountain Ridge and it''s leading family. For a long time, that family had been the Kildare line, and today was no different. The thing that surprised Aegin about this mission, was the fact that there were a lot more agents than were usually required for a mission. One or two was usually enough, but five? The objective must be difficult indeed. When Aegin had asked, his father''s reply had been quick and simple like always, "take the package and deliver it without being seen".

    The fact that such an important mission could be summed up in nine words would be concerning to some, but to Aegin''s father it was simply a testament to their years of work and training. The only thing he''d been told in addition was that the ''package'' was a young boy.

    It''d been a week since they''d been sent off from Fountain Ridge. They moved much faster than any caravan or rider, so they''d already been to the little town of Cordon only to find their package had been moved to Toulle. Aegin''s father seemed happier at that fact. Aegin couldn''t decide whether it was because a city was more of a challenge to manoeuvre without being noticed, or the package would be more easily missed in a city than it would be in a small town.

    It was only as they were leaving Cordon that Aegin noticed the man his father had subconsciously watched. Aegin watched more closely, thinking the man must have been a threat, but after taking in the golden hair and facial structure, Aegin realised the answer to his father''s gaze was very different to what he''d originally thought.

    So this was where the third son of the Duke had ended up? A backwater town in the middle of nowhere working as a farmer? How the mighty had fallen. People rarely spoke of the third son, but from what Aegin knew, the Ridge Men had respected Phillip Kildare tremendously. Especially considering he''d chosen to be trained as a knight rather than a simple merchant. He would know better the limits of the Ridge Men, and be able to use them more efficiently than any rich old duke had before. But it was not to be. The Ridge Men were honour bound to serve those of the Kildare line, and Phillip had long ago thrown off his esteemed name.

    Despite his father''s gaze, Aegin decided not to talk about it, no doubt he''d get scolded for bringing it up anyway.

    They''d arrived in Toulle just a few hours before, and had gone to the Magician''s Guild where they''d expected to find some stirring of the package they were supposed to take. Nothing, barely even a whisper, as if the Guild had no idea what one of their Magicians had brought back. It had taken another hour of waiting and watching before one of the others spotted the Magician that was supposed to have brought back the package. They followed her. All the way to outside the city were a large warehouse stood on its own just before the farming district. Turns out that it was going to be far easier than expected to take what they wanted.

    Aegin and the others climbed the walls of the warehouse to glimpse in the high windows, after scouting through them, Aegin paused at seeing the boy lying on a bed with a chain wrapped around his neck. A stack of books was lying next to him, and he looked bored to say the least. He signalled his father and the others.

    Aegin turned to his father as he arrived, their package was this boy? He seemed rather harmless despite the chain around his neck. But Aegin had long ago learned that there was more than what could be seen on the surface.

    Aegin''s father signalled to one of the others to take care of the Magician so that they would have no interruptions. They watched the boy for a while longer, but he was unnaturally still. Eventually, when the moon was high, Aegin''s Father ordered them to descend inside.

    They did as told, pushing the windows open and dropping to the floor. There was no response from the boy. Two of the others immediately went to the chain on the wall and those that were stored in the corner. They quickly gathered them, the lock on the chains all too easy for them. Finally, the five of them approached the boy who still did not move. Aegin''s father moved forward and placed a hand on the boy''s wrist for a pulse.

    "Asleep," Aegin''s father stated, though with a frown, like something was wrong but it wasn''t his job to question it.

    "Best time for it then," spoke another who took up the boy, throwing him limply over his shoulder and turning to Aegin''s father to lead the way. His father indicated for the Ridge Man holding the mask chain to put it on the boy.

    "If he''s as dangerous as these restraints suggest, I don''t want any incidents".

    No one argued. Once the chain was secured, they moved out. Weighed down by the limp body and the chains they were slower than they would have liked as they moved as silently as possible to the carriage on the southern outskirts of the city. It took them nearly two hours to do so, and when they finally arrived, the boy seemed to be rousing from his slumber. They put him in the cage as quickly as possible as his awareness made him struggle suddenly. His muffled angry shouts were contained by the metal mask, but his eyes looked enraged as he was shoved into the metal carriage and the door was locked behind him.

    The boy pounded a fist on the metal wall, glaring through the small slit bars at his capturers.

    Aegin stared back at those angry eyes, and couldn''t help the thought that crossed his mind at that moment, the thought that all Ridge Men were trained harshly not to have.

    Why?

 Chapter 52 The Biology Lesson

    As Rassa had expected, Victor had made an appearance an hour or so after Arita had turned in for the night.

    ''I can sense your apprehension, what''s wrong?'' Victor asked nearly straight away.

    ''...How did you do it?'' asked Rassa, conjuring up the thought of Victor feeding on the two knights yet making their experiences pleasurable.

    ''Manipulate their emotions you mean?'' confirmed Victor, ''Every Vampire is capable of that. If they''re not in pain it makes influencing their memories far easier. It''s a skill every vampire learns early''.

    ''Manipulating emotions and memories?'' asked Rassa in disbelief, ''Why was I not informed sooner?''

    ''Memory manipulation is something that you won''t have access to until you''re unsealed,'' Victor stated, ''As for emotions...you spent most of your time feeding on animals, there is no reason to manipulate their memories when they cannot speak''.

    Rassa didn''t want to admit it, but that was a decent reason.

    ''Can I learn now?'' asked Rassa.

    Victor sighed, ''I suppose, though like I said, there is little point using it on animals. Perhaps I shall take this opportunity to teach you Vampire biology. It will make many things much easier to comprehend in future''.

    With that Rassa felt himself drawn into a memory.

    ***

    It turned out to be a series of memories of different times in Victor''s life when he was tutored on the topic of biology. Most of it occurred before the events of the last memory Rassa had been drawn into.

    The great thing about memories though, was that he was not only told about Vampire biology, he also had the opportunity to experience it through Victor.

    The basis of all Vampiric abilities and differences lay in their origin. There were 2 ways to become a Vampire, the first was to be turned, which the memory only touched on as a process that involved a sacred ritual. The second was to be born a Vampire.

    Vampires as a whole lived a very long time, it wasn''t unusual for one to live more than five millennia, and as such their birth rate was rather low. It was incredibly difficult for a Vampire to become pregnant, and even then the gestation period was quite long, almost five years. No matter how one began as a vampire, whether turned or born, their body needed time to acclimatise to its potential abilities, and hence they were considered ''sealed'' Vampires until such a time as they were ready. Another term for this was Fledgling. The period they were sealed usually lasted until their body was matured for a born Vampire, but for a turned Vampire it could be shorter depending on the age they were turned and how quickly they adjusted.

    Still, as with Rassa, Fledglings were not exactly defenseless.

    They contained the superior strength and speed of a Vampire, but were unable to enhance it further using their Life Lines. They had the ability to feed, and thereby influence the emotions of their prey, and enact the paralysing venom, but they could not use the blood they fed from to fuel their Life Line abilities. Essentially, any ability given by the Life Lines was unaccessible to a Feldgling.

    After Rassa understood these basic principals, the information started to become more specific.

    Vampires were unable to see as clearly during the day because they had evolved to have night vision, this was also when Rassa received a short explanation about the giant glowing crystal he''d seen in the first memory. Vampires had created a sheilding spell over their Coven sites so that they and their land were in eternal darkness. Of course, Covens did not consist solely of Vampires, so the Sun Stones were used as an alternative to the actual sun. Their light was far less peircing, and they also emitted heat in small amounts. As such, they surrounded the inner walls of the sheild and alternated between bright and dim rotations so that day and night could be replicated inside the night barrier. Rassa was astounded by such high grade technology, and made a note to ask Victor about it for future lessons.

    Finally, Rassa managed to learn about how a Vampire controlled the emotions of an individual whilst they were feeding. It had to do with these biological chemicals called hormones. Certain hormones caused an individual to feel certain emotions, hence, by influencing which hormones were contained in the blood, one could influence the emotion and individual felt.

    Victor feeding on one of his Sanguine was a much better experience of it. Rassa could feel it as Victor drew on the hormones that caused fear in his Sanguine, and then his venom acted as a stimulant for those hormones that caused pleasure.

    It sounded a lot more complicated than the process itself. Victor did it almost instinctively, but Rassa could feel the understanding of the concept click inside him. He couldn''t wait to try it out.

    After a few more explanations, Rassa was pushed out of the memories and back into his own body. Only to find himself feeling far more uncomfortable than he should be lying on a bed. There was something hard digging into this stomach, and he jolted up and down constantly. Worst of all, the skin around his mouth, nose and cheeks felt incredibly irritated.

    Like he was wearing the mask again. Rassa''s eyes opened and he glimpsed down at the hard earth almost a metre beneath him.

    What was going on? Rassa went to move, only to be stopped immediately.

    "He''s waking up!" hissed a deep voice that was certainly not Arita.

    Rassa shifted again, more panicked now as he tried to take stock of his situation.

    "Quick! Grab him!" snapped another voice.

    Rassa felt his arms and legs grabbed as he was heaved off the shoulder of the stranger, and dragged quickly across the hard earth by the chain on his neck. He coughed at the sudden choking, but managed to see the dark clothed individuals around him of various shapes and sizes, the only part of their bodies visible were their eyes beneath dark hoods.

    He growled, "What in the gods'' name are you doing. Let me go!"

    His angry shouts were muffled by the masked, and he shouted again in outrage, struggling against his captors.

    Damn these chains! They''d sapped too much of his physcial strength for him to be any sort of threat to these men.

    Despite his fighting, Rassa was easily dumped into a metal carriage, a prison carriage by the looks of it, and locked inside with his chains attached to the ring on the floor. He glared through the bars at the individuals who had captured him, meeting the eyes of a boy who looked only about his own age. The boy looked curious, but after a moment, simply climbed on top of the carriage as it set off.

    Rassa looked back at the city of Toulle which stood dark in the late hours.

    No one was coming after him, that was for sure. Gods almighty, when was he going to catch a break?

 Chapter 53 The Parting of Fates

    Needless to say, that when Arita awoke from her drug induced sleep late the next morning, she was distressed to find her Labratory lacking one very unique, blood-sucking boy. However, after a preliminary search which overturned nothing, there was little more the Magician could do. After all, it was not as if Rassa was their property or their charge. He was unlike anything they''d ever found before, and hence there were no real laws pertaining to him. If they''d made him a slave to be bought and sold, then perhaps they would have been able to claim their property stolen, however, Magicians did not have a strong belief in a human practice as crude as slavery.

    The Guild Master could do nothing, and hence Rassa was dismissed as a project that never came to fruition. Erik the Scholar had been so immersed in the thought of a differing political system to replace that of the current Empire, that he did not even notice Rassa''s absence until a week later when he returned to discuss a few points that he and his colleagues had been stuck on with the boy. He was disappointed by the boy''s absence, but the inspiration the boy had left was certainly one of great momentum. The name of Erik Loch would become quite famous in the years that followed as he and his colleagues released countless works on the prospect of an Empire without an Emperor. A prospect that would later anger the Emperor greatly.

    ***

    Half an Empire away, in the Academy city of Barday, Jane had arrived to begin her training as a Magician. She''d been assigned a room with her very strange roommate Laura who was what was known in the Magician community as a Hybrid as she had access to both the water and earth elements - though not separately. The gift was rare, but considering the result of water and earth combined was mud, she would be ridiculed heavily in the near future as the Mud Girl. It was a nickname Laura would never let phase her, though only because she spent most of her time above silly prospects such as reality. Jane would be the only one who could get through to her.

    Another discovery that Jane would make in the following weeks was that despite the fact that the Mist had no concept of social class or distinctions, Magicians certainly did. The commoner population of the Magician Academy made up nearly 60%, and yet the classes required literate pupils to fully comprehend them. The Academy had a class that taught the common students how to read and write, but it was one class a week in the evening, and they didn''t seperate individuals by level of understanding nor age. This was a clear disadvantage to the commoner students, and yet, the Academy seemed to have no goal to fix this despite multiple complaints. Hence, Jane resolved with her classmates to work harder. If the Academy wouldn''t help them, they would help each other. They would not be left behind now that they''d been given a chance to do more with their lives.

    In her determination to work hard, Jane never forgot about Rassa, and yet she didn''t have the opportunity to visit him either. Toulle City was a great distance away, Cordon even further. She would have to wait a long time before news of Rassa''s disappearance would reach her.

    ***

    Across the city, at the Knight Academy, Diggory had also begun his training. With his promise to Rassa guiding him, Diggory was determined to do well. But he possessed little in the way of natural talent. In fact, he was barely average. And yet, this did not stop him.

    Again and again he was knock off his feet, and again and again he resolved to get up and continue onward. For he knew that if he stopped, if he gave up, he would be betraying his promise to move forward. It would not be until eighteen months after his entry to the school that he would discover Jane''s presence in the city as well, and quite by accident. This was also when he learned of the massacre at Cordon. He''d been apprehensive to continue to believe that Rassa was still Rassa after hearing of it. But seeing Jane''s determination, and her resolve that Rassa was still there, Diggory decided that at the very least, he could continue moving forward. After all, he''d definitely made the promise with Rassa, regardless of what his friend became in future, there would always be the Rassa of the past who had forgiven him.

    ***

    As for Falla, she seldom returned to Cordon after all of her friends left. She took it upon herself to learn of her father''s business, determined to do something with her life. If she could not be with Rassa, then the least she could do was prove she was capable of looking after herself. She would prove that and more in the years that followed. When her father, despite his pride in his daughter''s progress, expressed the fact that Falla could not inherit the business because she was a woman, Falla decided to prove that inheriting a business was not the only way to become successful in the trading world. At sixteen, she left with her mother for the southern Trading City of Lovolon and never looked back.

    ***

    Finally, in the forever scarred little village of Cordon, remained Phillip and Anna. The weeks without their son turned into months, and then years. They seemed to all of their neighbours and friends to only be going through the motions of living. The loss had hit them hard, and lack of news had been worse. It was especially hard on Anna, so much so that two years after Rassa was taken, she fell gravely ill.

    Though the Doctor would never admit malpractice, he did little to help Anna in her final days. He and many of the other villagers still held a grudge against the couple for keeping their tainted son a secret for so long. When Anna passed on, Phillip spent three days sitting at her grave in silence. No one could move him, nor did they want to. When the three days were over, Phillip rose to his feet, walked to his home, and retrieved his sword. He packed a bag full of belongings, what meager ones he wished to take with him at least, then he went to the Doctor''s office.

    The Doctor was indifferent to Phillip, right up until Phillip cut off the Doctor''s hands so quickly and cleanly that the Doctor could do nothing but stare at where his hands had been as Phillip picked up both hands and threw them in the nearby fire.

    "That''s for my family, and I guarantee you it''s worse than my son would have ever done to you".

    With that Phillip Cordon, his eyes dark and determined, a single promise to his dead wife weighing on his mind.

    "I''m going to find our son, and I''m going to make up for abandoning him when I should not have".

 Chapter 54 The Assassin Boy with Violet Eyes

    Rassa was Hungry. Again. Why was this the case? Because it seemed his captors hadn''t been briefed on the consequences of NOT feeding him. It''d been nearly a week since they''d left Toulle, and the entire time Rassa had been in what he could only think of as a prison carriage with the Anthrite Mask chained over his face. As a consequence, he couldn''t even complain about his treatment. The only thing he could do was stare out at his captors as they ate their own meals. One had been stupid enough to offer him water at one point. As if that was going to make any difference.

    Rassa had looked back at him as if he was stupid. He wanted to scream at them, ''I need blood, idiots! Blood! Just feed me the blood of the game you catch for dinner, it would make skinning them a lot less messy!''

    But unfortunately, Rassa hadn''t miraculously developed telepathy. Nor any useful ability. He was just a boy wrapped in chains and stuck in a dark box.

    It sucked, no pun intended.

    The only one who seemed even remotely interested in Rassa and his plight was the boy he''d made eye contact with upon being thrown into his new prison. He''d learned the boy''s name was Aegin. Mostly because the others made a point to order him around to do the menial jobs. It was clear the boy was the lowest ranked amongst them, not that he complained.

    What intrigued Rassa more than anything else about the boy was his violet eyes. It was a strange colour, and Aegin, or at least what Rassa could see of him, wore it well. Rassa could tell that under those dark and tight fitting garbs Aegin was quite the looker, not that this thought had passed Rassa''s mind more than once since he''d realised it. Rassa was more concerned about what the boy could offer him, and beauty was not something Rassa was interested in.

    It was on the sixth night after his capture, when Aegin was on the night watch, that Rassa finally got the chance to do something about his predicament. Though, it was not anything that Rassa made an effort to do.

    Aegin had seated himself on top of the carriage for the night watch. They''d been taking backroads and sleeping outside on the ground to avoid any unnecessary interactions and what came with them, questions. Rassa knew that even if they took the main roads, which would be stupid, that he would''ve been stuck in the carriage anyway, so he hardly complained. All he knew for sure was that their progress was slow compared to what it would have been had they been on the main roads. They were also heading south-east, towards the Garratone Ranges, though they were still a fair way off as well.

    As Rassa tried to relax, staring up at the night sky, his hearing, which wasn''t as dimmed as his other senses, picked up the incessent and repetitive tapping of metal on metal. Rassa''s calm gaze gradually turned into that of a frown, and he looked up at the roof of the carriage, pinpointing the exact location of the noise. Rassa raised his hand and tapped on the roof of the carriage twice. Not hard enough to wake the others, but hard enough that it made Aegin jump in surprise. The message was clear.

    ''Shut up''.

    Aegin was silent for a moment, then he shifted and hung from the top of the carriage peering through the bars at Rassa.

    "You ain''t done anything for a week and that''s the best thing you can come up with?" Aegin whispered in honest confusion.

    Rassa stared back unimpressed, picking up the chain attached to his mask then indicating to the carriage around him.

    ''What do you expect me to do?''

    Aegin sighed, "I don''t know, growl?"

    Rassa''s rolled his eyes. He wasn''t an animal. Though he could growl, he''d done that before. This kid didn''t need to know that though.

    "What''s up?"

    Clearly, Aegin thought Rassa had tapped on the carriage to ask for something.

    Rassa looked at the kid with a raised eyebrow.

    "Are you hungry? Thirsty? You haven''t drunk anything in nearly a week".

    Finally! Some sense!

    Rassa tapped his belly, then his mask.

    Aegin frowned, "Why do you need the mask anyway? Do you bite?"

    Why the heck was this kid suddenly so talkative? He''d been silent and brooding for the entire trip, and now he what, wanted to make friends? What kind of kidnapping situation was this?

    Rassa couldn''t believe he was doing this, but he was hungry enough not to care how what he did next looked like.

    Rassa took his two fingers and mimed his fangs in front of the mask.

    Aegin just grinned in amusement, "What''s that suppoed to be?"

    Right. Vampires weren''t exactly a known thing. Rassa had only had two lessons with Victor but he was beginning to forget his own reality.

    Rassa sighed, then tapped his mask again before pointing at Aegin, shaking his head and slicing across his throat.

    "You won''t kill me if I take it off?" Aegin asked to confirm.

    Rassa nodded.

    Aegin scoffed, "Exactly why should I believe that?"

    Rassa''s eyes dimmed once more, and he turned away, wasn''t like he could prove it.

    Aegin sighed, then disappeared from the window. There was a few moments of silence, then Rassa heard light footsteps behind him, and a hand snuck through the grate to the back of his head, unlocking the chain there. Rassa caught the mask before it hit the ground, then placed it down lightly and turned to Aegin who had what looked to be dried meat. Rassa frowned.

    "I can''t eat that".

    His voice was a little raspy from not being used, and he swallowed as he looked at Aegin, nothing but honesty in his eyes. Aegin sighed.

    "You hardly have room to be fussy," Aegin stated.

    "No I...it won''t alleviate the hunger," Rassa tried explaining.

    "What do you want then? A three course meal? This is hardly the time or place to be asking for-"

    "Blood. Fresh from the source. Any source," Rassa said flatly.

    Aegin paused, looking at Rassa for a moment, "You''re serious?"

    Rassa nodded, "You have no idea why I''m in these chains in the first place, do you?"

    Aegin shrugged, "It''s not my job to know".

    Rassa sighed in frustration, "Well maybe you should make it your job, because the last group of people who didn''t feed me were slaughtered, and there were nearly 50 of them".

    Aegin frowned, "Is that a threat?"

    "Do you need it to be? Because I assure you, I''m quite happy to leave it as a warning".

    Rassa wasn''t exactly sure what Aegin saw in him at that moment. Whether it was his fear of repeating the massacre, his hunger, his frustration, his sadness, his desperation. But when asked many years later, Aegin would only reply with one sentence, the same one he said that day.

    "If I get caught, I''m going to kill you".

    With the look in those violet eyes, Rassa didn''t doubt it. He never would.

 Chapter 55 The Understanding

    Aegin had certainly never heard of a creature like the boy they had kidnapped, but it was certain he wouldn''t forget any time soon. Aegin had managed to catch a snake after some work, and after tying its mouth closed, Aegin brought it back to where the boy sat still in the carriage. Upon seeing the snake, the boy titled his head.

    "What?" asked Aegin, "Is this not good enough either?"

    The boy gave a faint grin, "Just never tried snake blood before".

    The boy held out his hand, and Aegin handed the snake over. The snake was not impressed in the slightest, it had been struggling to get away since it was caught. It had tried to strike several times, but Aegin had been too fast for it, and now something was stopping it from opening its mouth. The snake briefly made eye contact with the boy he was being handed too, and immediately froze in place. That look...the snake didn''t like that look.

    As the snake struggled with a renewed strength, Aegin watched as the boy opened his mouth and two fangs extended from his upper jaw. Just as quickly, they pierced into the snake''s body. The snake froze up.

    Aegin watched as the boy seemed to drink the blood of the snake, after a moment, the boy paused, glancing up at Aegin as if contemplating something, then the boy continued to drink. He didn''t stop until the four metre long snake was drained dry.

    Rassa pushed the snake back through the bars, not regretting his decision in the least. Who knew when his next meal would be.

    Rassa wiped the outside of his mouth, barely a drop of blood having escaped, then he retracted his fangs.

    "That''s...new".

    Rassa cracked a smile, "Not for me".

    Aegin was silent for a moment as he glanced at the dead snake, then he picked it up and hoisted it over his shoulders, "What''s your name?"

    "Rassa".

    "I''m Aegin".

    ***

    Thankfully, the next few days weren''t spent in perpetual aching hunger. The snake had been rather large, and had at least alleviated the hunger to a degree, though it was not enough for Rassa to feel full. Not that he could with the chains but he had a rough idea of what the chains were causing him to feel and what he actually felt. Aegin didn''t speak to him at all during the day, though there were frequent glances and smirks from beneath his black mask.

    Rassa knew from the moment Aegin had gone to retrieve food that he''d found an ally of sorts. Perhaps not one that would set him free, but at the very least one that had an understanding. The following night, Victor returned for another lesson, another one to do with Vampire political structures. Rassa was only watching, but he felt exhausted doing so. Had it always been like this? Watching as they shifted and moved around their prey like rivalling wolf packs. Each just waiting to find their opponent''s weak spot. The ''prey'' in this case, varied. Sometimes it was land disputes, which coven had rights to which feeding grounds. Of course, those they were feeding on often had no idea that that was how they were referred to, but the Vampires didn''t seem to care about that. They also fought over resources, after blood, the most prominent resource was crystals. It seemed that in this era, the great boost in technology was thanks to the use of crystal energies. The Sun Crystals were one example, but there were many more varieties that each had their own uses. Rassa took great interest in this, and made a note to ask to see more about it in future lessons.

    The third most fought over topic in the council chambers, were the Coven lines of succession. Not only who the successors would be, but who they would marry, where their interests lay, and what moves they would make to solidify their power. Another interesting fact that Rassa learned in one of these arguments, Vampires could have more than one marriage partner. At least, those of a higher class could. This higher class seemed to consist of the Coven Heads and their immediate Subordinates, and their immediate Descendants. As such, a female Vampire could have more than one husband, and a male Vampire could have more than one wife. That was not to say this went both ways however. Only the Vampire with the highest standing was allowed this privelege, as his or her bloodline was considered the priority in being passed on. Those who married this individual did not have the same rites to go and marry another.

    It was confusing, and led to quite a bit of scandal. A fact that seemed to amuse the bored Vampires quite a bit. Living for so long, it was almost like they sought to break the rules just to have something to do.

    Fortunately, when Rassa woke up this time, he was still in the same spot. He knew it''d be a risk every time he ventured into the memories now, as he clearly had no awareness of the outside world when he did so. The fact that he''d been moved without his knowledge the first two times had left him uneasy, but he also knew the lessons were necessary. After all, the snake may have died, but it had died content. The lessons were worth something. If the changes were not immediate, surely Rassa could learn more for the future.

    He had no intention of staying in these chains for the rest of his life.

    As Rassa blinked awake, he became aware of Aegin''s presence again. Clearly, they''d put Aegin on watch again tonight. Aegin glanced through the bars at Rassa.

    "Hungry?"

    Rassa shrugged. Wasn''t like he would say no.

    Aegin grinned, then indicated for Rassa to come to the bars so Aegin could take the mask off.

    Rassa did so, and as the mask fell off his face, Rassa took a deep breath. It felt much better with it off.

    Aegin passed a possum through the bars, "Sorry, it was the best I could come up with".

    Rassa shrugged. It hadn''t been long since he last fed anyway. But, knowing his next meal was not guaranteed, Rassa drained the possum before passing it back through the bars.

    "How long have you been like this?" asked Aegin as he sat on the side of the carriage, taking out a knife to skin the possum.

    Rassa thought for a moment, "Almost 3 and a half years".

    Aegin was silent before he asked another question.

    "Why did you let them catch you?"

    Rassa frowned, "I thought you weren''t supposed to ask questions".

    Aegin looked at Rassa through the bars, "That doesn''t mean I won''t".

    Rassa''s eyes narrowed, then he turned to look up at the moon, "The first time, I did it partly to protect my parents, and partly because I believed they would come around. That they''d understand so long as I showed them I wasn''t what they had been led to believe. When that backfired spectacularly, I only wanted to make sure it wouldn''t happen again. That I could be contained until I regained control. It was only when I was stuck in these chains that I worked out that control was a relative term".

    "So...why don''t you try to break out?" asked Aegin.

    Rassa turned to look at him, a small smile on his face, "Because if I was to do so now, even if I was capable, I would be hunted for the rest of my life. I would rather not spend the life I have killing needlessly because they can''t take a hint".

    "They''re never going to let you go. If you don''t die in those chains, you''ll spend the rest of your life in them," Aegin warned.

    "I will wait until I am strong enough. Or until they take it a step too far. Whichever allows me to escape first," Rassa replied.

    "Where you''re going, I pretty sure it''ll be the latter," Aegin stated.

    Rassa frowned. It hadn''t occured to him that Aegin knew where they were headed, he turned his questioning gaze to Aegin.

    "Jerrica," Aegin replied, "They''re going to lock you up in the depths of the Jerrica Mines".

 Chapter 56 The Dilemma of Ignorant Servants

    They''d been on the road for two weeks when Rassa finally spotted mountains in the distance. According to Aegin, Jerrica was situated in the Seisin Mountain Range South-East of Barday. Though, it was still a decent journey from the Academy city. The journey was made especially long from any direction around and through the mountain range because the roads were too winding, and the forest too thick for anyone to move quickly. Considering Rassa''s captors had decided on a little used path, it was safe to say that their progress was even slower.

    It was as they entered the foothills that Rassa finally heard from the leader of the party who until then had been silent, using only hand movements or looks to convey his orders. It was brought up in conversation that Rassa hadn''t eaten in two weeks, and hadn''t had water in over a week. Clearly, they had no idea that Aegin had been feeding him.

    "We''ve still got another eight days until we reach Jerrica, he needs to eat or he''s going to die," spoke one of the captors.

    "He looks remarkably well considering," another commented.

    "Feed him," the leader ordered simply.

    "No need," Aegin stated from his perch on top of the carriage, "Apparently our food won''t do him any good anyway".

    They all looked up at Aegin, clearly surprised.

    "What do you mean?"

    Aegin sighed, "He''s not human, he doesn''t require food or water like we do".

    "You''ve fed him?" asked the leader, clearly upset.

    Aegin hesitated, but nodded in the end.

    The leader moved so quickly that Rassa felt a little scared. He''d never seen a human move that fast before. Suddenly, Aegin was being held against a tree by his throat, though the boy did not seem to want to struggle as he chocked.

    "You interacted with it?" asked the leader.

    "..y..yes," Aegin struggled to respond.

    The leader dropped Aegin, only to punch him in the gut then knee him in the nose and toss him to the side.

    "We were ordered not to talk to it," snapped the leader.

    Aegin didn''t fight it as he was punished, as the leader continued to hit him while he was down. It disturbed Rassa greatly. In his eyes, Aegin had done nothing wrong, but clearly by conversing with Rassa, he''d done something unforgiveable. Rassa couldn''t for the life of him understand why. Was it simply because he was a prisoner and Aegin was his captor? That didn''t seem enough of a reason to garner this kind of consequence.

    Rassa found himself leaning forward to cling onto the bars as he watched Aegin take the punishment. The chains holding him shifted, and the noise made everyone pause as they turned to look at Rassa.

    The leader met Rassa''s gaze with a glare.

    Rassa did not glare back. He was not angry, nor sad, nor was he begging for the punishment to stop. Or begging for anything really. All that Rassa held in his dark eyes, was curiosity. But that seemed to scare the leader more than the other emotions combined. The leader turned away, looking down at where Aegin lay.

    "Don''t talk to it".

    With that said, the carriage pulled forward once more. Rassa looked at Aegin as the boy pulled himself to his feet, then got back on top of the carriage without a hint of complaint. Whoever these people were, they certainly weren''t normal. Nothing about this situation was normal.

    ***

    Following his father''s orders, Aegin did not attempt to converse with Rassa again. Every few nights he would get game and help Rassa out of the metal mask so that he could feed, but they did not speak as they once had. To Aegin''s surprise, Rassa did not seem bothered by this change in attitude. He understood.

    Aegin had broken the rules. Defied orders. And so he''d been punished for it. It was clear that Rassa didn''t like those orders, but he understood that Aegin had to face the consequences anyway. So, instead of speaking, they kept a companionable silence with one another. When Aegin wasn''t being ordered around, he stuck by the carriage, whether it was sitting on top of it or beside it. Rassa appreciated the company, even if it was only a presence.

    Yet again, Rassa was drawn into a lesson with Victor. Alas, another day of political intrigue. But as Rassa settled down to watch the proceedings, something was said that perked his interest. The exact words, from a little known subcoven head who ruled on the outskirts of the Star Crash Coven''s territory, were as follows, "Keltair are pushing on our borders more and more desperately. It appears the damn dogs can''t keep to themselves".

    Rassa had heard the name Keltair before, and assumed it was another subcoven that was little liked. But this...who exactly were they? As soon as he had a moment alone, he asked Victor.

    "Ah, good, you picked up on it," Victor stated, "I wish the rest of us had been as attentive".

    Rassa frowned, "Why, are they that important? I assumed they were a subcoven but dogs...how are they a threat to us?"

    Victor smiled, and for a moment Rassa couldn''t figure out why, then it clicked, Rassa was beginning to consider himself one of them. A Vampire. He''d said ''us''.

    "To answer your question, little one," Victor stated affectionately, clearly in a good mood after hearing Rassa''s changing attitude, "Vampires were not the only race to emerge from the Chaos. There were other...more beastly races that existed too. Keltair was not a subcoven, Keltair was a pack. A pack of one of the only races that was on par with us in terms of bloodlust, though for entirely different reasons".

    "Dogs?" asked Rassa. It still did not sound all that threatening. Amazing that the only races Rassa had ever felt threatened by since the change, were those that took a humanoid form.

    "Wolves to be more precise," Keltair admitted, "Their offical name, was Lycanthrope, though they were more commonly referred to as werewolves. Men who turned into beasts with the call of a full moon".

 Chapter 57 The Keltair Lycanthropes

    Despite Rassa''s curiosity, he had to wait until the next lesson to hear more about the Lycanthropes. He spent the rest of his lesson with Victor listening to more arguments about territory, which led Rassa to the inevitable suspicion that the fall of the Chaos races weren''t entirely the fault of somebody else. Their clear lack of concern for anyone other than themselves was enough to make Rassa think that the Vampires had been at least in part responsible for their own downfall. Victor never spoke of it, but he also never presented any evidence against this claim.

    Was this what he was trying to show Rassa through these continuous looks at repetitive political arguments? Despite Victor''s clear bias, was it possible that rather than learning how a Vampire society was run, Rassa was to learn the mistakes of the system in order to improve it? The only problem was that as it stood now, Rassa had no intention of condemning others to the reality he was faced with, and from Victor''s previous lessons, Rassa was positive that none of the other Vampires had survived the fall of Chaos.

    With all of this information, Rassa couldn''t deny his curiosity and eagerness to learn, but in reality, he was facing more immediate problems.

    The group had entered the Seisin Mountains, and though Rassa didn''t know the exact location of Jerrica, he knew for certain that they were drawing closer to the centre of the mountain range.

    Aegin had continued his silent companionship. Rassa didn''t think that either of them really understood why they were so adamant to keep each other company, but that understanding that they''d always had remained ever present.

    It was early evening when Rassa finally had the opportunity to have his questions about the other Chaos races answered.

    ''Very well,'' Victor relented, ''What you saw during the last lesson, whilst it was not addressed in the council chambers, the subcoven was persistent. They appealed to my father, and as a potential heir at the time, I was sent to resolve their problems. I will show you the first meeting I had with the Keltair Pack Alpha''.

    ***

    When Rassa awoke in the memory, he was seated inside what Victor referred to as a an auto-carriage. Simply put it was a carriage that didn''t need any animal to pull it, it ran on crystal energy. The concept had facinated Rassa when he''d first seen the technology, and had begged Victor to tell him more, but it was clear that Victor had more pressing concerns to teach him at the moment.

    The auto-carriage was making its way down into a valley. Above, at the crest of the hill, sat the subcoven town, with its high, sophisticated walls and sun stones on the border. They were smaller than the main city''s stones, and there were fewer of them, but Rassa still felt they were just as magnificent.

    At the base of the hill was a river, and beyond the river stretched a forest that seemed incredibly vast. Even with his heightened vision, Victor could not see the end of the forest. Though, it was during the day.

    Outside of the sun stone barrier, his vision was impaired, and therefore he wore a hood, though of far better quality material than what Rassa had had in Cordon. The hood was attached to a long dark cloak that pooled around Victor, his black trousers and boots crossed elegantly as he sat. To anyone who was not used to his presence, Victor appeared above everyone around him, in reality, Rassa could tell he was just feeling lazy. He didn''t want to be dragged to the outer reaches of the territory for this, but if it was what was asked of him as a potential heir, he had no way to avoid it.

    As they approached the river, a Marquee of sorts came into view, and waiting outside of the entrance was a group of men dressed in far less elegant clothes than those of the Vampire procession that accompanised Victor.

    They did not exactly appear poor, but they were clearly not rich either. Rassa could see quite plainly that they appeared similarly dressed to successful theives and poachers. He''d only seen such people briefly, but they had a look about them that these men had delivered to a T.

    The auto-carriage drew closer, and Rassa began to notice subtle differences, ones that would clearly put them apart from any ordinary human. Their ears for one, they had slight points rather than the normal curve of a human. They also appeared a lot more muscular, larger than normal men. But the one thing that put them apart clearly, was their eyes. Their eyes glowed like molten gold. All except the man in front, whose eyes were darker than coal.

    Their appearance had those surrounding Victor on edge. But Victor himself did not seem phased in the slightest.

    "Are you sure you want to attend this meeting alone, sir?" asked the subcoven head that Rassa had previously seen speak out during the council meeting. Victor gave him an unimpressed stare.

    "Wait here".

    Victor jumped off the auto-carriage as soon as it slowed, walking out to meet the man at the front with coal black eyes. He possessed no qualities that were overly different from the others apart from his eyes, and yet he was incredibly intimidating. No wonder the subcoven head had been so cautious. Victor was not deterred however.

    "My name is Victor Lurossi, I am the third son of Sevin Lurossi, head of the Star Crash Coven, I''m assuming you are Grim?"

    The man looked Victor up and down before nodding, "Grim Ashcoat, Alpha of the Keltair Pack".

    Victor nodded, then indicated to the marquee, "Shall we go straight to the proceedings? This sunlight is hell on the eyes".

    "Not to us all," Grim replied, but he turned and walked towards the Marquee, making motions to those who went to follow him that he would enter alone.

    The men who were told to stay back turned their golden gazes on Victor as he walked past, hands in his pockets. They growled in warning, and Victor grinned back, flashing his fangs.

    "Calm down pups, wolves have never been my preferred dietary choice".

    Grim and Victor slipped into the tent and out of sight.

 Chapter 58 The Meeting with the Alpha

    After taking their seats at the table in the centre of the marquee, both Victor and Grim were silent as they stared at each other, neither willing to concede. Grim''s intimidation did little but amuse Victor, as he sat lazily with a small smirk on his face. After a few minutes, Victor finally conceded to speak first.

    "So are you going to talk or shall I take your silence as unwillingness to proceed?"

    Grim continued to stare. Victor stared back. Again, neither seemed willing to concede. Rassa found himself far more interested in what Grim thought he was getting from this drawn out silence. Exactly what was he trying to accomplish? If he thought Victor was going to magically comply, he was kidding himself. He was arrogant, powerful and had currently been dragged from his luxury home to deal with what he considered ''the dogs''. If Victor was the one to cave under Grim''s intimidation tactics, it would be a first.

    After a moment, Victor sighed and stood back up, "Very well, I''ll inform the council of your stance on this topic".

    "Wait".

    Grim''s voice sounded annoyed. But on the edge of it was a tone that Rassa didn''t quite expect from such an outwardly powerful and intimidating man. Desperation.

    Victor paused, but did not turn back around. After a moment, Grim spoke.

    "You have heard of the Chaos Crusades, yes?"

    Victor sighed, turning back to look at Grim with unimpressed eyes, "Are you going to talk about fairytales like the last Dragon being hunted down and its head mounted on a spike now? I really don''t have the patience for this".

    "They''ve started campaigning in the south," Grim continued, "The Packs were unprepared, their numbers already too few to stand a chance against their Saint Class Magicians, let alone the God Class that commanded the lines. And the Elves are helping them too, even you must know they are far more adapted to forest warfare. My people cannot fight against a force that can track their every move so easily. No matter the raw power we throw at their lines, we can barely hold them at bay. If this continues, they will push us back. Right onto your Coven''s territory".

    Victor''s gaze narrowed. He could not sense a lie in the Alpha''s words. He did not sweat, his heartbeat and breathing remained steady. Victor could not smell fear on him. Only that one emotion that Victor had sensed before. Desperation.

    "How many have you lost?" asked Victor, "For you to agree to this meeting so quickly it must be a significant amount".

    Grim frowned as he eyed Victor in silence once more, then the Alpha for the first time since Victor had met him, turned his eyes away. Rassa sensed that this meant something, and Victor knew it.

    "Out of the twelve packs that operate south of your Coven to the border of the human lands, five have been utterly obliterated. The remaining seven have banded together, but Alphas never work together well. Our instincts are too dominant, we clash too often".

    "Have you thought of uniting under one Alpha?" asked Victor.

    "That would involve multiple Alpha Magus, and we don''t have time to re-establish order after the loss of so many Alphas".

    From the implication, Rassa ascertained that an Alpha Magus was clearly bad for the losing Alphas, whatever it was. Looking at the behaviour of the Lycans so far, it was probably a fight.

    Victor sighed, "Then why did you agree to meet?"

    Grim glanced at Victor with his dark eyes, clearly unwilling to share this information, but knowing he had no other choice in order to convince Victor, "Because the likeliness of me winning is slim. My pack is not large, and because we border your lands we are not in the immediate line of fire. But I can''t deny that the possibility of gaining aid from your Coven would grately increase our chances of survival".

    "Not Victory?" asked Victor.

    Grim leaned forward, "Are you so out of touch that you have not even received the Order''s new doctrine?"

    "You can''t be serious in saying you believe such Bullsh*it. ''In the pursuit of prosperity, Order shall reign supreme and eradicate the Chaotic darkness to imbue all corners of the world in light''? You can''t eradicate Chaos," Victor scoffed.

    "I understand the Law of Balance dictates that Order and Chaos shall not exist without the other, but it never implied that the Balance couldn''t be skewed," Grim replied, "If we do not act quickly, all of us will perish. They''ve already taken the Dragons out. The most powerful amongst us all. The Foxes have gone into hiding, and all the subraces are being hunted for sport. How long do you think it''ll take them to deal with the rest of us?"

    Victor was silent for a long time, then he took a step forward to the side of the marquee and reached towards his shadow. His hand disappeared into it momentarily, then he withdrew a long scrolled map and walked back to the table, unrolling the map before Grim.

    "Show me what you know".

    Grim looked down at the map, a full continental map of the world, then he began.

    ***

    That single map showed Rassa more about the world than he''d ever known. He''d come to know how the world had once been shaped, and had become more aware than ever before of how terrible a cost Order had paid without even knowing it. With the death of Chaos, Order had practically turned their backs on all acknowledgement of their opposition ever existing, and by doing so, had lost the technological advancements that had once made them thrive. While Rassa could not pinpoint exactly what had caused those that survived to either abandon or die out on entire continents, he didn''t think it would be anything good.

    What disturbed him more was the God Class Magician that had been mentioned before. There was such a thing? It had never been brought up in conversation before. Clearly not even the Magicians knew their was another stage of their development that they''d completely forgotten about. And whatever Dragons and the Foxes that Grim had mentioned were, Rassa doubted that they were any less powerful that Victor. Maybe more so from the way Grim seemed to idolise them.

    In all, the lesson had been incredibly beneficial in terms of informing Rassa just how far the world had declined whilst the Balance between Order and Chaos had been skewed. With this, he came to one absolute conclusion.

    His existence was necessary. It may have been bloody and dark and terrifying, but it was necessary. And with that, he was one step closer to acceptance.

 Chapter 59 The Jerrica Mines

    The morning after his lesson, Rassa glimpsed the Jerrica Mines for the first time. They were not somewhere he was eager to stay in.

    Jerrica itself was built like a military fort, only there was no fort, just a tall and menacing wall that seemed to swallow everything around it with its dark aura. When the carriage pulled up at the gates, Rassa would have told them to turn around if not for the mask secured to his face.

    What made it worse was that despite never seeing their expressions, Rassa knew his captors were nervous as well. Clearly, every scary story he''d ever heard about the Jerrica Mines were absolutely true.

    The Guards at the gate looked shady. Like they would take bribes at the drop of a hat and frame an innocent just for the fun of it. They leered at Rassa through the bars, and despite the cool expression he''d learned to adopt since leaving Cordon, he was terrified inside.

    The Guards waved them through, and the gates opened slowly. The gates themselves were huge, at least eight metres in height, and wide enough to allow three carriages to pass through at the same time. Rassa watched as they entered, registering the clicking of wheel cogs as someone winched the gates open. As soon as the carriage passed through, the gates began to close once more behind them, but Rassa was no longer focused on that. He was focused on what lay beyond.

    In a word, desolate.

    There was nothing but a vast, dry field between the gates and what seemed to be the main entrance to the mines. Seeing it, Rassa couldn''t help but wonder what they hoped to achieve by having so much space free. Perhaps the original builders had intended to use it as space to build a village, or use as a sorting area for what was mined. But now? Nothing but space. Not even a tree in sight and mountain cliffs at each side.

    Jerrica was a prison mine...so was the space used to deal with prisoners that attempted to escape?

    That didn''t bode well.

    At the far end of the space sat the mine entrance. It was rather large for an entrance, and had clearly been built that way for a reason. But what was more intriguing to Rassa was the fact that it seemed the residences, no doubt for the officials and not the prisoners, were built into the side of the mountain above the entrance. It looked like a castle had been half swallowed by the mountain. If it did not appear so dark and intimidating, Rassa might have called it beautiful. But now, it was terrifying.

    The carriage crossed the great expanse before it was stopped right at the entrance by more Guards.

    Behind the Guards stood a man in a long beige coat with a prideful look on his aging face. He had a grey beard that was short and scraggly, and on top of his head sat a pair of eye glasses that looked homemade to say the least.

    Despite his lack of weapons or intimidating stature, Rassa was immediately unnerved by the man.

    The leader of his captors stepped forward to address the man, but the latter spoke first.

    "It was done as requested?"

    "Of course, not a trace left behind," the leader replied, a small tinge of annoyance at being underestimated.

    "Good".

    The man in the coat stepped forward and approached the carriage, peering in to look at Rassa like he was a something to be picked apart. Rassa thought he''d disliked the looks of disgust and fear more than anything else. He was wrong, he hated this more.

    "When was the last time it fed?"

    Surprisingly, Aegin was the one to reply.

    "He," Aegin corrected, "HE fed two nights ago".

    "I see," the man stated, looking at Aegin with curiosity, "You seem to have formed some kind of attachment to this creature".

    "Creature?" asked Aegin, his eyes narrowing, "Rassa''s different, he''s not an exotic animal".

    "Aegin".

    The leader hushed Aegin, but the man just looked at Aegin with a form of a amusement.

    "Adorable".

    Aegin clearly took that as an insult.

    The man then turned and pointed at the carriage as he addressed the Guards.

    "Take it down to the dungeon cells. Secure it where I told you earlier, remove the chains but not the mask. We don''t want any accidents".

    The carriage was wheeled forward without delay into the darkness beyond, Rassa turned back as they took him inside, glimpsing Aegin as he watched after the carriage, then the sunlight and all that stood within it was swallowed by the shadows.

    Rassa''s vision was better in the darkness of the mines, but that didn''t mean he was relieved to be able to see. It was quite the opposite in fact. Rassa wished he couldn''t see the prisoners, chained and as thin as skeletons. He wished he couldn''t see the whips or the desperation on the faces of those who worked tirelessly in the darkness. Their only light source were the dull torches burning with flickering and changing intensity. Rassa wished he couldn''t smell it too. The rank, damp corners that were filled with years, perhaps even decades or centuries of hardship and turmoil.

    And the screams. They were not so obvious in the first few tunnels, but the deeper they went the more pronounced they became.

    And they went deep.

    Rassa was sure they walked for hours down the tunnels. At first in the carriage, and then dragging him by his chains as he stumbled occaisionly in his efforts to keep up. Finally, after what was perhaps an eternity, they reached the end of a long, skinny tunnel that opened up to four cells. Three of them were only about a couple of metres wide and long each, but the last was larger, about four or five times as larger.

    And Rassa stopped in his tracks as soon as he saw the bars. Judging by the earth around them, they''d been newly built and placed there. That didn''t bode well. Not when they were Anthrite.

    They''d been expecting Rassa, and they''d built a prison cell specifically for him.

    "Move, boy!" snapped one of the guards. He tugged hard enough on Rassa''s chains that Rassa stumbled and fell face first onto the ground. It sucked not having his superior strength. The guard would not have been able to move him if he''d had it. Another tug, and Rassa was dragged across the small observation section and into the cell.

    He flipped over, trying to stand, but the guards pushed him back down again. Holding him as he tried to throw them off and get out. He did not want to be stuck in here. It was out of the question.

    They took his arms, unlocking the cuffs and dropping the Anthrite chains onto the ground outside the cage. As instructed, they left the mask on, then they threw Rassa a few more metres into the cell and retreated to close the gate behind them. Rassa ignored it as the hard rock cut into his skin. Without his power, his skin was cut easily and the healing occured much slower than normal. As blood dripped down from the cuts, Rassa threw himself at the closing gate.

    It closed and Rassa stopped just centimetres before hitting it. He glared at the metal, at the guards beyond who laughed at his predicament. He felt the wounds begin to close, slowly but surely, and the clear surprise on the guards faces as they did so. It might have been dark, but it was light enough for them to see the visibly healing wounds they''d inflicted.

    Rassa glared until they retreated, then he took a glance at the cell he''d been given.

    He hadn''t noticed it before, but the rock walls had veins of Anthrite running through them. They''d built his cell in the right spot, that was for sure.

    The only furniture in the room, if it could be called that, was a wooden cot with some straw on top of it, and a bucket in the corner, no doubt meant for his excrement.

    Rassa turned back to the gate, and to the dark tunnel beyond. When he''d told his father to use Anthrite if he got out of hand, he never thought it would lead to this.

 Chapter 60 The Doctor that could not be trusted

    There was no real way to tell how long it had been since Rassa had been imprisoned, but Rassa knew exactly how long it was. Six hours.

    Six hours alone in the dark surrounded by Anthrite. It was clear that if there was no one venturing down a tunnel, they would neglect to re-light the torches once they were extinguished. This obviously didn''t bother Rassa with his night vision, but he was still terrified. Not of the darkness, but of what the darkness implied.

    That they did not care for his wellbeing whatsoever.

    During these six hours, Rassa had had plenty of time to search his cell. His eyes roamed over every inch, from top to bottom, side to side. There was not one part of that cell he had not committed to memory, and it all told him one screaming fact. There was no way out.

    When this conclusion became all too obvious, Rassa instead turned to keeping himself occupied. In turn, with his thoughts to himself, he came to another conclusion. He''d seen the orange leaves outside but had been too preoccupied to care. Autumn had come, and with it, Rassa had turned 13.

    He remembered how superstitious folks used to say that 13 was an unlucky number. Rassa didn''t like seeing that literally play out within his own life.

    After four hours, the torches had gone out, and Rassa was plunged into full darkness. It made his vision better, but he still wished for somebody to come along and light the torches again.

    After almost an hour of sitting on his cot with his thoughts to himself, Rassa rose to find something better to do. It was hard, but eventually he managed to find a white rock in the corner, no doubt left over from when they carved out this place. He took up the rock, only about half the size of his hand, then turned to one of the walls and began to draw.

    At first, he had no idea what he was trying to do. He knew instinctively that he shouldn''t draw anything that would give anything away. The last thing he wanted was to have his captors gain more leverage against him. Instead, he drew the memories.

    He did not draw them in detail. He drew obscure images that one could mistake for imagination, or indeed his own memories. A long hall of empty seats. Falling stars. A man with pointed ears and intimidating dark eyes. They were the images that came to mind as he drew. It seemed to flow out of him, and Rassa felt nothing but relief as it did. As if he was unburdening himself.

    As he stood back to survey his work, he realised they weren''t exactly good in terms of artwork. But he understood them, and that was all that mattered to him. It was in this moment that he heard the unmistakeable echo of footsteps approaching from down the tunnel. Rassa moved to the wall beside the cage, dropping the white rock he''d used to draw with into the corner.

    The cell gradually grew lighter as the torches approached. Rassa was focused on the sound of the footsteps though.

    2...3...4...5...6.

    Six sets of footsteps. He waited until they paused outside of his cell, then he heard one of the Guards speak.

    "Did he get out?"

    "Don''t be ridiculous".

    It was the Doctor, the one who had met him at the entrance.

    "Rassa?" the Doctor called, "It is Rassa, yes? My name is Doctor Sagen Zaroth. I am your caretaker here".

    Rassa turned to look through the bars, leaning against the rock beside them as he stared out. There were four guards in total, two of which were holding torches, one was standing beside the Doctor, and the last was holding a young woman. She was shabbily dressed and appeared weak and terrified. A slave no doubt.

    "Ah, Rassa, I trust you have settled in?" asked the Doctor, he had a cruel smile on his face. Rassa assumed the Doctor did not care in the slightest about his comfort. So, in reply, and because he couldn''t talk due to the mask, Rassa simply glared back.

    "Now, now, Rassa. No need to be so hostile towards me," the Doctor stated, "I''m here to help you. The more I learn, the more I can help you with your situation".

    Rassa had nothing to stay to that. He simply turned his back to the Doctor and retreated to his cot, lying down and placing an arm over his eyes.

    "Come, boy, that''s no way to treat your host. I even brought you dinner," the Doctor pulled the girl forward. She squeaked in fear as a key was placed into her hand and she was then shoved through the cell door. Rassa turned his head slightly to look at her, then back at the Doctor. Was he serious?

    "I''ll make you a deal boy," the Doctor said, "Co-operate, and I continue to feed you. Don''t, and we''ll have some supply issues. I''ve been told you''re smart, so you should know what I mean. When you are fed, your meal will be thrown in with the key to your mask, but that meal will not be allowed to leave your cell until your mask is back on. Unless of course you wish to kill them, though something tells me innocent lives are not what you want".

    He expected Rassa to feed from her? From humans?

    It wasn''t like he hadn''t done it before, but he also knew that if this was a diet he got used to...it would get increasingly harder for him to turn back. Just like a merchant who had earned a fortune and given himself the life style to go along with it, he would find it very difficult to survive once he went bankrupt.

    "What do you say, Rassa?" asked the Doctor, "Do we have a deal?"

    Rassa looked from the doctor to the girl, who was so terrified she was shaking. He closed his eyes and released a deep breath.

    Whatever. It was food.

    Rassa sat up and walked over to the girl with purpose. She backed towards the wall of the cage, her eyes wide with fear. Rassa stopped about a metre from her, then held out his hand.

    The girl looked at it, then looked back up at him.

    The Doctor and the Guards said nothing as they observed the exchange. Then Rassa lifted his other hand and tapped the mask with a fingertip. When the girl shook her head, Rassa held up both his hands and backed away, then he turned to the Doctor. His look was clear.

    ''I cannot feed if they will not cooperate.''

    The Doctor looked less than impressed.

    "Unlock the mask or I leave you in there to rot," the Doctor threatened the girl.

    Rassa could see it as her eyes welled with tears, and he glared at the Doctor. Not exactly what he had in mind to convince her, but Rassa should have known better really.

    The girl shakily held out her fist with the key in it, then threw it at Rassa. It was a clumsy throw, one that was no doubt meant to miss, but Rassa caught it easily even in the low light.

    He reached behind his head and unlocked the mask letting it drop to the floor with a clang.

    The girl turned away, shaking.

    Rassa sighed, then stepped forward towards her, lowering himself to her level.

    "You won''t die. Not if you remain still and cooperate," Rassa said softly, "I can even make it so that you won''t feel any pain if you want me to".

    The woman looked to Rassa hesitantly, "What...what are you?"

    "Not human, if that''s what you''re asking," Rassa replied, he held out a hand to her. She looked at it for a long moment, then reached out and took it slowly, "What''s your name?"

    "Lyssa".

    "Close your eyes, Lyssa," Rassa ordered. He waited until she complied before he leaned forward, letting his fangs extend and sink into her wrist.

    She flinched, but as Rassa worked to lesson her pain with every draw, her expression relaxed until she was smiling. After a moment, Rassa withdrew his fangs and licked over her wound. He turned and looked at the Anthrite Mask behind him as he dropped her wrist. He actually felt full for the first time in months. As soon as that mask went back on, the feeling would disappear.

    "If you want her out of your cell, I suggest you put it back on," the Doctor stated.

    Rassa turned to look back at the Doctor.

    "I am not a plaything nor a tool," Rassa stated. He used his speed to appear before the Doctor in an instant, just short of the bars. The Guards all recoiled in shock, but the Doctor stood with a grin on his face, "I may be stuck in this cell, but I am no circus monkey. The first opportunity you give me, I will be leaving. And even before you''ve truly done anything to me, I know. That''s the same day you''ll die".

    The Doctor only laughed.

 Chapter 61 The Feeding Routine

    For the majority of his time, Rassa was kept in darkness. As the sole inhabitant of these deep, dark cells down a long forgotten tunnel, having so much time to himself was enough to drive anyone mad. Luckily, his visitors arrived nearly every evening. Doctor Zaroth and one of the slaves that had been bought as nothing more than blood bags to feed Rassa. The routine was the same every time no matter which slave it was. They entered with the key to Rassa''s mask. He unlocked it and fed on them, then he relocked the mask and the slaves were allowed to leave. Sometimes Zaroth asked questions of Rassa whilst the mask was off. No doubt he expected an answer now that Rassa could speak.

    Questions weren''t exactly new, but Rassa had no intention of answering these truthfully. And, thanks to the fact that he was something new and had never been studied before, Zaroth was inclined to believe most of his lies. Rassa knew he didn''t believe everything, but how was Rassa to blame for that? Stupid questions were bound to get sarcastic responses.

    Rassa had nearly chocked when Zaroth suggested that perhaps it was not just blood, but bodily fluids in general that Rassa could eat. When he suggested samples of various kinds of fluids, Rassa suggested that while he was at it, he should get a Urine tea for himself, Rassa was sure he''d enjoy it.

    Luckily, there were no suspicious substances during the next meal.

    It was just over a week before Lyssa appeared again, this second time she was much less scared. Rassa assumed then that they were on a schedule, ten slaves to feed him. Six young women and four young men. The women no doubt because they were easier to control. The men...well, they wouldn''t put up much of a fight either considering how weak they all appeared. All of them appeared to be between the ages of 16 and 24. They were all undernourished though. Not only could Rassa see it, but he could also taste it. It was strange to realise he could determine such a thing. Though, the more he thought about it, the more he was inclined to believe that he had this ability so that he could tell if his food was spoiled or not. If the blood carried diseases or contaminates. As far as Rassa was aware, he couldn''t get sick in the same way humans did. But contaminates? He wasn''t 100% sure he wouldn''t be affected. After all, he''d only ever fed from animals that usually knew the difference between what was good for them and what wasn''t. Humans were less black and white in their habits.

    So, with the health of these slaves in mind, after feeding from Lyssa, Rassa turned to Zaroth.

    "I suggest you put them on a better diet if you want them to survive longer. Not only will this kind of blood loss make them physically weak, but also more susceptible to disease," Rassa said, "I''d say to keep them cleaner too, but I know I can''t expect that kind of treatment when I''m not even getting it for myself".

    "You want a bath?" Zaroth asked, seemingly surprised.

    "What? Did you think I enjoyed smelling like a pig''s ass?"

    That answer seemed to alarm Zaroth ever so slightly.

    The next day, a bath tub was brought down and placed in the cell, then buckets of water were ferried into it whilst Rassa fed under a strict guard and with the chains placed on his wrists once again. He was quite annoyed when they clearly expected him to bathe whilst they were still present. When Rassa showed no signs of moving towards the tub, the Doctor grew frustrated.

    "You said you wanted a bath," Zaroth commented, "You aren''t insulting my good will are you?"

    Rassa rolled his eyes.

    "You can''t possibly be embarrassed, we''re all men...are you a man? At what age does your kind mature?"

    It was clearly more of a hypothetical question as Rassa wore the mask again, and couldn''t reply. After a long sigh, Rassa stripped down then went to the tub. The water was cold. He didn''t know why he''d expected them to heat it, but he had. He looked to his clothes, and picked up his top, wetting it to use as a rag as he climbed in and began to scrub himself.

    It was freezing, especially when there was no natural heat in the mine anyway. Without the Anthrite, temperature, especially cooler temperatures, hadn''t really bothered him. But with it he could certainly feel the chill. Alas, he had no choice as he washed from head to toe, watching as the water turned darker and darker. Not that it had been completely clean to begin with.

    When he was done washing himself, he turned to wash his clothes as well, wringing them out and draping them over the cot. It''d take a while for them to dry, but as least they would be better than before. At least he hoped they would.

    The entire time, Rassa was watched. Particularly for his Black Life Lines. He tried to ignore it, but it was very unsettling to have them watch like that. To have them glimpse his Life Lines. Rassa hadn''t realised how attached he''d gotten to them. How much they felt like a part of him, and how he hated revealing them to anyone else. Case in point being Zaroth, who hadn''t been able to take his eyes off of the unique life lines the moment they''d been revealed.

    It was the next day, after another history lesson into the conflict between Order and Chaos from Victor, htat Zaroth arrived once more at the scheduled time. Only this time, it was not the slave that entered first.

    Rassa watched cautiously as the guards entered, approaching Rassa and grabbing at the chains that they proceeded to attach to his wrists, and then to his legs so that he was immobile on the cot.

    Rassa tried to pull away as the Doctor approached, a man that couldn''t be anything else but an assistant holding a tray of metal instruments and a glass jar.

    "Now Rassa, today we''re going to try something new, co-operate, and you will get your meal after I am done".

    Zaroth took up a scalpel, and bent down to Rassa''s torso.

    "Now, tell me about this healing ability of yours".

    Even through the mask, they could hear Rassa''s screams.

 Chapter 62 The Winter Wind Chills

    Aegin did not attempt to hide it. He was angered that Rassa had been left to the whims of a mad man. Everyone amongst the Ridge Men knew who Doctor Sagen Zaroth was. He was the man who had suggested to the Duke that the Ridge Men should be on the front line for testing of the Volotun Fruits. Aegin might not have been alive when it had happened, but the stories were enough to scare even the sturdiest of their breed. Aegin knew that whatever that Doctor had in store for Rassa, the boy would not come out of those mines the same.

    Still, it was not Aegin''s place to protest the orders of his Master.

    And yet, that nagging question still resounded in his mind, Rassa''s strong yet curious gaze peering at him from his memories.

    Why?

    It felt right to ask that question. It may have not been his place to ask it, but nevertheless, he felt he should. So upon returning to Fountain Ridge, he summoned the courage to ask his father, who had been silent much of the journey back.

    "Why is the Duke so interested in that boy?"

    His father had spun on him so quickly that Aegin had barely enough time to process it before he was pinned against a wall in the shadows by his neck.

    "Shut your mouth, boy," his father snapped, "We do not protest orders. We are not curious. We simply do as we are asked".

    Aegin''s eyes hardened, pushing his father off him with a burst of strength.

    "Well maybe we should," Aegin hissed, "He was just a kid, and we handed him over to a monster".

    His father glared at Aegin, then turned away, "I don''t know what''s gotten into you. That thing that was in that cage was not simply a boy. It needed Anthrite chains to contain it. Anthrite! The strongest metal known. Did you ever stop to think that perhaps we were handing it over to someone like-minded?"

    Aegin''s expression fell, "You didn''t speak so much as a word towards him. You don''t know anything. Rassa is not a monster, at least no more than you or I".

    Then Aegin turned and left his father. He didn''t ask the questions again. He simply went through the motions. In the weeks that followed, Aegin barely ever approached his father. He attended training, went on small assignments and kept to himself.

    It was not until nearly a month after his return to Fountain Ridge that Aegin was summoned by his father. His father never phrased a summons as an order, so Aegin decided that this was worth listening to.

    Aegin''s father took him to the small reception room where the Ridge Men officially received their orders. It was only accessible from a balcony five stories up from a cliff. Their orders were received through a letter shoot in the far wall that dropped small scrolls from the Duke''s office above to their small room. There was always a guard in the room to inform the head if orders were pending or not, but as Aegin and his father landed on the balcony, they noticed no one was present.

    Aegin pondered for a moment if something was wrong, but seeing his father''s stoic expressed, he realised they''d been ordered away.

    Aegin waited for his father to receive the orders by the balcony door, but rather than reading them, Aegin''s father handed the scroll straight to Aegin.

    "Your orders, take them seriously," Aegin''s father stated, then he left the room, dropping back down off the balcony.

    Aegin held the scroll for a moment. If his father was personally handing him orders, then they weren''t for a simple assignment, this was a proper mission. Likely one of high importance, otherwise his father wouldn''t have seen to it.

    Aegin hesitated a moment longer, then opened the scroll. The text in it was short, but clear:

    Report on the progress of Doctor Sagen Zaroth''s charge. Report expected every three months unless otherwise instructed.

    It was then signed by Duke Cornelius Kildare himself.

    Aegin tilted his head. It seemed the Duke had a personal stake in Rassa''s case. Was he simply seeking a greater power like he''d done with the Volotun Fruit? Or was this something more. As Aegin remembered the sighting of the lost third son that he''d seen on his previous mission to Cordon, he couldn''t help but lean towards the latter.

    Aegin paused. He was asking questions again. This wasn''t his training.

    Two weeks later, Aegin arrived at Jerrica once more, and couldn''t help but shiver at the chill that came over him. Winter was only a few weeks away, he''d seen everyone preparing for it on his journey here. But Jerrica? They seemed to be treating it as if it was just another day. Aegin gained entrance with the crest he''d been given, and was taken to Zaroth''s laboratory promptly.

    The Doctor himself was not impressed at being disturbed.

    "To what do I owe the interruption of my work?"

    Aegin was unphased by the Doctor''s harsh tone, "I''ve been ordered to report on your progress by your benefactor so surely you can spare a few minutes".

    The Doctor frowned, then turned to look at the clock on the wall. A clock was an item for the rich, but in mines like those at Jerrica, where sunlight was rarely seen, it was an essential item. Zaroth sighed, "Very well, we shall go down to check on his progress".

    Aegin raised an eyebrow, "You set him a task?"

    "Of course not," Zaroth snapped.

    Aegin couldn''t think why the word ''progress'' would be applied in any other way.

    It took them some time to descend to the place where Rassa was kept. It was so cold and dark that Aegin wondered if the boy had gone mad down here, all alone.

    Though the torch light was minimal in aiding him to see, Aegin knew immediately upon looking at Rassa that something was terribly wrong.

    "What did you do?" asked Aegin, his voice cold and distant.

    "He was told the consequences should he not cooperate. He was not smart enough to listen," Zaroth replied, "Though admittedly, this is as fascinating as the other tests I would have performed".

    Aegin waited as the cage was unlocked, then he snatched a torch from one of the guards, entering the cell only to pause a few metres from the wooden cot that occupied the otherwise empty space.

    The figure on the cot was horrifying. And if Aegin hadn''t known what he was looking at before he''d entered, he would have figured it was a rotting, naked corpse.

    Because that was exactly what Rassa had become.

    Gone were his pale skin and lean muscles. His fair features just beginning to undergo the change from boy the man. His dark hair too was long faded to grey and falling out in clumps. His flesh gone in places, grey and rotting in others. His face was sunken and skeletal. His eyes white. And all while he was chained to the cot by all four of his limbs, the mask had been removed to reveal his open, gaping mouth and protruding fangs. Even in his state he seemed to be begging for relief from his hunger.

    "What could have possibly been bad enough for you to kill him? He was already your prisoner!" snapped Aegin.

    "He''d not dead," Zaroth stated.

    Aegin spun around, then pointed to the cot, "That, is a corpse".

    Just as Zaroth was about to reply, the Corpse to a long, distinct and wheezy breath. Aegin looked on, wide eyed.

    "This is what happens when he is starved beyond his turning point. I admit it scared me too to see the corpse-like state he was in. Especially after he was so active the day before. I immediately insisted on him being fed, concerned I would lose my only subject. Imagine my surprise when, after he drained three of the feeding slaves I''d procured, he was restored completely. Of course, that just piqued my curiosity," Zaroth admitted, "He has been like this for two weeks now, and he still breathes, though from the begging I heard before he entered into this state I assume he is being forced to stay alive".

    Aegin looked to Zaroth, who appeared unshaken by his confession. If anything, the Doctor looked excited.

    Despite how Aegin tried, he could not keep the utter disgust off of his face at the Doctor''s behaviour. And all the while, the question circled around in Aegin''s mind, a question he found he had no problems asking.

    What the hell had Rassa done to deserve this?

 Chapter 63 The Boy in his Tomb

    The answer to Aegin''s burning question? Well, only someone with Life Lines could truly answer. You see, after the Doctor had grown bored with digging out bigger and bigger chunks of flesh and watching it heal, even lopping off an arm to watch it reattach as if it had never left, he decided to investigate something even more unique to his little test subject.

    His black Life Lines. Did they heal as well as the rest of his flesh? Only one way to find out.

    As anyone with Life Lines will tell you, even the act of someone seeing their Life Lines can unnerve the strongest of individuals. As the very essence of an individual''s soul and connection to that other Mist-filled plane, touching it was considered taboo to anyone but a trusted companion or life partner. Rassa had neither.

    So when Zaroth had approached his Life Lines with a scalpel, Rassa had drawn on a strength he didn''t know he could. He''d fought viciously despite the chains that held him down, injuring the guards with his extended claws. Zaroth had not gotten his hands on the sample that day. And Rassa counted that as a small victory. Up until he realised it meant no more blood. Not until he consented.

    Rassa would never yield when it came to his Life Lines, no sane person would.

    Rather than a victory, it turned into a stale mate. Broken only when Rassa fell into the sub-death Victor had once spoken of.

    Zaroth had panicked, and Rassa had drunk more than was necessary just to make sure he''d last longer this time. Why he thought that would matter he was unsure. But it did.

    Still, Rassa had refused to cooperate, and his food was withheld once more. Rassa got hungrier and hungrier, and Victor''s lessons grew too tiresome for the both of them in their weakened state.

    Still, Victor agreed with Rassa on this front. Life Lines were not to be messed with. Scarring them would scar the soul with it, and that could have catastrophic consequences.

    Pity the Doctor didn''t feel the same way. He got his sample on the day Rassa slipped into the sub-death once more and was unable to do anything but take a burning, gasping breath every few minutes. The pain had been immense. So much worse than anything Rassa had experienced so far. Mostly because he didn''t just feel it on his skin, he felt it in his soul. And the pain didn''t stop, it continued.

    It just kept going, unable to heal or even perceive the world outside the tomb his body had become in every sense of the word. And now, just to add to it all, there was a part of himself that seemed to be missing along with that section of his Life Lines. Rassa could feel the emptiness around it, but couldn''t seem to recall what used to be there. Victor could not help him. He had long retreated in order to ensure Rassa''s strength for longer. Not that it mattered now. He''d made it clear though. Rassa couldn''t die from this. It was in eternal starvation. Rassa couldn''t think how it was anything more than torture.

    In Victor''s last lesson before he retreated into the depths of Rassa''s soul, he''d shown Rassa what such a state was used for originally.

    Sometimes it was used to punish those who had broken high laws. Other times it was an unfortunate accident. But for those original few who claimed to be the Original Vampires, this state was nothing more than a way to pass their eternity. Sacred rituals would see them buried in their own secretive private tombs, only to reappear tens of thousands of years later after a sufficient blood sacrifice was paid. Rassa had asked why all Vampires didn''t possess this ability. Victor had stated that they had, but it had long been decreed for 2 reasons that the average vampire, even the head of a coven, would not be allowed to undergo the process. The first reason was due to population control. Vampires may have had trouble conceiving but they had no trouble creating new bloodlines through The Turning. If all of those vampires became immortal, then eventually they would surpass their food source in terms of number. The second reason was one less spoken of but just as important. Only a few could live through eternity without becoming crazed by the passage of time itself.

    So, at the end of that lesson, Rassa had asked a question he''d already known the answer to.

    "Am I...like that too?"

    Victor had given him an affirmative answer, "You must be. You are both the last of the old and the first of the new, there will never be any like you ever again. There was a reason you were chosen Rassa. Your soul, despite its youth, we could see its potential, its strength. It will have no problem staring down time itself, if only you allow it to. For time will not wait, and it will not be generous. One must earn what they desire, and if to earn it is not enough, then take it".

    "Even if taking it means ensuring others don''t get theirs?" asked Rassa.

    "If they were not strong enough to hold on to it, did they really deserve it in the first place?" Victor had replied.

    Those words had been his only company in the tomb of his body. Unlike when he was fully awake and he could tell exactly how much time passed thanks to his enhanced senses, in the sub-death state it was the complete opposite. There was no concept of time or even space where he was. It was both timeless and sudden, endless and enclosed all at the same time.

    It gave Rassa plenty of things to think about, first and foremost being Victor''s words to him.

    Was he really strong enough? Was he really willing to take at the expense of others? The compassionate answer he knew he would have given originally became smaller and smaller, giving way to something far darker, and far more dominant.

    If this is what I get for being compassionate, for not taking when I could have...I will not let opportunities slip past me anymore.

    Considering I am going to live forever, perhaps it best I start embracing a new philosophy. Rassa chuckled to himself in the darkness. Oh how Victor would be proud.

 Chapter 64 The Tombs Embrace

    Seeing Rassa in the state he was in was truly a highlight of how little Aegin knew about his somewhat ally. Is that what they were? Allies? Aegin didn''t feel like they were close enough to be called acquaintances, let alone friends. Allies was the best that Aegin could come up with. Yet he didn''t think allies sold each other out to the enemy. It was complicated, and in all honesty, Aegin wasn''t sure why he cared as much as he did. What he did know was that he felt a connection with Rassa, one that he''d never had with anyone else before. One that had led them on their short journey together to an understanding.

    Still, regardless of their relationship, or whatever understanding they had...seeing Rassa in that state that appeared to be like something worse than death. To know that he had been put into it forcefully by someone who had no concern for his well-being other than to keep him alive. It made Aegin angry. Very angry.

    When the doctor made to leave, Aegin wasn''t entirely positive what possessed him. It was instinctual. He drew his blade and placed it at the nearest guard''s throat, then his sliced it across, and shoved the guard at Rassa.

    It happened so fast that no one knew quite how to react. Then, as the blood hit Rassa''s decaying body, and fell into his open mouth, Zaroth growled his anger.

    "No!"

    The Doctor turned on Aegin, but Aegin merely glared back at the Doctor, "You were hired to study him, not to torture him. You will feed him as much as he requires or I will do it for you. The difference being, I don''t much care where the blood comes from. Even if I have to sacrifice you in the process. I can''t say it''d be much of a loss".

    "The Duke hired me to-"

    "The Duke is not here, and I very much doubt he would deign to come to a place as forsaken as Jerrica," Aegin replied, "Not again anyway".

    The audible sound of Rassa''s skin, muscles, organs and bones repairing themselves as the blood nourished him cut through the darkness.

    From his tomb, Rassa felt the taste of blood, the one thing that could bring him out, and he grabbed onto it readily. He knew it was likely he would be sent right back to the depths of his soul as soon as possible, but until then, he much preferred the world outside. His eyes opened, and as he drank, he struggled to think of little else but quenching his thirst. It wasn''t until there wasn''t a drop of blood left to drink that Rassa acknolwedged it was the body of a guard and not a slave. As he attempted to throw off the oaf whilst still chained to the cot, he caught sight of the assassin boy he''d met previously. Aegin was glaring at Zaroth, and the doctor was glaring back.

    "Now, are you going to get a slave, or am I going to have to slice another throat?" asked Aegin.

    Zaroth looked at the guards who were backing out of the line of fire. After a moment''s hesitation where he looked towards the still healing Rassa, Zaroth snapped outloud as he left the cell.

    "Get some slaves down here!"

    The guards filed out, Aegin ordering one of them to leave a torch behind. As Aegin put the torch into a holder on the wall, he looked back to find Rassa staring at him with a confused expression. The boy''s voice was incredibly raspy as he spoke, "What are you doing here?"

    He coughed afterwards, taking deep breaths as the last of the skin that Aegin could see healed.

    Aegin sighed, "I''ve been instructed to report on the Doctor''s progress. This...your state...was not what I had in mind".

    Rassa chuckled, lying back down to stare at the roof of the cell, "I think the only one who really desired it was Zaroth, and that''s hardly surprising considering his particular calibur".

    "I..." Aegin didn''t know how to start, then decided it didn''t really matter how he said it, "I''m sorry I couldn''t do anything to-"

    "Nobody can," Rassa interrupted, "Nobody can save me from this, Aegin. And nobody should have to. I''m not like anybody else, nobody has ever had any real attachment to me being like this. Being a Vampire..."

    Rassa trailed off, and Aegin couldn''t help but stare at Rassa in confusion. Something had changed. He seemed...Aegin didn''t know how to define it. It was still the Rassa that he''d met but he somehow seemed older. Less...optimistic. That was probably a good thing for someone in his situation.

    "Glad you''re alive".

    Not okay. Just alive. Rassa probably would have laughed if Aegin had said he was okay. He was not okay, not in the least bit. But he was alive.

    "How long was I...How long was I in the sub-death?" asked Rassa.

    "Zaroth said two weeks," Aegin replied, "Winter''s coming, I can feel the chill in the air outside".

    Rassa gave a look to Aegin, one that Aegin couldn''t quite decipher, but with Rassa''s next words, Aegin suddenly understood. It was a form of gratitude.

    "What else is happening out there?"

    Aegin obliged him.

    Rassa didn''t really seem overly interested in things like political turmoil or trade secrets, but Aegin told him what he knew. Rassa seemed to appreciate the menial things more. Like how the piles of orange leaves had begun to rot as the rain began to fall and soak the ground. How the birds had begun to fly south towards the Southern Isles and beyond. How the stars had moved. He rarely asked questions, just listened. When Rassa heard someone approaching, he held up a hand to Aegin. It was another minute before Aegin heard the footsteps too, becoming aware of the height of Rassa''s senses. They were far superior to his own.

    Zaroth did not return with the slaves. They just came with the guards who loosened Rassa''s chains enough for him to sit up and feed. Aegin watched as one slave dropped after another. There was no care for them in Rassa''s eyes, just the need to be satisfied.

    Out of the corner of his eyes, Rassa noticed Aegin''s figure. There was no malice, no disgust in his gaze. Just that understanding that had always been there. As the last of the slaves dropped, pale and empty to the ground, Rassa wiped his mouth, licking the last of the blood off his hand.

    Aegin pushed off the wall to the side as the guards picked up the bodies and took them out, "All going well, I''ll be back every few months. Try not to die between my visits. When you''re not hungry your rather good company".

    Rassa grinned as his fangs retracted back into his gums, "I guess you aren''t so bad either, little assassin".

    "Assassin?" Aegin scoffed, "I suppose I am...though I''m used to being known as a man of the Ridge".

    Aegin grinned back, turning and exiting the cell.

    He didn''t notice it as Rassa''s grin dropped, a sudden realisation forming in his mind, the peices clicking into place. His eyes turned angry. The last thing he wanted was to serve the interests of that monster of a man.

 Chapter 65 The Anniversary

    Aegin returned to Fountain Ridge just as Winter fully arrived. The first snows were falling, and the only places far enough south to miss the white blanket falling over the continent were the Southern Isles. Still, it was not as if the cold would stop the demand for business.

    Aegin handed in his report and then went off to check-in with his father. He was not looking forward to the encounter, but as his father was one of the commanders of the Ridge Men, it was an expectation for Aegin to report to him regarding his status and whereabouts.

    Meanwhile, in the office of the Duke, Cornelius himself read through the report on his grandson''s condition.

    It appeared that his grandson was hiding more abilities than enhanced strength and speed. Doctor Zaroth had discovered extensive healing abilities that directly correlated with the consumption of blood. The more well-nourished Rassa was, the faster he healed. As for the extent of the injury, it appeared that he could even reattach limbs, though Zaroth had refrained from beheading the boy from risk of death. Zaroth had also made an accidental discovery regarding the boy''s undernourishment. Apparently, if starved for long enough, the body sacrificed energy to every part of the body except for those necessary to stay alive. He''d appeared to be a breathing corpse for a fortnight. Cornelius was not sure how he felt about this, after all, he needed the boy alive, but if he appeared to be a corpse what else could they learn about him?

    In the end, Cornelius compiled instructions for Zaroth not to starve the boy until further notice. He also instructed the Doctor to remove the chains, the boy could not escape from his Anthrite prison after all.

    ***

    Winter came and went without major incident. Zaroth stopped cutting into Rassa. Though only because he''d decided he could no longer learn anything from doing so. Thankfully, he also left the boy''s Life Lines alone, there was nothing remarkable about the piece of flesh he''d collected anyway, apart from the fact that it had a black line on it. He''d stuck it in preservative chemicals to keep it from decaying, and left it at that. Rassa knew however, that that piece of flesh was very important. He''d discovered the hard way that he couldn''t grow his life lines back. The exposed muscle on his back was a pain to keep hidden, but Rassa successfully managed to do so for the time being. Rassa''s chains were removed, and while it was a relief to be able to feel his proper strength and appetite again, he could not leave the cell. Even digging his way out wasn''t an option thanks to the veins of Anthrite that ran right through and passed by the cell.

    Another batch of slaves was brought in. Rassa had drained six of the original ten, plus a guard, so they needed more to keep up with his appetite. That was another thing that appeared to be getting greater, his appetite.

    Or at least that was what Rassa led them to believe. In reality, he was feeding Victor. They''d lost time in the sub-death, and Victor needed the energy to conduct the memory lessons. They were always careful about the time they picked to undergo them, making sure night had well and truly settled before Rassa allowed himself to fall unconscious. Without the Anthrite constantly draining energy, the memories became more vivid, and sometimes longer too. Rassa found himself in all sorts of situations through Victor''s point of view. He fought battles, learned of the shadow magic Vampires could wield thanks to their Life Lines, and the Blood Magic, though such a thing was terribly draining both physically and mentally, and only used in the most dire of circumstances. You see, a Vampire, regardless of their preferred diet, couldn''t just control any blood, only the blood that was directly linked to that Vampire''s life lines. So, his own, and if he had Sanguine, their blood as well. Of course, Sanguine needed a certain amount of blood in their systems to live, as did a Vampire. Hence, Blood Magic was not a popular practice.

    Towards the end of Winter, Aegin returned. He sat with Rassa and talked of the world outside. They sat in each other''s company for hours. Sometimes talking of menial things, sometimes just passing the time in silence. The Assassin boy had turned fourteen with the solstice, though Rassa barely cared. Birthdays seemed so useless when his life was spent like this. Where there was no one to care, let alone share the day with you.

    Winter turned to Spring, and then Spring to Summer. Though in the depths of the mines it was all the same. Dark, cold and silent. Still, Rassa knew he was being watched. Without the chains to keep him weak, Zaroth seemed intrigued to find out what else Rassa was keeping hidden in terms of his full abilities. Rassa didn''t see fit to tell him that these were the extent of his full abilites at the moment, and that, given the opportunity, it was unlikely the cruel man would ever know the full extent once Rassa was unsealed. He had no intention of staying after all. Even the prospect of being hunted for the rest of his very long life seemed a better alternative to being stuck in this place.

    Still, before he knew it, Rassa realised he''d been imprisoned in the Jerrica Mines for a whole year. He''d turned fourteen. The clothes he''d arrived in were well and truly worn, not to mention they were growing smaller as Rassa got taller.

    This, unfortunately, was also how Zaroth discovered the unhealed portion of Rassa''s back. And so began a solid month of Rassa dodging the Anthrite chains they tried to bind him in once more so Zaroth could get a closer look. When it became clear it was impossible to catch Rassa, even in the small space of his cell, Zaroth took away his meals once more. With each week, Rassa got slower, until, two months after the discovery, when Rassa couldn''t move in time. The chains bound him once more, and he seethed in rage because of it.

    "Such a great opportunity," Zaroth stated as he examined the exposed section of Rassa''s back, "We shouldn''t let it go to waste".

    It was just as painful as before, but Rassa didn''t scream this time.

 Chapter 66 The Doctors Diary

    Eldovian Era 1707, the 4th day of the 1st month:

    After two months of waiting, the specimen was finally weak enough to procure a sample from the exposed muscle of its back. After closer inspection, it appears my initial thoughts were correct in assuming that the specimen cannot regenerate his Life Lines. A project I initially thought to bare no fruit suddenly has its doors wide open to a range possibilities. With this opportunity, I have gathered a total of ten tissue samples from muscles, which despite being beneath the Life Lines, seem to heal fine. Perhaps it is just the life lines themselves that cannot be healed? I have also collected several vials of blood from the specimen. Preliminary observations show the blood is of a darker than average colour, though still red. Whether this is a carry-over from the specimen''s previously human state or a commonality amongst his kind are yet to be seen.

    I have ordered that several rats be collected for experimental reasons. Considering the ultimate goal of these experiments is to find a way to reproduce the same abilities in other beings, I believe it should be prudent for me to explore all angles, as there is no guarantee that copulation will result in an equally powerful and viable offspring.

    Also, despite his accelerated healing abilities, the specimen seems to have a growth rate comparable to his human counterparts. He is showing the first signs of his transition to an adult, it should be an interesting period to observe any developments in abilities.

    ***

    Eldovian Era 1707, the 12th day of the 1st month:

    A total of twelve rats have been collected for my experiments, and the Duke''s generous donations have allowed us to acquire glass cages, preferable for observation. Initial observations of the rat''s behaviours and intelligence have given me an idea of how to proceed. After much debate, I have decided to proceed by feeding half of the rats one of the tissue samples I acquired, and the other half a portion of the specimen''s blood. As for the Specimen himself, he seems quite unagreeable despite being fed after a few weeks time. He has drained another three slaves, including the slave I originally thought to have observed creating an emotional connection with the specimen. Nyssa? Lyra? Well, whatever her name was, it appears the specimen truly views them as prey only. His growing appetite is beginning to cut into our funds. When the child spy reports back, I shall have to ask him to emphasise these points.

    ***

    Eldovian Era 1707, the 24th day of the 1st month:

    The child spy arrived to obtain another report. He demanded the specimen be released from his chains as it was a previous order set by the Duke. He also gave the specimen new clothes, though nothing overly fanciful. The guards reported that they talked for some time. I would like to take advantage of this relationship between them to gather more information on the specimen, but the child spy seems unwilling to cooperate. One observation that is clear is that the specimen does not treat the child spy as he does the rest of us. He seems to observe him more as an ally, though not necessarily a friend. The specimen''s behaviour that I previously observed to be lacking emotion in his connections has been brought into question.

    The experiment with the rats proceeded as follows;

    On the first day after consuming their respective meals, all of the rats became unwell within a few hours. I initially was willing to write it off as a failure, but after three days, the rats who had consumed blood were suddenly active. Those who had consumed the tissue samples however, were at death''s door. The rats who survived became increasingly erratic over the next 4 days. Any food that was given to them was consumed quickly, they never attempted to stash the food or leave it for later as they had done in my initial observation of their behaviour. Nine days in, and one of the rats attacked another, with the other four proceeding to follow in its footsteps. They consumed their fellow rat in its entirety, but their increasingly violent behaviour did not seem to stop.

    The larger of the rats in the proceeding days consumed the others as it had the first. Just yesterday, it appeared to get so violent that it attempted to break out of its cage, succeeding in breaking the glass. This was proof of its increase strength. Considering its now uncontrollable state, I had to order it killed. Upon examining the body, I noticed immediately that unlike the specimen, it did not possess fangs. I have concluded one of 3 possibilities for this.

    First, the transformation was incomplete, whether through lack of time or stimulant is unclear.

    Second, perhaps it is a difference in species. The original specimen was originally human, far different than a mere rodent. Perhaps a more sophisticated subject is required, though this will increase the risk of uncontrollable factors.

    And finally, third, the transformation was at its core, different to the original specimen.

    I have decided it is safest to proceed in exploring the first potential problem at this stage due to the risks involved with the other two.

    ***

    Eldovian Era 1707, 25th day of the 2nd month:

    Since my first experiment I have managed to conduct two more experiments based off of my first assumption that the transformation was incomplete. As glass cages were a poor choice for the experimental subjects originally, I have procured more cages that are surrounded by anthrite in hopes that it will inhibit any increases in strength or speed in the subjects should they try to escape, but not in ordinary behaviour. After all, the original specimen seems to only be affected by the metal whilst in direct contact. The second experiment was conducted with blood alone in order to stimulate a successful transformation. The six rats collected were given various volumes in order to determine whether this had an effect on the transformation. The rats as before were sick for three days before they began exhbiting the same erratic behaviour as the last batch. Three of the rats were fed raw meat, and the other three were fed blood procured from the slaves. Those who were fed the raw meat followed the same line of behaviour as previously observed, increasingly violent behaviour. The three rats who were fed blood seemed highly active, but were violent only when they were not fed within a particular time frame. Out of curiosity, I began feeding one of the raw meat rats the blood instead, and witnessed his behaviour change to something akin to that of the blood-fed rats. Still, even with a diet of blood, the rats showed no signs of physical developments such as fangs, and when shaved, there were no Life Lines present on their bodies. Even those rats that were fed more of the original specimen''s blood showed no further signs of transformation. Upon eradicating this second batch, I conducted a series of autopsies, but found no biological changes or differences.

    The third batch of just three rats were given the blood of the specimen and followed the same pattern of being ill for a few days before their behaviour changed. They were fed a diet of blood for a week, and I have now decided to starve them to see if the same stasus state can be induced in them as in the original specimen.

    On another note, the drawings observed on the specimen''s walls are becoming more and more extensive, though there seem to be no apparent connection or sense. It is reasonable to assume that the specimen''s mental stability is growing weaker.

 Chapter 67 The Lesson of the Sanguine

    For over a year, Rassa''s lessons with Victor had consisted mostly of historical background and politics. Rassa had learned to see the importance in them, the lessons that could be learned from them, but there were many subjects that had only been touched on that Rassa was far more interested in. While originally the idea had been unsettling to him, the Sanguine were a growing topic of interest to Rassa.

    After all, it seemed far more convenient to have your meal walk around with you than to have to hunt for it, or in Rassa''s case, wait until your captor felt benevolent enough to feed you. To put it in human terms, it''d be like having a cart full of food follow you wherever you went and replenish itself when its basic needs were met. He had contemplated marking one of the slaves as his Sanguine, but Victor advised against it.

    "The obligatory loyalty that comes with the contract will become instinctual for the Sanguine. If you are starving, they will be put in danger with their need to fulfil your needs," Victor explained, "They''d get themselves killed trying to please you".

    Rassa had questioned why Victor cared about such a thing at first, but the contract wasn''t one-way. With the Sanguine''s promise to provide nourishment, there was also the Vampire''s obligation to provide protection. Rassa couldn''t very well do that from his cell. Still, it didn''t diminish Rassa''s interest in the topic.

    So Victor conceded to setting aside a lesson on the Sanguine contract. He would need to do so eventually anyway.

    The contract itself was just an instinct. The verbal consent of the Sanguine to enter into a contract was a formality of more sophisticated times. Also, the contract required a connection to the Vampire''s Life Lines, so at its core, it was a magic contract. Rassa witnessed Victor as he formed a contract with whom Rassa had determined to be one of his more favoured Sanguine, Alessa. She was a kind and quiet girl, and while many Vampires entered into sexual relationships with their Sanguine, Victor never did so with Alessa. Instead, he preferred her company in small talk and when he needed some quiet time. She never seemed annoyed at his lack of attention in the bedroom, in fact, she seemed to prefer to be outside of it. Though Rassa could never presume to know the innermost thoughts of a woman, he suspected that Alessa knew that a sexual relationship was only skin deep, Victor got bored with those he bedded faster than those he just kept around for company.

    The contract was not signed on paper as with others, this contract was like an extension of Victor''s Life Lines. During a feeding, a mark of Victor''s choosing, usually a flower of some kind, appeared on a part of the Sanguine''s skin. In Alessa''s case, it was on the back of her left hand. The same mark would appear on Victor''s body in the same spot, and this signified the contract''s completion, as well as the length of time the contract was to be in place. In Victor''s case, the number of petals signified the number of years he expected his Sanguine to be in service to him, and of course the number of years he had promised to care for them. In Alessa''s case, her lily had ten petals upon its initial appearance. Ten years.

    When the contract was done, Victor iterated some of the benefits that had not previously been mentioned whilst Alessa slept off the affects of gaining the mark.

    "The contract allows for a constant connection, meaning that the Sanguine always knows the location of their Master, and vice versa. As I have implied before, the Sanguine is able to sense when their Master is hungry, and prepares to readily offer blood. In the case of there being more than one Sanguine serving the same Master, the Sanguine who is healthiest receives the instinctual sense to allow their Master to feed, and the others feel nothing. It is quite common for younger vampires to have multiple Sanguine as they have not yet learned how to better control their appetite. Those who can afford it also indulge in more than one as having a range of healthy Sanguine can show wealth and status," Victor explained.

    "So they''re not only a necessary commodity, they''re considered a luxury item as well?" asked Rassa. The tone of disgust he would have previously adopted had become one of pure curiosity.

    "Precisely," Victor confirmed, "Another benefit is that Sanguine under contract are incapable of procreating".

    Rassa frowned, "Why is that a benefit? Wouldn''t allowing them to have children increase their number?"

    "After they have completed their contract they are more than welcome to stay amongst others like themselves under Vampire protection and produce offspring that could potentially serve the same purpose, but the reason why Sanguine are incapable of procreating under contract, is because they are often sexually active with their masters," Victor continued, "And the result of that is not a desireable outcome".

    "What? A half-vampire half-human child isn''t viable?" asked Rassa.

    "Dhampir, we call them Dhampir," Victor said, though his tone was darker than before, "They aren''t like either race though. Dhampir are almost impossible to reason with. All the abilities of a mature Vampire in a mortal body. It makes for various ugly scenarios".

    "So they are what? Prone to slaughter?" asked Rassa.

    "To put it mildly," Victor stated, "The Dhampir have a rapid growth from birth. The Life Lines of a Dhampir attempt to compensate for the amount of power stored within a mortal body by maturing the body faster than normal. Dhampirs have been observed to reach adult maturity in less than ten years after birth. This rapid growth however is not translated into some parts of the brain, such as emotional and social development, and hence they become physically powerful but mentally immature. Besides this, there have been no Dhampir that ever lived beyond the age of twenty. Their Life Lines are simply too much for their bodies to cope with. We had many Dhampir in the past as it is far easier to get a human pregnant than another Vampire, but seeing the results end in unreasonable slaughter and power-grabs from immature yet powerful individuals, the existence of the Dhampir was outlawed. The punishment was death for the Dhampir and both of the parents, so it was incentive for most to avoid such a result".

    "What if one were to change a Dhampir into a full Vampire? Would that solve the problems?" asked Rassa.

    "It has been attempted before, and while it extends the life of the Dhampir, the damage mentally is already permanent. It was akin to giving a madman every tool he needs to survive longer," Victor sighed.

    Rassa was silent after this, "My only choice is for others to become like me then..."

    "You will have to turn them. They will become your coven, and it will be your responsibility to teach them and shape their behaviour," Victor stated.

    That seemed like far too much responsibility for a fourteen year old. Much less a fourteen year old who was destined to spend most of his fledgling life in an Anthrite Cell in the depths of a Prison Mine. Rassa couldn''t help but feel thankful that Victor was giving him these lessons, no doubt if another like himself faced this same situation, they would go insane.

 Chapter 68 The Promise that could be broken

    It was just before the Winter Solstice that Zaroth managed to take a second batch of samples from Rassa. It''d taken longer than usual because Rassa had taken to attacking the guards to get small sips of blood. Not enough to kill them, but enough that it not only took longer for him to starve, but it was also more of an effort for Zaroth to get anyone to enter Rassa''s cell.

    It was how Rassa liked it. He''d found he preferred their fear now. He''d once said that fear made them cruel, it felt like a lifetime ago now. But what Rassa had learned was that fear also made them wary, and if they were wary, they weren''t eager to come anywhere near Rassa, let alone be cruel to him.

    Besides, the darker part of Rassa, the part that had become stronger since his imprisonment, found itself enjoying the fear in their eyes. Enjoying their utter hopelessness when encountering Rassa''s predatory instincts. The only two people that seemed to still tolerate Rassa''s presence if not enjoy it, were Zaroth, whom Rassa would rather not have around, and Aegin.

    The Winter Solstice came, and with it Aegin blew in like the shadow he was getting better and better at becoming.

    Aegin knew the tunnels and mine shafts like the back of his hand now, he usually visited Rassa first before reporting in to Zaroth. This time was no different. But his clothing was.

    Rassa tilted his head as he appraised Aegin who stood on the other side of the bars.

    "New uniform?" he asked.

    Aegin, who no longer wore a mask as he had before, smirked as he sat down cross-legged in preparation for his usual talk with Rassa.

    "I passed the advancement tests, so I''ll be given more official missions now," Aegin said, "You should wish me a happy birthday as well".

    Rassa rolled his eyes, "You say that like it matters".

    Aegin''s smirk dropped, "It does matter, too old and I loose my value, too young and I''m incapable of carrying out the tasks assigned to me".

    Rassa was silent. He''d meant it didn''t matter to him, but he hadn''t actually told anyone he was immortal yet despite the hints he''d left behind. So far no one seemed to have worked it out though. He could see Aegin''s point of view. Had he still been human, Rassa probably would have worried that the rest of his life would be spent in this cell, but he wasn''t. Coming to terms with that reality had helped his mentality immensely. This wasn''t his end. Though no promises that it wouldn''t be the end of anyone else.

    "Well, whatever, how''ve you been?" asked Aegin.

    Rassa knew by now that Aegin meant to ask whether or not Rassa was being fed regularly.

    "I make do," Rassa replied.

    Aegin sensed the story behind that, and suddenly realised why all the guards had been so wary of coming near this tunnel, let alone the cell Rassa dwelled in. He''d witnessed it on the way down, how the guard patrols grew less and less regular the further into the mines he went.

    "Slaves not enough for you?" asked Aegin. He didn''t mean it in a malicious way, in fact, he sounded vaguely amused.

    "I figured by now they would have taken the hint I don''t like Anthrite, yet I''m still stuck in here," Rassa sighed.

    Aegin nodded. Wasn''t like there was anything he could really do about that. He was under orders. They were silent for a moment, then Rassa spoke up again.

    "Being a Man of the Ridge, is it what you want?" asked Rassa.

    Aegin frowned, "What do you mean?"

    "I mean have you ever thought about doing something else with your life besides serving a man who would use you as cannon fodder at the drop of a hat?" Rassa elaborated.

    Aegin was silent for a moment, "I didn''t think you knew what being a Ridge Man meant..."

    Rassa looked over at Aegin, "I know a lot more than you think".

    "How much more?" asked Aegin.

    "Enough to know that your employer shouldn''t inhibit you from asking questions," Rassa said, "Those who are inquisitive and curious and can think for themselves serve a better purpose than those who are essentially trained dolls. A leader should not be afraid to allow his subordinates to think for themselves. After all, a leader who leads dolls doesn''t get very far".

    "Perhaps you don''t know who I serve, or else you wouldn''t say that," Aegin replied.

    Rassa chuckled, "The Kildare Family. The Emperor''s own bloodline. Of course I know who you serve. A group of rich and priveleged royals who only know how to serve themselves. If their own arrogance doesn''t kill them off, their inability to sympathise with the lesser men will".

    Aegin was silent for a while, before finally giving his reply, "You sound as if its personal".

    Rassa gazed at Aegin with a smile that hid one too many secrets, "Like I said, perhaps you should ask more questions".

    "If I ask questions I''ll be killed," Aegin stated.

    "Not if you''re clever about it," Rassa said, "You don''t need to involve anyone else to seek answers".

    "Why are you telling me this?"

    "Why do you keep coming here?" Rassa shot back, "You are earning nothing out of this relationship. Whatever it is. I''m a prisoner and a predator. By all rights you should act like all the rest, but you don''t. It''s really starting to bug me".

    Aegin sighed, "So you want me to be cruel to you? To treat you like a monster and leave you to rot?"

    Rassa frowned, turning away.

    "I thought not".

    There was silence between the two of them for quite a long time, then Aegin''s voice broke through the darkness as he prepared to leave.

    "To be honest, I have no idea," Aegin admitted, "Ever since I first saw you, there''s been this part of me that just feels...I don''t know...drawn to you, I guess. And when I spoke to you, interacted with you, it was like something just...clicked. I don''t care that you''re a predator, a monster, a vampire, a boy, whatever you are. However you define yourself. To me, you are Rassa, he who does not fear death. Who does not fear imprisonment. Who does not fear the cruelty of the humans who desire to keep him as a pet. Watching you feels...liberating in a way".

    "Liberating?" Rassa chuckled, "I think you''ve misunderstood. Of course I feel fear. Of death, of imprisonment, or being treated like I am-"

    "Perhaps, but you do the one thing that very few your age, or few ever, have done," Aegin cut him off, "You have the courage to overcome it. To accept it has happened, and move forward. That is why I continue to come here and speak with you. Because if you can do it, maybe I can learn how to do it as well".

    Rassa looked at Aegin for a moment, then tasted the saltiness of a tear he hadn''t realised had fallen. He wiped it quickly away, forgetting for a moment that Aegin couldn''t actually see him in the darkness. Then he spoke.

    "I need you to promise me Aegin," Rassa said.

    "What?" asked Aegin.

    "Promise that when I get out, if what this place has done to me turns me into...a living death...promise you''ll kill me so that even with all the cruelty in this world, at least the innocent won''t drown with the guilty," Rassa said.

    Aegin stared through the darkness for a moment, then nodded, "So long as I can break that promise".

    Rassa frowned, and Aegin seemed to sense his annoyance. With a smile, he stood and turned away.

    "No matter how dark you get Rassa, you''re a good judge of character. I don''t think you''d ever let the innocent drown, you''d probably build an island just so they could be kept safe on it".

    Rassa found himself being glad that Aegin sounded so sure, because in all honesty...he wasn''t.

    In the silence that remained, Rassa went once more into deep thought. What Aegin had described to him, about how he felt drawn to Rassa...it wasn''t keeping with the norm. Most people weren''t drawn to Rassa unless it was for their own selfish desires. But like Rassa had said, Aegin wasn''t getting anything out of this. Feeling his suspicions rise, Rassa consulted Victor.

    ''I can''t be sure unless you ingest his blood,'' Victor explained, ''But it sounds to me that the boy is from a long line of Sanguine''.

    Rassa frowned, ''I thought Sanguine required a bond to be loyal''.

    ''Normally yes,'' Victor agreed, ''But if the bond is consistent across generations, is becomes a part of their genetic makeup. Despite the thousands of generations between the fall of Chaos and now, it seems his contact with you has awakened a need within him to be close with you, and in turn, your instinct to trust him to fulfil your needs to the best of his ability. He would be a fitting Sanguine for you''.

    Rassa tilted his head in thought. He supposed Victor was right, but still, it wasn''t smart for him to form a bond just yet. Not whilst he was still imprisioned.

 Chapter 69 The Fathers Pain*

    *The Eldovian Era 1708*

    Arita Jekani was frustrated. She''d spent her whole career as a Magician trying to validate the use of Light Magicians in combat, and today, in front of everyone at the Guild and for the umpteenth time, she was dismissed. The Guild Meetings only happened once a month, the Guild Presentations once every six months. For the first time in six years she''d had a breakthrough in how to convince the Guild of her ideas. But it has seemed that as soon as she stood up to the platform, every single one of her colleagues had turned away, dismissing her as if she was some pretender.

    Slumping down into a chair in the centre of her laboratory, she leaned her head back and sighed. What was it the Guild Master had said to her?

    "Soon, Arita. One day soon they''ll have no choice but to acknowledge you".

    "Well soon is never soon enough," Arita grumbled. To be honest, Arita wasn''t even sure where she''d gone wrong. Was it because they were all traditionalists that her ideas were dismissed so readily? Arita didn''t think so, they were all gifted Magicians trying to forge their own frontiers as well. Only when it came to Light Magicians, it was as if they all stepped back and shook their heads in disapproval. They''re only good for praying and shining a light in the darkness. Arita thought she''d proved them wrong when she''d managed to coalesce beams of light into a solid object, the project that had made her a Grandmaster. Sure, there''d been a few that were shocked, especially considering her age at the time, a mere 23, but now, over a decade later, and Arita hadn''t really moved forward.

    Arita''s gaze went to the empty corner of her laboratory where a certain pale boy had once held residence for a brief period. She''d thought that he could be the answer. But she''d let her guard down.

    Her lab may have been on the outskirts of the city, but as a Magician with little positive reputation, many kept a wide berth, or simply didn''t even acknowledge her presence there. She preferred in that way, as it allowed her to undergo projects that were riskier than what she was technically qualified for. As a result of her neglect in security, someone had stolen her chance. Had drugged her wine when she wasn''t looking and disappeared into the night with a child in chains. Arita wasn''t exactly sure how they''d done it, but considering the lack of witnesses, she assumed that they had to be Magicians of some kind. Most likely of the Dark variety. Their Shadow travel ability was the envy of many. They''d been trying to alter it to become a form of mass transportation of years without much luck. She could only hope that the child had put up a fight. She certainly didn''t want to think of what fate had come of him. She''d been the only one apart from his immediate family and his friend Jane to treat him as an individual instead of an animal. And still she''d kept him chained.

    That was probably what she regretted the most from her short interaction with him. Chaining him. Surely she would have discovered far more had she let him roam free. He certainly had had no intent of going on another killing spree. Especially when food was so readily available to him.

    But there was no changing the past. Wherever he''d ended up, she hoped he was treated better, however unlikely that wish was.

    Turning back to her messy lab desks, Arita sighed. It was time to start over. That was all she could do in this situation. Start again in the promise of doing better next time.

    Arits placed her hands on the arms of her chair and went to haul herself up, only to feel the cool kiss of a blade at her neck. Arita froze instantly.

    "Where is my son?" asked a deep and angry voice.

    Arita frowned, "Who?"

    She was hastily turned around to face a man with dirty golden hair and blue eyes, he was older, in his late thirties at least, and wrapped in a dark brown travelling cloak suited more for a peasant than someone who wielded such an elaborately designed sword, "My son, where is he?"

    Arita''s eyes narrowed, even with the blade at her throat, and recognition slowly washed over her at the face she was seeing. she''d never spoken to him directly, but she''d seen him on more than one occasion during her trip to Cordon nearly three years before.

    "Phillip, right?"

    The man urged her to continue.

    Arita didn''t know what to say. How to tell a father that she''d lost his only child due to her negligence? That seemed cruel. Yet there was no other way to say it, so she decided to just get it over with. If worse came to worse, she could fight him off...she hoped.

    "He was taken barely a fortnight after we arrived, I don''t know where and I haven''t seen him since," Arita admitted.

    There was a beat of silence, then the man gave a deep growl of rage as he lifted his sword to slice down at her. Arita reacted in an instant, pulling the light particles around her into the form of a shield to block the sword. The sword reverberated off of it, and Arita kicked her chair away as she stood, backing away.

    "There is no call for that!"

    "I trusted you with his safety!" Phillip shouted back. He moved quickly. It seemed that knowing his opponent could fight back had given him the will to use the skills he''d long left behind, Arita could do little but dodge and block when she could. There was one point where she felt a cut to her leg, not deep enough to do extreme damage, but it still hurt. She shouted out her pain, then followed it with a desperate explanation. She wasn''t a fighter. She''d never been trained. Too reliant on her magic she''d never faced an opponent as apt as Phillip was.

    "I swear I didn''t intend for it to happen!"

    Phillip paused, and Arita took the chance immediately to keep talking.

    "Everything was fine, he was eating well and being cooperative, but one morning I woke up after being drugged the night before and he was just gone. There was no trace of him ever being here!" Arita pleaded, "We couldn''t use resources to search for him as it would alert the wider community to our knowledge of him. Knowledge that we knew shouldn''t be widespread. He was just a boy after all, no threat to us".

    Phillip clenched his hand that was holding the sword then shouted angrily, pulling his arm back and throwing the sword across the room for it to embed in the wall with a distinct thunk. It wobbled shortly before everything in the room stilled. Arita cautiously looked up at Phillip, silent as he breathed heavily in an attempt to calm his anger.

    "Tell me everything that happened," Phillip replied.

    "We suspected they were dark attribute Magicians, though there were no witnesses to affirm. It was like they were ghosts," Arita said.

    Phillip closed his eyes in frustration, then walked over to the wall and pulled his sword out before sheathing it. He went to exit and Arita frowned.

    "You don''t want to know more?" asked Arita.

    Phillip paused and turned to face her, pulling his hood back up again, "That was enough, I know who took him, now I just have to figure out where".

    "Who took-"

    The door to her laboratory slammed shut, and Arita was left in silence.

    Perhaps the anger that had fuelled Rassa''s killing spree in Cordon was not entirely instinct.

 Chapter 70 The Suspicious Neighbour*

    Rassa had just been thinking it had been uneventful for too long when she showed up. For a prisoner, she smelled rather clean. The Guards just showed up one morning and tossed her into the cell beside Rassa''s. She begged and pleaded, and Rassa had to commend her acting. If not for the smell of some floral perfume, he would have probably believed she truly was a prisoner.

    Though it did make him happy to know that Zaroth hadn''t worked out how heightened his senses were.

    The sobbing that originated in that cell for the next few hours was ignored. Rassa had been attempting to rest when she was thrown in, so having that interrupted wasn''t earning her any sympathy points. In fact, Rassa found it quite irritating that the space that had been his for the past three years was being invaded. Sure, it was a prison, but all those hours he''d spent inside it alone, he couldn''t help but call it his. When rest turned out to be a dead end, Rassa picked up the white rock and started drawing again. He''d gotten better over the years, at least in his opinion. Not like anyone really commented on his erratic drawings. He was working on a Sanguine mark at the moment. He''d thought for a long time what he wanted his mark to be. He didn''t want to just copy Victor''s use of flowers. Though they were always beautiful, it felt too impersonal for Rassa to use them. In the end, he''d decided on the first thing that had made him enjoy his new life. The Moon.

    The moon itself was obviously pretty easy to draw, even the phases of the moon were the same. The circle, crescents and incomplete circles were just shapes, they didn''t seem to have any personality to them. Rassa had filled the shapes with patterns. Seemingly erratic and chaotic, just like his Life Lines. It served as a sufficient distraction from the young woman next door. The woman who, upon acknowledging the fact that Rassa was purposefully ignoring her, became increasingly frustrated.

    Rassa could not actually see her thanks to the solid wall between them, but that didn''t mean he couldn''t hear it as her lips uttered near silent curses, and her fists clenched in annoyance.

    It was nearly twelve hours before Rassa learned her name, and that was only due to Zaroth''s visit with another slave.

    The slave shivered in fear as it was pushed into Rassa''s cell, the Vampire too preoccupied with his drawing to care about him.

    "Rassa, your meal is here," Zaroth prompted.

    Rassa ignored Zaroth, he would feed when he was good and ready to.

    Zaroth, like always, was not to be deterred, "If you do not wish to feed we can take him back".

    The slave ran back to the cell door at these words, though the door didn''t actually open.

    Rassa rolled his eyes, "Should you not feed your house guest as well? Can''t imagine why you would put her in the cell beside me though, really a poor choice of accommodations. The arrangement doesn''t suit either of us".

    "So you''ve met Seri?" asked Zaroth, sounding pleased.

    "I''ve listened to her whine and moan for the past half a day," Rassa replied, "It''s really quite irritating".

    Rassa caught the sound of the small gasp from the woman next door, though it was quiet enough that he shouldn''t have heard it, so he didn''t react. Not that he had to try hard. She was exceptionally boring.

    "Seri here was charged with theft from the mine, it seems to be an increasing occurrence these days. The cells above were full so you understand, I''m sure," Zaroth pressed.

    Lies. All lies. Rassa could hear the stuttering beat of his heart, smell the sweat on his palms. To anyone else that was present, Zaroth probably sounded quite convincing, a practiced liar, but he couldn''t hide his body''s natural reaction, the thrill it got from convincing others of falsities.

    "Sounds like a mighty big problem there, Doc. Perhaps you could save some money and feed a few to me instead of just locking them up or buying more slaves," Rassa stated. He was across the cell in an instant, one hand around the waist of the slave and the other covering the slave''s eyes as he tilted the young man''s head back to expose his neck. Rassa was large enough to meet the height of an adult slave now. And considering how neglected the slaves were, there were often times when Rassa''s imposing presence dwarfed them.

    "After all," Rassa stated as he let his fangs extend, "I''m not opposed to an extra meal".

    His fangs sunk into the neck of the slave as he looked over to the other cell, meeting the eyes of Seri as he did so. He saw her fear, but he also saw her intrigue. She was a very pretty young woman, but her beauty didn''t change the fact that she was most likely a spy sent by Zaroth.

    Zaroth didn''t look at all phased by Rassa''s display. But then, Rassa had long learned that Zaroth thought he was the ruler of this little mine, that everything in it was beneath him. He had a rude awakening coming his way.

    The slave dropped to the floor, and Rassa switched his gaze to Zaroth.

    "Either remove her, or feed her to me. She has no business trying to garner sympathy from me," Rassa threatened, then he turned and went back to his drawing on the opposite side of the cell.

    "What are you drawing today?" asked Zaroth, ignoring Rassa''s threat.

    Rassa didn''t deign to give a reply, just kept on carving with the white rock, of which there were less and less he found in his little cell.

    The cell door was unlocked, and the slave dragged out. Rassa never bothered to attempt an escape, as they''d set up a two-door system when Rassa''s behaviour started becoming more violent. The second door could only be unlocked from the outside, and only after the first door was closed. As much as Rassa would love to test it, no one was stupid enough to come into his cell arrogantly anymore, let alone unlock a door for him.

    Despite his insistence, Seri was left in her cell. Leaving her and Rassa in, thankfully, a silent darkness once more.

 Chapter 71 The Noble Visitor*

    It had taken him months, but finally, Aegin had found a way to answer the questions that had been burning within him. He''d been sent on various missions, his father had no doubt suspected him because of his behaviour and had tried to keep him occupied. Still, every spare moment that Aegin could find was dedicated to getting information. Information privy only to the Duke''s private office.

    It was almost impossible to get near the office without being detected, certainly during the day when the office window was in plain view of a nearby garden frequented by servants and other kinds of foot traffic. Never mind the hall door. That was under constant guard watch day and night. The Ridge Men were not Guards. They weren''t even allowed inside the estate except for when they were receiving their missions.

    It had been too risky for Aegin to make a move, so instead, he''d waited for an opportunity. If nothing else, his time amongst the Ridge Men had taught Aegin patience.

    Finally, just as Autumn was arriving, the opportunity came. Aegin had overheard the guards preparing for the ''Noble Visitor''. It was a code word used amongst all of the forces of the Kildare family. It meant that the Emperor himself was visiting.

    Outside of the Kildare family, it was very rare for the Emperor to visit anybody. Most of the public believed that he rarely left the capital. If it were up to his advisors, the Emperor really would never leave the Palace. But the Kildare family had always had stubbornness in their veins.

    So why was the Emperor''s visit such a big deal for Aegin? Because the entire security of the estate would be focused on keeping the Emperor safe. That meant that not only were the guards surrounding the Duke of a lesser pedigree, but they were also less likely to spot trouble. And more importantly, the Duke himself would focus his time more on pleasing the Emperor than anyone else.

    It may have been strange for the Duke, a Kildare by blood, to curry favour with a relative, but that relative was the Emperor, and from a more significant branch of the Kildare family. His favour in all things were a basic requirement to keep the Kildare line in power. After all, an Emperor could easily swing his favour to the family of one of his advisors or one of his queens or concubines should their words be pretty enough or their coffers big enough. It depended entirely on the state of the empire. And the Empire was on the decline.

    The Emperor was staying the night, so Aegin picked his time carefully. The Duke would not want to show off the Emperor''s visit, it was more than likely he''d use the evening to have drinks with the Emperor rather than a lavish party. Sure enough, there were no extravagant orders from the kitchen nor changes in guard rotation. Just a carriage that arrived inconspicuously during the day and left mid-afternoon with a body double.

    Now all that was left was to wait until the candles in the parlour were lit.

    Aegin rested on the balcony that was attached to the Parlour. It overlooked the cliffs and the main town far below. Just to his right and two floors down was the balcony he would usually go to when receiving his missions. The balcony he now sat on was much larger, and used for entertaining guests in the summer months. Now, with the chill in the air, they were unlikely to come outside, and even if they did, there were plenty of hiding spots for Aegin to take advantage of.

    It was after eleven when the Duke and the Emperor, a younger man with an even more arrogant air about him than his older companion, entered the Parlour.

    Aegin took out a crystal glass he''d swiped from a local tavern, and placed it carefully against the glass of the window from the corner of the balcony. Though the voices were slightly muffled, Aegin could piece together enough of the conversation to understand what they were saying.

    "...enough of your indulgences, Cornerlius," the Emperor whined, "Tell me some good news".

    "Well, Francois has managed to secure a connection to the dwarves in-"

    "You know what I meant, Cornelius," the Emperor sighed, he sounded partly drunk already, but that only made Aegin''s job easier, "How are things going with the little monster you locked up?"

    Cornelius sighed, "Progress has been...slow, Your Majesty. Doctor Zaroth is doing all he can to discover the boy''s secrets but the boy is becoming more and more hostile towards his efforts".

    "And of our ultimate goal?" asked the Emperor.

    There was silence, and Aegin had to stop himself from leaning closer to listen, movement would only make somebody aware of his presence.

    "The girl was placed in the cell beside him...unfortunately as per the last report, the boy showed no signs of interest in her," Cornelius admitted.

    They must have been talking about Seri. Even Aegin had found her irritating the last time he''d visited Rassa. He''d only put up with her for half an hour, let alone the weeks she''d been within Rassa''s range. She clearly had no idea of the extent of his senses. Despite her imprisonment, she was still wearing clothes more lavish than that of a prisoner. Perhaps not of a noble, but her smell was enough to tell Rassa that she wasn''t thrown there coincidently. Aegin need play no part in alerting him of that.

    A glass was smashed, and Aegin frowned. What was their ultimate goal?

    "It doesn''t sound like your blood if he is not drawn to a pretty face, Cornelius, are you sure of who the boy is?" asked the Emperor.

    Aegin froze at the implication in their words. Whoa, what?

    "He is Phillip''s boy, that is a certainty," Cornelius replied.

    The Emperor seethed in anger, "We need an heir, Cornelius, we''re all getting older, and without any children in our houses we are beginning to receive questions of our virility. The whole family is. Our only solution to break the curse is to have someone who is of our bloodline yet does not acknowledge it produce our offspring for us. As far as you have told me, this Rassa is not even aware of his origins, he should have no problem producing offspring, and yet you tell me that the first pretty girl he''s exposed to in his years as a man is producing nothing?"

    There was silence for a moment, "I''ll have Zaroth hurry the process along".

    "You had better".

    Aegin removed the glass cup from the window as carefully as possible, then slipped over the edge of the balcony and down the cliff.

    Grandson. Rassa was the Grandson of Cornelius Kildare. He was a Kildare? Why the hell were they locking a Kildare in a place like Jerrica? No wonder Phillip had left.

    Aegin paused halfway down the cliff, a question popping into his head at the image of seeing Phillip in Cordon. The look on his father''s face.

    Has his father known the whole time? Aegin frowned. Only one way to find out.

 Chapter 72 The Ridge Mans Loyalties*

    Aegin did not have to look hard for his father. In the north eastern district of Fountain Ridge, right on the border of the forest lands, there stood an inconspicuous little house that the Ridge Men had called their headquarters for the last three generations. Perhaps there were some that wondered why so many men clothed in black frequented the house, but they knew enough not to ask about it. To not investigate. Those who weren''t smart enough? They learned quickly.

    Still, Aegin had little care for what passers-by thought as he ran into the little house and pushed passed everyone else whilst he was searching for his father. All the while, Aegin hoped he was wrong. He hoped that what he suspected was going to be written off as ridiculous. Aegin had always respected his father as a man of the Ridge. Everyone on the Ridge knew the name Raymond Shadowsmith. They said he could craft shadows in his midst. Shadows to protect his allies, and condemn his enemies. He was a legend. Yet Aegin had also had what some my misconstrue as a pleasure to call him father. Raymond had always been a man of the Ridge before a father though, which had inevitably led to a lack of familial duties on his part. Raymond had always been more focused on forging another soldier, not a son. Perhaps that was why Aegin had spent so much of the last few years asking questions he wasn''t supposed to. He was just looking for a path that hadn''t been forced on him. For a life that he could lead confidently.

    And now, now that it had all been brought into question, Aegin had to push all of his insecurities regarding his relationship with Raymond aside. There had been many things Aegin had been uncomfortable with over the years, but somehow this, condemning a boy that turned out to be one of their masters to Jerrica, had pushed him over the line.

    Aegin paused before the doors that led to the meeting room of the Commanders. There were five in total, and one of the absolute rules was not to interrupt them whilst they were in session unless something dire occurred. Aegin wasn''t stupid enough to believe that his concerns qualified as ''dire'', but he also couldn''t bring himself care about that in that moment. He barged through the doors and into the middle of a meeting.

    "Aegin!" Raymond snapped, standing immediately to reprimand his son''s disrespectful behaviour, "We''re in the middle of a me-"

    "Did you know?" asked Aegin, cutting off his father. The room fell silent, and Raymond''s eyes narrowed at the look his son was giving him.

    "Whatever it is, Aegin, we''ll discuss it later, right now I''m-"

    "The boy that we delivered into the bowels of Jerrica, the one we left to the whims of Zaroth, did you know he was a Kildare?" Aegin reiterated.

    He wanted a straight answer. He was sick of the excuses. Of the distractions and the lies. He wasn''t leaving until he had a straightforward answer this time.

    The room was silent, then one of the other commanders, Incah, rose and pointed at Aegin as he left, "Deal with this, Shadowsmith. The Ridge is not place for a questioner, and I think we''ve tolerated the boy''s misdemeanours long enough".

    The others left, and Raymond stood from his seat, looking across the small meeting room to where Aegin stood in the doorway.

    "I''ve told you time and again, Aegin," Raymond seethed, "It is not our place to question".

    "And I told you that maybe it should be," Aegin snapped back, taking a step forward, "If we''d questioned, perhaps we wouldn''t have condemned one of the individuals we are honour bound to protect into this continent''s darkest prison!"

    "He is not a Kildare!" Raymond snapped back, "His father threw off the name, and thereby did so for his descendants. They are no longer of the Kildare bloodline".

    "Being of the Kildare bloodline is the only reason he''s even in that mine!" snapped Aegin, "After all, I''m sure you''re aware that the Kildare bloodline is essentially infertile. Evidently the rumours of it being cursed are very much true".

    "Aegin, you''re stepping over a line and you can''t take it back," Raymond warned.

    "What makes you think I would want to?" asked Aegin, "What makes you think you know anything about me? You''ve never once asked me what I believed in, or were those questions forbidden as well?"

    "Stop it, Aegin, you''re being ridiculous," Raymond growled.

    "No, I''m being loyal," Aegin corrected, "Loyal to what I believe to be right. If that means trusting an individual that everyone else believes is a monster, or in the Duke''s case a stud horse, then fine".

    "Enough!" snapped Raymond, "This is not a subject for debate, Aegin. Our duty is to carry out the orders of the Duke of Fountain Ridge. That has always been our duty, it is what makes us Ridge Men. Unfortunately, that means making and doing difficult things for the benefit of our people".

    "This isn''t benefitting anyone but the Kildare family!" snapped Aegin.

    "The Kildare family is vital for the stability of this continent, Aegin. If it and all of its businesses and trade deals were to collapse, then there would be nothing and no one left to keep this Empire running. It is imperative that they have heirs to continue their businesses," Raymond replied.

    "At the expense of a child''s freedom? At the expense of his sanity?"

    "Empires have been built on worse things than the suffering of a child," Raymond stated.

    Aegin frowned. What kind of argument was that? Of course he was factually right, but that didn''t make it morally right. So, Aegin turned and stepped back towards the door, "Those Empires all fell eventually, did they not?"

    Aegin managed to dodge the first blow, something that seemed to surprise his father. Surprise him enough that Aegin also managed to get a few hits of his own in before his father started fighting back.

    Aegin breathed heavily, he knew that he''d never been able to truly keep up with his father. Sure, he had the training, but he didn''t have the loyalty and dedication his father had. There was no motivation in Aegin''s heart to hone his precision in battle. He wished there had been. Eyes wide and scared at the look his father gave him, the look that showed no familial bond, only blind loyalty, Aegin struck out. His father blocked, then cut quickly to the side, jabbing Aegin in the ribs. Aegin flinched and retreated hurriedly, circling his father.

    "I''m leaving," Aegin stated, though his voice didn''t seem as determined as he had been a few moments before. Raymond''s eyes darkened, the father gone. Aegin lunched.

    Block.

    Feint to the left.

    Duck.

    Swipe the leg.

    Aegin crashed to the ground and Raymond leaped on top of him to hold him down.

    "You''ve got a lot to learn, boy," Raymond growled. He drew back his fist, and brought it down on Aegin''s temple.

    ***

    Aegin could smell the forest air. The pine needles and the damp undergrowth. His head pounded. He groaned as he rolled to his hands and knees, then squinted his eyes open to look around.

    What happened?

    As soon as he asked the question, it all came flooding back to him. He pushed the pain to the back of his mind before he jumped to his feet and turned in all directions. His father was leaning against a tree, facing away from him.

    "You''re too late now," his father stated, "The orders were sent off last night, there''s no way you''ll catch them in time, let alone save your little friend, if that''s what you call him".

    Aegin''s eyes widened, "What have you done?"

    "My duty," his father replied, turning to look at Aegin.

    Aegin narrowed his eyes in anger, "He doesn''t deserve any of this! He''s done nothing, wrong or right!"

    Raymond pushed away from the tree and began to walk away, "This is the last kindness I will give you as a father, though it is evident I was never great at that job anyway. I have done my duty, now you decide what yours is".

    Aegin watched his father leave, suddenly aware of what his father had done. Aegin had betrayed the Ridge Men, he''d broken his oath. By all rights, Aegin should have been killed. Likely everyone would believe he had been. His father would not betray something he believed in, and Aegin should never have asked him to. Aegin took a moment to get his bearings, then began running.

    His duty? He wasn''t so sure about that yet. But he knew what was right.

 Chapter 73 The Persistance of Foes*

    She was a persistent b*tch, Rassa had to give her that. She''d hardly shut up for weeks. It wasn''t like it wasn''t obvious what she was doing either. Just more and more bullsh*t spilt to gain sympathy that Rassa did not have any intention of giving. Eventually, her incessant talking and whining became background noise. Rassa almost became grateful to have something other than the silence to greet him when he woke up. Almost. She could have used a more soothing voice.

    He had, at one point, told her to shut up before he acted on the need to rip out her vocal cords. Evidently that only served to encourage her. So, Rassa had sighed and turned back to doing his own thing. Rather than treating it as a curse, he started using it as a way to hone his senses. Though, her being in the same place nearly the entire time meant he had to move around his larger cell in order to really take advantage of any training to be had. Luckily, she never seemed to realise what he was doing. His movements had become near soundless, which was all the more scary any time someone entered his cell. To move from one place to another faster than the wind, yet never make a sound, more than a few had screamed before Rassa had sunk his fangs into their veins. He wasn''t picky about where. The taller he''d gotten, the higher up the body he''d tended to attack, from wrists he''d gone to upper arms, then throats. Apparently the throat was the scariest for most people though, because now they tended to cover their throats like that would stop Rassa from attacking them. Did they forget that Rassa just needed access to a vein? It didn''t matter to him where, the throat just happened to be the easiest access point for his height.

    Seri had asked once if he''d kill her if given the chance. It was one of the only questions that Rassa deigned to answer amongst all her drivel.

    "Depends how hungry I am, and how thin my patience". Probably one of the most honest answers he''d given to anyone in years. She didn''t seem to like that answer though.

    "I thought we were friends?"

    That had made Rassa laugh. It''d been a long time since he''d laughed, truly laughed. It felt good, despite the dark topic they were discussing. Maybe that was just where his humour was headed? Who knew, one needed more opportunities to laugh to truly know their tastes in humour.

    Seri hadn''t liked that either, she didn''t seem to like a lot of things that Rassa did, and yet she kept at it. She must have been getting paid a fortune.

    ***

    The rat was without a doubt Zaroth''s pride and joy. Fed on a diet of blood for over a year now, and it had shown no signs of deteriorating so long as it was fed. It had increased in strength and speed, and perhaps best of all, did not seem affected by the anthrite as the original specimen had. The only reason it had yet to break out of the cage was because it was anthrite, the strongest metal known, and it was just a rat.

    It''s resistance to the anthrite had led Zaroth to a conclusion that had been later verified by the dwarves. Anthrite was a metal that at its core, was almost crystalline in structure, it could therefore hold magical energy. In the case of the original specimen, it seemed that its abilities stemmed from the Life Lines on its back. When in contact with anthrite, those abilities seemed to be cut off as the anthrite continuously took the energy the Specimen need to activate its abilities. Thanks to the rats having no Life Lines, anthrite did not have the same effect on them. It was quite fascinating, and Zaroth had counted it as a tremendous success. He was capable of creating powerful soldiers now, and so long as they were fed blood regularly, they would be controllable and unstoppable. The idea had thrilled him to no end. He hardly saw the point in keeping around the noble escort that had been attempting to connect with the specimen in recent weeks. Still, it would be interesting to see if actual offspring would compare to what Zaroth had managed to discover on his own. And now, it seemed the time had come.

    The orders had arrived in the afternoon, and Zaroth had called in a few guards immediately.

    "Sir?"

    "Prepare to chain him, completely," Zaroth ordered, "We''re sending the whore in".

    "But sir-"

    "I provided you with anthrite armour for a reason, put it to good use," Zaroth snapped back.

    The Guard had no room for further arguments, then nodded, "It will be done then, Sir".

    "Wait until after his meal though, when he lets his guard down," Zaroth instructed.

    "Yes, Sir".

    The Guards retreated down into the depths of the mines to prepare.

    Zaroth grinned as he watched his prized rat lap up the last of the blood it''d been fed for the day.

    "I see they''re finally getting impatient," Zaroth said, "At least I have a back-up plan if this fails now, right little one?"

    Zaroth teased the rat with a finger, then grinned as he stood and got to work.

    ***

    On the edge of the Seisin Mountains, a young man in a travelling cloak caught himself on a tree, breathing heavily as he looked up at the mountains before him. They had never seemed so imposing before, dark clouds gathering across the ranges. The air just didn''t feel right.

    The young man sucked in a deep breath, "Come on Aegin, just a bit further. You have to get to him before they do".

    The young man straightened his back, took another breath, then dashed forward again. He''d pushed himself hard the entire journey, barely stopping to rest. The horse he had brought to eat up the ground between him and the one he was pursuing had long since given out. But now he was at the last leg, he was almost there. He just hoped that he''d get there in time.

 Chapter 74 The Change in the Air*

    There was something wrong. At first, because he''d learned not to care at all, he hadn''t quite worked out what it was. He drained the slave he was given, and waited for them to take out the body and move on their way so he could get on with his lesson and not be disturbed. But the way they moved, the way they glanced at him out of the corner of their eyes. They seemed...it took a while for Rassa to put a finger on it. Scared? No, they were always scared, this was different. Disgusted? No, that look was different...Cautious? Why were they cautious? Sure they were always cautious, but they seemed to be testing him, weighing him in their hands and seeing what he was capable of, what he could do to them. As if they didn''t know already.

    It disturbed Rassa to no end. What exactly were they waiting for? When Victor perked up from the depths of Rassa''s soul, Rassa hushed him.

    ''What?'' Victor had asked.

    ''Something''s not right,'' Rassa insisted.

    Victor had sighed, ''Is there anything that is right in this place? Go into specifics''.

    Rassa recalled the way they had looked at him, and Victor grew slightly hesitant as well. Though, the arrogant Vampire within him was less cautious than Rassa himself.

    ''Shall we get on with the lesson?''

    Rassa hesitated a moment, ''Not tonight. I don''t like this''.

    ''You still have much to-''

    ''Not tonight'' Rassa hissed.

    It was the first time that Rassa had shown any form of dominance over Victor. If Victor was being honest, it surprised him a little.Was he pissed that a little fledgling was daring to speak against him?

    Yes.

    Annoyed that he hadn''t the body nor the will to subdue Rassa himself?

    Certainly.

    But just an inkling...a tiny part of him that he thought was reserved only for the children he''d never had the chance to have.

    That part was proud.

    Oh how far this little fledgling had come since he''d entered the cave where Victor and his brethren had dwelled.

    Just because of that, Victor retreated back to where he''d come.

    Rassa, positive that something was going to go terribly wrong, scanned his cell despite the fact that he knew he would find nothing to help him. Nothing that could really help him to escape. In the end, his eyes landed on the cot that he''d been chained to plenty of times before. He wasn''t going to be chained to it again.

    Rassa made no attempt to be quiet as he stalked towards the cot. It was made of iron, not anthrite, but it would have to do.

    He extended his claws, then tested them against the metal, dragging his claw across to see how deep of a groove it created, to see how sharp his claws were. The whining metal roused the woman next door.

    "Rassa? What''s that noise?"

    Rassa looked at the groove, it seemed sufficient. Standing, Rassa lifted a leg, and crashed his foot down on one side of the groove. The broken metal scraped one side of his foot and cut into his knee, but Rassa barely flinched, taking the piece of metal he''d broken off and ripping it''s other end from the tiny frame. The sound of scraping metal echoed through the halls, but Rassa did nothing to stop it. It wouldn''t change what was coming.

    "Rassa! Are you okay?"

    Concern. Rassa almost scoffed. He''d bet money to ask if she was actually concerned about him, or just concerned what she was going to report.

    As Rassa used his strength to shape the metal into a very crude looking sword that he wasn''t actually sure would do much damage, he heard it. The clinking of chains.

    He growled low and deep, and heard it as Seri shook with its impact.

    "R-Rassa? What''s wrong?"

    She probably knew better than he did, but it was too late to ask questions now, he''d find out soon.

    Rassa looked around the cell, where would be best for him to stand? Where so that they could not corner him?

    The answer seemed all too obvious. In front of the door. They wouldn''t even dare to come in if he was standing by the door...right?

    The tension and nerves in his body were making him question his logical thought.

    When he saw the Guards coming, Zaroth in tow, Rassa took a deep breath and clenched his fist around the ''hilt'' of the makeshift sword he''d created.

    Zaroth seemed both intrigued and unimpressed by Rassa''s show of defiance.

    "I''m not making you another bed," Zaroth stated, "Be a good boy and cooperate, this will be so much better for you if you do".

    Rassa''s eyes narrowed, "I don''t think this will go well for me any way I choose to proceed. But I''d rather fight that lie down and take it, have you not learned that yet?"

    A man appeared beside Zaroth, a whip at his hip. He was dressed in the same attire as Aegin usually was, though was clearly older, and he had one malicious smile on his face.

    "May I?"

    Zaroth waved him forward. The man took the whip from his hip, then dropped the length of it, the guards backed away. The man drew back and cracked the whip through the anthrite bars, right at Rassa.

    With a snap so quick that nobody saw it, Rassa caught the other end.

    The man chuckled, "Didn''t think I''d get to test this so quickly".

    His hand moved ever so slightly to reveal the small, cloudy looking crystal attached to the end of the whip''s handle. Rassa frowned when he saw it, then, a sudden realisation coursed through him. He tried to release the end of the whip, but even with his speed he was too late. The lightning from the crystal arched down along the inner links of the whip and straight into Rassa''s body. He may have been a Vampire, but he wasn''t impervious to a lightning strike. Rassa was thrown back across his cell and into the anthrite wall. He cringed as he hit it, then fell to the ground, gasping for breath as the lightning coursed through him.

 Chapter 75 The Desolating End of Boyhood*

    He vaguely registered Guards entering the cell with that damned anthrite net again as his ears rung and his jaw clenched. He groaned and rolled to his hands and knees, the makeshift sword he''d made lying just a foot away from him where he''d dropped it. He began crawling towards it, trying to shake off the effects of the shock, then he felt someone grab his wrist, and an anthrite cuff went around it.

    Rassa was snapped back to reality, and his eyes zeroed in on the cuff, on the chain it was attached to on the opposing wall. He felt the sudden pull as he was dragged along the ground to the centre of the cell. He dug his feet in and reached for his makeshift sword. Grabbing a hold of it, he took two running steps forward to gain some slack from the chain that held him then jumped and twisted as he passed another guard holding a cuff on the end of another anthrite chain. They may have been wearing armour, but they clearly hadn''t been expecting him to make a weapon. The guard''s head was severed from his body then Rassa landed and kicked out with another leg. He heard the snap of the whip behind him and he dodged quickly, just as the lightning pulsed out of the end of the whip and into the anthrite floor. The anthrite, unlike other metals, didn''t conduct the lightning, it just absorbed it. Rassa looked at the Ridge Man, who was grinning at the challenge before him.

    Rassa growled, "You''ve got no idea who you''re dealing with. Do your research next time".

    Rassa threw up his makeshift sword straight up into the air then jumped and spun, kicking the end of the sword. It propelled through the air and skewered the Ridge Man before he even knew what had happened.

    "You lack training," Rassa breathed. A pin drop could be heard in the cell, none of them had ever seen Rassa move like that, especially not chained with anthrite. They had no idea that he''d trained for three years under the tutelage of his father, and honed by his Vampire instincts, then spent the last three years in this cell training in battle under Victor''s watchful eye. Mirroring Victor''s every movement as he fought with a prowess no one on the continent had ever seen. A prowess lost to time.

    Rassa''s gaze went to Zaroth, "Get this damned thing off me".

    Zaroth grinned, "Oh no, not today". The unlocking of a cell door was heard, and the small steps of Seri echoed as she came to Zaroth''s side. Her time in the cell had not diminished her beauty. She was still very prettyl, and surprisingly clean, no doubt she''d been given more fresh water than Rassa had available. He honestly hadn''t thought to pay attention. Zaroth continued as he placed a hand on Seri''s shoulder, "Today, you have a special guest, and I''d hate for you to harm your entertainment. After all, it''s not every day a boy becomes a man".

    Rassa''s eyes narrowed, "I told you I was not a tool nor a toy the first day I came here. Do you seriously expect me to comply to your every stupid whim?"

    A guard had approached from behind and Rassa swung around and kicked him down, "I said, get them off me, not put them on".

    Zaroth sighed, "Rassa, when in the gods'' names are you going to learn? What you say has no place here. You are both a tool and a toy, you have been for years. It won''t matter how much you fight back. Your fate here is inevitable".

    Zaroth then nodded to the guards, then turned and walked away.

    Even with all his training and prowess. Even with his senses still heightened and the lightning whip taken care of. Rassa couldn''t fight them all off indefinitely. But he had had his fair share of blood by the time they managed to get him chained and the mask in place over his lethal fangs. He was standing, his feet both chained to the ground, his arms spread to either side of him so that he couldn''t move away. He watched as the guards left, dragging some of their dead with them, and Seri entered. She looked at the three bodies still lying on the floor then shut the gate behind her and looked down the tunnel. There was a single torch left in the room. And the halls fell silent as Seri took the key and placed it on the ground, then took a dagger from the inner folds of her dress. She approached Rassa slowly with what she, and many others, probably considered a seductive smile. In any other situation, Rassa may have even considered it so himself. But he was in no mood for this. Nor did he have room to fight against it happening.

    "Let''s see what we have to work with shall we?" she asked. She took her dagger and sliced Rassa''s old rags of clothing clean off him. They fell to the ground, and Seri looked Rassa up and down. She grinned, clearly happy with what she saw.

    "I admit I''m impressed, when they told me about you I didn''t expect you to be so...well-formed".

    Was she trying to flirt? Seriously? Rassa just glared at her.

    "Oh come now, I''ll make it fair".

    She shed her own dress, her naked flesh revealed in the low light of the torch''s flame.

    "See, we''re on even footing now," she said.

    Rassa tugged at his chains to make a point. She just shrugged in reply.

    "Well, what the Master wants, the Master gets," Seri stated, "Now let''s get you warmed up shall we?"

    She stepped forward and slid her fingers over Rassa''s pale skin. Rassa flinched back as the smell of her rose-scented perfume, but couldn''t get away despite his disgust. Seri grabbed his head and turned it to face her, then she leaned forward and placed a kiss right on top of his mask that did absolutely nothing to reassure Rassa of his current situation.

    "I''ll be gentle, I promise".

    She dropped to her knees.

 Chapter 76 The Betrayal in being too late*

    It was too quiet. But Aegin was past the front gates before he realised it. There was just something about it. Maybe it was that there was a biting cold in the air despite it being only Autumn. Maybe it was the lack of life surrounding the place, though Jerrica had never been all that lively to begin with. Or maybe, just maybe, it was the solemness that filled the eyes of every individual he snuck past. They all seemed to know that something unspeakable had happened, and they never ever wanted to witness anything like it again.

    Aegin hid in the shadowed corner of one of the tunnels as the girl who''d been beside Rassa''s cell strode up to a waiting Zaroth.

    "Took you long enough," said Zaroth.

    The young woman, whose countenance bore an arrogance and confidence that had not been there when Aegin had seen her previously, simply shrugged and gave a seductive smile, "Couldn''t be sure that once was enough. Besides, he might be only sixteen, but a body like that deserves to be enjoyed".

    Zaroth rolled his eyes, "Spare me your stories. I care about the result, not the process".

    The young woman grinned, "I would be surprised if I''m not pregnant".

    Aegin narrowed his eyes in disgust as she passed a nearby guard the anthrite mask that was usually on Rassa, then Aegin waited as they left. He wanted to deny what he''d just heard, but it was an undeniable truth.

    Rassa had been raped. Thoroughly. For a woman, it was not often seen as unlawful seeing as they were of a lesser status. But for a man to be raped? It was the ultimate condemning action for their social status and manhood. It was irreversible. But social status was hardly what Aegin cared about at the moment. He''d seen women who had been raped before, usually by those that called themselves ''Noble''. They did not cope well with it.

    Aegin stood in the darkness for a while, before he finally gained the courage to move forward. He had to see. Just to be sure, he had to see it.

    It was just as bad as when he''d found his friend as nothing more than a corpse. Perhaps worse.

    He was still chained to the floor and the walls, only his mask had been removed. He''d lowered himself to his knees, but it seemed that that was all the movement he''d been allowed. The torch was burning down to it''s last flame, but Aegin could still see clearly enough. The eyes, as Aegin had learned over the years, told you everything you needed to know about a person. Their feelings, their desires, their truths and lies. But these eyes, Rassa''s eyes...they had changed. It made Aegin wish he''d never learned how to read them as he watched, unable to draw his eyes away. Rassa''s eyes had always been dark, but inconceivably, they were now glazed and pale, staring into nothing. Lost in something that Aegin couldn''t even hope to fathom. Aegin gripped the bars to keep himself from falling at the devastating sight.

    He stared, but Rassa didn''t move. Didn''t even acknowledge his presence. He hadn''t cried, but that look of blankness��it was worse than tears. Worse than any wailing and crying. Finally, Aegin could take it no longer, and his voice cracked in the darkness.

    "R-Rassa?"

    Aegin swallowed to clear his dried-out throat. Rassa didn''t move.

    "Rassa, can you hear me?"

    Again, no response. Aegin slid down to squat so that he was somewhat level with his friend.

    "Rassa, please".

    The Vampire''s eyes snapped up, but Aegin found no solace in his gaze. No reassurance that he was okay. There was nothing but a deep pain, and an inconceivable rage. Rassa had never looked at him like that before, and Aegin released the bars in surprise.

    "R...Rassa?"

    The Vampire tilted it''s head to the side, its gaze predatory as its eyes narrowed.

    "You''re too late".

    Aegin couldn''t help the gasp that left his lips at that dark, emotionless tone. He said nothing, just waited in the darkness for Rassa to continue. To say something.

    "That is why you came this time isn''t it? You finally asked questions...you just asked them too late".

    "I''m sorry, Rassa I-"

    "Sorry?" Rassa chuckled, "It''s not your fault. At least, that''s what my head keeps telling me".

    His mocking smile dropped, and his face went back to that expressionless distance as his gaze turned back to the floor, "But another part tells me that by being late, you betrayed every form of trust I had in you. I think you humans call that part a heart".

    Aegin felt the tears roll down his cheeks, and wiped at them as he stood. He''d never really been close with anyone, at least, that was what he''d thought. But seeing Rassa like this, it made him realise just how much he''d come to value Rassa over all others. It wasn''t just loyalty. Somehow, without them even knowing it, Aegin had come to consider Rassa as a friend. One that he would not just abandon, "I''m going to get you out. I-"

    "Don''t bother," Rassa interjected, "You''ve been of no use to me so far, what use would you be now?"

    Aegin frowned, "I promised you, didn''t I?"

    "You promised to kill me once I got out. Or was it not to kill me? Why was that again? Because I was a good judge of character?" Rassa snapped, "See where that got me with you".

    Aegin knew it was the pain talking, but it still hurt. It hurt to see the only friend he''d ever made treat him like some accessory to his darkest hour.

    "So you''d rather stay in here?" Aegin asked.

    Rassa tugged at his chains, and the sound of clinking metal ran through the quiet halls, "Just go, Aegin".

    "What?" asked Aegin, frowning.

    "Leave," Rassa said, "I don''t want to see you ever again. If I do...you''ll meet the same fate as everyone else who has betrayed and used me".

    Aegin stood still, ready to challenge that broken tone that Rassa had adopted. If this was what friendship was, what it truly was, it was not something Aegin wished to abandon, "No".

    "LEAVE!" Rassa screamed out.

    It was so sudden and so terrifying that Aegin took a few steps back from the bars. He frowned. What kind of Assassin was he? He was pathetic. Allowing a chained man to scare him like that. Aegin turned away. Even if he had no desire to abandon Rassa, there was nothing he could do now. Not in this moment. He didn''t have the skills nor the power to break his friend out, and it appeared that even if he made the effort, Rassa was not in the right frame of mind to leave.

    "You''ll see me again," Aegin promised, "And next time, I won''t leave even when you scream at me".

    Then the shadow of Aegin disappeared once more.

    Rassa could only feel rage. Only pain. He had no consideration for Aegin, or anybody else. There was only one thing he desired now. So much so that he didn''t even bother counting the days anymore. He just fed, and fought them off with fangs whenever they tried to do what they had to him again. They never let him out of the chains anymore, not when he''d become the embodiment of all their nightmares.

 Chapter 77 The Student seeking a Master*

    Cordon was not what it had been when Aegin has once glimpsed it from the outside. There seemed to be some form of relief amongst the people there. A sense that they had moved on and forgotten what had happened. While this was no doubt good for those there, it did nothing to help Aegin. Nothing but tell him that Rassa''s father, Phillip, had long since left.

    To put it mildly, Aegin had been stumped on where to go next. After all, there was only so much that Aegin could ascertain by staring at the little village. Eventually, and seeing no other leads presented to him, Aegin decided to return to the spot where he''d first seen Rassa.

    Toulle.

    He''d surveyed the city itself, the Guild, the Knight''s Barracks, the taverns. He''d turned up empty on all accounts. Phillip was nowhere to be found. But surely he''d known his son would be taken here? That Magician had been the one to take Rassa from Cordon, so surely Phillip had been aware of that. No other logical step was presented, so, against his better judgement to stay in the shadows, Aegin sought out the Magician.

    "What?"

    That was the greeting he''d gotten when he''d shown up unannounced at the Magician''s lab on the outskirts of the city. It was rude, but Aegin couldn''t really bring himself to care.

    "Was there a man that came by here looking for his son?" asked Aegin, "The son that was no longer...human?"

    The Magician crossed her arms, "Who''s asking?"

    Aegin hesitated. It wasn''t like he could prove the relationship, but it was better than nothing, "A friend".

    "He didn''t have many friends from what I could ascertain," the Magician replied.

    "Not of Phillip, of the boy," Aegin replied.

    The Magician paused, looking over Aegin again, "You''ve seen Rassa?"

    Aegin sighed and awkwardly stepped back, "I was kind of part of the people who took him from you".

    There was a pause, then the Magican opened her hand and a light appeared that was so bright it momentarily blinded Aegin. He stepped back in shock, covering his eyes.

    "Argh! What the-"

    Aegin felt a hard kick to his stomach and he fell to the ground, disoriented.

    "Wait, I-"

    "What did you do with that, boy? He better still be alive!"

    "He''s alive!" Aegin shouted desperately, holding out his hands to show he was unarmed, though he was severely tempted to fight back as he gradually regained his sight, "He''s alive".

    The Magician paused, "Where is he?"

    "Knowing won''t help you," said Aegin, "Because you can''t help him. But...his father might be able to. I need to find Phillip, can you tell me where he went?"

    Stars danced in Aegin''s vision as it slowly returned, showing the blurry, cautious expression of the Magician as she weighed her options. Finally, she sighed and stepped back, "I don''t know where Phillip went. He showed up about a year ago looking for Rassa. I told him that he was taken and that the Guild and I could find no leads as to where. Once I mentioned the shadow-like disappearance, he said he knew who had taken Rassa, and that he just needed to find out where".

    Aegin sighed. Phillip would undoubtably know about the methods of the Ridge Men. But his family had several installations across the continent, there was no way to know for sure where Rassa had been taken. Phillip was likely going off the assumption that Cornelius actually wanted to get to know his grandson and convince him of his rightful lineage, and therefore would not lock him up too far away...Or was it the complete opposite because of the curse?

    Aegin didn''t like being stuck with that fifty-fifty chance. Jerrica or Fountain Ridge?

    Finally, after a few moments of thought, Aegin stood and turned away.

    "Where are you going?" asked the Magician.

    "Hopefully, after Phillip," Aegin replied, then went on his way once more.

    ***

    In truth, both options had their pros and cons. But if Phillip had gone to Jerrica, he would have been spotted more easily, and likely not made it into the mines without an appropriate cover. If that cover had passed, Phillip would still have a hard time getting Rassa out of the mines, and then there was the fact that it had been a year.

    At Fountain Ridge, Phillip was likely to be recognised. It had been 2 decades since he''d last set foot in his home city, but nobody forgot the face of a Kildare. The Ridge Men especially. Phillip would have a hard time navigating the city without alerting them to his presence, let alone the Duke''s estate. Phillip needed to get information on his son''s whereabouts, and still be free to do something about it, so the stupidest thing he could do was actually walk up to the estate and demand it. From the stories, Phillip hadn''t seemed stupid. Stubborn and determined, but not stupid.

    In the end, it had been a year, and Aegin had visited Jerrica multiple times during that year. With its small and routinely based operation, he hadn''t seen even a whisper of Phillip, so, Aegin turned his attention to Fountain Ridge.

    The problem with that? Aegin was supposedly dead. Going back would only serve to alert the Ridge Men of his father''s betrayal. Still, Phillip was the only ally Aegin knew he could count on. The only one who would be in this to protect Rassa rather than take advantage of him. So Aegin took the chance.

    Nearly three months after his father had supposedly ''killed'' him, Aegin returned to Fountain Ridge. Following his instincts, something that he tended to do more often now that he had nothing else to fall back on, Aegin headed to the slums, the less travelled section of the city. He figured that Phillip would survey from the one area no one would think to catch him dead in. Where no Kildare would dare to set foot in lest their reputation go up in flames.

    So, Aegin went from inn to inn, tavern to tavern, asking after a man of Phillip''s description. It was harder than he thought. After all, a man of Phillip''s description would look like a Kildare, and nobody would dare speak ill of a Kildare in their own city.

    Finally, when it was well after sunset and Aegin determined that he should look for a place to spend the night, he turned down an alley and instantly felt a blade at his throat. A dagger to be precise.

    "What''s a boy like you doing asking after a Kildare?"

 Chapter 78 The Doctors Diary Part 2*

    Eldovian Era 1708, 14th day of the 12th month:

    Despite my initial annoyance in having my work be interrupted by less informed forces, their intervention has borne fruit. The whore, Seri (though they refer to her as a Noble Escort. I can''t seem to understand the difference), is confirmed to be pregnant after her prolonged session with the specimen. It took longer than what would ordinarily be needed for the pregnancy to present, a factor which I am at this stage thinking is a result of the coupling involved.

    Since the aforementioned session, the specimen has remained chained in its cell. The child spy visits no longer, so I see no reason to keep unchaining the specimen. This is especially the case since the specimen has become near crazed since the session. It allows no one to approach it, and attempts to reapply the mask have all ended in failure despite the specimen''s extremely limited ability to move. Following the specimen''s previous display of combat skills far superior to previously believed, it is near impossible to have guards approach him, and slaves that are sent down to feed it are guaranteed a painful end. Where the Specimen once cared enough to somehow alleviate it''s victim''s pain, it now has no apparent care or sympathy for them.

    ***

    Eldovian Era 1709, 27th day of the 4th month:

    Seri seems to have finally reached a stage comparable to what physicians regard as the end of the first Trimester of pregnancy. This has occurred seven and a half months after the session, two and a half times slower than an ordinary human pregnancy. The only explanation for this is the species origin of the father, and therefore the fundamental difference in the foetus. The mother is becoming increasingly uncooperative, demanding more and more luxurious habitations. Surprisingly at this stage, the mother appears to still be consuming an ordinary human diet, though a vast amount more than average. I have attempted to entice her to drink blood in order to observe the results, but she has so far adamantly refused. It is quite frustrating.

    The specimen continues to be uncooperative. Considering its mood and the unwillingness of the guards to approach even the tunnel, the specimen has been reduced to being fed just once a fortnight. It seems to greatly resent this fact.

    The child spy seems to have been eradicated thanks to its inappropriate behaviour. I was informed by his replacement, whom I much prefer. At least this man is an adult. He is rather stoic as well, and only sticks around to do his job as ordered. He has no care for the Specimen, and has never visited the cell himself. A vast contrast to the child spy, but I can''t say I miss it.

    There were originally no apparent changes in the rat, other than it seems I may have to use a younger rat in order to continue to facilitate this experiment. The current subject has shown signs of aging, though not as drastic as has been observed with other rats of an estimated similar age. The rat also seems to contain healing abilities far less potent than those of the specimen. Its healing is accelerated from the norm, but it cannot reattach severed limbs. As a result of this experiment, it has become a tail-less rat.

    ***

    Eldovian Era 1709 3rd day of the 12th month:

    I can now confirm that Seri''s pregnancy is indeed around 2.5 times slower than an ordinary 9 month gestation period. The woman is become inhospitable with her desire to end her pregnancy. It has been over a year since conception now, so it is understandable that it is not her alone that is feeling the weight of time. My Benefactor is growing impatient. He demands reports more frequently, and even requested to transfer Seri out of Jerrica, though I advised heavily against it considering the nature of her pregnancy. At this stage I think I have delayed them at best. It seems that keeping the child for research purposes will be an impossible request.

    As for the diet of the pregnancy, I finally managed to get Seri to consume small amount of blood via her tea every morning. Whilst I was sceptical at first, she appeared to have no aversion to the altered state of the drink. In fact, the servant reports that she only asked if the drink was prepared differently. The servant was told to uphold the facade that nutrients for the baby had been recommended by her residing doctor. Since ingesting the blood, her appetite has calmed somewhat, clearly showing the benefits of ingesting the substance for the mother, but as to whether or not the substance is having a beneficial effect on the foetus is yet to be seen.

    As for the rat experiment, my initial subject has since passed thanks to old age. Whilst I desire to see the experiment results repeated for a longer observation, I find myself lacking in materials and am incapable of acquiring more thanks to the violent and unreasonable nature of the Specimen. Despite starving him consistently, it seems he has developed a constitution capable of delaying the decaying process previously observed. He has been starved for six weeks continuously with no apparent changes, though it is difficult to observe him due to the unwilling nature of the guards to approach him or his cell. I shall have to rectify this should I need more samples.

    ***

    Eldovian Era 1710, the 7th day of the 9th month.

    Seri''s pregnancy reached its inevitable climax after twenty-two long months. She fell into labour twelve hours ago, and became increasingly anguished with pain. When attempting to go through with the birth, the foetus found a more direct route out of its womb, and the damage to the mother''s torso was too great to reverse. The infant immediately displayed strength beyond that of a regular human, though there is no way to tell for certain if it is on par with the biological father. The infant also possessed Life Lines, though of a much smaller degree than his father. Fangs and claws were also prominent, though on a smaller scale, and it was confirmed just minutes after birth that the infant can survive on a diet of blood as it began to consume that of its own mother. It appears to be far more mobile than a regular infant.

    Pre-prepared anthrite cuffs were attached to its wrists, and though it was visibly distressed it clearly responded to the anthrite in the same away it''s biological father would. A request arrived immediately from the benefactor to transport the infant to a safe location, and to have it protected at all costs. Rather than going with the infant, I have been ordered to appear before the Duke himself to report my discoveries thus forth. Hence, I shall leave Jerrica for Fountain Ridge ahead of my expected schedule.

 Chapter 79 The Victory Speech*

    He was cold. He''d been cold for a long time though. So long that he''d almost forgotten what it felt like to be warm. It was only those times when the warm life blood of his prey gushed past his lips and filled him to the brim that he could feel warmth. But it wasn''t really to the brim was it? Or was it? He couldn''t tell. The infernal chains that had bound him for far too long had rid him of his ability to tell.

    The rational part of him, the part that only ever appeared in Victor''s rare lessons, informed him that he needed clothes to feel warm again. That blood wasn''t the only answer. But it was hardly realistic for him to be given clothes. They barely fed him.

    Thankfully, that woman had never returned. He''d had a hard time counting the days and the weeks in his anger, but she had yet to come back. He was torn on whether he was truly thankful for that or not. Thankful because he would never have to smell the revolting stench of her rose perfume again. Annoyed because he could not rip her limb from limb. He had been utterly violated, and he would be damned if it ever happened again. So he became the monster they all feared. It was the only way he could think of in his horribly weakened state to keep them away.

    And it had worked. Alone in his solitude and darkness. Even the lessons were no longer a reprieve. Eventually he''d stopped asking questions. He''d just observed and drew what conclusions he''d wanted. Victor knew he was in pain. But Victor had never experienced what he had, no words of consolation would solve the problem, and Victor knew this. So he did the only thing Victor seemed to be good for these days. He kept up with lessons that became all the more rare. At the last feeding, Victor had shown him what he''d said was the final lesson.

    Victor had shown him how to turn another Vampire. It was actually immensely simple in principle, but even Rassa, the boy who was thought to have been consumed by the dark, made an appearance at this lesson.

    Victor was turning a human boy who had shown great loyalty to him in an hour of need during the conflict between Order and Chaos. It had been the boy''s wish, and Victor had seen no reason to deny it. Victor had stated very clearly that the boy would not experience any emotional nor mental influence from Victor, he needed to endure the change himself.

    "To teach you endurance," he had stated.

    Then, Victor had extended his fangs, and held the boy still as he drained the boy nearly to the last drop. Rassa had felt how difficult it was to stop. How every instinct screamed at him to keep going. To take the last drop. But Victor had instead withdrawn, and looking at the near lifeless eyes of the boy had brought his wrist to his own fangs and torn his flesh, then placed it at the boy''s mouth before his healing ability kicked in.

    The blood had drained into the boy''s mouth, and after a certain amount of time, the boy had suddenly moved, grabbing onto Victor''s wrist and sinking growing fangs into it.

    "They must drink until they are full," Victor had said, "And then they must sleep until the transformation is complete. If any of the steps are missed, or it is done out of order, the result will be quite horrid. A beast that only knows mindless hunger. In some ways they can be worse than Dhampir. What is most important of all is the intention behind it. Vampiric blood is the core of what we are. Out power and out link to Chaos. Given willingly, our blood can grant extraordinary things, sanity, health, or like in this ceremony a Turning. But taken and consumed without the consent of the vampire, especially with malicious intent��even it is merely a drop that is consumed, the afflicted will be reduced to a mere shadow of potential. A tainted form of chaos that is only obsessed with the hunger. That was how the word Gluttony came to be. Because they felt and witness our hunger, and they could name it as nothing more and nothing less than a Chaos Sin. Such is the power of ignorance".

    Victor had turned to Rassa then, "Be mindful, little one. And take care of what is important to you. That is all that matters in Chaos. That what you care about, whatever that might be, is protected, and that you have the power and ability to protect it".

    Rassa had turned to Victor, sensing the tone of his goodbye.

    "Is it time?"

    That simple question, the first one that Rassa had asked in months, was only given a small smile in return as the memory faded, and Rassa was thrust back into the anthrite Chains.

    "When it comes, you will be given a chance. Don''t waste it, or you will be stuck here for much longer".

    Victor never elaborated on what that chance could be, but Rassa could guess. The Unsealing was a pivotal process, and one that encompassed incredible amounts of energy. Energy that even the anthrite might not be able to supress.

    Rassa had bided his time. The rage simmering beneath the surface as he considered himself truly himself for the first time since that woman had defiled him. He found himself dreaming of what he would do once he got out. A long bath. Some clothes. A decent meal. But the truth was clear to him. He was kidding himself thinking of anything else.

    Slaughter. It was going to be a slaughter.

    The tapping of familiar footsteps approached, but Rassa didn''t see the worth in acknowledging them. Not when he was awaiting something far more important.

    "It could have been so much better for you had you just cooperated".

    That voice. That scent. Perhaps he was worth acknowledging, if only to let him know what was coming for him. Rassa raised his eyes.

    "Perhaps you might not even have had to remain in this cell, in those chains, for the rest of your pitiful life," Zaroth continued, "Perhaps your masters might have acknowledged you, and vaulted you above them. Their hope and saviour".

    Rassa''s eyes narrowed. He severely doubted it, considering how they''d used him. The Kildare family didn''t tend to care about paying debts or getting even. They just cared about establishing and maintaining their place on top of everyone else.

    "Now that you''ll no longer be under my care, under anyone''s care really, I guess you''ll just be left to rot here. You were useless when you were born, and now, again, you will be useless," Zaroth said, "Nothing but the dirt beneath the boots of better men".

    "I hope you don''t mean yourself," Rassa''s raspy and disused voice made an appearance, and Zaorth seemed surprised by the response. Clearly he''d been expecting Rassa to give his usual silent treatment. He appraised the boy, no, young man now, more closely.

    "You seem to be in higher spirits, what has brought this on?" asked Zaroth.

    Rassa bared his fangs in an almost feral grin, "Perhaps I am eagerly celebrating the day I''ll be rid of the things that hold me back".

    Zaroth chuckled, "Even after all this time, hope still hasn''t died within you?"

    Rassa sighed, "This isn''t hope".

    "What is it then?" asked Zaroth.

    "You might not be the first to know, but I promise to tell you when the time comes".

    "Giving out promises now, my you are in a good mood," Zaroth replied, "I hope it won''t be dampened by me telling you that I have been summoned to our shared Master''s home".

    "The Kildares have never been and never will be my Masters," Rassa replied.

    Zaroth''s smile dropped. It had been his utmost order to never let Rassa know who his Masters were. How had the boy discovered it?

    "Take care in your journey, Doctor Sagen Zaroth," Rassa grinned, "I would hate for you to die before I have the chance to pay you back in kind for what you have done to me".

    Zaroth''s eyes narrowed, and he turned with a huff, "You are mad if you ever think you''ll escape those chains".

    Rassa felt it then, that little click deep inside his soul. It was as if there had been a wall there blocking him from his true self. And suddenly, suddenly there was a crack. Miniscule and almost undetectable, but Rassa felt it.

    As Zaroth left Jerrica, the joyful laugh of the monster in the deepest parts of the mines chased him like shadows did the sun at dusk.

 Chapter 80 The Time for Action*

    Aegin had been trained to wait. To wait and watch and listen and weigh the consequences of his actions before acting. To be silent as the air and seek solace only in the shadows. He figured that now that he was free of the Ridge Men, he wouldn''t have to stick so strictly to those teachings. He truly had no idea what he''d been in for when he''d sought out Phillip.

    He hadn''t actually found Phillip though, technically, Phillip had found him. And almost killed him. It had only been Aegin''s desperate release of information about Rassa that had caused Phillip to pause.

    Rassa''s father had been monitoring the underground networks of Fountain Ridge for a year by the time Aegin had encountered him. There were whispers of a secret project that the Kildares were funding, but never an indication of what it was or where it was being carried out. It had frustrated Phillip to no end. He''d contemplated travelling the continent to search every Kildare Family facility he could find, but he couldn''t run the risk of leaving for such a journey that could take months if not years, only to miss a key piece of information floating around Fountain Ridge.

    But when that piece of information fell into his lap and turned out to be far more detailed than he had imagined, Phillip had hesitated.

    Of course he''d wanted to go and retrieve his son straight away after what he learned Rassa had been through. The boy he''d carelessly sent off thinking it was better for him. Phillip never thought he''d been so stupid and na?ve in all his life. It was a mistake that he couldn''t take back however, and with how heavily guarded Jerrica was, it was realistically impossible to rescue Rassa. Phillip had to wait for a change. What that change would be wasn''t clear, but certainly things wouldn''t remain the same at Jerrica forever. Cornelius was too impatient for that.

    So, much to Aegin''s dismay, Phillip had settled down and plugged himself back into the underground networks to await any information regarding the situation at Jerrica. Aegin knew it was a greater risk the longer he stayed in Fountain Ridge, as it was for Phillip. When this was brought up, Phillip had just stared back at the boy.

    "Then where do you suggest we wait for information regarding Jerrica and the Kildares? Where would be our better option?" asked Phillip, "Without risk there can be no reward".

    "Is that what you told yourself when you let them chain your son?" Aegin snapped.

    Phillip glared over at Aegin, and Aegin knew he''d crossed a line. Phillip may not have considered himself a noble anymore, but by the gods did his aura still feel as oppressive as any high noble.

    "If Rassa didn''t want to be chained, he would not have been," Phillip replied, "I have seen his abilities, and there would be nothing that could stop him had he wanted it".

    "Nobody could want what has happened to him," Aegin replied.

    Phillip nodded in agreement, "At the time, Rassa insisted that being in a cage, being chained, showing them all that he could be contained...he insisted it was the best way to have them accept him. He was adamant about it. And if I learned anything from my relationship with my father, it was to allow your child to make decisions for themselves. Allow them some form of independence, or they will resent you for keeping them back. As ironic as it was that Rassa''s free choice was to be locked away, I couldn''t bring myself to speak against it. I didn''t want to become my father".

    Aegin was silent as he continued to watch Phillip''s solemn expression, "I don''t regret allowing him to make the decision. What I do regret was letting them take him away. I know it''s just excuses but, after watching him slaughter all those knights, and then attack his best friend, it...I didn''t know what to think".

    Aegin continued the silence for a while before he spoke up, "If it''s any consolation, I don''t think Rassa knew exactly what to think either. If I learned anything from him, it was that you cannot predict what will come of your actions. Whether your intentions were good or bad. The best you can do is face it with courage".

    Phillip barely reacted, but Aegin knew he''d heard.

    In the end, the two of them spent the next year together. After Phillip watched Aegin fight one time in an underground gambling ring, Phillip had reprimanded him like a father would. It was a different feeling for Aegin, and he wasn''t sure whether to feel offended or grateful. Then, after the reprimanding, Phillip had dragged Aegin out to the forest and began training him. Needless to say that under Phillip''s tutelage, Aegin gradually got better in combat. His sloppiness and overconfidence melted away over time as he found a purpose to learn and to fight that had not previously been present. When Aegin entered the rings again after much insistence, Phillip had given a short nod of approval. It wasn''t much, but Aegin had learned that it was enough. Enough for him to know that perhaps if given the chance, he wouldn''t be as helpless if he were to encounter his father again.

    They waited a long time for word regarding Rassa and the state of Jerrica. But when it finally came, it was well into the first month of Autumn in 1710. Five years after Rassa''s imprisonment at Jerrica.

    And it was not a whisper either. It came in the form of a carriage that held the arrogant and cruel Doctor Sagen Zaroth. Phillip had known who it was straight away as it passed by on the street. And he''d turned to Aegin for confirmation.

    There was no cage though. No sign of Rassa.

    Perhaps this was an opportunity. The Doctor had left his subject alone. But Phillip was suspicious. If not with the Doctor, was Rassa truly left all alone in those mines?

 Chapter 81 The Unapproved Side Project*

    Doctor Sagen Zaroth was truly a blessed individual. Blessed with good fortune. Blessed with great benefactors, and blessed with a profound knowledge the likes of which none other could fathom. He was truly in a league of his own, and confident of his proficiency. And finally, his benefactors had thought to have him grace their presence to talk of his truly exceptional achievements.

    His absolute confidence in himself and his work was illustrated by his walk from the carriage to the Duke''s main office. Head held high, shoulders back, and a condescending smirk condemning pretty much everyone else to be irrelevant to him. Truly, it was a grand achievement that had led Zaroth this far and he knew that he was valued by the Duke. First the Voluton Fruit project, and now this, there was truly no one else that the Duke trusted to carry out the darker side of research and development.

    Though, on a side note that Zaroth himself was unlikely to acknowledge, there were probably few who would go as far as what Zaroth had just to constitute an achievement. Especially on a living subject.

    Zaroth was announced by the beanpole of a man that the Duke called his personal advisor. Zaroth hadn''t had much interaction with either the Duke or Ludwig, but he knew which one could give him more authority and resources.

    "Zaroth," Cornelius greeted.

    "Greetings to you, my Lord," Zaroth replied with a polite nod of his head.

    Cornelius lifted his eyes over his desk to look over Zaroth, "Well get on with your report, I only have so much time to spare".

    "Yes, my Lord," Zaroth replied, "As per my previous communications you should know that the pregnancy was far longer than anticipated, which I can only assume is the result of the subject''s species".

    "And the birth?" asked Cornelius.

    "Unfortunately it was quite violent, my Lord," Zaroth replied, "The foetus was almost...impatient to leave it''s mother''s womb. It tore through her abdomen and then consumed what blood of hers it could before she died. The anthrite cuffs seemed to enforce the same restrictions upon it as its father, but I did not have much time to witness its further development before it was taken away. If I might be able to-"

    Cornelius gave an anger sighed, "So not only did the pregnancy last longer than usual, but the foetus killed the mother purposefully during the birth?"

    "Yes, my Lord," Zaroth replied, "If I could have some time to further observe and examine the infant, I''m confident that I could replicate the process".

    "Replicate the process?" Cornelius growled out, "There are only so many courtesans with a suitable bloodline, and even fewer of them would be willing to enter into such a relationship with the monster I keep hidden in the most feared prison mine on the continent. Not to mention that reports seem to indicate that despite him being chained, your guards have been incapable of preventing him from injuring or killing anyone that comes near him. I would have hoped that Seri had survived, it was our only hope".

    "My Lord?" Zaroth question.

    "The child," Cornelius replied, "It had to be terminated".

    Zaroth''s eyes widened, "It was fine when it left the-"

    "Well it seems the anthrite was more powerful than we thought. It made the child near crazed, and it injured and killed several of those guarding it before it could be contained. Even then it did not enter that status state you described its father had gone into when it starved. It just died," Cornelius angrily stated.

    Zaroth frowned. So the child did not have all the abilities its father had. That was not what Zaroth had expected. Of course, the child was half human, perhaps a being that was conceived from two vampires would be more viable. He proposed this to the Duke.

    "And where are you going to find another Vampire, Zaroth?" the Duke snapped, "The only one we have is the only one that currently exists".

    "We could create one," Zaroth replied.

    The Duke frowned, suddenly curious, "How?"

    "Over the past few years I have been experimented on rats with the subject''s blood. I have managed to allow the rats to sustain a state of heightened abilities after they consumed the subjects blood initially, and continued to consume any blood thereafter," Zaroth replied, "They were not exactly the same, but they were also not as they once were. If I could conduct human trials of this, there is a possibility I could find a viable candidate as a mother for a new child".

    "Time, too much time," Cornelius muttered, "I needed an heir, and now the only one we had succeeded in getting was killed unintentionally through the neglect of both you and those who were tasked in guarding it and caring for it. The incompetence of you people truly astounds me".

    Incompetence? Zaroth''s eyes narrowed. He''d been called many things over the years. Incompetent was not one of them. Wait...had the Duke just said he needed an heir? How was that related to the subject?

    "An heir, my lord?"

    "Are you really so dull, Zaroth?" asked the Duke, "The subject as you so fondly refer to him, is my only Grandson".

    Now it made sense why the Duke desired high class whores and not just any run of the mill one. If it were heirs the Duke needed, he would have to ensure that the bloodlines were as pure as possible. Kildares did not acknowledge those of the lower class. But wasn''t the subject himself born of low-class commoners? Zaroth could only conclude that the sole reason the Duke had acknowledged Rassa was because of the curse that elf had inflicted on the Kildare bloodline years ago.Zaroth had not been privy to the true effects of the curse before this, and now that he was...it changed things. It turned out that the Duke was not after an exceptional army as he had been when Zaroth had worked on the Voluton fruit. No, Cornelius Kildare desired an exceptional heir. Why he did not just take Rassa as an heir was difficult for Zaroth to ascertain, but considering the boy''s attitude towards the Kildares, which he had displayed the last time Zaroth conversed with him, it could only be assumed that Rassa had outright refused.

    "Then...should I proceed with attempting copulation with another human again, my Lord?"

    "After last time?" asked Cornelius.

    "If I could keep the infant for further observation then perhaps I could work out a way to keep it viable in the long term, my Lord".

    Zaroth had rarely if ever been reprimanded by his benefactor, but being on the receiving end of that dark and vengeful look in Cornelius Kildare''s eyes was truly a place Zaroth never wanted to be again.

 Chapter 82 The Doctors Second Chance*

    "Doctor Sagen Zaroth, your inability to carry out the task given to you has resulted in a devastating blow to your benefactors. As a result, you are hereby removed from your position until further notice. You will be escorted to a holding facility where you will be detained for the time being. You are dismissed".

    The words echoed in and around Zaroth, but he couldn''t seem to bring himself to acknowledge them. No. He was Cornelius Kildare''s most trusted man in research and development. He couldn''t possibly have been condemned like this. But why else would he have heard those words?

    Zaroth was escorted out of the estate just as the Duke had proclaimed, and then taken away in a carriage far less auspicious that the one he had arrived in. He had no idea what part of the city he was taken to. He was too stuck in his thoughts, wondering where he truly went wrong, to think of anything else. He had been nothing but loyal to the Duke. And prior to this, the Duke had always allowed him to have his own side projects before. Now that he''d presented the results of one of his successful ones, he was cast aside? That just...it wasn''t right.

    The carriage stopped, and the door opened. A guard roughly pulled Zaroth down from the carriage.

    "Come on," he gruffly spoke.

    Zaroth had no words of protest as he was dragged from the carriage. Well, to be more accurate he had plenty of protest, he just didn''t know how to put it into words. The guard dragged him inside a small guard house and deposited him into one of the cells inside. From the brief glimpse he had gotten of the outside, and Zaroth''s limited knowledge of Fountain Ridge''s topography, he guessed he was somewhere beneath the cliff to the North-West of the city that the Kildare Estate was situated on. Still, Zaroth was no fighter, so that information didn''t exactly help him.

    The day passed by and Zaroth paced the cell, determined to think of a reason that the Duke would have to take him back. It was well into the evening when the guards were in the middle of their meal that Zaroth was visited, though not at all by who he expected.

    "Where''s Rassa?"

    The child spy. He may have been a couple of years older, and his hair now shaved on the sides where before it had been long and messy, but it was certainly the boy that Zaroth had been informed was dead.

    "You''re dead," Zaroth stated.

    Aegin rolled his eyes, and turned as another man joined him from the shadows of the hall, this one older, and all too familiar to Zaroth as well. Though the last time Zaroth had seen this man, Zaroth had been feeding his lover Voluton Fruit and delighting in the results.

    "Phillip Kildare," Zaroth said in shock.

    "Just Phillip," the man replied, his face no longer youthful as it had been before, "I''m not much for arrogant, lying, pompous bastards".

    Zaroth frowned, "So he is your son? I did wonder when Cornelius mentioned his familial relation to the boy".

    "Where is my son, Zaroth?" asked Phillip.

    "Jerrica," Zaroth replied, "Where he will stay until his last day".

    Phillip looked at Aegin, "Make the preparations".

    "You can''t seriously think that you can break him out?" Zaroth asked, "Not only is he in the most heavily guarded prison on the continent, he is the property of the Kildares. Nobody goes against them".

    "I did," Phillip stated.

    "And look where that got you," Zaroth snapped back.

    "It got me a family, which is more than I can say for the rest of them," Phillip replied, "And now, their interference has taken that family from me, and I will not stand by and continue to allow my son to be tortured and used like an animal. Worse than an animal".

    "Just say it, Phillip, you know what he is," Zaroth stated, "He is a monster".

    Phillip''s eyes narrowed, "From what I hear, you''re the monster".

    Suddenly, Zaroth was pulled against the bars, a dagger at his throat, "I should kill you now for what you''ve done to him".

    "Then do it...why do you...hesitate?" Zaroth managed as his breathing became staggered through his fear.

    For a moment, looking into Phillip''s eyes, Zaroth was convinced he had pushed the man over the edge. Then Phillip released Zaroth, and the Doctor dropped to the ground.

    "First, because you deserve so much worse," Phillip said, "And second...it''s not my right to kill you. That belongs with my son. And I guarantee he''ll do a lot worse than just kill you".

    Phillip hid his dagger once more as he turned to leave, "Savour the moments you have, Zaroth, I doubt there are many of them left".

    When Zaroth looked up, Phillip and Aegin were both gone. Zaroth glared at the space they had once occupied, then placed a hand on the bars as he got up. He turned, nursing his throat, then, as he dropped his hand to his side once more, his hand brushed his coat, and Zaroth felt the small, hard, cylindrical vial that he''d kept by his side for emergencies.

    Zaroth froze, then dipped his hand into his inside pocket, and retrieved the vial, revealing the dark blood within. The only blood he had left out of all that he had managed to withdraw from Rassa. He''d kept it secret that he still had some, even kept it out of his own notes so that no one knew the power that he still had. After all, anyone who wanted to replicate Zaroth''s experiments would have to retrieve the power to do so from a being who would likely kill them before they got the chance.

    Zaroth took a long hard look at the vile as Cornelius'' decree echoed in his mind. As Phillip''s sentence echoed in his mind.

    "I am not incompetent. I will not die for achieving such astounding results in my research. I deserve to be acknowledged. And so I shall be".

    Zaroth popped the cork out of the end of the vial, then upended it into his mouth, swallowing the contents whole.

    He was shocked by how it tasted. It was sweet. like his favourite honey cakes. No, it tasted exactly like his favourite honey cakes. How strange. But Zaroth would not have much time to think about how strange it was that Rassa''s blood tasted like his favourite thing to eat. As soon as the blood was absorbed into his system, Zaroth collapsed in seizing fits, and frothing at the mouth, his world turned black...or should it be red? And all that was left was desperate, undying hunger.

 Chapter 83 The Unsealing*

    He''d nearly been dying of anticipation. The power had built within him for over a fortnight, and finally, finally, he felt himself nearing the end of his wait.

    Rassa allowed a grin to adorn his face in the silent darkness of his cell. Though it was not one of happiness. No, this grin was malicious, dark and hungry. He could feel all that power ready to break out, and for the world to bow down at his feet. He was the bringer of darkness and death, and he would act upon it. Rassa took a deep breath in, and he felt the flickering within his soul make a small appearance.

    "It is time, Rassa. You will be a fledgling no longer," Victor stated, "You have learned all you can from those who came long before you. Do not waste this knowledge. Do not devastate our memory. You are the end of the old and the beginning of the new. The bringer of death and new life. The Mist blesses you and the Chaos you can and will unleash upon the world. Reinstate the rightful balance, move this world forward. Take what is yours".

    Rassa''s eyes flicked open as he looked up at his cell door, taking a deep breath in and releasing it, then reaching for the power dwelling in his soul, his intentions darker than Victor had ever witnessed from the boy before, "You don''t have to tell me twice".

    Rassa thought he felt Victor''s fear then. Though it can''t have been, Victor didn''t feel fear. Rassa grabbed Victor''s soul, along with the souls of every Vampire that had died with the heir of Star Crash and been waiting more than a thousand years for Rassa in that dark cave. Then Rassa did something he hadn''t been told to do, something that truly did scare all of them.

    Rassa took their souls, and forced them to become a part of his own.

    He had no need of their knowledge, he had been taught it all over the years anyway. Instead he took their power. Their souls were torn to pieces, and Rassa felt it as their thousands of individual gifts and abilities as vampires were added to his own. They enhanced him, nourished him, and in the end, his soul burst open. The dam broke, and he was filled with raw power. His Life Lines sent a dark red glow through his cell and he felt the instant access to the Mist and all it offered at his fingertips. He felt it''s happiness, it''s welcome of him. It was happy to have somebody to correct the balance that had been too far on the side of Order for too long. Finally, Chaos had reawakened in full.

    Rassa did not disappoint it.

    He drew on its influence with his Life Lines, the feeling all too natural, and felt his body melt into the shadows around him. The chains fell to the ground and then Rassa appeared once more on the outside of the cell, his body melding itself back into place. Rassa shifted his neck around, tensing and relaxing his muscles as he felt his body clearly for the first time in years. The power welling beneath the surface was astronomical compared to what it had been when he was a fledgling, and it was still gushing out. He understood why the others had sealed this power, as a child, he would not have been able to stand it.

    Rassa looked at his hands, grime and filth marring his pale skin, he curled his lip up in disgust. He needed a bath.

    But first...

    Rassa''s eyes turned to the dark tunnel, a faint light at the far end indicating where a guard stood at the secondary gate that had been made.

    Rassa stepped forward, shifting into his enhanced speed seamlessly before he stopped right before the gate. He could just meld right through it like he had before, but he should test some other abilities as well.

    The guard, who had been pacing, turned and spotted Rassa, gasping out in surprise. Clearly he hadn''t heard the chains drop earlier, or he hadn''t thought anything of it.

    "You-"

    The Guard went to turn, but met Rassa''s gaze and froze his expression turning blank as Rassa delved into his mind. He could feel the guard''s fear, his desire, and everything in between. Rassa thought of delving deeper, but not yet, he was hungry.

    "I really would love some fresh air, would you be a friend and open the door?" asked Rassa.

    To the guard, his voice sounded melodic, serene, and by far the most convincing tone he''d ever heard. The Guard didn''t even hesitate to follow the request, he withdrew the key from his pocket and inserted it into the gate, then opened it wide. Rassa stepped through.

    "So helpful, almost makes me regretful in doing this," Rassa said, he took the guard''s head in his hand and brought the guard close enough to sink his fangs into the guard''s neck.

    He drank deep gulps of blood, savouring the taste of a decent meal. Then the guard dropped to the ground, and Rassa looked down at the dead body by his feet.

    "Almost, but not really," Rassa said, "After all, what prisoner would feel regret in killing his guard to get free?"

    Rassa''s eyes turned to the Guard''s clothes, then down at his naked self. His lip turned up in disgust again.

    "I hope someone in this dump has some decent material to wear. That and a tub to soak in," Rassa grumbled.

    He stepped past the guard without taking his clothes. After all, everyone here was going to die anyway, it was not as if he cared if they saw him naked before that. To some, it might even be considered a gift.

    Rassa stepped forward at a leisurely pace. He had all the time in the world. No need to rush this, better to savour his freedom and do as he pleased. Suddenly, he jolted a step, placing a hand against the wall of the tunnel to stabilise himself as he felt a severe pain in his back, right beneath the surface of his Life Lines.

    Rassa groaned, a small part of him recognising the familiar pain. It wasn''t much, but it was enough that Rassa didn''t fight it. Not even when it tore through his skin and his dark blood dripped down his back. That feeling, that weight at his back. He''d felt it once before. A small turn of Rassa''s head confirmed it. Two huge, bat-like wings that were dark as night except for the tips which were tinged a bright red, were dangling limply to the ground, as if they too were exhausted.

    Covered in blood and muscle-matter, Rassa gritted his teeth as he stood, feeling them as they dragged along the ground.

    "Well this is somewhat inconvenient," Rassa grumbled. His lessons with Victor had never really been on flight. He''d had one lesson. This was mostly because Vampires often didn''t use their wings. Wings were a thing of the past, a symbol of cruder times. The only time one was guaranteed to see a Vampire with wings was when they were in battle.

    Rassa cracked his neck and stretched out his back as it knitted itself back together, then concentrated on flexing the muscles in his wings. They were a part of him, like his arms and legs, there was no difficulty controlling them, but thanks to their newly awakened state, they were somewhat weak. After he managed to fold them closer to his body, and he felt the skin of his back heal over and his Life Lines reform, Rassa continued to step forward.

    Back to the slaughter.

 Chapter 84 The Shadows Bring Death*

    Rassa had no care who he encountered, prisoner or guard. They all died. He fed from the cleaner ones, and just left the others where they''d fallen. Some skewered to the wall, some impaled by their own pickaxes, some whose heads lay several metres from their bodies. He used his new abilities on some. They killed their companions, or found themselves choking on shadows. But no matter how they died, they all died in fear. And, considering how dark it was after the torches were snuffed out by the shadows, few of them actually saw their murderer.

    The murderer himself was finding it hard to satiate his hunger. the unsealing had taken more out of him than he''d originally thought. He''d already drained ten individuals, yet he felt that his stomach still hadn''t even filled to a half-way point. He felt it was strange, for he''d always been able to drain one or two others and feel that he was full in a sense, even if he''d been starving for a few days. Of course, the anthrite had masked it for some time, it''s constant energy-sapping properties had made it impossible for Rassa to actually feel full, but he could still tell when his body no longer needed more. As he passed through tunnel after tunnel, and cavern after cavern of the deepest parts of the mines, he barely felt any of it. That guard who bravely stood against him, raising a sword above his head? The shadows grasped a hold of his limbs like chains, and ferried him to Rassa as his next meal.

    As Rassa fed, a terrified prisoner snuck up behind him, lifting a large rock as it was all he could find. With a slight turn and a flick of Rassa''s wrist, the prisoner found himself drowning in his own blood, clutching at his severed throat as he looked up to see the faint outline of claws as sharp as knives.

    ''What have they been keeping down there all these years?'' the prisoner could not help but wonder as he struggled for his final breath, ''the only thing I ever saw them take down there, was a boy''.

    A boy that had clearly been far more than he appeared. They hadn''t known that the wolf was actually a ferocious beast when they''d brought it in. They''d just assumed they had to fear it, so they''d locked it away where it could do no harm.

    One of the many faults of humanity, their inability to deal with anything new. It would only take one to take the first step, just one of them to show the rest that there were no faults or outstanding dangers in this new path. Yet no one had taken it, and even worse, they had dismissed those that already had.

    There was no rhyme or reason to their actions, it was not logical nor fair to the monster they had no idea was sleeping beneath their feet. Just as to those humans, the monster''s actions now were not fair or logical. And yet, they happened anyway.

    As Rassa neared the entrance of mines, he caught a scent mixed in with the blood, a scent he very much would have liked to drown in blood and shadows. Rassa turned his head ever so slightly down another tunnel, dropping the corpse he''d decapitated to the ground.

    Silence rung through the mines like bells at noon. Those that were left, the ones that had survived this long, were smart enough to know that screaming would only lead to their deaths sooner. They hid in dark corners and held their breath, waiting for their turn to come in the slaughter.

    Rassa could sense they were there. He could smell their fear. That was new. He hadn''t been able to smell emotions before. Fear mixed with blood and piss, there were a certain tang to it, that tang of death. It was by far the best smell Rassa had had the pleasure of smelling for a while.

    But not with that other scent mixed in. Rose perfume.

    Rassa''s eyes narrowed, and to the eyes of the very few that were watching him from their hiding spots, he seemed to vanish, a brush of wind replacing him. Terrified that he would sense them and return if they dared move, they didn''t leave the false safety the shadows offered them.

    No one was present in the room when Rassa appeared, a brush of air ruffling his messy, dirty dark hair. His eyes pierced through the space, as black as night as they surveyed all that lay before them. From the scent in the air, and the instruments and notes cluttering the tables, this must have been Zaroth''s laboratory.

    Rassa''s eyes fixed on the scent, the one he''d smelt from further down in the tunnels. Even in death her perfume reeked. The body was covered by a sheet, but even before he''d seen it Rassa had known she was dead. He''d just wanted to see how she''d died. Had it been painful? He hoped it had been.

    Rassa approached the sheet, then took up a corner of it and pulled it back.

    Zaroth had cleared attempted an autopsy, though there was not much left inside of her to look at. The entirety of her lower torso had been ripped apart and half consumed. Rassa''s eyes narrowed.

    She''d been ripped apart from the inside, and consumed. She''d been pregnant, and a human child would not have done this much damage.

    Dhampir.

    That was not good, now Rassa had something else to hunt down, no doubt the Doctor had taken it with him when he went to Fountain Ridge. He faintly wondered how much destruction the little monster had caused before his dearest grandfather had worked out that he''d made a mistake.

    Rassa turned to leave, dismissing what was left of Seri like the foul being she was, then something caught the corner of his eye, and he froze.

    Rassa turned to look to the corner of the laboratory where a tall glass jar stood. Floating in a horrid looking orange liquid and sealed away...his Life Line, the one that had been stolen from him and never returned.

    Rassa was there in an instant, if he could recover that Life Line, that part of him that had been exposed all these years would be far less vulnerable. Grinning in victory, Rassa smashed the jar, retrieving the small patch of skin no bigger than the leaf of an oak tree.

    Calling on the power of his Life Lines, Rassa looked in the reflection of another glass jar, and carefully placed the skin back in its proper position.

    His Life Lines seared on his back, burning as they worked to reattach that which had been lost. Rassa gritted his teeth through the pain, through the burning and the stitching of his skin.

    After a moment, he released a breath and stood straight once more, then, before he could move forward, he felt something he hadn''t realised was even lost.

    What was it that Victor had warned him? That if a Life Line was lost, a part of his soul would be lost as well?

    Now that the Life Line was replaced, Rassa felt that portion of his soul once more, he felt everything he''d lost all this time. And it came crashing down upon him like a tidal wave.

    Rassa fell to his knees in shock and realisation. No wonder. It was no wonder he had only ever felt rage at what was being done to him all these years. Never sadness, never fear. Not true fear anyway, not the fear that could break him and turn him into nothing more than a shadow of himself.

    That Life Line, that piece of him that was lost...it had been his sympathy. His ability to connect with anyone emotionally, to feel sorry for himself. Now that it was back?

    Rassa felt tears fall as his rage and anger dissipated in seconds.

    "Oh, gods..."

 Chapter 85 The Innocent becomes the Guilty*

    It had been many hours since Rassa had recovered his Life Line. In all that time, Rassa had only made it as far as the entrance. When he''d gotten to the mouth of the cave, having walked there straight from the laboratory, all Rassa did was look up at the full moon high above his head, then sit down and watch as the night passed by.

    It had been so long since he''d seen the sky. If not for the memories he had experienced through Victor, Rassa was positive he would have forgotten what it looked like. In those hours that he''d watched the night sky, Rassa had had some time to consolidate his thoughts. To look back on all that he had done and all that had happened to him. It had terrified him, and for a moment, he had reverted back to that terrified boy who had begged the darkness not to consume him. The boy who had waited uselessly in a cage he could have escaped to get the recognition he desired from a people that would never see him as anything more than a monster. But only for a moment.

    He''d once boasted to his father that if he could overcome his fear, it should not be hard for everyone else to overcome theirs. But not everyone was brave enough to do so. That had become abundantly clear now. There were plenty of cowards in the world. And plenty of individuals that would take advantage of his naivety. There was no place for him to be that boy anymore. But that did not mean he should instead be the monster that had slaughtered nearly the entirety of the mine behind him without a care in the world. That was not how he wanted to live his life. Even now, Rassa could still smell those that were left, frozen in silence and fear and unwilling to leave their hiding spots for fear of the horror they had seen and heard falling on them.

    Rassa closed his eyes and took a deep breath. If not the na?ve boy, nor the murderous monster, then a middle ground needed to be found, one which he was satisfied with.

    With this decision, Rassa heard the unmistakeable sound of someone approaching him from behind. From the movement and sound of her breathing, Rassa ascertained it was a she, and that she was terrified of him. Yet she approached him anyway. When Rassa came into view, she paused and let out a shuddering breath, as if preparing herself. Rassa did not turn to face her, but he was impressed. Impressed that she''d managed to move this far where others had chosen to hide. Impressed that she had the courage and bravery to face him.

    "Wi-"

    She chocked on her fear, letting out a light cough, then she began again.

    "Will you...let us live?"

    Us. She was concerned about everyone in the mine, not just herself. Rassa had heard no negotiation or attempt to persuade her to come out. She''d done this on her own. Rassa glanced back over his shoulder.

    What he found was a young woman around his own age, her straw coloured her half fallen out of what once would have been a neat single braid down her back. Her skin was a light brown, and her eyes a piercing green. If not for her attire that clearly indicated a lower status, Rassa would have thought she was a warrior with the resolve and courage that he saw in her eyes. She did not turn away as he met her gaze, she did not falter in fear, she only looked at him as if he were her last hope, and that, if he failed her, she would accept her fate.

    For a moment, that look floored Rassa, he did not know how to respond. He''d spent so long seeing the looks of those who wished to cause him harm, or who blatantly feared his very existence. He hadn''t realised that he missed what it felt like to have someone look at him as something, anything else.

    "What''s your name?" Rassa asked.

    "Ebony," she replied after a moment of surprise.

    "Well, Ebony, I won''t kill anyone else here tonight. I think, at least for now, I''ve satisfied my anger," Rassa said.

    There was a long silence as Rassa looked up at the night sky, then Ebony spoke again hesitantly. As if she knew it was not her place but also acknowledged that it needed to be said, "I may not be privy to everything that happened to you down there, but I do know that you have no reason to feel guilty for what has happened tonight. It might have been excessive, but you have earned your freedom from it".

    "Though I do not believe it, thank you for saying so," Rassa said, "You can tell the others inside that they can leave without fear of being harmed".

    Ebony retreated, but before she could turn, she noticed Rassa climbing to his feet. She watched with wide eyes as he stood, his huge wings pulling in close to him from behind. It surprised her that despite the blood, gore and filth that covered him, his figure and beauty did not seem to be in the least bit marred. On the contrary, he appeared like a remorseful god of war. The silence between the two was only broken by Rassa''s small and ever-so-slightly amused smile.

    "I hope it won''t be too much trouble, Ebony, but is it possible for you to point me in the direction of a bath? And perhaps some clothes?"

    Ebony''s eyes widened as she realised her blatant staring at his naked figure. She turned her head away hurriedly to give him some form of dignity. No doubt he was in no mood to be stared at, though she''d heard far more horrible things had occurred to him in the bowels of Jerrica.

    "I...right...follow me then".

    ***

    After Ebony left Rassa in a washroom with a woodfire running to heat the water, Rassa finally had the warm bath he''d been desiring since the villagers in Cordon had thrown rotten food at him all those years ago. He washed and scrubbed for hours before he finally felt some semblance of cleanliness. He even awkwardly managed to clean his wings and after that was done, he cleared his mind enough to allow his wings to meld with his shadow. After all, they were rather bulky, it was impractical for him to walk around with them constantly.

    As Rassa went to venture off and find some clothes, he found Ebony waiting for him in the attached bedroom, a pile of clothes beside her. She turned her back as he entered, allowing him some privacy as he appraised the clothes there.

    "What are you still doing here?" asked Rassa.

    "I...I have nowhere else to go," Ebony admitted, "All I can do is stay here until my master returns".

    Rassa frowned as he pulled on the clean clothes offered to him, dark brown trousers and a beige cotton top. He pulled on a pair of leather boots before he grabbed the thick and heavy jacket.

    "You can''t stay here," Rassa said, "Jerrica will cease to exist in a little over a day''s time".

    Ebony turned to face him in surprise.

    Rassa turned to the dresser beside the bathroom, he searched through the draws for a moment before he uncovered what he was looking for, and he threw the coin purse to Ebony.

    "That should be enough to get you started elsewhere," Rassa replied.

    Ebony looked at the purse surprised.

    "I can''t take-"

    "Believe me, your master isn''t going to miss it," Rassa replied as he slipped the jacket on, "Thank you for your help. If ever the day comes when I can repay the debt, I''ll do my best".

    Rassa went to walk out of the room, then was stopped as Ebony touched his arm.

    Rassa turned quickly, pulling out of her hold so fast his movements blurred. Ebony flinched, realising that touching him was a bad choice on her part. He looked almost surprised he had reacted that way, but schooled his expression and straightened his posture quickly enough that Ebony had to question whether or not she''d seen the vulnerable look in his eyes.

    "Sorry, I...Can you take me with you?"

    Rassa frowned, "What?"

 Chapter 86 The Attack on Fountain Ridge*

    All was quiet in the guard house that sat at the base of the ridge that had given Fountain Ridge its name. There was nothing peculiar about the night. The guards had taken in a prisoner earlier that day, gone about their patrols, eaten their evening meal, then changed their roster promptly for the first night shift. It was, for all intents and purposes, no different to any other night.

    But it was always on nights that felt no different to any other that change occurred, whether for better or worse depended entirely on the participants. Unfortunately, the prisoner they''d dragged in earlier that day was not a good man.

    As the guards went about their usual routine, a check on the prisoner was met with a surprised shout.

    "Captain! It''s the prisoner, he''s unconscious sir!"

    "Unconscious? He looks dead, like he was poisoned".

    "What an awful way to go".

    "Least we won''t have to process or transport him".

    The guards that congregated around the scene as the Captain appraised the prisoner''s body were only partially sympathetic. Only wishing that they themselves would not share a similar fate, and annoyed by the fact that their list of chores had extended to digging a grave somewhere.

    The Captain had knelt down beside the prisoner, some Doctor that had displeased the Kildares, and took a pulse promptly. After a moment, he withdrew his hand.

    "Call a doctor, he''s still alive," the Captain stated, "You there, help me get him up onto the cot".

    The group moved to follow orders, and moved the prisoner to the cot at the side of the cell.

    "Clear out, continue your patrols!" the Captain snapped. He''d kept order at the guard house for years, he wasn''t about to slip up now. He turned to the guard that had helped him and ordered him to stay put while he sent out a note to the Kildares regarding their prisoner.

    He doubted the Kildares would care since the man was pretty much dead regardless, but it was his duty to alert them to any changes in the state of their prisoners.

    The room cleared, no one heard it when the guard who was watching over the prisoner had his arm bitten. Hard. The guard swore aloud and tried to fight against the ridiculous strength of the prisoner''s jaw, but to no avail. The Prisoner lapped up the blood that poured down the guard''s arm, so eagerly that he bit through his own lip, the Prisoner''s blood mingling into the guard''s wound. After a few seconds, the guard started to feel ill, and collapsed to his knees, then to the floor.

    And just like that, the prisoner who had once been Doctor Sagen Zaroth stood to attention and submitted to his new enhanced senses. Hungry. He was so hungry.

    ***

    Aegin looked impatiently at Phillip as the older man strapped on his saddle bags.

    "Come on, this is a golden opportunity, the more time we have to get Rassa out, the better," Aegin insisted.

    Phillip mounted his horse and sent a look to Aegin. A look that clearly said, ''as if I don''t know that''.

    Phillip had after all grown up amongst the Kildares, he knew how ruthless and efficient they could be. As they turned to leave, a screamed pierced the night. Phillip paused and turned back. This was a city, it wasn''t uncommon to hear screams, especially in the slums, but that had sounded different.

    Aegin turned back to look at Phillip.

    "What''s wrong now?"

    Another scream pierced through the darkness.

    "Something''s not right," Phillip replied.

    "Ah...you''ve lost me, what about this situation is right?" Aegin scoffed.

    "No, really, that doesn''t sound-"

    Another scream, followed by a shout. Getting closer.

    Phillip spurred his horse in the direction they were coming from. Back towards the base of the ridge.

    Aegin rolled his eyes, "When did we even start caring about this city?"

    Regardless, he followed Phillip. Over the last couple of years he''d started to learn where Rassa''s ability to care about complete strangers had come from. Though that quality had been disintegrating pretty quickly the last time Aegin had seen him.

    As Aegin rounded a corner on horseback that opened up into a market square, he found Phillip paused stopped on the side of the square and staring at the far corner that was only a couple of streets away from the edge of the city.

    "What ha-"

    Aegin cut himself off in shock as he noticed the figures emerging into the square. There were a few people running across the square madly, but it wasn''t this that had caused Aegin and Phillip to stop dead. It was what was chasing them. Human and yet...clearly not.

    They were rabid, like wild dogs, and yet from the clear strength and speed they displayed, far more dangerous.

    Phillip drew his sword.

    Aegin took up his bow and nocked one of his arrows.

    "No, get the Ridge Men," Phillip ordered.

    Aegin turned to Phillip, "Are you insane? They''ll kill me on sight".

    "Their duty is to safeguard the Kildares and their city," Phillip replied, "Get them to mobilise. Now!"

    Phillip charged off across the square, no doubt ready to do his best in keeping the monsters back from the general populace. Aegin knew that even with Phillip''s prowess in battle, he wouldn''t be able to do much.

    Still, Aegin knew Phillip was right. The two of them would be of no use without backup.

    Aegin only stayed put long enough to fire the arrow he''d nocked before he turned his horse and charged towards the Ridge Men''s base, readying another arrow as he went.

    It was the middle of the night, yet with the rising cacophony of screams and shouts of alarm, not to mention the growls and hisses of those rabid creatures, many were awakening to see what all the fuss was about.

    They poured into the streets, and Aegin shouted.

    "Move! Out of the way!"

    People practically dived out of the way of his cantering horse, swearing at him for riding so recklessly through the city streets. Aegin didn''t care. He had no love for the Kildares, but Fountain Ridge was different. It was the Eastern Capital of the Empire, if it fell...

    It was merely a few minutes, but it seemed to be hours later when Aegin tugged heavily on the reins and his horse skidded to a stop in front of the Ridge Men Base.

    "Attack!" he called at the top of his lungs, "Attack on the Capital originating from the base of the ridge! The city up to the River Market has fallen!"

    Figures dressed in black appeared around the house and Aegin glared them down. They knew exactly who he was, "Your city is falling, believe me or not, but it is at least your duty to investigate my claim".

    Aegin spun back around and cantered back to the square, hoping against hope that Phillip had managed to survive this long.

 Chapter 87 The First Flight*

    No sooner had Rassa been stopped cold by Ebony''s request than he felt something was immensely wrong. His Life Lines tingled, warning him of something. Something that was rapidly spiralling out of his control. At first, he''d thought that he himself was under threat, that Ebony, or one of the other survivors meant him harm. But he sensed nothing beyond Ebony''s complete and utter loss of self. From the little Rassa had been able to ascertain by watching Ebony, it was clear that she''d been a slave since birth. A higher class of slave given that she hadn''t been fed to him, but a slave none the less. She had no clue how to live for herself, the thought was completely and utterly daunting to her. So daunting she''d asked the young man who''d been a prisoner for the past five years and had spent the last several hours slaughtering his way through her home, for help.

    The boy that had been would have sympathised. He would have cared for her. But Rassa was not that boy anymore. Did that mean he would abandon her though? No. She could be useful. At the very least she would be able to aid him in making the time he planned to spend in Jerrica shorter. Rassa''s eyes narrowed.

    "Are you literate?"

    Ebony nodded.

    ***

    In truth, Rassa hadn''t planned on using his wings, not until he got used to the feeling of flight, but he had little choice in the matter. Despite his speed, the amount of obstacles in his way between here and where his Life Lines were urging him to go were too many, they would slow him down even with his speed.

    Rassa had no care for the ripping of fabric he heard as he recalled his wings. At least, none beyond the fact that he''d just gotten this shirt and would no doubt soon need to find another.

    He''d picked up a couple of short swords that the guards had been holding and as he strapped them to his waist he couldn''t help but think about the fact that realistically, he didn''t actually need the swords. His claws were more than enough. Only, he''d just had a bath.

    He was probably being optimistic by thinking he could get out of whatever was waiting for him without cleaning himself again. Still, it was the thought that counted.

    Rassa moved forward to one of the few balconies that overlooked the large expanse between the mountains to the east and west before reaching the wall and the forest beyond. With his strength, Rassa figured it was probable that he would be able to lift off the ground. No he knew it was possible. But He''d never actually flown before. Gliding, even if only for a couple of minutes, would hopefully be enough for him to get used to the feeling of flight.

    At least he hoped. He didn''t exactly have much time to spare. The tingling in his Life Lines was becoming more and more pronounced.

    Taking a deep breath, Rassa stepped up onto the railing and let the wind brush over his face and through his new clothing. His hair immediately whipped across his face, it''s length instantly bothering Rassa. With a discontented sneer, Rassa extended the claws on his left hand, gathered his hair with his right and sliced the length of his hair off. It was by no means a perfect cut, but at least it wasn''t whipping him in the face anymore. Bracing his legs, Rassa extended his wings out to their full length, a wingspan of over nine metres. His wings were so large that Rassa wondered why on earth he would need such a length. The reason became apparent as Rassa leaned forward and fell.

    He was not proficient in the art of flying, so despite the immense height Rassa started at, it took him several seconds before he was able to grasp hold of the feeling of keeping himself aloft. He''d lost nearly half of his altitude in the fall, and the strain on his back muscles to hold his wings in position as he glided was immense. Even with his vampiric strength, these muscles were ones he was not used to controlling. With the wind pelting at his wings from below, Rassa had to call on even more strength to drag his wings down to gain more altitude. He very quickly had sailed over the wall and traversed the top of the forest on the plateau between mountains, but he knew he could get more speed out of his wings. As he folded his wings to lift them high and then spread them out again, his stomach flipped at the sudden drop in altitude as he took too long to unfurl his wings once more. Not that he hadn''t already lost his stomach somewhere a few kilometres back.

    As Rassa slowly got used to the motion and the strain on his back, it became abundantly clear why his wings were so big, any smaller and he would have trouble keeping himself aloft, especially his legs, which unless he was going at a high speed, dragged like dead weight behind him. No wonder Vampires had found it so inconvenient to fly in the everyday. It made Rassa wonder why they''d even bothered in battles. If not for the benefit of having airborne forces, Rassa was sure that Vampires would have abandoned flying altogether.

    As he climbed higher and distanced himself further from Jerrica, Rassa turned his attention to following the pull from his Life Lines. Due west of the mountain range. He banked in that direction, and then, with the clear skies and an unobstructed view before him, Rassa called on his power over the shadows.

    One might wonder why Rassa had not called on this ability before, after all, travelling via shadows was far faster than any other form of travel, but the ability had one large drawback. Rassa could not access the shadows to go somewhere he could not see, or had not been to before.

    By climbing to the heights, he had, he had an unobstructed view of hundreds of kilometres, and could therefore see far further than when he was on the ground.

    Pulling himself into the shadows of the ground far beneath him, Rassa travelled nearly instantaneously across nearly two hundred kilometres before he found himself airborne once more in a new area. To the North, he could see the outline of the Academy City on the horizon, but that was not his destination, he needed to go further.

    Rassa chose a position to the west, and dragged himself into the shadows once more.

 Chapter 88 The Carnage of Gluttony*

    The River Market where Aegin had left Phillip was nearly overrun by the time he returned. Some guard patrols were putting up a fight around the edges, trying to prevent the beasts from going any further, but their efforts were barely making a dent.

    Aegin himself had abandoned his horse and scaled the three storey buildings surrounding the square, trying to get an optimum position for his bow. He''d even stolen two additional quivers of arrows from a guard station, not that they''d been around to protest. He''d fired off countless arrows at this stage, exhausting his own quiver and making a dent in the second. The good news was that the arrows were quite effective. Despite the creatures'' rabid behaviour, they were still human-like when they took damage. To add to Aegin''s advantage, they all seemed far more concerned with satiating their hunger than organising any kind of strategic defence. Because that was what it was. Pure and unrestrained hunger was the only thing that seemed to be driving them.

    Aegin nocked another arrow and drew back the bowstring, aiming at one of the many rabid creatures below. Just as he was about to release, he sensed something approaching from behind and turned rapidly to fire. A few metres away, stood his father.

    Raymond Shadowsmith barely recognised the young man before him. Not only was his son older, but the Aegin he''d exiled would not have been able to sense Raymond so far away, let alone had the discipline to stop his attack right as it was starting. The two stared at one another for a moment, then Aegin turned back to face the square and fired his arrow.

    "Don''t just stand there," Aegin growled, "Phillip is down there. Do your duty".

    His father was silent, but after a few seconds, Aegin could no longer sense the man. He released a breath, unaware that he''d even been holding it. After not seeing his father for two years, Aegin had expected...well, he honestly wasn''t sure what he expected seeing as he''d never thought he''d see his father again. But still, even if Aegin had only seen him for a moment, the respect he''d seen in Raymond''s eyes was more than enough. Did it make up for the years he''d spent as nothing more than a soldier? Perhaps not. But it was something he had never earned before, and that was enough.

    Aegin focused back on the battle happening before him, and loosed another arrow.

    ***

    Phillip had to admit, although his time as a knight had only been brief, he had never been in such a high intensity fight for a prolonged period of time. He hated to admit it, but age was beginning to wear on him. He dodged left and right, striking and slashing with his longsword whenever he got the chance. He didn''t know how many he''d actually managed to kill, but he did know that they died, their still bodies were more than enough evidence for that. But their rabid nature...it reminded Phillip of old fears. Fears he thought he''d buried with that mass grave of rabbits he''d found near a fallen tree. When he''d thought that his son had turned into a monster, and he''d tried for hours to come to terms with it. Unlike his son however, these creatures could not be reasoned with. The only thing that existed to them was blind, unrestrained gluttony.

    He had no problem deciding whether or not to kill these creatures.

    Another thing he''d discovered watching those innocents who ran in vain? If the blood of those creatures mingled with someone normal, or if the blood was ingested, and it would be the end of them. They''d join the gluttonous ranks. Such a fast-spreading phenomenon, it was no wonder this portion of the city had been pushed into absolute chaos so quickly.

    Phillip turned, swinging his sword at waist height and stepping forward to stab another before rounding his sword around his head and turning back. They just kept coming. He could barely pause for a breath. He kicked out towards another, then swung his sword down, a cool chill spread across his neck and-

    It was gone in an instant, and Phillip turned to see an individual he didn''t think he''d ever lay eyes on again beheading the would-be murderer.

    "Raymond?"

    "So, you trained my son?" Raymond''s daggers were lethal, he barely paused to say that much as he twisted and turned to finish off a few more.

    Phillip frowned, then looked up to the rooftop where he''d long ago realised Aegin had made his perch.

    "He had the basics trained already," Phillip replied, turning back to the battle.

    "Thank you," Raymond replied, "For not giving up on him like I did".

    Phillip glanced briefly at Raymond, "You''re not the only one that gave up on his son".

    "So, you do have a son?"

    Phillip smirked, "Still not asking questions are you? I told you that''s a bad habit".

    He swung his sword once more, then was pushing into Raymond''s back, the two men holding each other up.

    "Gods, shut it with your nagging," Raymond snapped.

    Phillip grinned, he hadn''t realised how much he''d missed this. He''d grown up with the Ridge Men by his side, far closer to them than he had been to his ever-ambitious brothers and sister.

    They fought by the moonlight and the small spot fires that had broken out from dropped torches. It was difficult in the darkness, but they were both trained warriors, they wouldn''t let something as silly as darkness stop them.

    Suddenly, the moonlit darkness seemed to fade further, and Phillip took the chance to glance upwards. What he saw was the first of many incidences that would later earn the Lord of Night his name.

    A shape greater in size than any bird plummeted to the ground, bat-like wings spread far enough outwards to block out the moonlight.

    ***

    It was only when Rassa was approaching the market square on the north side of Fountain Ridge that he realised he hadn''t practiced landing. Still, it was a little late to worry about control, and if he had any broken bones from the fall they''d heal anyway.

    He let himself fall, then, metres away from the ground, spread his wings wide to catch himself, and rapidly clapped them down. The sound that rocketed through the square was like thunder.

    Rassa landed hard, then rolled to absorb the impact, he immediately folded his wings and willed them to vanish into the shadows as he stood and drew his short swords.

    The square had seemed to pause with his arrival. All those creatures born of his blood, they sensed what he was, who he was. And in that instant when Rassa stared all of them down, he let them know exactly what the punishment was to giving in to their desires.

    All except one, who in the stillness, crashed into a warm body hard enough to crush bone. The body went sailing across the square, and rolled to a stop in a clearer area. Rassa froze when he saw that face, that hair, those eyes. Then he watched as his father coughed up blood.

    Rassa''s grip on the stolen swords tightened, and his gaze turned to the culprit.

    The shadows swallowed the night.

 Chapter 89 The Power of Mercy

    Aegin wasn''t entirely sure what happened. One moment he was fighting an ugly battle and rapidly running out of arrows, then the next, something with enormous wings had dropped down into the fray. Then, as the battlefield had stilled, Phillip had gone flying.

    Aegin was sure he''d heard the sound of the man''s bones breaking.

    Then, as if that wasn''t enough. The shadows had come to life.

    Aegin figured there was only so many times he could be surprised in the space of a few moments, but seeing as Rassa had turned out to be the thing with enormous wings...

    Rassa. The boy who had been locked away simply for being. He was out, free. And with his freedom he brought death to those who opposed him. With the shadows at his command, it was as if they seemed to swallow those rabid creatures whole. In the dead of night when shadows were abundant, there was nowhere the creatures could run to save themselves from their fate.

    Aegin, the guards, the bystanders that had been drawn to the battle, the Ridge Men, all of them watched on in shock as a battle they had fought tirelessly was ended in an instant by this single young man.

    And he barely lifted a finger.

    As the shadows receded somewhat, Aegin noticed that Rassa had left one. Just one. The one who had injured his father so gravely. As Rassa approached, Aegin noticed exactly who he had left alive, and decided that even if he had the power to, he would not stop Rassa. Not now. Aegin turned and began climbing down to the square.

    ***

    Rassa stopped about five metres from the hunched figure of Doctor Sagen Zaroth. The creature who he''d turned into breathed heavily in its fear, its eyes darting back and forth as it looked for its brethren. It''s eyes focused on Rassa, knowing he was a threat. It eyed him, weighing its options. In those still moments, Rassa lifted one of his short swords and cut into his arm.

    The creature barely even hesitated, it crossed the distance quickly and its mouth latched onto the wound drinking with vigour as Rassa''s blood poured forth.

    Despite the intention which Rassa ensured was contained within the blood the crazed Zaroth consumed Rassa watched with disgust. It only took a few mouthfuls before some form of sanity began to return to Zaroth''s eyes. The second Rassa knew it was enough, he threw Zaroth back, Zaroth rolled to a stop and got to his feet quickly, only to pause. The hunger that had consumed him seemed to have receded to a dull ache. One that was not so prominent or urgent. Zaroth touched his lips, thinking of the blood he''d just consumed, then looked to Rassa in surprise. There was clearly so much he had not known about the blood of his experiment. He''d barely scratched the surface. Yet in that moment, only one thought came to mind.

    "You''re out".

    Rassa looked at Zaroth, then, to the surprise of everyone surrounding the square, threw Zaroth one of his swords. It clattered onto the ground at Zaroth''s feet, and the Doctor looked down at it, just as taken aback as every else by Rassa''s actions. He looked back up at the young man he''d kept prisoner, the question in his eyes.

    "What?" asked Rassa, "Is it that even you don''t think you deserve a chance?"

    Zaroth''s gaze hardened, he''d done nothing wrong. He bent to pick up the sword. A brush of air passed by him, and suddenly, the hand that he was using to pick up the sword, was gone. Zaroth screamed, as he fell to his knees, holding his arm as the blood welled and burst forth. He looked over at Rassa who appeared not to have moved, only now he was holding the hand he''d taken.

    "Well, you''d be right. You don''t deserve a chance".

    Rassa looked at the hand, as if appraising what he''d been told was priceless item, only to find it was a fake, absolute trash.

    "This hand cut me, time and again. It waited as I healed, then it cut me deeper," Rassa said. He dropped the hand and it fell to the ground with a wet splat, "It shall cut me no more".

    The Doctor continued to whine at the pain, but Rassa showed no sign of pity. On the contrary, his next words shocked the Doctor.

    "Pick it up".

    The Doctor looked down at the sword, then up at Rassa. He wasn''t stupid, he knew what would happen if he picked it up, he told Rassa so, "You''ll take my other hand".

    "Yes, I will," Rassa replied, then his eyes narrowed, "But you''ll pick it up anyway".

    Zaroth knew that look. He knew that what awaited him should he not do as he was told was worse, so much worse. He knew because he''d given that look plenty of times to the young man in front of him.

    Zaroth reached for the sword, and lost his other hand.

    Zaroth cried out again, nursing the stumps he had left into his chest. Rassa''s voice, despite it being far softer and quieter than Zaroth''s scream, cut him off with ease.

    "This hand, it took my blood away, my muscle, my organs, my limbs, and it took my Life Line," Rassa said, "That, was a mistake. I probably would have broken like any other prisoner if you''d kept it where it was, where it was supposed to be. But alas-"

    Rassa dropped the other hand and it smacked down next to its companion.

    "-It just couldn''t stop taking, could it?"

    Rassa took a step forward towards Zaroth, and the Doctor whimpered, falling backwards in his attempt to escape.

    "M-M-Mercy!"

    Rassa paused in shock, and Zaroth took a quick breath.

    "Mercy, please! I''m sorry, I-"

    Rassa was before him in an instant, just a breath away from his face.

    "Mercy?" asked Rassa, "You''re sorry? You certainly didn''t sound it when you left me in that cell. When you told me I''d spend my whole life being nothing more than an experiment, than a tool. I told you, I am neither".

    "Rassa".

    Rassa''s head snapped to the side to see Aegin kneeling behind Phillip, his eyes grave. Aegin shook his head slowly. That look in Aegin''s eyes. He was by no means asking Rassa to stop. He knew that Rassa needed this. No, Aegin was telling him it could wait. Just this once, it could wait.

    Rassa hissed in frustration as he turned back to Zaroth, who for the first time since Rassa had met him, looked absolutely terrified. It was a good look.

    Rassa called the shadows, and they began to swallow Zaroth until only his head remained exposed. He screamed, then the shadows gagged him.

    "Don''t worry, you won''t die, not yet at least".

    Rassa turned and walked over to his father, who seemed to be barely conscious.

    Rassa could tell from the smell, from the sound of the impact earlier. His father would not survive this, and it had only been confirmed by Aegin moments before.

    Rassa looked down at his father, and knelt beside him, taking his hand and his expression softening.

    "Why are you even here?"

    Phillip gave a light laugh, then coughed as more blood came up, it was clearly a struggle for him to talk, but he did it anyway, and Rassa didn''t bother telling him to stop, that would be useless. He''d hardly deprive a man of his last words.

    "To rescue...you," Phillip replied, "Though...you appear to...have...done that your-yourself".

    Rassa nodded, "No more chains".

    Phillip gave a small smile, "You''ve grown so big".

    Rassa felt a tear fall, and he did not wipe it away, "You got old".

    Phillip gave another short laugh followed by a cough that racked him, "Only just...started to notice...myself"

    Rassa gave a small smile.

    "I''m s-sorry," Phillip said, "For-"

    "Thankyou".

    Phillip paused as he looked at his son, why on earth would Rassa thank him? He''d practically abandoned the son he loved.

    "Thank you for letting me learn from my mistakes. For not standing in front of me like a shield to block out all the faults in the world. For trusting me when no one else would have. For coming after me despite feeling as if it was your fault. I don''t think I''ve ever met anyone braver".

    Phillip felt his eyes well, and tears fell.

    "Fear does...many...many things," Phillip stated, "Many are not...not good. But you-"

    Phillip clenched the hand that Rassa held.

    "-you have learned its...its secrets. Wield them well".

    Rassa nodded, then he leaned forward and kissed his father''s forehead.

    A shuddering breath left Phillip, and with it his life ended.

 Chapter 90 The Failure, The Used, The Nobody*

    Rassa was still for a moment as he carefully closed his father''s eyes, then looked over at Aegin. The last time the two had spoken, Rassa had sent him away. Aegin had clearly not given up if he had found Phillip.

    "I-"

    "You don''t have to apologise," Aegin replied, "Just know that I probably would have done the same".

    Rassa paused for a moment, then nodded, "Can you start transporting him back to Cordon?"

    "The body won''t last-"

    "I''ll meet you on the road. Don''t worry, we''ll make it. My mother should get her chance to say goodbye,"

    "Rassa, your mother, she-"

    Aegin looked up at Rassa helplessly, and Rassa understood, his face crumpled further for a moment, then he took a deep breath and nodded.

    "Take it anyway. I''m positive he''d rather be with her in death and with the family he hated," Rassa stated.

    Aegin nodded, then his eyes turned to the gagged head of Zaroth that was still sticking out of a shadow in the distance.

    "And him?"

    "He''ll live to see sunrise, then he''ll never see the sun again," Rassa replied.

    Aegin had barely heard the end of the sentence when they both disappeared. He sighed, then looked down at Phillip.

    "I don''t think you''ll have to worry, Phillip. At least, not in the short term. No one is ever going to put chains on him again".

    Aegin looked up as his own father approached, a blanket in hand.

    Raymond unfolded it and spread it over the body. He looked at his son for a moment, then turned and left, the Ridge Men following behind him.

    ***

    Rassa had no need for his wings on the return trip. He had already laid eyes on his destination, so all he needed to do was will the shadows to take him and his prisoner there. It was almost instantaneous.

    Rassa stood in the mouth of the cave at Jerrica, looking up at the mountains to his right as dawn approached. Zaroth breathed heavily beside him on his knees. Nothing bound him or rooted him to the spot, yet Zaroth made no attempt to escape. From that one trip from the Empire''s western coast to this mountain range more than half way across the continent, Zaroth knew there was no running from Rassa.

    "You know, this will be my first sunrise in over five years?"

    Rassa gave a small smile as he leaned his body against the cave''s entrance.

    "I always enjoyed sunrises, before I became a Vampire I mean. Afterwards, sunsets are more my style".

    Zaroth made no move to comment.

    "Believe me when I say, you''re going to want to enjoy this. You''ll come to miss it before you miss anything else".

    Zaroth frowned at Rassa''s words. He was going to die wasn''t he? How could he miss something in death?

    The sun rose, turning the dark sky into a mix of pinks and oranges and blues, and dying the mountains and trees gold. It was a spectacular sight in the quiet and clear entrance to Jerrica. Movement came from the cave behind them, and Ebony emerged, wearing new clothing and carrying a bag with her.

    "Is it done?" asked Rassa.

    Ebony said nothing, simply nodded.

    Rassa sighed, "Start walking, I''ll meet you at the gate".

    Ebony didn''t protest, she just slung the bag over her shoulder and did as told.

    Rassa placed a hand on Zaroth''s shoulder, "Be thankful it was a clear day, and that you weren''t viewing it through bars".

    In the next second, Zaroth found himself in a place he was all too familiar with, though as his eyes adjusted to the darkness, it was not quite as he remembered it.

    The cell that had been built specifically for Rassa had been filled with bodies, piled around the room without much grace or care, and from their blood, written in huge letters on the wall, were an assortment of words, words that covered the white sketches, forever marring them.

    As Zaroth looked around the room, he felt the click of a manacle around his ankle. He whipped around.

    "What are you doing?"

    Rassa clipped another manacle around his other foot.

    "I thought for a very, very long time how I would get my revenge," Rassa said, "Would I cut you into pieces? Maybe I''d feed you your own innards. Maybe I''d swallow you in shadows. Maybe I''d drop you from your balcony and watch you splat before the mines you were so proud of being in. But all of that was too quick. Too easy".

    Rassa stepped around him and walked a few metres in front of him.

    "You probably thought I''d just feed on you," Rassa spoke, "After all, that''s what a monster does. But even monsters have standards".

    "So your grand plan is to lock me in here?" growled Zaroth, "The key isn''t that hard to find. You''d be better off slitting my throat".

    "Don''t tempt me," Rassa replied, "In truth, I didn''t think of this until I realised what you''d done. Until I''d realised that having you die the exact same way you expected me to die would be a kind of poetic justice. Only you aren''t exactly like me, so be assured that you won''t be here for five years, you''ll be lucky to make five weeks. Still, I think that''s enough time".

    Rassa indicated to the words around him, "Do you like it? I had Ebony prepare the room for you".

    The words glared from the walls. Failure. Used. Murderer. Torturer. Useless. Nobody. And so many more. All of them dark and hateful.

    "They make no sense," Zaroth hissed, daring to humour Rassa.

    "Of course they do. They''re all you," Rassa replied, turning to face Zaroth, "Like I said, you''re not like me, you won''t heal if I cut you, at least not like I can. But words? Words that speak truth? That will hurt. Maybe not the first, or the second, or even the tenth time. But you''ll be in here long enough. They''ll hurt eventually".

    Rassa turned and walked towards the open door.

    "Rassa!" called Zaroth, "You can''t leave me like this!"

    "I can, and I will, but before I do," Rassa paused, turning back to face "Where is my child?"

    Zaroth looked shocked, "I don''t know what you''re-"

    "That disgusting woman''s body is lying in your laboratory with her womb ripped from the inside. She wouldn''t be in your lab if she was pregnant via anyone else. So, where is the child?"

    Zaroth was silent as he glared down Rassa, but in the end, he lost his own challenge, "Dead. I passed him off to the Kildares after he''d been bound in anthrite. It drove the child man, and it died after slaughtering a few of their men".

    Rassa looked at Zaroth for a long time, "How do I know you''re telling the truth?"

    Zaroth looked surprised, "Cornelius told me himself".

    "And you believed him?" asked Rassa with a smirk, "I see. It doesn''t really matter. It won''t survive past twenty anyway, and if I happen to find the abomination before that...well, at least its fate will be a faster death than yours".

    "You''re a monster," Zaroth hissed, appalled that Rassa would think that way over his own child. Zaroth had observed enough famiilies to know that parents always put their child first.

    Rassa''s grin widened, "Call someone something long enough, and it''ll come true".

    Rassa indicated to the words on the wall, "Enjoy your fate, Zaroth, your truth is the last you''ll ever see".

    Rassa closed the door behind himself, and listened as Zaroth called out after him. He never turned back.

    He was two levels up before he called on the shadows.

    ''Destroy it''.

    The shadows listened, and the upper floors of Jerrica crumbled until it was nothing more than a mountain once more.

 Chapter 91 The First Vampire*

    He''d met Aegin on the road between Fountain Ridge and Barday. Aegin had clearly been surprised by Rassa''s sudden appearance, but he didn''t say anything. He didn''t say anything when they suddenly appeared in Greenvale Forest on the outskirts of Cordon less than ten minutes later. He did look a little pale though as he turned to catch his breath. Clearly travelling via shadows was not everyone''s cup of tea.

    The two young men had then worked to construct a funeral pyre. As it was morning, they had to wait until it was night to light it so that they wouldn''t be noticed. The last thing they wanted was to be disturbed by those who still lived in Cordon. No doubt they wouldn''t be thrilled to see Rassa again. They''d probably jump to conclusions upon uncovering the dead body of his father. Rassa would not let them have the chance to make that outrageous assumption.

    They''d lit the pyre and stepped back to watch it burn in silence. The truth was, Rassa had so much to say to his father. Most importantly, that he''d never blamed him. Phillip had chosen his lot in life. He''d wanted a quiet, peaceful life with his wife and child. Instead, fate had thrown him along a path he was not prepared to take. He''d only done his best as new obstacles kept cropping up in front of him, it was all Rassa would ever ask him to do.

    "I hope you find peace, father," Rassa eventually spoke, "Wherever you end up. Tell mother I love her while you''re at it".

    Rassa then turned to look at Aegin, "I''ll be back soon".

    He didn''t give any other explanation, but Aegin knew he needed some time.

    Rassa was gone with a breeze, and Aegin sighed as he looked towards the burning pyre. He couldn''t help but recall what Phillip had made him promise in the moments before he''d called Rassa over.

    "Take care of him, Aegin," Phillip had said, "Promise me you won''t ever abandon him because of what he is".

    A Vampire. The First Vampire. Aegin wasn''t sure he was qualified to stick around, but he''d promised all the same. At the very least, he could do that for Phillip. But more so, he knew he had to do it for Rassa. No one survived what Rassa had unscathed. He may not be showing it now, but it was only a matter of time. He just hoped that Rassa had the ability to pick himself back up, because while Aegin could stand at his side, he couldn''t empathise. He had not experienced anything as awful as what Rassa had. But that would never mean he would abandon him.

    As promised, Rassa returned as the pyre burned out and only ashes remained. Collecting the ashes, Rassa sought out his mother''s grave, and buried the ashes with her. Then, extending a claw, he worked to engrave the stone that had been erected there. The original message was simple: Anna Laurasdaughter, loving mother and wife with a caring soul. Rassa then added afterwards in a script as similar to the original as he could: And her husband Phillip, loyal and brave until his last.

    Standing back, Rassa looked down at the grave in silence. He''d only lived eighteen years, and yet, he could not help but make a promise to himself.

    Even if he lived forever, he would make sure that their grave would never be forgotten. His reminder of where he had come from.

    As the moon rose high into the sky, Rassa stepped back, "Are you coming with me?"

    "If you''ll have me," Aegin replied.

    Rassa gave a small smile in reply, then he turned and stepped forward, only to pause at the figure that stood holding a torch a few metres away. He''d been so absorbed, he hadn''t even noticed him approaching.

    "Rassa?"

    Rassa hesitated for a moment as he took in the young man''s features, then he spoke, "Diggory?"

    The young man stepped forward, "So it is you. They said you were gone. That Phillip had gone looking for a dead son".

    Rassa appraised Diggory. He was far taller and bulkier than when Rassa had seen him previously, though Rassa could tell it was all muscle. He''d clearly worked hard, as could be seen by the pin on his vest that indicated his knighthood.

    "You''ve been knighted".

    Diggory nodded, "It''s...it''s good to see you".

    Despite everything, Rassa could see that Diggory was genuine in saying this. Rassa nodded, "Likewise".

    "Did Phillip find you then?"

    Rassa sighed then stepped to the side, revealing the gravestone, "He did".

    Rassa decided to give no further explanation.

    Diggory looked at the grave, then sighed, "I''m sorry".

    Rassa shook his head, "It''s not something for you to apologise for".

    There was an awkward silence. What exactly did you say to someone you hadn''t seen in years? After all that had happened, was there really anything Rassa could say? He was not that same boy anymore. Although he did wish Diggory the best...Rassa could not see them crossing paths again.

    "I''ll have to let Jane know you''re okay, she was worried sick about-"

    "I should get going," Rassa cut in. If he could barely say anything to Diggory, what was he going to say to Jane?

    "But-"

    "Congratulations, Dig," Rassa gave a small smile, "And all the best in future".

    Rassa turned to Aegin, who nodded, then before Diggory''s eyes, Rassa and the other man next to him just seemed to melt into the shadows beneath them.

    Diggory looked around in surprise, unsure of what to think. It had definitely been Rassa but...at the same time, it wasn''t. Perhaps he shouldn''t tell Jane, she''d only get her hopes up.

    ***

    Rassa and Aegin appeared in the room of an inn along the road south of Barday. To the side of the room, a young woman lay sleeping, her straw-coloured hair tied back away from her face. Aegin frowned, looking to Rassa questioningly.

    Rassa looked at Aegin, then shook his head, "I''ll explain in the morning, get some rest. We''re moving south".

    "What''s south?"

    Rassa shrugged, "I don''t know. I guess we''ll find out".

 Chapter 92 Vol.2: A Lonely Existence - Announcemen

    Chains would bind him no longer.

    It was what Rassa had vowed to his dying father, and leaving all he knows behind, Rassa is determined to not go back on his word. But these things are always easier said than done...

    Accompanied by the ex-man of the Ridge, Aegin, and the slave Ebony, Rassa has settled temporarily in the southern trading city of Port Lovolon. But is it really so easy to move forward after all he has been through and done? And what of the long life he has ahead of him? What does he plan to do with that?

    As Rassa''s strengths and weaknesses are truly put to the test, he will discover one thing is an absolute certainty.

    His unsealing was just the beginning...

    The Monster Inside: The First Vampire Vol.2 - A Lonely Existence

    - First 2 chapters released on Webnovel: July 2nd 2019 at 5pm AEST (UTC+10)

    - Following on, release schedule will adhere STRICTLY to 1 chapter released every day at the time listed above Tuesday-Saturday. NO mass releases are in schedule (Sorry, but I prefer a good build and plenty of time for me to write a decent story)

    - First week worth of chapters (6 chapters) will be available on chaptail.com as premium chapters on June 25th 2019 at 5pm AEST (UTC+10). Following on, chaptail.com will have chapters at least 1 week in advance available in premium. This is my way of rewarding those who support my novel without signing away the rights to my work. Chaptail is a new platform similar to Webnovel in the way it works, and they offered me a place amongst their community by asking only that I release premium chapters on their platform before having it available anywhere else. I didn''t see a reason to refuse. The website doesn''t have much of a following as of yet as it is brand new, but if you would like to show your support for not just my novel, but the other works available, I''m sure they would really appreciate it! (Link to chaptail title page for this novel: https://chaptail.com/Novel/WCJ56yD3Cyp7GKLRSFVV)

    Well, hoping that''s a sufficient tease for you all, I''ll be signing off now. If you''ve got any questions or want the latest annoucements about any of my works, I''ve created a discord server for interaction with my supporters: https://discord.gg/TkSxZQR.

    See you soon!

    -Jelim

    P.S. All edited chapters in this work are marked with a * at the end of the title. This means I have no intention of changing the storyline or contents of the chapter any time soon (though feel free to let me know if you find any spelling/grammar mistakes). All other chapters are considered a first draft of the work and are subject to change at a later date - though aiming for no big changes if I can help it.

 Chapter 93 A Tavern Masters Sense

    Even a few streets back from the docks, the rhythmic and calm beating of waves against the stone wall of the dock and the shifting of tied boats differentiated the city of Port Lovolon from any other. No other city on the mainland had had the sound of the ocean so well ingrained into its culture, that the thought of the ocean was always accompanied by thoughts of the lively Port. Even well into the night, the port was alive with trade and activity, a fact especially true was the many dockhands and sailors that frequented the many inns and taverns along the bay.

    The Leaky Boat was one such Tavern that was enjoyed by the inhabitants of the city. As with every evening, they finished up their work on the docks then piled onto the city streets and made way for their preferred establishment. The sun had just set when The Leaky Boat greeted the majority of its customers for the day, serving hot food and imported ale from all corners of the known world.

    The great thing about being a Tavern in a Port City? There were no shortage of suppliers for exotic drinks. The cinnamon spiced ale from Rouke, one of the Southern Isles, was an especially famed drink that The Leaky Boat was proud to serve. Arthur, the owner of the fine establishment, had long ago made it one of the tavern''s signature drinks thanks to an especially well-connected acquaintance. He was not in the least bit disappointed about the deal made with his supplier on that front. In fact, he could only see the benefits.

    Arthur jovially joked and jeered with the men inside The Leaky Boat. Listening as all good Tavern Masters did. It would be idiotic to not take advantage of looser lips and wagging tongues. Information could score him as many benefits as a good trade deal when the time came. Though, there were some nuts that even he had a tough time cracking.

    Case in point being the group of three young men who''d arrived in the city three weeks beforehand with nothing but a coin purse and the clothes on their backs. Arthur had been asked about them many times, but the only information he''d been able to gather was that they had picked up work on the docks, didn''t cause trouble and kept to themselves. Seeing as they didn''t cause trouble, Arthur didn''t see the harm in them sticking around. But there were certain things...strange things...that made Arthur uneasy.

    Despite the assurance of plenty of witnesses, the group had a sense about them. A kind of foreboding. There was just something about them. Something that made the general populace give a wide berth. The young men never seemed offended by this, in fact they seemed to prefer it. Thanks to the coin purse they''d brought with them and the coin they''d managed to accumulate through their work, they''d taken the opportunity to rent a rooftop room from a well-known landlord who was reasonable enough to not ask questions. Though no one would ever admit it, the Inn Master that had been housing them had breathed a sigh of relief to see them leave.

    On the docks, everyone accumulated a sixth sense about strangers. Most of them you''d get along with, trade with, perhaps even use to make connections. But there were some, the rare few, that despite never stepping out of line, just didn''t quite feel right. Arthur had never been wrong about those feelings, but didn''t have a legitimate reason to refuse the group service. So, he''d adamantly promised himself.

    ''If they didn''t cause trouble and paid him the coin for his goods, then they could stay and eat and drink as much as they pleased''.

    It had been a good philosophy to live by in the last few weeks at least.

    Still, with the lack of information floating around about them...when the opportunity arose to open his ears to their conversation, Arthur wasn''t the least bit ashamed about his eavesdropping.

    "...you said south, so we came south," the one with violet eyes and his head shaved on both sides with a braid hanging down between his shoulder blades stated, "Did you have a plan beyond that? Cause carting crates is getting boring".

    The one who wore a hood most of the time, with dark hair peeking out from the rims, slumped his shoulders in a sigh, a pale hand fiddling with the cup in front of him. He continued to stay silent, his dark eyes only flicking to his companion to acknowledge the question before they flicked away once more. After a moment more of silence, he spoke two words, "I''m thinking".

    "You were never this indecisive before, that''s usually Eb''s job," the violet eyed man grumbled.

    The young man on the opposite side of the table who had yet to speak, glared over the rim of his bowl. His straw colour hair was cut short, and his smooth skin, short height and gentle eyes made him appear more feminine than most young men. Arthur just assumed he was younger than the other two.

    "I don''t see you making any decisions," the shorter man replied, "Why is it Phil''s job?"

    The violet eyed man opened his mouth to bite back but the hooded young man spoke before he could, "Don''t start, this is neither time nor place. If I''d known you two would be at each other''s throats the whole time, I would have left you both behind".

    The other two scoffed and turned away, giving each other side looks they thought would go unnnoticed before the violet eyed man spoke up again, "I still don''t even understand why she-"

    "We," the hooded young man cut in forcefully.

    The violet eyed man sighed, but took the warning, "Why WE, are even travelling together".

    "Some paths just cross," Eb replied, "Even if they go different directions, how do you know from one mile to the next that they won''t eventually meet up again?"

    "I consult a map," the violet eyed man quipped.

    Eb rolled his eyes, "You''re impossible".

    "You''re-"

    Arthur didn''t have a chance to overhear more of their conversation as an argument had broken out on the other side of his tavern.

    He''d missed the initial cause, but the man involved, Ewan, was well-known for his aggression when he drank. Even the smallest disputes had set him off. It appeared that this time around, he''d encountered one of the dock workers that entertained the tavern patrons with games. Games that were slight of hand and designed to steal an individual''s hard-earned coin. As one could guess, Ewan hadn''t won the card game that had been played, and had released his anger by accusing the dock worker of stealing. As Arthur ascertained that much, the argument descended into a fist-fight. His gaze hardened, and he retrieved an axe from beneath the bench.

    "RIGHT!" his voice bellowed over the rising din, "I''ll have none of that in here! You want to fight, take it outside!"

    Ewan looked at the axe, at Arthur, then at the crowd before his gaze finally turned back to the dock worker he''d accussed, "This isn''t over!"

    Then he stormed out of the tavern alone. There was a hush in the crowd, before the dock worker made a light-hearted joke to break the silence.

    "I would have given him the chance to win twice as much back if I knew he was that disappointed".

    A chuckle went through the ground, Arthur stowed the axe once more, turning back to glance briefly at the table of young men he''d previously been eavesdropping on.

    Only, now there were only two. The hooded one had left.

 Chapter 94 An Abundant Hunting Ground

    It was not as if Rassa didn''t have a plan when he''d left Jerrica. He did. The plan was to leave. To go beyond the reach of the Kildares to a place where he could start fresh. Where it wouldn''t be so easy for people to suspect him. Where he could blend in.

    He just hadn''t expected to find it so soon.

    Port Lovolon, while technically within the Empire, and indeed a key trading port, was for the most part under the jurisdiction of Merchant Companies. Despite their best efforts, the Kildares had only managed a minor presence in Port Lovolon with so much competition, and in the end had decided to take the rest of the Empire and come back for Port Lovolon with overwhelming economic force. It had yet to happen, though they''d tried many times. Most recently in their attempt to make trade deals with the merfolk, who, quite simply, traded with no one.

    So, Port Lovolon certainly qualified as being beyond the reach of the Kildares. Even if they did know where Rassa had gone - and it would take them months to find him if they didn''t - any movement of their private forces in Port Lovolon would cause a stir they were unwilling to make when it came to Rassa.

    For the time being at least, Rassa was safe, and, much to Aegin''s annoyance, content. It was not thatAegin did not want Rassa to live a peaceful life, Rassa had ascertained as much from his willingness to stick around. Aegin just worried about Rassa. Worried about his prolonged silences and the distancing that had occurred while they travelled. No matter what he tried, Rassa didn''t open up, and to Aegin, that wasn''t a good sign. Being able to scent emotions had only worsened the problem. Rassa was torn between being thankful he was worried, and annoyed that Aegin couldn''t find anything else to do. Rassa needed a distraction, and Aegin wasn''t helping.

    Ebony had been almost the complete opposite. In the few weeks since they''d left Jerrica, Ebony had spent most of her time trying not to annoy Rassa. Mostly because she didn''t want him to get rid of her. It was also the reason why, when they arrived at the Port, Ebony had disappeared for a few hours then come back dressed as a man with her chest wrapped and her hair cut short. Rassa had known it was her straight away from the scent, Aegin, with his training, had noticed as soon as he saw her.

    "That''s not going to help your chances," Aegin had grumbled.

    "For the last time, I''m not selling my body," Ebony had snapped back. They''d been at each others throats since they''d met. Aegin thought that Ebony was untrustworthy because Rassa had just picked her up on his way out of the mines. Neither Ebony nor Rassa had spoken of what he''d asked her to do, and that she''d followed the order without much resistance. They didn''t see a reason to speak of it, and even if they did, it was hardly proof of undying loyalty.

    Ebony knew she was only around on a trial basis, but from what she had learned of Rassa so far, she found herself more and more intrigued, and less and less willing to part with them should they order her away. Even with Aegin''s constant quips that enraged her to no end.

    They were probably still arguing in the Tavern.

    Rassa, who had adopted the name ''Phil'' in the Port as a precaution against anyone who actually was looking for him, had taken to the rooftops as he watched the drunken man from the Tavern stumble through the main streets and side alleys grumpily. He''d been looking for a fight that night. Enough to kill from what Rassa had smelt pouring off him. In truth, anyone probably would have set him off.

    Rassa had seen the man before on the docks they worked during the day. He wasn''t the most pleasant of men, and Rassa, Aegin and Ebony had made an effort to avoid him. From what little he had obtained through eavesdropping on conversations, Ewan was awaiting the return of a brother that supposedly had ''struck gold'' in the southern continent. Apparently Ewan had lended his brother a ship in exchange for a cut of whatever his brother earned.

    Given his dress and lack of propriety, Rassa doubted he actually owned a ship. The brother part on the other hand smelled like truth. That was a fun ability Rassa had discovered. In addition to emotions, Rassa could also determine truth from lies with scent. He had spent hours at the docks practicing with these new abilities. The smell of the docks made it more difficult to pin-point individual scents, and truth woven in lies was even harder. Still, it passed the time of mindless work pretty well.

    Now however, as he watched Ewan wonder into a dark and quiet alleyway, it was time to practice his so far most practical new ability.

    Rassa dropped down soundlessly into the shadows and watched the man stumble, screwing up his nose indisgust. He didn''t like blood that was rich with the taint of alcohol, it always tasted somewhat sour and left a weird tang in his mouth. Still, this was only a couple of mouthfuls.

    He moved fast enough to part the air around him, spreading a hand againt Ewan''s chest and shoving him back into the wall of the alley. Not hard enough to break anything, but hard enough to wind the large man. By comparison, Rassa''s lean frame was almost dwarfed, but it was clear who had the upper hand here. Well, to all accept Ewan.

    "What the f*ck are you-"

    Ewan was silenced as he met Rassa''s dark eyes, then a melodic voice flowed into his ears and lulled him into a hypnotised state, "Quiet. No need to make a single noise".

    Rassa paused only to make sure his allure had been effective before he leant forward and sunk his fangs into Ewan''s neck. Urggh, yep, sour and overripe with ale.

    Still, Rassa had to admit, Port Lovolon had one great bonus aside from avoiding the Kildare''s radar...it made for an abundant hunting ground.

 Chapter 95 A Temporary Arrangemen

    Aegin and Ebony were awaiting him at the apartment when he got back. He''d spent a few hours wondering around the Port by moonlight. Mostly to have some semblence of peace, though the reasoning he gave was that he was looking at where they could get work the next morning. You could ascertain such a thing by how many ships were in each dock and the size of the ships. Were the ships anchored out further in the bay or at the dock itself? Were they sunken further in the water, weighed down by their cargo, or were their barnacled hulls visible above the water line? What about the warehouses on the docks? Did they look full or not? There were many things to consider that would determine the next day whether or not there would be much work available.

    Rassa dropped down onto the small balcony attached to their apartment where Aegin waited for him, relaxing as he balanced his weight on the railing.

    "Did you at least get what you left for?"

    Rassa knew that it annoyed Aegin when he left Ebony with him.

    "Did you at least make it back to the apartment without bloodshed?" Rassa replied.

    Aegin rolled his eyes, "You make it sound like a sin to hit her".

    Rassa''s eyes narrowed and Aegin returned it with a deadpanned look, "She''s fine"

    Rassa turned away, letting silence spread between them for a moment before he changed the subject, "The Token District has few full warehouses and about 6 trade ships awaiting cargo. I think we''d better head there tomorrow".

    Aegin nodded in response, "Is your plan to work here for cheap coin for the rest of your life? Because while you don''t use it on food, it''s still not much".

    Aegin was right, the work at the docks was only just enough to feed them. The spare coin that Rassa earned was used towards their rent. Anything extra, which was very little, were used for bare necessities. Having Ebony has been useful in a way because they didn''t need to go to a tailor for clothing. Ebony just needed the materials and she made the clothing herself. It was much cheaper. It was also how Rassa had acquired his new hood, and Aegin his new set of clothes that weren''t as assassin-like as his previous attire. Rassa sighed as he looked at Aegin.

    "You don''t have to stick around," Rassa stated, "You''re free to do what you please, Aegin, you don''t have to follow behind me because you''re worried I might snap".

    Aegin turned away, clearly ashamed of being caught, "I...I promised your father".

    "Who isn''t around," Rassa replied, "I''m sure he won''t know if you decide that you want something more out of your life than making sure I don''t break".

    Aegin sighed, "Rassa, what you went through, it-"

    "I''ll be inside," Rassa cut Aegin off.

    He''d done it for a few weeks straight now, avoiding the conversation. He''d already survived through it, he didn''t want to relive it, whether literally or through word-of-mouth. As good as Aegin was at observing, he really sucked at keeping to boundaries. Ebony on the other hand had found her boundaries pretty early.

    Namely, she had to be cautious with any physical contact with Rassa. At first, Rassa hadn''t realised he was even reacting. Ebony was far more intuitive however, and she picked up on it fast, from that first moment that she grabbed at him and Rassa drew away. He''d thought it was just that disgusting woman who''d defiled him. He hadn''t realised that he''d become instinctually cautious around all women. He didn''t hate them, nor was he scared of them...he just didn''t like them touching him. It disturbed him that this change had occurred, and he''d been trying to change it, but every time it was the same subconscious reaction. It frustrated him to no end, and the last thing he wanted to do was talk about it.

    Then there were his Life Lines. Some of them had changed permanently to resemble chains rather than solid lines. Others had appeared after he''d absorbed the souls of the Vampires who had resided within him whilst he was unsealed. They were like thorns on his Life Lines, a constant reminder of his ruthless behaviour that led to the destruction of so many. And of course, as if the chains weren''t enough, a new Life Line had appeared around his neck, a collar of sorts that seemed to crumble at the front to symbolise his freedom. He had to wear shirts with high collars or always ensure his hood was up just so he could keep it hidden. It was a source of frustration, the constant reminder his Life Lines gave him, and made it all the more difficult for him to move on. Because he knew that was what he needed to do. But it never came.

    Ebony was sitting at the small table they had in the main living area, a needle and threat in her hands as she sewed buttons onto a new jacket she was making. From the size of it, probably for Aegin. He was bulkier than Rassa. Ebony was truly full of patience if she was still making him things even after he treated her so horribly. She glanced up as Rassa entered, giving him a short nod which he acknowledged.

    "Token District tomorrow," he spoke, then he slipped into the room that he and Aegin shared. Ebony gave no reply.

    Rassa took off his jacket and placed it on the small dresser, looking out of the small window up at the stars and the moon. It was the only thing in his life that had been constant. A presense that was always there. It never judged him or pushed him. It was simply there. That was all he needed, at least for now.

    He could not run from his past indefinitely, he was not naive enough to believe he could anymore. But still, he would run anyway. At least until he found something worth living for again.

 Chapter 96 A Morning at Por

    Aegin watched from the other side of the room as Rassa slept. There were times when Rassa knew he was watching, and pretended to sleep just so Aegin would leave him be. What Aegin hadn''t spoken about was the fact that Rassa faking it was very different to Rassa''s actual sleep.

    His sleep was full of nightmares, and it showed.

    There were times, in this arrangement the three of them had subconsciously made, that Aegin knew he was overstepping Rassa''s boundaries. But he didn''t do it to pester or annoy, at least not intentionally so. Aegin did it because he''d been witness to it as every night Rassa slept through nightmares that he spent the rest of his time denying and hiding from. Nightmares were not just bad dreams. Aegin had seen on the Ridge how nightmares undid people. How it tested their mental strength to its limited then broke past it. Aegin could sense Rassa''s intentions though. The Vampire had no plans to talk about them, and seemed, for lack of a better word, indifferent during the day. But Aegin had seen that too. He was withdrawing into himself. Looking and leaning on only his own experiences and abilities. He had no intention of seeking outside help, and Aegin could only watch as he withdrew further and further, and talked less and less.

    It was not an ideal situation.

    Aegin continued to watch as Rassa turned over, his face scrunching as if he was in pain. Aegin''s eyes softened somewhat as he glanced out of the window, the first signs of sunrise appearing to the east. Sighing, Aegin approached Rassa and gave a light kick to his foot.

    Rassa bolted upright, glancing up at Aegin with wide eyes. His expression was schooled immediately, but not fast enough for Aegin not to see the fear within them.

    "Get dressed, we should head off soon," Aegin said, then exited the room.

    He closed the door behind him, looking up to find Ebony cutting off pieces of bread and cheese for their breakfast. Aegin approached silently from behind. But she knew he was coming, simply sliding a handkerchief loaded with bread, cheese, an apple and a boiled egg his way. She didn''t speak, simply glanced at him questioningly.

    Aegin shook his head.

    They didn''t get along on anything. Except for Rassa''s well-being. If Aegin had learned anything, it was that Ebony did not have any desire to cause Rassa harm. Her questioning look in the morning? Just to ask on whether or not he''d slept well. She knew he had nightmares as well, though did not seem as clued in as Aegin on what they were about. Aegin was sure she knew something about Rassa''s experience at Jerrica, but she hadn''t actually witnessed any of it.

    Aegin took the egg and the apple, eating both as the two of them waited for Rassa to appear. Ebony munched on her own apple, as well as a wedge of the bread and cheese. She then tied her package and stowed it in one of the many pockets she tended to sew into the clothes she made. Aegin had to admit that at least those were useful.

    Ebony then pointed to the jacket on the table, "I finished it last night. It''ll be more suited to the winter months".

    Aegin held back any snippy remarks and approached the jacket, removing his current one to try it on. There was fur lined on parts of the inside. Aegin hadn''t realised they''d been able to afford it. He looked questioningly at Ebony.

    "I don''t need to make winter clothes for Phil," Ebony stated.

    Aegin frowned, "What do you mean?"

    The corner of Ebony''s mouth tilted ever so slightly, proud she had noticed something before Aegin, "Haven''t you noticed? He doesn''t feel the cold".

    Aegin paused, thinking back. He''d never seemed comfortable with the temperature at Jerrica. Did the chains affect that part of his abilities as well?

    The door to the bedroom opened and Rassa emerged with his hood up to cover his face. Ebony picked up the key she''d been given and moved for the door, Aegin dropping the conversation as well to follow behind her, scooping up the remainder of his food along the way.

    None of them spoke as they made their way through the streets to the docks, then turned to the eastern end.

    The Docks at Port Lovolon were seperated into eight districts. Five Districts in the old city to the west of the bay, which included the Jewel, Peony, Silver, Salt and Cotton districts. While their names were given for what they had originally specialised in and had been made famous for, these days the districts were mostly designated by trade companies rather than by specific items. The newer part of the city to the east, possessed three districts that were named after their foremost trading companies; Azua, Token and Saah. Token was the eastern-most district, and the trading company that owned it was one of the most profitable in the known world. Unlike the Kildares, the Token family had elected to remain merchants and adventures, the ocean was their calling, and they made it their mission to connect the known world and bring treasures from all corners of it. They had even led several expeditions into the Wide Ocean, though like everyone else, those expeditions had never returned.

    The one place the Token family had settled down in, was their Island amongst the Southern Isles. Isle Balthazar was named after the Token adventurer of the same name, and was the greatest gathering of the profession in the known world. Mostly because rumour had it the Merfolk visited regularly, and who better to consult on matters of the sea than those who lived in it?

    The sun had fully risen above the Eastern horizon by the time Rassa, Aegin and Ebony had made it to the warehouses. Like every morning, they offered their services for the day in loading and sorting. The Dock Master appraised each of them, then told them he''d given them ten copper coins each for a day''s work. The usual rate. Enough to buy food for the next day and have perhaps one coin left over - though of course, it would be an extra ten coins for this group of three. For what Vampire would eat or drink regular food when he didn''t have to?

    The three of them got to work.

 Chapter 97 A Captains Discerning Eye

    "Land ho!"

    The call came just as the sun had risen after three weeks at sea. Another crossing between Eldovia and the Kingdom of Illia on the Southern Continent had been completed. The Miranda cut through the waves towards the Bay of Lovolon with ease, her sails pulling tight with the wind off Whaler''s Strait. Her Captain was a man of many such journeys, having spent his life aboard ships such as this one. Though no ship had ever held him as Captain more proudly than The Miranda.

    Jeremiah Token looked out across the calm waves to the opening of the bay. The sun had not been kind on him in his old age, the wrinkles on his skin and the deep tan he''d grown used to were not the most flattering. He had been told many times in recent years that it was time for him to retire. To come to the Isle and pass on his teachings to the next generation. But the truth was that the old merchant and adventurer just loved his life on the sea too much to give it up.

    "Sails to half canvas!" came the shout of his First Mate, Midas, in the background. His adopted son had taken on the role without much resistance. Any son of a Token, blood or not, was bound to be born to be on the water. The crew scattered up into the rigging, pulling in the sail to slow down the ship. The last thing they needed was to crash through the bay at a dangerous speed, they''d earned their coin for their own purposes, not to repair the damaged ships and goods of others.

    "Captain?" asked Midas as he joined Jeremiah on the foredeck, "Orders?"

    "Would have thought you knew how to pull her in by now, Midas," Jeremiah teased.

    Midas smirked, "Just making sure you''re not thinking of pulling her back out to sea again".

    "Don''t tempt me," Jeremiah warned, "The shorter time we spend at port the better".

    Midas nodded, then jogged back down to order to crew in preparation for docking.

    Eldovia was not a favourite among Jeremiah''s many destinations. He much preferred the Southern continent, at least there they were not suspect to the whims of a tyrannical Emperor. The many Kingdoms that made up the southern continent, and there were many, were usually run by a council in tandem with a King. It was far less prone to corruption, though not completely free of it, and best of all, trade was often taxed at competition rates. It meant that Jeremiah only needed to find the cheapest port to dock out and he could get the greatest profit from the goods he sold. The differing landscapes of the Kingdoms kept it interesting. This latest trip he had been to Illia, one of the larger countries. They had just won a war against Sumak, a landlocked country, and had lowered their tax rates in order for trade to stimulate their suffering economy. It had worked brilliantly, unlike other countries who increased their taxes in order to earn back the money they''d inevitably lost as a result of war.

    Eldovia was different, all her trade taxes were the same, and often over-priced. Despite the lack of Kildare presence in Port Lovolon, the city was still subject to the tax rates their Emperor set, and their Emperor was a Kildare. Jeremiah had no love for that greedy family, and luckily the Kildares weren''t willing to risk their necks to challenge the presence of a family who could just move their assessts out of reach if they encountered trouble. And magnificient assessts they were. The Token Dock in Port Lovolon alone brought in roughly 18% of the city''s income, the largest of all the docks except Jewel whose dealings in precious stones from the Western Continents far outweighed the price of anything else.

    Token Dock was rather busy this morning. Two other ships awaited supplies in the bay, the smaller longboats ferrying cargo to them from the warehouses. Midas pulled the ship in as close to the dock as he dared and ordered the achor to be dropped and the longboats prepared for a trip to shore. Shore...Jeremiah hoped he could be in and out as fast as possible for this one.

    ***

    Dock Master Hargreeve was waiting for him when the longboats made it to shore. With his notebook in hand, the incredibly orgnaised man scribbled down names as he walked with Jeremiah to the warehouses.

    "And the goods you''re bringing back, Captain?"

    "Plenty of Wheat for the winter, and furs," Jeremiah replied, "Two sacks of Deer, 4 of sheep''s wool and ten sacks of wolf fur".

    "Wolf, sir?" asked Hargreeve.

    "Quite the scavengers of battlefields apparently, plenty were killed off and they had an excess," Jeremiah replied, "Wouldn''t be surprised if it becomes rare in the future though, they hunted that many of them that I have to question if there are many left".

    Hargreeve nodded, "Very good, sir".

    "What am I being loaded with then?" asked Jeremiah, his eyes scanning the dock workers and their cargo. Plenty of ores, a bit of salt. There was a lot to choose from. Ores he''d be sent to Uratha, Salt it was more likely to be Talnoth.

    "Master Griffith has ordered you to return to the Isles, Captain," Hargreeve stated, pulling a sealed letter from his coat, "Apparently your presence is required at the Trade Festival on Rouke".

    Jeremiah''s eyes narrowed as he took the letter hesitantly, "Aren''t there enough traders on Rouke?"

    Hargreeve backed away with a smile, knowing the personality of the Captain before him, "Unfortunately sir, I''m just passing on orders".

    Then Hargreeve turned and walked away before he Jeremiah could protest further.

    Aaron, Jeremiah''s cabinboy, arrived beside his Captain, "Anything the matter, sir?"

    Jeremiah sighed, "Let''s go and get a drink, Aaron. I''ve spent too long on duty to deal with this".

    "Very good, Sir".

    No protest at it being only nine in the morning. Aaron simply knew his Captain too well to argue.

 Chapter 98 An Exchange of Information

    The door to the Leaky Boat swung open with a crash, Captain Jeremiah Token and his cabinboy Aaron walking through it with long, purposeful strides. Arthur, who was cleaning tankards behind the bar, glanced over in surprise to see someone come in so early.

    "Morning Frie-"

    He paused when he realised who it was, "By the Gods, Jerry, didn''t expect to see you in here for another week," Arthur grinned, "The usual?"

    "Of course, and the wind was favourable to us," Jeremiah replied, sitting up at the bar and pulling out a stool beside him for his cabin boy.

    Arthur turned to Aaron, "And you?"

    "Probably best if I forego the drink until this evening," Aaron replied, "It''s yet to be determined whether the Captain''s sea legs will carrying him back to the longboats whilst merry".

    Arthur grinned, but Jeremiah looked appalled, "My sea legs work just fine".

    "Whilst filled with ale?" asked Aaron.

    Jeremiah turned away, unwilling to answer.

    "So, tell me what tales your Leaky Boat has been privy too in my absence, Arthur," Jeremiah replied.

    Arthur raised an eyebrow, as he put a full tankard down in front of Jeremiah, "For free?"

    Jeremiah lifted the drink, "I''m drinking your ale".

    "Not for free," Arthur replied.

    Jeremiah took a big gulp of his drink as Aaron retrieved a coin purse and tossed out three silver coins, "That should be enough for the ale".

    Jeremiah took a breath as he put down the tankard, "As for the tales...I may or may not have heard a certain rumour about a goddess descending amongst the common folk".

    Arthur raised an eyebrow, disbelieving.

    "A goddess?"

    Jeremiah nodded, "Rumours say she had the ears and tail of a fox".

    "I don''t give information out in exchange for rumours," Arthur replied.

    "No, you don''t," Jeremiah agreed, "But you do if those rumours pertain to the Fairy Forest".

    Arthur frowned in contemplation for a moment. The Fairy Forest of the Southern Continent almost as large as Lovolon and Arkia combined. It dominated the Eastern block of the continent, and no one had ever been able to find a way through it. It was so large and so mysterious, that nobody truly knew what dwelled within. but the stories that travelled from it...they were too many to deny the nature of the forest itself.

    "A Goddess with the ears and tail of a fox you say?" asked Arthur.

    "The rumour said she descended to grant the wish of a child with a sick mother, and there are plenty of witnesses to testify. So many that the King of Gildred ordered this goddess found. But of course, nobody can navigate the Fairy Forest well enough," Jeremiah said.

    Arthur was silent a moment longer, weighing the information, then he nodded, "Got our fair share of mysterious in the Port as well".

    "Port Lovolon?" asked Jeremiah, unconvinced, "Nothing is mysterious about this place. Probably one of the most straightforward Ports I''ve ever docked in".

    Arthur grinned, "Well, up until three weeks ago that is".

    Jeremiah raised an eyebrow, interest filling him.

    Arthur, knowing he''d draw Jeremiah in, leaned forward with the old Captain, "Three young men arrived in the port three weeks ago from the north looking for work. No one knows where north they came from, and they keep to themselves but there''s just something about them. Can''t quite put my finger on it".

    "Think they''ll cause trouble?" asked Jeremiah.

    Arthur shook his head, "Not intentionally. The one with the hood though...he just feels off".

    "So you know them, or they''ve eaten here?" asked Jeremiah.

    "They won''t talk to anyone," Arthur replied, "But they eat here pretty often".

    Jeremiah nodded as he leaned back, turning to look at Aaron before looking at Arthur, "That''s the most useless piece of information I''ve ever heard".

    Arthur grinned, "Thought you were a Captain and knew when to pick your battles. Not my fault you lost out".

    Jeremiah turned away with a frown.

    "Tell you who has been causing trouble though-"

    "Don''t tell me it''s Ewan," Jeremiah grumbled.

    "Okay," Arthur shrugged, going back to his tankards. Jeremiah looked at Arthur for a moment for confirmation of his thoughts, then sighed heavily.

    "He just doesn''t know when to quit does he?"

    "I won''t say that you started it by replacing him as first mate and then throwing him off the ship because he had to have done something wrong, but he doesn''t see it that way," Arthur replied, "He''d been letting his fists talk in pretty much every tavern in the port since you left".

    Jeremiah rubbed a hand down his face, unwilling to deal with the problem he now faced. This was why he hated coming ashore. He had to deal with people.

    "Think there''s a chance that I''ll be able to leave tomorrow morning with the tide before he catches up to me?" asked Jeremiah.

    "It''s doubtful, Sir," Aaron replied, "Ewan let the power get to his head, but his nose was always good at sniffing out whatever he wanted. At least until Midas came aboard".

    Jeremiah nodded in agreement. Ewan had never forgiven either of them for replacing him. But the fact was that he''d staged a mutiny to try and overthrow Jeremiah. Him and all of his followers had been dropped off at the next port and Jeremiah had sailed off into the sunset without a care for him. Though, if the rumours were true, Ewan had spent a fair bit of his time attempting to convince the masses that he was the owner of The Miranda. Clearly he hadn''t made too much of a dent or the Token Trading firm would have dealt with him by now.

    "Alright," Jeremiah said, downing his drink, "Better go and warn Midas to prepare then. I''ll be back this evening for more".

    Arthur nodded in reply as he held up the coins, "I''ll remember you''ve prepaid".

    Jeremiah smirked in reply to his old friend and left the Leaky Boat behind.

 Chapter 99 A Captain Ashore

    After three weeks of carting crates of various shapes and sizes and with various contents, Rassa had to admit that he agreed with Aegin, it was getting old. But it was safe, so the mindless work continued with unvoiced protests.

    They were carting furs from the ship that had arrived two hours earlier. They were nice furs too, wolf from the smell. Though the colours were lighter shades than what one would find in Eldovia. Mainly sandy yellows and browns, some even white or red. Much more vibrant than the dark colours of the wolves on this continent. They seemed to be of a pretty high quality, so despite Rassa''s admiration of the colours, he didn''t touch them beyond needing to cart the large sacks they were stored in to the cargo carriage that would take it to the warehouse. Ebony seemed to be appreciating the furs too, though not in the same way Rassa was. Her eyes seemed to dance with the possibilities of what they could become later on. Whether clothing or blankets or rugs. Whatever the case, Rassa was almost positive she''d never get the chance to work with such material. At least, not for a long while.

    As Aegin dumped another sack of furs into the cart alongside Rassa''s, a call rang out along the dock.

    "Luncheon!"

    It was a break time for all the dock workers. Only short enough for them to each something and rest momentarily before getting back to work, but the short break certainly helped with productivity. This was usually because the Dock Managers used this time to survey the work that had been done and still needed to be done, which helped them to prioritise work loads. It was interesting to watch, mostly because Rassa had never witnessed anything like it before. The Token Docks in particular were efficient in this. Everyone had a job, and no one job was less important than any other. Like spokes in a wheel, they were integral to the final product, and watching it turn only increased Rassa''s interest in it.

    Just as Rassa was sitting down with Aegin and Eb, he noticed a new figure appear on the dock, an oddity to the orderly mayhem. His vision sharpened as he ascertained the new individual''s identity.

    It was Ewan.

    Of course Rassa hadn''t killed the man the night before, after all, he''d only just taken enough to satiate his hunger. But even then, that small amount should have made the man feel at least a little unwell from the loss.

    Ewan paused on the edge of the docks, looking around, his gaze going everyone present as if looking for someone. Rassa subconsciously turned away, afraid to be recognised after the night before despite the fact that his new ability had helped him to erase the memory, or at the very least make Ewan think it was all a dream. The ability, or The Allure as Victor had once called it, was essentially manipulation of mental abilities. Whether it be involving momentary orders, or memories. It was useful for helping him to remain in the shadows, but Rassa had to establish eye contact for it to work properly. He was sure it had worked on Ewan, but even then, a part of him didn''t quite trust it. A part of him knew that even if the memory was gone in one''s mind, the body and the soul could remember given the right cues and circumstances.

    Better not to push his luck.

    After a moment, Ewan''s eyes landed on Dock Master Hargreeve, and he approached with a determined gait. As he stepped into the light, Rassa could better see the pale tinge to his skin. He was unwell, but it seemed as if something had drawn him out anyway. Rassa''s eyes narrowed in thought, what could it have been? His hearing tuned in to the conversation.

    Maybe this was one of the reasons Rassa had decided to remain in Port Lovolon for so long. Not only did the city give him plenty of opportunity to practice his many abilities, it was also remarkably easy to find something of interest to relieve any boredom. Or, more often, to relieve him of any remnants of the nightmares that plagued him.

    "He''s here, isn''t he?" asked Ewan as he approached Hargreeve.

    Hargreeve seemed to recognise Ewan as he paused in conversation with a couple of his subordinates. He was silent for a moment as he look at Ewan, then he gave a dismissive wave to his subordinates and turned to face Ewan, "I don''t see why its of any interest to you, Ewan".

    "You know why it''s of interest to me," Ewan growled, gritting his teeth.

    "You no longer have any affiliation with the Token Trading Company, nor with the crew of the Miranda. You lost that chance some time ago," Hargreeve argued.

    "I didn''t lose the chance, it was taken from me," Ewan replied, "I''m here to get back what I''m owed, now where''d the old man go?"

    "That''s old Captain, to you," Hargreeve replied, "Using the man''s title might gain you some form of respect, if you have any left that''s worth anything".

    "I don''t care what he calls himself these days, I want to see him, to speak with him, where is he?" asked Ewan.

    Hargreeve looked at his notepad and jotted down a quick note before he turned away, "Jeremiah Token is none of your concern, as I''ve stated before. If you insist on causing a scene, I will have you removed from the dock, do I make myself clear?"

    Ewan growled, stepping forward threateningly, "Where is he?"

    A new presence on the docks, one that was quite imposing. Rassa''s predator instincts were immediately drawn to it like it was a challenge. What Rassa found was indeed the figure of an older man.

    His skin was deeply tanned and his hair a bleached blonde, no doubt from his time spent on the sea if he was indeed a Captain, and Rassa could think of no other title the man would be worthy of. He was quite broad-shouldered, tall and muscular despite his age. His he was free of hair but he had a blonde beard and moustache combination. The beard braided neatly. A hat kept the sun from his eyes, and his long coat and boats only added to his commanding aura.

    This man was a leader, through and through. Someone that commanded respect from those around him. Rassa, with his predatory instincts sizing the man up, could see no reason to refute. No command over the Mist, nor any connection to it, and yet, Rassa couldn''t help but find some kind of respect for the man.

    He watched from an inconspicuous section of the docks as the man crossed the main road to the edge of the sea wall where Hargreeve and Ewan spoke.

 Chapter 100 A First Mate in Disgrace

    Ewan had slept late. He hadn''t meant to. Usually without fail he would rise with the sun and report to the docks to work. Working on and around the sea had been a part of his life since before he could remember, and he''d always had great pride in his abilities.

    But that had all changed a few months before, when Midas Token had come along. Ewan had never experienced defeat before Midas. He''d always been a great success in whatever he was tasked with doing. So great was his talent that he''d earned himself a place beside Jeremiah Token, one of the greatest Captains of the known world. It had both thrilled him and scared him. The aura of Jeremiah Token was something to be feared and admired, such a presence that one was often rendered speechless in his presence. Struck by awe of the man. Not even age had diminished his reputation. If anything, it had added to it. Being named the great Captain''s First Mate was an honour, and Ewan had sworn that he''d work hard to be worthy of the title.

    At least, until a certain adoptive son had shown up.

    There had not even been a fair competition to decide the First Mate. Midas had simply taken the position with the authority of Jeremiah and the Token name. Ewan was demoted, as if all of his efforts up until that point had been for nought. Midas may not have been a blood relative, but weren''t great powers always good at claiming other great things as their own? Apparently, Ewan had not been great enough.

    But he was never one to take it lying down.

    All he''d wanted was a fair fight. A true test to see who was better, who truly deserved the position. But in his bid to convince the great Jeremiah Token, he''d been seen as nothing more than a mutinous dog.

    As if Ewan would take that.

    It had taken him months to finally catch up to Jeremiah. To finally have The Miranda back in his sights once more, but now, at Port Lovolon, it had finally happened. Finally, he had the opportunity to fight using his own abilities, and if necessary, take the position he deserved. He would not be ignored any longer.

    It may have been months since Ewan had seen Jeremiah, but the great Captain hadn''t changed. Perhaps a few more wrinkles, finally showing his age, but nothing that would stop the Captain from proving that he''d earned his position and the respect that they all afforded to him. What was so wrong about Ewan doing the same?

    "Captain Token," Ewan began.

    Jeremiah''s gaze fell upon Ewan for a moment before he glanced at Hargreeve, "What''re we carting to Rouke?"

    Hargreeve cleared his throat, "Fruits and a few other trinkets for the Trader''s Festival".

    Jeremiah nodded, "Get them loaded as quickly as you can. I''d like to sail tomorrow morning if I can manage it".

    Hargreeve looked down at his notepad, "I''m afraid you might not be able to leave until the following day, Captain. We''re still waiting on the last harvest to arrive. As I said, you were earlier than expected".

    Jeremiah looked none too pleased from that, but had no choice but to accept it, he looked over his shoulder at his Cabin Boy, "Go arrange the room".

    The Cabin Boy bowed his head respectfully, then jogged off towards one of the larger Inns of the Token Disctrict.

    "Token," Ewan repeated, sick of being ignored.

    "If I had the patience to talk with you, Ewan, I would have addressed you already," Jeremiah stated, then he turned his back on his ex-First Mate.

    Ewan''s eyes narrowed, "Why won''t you give me a fair chance?"

    Jeremiah didn''t even pause as he threw back his answer, "After what you pulled on my ship, I don''t think you deserve it".

    Rassa watched from the side as the Captain walked away, Ewan fuming as he stood on the docks. Aegin nudged Rassa, and the hooded young man turned to his friend. The question was clear in Aegin''s eyes.

    Rassa shook his head, "Not our business".

    Aegin''s eyes narrowed, but he said nothing to refute Rassa as the call rang out over the docks.

    "Break''s over, back to work!"

    The three of them rose and moved back to their stations. As then did, Ewan stormed past, them, knocking into Ebony roughly. She stumbled back, right into Rassa. Rassa flinched, but made sure Ebony was stablised before he stepped away from her, his eyes moving to Ewan.

    "Watch it-"

    Ewan paused as he met Rassa''s gaze. Something in him screamed to run, to back off and just run away. Those dark eyes, they were familiar to him, but he couldn''t recall from what, and as he turned and left, doing his best to keep his subconscious fear from showing, he decided he didn''t care so long as he didn''t run into them again.

    Ebony turned quickly, "Sorry".

    Rassa stepped around her without a word, headed towards the crates still stacked on the side of the dock.

    Ebony didn''t pursue him.

    Aegin sighed, following behind Rassa.

    "What was that look for?"

    "What look?" Rassa asked.

    Aegin rolled his eyes, "Don''t dodge the question".

    Rassa sighed, "I invited him to dinner last night. Evidently it wasn''t as forgetable as I intended".

    Aegin''s eyes widened, knowing exactly what Rassa was implying.

    "R-Phil, you know what happens if-"

    Rassa lifted one of the crate as he turned to Aegin, "Yeah, I do know. Better than you do actually, so don''t lecture me on it".

    Rassa walked away, Aegin breathing out his rising frustration.

    The three of them worked through the afternoon, and at the end of the day retrieved their pay from Hargreeve. Ebony disappeared with most of it to go and buy some supplies, mostly food. Aegin and Rassa walked down the main docks in silence. As they did, Rassa couldn''t help but spot Ewan talked in the shadows of a stall to a few other men.

    "...so we''re all set for tonight then?"

    "All set".

    "Meet in the square at midnight then".

    "You got it".

    Rassa and Aegin passed them, and Rassa shook his head.

    Not his business. Whatever they were up to, it was not his business.

 Chapter 101 A Great Fire

    That Tavern Master was watching him again. He thought he was being subtle, but Rassa knew the man was in way over his head. Though, it did give Rassa the smallest bit of amusement to imagine how the man would react knowing he was watching someone who could kill him without even moving.

    Aegin and Ebony ate their dinner in silence. Rassa found it somewhat surprising that no one ever commented on the fact that Rassa wasn''t eating. Maybe they just assumed he''d already eaten? Who knew what went through their minds.

    Towards the end of their meal, the Captain Rassa had seen earlier that day, a Token if the whispers were true, strode in with the young man around Rassa''s age as his company. The two of them took seats at the bar and successfully brought the Tavern Master into their conversations.

    Now, mostly because he was bored, it was Rassa''s turn to eavesdrop on their conversation.

    "...more information?" asked the Tavern Master with a grin, "Well, you''re going to have to offer more than a story about a Goddess with the tail and ears of a fox granting wishes".

    Rassa froze, the description flooring him. But...there was no way. Was there? For the first time in a month, he wanted to consult Victor, but was now incapable of doing so. All that remained was in his memories. The lessons he''d been taught those years he dwelled in chains.

    They''d only been mentioned a couple of times, their existence a mystery and a rarity, but the Foxes that served Chaos were legendary. Victor had never gone into detail because even he himself knew little about them, but what he did know was that they were temperamental. One time you would hear stories of their cruelty and trickery, another of their kindness and benevolence. It was enough to frustrate. Still, if there was a possibility, even the slightest chance that...

    No. It was none of Rassa''s business. Here was safe. here, he didn''t have to worry nor pay any mind to that great entity called Chaos. It was best he let it lie.

    Rassa stood and moved from the table without a word. Aegin and Ebony only glancing after him, knowing exactly where he was headed. It was time to take his mind off the world and hunt for his own meal.

    Hunting humans, as Rassa had worked out, was not an exact science. There was no one method to it. Sometimes he''d wait in a tavern or inn for someone to walk out alone. Other times he''d watch over darker alleyways and side streets until some unlucky individual passed through. He''d tried his best to stick to those who were guilty of something. Theft, violence, assault. It did not sit well with him to take from those who had done nothing wrong, even if they did taste better. Victor would no doubt turn his nose up at Rassa''s behaviour, but keeping a low profile took priority, and those people just so happened to be the ones that lurked in shadows and darkened corners where they thought no one was watching.

    Tonight, Rassa took to the roof top of the bell tower, surveying the city from the vantage point. His hearing was sharp, it did not take him long to find a victim.

    The man appeared like a rat, scurrying through side streets and back alleys with a sack over his back. A sack that clinked and shift with a sound consistent with that of glass bottles. Rassa frowned as the shadows had moved him from the bell tower to a point where he could watch over the man. He contemplated for a moment. What was the man up to?

    While Rassa had assumed that the man had simply stolen some liqour from one of the warehouses, he seemed to have another intention as he weaved his way into the Token district. Rassa, needing the entertainment, sat back and watched, knowing he was in no rush to collect his meal.

    He followed the man via the rooftops, eventually pausing when a familiar scent came to him.

    Ewan.

    The man in question waited behind one of the larger Token warehouses with a few other men beside him, some of them Rassa had seen earlier that day as he and Aegin left the docks. Rassa crouched beside a chimney as he watched from above.

    "Good," Ewan said as the man Rassa had followed arrived, putting the sack of bottles at Ewan''s feet, "Each of you taken a bottle and a cloth, remember to do it quickly, in and out before the guards know what happened".

    The men did as told, and Rassa watched as they each took a bottle and uncorked it, then soaked a cloth in some of the liquid before using the cloth as a type of cork in the neck of the bottle. The smell of strong liqour wafted up to Rassa, and his frown turned into wide eyes.

    They weren''t were they? They weren''t stupid enough to do it.

    Rassa was proven wrong in the next instance.

    Ewan lit the cloth of one of the bottle on fire, then hurled it at the wooden doors of the warehouse. The bottle smashed upon impact, and the liqour caught on fire, bathing half the door in intense flames. The others picked up various large rocks and hurled them at the burning door, which under the stress of the fire and the heavy weights hitting it, broke down quickly. The men then ran in through the burning doorframe with their own bottles, lighting and throwing them inside as they went.

    Were they crazy? That was thousands of gold coins worth of products! No doubt tens of thousands considering it was a Token warehouse.

    Rassa looked down at Ewan as the men scattered to the shadows once more.

    "If you won''t take me seriously, Token, then I''m sure you''ll take your precious business seriously. You are nothing without it after all," Ewan proclaimed in the shadows, then he turned and jogged away as the calls of the guards rang out.

    Rassa watched the blaze build and tear through all that lay inside, then, burning out of control, jumpt to the next warehouse. There was so much fuel for the fire within those warehouses, but if this continued, it wouldn''t just be Token that was struck a blow.

    Rassa reached out to the shadows, pushing power into them to grow and smother the flames. Not all of them, just enough to prevent further damages. He didn''t need the Dock Masters or the City Officials to get suspicious.

    He was there for an hour preventing spot fires from breaking out before the fire department finally managed to get the blaze under control. By then, Master Hargreeve and the Token Captain that Ewan was targeting had arrived on the scene to survey the damage. Rassa watched for only a few more minutes before he left, now hungrier than before.

    Least he knew where to look for his meals now. That little rat man wouldn''t be enough after that use of his shadow magic. He sighed to himself. What was he doing? He''d told himself that it wasn''t any of his business, yet he''d jumped to solve a problem the minute it arose.

    This is why you ended up in chains, idiot, Rassa scolded himself.

 Chapter 102 A Crime

    After the encounter with Ewan earlier that day, and the news from Hargreeve that he couldn''t leave as soon as he would have liked, Jeremiah had been looking forward to that drink. He practically dragged Aaron back to The Leaky Boat, and wasted no time ordering his first drink, pushing one towards his Cabin Boy as well. Everyone knew that a good drink was always better with company, even if he was attempting to drown his woes.

    "Heard about Ewan," Arthur began, giving a glance at Jeremiah as he served another customer.

    Jeremiah paused his drink just before it reached his lips, looking back at Arthur with obvious annoyance, "He already ruined my day, I advise you to not ruin my evening".

    Arthur snorted, "He may be a right ass, but I think we both know you can handle Ewan".

    Jeremiah snorted, tipping back his drink, "I hardly think it''s a question of whether or not I can handle him. It''s a question of how big of an ass he plans to be before I do".

    Arthur nodded in agreement, "So for how long will you tolerate him? You''re only here a couple of days".

    "I''d rather not kill him if I can avoid it," Jeremiah sighed, "That''ll really put a damper on my trip assure".

    "Like he hasn''t done that already," Aaron mumbled. The corner of Jeremiah''s lips turned up in amusement. This was why he''d hired Aaron. Sure, a cabin boy should be loyal, and Aaron was without a doubt, but Jeremiah liked a bit of humour to brighten his day. As serious as Aaron was most of the time, he had his moments, small as they were. Aaron had only been a young boy when he''d been brought under Jeremiah''s wing, but the orphan boy had stood out to him.

    Mainly because he''d been daring enough to steal from the docks right beside the esteemed captain. That thievery had quickly come to an end after Aaron had been welcomed on board the Miranda. Jeremiah had simply told him that if he worked hard, he would never go hungry nor be lonely again. Jeremiah had yet to let him down.

    "There''ll be less talk of murder in this tavern thankyou," Arthur grumbled, "You know its not good for business".

    "Unless you deal in such things, I don''t think murder is good for any business," Jeremiah replied, "But that doesn''t stop accidents from occuring".

    Arthur rolled his eyes, then pointed subtlely to a table in the corner where three quiet young men sat eating their evening meal. Or more specificially, two of them ate while the hooded one sat still in the corner.

    "They who you were on about earlier?" asked Jeremiah, "I still don''t think they''re worth the information you gave us. I think you should offer something more substantial".

    "You want more information?" asked the Tavern Master with a grin, "Well, you''re going to have to offer more than a story about a Goddess with the tail and ears of a fox granting wishes".

    Jeremiah grumbled, turning away as he took up his drink again. Nothing else really came to mind, besides the fact that there weren''t many things going on at the moment that was of any real interest to him. And even if something was apparent, Jeremiah highly doubted it would be related to Eldovia, the continent was not much of a threat to the Token Trading Firm.

    "I heard the dwarves were in the middle of developing a new type of crystal weaponry," Aaron offered.

    The Tavern Master raised an eyebrow in interest, "And how did you hear of that before me?"

    It was a valid question, the Dwarves were native to Eldovia, they only had small colonies on other continents.

    Aaron smirked, "I have my methods and you have yours".

    Jeremiah didn''t stop their conversation, instead turning subconsciously to look at the table of three individuals. He couldn''t deny the possibility that they could be useful. Those who kept low profiles usually were if one used them properly. Only, there were no longer three individuals there, the one with the hood had disappeared. Jeremiah''s eyes narrowed, he hadn''t even seen the kid move, let alone leave. Looking down at the tankard in his hands, Jeremiah shook his head, maybe he''d been off the drink for too long and it now had a more profound effect on him than he''d been prepared for. He took another swig anyway.

    As he drunk himself merry, listening to Aaron argue with the Tavern Master, time seemed to pass without a care in the world. Only, there would have to come a time when his merriment would end, and it eventually came in the form of one of his sailors, a burly man named Tank, burst through the doors of The Leaky Boat with a loud crash, rushing up to Jeremiah.

    "A fire, Captain!" he said desperately, "A fire''s broken out at the main warehouse".

    Jeremiah sobered up in an instant, rushing with Aaron and the sailor back out the doors of the Tavern, leaving Arthur with two half drunk tankards.

    By the time the two of them arrived, there were already plenty of individuals working to get the blaze under control. One after another they would take water from the harbour and carry it the forty or so metres up the bank to the warehouse which continued to blaze. Even with so many working to put it out.

    Jeremiah took in the great blaze, his eyes immediately looking for signs of how this could have happened. The warehouses were guard day and night by the city guards, how would anyone have an opportunity to attack the warehouses? Let alone Token warehouses. No one dared to oppose them in the open, who would dare now?

    As Jeremiah began working in the cold night air to attack the flames, his sobering eyes began picking up on strange occurrances. Why hadn''t such a blazing fire jumped beyond this singular warehouse? His eyes moved to the adjacent warehouse, and while he couldn''t see clearly in the shadows of the night, the flickering of the blaze next door allowed him to view a few burnt patches on the roof of the warehouse next door. Just then, he noticed another spark jump onto the roof and catch light. He opened his mouth to warn those fighting the fire, only to watch as a shadow seemed to detach itself from beneath the gutter and reach up to enclose the flame, like someone dropping a blanket on it. Jeremiah''s eyes narrowed.

    A Shadow Magician? No one else had abilities like that.

    The only problem was that shadow magicians were a rarity because usually when they awakened, more secretive orgnaisations tended to jump at the opportunities to grow their influence. Shadow Magicians tended to specialise in espionage and assassination. They were the ultimate agents, why would one act indpendently in controlling a fire? Had the Token family hired one without his knowledge?

    Jeremiah''s eyes wandered, amongst the workers, trying to spot the Magician in question. But no one stood out to him. Eventually, as the fire finally began to die down, Jeremiah decided that regardless of whether or not a Shadow Magician had helped that night, it was better he didn''t pursue the matter.

    After all, even he, a famed Token, had no right to oppose nor question such an entity.

 Chapter 103 A Nightmare

    The city had become a battlefield. The sun stones had been destroyed, the barrier that kept Star Crash Coven in darkness disintegrating with them. All those cheerful and determined people that had dominated the city streets had turned on one another, their affiliation forcing a divide between the members of the Coven.

    Rassa looked down on them all with narrowed eyes. After all the Coven had done for them, this is how they repaid it? With blood and slaughter and superficial doctrines that had brainwashed those who came into contact with it. Order had always been larger in number. It''s influence more wide spread, but Chaos had always had more powerful individuals. Those who had unlocked darkness and revelled in it.

    Rassa was no different, but he still now could not help the disdain that filled his expression. How dare they attack his Coven? How dare they move against the Vampiric race? What kind of arrogance did they have to possess to keep up their crusade with such vigor?

    "Not arrogance," Victor spoke, "Pride. They were too prideful".

    Rassa frowned, "But pride is-"

    "An aspect of Chaos, yes," Victor nodded, "The Vampires, who were ruled by Gluttony, were the last to be attacked by Order in this great war, but there were plenty of other Chaos Races that Order attacked and decimated beforehand. The first of which, were the Demons. They, with their command over Chaos itself were Pride personified, and with their decimation, where do you think Pride would go? After all, nothing is truly eradicated forever. You cannot eradicate Chaos just as you cannot eradicate Order. Two sides of the same coin. When one is destroyed, it shall bloom in the heart of the other".

    "You mean those who controlled the army of Order became the personification of Pride?" asked Rassa.

    Victor nodded, "The cycle will not be broken. They will all return one way or another. You are a key to one path of Chaos, the path of Gluttony. Do not let it destroy you, but then, you can''t let them destroy you either". Victor pointed out at the Magicians that were fighting on the streets, their powers granted by order and giving them such arrogant looks. No, prideful looks. They were looking down on his Coven. Looking down on his race and their path.

    Rassa felt his wings unfurl behind his back, stretching them wide as he pierced the skin of his wrist and summoned the blood forth, solidifying it into a wickedly sharp red blade that shone in the sunlight. The shadows collected in his other hand, a black blade forming a twin. Rassa felt his fangs extend as he fell forward letting the wind carry him into battle.

    His powerful wings stopped his fall short right before his brethren who retreated behind him, awaiting orders. He moved them once, blowing back several Magicians with their powerful beating. Then the wings receded as Rassa dropped to the ground gracefully. His world died red as he let his power roam free, intimidating his enemies with little to no effort.

    "You have brought upon this war yourselves, do not blame me for turning it into a slaughter. You should have worked out by now, your deaths only serve to satisfy our thirst".

    He lunged forward into the fray, his swords slicing through flesh and bone with no resistance as he moved with unrestricted speed, stopping every now and then to fill his stomach with the life blood of his enemies.

    Such an addicting feeling it was, giving in to ones instincts. To let his power roam free and his gluttony soar forth unrestrained. He was unstoppable, and his brethren behind him took it as consent. They too followed in his footsteps.

    Rassa twirled with his blades, slashing through another Magicians uncaringly and watching the torso separate in two. He grinned joyfully, the shadows dancing around him with the blood that rained on the streets of the city. He blinked looking down at the body of the Magician.

    But it wasn''t a magician this time, it was a guard in basic uniform, his head severed from his body. He looked familiar. A cool breeze rushed through Rassa, and he registered the darkness that surrounded him, how the shadows danced and answered his every command.

    Severe his head from his shoulders.

    Pin him to the wall like a hunting trophy.

    Splay him in pieces on the ground.

    Break his limbs.

    Block his throat and choke him.

    Bring him to me so I can feed.

    Rassa watched all this occur around him in the darkness of the cave, moving with his shadows and sinking his fangs into unwilling necks to drink and drink and drink. He let his Gluttony rule him. His rage crashing through his being like river rapids.

    He grinned just like he had on that battlefield. The shadows and the Mist revelling in the chaos with him. This is what he was, this is what he was born to be. It felt so right, so pure and unrestrained that he could not help the joyful laugh that burst forth from his lips.

    He spread his arms, the shadows exploding outwards like spikes and skewering his enemies where they stood. His shoulders shook with his chuckle and the shadows receded, wrapping around him like satin cloth as he surveyed the destruction around him. The bodies and the blood, the true form of his gluttonous path.

    "R-Rassa".

    Rassa froze. The voice all too familiar. The shadows screamed at him not to turn back, as if they knew. As if they were aware of what it would do to him. But Rassa couldn''t stop himself, he turned anyway.

    There, skewered to the wall of the mines, was his father. Blood leaked from his wounds, and he coughed, blood gushing forth from his mouth.

    "Rassa...why?"

    The question, the confusion, the fear. All lay within Phillip''s gaze as he took in the true form of his son, and the look floored Rassa.

    What had he done?

    "Father?"

    The small voice that escaped Rassa was nothing like the gluttonous monster that had revelled in darkness moments before. It resembled a small child, terrified beyond his wits. Rassa stumbled forward towards his father.

    "Father...no".

    As Rassa took in the wholly dead eyes of his father, he caught glimpses of others on either side of Rassa, or the bodies on the floor and the pinned to rooves and walls.

    His mother. Jane, Falla, Dig, all his friends, the knights he''d slaughtered in Cordon, the villagers, Aegin and Ebony...

    Rassa dropped to his knees.

    "No". His long claw-like nails scraped at the skin of his face, the cuts quickly mending back together as if to tell him, "This is what you are, you cannot run from it".

    Rassa screamed.

 Chapter 104 A Suspec

    Rassa jolted awake, sitting up quickly as he took a deep breath and schooled his expression. Closing his eyes to the torment before he regained control of his rapidly beating heart. The Nightmare had plagued him again and again since his escape from Jerrica. Forcing him inexplicably to accept an undeniable truth:

    He was a monster, and there was a part of him that liked that.

    When he''d recovered his Life Line and become aware of how shut-down he''d become during his imprisonment, he''d promised himself he''d find a middle ground between the monster and the man. To find a space where he could be both merciful and merciless. But it was a lot easier said than done. It was like the Nightmare had developed itself in response to his decision.

    "As if you could ever be merciful, not when Chaos rules you so".

    Perhaps it was right. Yet Rassa continued to deny it, to try to prove it wrong. He could be merciful. He could be kind. The monster did not have to rule his every move.

    But the nightmares were persistent in haunting him.

    Rassa dragged a hand down his face, turning to look over at Aegin. The bed was empty, Aegin gone. He focused on his hearing, directing it outside to the living area of the apartment. Two heartbeats, it appeared they were already up. Rassa glanced out the window, the sun peaking halfway over the horizon. He''d slept a little too long.

    Rassa dressed quickly, pulling his jacket on and slipping the hood over his dark hair. He pulled on his boots then opened the bedroom door, finding Ebony and Aegin sitting at the table silently, munching on some food.

    Rassa could see the hesitation on Aegin''s face as the two looked at him, but in the end he still spoke.

    "You came back late last night," Aegin said, "Got something else planned?"

    Rassa sighed, "Not like how you''re imagining".

    Aegin frowned, "How do you know what I''m imagining?"

    "You''ve been complaining about how bored you are for a fortnight, it''s not hard," Ebony spoke.

    She stood, packing away the food she was taking for the day and heading for the door. Aegin sighed, looking at Rassa, "Then...you''re okay, right?"

    Rassa stared back at Aegin for a moment without saying a thing. Eventually Aegin stood, "Fine, forget I asked".

    The three of them made their way down to the docks for another day of work.

    ***

    Jeremiah kicked another half-burnt crate out of the way, only half a mind to take note that it had once held something that could have made the trading company plenty of money. The only thing he was concerned about in this moment, was finding out what caused the fire in the first place.

    He''d been reassured by Hargreeve that when the Dock Master had left the evening before, locking the warehouse doors, all those crates that had flammable contents had been stored safely away from everything else. That left the possibility that the fire had been started deliberately.

    But to prove that, Jeremiah would need proof. Especially when handing the case to the city authorities.

    It was only after sunrise that the fire was completely put out. By then, the entire Port was well aware of what had occurred in the Token District the night before. Everyone proclaimed it a miracle that only one warehouse had been destroyed. Jeremiah was sure it was a Shadow Magician, but didn''t have proof.

    He moved through the ruins meticulously, Aaron and a few of his trusted crew members, including Tank, moving through different sections, sifting through the wreckage. They''d yet to find anything significant.

    "Anything?" Aaron spoke as he approached Jeremiah.

    Jeremiah kept a firm frown on his face, the expression speaking a million words about the Captain''s frustration and anger.

    "No luck on our front either," Aaron replied, "Perhaps it would be better to call in a Fire Magician, they would at least be able to tell the progress of the fire. That may give us some clues".

    Jeremiah opened his mouth to accept the suggestion, but a glint of light caught his eye amongst the wreckage. He moved towards it, his hands blackening from the burnt wood he moved aside.

    There, amongst the burnt crates, were several spots of melted glass that had solidfied once more.

    Jeremiah frowned, squatting down to get a closer look.

    "It''s just glass, Captain, we found it elsewhere as well," Aaron remarked.

    "Where?" asked Jeremiah.

    "At a few spots around the warehouse," Aaron replied, "We figured they were just smashed bottles".

    Jeremiah shook his head, "I don''t think that''s the case, get Hargreeve for me".

    Aaron darted off to do as ordered as Jeremiah moved around to find the other area the glass had been found.

    "You asked for me, Captain?" Hargreeve announced as he approached.

    "What of the stock was cased in glass?" asked Jeremiah.

    Hargreeve thought for a moment, "The only thing that was in glass bottles in this warehouse last night were the two crates of Graphton Ale awaiting the transports to Barday".

    "Graphton Ale..." Jeremiah thought for a moment, "That''s cased in a green coloured glass, yes?"

    Hargreeve nodded, "Indeed, but it was placed in the flammable section last night, the evidence of their presence is still accounted for there".

    "Then how do you explain this brown glass?" asked Jeremiah, pointing to the floor where the evidence lay.

    Hargreeve looked down, frowning, "Nothing in the warehouse had brown glass, Sir".

    Jeremiah nodded, "Someone planted it here, if it was alcohol as I suspect, it''s likely it was used to start the fire. Get your contacts to search out what alcohols are accessible in Lovolon that come in brown glass bottles. It''ll be even better if you can find out if someone has at least twenty bottles missing or bought".

    Hargreeve nodded, "I''ll get right on it, sir".

    Aaron looked at Jeremiah, "If it was deliberately lit...you''ve got to be having the same thought as everyone else".

    Jeremiah looked at Aaron, "There may be good reason to dislike Ewan, but I won''t accuse him without evidence".

    "Still, he''d be the prime suspect, wouldn''t he?" asked Aaron.

    Jeremiah recalled the shadows moving the previous night. Ewan, as far as he was aware, was not a shadow magician, and Jeremiah couldn''t rule out the possibility that the magician had been purposefully targeting the warehouse, especially considering he only put out the flames that jumped, not the main fire itself.

    Still, when Magicians were involved, it was better to be sure before throwing an accusation out.

    "Get a Fire Magician out here anyway to look at the ruins. Get as much information as you can," Jeremiah said.

    Aaron nodded, "Straight away, Captain".

 Chapter 105 A Fire Magician

    Today, depite the amount of work that was going on there because of the fire, Rassa outright refused to work at the Token Docks. Aegin and Ebony had clearly wanted to question it, but knew that doing so would not be in their best interest.

    So, in the end, Aegin went to the Token docks to monitor the situation there whilst Ebony and Rassa went to the Salt district instead. It was the first time the three of them had split up for a day of work, and despite the fact that they were at odds with each other, they felt somewhat nervous being apart. That said, they all subconsciously felt that a break was needed, even if it was only temporary. There was only so long they could stay in each others company before arguing, particularly Ebony and Aegin. The day of reprieve was therefore, well received.

    So, while Ebony and Rassa worked to move the heavy sacks of salt rocks towards the warehouses, Aegin helped at the Token Dock to clean up the mess caused by the fire the night before. He''d heard shouting, and seen the flames, but it was not until he saw the destruction that he realised why Rassa wanted to avoid the area.

    The destruction was significant, but only at the warehouse. Having the damage so localised despite the crowding of buildings around it...it didn''t make logical sense unless a Magician was involved. Judging from the look of that Token Captain, he felt the same way, though did not voice his opinion.

    Aegin spent the morning pretending not to watch from afar as he worked, cleaning up the wreckage around the area but leaving the warehouse itself. It was not until nearly noon that a Fire Mage appeared from the city''s guild.

    As far as Aegin was aware, Port Lovolon specialised in Water Magicians, for the obvious reason of the city being situated around a large bay. That, and nearly four hundred years beforehand the city had been hit by a massive storm which had progressed to a tsunami, wiping out most of the buildings and with immense loss of life. The main point of having so many Water Magicians present at the Port Lovolon Guild was to prevent such a disaster from happening again. This was not to say that there weren''t any other Magicians, but they were far fewer in number. As far as Aegin had heard from whispers, the only reason the Fire Magician was situated in Port Lovolon, was that each Guild was required to have at least one member of each element in order to establish itself and continue to run. The Fire Magician in question, Marx Lee, was, if rumour were to be believed, as lazy as a snake in the sun.

    Usually, Fire Magicians were known for their temper and will for action and fighting. Marx Lee seemed to flip that stereotype right on its head. He would rather spend all day lazing around his apartment than be out in the open, working. As a guild member however, he had to contribute to keep the business running. So, he spent most of his time amongst blacksmiths and ship-builders, working to forge the metallic parts they required. Word had it he was quite good, but didn''t accept any demands placed upon him. He did the bare minimum, then went home.

    Clearly, it had taken the Tokens some time to convince Marx Lee to make the trip down to the Docks. the Magician looked none too pleased to be there. Still, the prospect of paid work seemed to give him enough motivation to sift through the ruins of the warehouse.

    Like all of those individuals who didn''t possess Life Lines, Aegin''s understanding of the Mist was rudimentary at best. A powerful force that influenced and was influenced by life and fate and magic. It was confusing, and without being able to see it, many didn''t understand it. Hence, discussion and knowledge of the Mist usually only lay in circles of those with Life Lines. That being said, Aegin could tell that Marx Lee was doing his best to read the Mist that surrounded and penetrated the warehouse. His eyes darted around and he would occaisonally wave his hand in the air, the last of burning embers travelling to his palm for him to expect them before he snuffed them out. Eventually, he turned and walked back to the Token Captain who waited on the edge of the ruins. Aegin strained his ears to hear over the hubbub, wishing for Rassa''s enhanced senses as he knew the Vampire would have no trouble distinugishing what was said.

    "...nothing I''ve ever seen," the Magician said, "Like...Mist is confused..."

    "...Shadow Magician...?" the Token Captain questioned as Aegin frowned in frustration at being unable to discern 60-70% of their conversation.

    The Magician shook his head, "...different...darker...chaotic".

    "...cause?" the Captain asked.

    The Magician shrugged, "...say for sure...around the warehouse...not of our..."

    The Captain frowned for a moment, nodding, "Any...it might...?"

    The Magician shook his head, "Not...enemies, Captain?"

    The Captain sighed, then passed the Magician a coin purse and Marx Lee pocketed it before wandering off.

    Aegin sighed in frustration as he heaved another bunch of burnt building material to the side. He hadn''t been able to discern much. Except for the fact that he was pretty sure the Fire Magician had sensed Rassa''s use of his magic. That and they were unsure whether to suspect this new kind of magic as the cause, or something else.

    When Aegin reported back to the apartment at the end of the day, blackened by ash and none to pleased, he reported so to Rassa.

    "I don''t think its wise for you to use the shadows for a while," Aegin said, "Who knows what they might grow to suspect".

    Rassa was silent for a moment then he nodded, "I wasn''t sure if they could ascertain what I was or not. It seems their ability to interact with the Mist regarding Chaos is the same as them being unable to read my Life Lines. They don''t know what to make of it just as I cannot discern Order".

    "That''s..." Aegin began, then paused, unsure what to say, then he sighed, "Urgh, lets be honest, I''ve got no idea about any of that stuff and it sounds too confusing to make it worth my while".

    Rassa smirked, showing a mild form of amusement. A rare moment these days.

    "I''m not always sure about it either," Rassa said, "The Mist is not necessarily meant to be understood in its entirety, that''s what makes it The Mist".

    "Don''t give me a headache," Aegin sighed, looking down at himself, "I''m going to go and take a bath".

    Rassa didn''t stop him.

 Chapter 106 A Suspicious Hooded Man

    It''d been a day since Jeremiah had heard the report from the Fire Magician. To put it simply, the Fire Magician had no idea what had happened for sure. What he was positive of was that magic hadn''t started the fire, but the fire had been deliberately lit. The magic he did sense was suppressive towards the flames, but it was unlike anything he''d felt before. Despite Jeremiah''s description of the shadows moving, the Fire Magician had insisted that it hadn''t felt like a Shadow Magician. Still, Jeremiah couldn''t shake the possibility.

    In the end, the Fire Magician had said that despite their chaotic patterns, the magic that had been used was not used with malicious intent, therefore, it was unlikely the Shadow Magician, if there was one, had started the blaze.

    As soon as the Fire Magician had recommended Jeremiah search for other suspects with ill-intent towards the Token businesses, many had come to mind. Token was a big company, to be able to get as powerful as they were they''d made plenty of enemies. But none had ever been so bold, usually they used business means rather than deliberate destruction of property, such a thing would sully their own names. But then Jeremiah thought about the timing of the fire...

    He hadn''t been in Eldovia for months, and the business here hadn''t been affected in any way until now. Maybe, rather than the business, the target was him. It would make more sense to target the ship, but The Miranda was both anchored out in the bay and heavily guarded. Besides, the suspect that came to mind didn''t want to destroy The Miranda, he wanted to own it.

    With a suspect clearly now in mind, Jeremiah set out to gather evidence. It was a lot harder than he''d previously thought. He''d sent Aaron away to check for brown glass bottles of alcohol that had been sold recently, but Port Lovolon was a big city, and there were at least ten different alcoholic drinks that were stored in brown coloured glass. By the end of the second day, Aaron had scoured only a third of the city without any luck. Communicating his suspicions, Aaron suggested that somebody tail Ewan, just to see if they could find any evidence.

    Ewan may have made some bad decisions, but he wasn''t stupid, and he was certainly observant. He threw off nearly every tail that was placed on him over the next three days.

    By the time a week had passed since the fire, Jeremiah was no closer to finding evidence, and neither was he any closer to leaving the Port.

    The harvest order they''d been waiting for had arrived, but every other product he was supposed to take with him to Rouke had been set ablaze. Jeremiah, much to his utter disgruntlement, was anchored until they could receive more. Especially seeing as there was still a month until the Traders Festival he was required to attend, and it would only take four days to sail to Rouke.

    So, like most Captains who longed for the sea but were stuck on land, Jeremiah returned to The Leaky Boat to find solace in a tankard.

    "...A Shadow Magician?" asked Arthur with intrigue, "I wasn''t aware that the Guild had one".

    "The Guild doesn''t," Jeremiah replied.

    "Then a passerby?" asked Arthur, "The only organisation that houses Shadow Magicians in Port Lovolon is Corporeal, and they are very hard to locate seeing as they never show themselves. They''re trained not to".

    "So, what? You think one felt a little generous after seeing the fire that night?" asked Jeremiah.

    Arthur smirked, "Corporeal is anything but generous, unless you''re talking about the amount of enemies you have. They''d be more than generous to get rid of them all for a discount to their exorbitant prices".

    "Then, must be just a passerby, quite possibly already been and gone," Jeremiah said.

    "Or..."

    Jeremiah looked over the lip of his tankard at Arthur. When the Tavern Master failed to continue his explanaion, Jeremiah put the tankard down, "Or what?"

    Arthur gestured with his head to the booth in the corner which currently sat empty, but which quite often housed three quiet young men who kept to themselves.

    Jeremiah frowned, "You don''t think..."

    "Would explain the hood," Arthur said, "I hear that Magicians always feel safer when immersed in their element".

    It went against his instincts. A man who wanted to stay safe never approached someone who wanted to keep to themselves. And yet...that hooded man may be the only one who knew what happened that night if he did turn out to be the Shadow Magician in question. For a moment, Jeremiah seriously considered Arthur''s line of thought.

    "It''s just a hood," Jeremiah said speculatively.

    Arthur smirked, "This is Port Lovolon, Sailors where hats, not hoods, if they can even be bothered with that".

    Arthur had a point.

    Sighing, Jeremiah nodded, "Fine, I''ll see what I can find".

    Arthur smirked, "Let me know how that goes".

    "You''ve got to pay me with info if you want info," Jeremiah grinned.

    Arthur''s smirk dropped, "Like you can talk".

    ***

    That evening, just as the workers were finishing up for the day, Jeremiah finally found the hooded individual working at the Cotton Docks. He waited until they were paid, then approached the three of them when they were together. Hopefully they''d feel less inclined to run if they were in a group.

    The hooded one stopped right away, turning to look at Jeremiah even as he stood fifty metres away. It was like he just knew. The other two paused as well, following the hooded one''s line of sight and spotting Jeremiah, the bulkier of the pair turned back to the hooded one and spoke a short line before the hooded one handed over his coins for the day and gave a single nod.

    The other two didn''t looked pleased, they looked cautious more than anything, but they left the hooded one behind. The hooded one wandered over to a more secluded area of the docks, then looked over at Jeremiah, as if summoning him.

    Jeremiah wasn''t sure how he felt about that, but it was a good sign. Maybe Arthur''s hunch was right.

    Only one way to find out, Jeremiah followed the hooded young man into the shadows.

 Chapter 107 An Ally of Sorts

    Rassa had known that Jeremiah would eventually cross paths with him. The Token Captain was smart, and more observant than most. There was only so long before the arrow pointed at Rassa and his irregular habits and behaviour. Rassa wasn''t sure yet which of those habits had drawn Jeremiah to him, but he''d find out soon. Honestly, Rassa had been surprised he''d had to wait a whole week.

    Once in the alley and standing amongst the shadows, Rassa leaned against the wall and waited for the Captain to join him. It only took a moment. The Captain paused just a couple of metres away, saying nothing as he look Rassa over, then he spoke simply.

    "What''s your name, kid?"

    Rassa frowned at the address, with all he''d been through, he was hardly a child anymore.

    "I''m not a kid," Rassa replied.

    "You''re young, much younger than my old self," Jeremiah replied, "I''ll call you a kid if I want to".

    Rassa, despite his annoyance, couldn''t exactly refute. He let out a sigh, "Phil".

    "Well Phil, my name is Jeremiah Token, and while I realise you like to keep to yourself, I''ve got a problem on my hands that I was hoping you could solve," Jeremiah said.

    Rassa turned slightly to face the old Captain, "What makes you think I can solve it?"

    Jeremiah raised an eyebrow, "You''re a Shadow Magician, are you not? You snuffed out the flames surrounded the Token Warehouse a week ago".

    Rassa paused for a moment, "What makes you think that was me?"

    "So you know there was a Shadow Magician involved?"

    "You can buy a lot of information in this city, the Tavern Masters thrive in their networks," Rassa refuted.

    Jeremiah frowned, unhappy that Rassa had thought of an excuse so quickly, "Your hood".

    Rassa unconsciously reached up to touch the article of clothing in question, "Hats blow off too easily".

    "Your friends don''t have hats," Jeremiah said.

    Rassa opened his mouth to reply then closed it again. He couldn''t exactly tell Jeremiah that they were more fond of the sun than Rassa was. That''d be a dead give away. Still, Jeremiah looked adamant. He seemed positive that Rassa was somehow involved.

    "Look, whether or not this Shadow Magician you''re looking for is me, what exactly do you plan to have them do? Just explain to you who started the fire? Maybe help catch the culprit, they are after all, a magician, should be easy for them. Or maybe, when that''s said and done, you''ll give out another job, or maybe just directly employ them. Once they''ve signed a contract it''ll be harder for them to get out, especially with no outside influence protecting them. In the end, you''ll have a Shadow Magician doing your bidding, and who knows how powerful you could become with that in your hands," Rassa lectured, "But would you ever ask whether or not they were willing to do the things you asked of them? Whether or not this is what they saw themselves doing with their lives, being a slave to someone else''s whims? Perhaps its just me, but I don''t intend to live my life in service of somebody else".

    Rassa turned to leave, but Jeremiah spoke again, "I''ve lived a very long life, tasted freedom from the moment I was born. I too dislike being tied down to anyone or anything. I would never take someone who was not willing into my service, and I''m sorry that you''ve been led to believe that the world is only full of those who would do otherwise. If you are the Shadow Magician, I would only ask for a clue, a name if you''re feeling generous".

    Jeremiah waited on the edge as he looked at the frozen back of the young man. For a moment, he was sure that the man was just going to walk away, but Jeremiah saw it as the man clenched his fists tightly, then unclenched them.

    "I heard a rat came all the way from the Peony District that night to provide drinks for the bonfire," Rassa said, "They didn''t drink much".

    Then Rassa walked away without another word.

    Jeremiah stood in the alley for a moment longer, a faint, sad smile appearing on his lips. That kid was haunted. It was rare Jeremiah came across people like him, and it was certain that he''d never seen one that strong before. The kid''s mind was clearly sharp and his judgement sound, he simply warred with himself on whether or not what he was doing was worth his involvement. Jeremiah could only speculate on what the kid had been through, but it was clear that he was very adamant in never experiencing it again. He''d said only enough to give Jeremiah a lead, nothing more and nothing less. Whilst his words could be seen as him confirming his status as a Shadow Magician, if questioned, both he and Jeremiah could only repeat a phrase that sounded as if it was being passed down a grape vine. Some gossip in a circle. After another moment, Jeremiah left and headed back to the Token District.

    ***

    "Captain!" Hargreeve called when he arrived, "I was just about to send for you, a messenger arrived and the new cargo should be here in two days. You''ll be set to sail with the tide on the third".

    Jeremiah grinned, "Good, make sure this lot doesn''t burn".

    "Aye, sir".

    "Where''s Aaron?"

    "I believe he''s back at the offices, Captain," Hargreeve informed him.

    Jeremiah nodded, heading in that direction. The Administration building for the Token Docks was perhaps the grandest building along the water in their district. It stood out amongst the many warehouses, calling attention to itself with its grandeur. Aaron was indeed inside, sitting with a few of his shipmates as they ate their evening meal. The lot of them stood as Jeremiah approached them.

    "Captain".

    Jeremiah nodded in greeting, then indicated he wanted to speak with Aaron. Aaron joined him and waited for instruction.

    "Take a few men and scour Peony for a rat who bought a lot of Alcohol on the night of the fire," Jeremiah said.

    Aaron frowned, "A rat, sir?"

    Jeremiah grinned, "A malnourished individual who most likely looked up to no good".

    Aaron''s eyes dawned with understanding and he nodded, "I''ll get right on it, Sir".

    Jeremiah pointed back to the table where he''d left his meal, "Get back to that first".

    Aaron smiled, "You should eat too, Captain. Drinking with Arthur during the day won''t do you good when we''re back at sea".

    Jeremiah rolled his eyes.

 Chapter 108 A Thef

    Aaron, Tank and three other sailors from The Miranda by the names of Yates, Peter and Kite, spread out over the Peony district as soon as the sun dipped below the horizon. Being so far from the Token District, Aaron had only managed to search a few of the more well-known establishments there. Now that he had the lead the Captain had given him, he realised his mistake. He shouldn''t been looking in those places that were less frequented, or at the very least more well-received by unsavoury characters. Considering the fire was deliberately lit he probably should have thought of that in the first place, but he''d underestimated how careful Ewan would be.

    Entering one of the inns by the dock, Aaron avoided the stares and murmurs as he approached the innkeeper.

    "Hello, I was wondering if I could have a couple of minutes of your time to ask a few questions?"

    The Innkeeper frowned at the coins Aaron placed on the bar top, then glanced up at Aaron again. Aaron sighed, he was going to go through a lot of coins unless he found the right place quickly.

    He placed an additional three silver coins on top of the five already there, then the Innkeeper''s expression relaxed a little.

    "How can I help?"

    "I''m sure you''ve heard about the warehouse fire in the Token District a week ago, my questions will be about the night it happened," Aaron said, the Innkeeper nodded, "Did anyone suspicious come in that night and purchase at least twenty bottles of an alcohol stored in brown glass?"

    The Innkeeper frowned, shaking his head, "Twenty bottles is quite an amount, I would have remembered such a transaction".

    Aaron sighed, "Have you heard of anywhere else making that transaction?"

    The Innkeeper shook his head, "Not on this street".

    Aaron sighed. Tapping the bar top, "Alright, thanks for your time".

    He turned around and left, the Innkeeper swiping the coins off of the counter and pocketing them.

    Aaron visited several more inns and taverns before he came to the end of the section he''d been assigned. He moved to the main square where he''d agreed to meet up with the others, hoping they''d found something in his place.

    It was said that Peony had been the first district of Port Lovolon. The then town had busied itself crafting all kinds of herbal medicines, particularly one made from the peony flower that grew on he western continents. That medicine had helped to stop the spread of a deadly plague at the time. While it was not what it used to be in terms of business and liveliness, Peony still stuck to its roots. It had several herb and medicine greenhouses and dealt in the trade of many more from the other continents. The original Peony had been split into five sections, four to make up the main town, and the fifth was the dock. Even so, the main square stood at the centre of the town, with a direct main street from the dock all the way to the north of the city at the top of the hill behind Port Lovolon. It was a spectacular sight to stand at the top of the street and look all the way down to the docks, even at night, with all the lanterns lit it was often seen as a romantic destination. However, the sea fog had set in as the night had come tonight, the winter chill dimming the usual spirit of the main square and street.

    Tank was already waiting when Aaron arrived, a simple shake of his head was another disappointment for Aaron. After waiting for another hour, Yates and Kite had returned, and finally, Peter jogged over to them.

    "Anything?" asked Aaron.

    "Nothing," Peter said, "Not even a whiff".

    Aaron sighed, disappointed, "The Captain''s tip-off said it was Peony".

    "Maybe they lied," Yates said, "I mean, it''s a long way from Peony to Token, it would have taken nearly an hour to walk there, perhaps more being weighed down by all those bottles".

    Aaron doubted it. The Captain had seen so sure, and it was hard to lie to a man like Jeremiah Token. He stood for a moment, thinking as the others discussed their lack of findings.

    "...urgh, enough of this, let''s just head back to the Captain with the bad news," Tank grumbled. The others agreed and turned to walk away, only to pause when they realised Aaron wasn''t following.

    "Aaron?" asked Kite.

    Aaron''s gaze had turned to the docks, where a warehouse could clearly be seen on the side of the street despite the fog.

    "What if they didn''t buy the bottles?" asked Aaron, "I mean, if they were up to no good as the Captain said they appeared, why would they buy that many bottles, even if it was from a tavern full of people like themselves? I mean, any one of them would have easily spilled the beans for a few coins".

    "Well, yeah," Peter said, "But where else would you find that many bottles?"

    "The same place you find any large amounts of alcohol in brown glass bottles," Aaron said, he pointed at the warehouse, "In a warehouse".

    The group of sailors turned their eyes to the warehouse. Tank grinned, "You mean to say that it wasn''t alcohol meant for drinking".

    Aaron nodded, "Only one way to find out".

    Tank planted a hand on the top of Aaron''s head ruffling his hair, "I like the way you think kid".

    Aaron frowned, sighing as he fixed his hair and jogged after the others. In the end, he was still a cabinboy.

    The group arrived at the Peony warehouses and began scouring them, asking the guards if anything had been stolen. The Guards were reluctant to talk though, so it took some more persuasion to let the group inspect the warehouse stock lists. They even had to call the Dock Master, who was none too impressed by the summoning.

    Eventually, after an hour of searchin in the dark with only flickering torches to light the way, they found that one of the warehouses had missing medical-use alcohol, and a few of the wooden boards at one of the back corners had been conveniently loosened and moved.

    From a nearby rooftop, a pair of dark eyes watched their progress with a cold expression. When they''d located the warehouse, the pair of eyes narrowed despite the happy faces of the sailors. They''d located the source, not the culprit, there wasn''t much to celebrate there.

    The figure on the rooftop turned away and disappeared into the night.

    ***

    Author''s Note:

    Just like to drop this note here to thank my readers for their continuous support. Read through all of your comments today and was made quite happy by the majority of the responses. I also think that I tend to lose readers between chapter 20 and 35 where the story turns significantly darker. Understandable, though I was a little disappointed by the abuse in some of the comments, whether directed at me or my work. If you don''t like it, you don''t like it, no need to be so toxic. I by no means think I will be able to stop those people from leaving those comments and reviews, but would just like to let them know that their comments are but a drop in a vast ocean, lost as soon as they join the whole...

    With that said I''ll see you all next week!

    -Jelim

 Chapter 109 A Confrontation

    Aegin and Ebony were waiting when Rassa returned. They looked up at him expectantly, but he didn''t say a word as he disappeared into his room, closing the door behind him.

    Aegin sighed.

    "Don''t push him," Ebony warned, "You know what he''s like".

    Aegin turned to look at her, "Yeah, I do, but sometimes one needs a good push to start acting rationally".

    "He did what he thought was right," Ebony reasoned.

    "Yeah, and in the process, could very well have exposed himself," Aegin argued.

    "They think he''s a Shadow Magician," Ebony sighed, "Which while it''s not ideal, it''s better than them knowing what he actually is".

    Aegin sighed, he couldn''t argue against that. The panic that would ensue should they realise what Rassa actually was...he was sure it''d be worse than the panic those hunger-filled creatures had created in Fountain Ridge a month ago. As far as Aegin knew, the city was still in a state of tension. The fact that they''d had no idea how to handle the situation had only added to the panic.

    "Still," Aegin continued, "He shouldn''t be watching over them like he is. It''s not his responsibility".

    "Perhaps not," Ebony agreed, "But there are few things he can connect to and be responsible for these days, especially seeing as the two of us so rarely agree with him. Let him do this, if only so he can feel like he did something right".

    Aegin sighed and turned away, "It''s not my responsibility to help him feel like what he does is right. It''s my responsibility keep him safe. And he''s doing a really bad job at listening to me".

    Ebony put down her work as she stared at Aegin, "Since when did anything related to Rassa become your responsibility? Because his dead father told you to? Aegin, from what I''ve learned, Phillip was a great man and a great father, but he was just a man. How can he decide what is best for Rassa? Rassa is, as far as we know, the only one of his kind. It is not our responsibility in any way shape or form, to advise him on himself. The best we can do, in fact the only reason we''re even here with him, is so that we can help him, despite what little we can offer. Thinking anything beyond that is just stupid. You will do nothing but shut him out further".

    Ebony stood and moved to her room, "Do yourself a favour if you want him to still treat you as a friend. Don''t inhibit him. We all know that even if he is discovered, he would never surrender himself".

    Aegin watched after Ebony as she closed the door behind her, leaving him alone in the living area. He hated to admit it, but she was right. Phillip had been a great man, but he hadn''t seen Rassa in more than 5 years when he died. The most he''d heard were stories, and those stories barely scratched the surface of what Aegin had seen Rassa was capable of. Phillip had forced him to make a promise that Aegin couldn''t possibly keep, and yet Aegin had tried to anyway.

    The only thing he''d succeeded in doing was pushing Rassa further and further away. He just...he never wanted to see Rassa in chains again. He''d witnessed what it had done to the boy, and he didn''t want it to haunt and break the man. Aegin sat at the little table for a long while before he retired to bed, and by that time, Rassa was already asleep, fighting the nightmares for another night.

    Aegin settled down in his own bed, watching Rassa with pained eyes.

    "I''m sorry," Aegin whispered into the darkness, "I have no idea how to handle this situation, but I know I''ve been doing it wrong, and I''m sorry for that".

    He said nothing more as he turned and settled back onto his bed. Perhaps he was just as much a mess as Rassa was. They all were. Lost and unable to find themselves. Torn from the lives they knew in pursuit of something better, only to lose track of where they had imagined themselves going. Reality had put an impenetrable wall before them, and now they had to find a way past it. The impossibility of it all...it was easier to just close ones'' eyes and repeat this boring routine rather than move forward.

    ***

    All three of them were pretty silent the following day. They reported to the Salt Docks and worked from dawn until dusk, then moved to The Leaky Boat for dinner.

    Aegin and Ebony weren''t silly, they knew that Rassa had probably heard their conversation the night before. It was better to treat it like he''d been a part of it than not, but it didn''t make things any less awkward. Still, he didn''t push them further away, nor scold them for treating him like a delicate child. He just kept silent. In some ways it was worse. At least if he said something they''d know where they stood.

    Their awkwardness however, was broken when Ewan walked through the door of The Leaky Boat, an arrogant smirk resting upon his face as he went up to the bar to order. He had a group of sailors at his back, all of them looking mighty impressed with themselves.

    Jeremiah, who already sat at the bar, glanced over at them all with a look of discontent.

    "Captain," Ewan greeted, "I hear your investigation bore some fruit last night".

    Forget the Captain, Aegin nearly scoffed at the pure arrogance of the man''s claim. As if Ewan knew without a shadow of a doubt that the Token family would never uncover the culprit.

    Jeremiah''s gaze returned to his tankard, "If you''re here to gloat, please leave. I''m not in the mood".

    "Gloat?" asked Ewan, "Why would I do such a thing. I''m just inquiring, one old friend to another".

    He smirked, his friends chuckling at his words.

    Aaron stood from behind Jeremiah, but Jeremiah placed a hand on his shoulder, "Nevermind him, we''ll leave. And when the cargo arrives, we''ll sail out of the bay, waving from the upper deck as he glares at us from the shore".

    Jeremiah finished his tankard and stood to leave, turning to Ewan whose smile had dropped away.

    "After all, even without evidence, we know who the mutinous bastards are".

    He turned away with Aaron by his side. Ewan grit his teeth in rage for a moment before he spun and grabbed a knife from a nearby customer, then stalked after Jeremiah with the knife held high.

    Those watching tensed in shock, waiting to see what would happen.

    "Captain!" Aaron shouted as he noticed the oncoming threat.

    Rassa flicked his finger and a shadow imperceptibly wrapped around Ewan''s leg and tugged backwards before dispersing, all in the matter of a few miliseconds. Ewan went tumbling to the ground, shock replacing his vengeful expression. He landed face first, and the crowd paused in surprise for a moment before laughter ensued.

    Jeremiah tutted as he looked down at Ewan, "Maybe you should lay off the drink, medical or otherwise".

    Then Jeremiah and Aaron turned and left. Aegin and Ebony looked to Rassa who remained still, the tankard before him untouched.

    As Aegin turned away, he couldn''t help the little smirk that appeared on his lips.

    Perhaps letting Rassa do what he pleased wasn''t all bad.

 Chapter 110 A Step Past Logic

    Ewan was livid. How dare Jeremiah make a fool out of him in his moment of triumph? The plan had been pulled off meticulously well. The Token Warehouse had been burned to the ground, sending the company into a flurry of the unknown, and dragging the great Captain down with it. Best of all, they had no idea where to look for answers. The lack of witnesses had only worked in Ewan''s favour.

    Admittedly, he''d been somewhat worried when they''d started searching the Peony District, but there was no trace of evidence to lead back to the culprits, only where the evidence had come from.

    Ewan was sure that no matter if Jeremiah suspected him or not, they had no evidence, and hence, Ewan was cocky in his victory.

    But now, having faced Jeremiah and still having come out below his former Captain...Ewan wanted more. He needed to prove that he was better, that Jeremiah had made a mistake. That no matter what the great Jeremiah Token did, he would never escape the fact that he had betrayed and thrown aside a loyal first mate. A powerful first mate.

    But how to do it? The guards had doubled around the Token District. His chances to hit at their business again had narrowed significantly to the point where he would be stupid to risk it.

    So how else could he harm Jeremiah? His crew were certainly important, but they were rarely unskilled and their movements were often limited to the Token District. The circumstances were therefore not ideal for Ewan to strike a blow at them either.

    He''d thought for several hours after his embarrassment at the Leaky Boat that night. His thoughts circling more and more violently as he considered how to hurt Jeremiah. How to hurt the source of all his troubles.

    Finally, an idea had occurred to him.

    Jeremiah had mentioned that new goods to replace those that burned had yet to make it to the warehouse. It was the only thing preventing Jeremiah from leaving Port Lovolon. If Ewan could get his hands on that cargo before it got to the Token District...

    Relaxing on the edge of a rooftop like a stray cat, Rassa watched as the oaf proposed his plans to the unsavoury characters he seemed to call ''friends''. All things considered, it wasn''t a bad plan. At the very least Ewan had avoided the Token District all together. The one thing he''d failed to consider however, was that the Token Trading Company was a vast existence, and Jeremiah was just one captain. It was unlikely that one failed shipment would effect them. Rassa couldn''t deny thought that Jeremiah''s reputation would take a blow.

    In all this, Rassa still wasn''t entirely sure why he cared. In the end, he''d simply decided to go along with it. If anything it would alleviate some of his boredom. Despite what he knew however, he couldn''t exactly interfere without cause. His particular...methods...wouldn''t be limited to shadow magic, and the more skilled he was the more attention he would draw to himself. It was hardly a desireable outcome when he was doing his best to stay under the radar.

    Still, Rassa couldn''t help but think to himself as he watched Ewan''s obsessiveness take a step past logic.

    Ewan was perhaps the first human that Rassa regretted not draining dry when he''d had the chance. The Doctor didn''t count, he''d been too tainted for even a monster like Rassa to risk taking a bite.

    ***

    When Jeremiah awoke the morning before he was due to leave Port Lovolon, he found a note rest on the table beside his cot, written in elegant script Jeremiah had only ever seen from the hands of revered nobles. He frowned, wondering how by the gods the note had made it into his Cabin on the Miranda without him or any of his crew taking notice of the messenger.

    The answer became clear when Jeremiah read the note.

    -Best keep an eye on your cargo, P

    While it had confused him at first, his mind still foggy with sleep, he''d eventually connected the dots.If Jeremiah got the chance in future, he''d have to return the favour of this interesting young man. He rose from his cot and went to work.

    ***

    "Are you sure we can trust this guy at his word, Captain?" asked Aaron. Despite the tip off that Phil had given them about Peony, Aaron was far less inclined to trust after he''d somehow made it across the harbour and onto the Miranda and past all of those sailors on watch before getting to the Captain''s cabin the previous night, then he''d just disappeared again.

    This ''Phil'' guy, shadow magician or not, seemed to have some pretty shaky motivations. Why was he even helping out in the first place? As far as Aaron could tell, he and his companion had no connection to either the Token Trade Company, Jeremiah or Ewan. Aaron could not help but feel suspicious that this Phil guy wanted something from the Captain, and that didn''t sit well with Aaron.

    Still, the Captain seemed to think the opposite. He didn''t elaborate nor explain his reasoning, he just insisted that while they could, they''d taken advantage of the advice given to them.

    This was why, under the late afternoon sun, they were waiting on the main trade route into Port Lovolon for their Cargo to arrive so they could escort it all the way to the warehouse.

    It seemed overkill to Aaron, but like always, he trusted that his Captain knew the best course of action. Even if that action rested on the word of a source with questionable motives.

    The Captain looked over in answer to Aaron''s question.

    "Well they''re late," Aaron insisted, "Hargreeve said they''d be here a little after midday, it''s nearly sunset".

    Jeremiah had to agree with that, they were hours later than expected. They''d be loading in the morning at this rate, which was less than ideal. Jeremiah sighed, "Alright, Tank, Porter, you two go on ahead and check to see if you can see anybody on the road".

    The two in question stood up to follow orders, then as they began to set off, a merchant''s cart rounded the corner in the distance.

    Jeremiah nodded to Tank and Porter and the two jogged over to meet the merchant in question. Their waving arms a few minutes later confirmed the cargo had arrived.

    Jeremiah sighed, "About time, now lets get it down to the docks safely".

 Chapter 111 A Shadow in Red

    Despite having warned the Captain the night before, it didn''t sit well with Rassa to just leave things as they were. Something, an instinct of some kind, was telling him that things would be a whole lot better if he just helped. He''d been distracted for most of the day just thinking about it. Had even purposely chosen to work at the Saar Docks, those right next to the Token Docks, so that he could monitor the situation better. His hearing had been concentrated and on high alert all day, and his ears were beginning to feel strained.

    So when their work ended for the day, and he went to follow Aegin and Ebony, the two of them paused and turned to him.

    "Look, you''ve been fidgeting all day, we know something is up," Aegin said.

    Rassa paused, hesitant. Aegin went to speak but Ebony slapped a hand over his mouth.

    "Just go. We''ll meet you back at the apartment later tonight," Ebony said.

    Rassa looked at the two of them, then nodded in thanks before he turned and headed for the Token docks. Aegin slapped Ebony''s hand away.

    "I wasn''t gonna push him," Aegin grumbled.

    "Sure you weren''t," she replied, "Come on, I''m hungry".

    Aegin didn''t argue with her.

    Meanwhile, Rassa followed his senses through the streets. Seeing as it was still daylight, he''d be more easily spotted along the rooftops even if he did take advantage of his speed. Instead he chose to weave through streets and alleys at a human pace, though somewhat hurried, in order to find those he was looking for.

    He found them eventually, waiting on the edge of one of the quieter outer parts of the city. It was one of the back roads certainly, but most of the carts headed for the Token docks took this road because it was less busy than the main streets.

    If they were still waiting here, then the goods hadn''t been delivered yet.

    Rassa watched from the shadows as Ewan handed out swords to his companions.

    "Remember, no one gets out alive," Ewan said.

    Clearly, the hours between last night and now had thrown Ewan further over the edge. Either that or he didn''t expect to be caught. Rassa supposed the lack of witnesses helped in that regard, along with the fact that there was no evidence to catch up to him from last time.

    Still, this was a stupid idea conceived by a vengeful man. From what Rassa had seen, the others Ewan had brought with him were average in fighting at best. While he hadn''t actually witnessed them fighting before, he''d seen enough of their movements to be able to determine minimal training and experience, a trait both his father and Victor had insisted he hone in order to size up his enemies as accurately as possible.

    Suddenly, Rassa registered the sound of a cart approaching, he moved further back into the shadows, a frown appearing on his face.

    Should he take care of it now? With how spread out they were, Rassa ran the risk of missing one. Realistically he could take them all down with ease, but he''d either have to erase all of their memories, which would take time he didn''t have, or kill them, which would leave evidence against him. After a few seconds hesitation, Rassa decided to only interfere if it looked like the Captain couldn''t handle the situation, after all, it appeared he''d brought enough individuals to put up a fight against Ewan and his nine friends.

    Besides, he did not have the advantage of darkness in this evening light.

    The cart rounded the corner, showing the driver and a large man sitting up front with him. as well as seven others, including Jeremiah, walking on either side of the cart.

    Ewan waited until the cart had passed the first of them, then gave the signal to attack.

    The group of ten rushed forward, spooking the horse and catching some of Jeremaih''s group off-gurad. Three of them backed up several steps in order to avoid the initial attack, then they seemed to find their senses and draw their weapons. The others entered the fight immediately.

    Straight away, Rassa could see that Jeremiah''s group were at a larger disadvantage than he''d thought. Despite the lack of training in Ewan''s group, they were ruthless and unpredictable, and many of Jeremiah''s sailors received injuries quickly. Jeremiah himself, while no injuries were present on his body, had come up against two of the enemies, and seemed to be doing his best to simply hold them off.

    Ewan was the only one on his side that seemed competent, he quickly defeated his opponent, slicing across the opponents stomach and walking past to the next as the sailor collapsed.

    Rassa''s eyes narrowed, the the scent of blood wafted his way. It seemed to call to him, begging him to join in, to bathe everything red. Rassa''s eyes turned to Jeremiah as Ewan approached from behind.

    The sword lifted up threateningly like the knife had in The Leaky Boat the night before. The blood sang as another sailor was caught off guard, joining his friend on the ground. It seemed to say the on thing that Rassa needed to stop holding him back, the one thing to convince him to take that step forward.

    This is your territory, your prey. They cannot stop you, they have no right nor power to anyway.

    Rassa felt his fangs extend as he stepped from the shadows, parting the air before him with his speed. He scooped up the sword one of the sailors had dropped then stepped in between Jeremiah and Ewan.

    The clang of metal ringing stopped Ewan dead cold, the man''s arrogant and cold gaze meeting red eyes and a grin that chilled him to the bone, that sense of familiarity jumping to the forefront.

    "That''s just rude," Rassa''s voice came out, even and velveteen, "How could you not invite me to join a bloodbath?"

    Ewan''s eyes widened and Rassa threw him back, the force knocking Ewan off of his feet.

    Rassa didn''t bother with his speed, it was so much less fun that way.

 Chapter 112 A Nightmare Awakened

    Phil''s grin was chilling, his hood falling away as he spun to meet another enemy, his steps flawless and elegant.

    Jeremiah had been shocked to find the young man helping out. Even more surprised to find the skill he fought with. But one thing was clear as Ewan and his forces focused on this new threat.

    Phil was not a Shadow Magician. As far as Jeremiah new, a Shadow Magician, or any Magician for that matter, did not have red eyes nor fangs.

    Ewan rose to his feet, his gaze following Phil for a moment before he turned to Jeremiah, swinging his sword. Jeremiah blocked the blow, kicking at Ewan and forcing him back a couple of steps.

    "What are you doing?" asked Jeremiah.

    "Taking what''s mine!" snapped Ewan.

    Jeremiah sighed in exasperation, "None of it was ever yours to begin with, it won''t ever be yours in future. Not the ship, not the crew, certainly not the recognition. None of it".

    Ewan ran forward with a growl of anger, clashing with Jeremiah once more.

    ***

    The sword slashed across another victim, and more blood flowed, joining the symphony around him as Rassa revelled in the battle. It was seamless, easy to fall into as if it was exactly what he was born for. As if this was where he belonged. He didn''t bother using his Chaos given abilities, if he did that the fight would be over too quickly. Giving his enemies a chance, no matter how unlikely they were to take it, seemed more exciting than just ending it. Despite four enemies attacking him at once, Rassa didn''t feel any pressure. In fact, he felt that even if they were to all attack at once, the fight would still be too simple. It made him disappointed. Finally he had the chance to fight and it wasn''t even a challenge.

    More blood flowed, joined by screams of agony and fear. Rassa lunged forward, imbedding his sword in an unwilling victim before picking up another, spinning to meet a blow coming from behind. He parried, knocking his attacker off balance and kneeing him in the chest before spinning back, a back kick to the face knocking the opponent out as he slammed to the ground.

    Rassa''s sword was up in an instant, blocking the blow of another attacker. Rassa''s red gaze met the attacker''s eyes, and the attacker''s eyes widened in fear.

    "Not even a challenge," Rassa growled unhappily, throwing off his attacker then slashing across his torso as he moved forward.

    Another few moves, and his enemies were dealt with.

    Ewan''s forces were overwhelmed by what was left of Jeremiah''s crew, and Rassa''s eyes settled on Ewan himself. The man was more skilled than his allies, even managed to wound Jeremiah on his upper arm and thigh. Jeremiah didn''t seem the least bit bothered by the pain though, if anything he seemed angrier.

    "You''re not winning this," Jeremiah declared.

    Ewan grinned, "You''re not either, old man".

    Ewan stepped forward and with a quick move that Jeremiah didn''t expect, disarming the old Captain before thrusting his sword forward.

    "Captain!" Aaron shouted.

    Rassa was there in an instant, meeting the blade with his own as he parried the blow, twisting it so the blade bypassed Jeremiah. Rassa grinned in his bloodlust, preparing to move forward and deal with Ewan once and for all, but a sound caught his attention. A sound that he didn''t expect.

    "C-Captain?"

    Rassa turned, following the sound.

    The blade that Ewan held had indeed bypassed Jeremiah, but rather than meeting empty air, it had instead met with flesh as Aaron had lept forward to help his Captain.

    Aaron met Rassa''s red gaze, and Rassa was thrown. It was the same gaze, the same haunting, questioning gaze that he''d dreamed of for over a month. The image of his father, or all his friends and family pinned to the cave walls flashed in his minds eye, and Rassa''s red gaze faded instantly, the bloodlust replaced by pure fear.

    He paused, staring at Aaron disbelievingly. His fault. It was his fault. If he hadn''t interferred then...

    Rassa dropped his sword with a clang, looking up at Jeremiah who was moving to catch Aaron as the boy dropped. Ewan''s sword was pulled back and Aaron flinched at the pain. Ewan withdrew, and Rassa''s back was exposed as Ewan prepared to deal another blow.

    Rassa instincts at the impending danger kicked in, and he spun, catching the blade then placing a hand on Ewan''s chest as he pushed. His speed kicked in, and Ewan''s back met with than of an alley wall shrouded in shadow.

    Rassa''s brown-eyed gaze met Ewan''s. Ewan''s triumphant grin failed as he realised he couldn''t move under Rassa''s grip.

    "Wha-What are you?" asked Ewan''s.

    "Shall I jog your memory?" asked Rassa. But he could no longer hear the symphony of blood as he leaned forward and sunk his fangs into Ewan''s neck. He no longer revelled in the sound of death and flowing blood. He just drank. Drank until Ewan had long gone pale and his heart had stopped beating, then he licked the wound and stepped back to watch Ewan fall like a rag doll to the ground, the sword clanging on the stone street.

    Rassa''s fangs retracted, and he wiped his mouth.

    Disgusting. It was the dirtiest blood he''d ever tasted. But who cared when he himself was so much worse?

    ***

    Phil had disappeared in an instant, Ewan with him, and Jeremiah was left to catch Aaron as he fell. The wound in his abdonmen was severe, but Jeremiah worked quickly to staunch the bleeding.

    "C-Captain?" asked Aaron.

    "Quiet, you''ll be fine, just keep breathing through it, don''t fall asleep," Jeremiah instructed.

    Aaron gulped and closed his eyes tight before he opened them again.

    "It-it hurts," Aaron said.

    "I know it does, now quiet, it''ll hurt more when you talk," Jeremiah insisted. He looked up at Tank and a couple of the others, "Run ahead, get a physician ready".

    "Captain-"

    "Now!" snapped Jeremiah. He didn''t care that they all thought Aaron didn''t have a chance. He''d be doing the boy a disservice if he gave up so easily.

    It wasn''t until hours later when the cart was safely unloaded into a warehouse and Aaron was being treated in his critical state that Jeremiah finally had time to think about what had happened that evening. About the boy who was not a Shadow Magician, but had moved so quickly that Jeremiah was sure it was some time of instaneous movement ability rather than pure luck. He''d been informed that Ewan was dead. He''d been found two streets over from where the fight took place, drained of blood but no visible wound in sight.

    Jeremiah had no idea why that kid had interfered, but one thing was sure, he did owe the boy his life, even if his move had caused Aaron to meet a yet to be determined fate.

 Chapter 113 A Bloody Bath

    Rassa had returned immediately to the apartment. He couldn''t help but feel so dirty, so disgusted by himself and his actions. He needed a bath, a bath would help.

    At least he hoped it would.

    The apartment was still empty, no doubt Ebony and Aegin were out eating their dinner. Thanks to his speed, it only took a short time for Rassa to cart the required water up and into the large tub, heating it took longer though, and he found himself climbing into the cold water in a desperate attempt to rid himself of what he was feeling.

    He took the bar of soap that Ebony had brought. She''d insisted despite Rassa and Aegin informing her it wasn''t needed. Now he was glad she''d done so as he used it to start scrubbing at his skin.

    He scrubbed and scrubbed at every part of his body, but the feeling of uncleanliness, of disgust, it never faded. He rubbed his skin raw and it was still there. He growled in annoyance, throwing the soap at the wall where is splattered and Rassa watched as it turned to blood. Instead of a wall it was the boy Aaron as he was skewered with the sword Rassa had parried. Then it was his father then his mother, then his friends.

    "Aarggh!"

    Rassa yelled, covering his eyes and rubbing them.

    Your fault, it was your fault. The blood is on your hands, it always was and it always will be.

    His eyes opened, and he found his hands covered in blood, the bath tub filled with the stuff. His breathing accelerated as he panicking, wiping at his hands, trying to get it off.

    He didn''t mean it. It wasn''t on purpose. He was just protecting them.

    But you enjoyed it.

    I didn''t.

    You did.

    I-

    You did and you know. You enjoyed it just as much as you enjoyed slaughtering those in the cave, at Fountain Ridge, in Cordon. You enjoy it every time yet you continue to deny it.

    I don''t, I don''t enjoy it. It''s not me.

    His movements became desperate as he rubbed at the blood on his hands, his claws extending in his panic and shredding at his skin.

    Denial.

    It laughed at him, that dark and chilling voice. He scrubbed harder.

    "It''s not me. I didn''t do it. It''s not my fault".

    His words repeated desperately as he willed them into existence. He felt someone grab at his arm and he registered another set of hands there, but he threw them off, his claws recklessly slashing at flesh that was far easier to cut through.

    "Get it off, get it off, get it off!"

    "Rassa!" shouted a voice that cut through Rassa''s desperation in seconds. He froze, and the hands once again fell onto his own arms, desperately trying to stop Rassa''s actions. Rassa registered the smell of blood, blood that wasn''t his own. the reality sunk in. The blood hadn''t been there before. He''d imagined it. But now...

    Rassa looked up at Aegin''s violet eyes as they looked at Rassa desperately.

    "Calm down, Rassa, you need to stop hurting yourself," Aegin said clearly.

    Rassa looked for a long time at Aegin. Why was he insisting that? Didn''t Rassa deserve it? After what he''d done? He was a plague on this world. If he was allowed to roam free then...his eyes glanced down at Aegin''s arms where long gashes had cut into the back of his hands and forearms. no doubt caused by Rassa''s claws.

    "I hurt you..." Rassa said, "Just like I hurt everyone. You should leave, Aegin. You and Ebony both. You''ll just end up dead if you stay beside me".

    Aegin released a breath, as if he''d been waiting for Rassa to say something, anything. He didn''t even seem affected by Rassa''s words.

    "I''m being serious".

    "I know you are," Aegin replied as he slowly let go of Rassa''s arms, flinching as the pain of the cuts seemed to hit him, "But if I took every serious thing you said the same way as everyone else, do you think I''d still be here?"

    "You''ll get yourself killed," Rassa insisted.

    "That''s my choice to make," Aegin said, "Just as its yours to decide what you want to do with your life".

    He looked at his arms, as if deciding whether to take care of the wounds now or talk to Rassa first. Rassa sighed, making the decision for him as he grabbed one of Aegin''s arms and brought it to his mouth, licking the wounds to close them over.

    "Okay...that''s gross," Aegin said awkwardly.

    "I caused the problem, least I can do is fix it," Rassa replied.

    "By licking me?" asked Aegin.

    Rassa leaned back slightly, and Aegin watched as the wounds Rassa had made on his arms began to knit themselves back together.

    "My saliva heals things," Rassa said.

    "No kidding," Aegin said as he felt the pain drain away, a strange itch forming on his arms as his wounds knitted back together until there was nothing left.

    Rassa dropped the first arm, holding his hand out for Aegin''s other arm. Aegin frowned, then handed it over reluctantly, "It''s still weird".

    "It could be weirder," Rassa replied.

    "What? Do I taste..."

    Rassa''s look confirmed Aegin''s thoughts and Aegin shivered, "Ew".

    "Tastes better than what I had earlier," Rassa admitted.

    Aegin sighed as Rassa dropped his other arm, trying to ignore the itching feeling as his skin healed over. Rassa pulled his legs close to his chest as he sat in the bathtub, resting his chin on his knees.

    "You gonna tell me, or are we going to go back to silence and brooding?" asked Aegin, "Cause I really thought we had a connection then, you know, with the licking and all..."

    Rassa''s lips curled into a smile as he looked over at Aegin.

    "You gonna sit there while I''m having a bath then?" asked Rassa.

    Aegin sighed, "Way to ruin the mood, I''ll wait outside".

    Rassa listened as Aegin walked to the door, then paused, "Whatever it is, Rassa. Please don''t hurt yourself over it. You''ve been through enough pain, and you promised to be free of it, so don''t go back on your word".

    Rassa remained silent as Aegin left the room, then leaned his head back, looking at the roof above his head before he turned his head slightly to look out of the window at where the moon was rising, the stars shimmering around it.

    A few minutes of peace. That was what the moon and stars brought him. A few minutes where he didn''t have to worry about being discovered, or losing control and hurting those he cared about. The moon and the stars, if anything, they seemed to be the world he desired to be in more than anything else. But up there, high in the night sky, they weren''t alone in their plight. They had others that shared their traits. But him?

    Rassa sighed and climbed out of the bath, drying and dressing himself before heading towards the door.

 Chapter 114 An Honest Discussion

    Rassa, Ebony and Aegin all sat around the table in the darkness of the apartment. Rassa had just spent an hour talking to them. He hadn''t originally meant to spill everything, but once he started, it was hard to stop. And it felt so good to share it with someone, anyone. It was as if the mere act of saying it aloud was enough to give him some form of relief, as small as it was.

    "It wasn''t your fault," Aegin said, "Even with your skills, Rassa, no one can predict everything that will happen in a fight".

    "But-"

    "He''s right," Ebony agreed, "It''s not your fault, and neither were the deaths of those before this. Those that imprisoned you deserved what they got".

    "I didn''t just kill those that imprisoned me," Rassa argued.

    "No, you also killed those that attacked you out of fear. But everyone that left you alone? You let them go free," Ebony replied.

    "That''s hardly cause for praise," Rassa sighed.

    "At least it proves your not the heartless monster you seem to peg yourself as," Ebony said, "After all, would a heartless monster care about what happens to a bunch of strangers?"

    "I''m hardly a saint," Rassa said.

    "I''m not saying you are," Ebony replied, "You can be arrogant and rude, and downright cruel, but only when you choose to be. A monster does not choose when he is a monster. He just is".

    Silence lapsed between them.

    "Look, we can''t begin to imagine what you''re going through, so I can''t say that any advice we give will be worth it but..." Aegin paused, looking at Ebony for a second before turning back to Rassa, "But we are here. Here because we want to be, because we know you as a person and have judged you to be a worthwhile friend. Can you do us the small favour of accepting that? You''ve spent the last month trying to avoid it, but now that you''ve finally opened up..."

    Aegin trailed off, the rest of his sentence left unspoken. He didn''t want to say something presumptuous. He''d been guilty of that in the past and only succeeded in pushing Rassa further away.

    "To be honest," Rassa began, "I''m not even sure why the two of you are here. You say I''m a worthwhile friend, but what have I ever done to prove that to you. The only commonality between the two of you was that we met in an environment where I had no chance to hide what I was. You both knew from the beginning. And yet, unlike those who found out later, after I''d had the chance to act with some semblance of normality, you stayed. Why is that?"

    Ebony and Aegin looked at one another, their gazes unsure, then they looked back at Rassa.

    "Well if we''re being honest..." Aegin said, "I''ve got no clue. It just felt...I don''t know, right seems like the wrong word-"

    "Safe," Ebony said, "It felt safe. Not because you couldn''t hurt us, we know you could. It felt safe because for once, there was someone who had no expectations regarding who we were and who we were supposed to be. You were just you. I was a slave all my life, every master I had always expected the best from me, and I was punished severely when I didn''t deliver. While I don''t know Aegin''s story, I know he can relate. But when you came...there was no judgement, no ulterior motive, you were upfront and honest about what you were, and allowed us to make our own decisions. You have no idea how liberating that feels. How safe it feels to be beside the person who made you feel that way. I think that''s why we''re both still here".

    The three of them lapsed into silence before Aegin spoke again, "You taught me to go after what I wanted, not what others want of me. To question rather than blindly comply. I''m thankful for that, so in a way, I think what Ebony''s saying is right. You don''t expect anything from us, and despite your best efforts to remain aloof, you give back to us more than you''d think, in ways that seem completely unimportant. We consider you a friend for sure. But I think the three of us are not as simple as that".

    Rassa knew what Aegin was talking about. No friends interacted the way they did.

    "We''re all lost, and somehow, without meaning to, we''ve found each other," Ebony spoke.

    Rassa couldn''t disagree with what they''d said. If that was how they felt, then he was happy they were content. But that didn''t change the fact that despite their best efforts, they couldn''t really help him. He was alone in the Chaos. He''d been thinking as much for the past month but hadn''t wanted to admit it to himself. After all, facing eternity on his own didn''t seem all that exciting. It sounded like more routine. More mundaneness.

    "Rassa?" asked Aegin in the silence.

    Rassa looked up at Aegin, then at Ebony, "Thankyou, I appreciate your honesty. But the fact of the matter is that I am still dangerous. I will get you killed. But more importantly, I''m not sure I can take our friendship to heart".

    "What do you mean?" asked Aegin.

    "Should I not meet an untimely end, I will never die," Rassa said, "I will reach full maturity, then age no longer. That is what I face, and I must face it alone. It may seem silly for me to deny this now, but in a few decades, when you''re both old and frail and I am still the same as I am today...I don''t think I can handle more loss than I already have. You saw what loss has done to me. You''ve been seeing it ever since we came here. I''m not sure I have the strength for it".

    Ebony and Aegin were silent for a while before Ebony spoke up again.

    "In the end, when you are looking back on your eternity, do you truly wish to feel nothing at all?" asked Ebony, "Do you truly wish to know in yourself that you denied every connection you could for fear of losing it?"

    Rassa opened his mouth to deny her, but stopped. That was exactly what he was doing. He was being a coward, "Putting it that way doesn''t change the fact that I will continue to suffer loss".

    "We will one day lose you too," Ebony replied, "But we do not fear that. We don''t take joy in knowing it either, but we don''t fear it. Loss is a part of life. If you do not lose, are you truly living?"

    Rassa didn''t argue back this time, instead, he stood and moved towards his room, pausing at the door.

    "So, what now?"

    "What do you mean?" asked Aegin.

    "Thought you were bored of the Port, what do you want to do now?"

    "What do you want to do?" asked Aegin.

    "I''ve got eternity to find out, better we pay attention to the desires of you mortals first," Rassa replied, a small smile on his lips before he turned and headed into the bedroom.

 Chapter 115 An Offer

    Despite Rassa''s insistance at Ebony and Aegin deciding where to go and what to do next, the two of them still turned to Rassa for his opinion. Their reasoning was that they still needed to go to a place that offered him a steady food supply.

    Rassa had unhelpfully brought up the fact that as long as the two of them were well-fed, he did have a steady supply. It had effectively unsettled them, and they''d decided to head to a heavily populated area next to give Rassa plenty of choice.

    Sure, they were fine with the fact that Rassa needed blood to survive. But when the point was reinforced that to him, they were food...there was just something about it that made their skin prick. Like they were the prey instead of the predator, indeed a strange feeling for humans.

    When the dawn arrived the next morning, Aegin and Ebony had only settled on going south. They figured that for Rassa to truly feel comfortable - and to stop having to call him Phil - it was best to leave Eldovia altogether.

    Who would have thought that without their knowledge, the opportunity to do so would fall right into their lap, and set them on the course of the rest of their VERY long lives...

    ***

    Jeremiah had been unable to sleep the night before. With the combined stressors of the attack, Ewan''s death, Aaron''s severe injury and the revelation that the boy Phil had saved his life, he was well and truly ready to leave Port Lovolon, but Aaron''s injury complicated things.

    Through the night, the doctor had been unsure whether or not the boy would pull through, but when his fever broke just after dawn and he awakened a couple of hours later, the doctor turned optimistic.

    "He''ll live, but he''ll be bedridden for a couple of weeks and very weak for at least a month after that. A wound such as his, its honestly a miracle he survived," the Doctor admitted.

    Jeremiah sighed, realising what the Doctor was implying but needing to hear it said, "So to move him to the ship-"

    "Absolutely not," the Doctor frowned, "Not unless you want him to contract all manner of diseases there. I have faith in your Captaincy, Token, but a ship is a ship, not a recovery ward".

    Jeremiah sighed. He couldn''t wait for Aaron to get better before they left. He needed to be on Rouke soon.

    Looking at the Doctor''s hard and urging stare, Jeremiah nodded, "Very well, I hope you can take good care of him".

    "Of course," the Doctor nodded before taking his leave, "I''ll be back this evening to change his bandages".

    Jeremiah nodded, watching as the Doctor left down the hallway of the second storey and registering Midas''s approach. His First Mate had been looking after the ship in his absence, and needless to say was peeved he''d missed all the action.

    "How is he?" asked Midas as he arrived.

    "He''ll live, but he can''t travel for a while," Jeremiah replied.

    Midas''s head dropped, as if he''d expected that, "Hargreeve is arranging for the Miranda to be loaded, we should be able to sail in the afternoon. We''ll pick up some more sailors on Rouke".

    Jeremiah paused for a moment, looking to the room Aaron was currently sleeping in before he turned back to Midas.

    "No need, we''ll leave with the tide tomorrow morning, I''ve got one last thing I need to do here," Jeremiah said.

    "Thought you were eager to leave, what could have cropped up last minute?" asked Midas, crossing his arms over his chest as he raised an eyebrow at Jeremiah.

    Jeremiah paused, looking back at Midas with a small smile, "I owe someone a favour, best I offer now as he seems like the kind that disappears without a trace".

    Midas nodded, accepting his Captain''s wishes, "I''ll inform the crew to be ready to sail at dawn".

    Jeremiah waved him off.

    ***

    They were working at the Peony Docks today. It''d taken Jeremiah until the mid-afternoon to find them. In truth, Jeremiah was only interested in getting even with Phil, but from the way the boy interacted with the two others, he knew they were a package deal. After spotting them, Jeremiah approached, taking a load from the hooded young man who looked at Jeremiah in surprise.

    He didn''t ask the expected ''what are you doing here'', instead, he seemed to have a epiphany moment in his darkened eyes, one that was gone as soon as it arrived. He watched as Jeremiah put the load down into the cart for transport and turned to face him.

    "Have a moment?"

    Phil crossed his arms over his chest, waiting.

    "I''m not going to ask about yesterday, if you wanted to talk about it you would, but I do owe you my life so-"

    "That life was paid already," Phil interrupted, "I''m sorry for your loss".

    Jeremiah frowned, then realised that Phil thought Aaron had died, "Aaron''s not dead".

    The retreating Phil paused, as if surprised, and looked over his shoulder, "...He''s not?"

    "No, he''ll be bedridden for a while, but he''s not dead," Jeremiah confirmed.

    Phil''s head dropped in thought, but there was a sense of relief around him, and Jeremiah couldn''t help but feel sorry for the kid. He really was a troubled one. Granted, being responsible for taking a life wasn''t exactly an unheard of thing, it happened frequently. Even as a merchant Jeremiah had often taken lives he hadn''t intended to. Eventually though, one found the line, the one they wouldn''t cross. From the way Phil acted, Jeremiah was sure that his line was still blurred, as if he''d already crossed it and was trying to find his way back to no avail.

    "Look, seeing as I''m down a few crewman and I owe you my life, I figured it was only fair for me to offer you a job," Jeremiah said, "I can only guarantee meals and a pay that''s better than working on these docks, but if that''s enough you''re welcome to join. You and your two companions".

    Phil looked up in surprise, his hood doing nothing to hide the innocence of his face. Indeed, those eyes had seen a lot, but he was still young. Jeremiah pushed away from the cart and turned to walk back to the Token district.

    "If you want the job, be at the Token Docks an hour before dawn tomorrow. We''re sailing with the tide," Jeremiah said, disappearing into the crowd and leaving Phil alone with a decision to make.

 Chapter 116 A Fateful Decision

    "What did the old Token guy want?" asked Aegin as he put another sack of medicinal herbs into the cart.

    "He offered us jobs on his ship," Rassa replied.

    Aegin paused, "You''re kidding?"

    Rassa shook his head, "He said the only thing he could offer were meals and a pay better than here, but he was willing to take all three of us-"

    "We''re going," Aegin said, a grin lighting up his face, "We''re saying goodbye to this dull port on this gods forsaken continent and sailing into the distance".

    Rassa felt his enthusiasm, returning his grin before he spoke, "Don''t you think we should speak to Eb first? I mean there is that dilemma..."

    Aegin''s smile dropped for a moment. In all honesty, a few days ago he would have proposed they ditch her, but after what they''d talked about the previous night, he couldn''t help but feel there really was a reason she was with them.

    "Right," Aegin said, then as he turned to walked away, his frowned deepened, "What about your...meals?"

    Rassa sighed, "I''ll just have to be careful, if we planned on going south we would have had to take a ship either way".

    "But if they-"

    "It''s a ship, we''re all confined to it. Even if they wanted to run before I could erase all their memories they couldn''t," Rassa replied.

    "But I think Ewan proved it wasn''t as effective as you thought," Aegin replied.

    Rassa waved him off, "Like I said, I''ll be careful".

    Aegin shook his head as he watched Rassa get back to work, he wasn''t winning any award for reassurance anytime soon.

    ***

    They received their usual pay that evening and Aegin dragged Ebony towards one of the nearby shops almost immediately.

    "Where are we going?" asked Ebony.

    "Captain Token offered us jobs on the Miranda," Aegin replied, "We''re leaving at dawn tomorrow so shouldn''t we get supplies?"

    Ebony''s eyes widened, "I-"

    She looked over her shoulder at Rassa who was following behind them, "Are you sure?"

    Rassa shrugged, "We just wanted to see if you were okay with it, after all, we''ll be stuck on a ship full of men, and seeing as you-"

    "I''ll be fine," Ebony replied, "At least, I''ll make do".

    "You know how these ships have a policy against...well you know. What if they find out?" asked Rassa, "Are you sure you''re okay with it?"

    Ebony scoffed, rolling her eyes, "If you''re okay with it, then I''m sure my problems are mediocre. To be honest, the only one of us that will get by without any problems is Aegin, and we all know he wouldn''t last a day without the two of us".

    Rassa smirked as Aegin spun around, his expression depicting a look of offence, "I''d do just fine thankyou".

    Ebony sighed, patting Aegin on the shoulder reassuringly, "You keep believing that. I''m going to go and buy some spare materials. Work on a ship can''t be easy, we''ll ware through our clothes quicker".

    For the first time since they''d arrived in Port Lovolon, Rassa felt a sense of true contentment. As he followed Aegin and Ebony through the shops to buy extra cloth to patch together some travel packs as well as some needles and thread for new clothing, he felt like he had a purpose. Like he wasn''t just mindlessly surviving. He had to admit that knowing his actions hadn''t resulted in Aaron''s death had helped.

    He may not have known the cabinboy, but that didn''t mean Rassa had felt immense guilt at the innocent life that he''d supposedly taken. To know the boy was still around, albeit injured, he somehow felt that Ewan''s blood hadn''t tasted quite as bad as he''d originally felt it was.

    Or maybe it was the talk he''d had with Ebony and Aegin the night before that had contributed to this new feeling. A feeling of not being so useless, so monstrous.

    For the first time in years, Rassa could feel an inkling of himself. For once, he didn''t care whether it was the boy from the village or the vampire who''d slaughtered countless individuals. For once, he felt like Rassa, and more than that, he was very unwilling to let that feeling go.

    But reality is cruel, it does not let happy moments last forever. At least, that is what most of us are led to believe. In truth, as with what Rassa needed to discover for himself, happy moments only last as long as we let them. To find happiness through darkness. Joy through pain. Rassa had only just begun on this journey. And as an inkling of this realisation settled within him, Rassa couldn''t help but turn to face south, that initial feeling he''d had upon hearing Jeremiah''s offer rising again.

    He''d spent some time that morning thinking about where to go in the south, and inevitably, his thoughts had strayed to the story about the goddess with the fox ears and tail. If it was true, and she was truly a part of another strand of Chaos, would he be able to find another part of happiness? Or at the very least, have a better clue as to how he could find it?

    The thought excited him, and had been why he hadn''t thought much on the consequences should he be discovered for what he was at sea. He had a purpose now, a mission. That was enough for him.

    So that night, the three of them settled down for their last night in Port Lovolon, each of them content and excited in their own ways, and ready to see what this new adventure would bring.

    ***

    "Ready to go, Captain?" asked Hargreeve as he approached down the docks to where Jeremiah waited by the long boats.

    "Just about," Jeremiah replied, "You''ll take good care of Aaron, then?"

    "You won''t recognise him when you return," Hargreeve replied.

    Jeremiah wanted to deny it, but a round trip was nearly three months long. Aaron would have plenty of time to heal and grow by then.

    Jeremiah''s eyes fell on a group of three individuals carrying travelling sacks over their shoulders as they approached down the dock towards Jeremiah.

    "New recruits?" inquired Hargreeve.

    Jeremiah nodded, "I''ll make sure they''re well acquainted with the waves by the time I return".

    Hargreeve nodded, "Good luck at the Trader''s Festival".

    Jeremiah sighed, "I''ll need it".

    Hargreeve turned and headed back towards the shore, preparing to start another day of work. Phil didn''t have his hood on as he approached, clearly he preferred the darkness. His two companions appeared a little guarded, but Jeremiah could tell from their eyes they were excited. That was good. No sailor would get on his ship without that look. Jeremiah would do his best to kill it with hard work. Only the best still had that excited look in their eyes by the end of it.

    "Ready to go?" asked Jeremiah.

    Phil nodded, then held out his head, "Thank you for the opportunity, Captain Token".

    "Just Captain is fine," Jeremiah replied.

    "This is Aegin and Eb," Phil said as he pointed to the two that stood and watched on from behind him. He paused for a moment, then gave a small smile, "And my name is Rassa".

    Jeremiah paused, looking at him with a frown. If it were done any other way, Jeremiah probably would have berated him for lying and turned him away. But the look in the kid''s eyes...he seemed relieved to tell Jeremiah his name. As if he''d unshouldered a burden.

    "Rassa, huh?" asked Jeremiah, "Alright, get on you three, pick up the oars, they''ll be waiting for us".

    The three of them were only too happy to oblige.

 Chapter 117 A Ship called The Miranda

    Rassa had never been on a small boat before, let alone a ship such as the one they were currently making their way towards. Despite working at the docks for a month, he hadn''t actually been allowed to step foot on the ships. The cargo was usually removed and loaded by the crew of the ship. Rassa, Aegin and Ebony had been amongst those tasked with transporting the cargo from the docks to the warehouses and back again. Now, as he got used to the strange feeling of being afloat, of the rocking motion that was constantly felt, he had to second guess himself.

    Was a long period of time on a ship really the best choice? Rassa kicked the thought aside quickly. He''d been fine with flying, as if a ship could sway him.

    While Rassa may not have been so easily conquered by the rocking, Ebony seemed to be an exception to the rule. To put it plainly, she''d been feeling unsettled since she got in the longboat, and as they drew closer to the ship anchored in the bay, couldn''t help the sense of dread that washed over her. Were ships always that big?

    Jeremiah ignored the looks of his new recruits, instructing them in how to properly hold the oars and paddle. He''d have to get Midas to assign them some teachers or they''d become deadweight on the ship pretty quickly.

    Rassa was the fastest to pick it up, though he didn''t feel obligated to explain that he would be fast at learning most things, his mind was hardwired to do so with its enhanced senses and greater capacity. Aegin wasn''t all that far behind though. He was good with things that were physical, and the rhythmic pattern of was rowing was not all that hard to fall into.

    After about ten minutes of rowing, the longboat finally came alongside the massive ship. The first rays of sunlight were appearing on the horizon, illuminating the massive merchant ship. It''s hull was sunk half below the water, but it still towered over those seated in the longboat. The longboat itself seemed like it would fit a dozen full grown men, The Miranda was at least fifty times the size, probably more than that.

    Despite it being a merchant ship, there seemed to be a row of port holes along the side for canons, upon spotting them, Rassa looked at Jeremiah questioningly.

    "Pirates aren''t all that picky about who they rob and pillage," was Jeremiah reply to the unasked question.

    Rassa just nodded in return.

    "Longboat Portside!" came a call from up on deck. The call was repeated before Rassa heard the voice of an authoritative man order the ropes to descend.

    From over the side of the ship, two thick ropes, each about the size of Ebony''s dainty wrists, descended into the water with a resounding smack, missing the longboat by inches. Jeremiah was unphased, he took the forward rope, or the rope near what Jeremiah refered to as the bow of the longboat.

    "You take the Stern rope and follow what I do, tie nice and tight," Jeremiah instructed. The three looked at each other, unsure whom he referred to directly. After a few seconds pause, Aegin stood and wobbled to the back of the longboat, scooping up the other rope and following Jeremiah''s movements as best he could in the lowlight. There was a metal ring attached to the inside of the keel, which was the beam that ran from the bow to the stern of the longboat, the spine. The ropes were tied tightly to the rings attached at the bow and stern, then the longboat was hauled up out of the water, a jarring experience despite the trained men doing the hauling.

    When the longboat was level with the main deck of the Miranda, Jeremiah ordered them all to jump off onto the main deck where a tall man with curly black hair and an imposing aura stood awaiting them.

    "Captain on deck!" he called.

    The sailors around all respectfully nodded their greetings to Jeremiah before getting back to work.

    "Captain," the man said, his voice softer as he greeted the captain.

    Jeremiah nodded, "Midas, everything ready to go?"

    "As always, Captain, awaiting your orders," Midas replied.

    Jeremiah nodded, a satisfied smile on his face before he turned to face Rassa, Aegin and Ebony who were all looking around at the happenings of the ship in wonder.

    "These three are new recruits, Rassa, Aegin and Eb, see that they''re assigned a teacher and a bunk each," Jeremiah instructed.

    "Aye, Captain," Midas nodded, then Jeremiah made his way to the Stern of the ship where an elevated deck awaited him, a large wheel at least two metres in diameter overlooking the rest of the ship.

    "Right," said Midas, gaining the attention of the three new recruits, "Lets get you three settled quickly, the Captain will order us to set sail soon so best you get acquainted with your jobs real fast".

    Midas didn''t wait for them as he turned and headed towards a large square hold in the middle of the deck that had a staircase leading down, he just expected them to follow.

    The three new recruits didn''t disappoint, scurrying after him for fear of missing anything.

    "My name is Midas, I''m the First Mate on board The Miranda," Midas stated, "I command the ship in the Captain''s absence and am in charge of ensuring everyone does their jobs. The Miranda is first and foremost a merchant vessel, it consists of five decks in total. The two bottom-most decks are for cargo to be transported only. The rear half of the the third deck consists of mainly of supplies for the crew, which whilst on board is strictly rationed by the cook. The bow of the third deck consists of the galley and the quarters for the cook, quartermaster and on-board doctor".

    Midas had descended into the hustle and bustle of the second deck as he spoke. The second deck seemed to consist almost entirely of one main room, only section off at the bow and stern, and with large openings that were roped off and descended to the lower decks, no doubt for when cargo was stowed or unloaded. As Aegin, Rassa and Ebony took in the stowed canons, ten on either side of the ship, as well as the hammocks that were tied close to the roof and out of the way, they couldn''t believe the amount of efficiency the simple act of moving those items out of the way had created.

    "This second deck is where the majority of the crew sleep as you can see by the hammocks, they only descend at night and are tied up when the crew awakens at dawn. You''ll noticed that there are small storage compartments above each hammock, these are for personal belongings".

    Midas led them to the stern, pointing out two hammocks that were unoccupied on the left (portside) and one on the right (starboard).

    "These three hammocks belong to the three of you, quickly put your things away so I can get you introduced to your mentors," Midas said.

    The three looked at one another, deciding that Rassa would take the bunk on the right whilst Aegin and Ebony would take those on the left. They quickly stowed their belongings as asked, then turned to Midas who waited impatiently. It was clear that he wasn''t annoyed with them, simply a busy man.

    Midas looked over the three of them then seemed to nod to himself before getting them to follow along back up onto the main deck. He pointed to the elevated deck at the stern, specifically the door that that stood between the staircases on either side.

    "That''s the Captain''s quarters and office, best you leave it be unless ordered there," Midas instructed, then he pointed to the front of the ship where another elevated deck existed, though this one only about a metre higher. It wasn''t boarded off like a room, stead it was wide open apart from the cover, and a total of ten long boats sat there, the tenth that had just been lifted from the water being slid into place.

    "That''s the foredeck, the only access to the foremast on the ship, the two main masts on this deck are the tallest on the ship, and the crows nest is atop the rearmost of the two, which is where you will spend half of your time," said Midas as he pointed at Ebony.

    Ebony, who was terrified of heights, visibly paled.

 Chapter 118 A Trip to the Crows Nes

    "I...are you sure?" asked Ebony.

    Midas raised an eyebrow, "I wouldn''t have asked if I wasn''t sure".

    "Maybe one of us can-"

    Midas frowned at Rassa, "I chose him because he''s small, it''s better to have that quality when you''re up there".

    He turned to face an approaching sailor who was much shorter than himself and pointed to Ebony.

    "This here is Eb, train him for the day. Sit with him for the morning then take the afternoon off before you take the night watch. He''ll do day and you''ll do nights," Midas instructed.

    "Aye, sir," the man nodded without complaint, turning to face Ebony. Taking in the younger man''s pale face, the man grinned, "Scared of heights, right?"

    With no where to run or hide, Ebony could only nod.

    "You''ll get over it," the sailor said, "Name''s Isaac".

    Ebony could only nod again, her fear silencing her as she watched Midas take Aegin and Rassa away to another part of the ship.

    "Eb, right, strange name," Isaac commented as Ebony looked up at the mast. It towered above her, at least 3 stories above the deck. They wanted her to sit up there all day? Sh was seriously beginning to regret this whole agreement. Maybe she should tell them she was a girl so they''d let her off?

    "Eb?"

    The voice of the sailor cut through Ebony''s thoughts as she refocused her gaze on him, gulping visibly, "S-sorry".

    Dear gods, did she just stutter? Ebony closed her eyes and took a deep breath to calm herself. While it didn''t have a big effect, it was at least mildly helpful.

    "It''s okay, plenty of newbies feel daunted by the height of the masts and the nature of the rigging, as long as you work hard, I won''t complain about you," Isaac grinned, "Now, how are you with climbing?"

    Ebony shrugged, "Okay, I guess".

    "We''ll work on that first, by the time we get to Rouke you''ll be scaling it like a spider-monkey!" Isaac proclaimed, then paused, looking at the terrified look on Ebony''s face, "Okay, you''re right, to get that good in just four days is a tad optimistic. Have you got something to keep you occupied up there?"

    Ebony frowned, "Isn''t the idea to watch for anything that could threaten the ship?"

    Isaac smirked, "Sure, but that can get boring doing it for hours on end". He pulled out a dagger and a peice of what appeared to be driftwood, "I personally like to wittle, if you''ve got something small you can do, I''d go and get it quick considering you''ll be up there most of the day".

    The first thing Ebony thought of was embriodery, but something in the back of her mind told her that on a ship full of mem, doing it was a risk. Still, she wasn''t particularly eager to have her hands full of splinters, she ducked below deck to retrieve a peice of plain cloth, some thread and a needle, then returned to where Isaac waited by a large, triangular shaped net of thick rope that ran from the port side of the ship to the yardarm of the lower sail on the main mast.

    "Alright, up we go, Captain just about ready to set off," Isaac said, "You go first, I''ll be right below you if something happens, just put one foot above the other and you''ll be there before you know it".

    "Prepare to hoist anchor!" Midas called from the Quarter Deck to the rear of the ship.

    "Come on," Isaac hurried her, "Up the ratlines".

    He was pointing the triangular shaped netting so Ebony could only swallow her fear and hoist herself up, the lines only wobbling slightly due to their tautness.

    "That''s it," Isaac encouraged, climbing up behind her as Ebony swallowed and looked up, putting one foot in front of the other as instructed.

    It wasn''t long before she arrived at the interection of the lower yardarm and the mainmast, a platform was there, though it was very small, just with her an Isaac standing on it it was daunting as the wind breezed past off of the bay.

    Isaac grinned, "See, you did great, now grab the pegs and keep going".

    He indicated to the thick metal nails that jutted out of the mast. They were only jutting out about thirty centimetres and looked barely stable enough to hold her. Was that all she had to hold on to going up? She looked at Isaac disbelievingly.

    "Go on," Isaac encouraged, "The longer you stand here the longer you hold everyone else up. Captain won''t leave until someone''s in the nest".

    Ebony''s eyes widened, her eyes immediately diverting to the crew below, some watched her with amusement as they worked. Others with annoyance. Midas and Captain Token were among them, waiting for her from their vantage point on the Quarter Deck.

    Ebony took a deep breath, then grabbed one of the pegs, pulling herself up. There was an art to climbing up a single line of pegs. It took her some time to figure it out, with Isaac''s careful instruction of course. He was a good teacher, always calm despite Ebony''s will battling with her. Her being screamed at her to descend back to earth, or at least the deck of the ship. And worse...the swaying was so much worse the higher she climbed. It seemed Ebony had not even been on the ship for half an hour, and despite not moving, had decided that sailing was not for her. Next time she was given a choice, she would discourage the act of sailing at all costs.

    Finally, after coming close to falling to her death several times, Ebony climbed her way into the crow''s nest which was just big enough for her and Isaac to sit tightly. Issac grinned at her.

    "See, not to bad, you made it," Isaac said.

    Ebony didn''t even attempt to smile as she held onto the wooden railing that circled around them.

    "Right, let''s start learning then, be ready for the jolts," Isaac said.

    "What jolts?" asked Ebony.

    "Hoist the anchor!" the call sounded distant, but the cogging of the large metal chain pulling the anchor from the bottom of the bay was not to be mistake. And with each cog there was a vibration through the ship. Minor, no doubt barely felt on the deck. But up in the nest? Ebony was honestly shocked at how comfortable Isaac seemed.

    It only took a minute to pull up the anchor, and immediately a call followed it to unfurl to half-sail.

    Ebony risked a glance over the side, and immediately ducked her head back to avoid looking down, turning to Isaac who smiled.

    "The bigger jolt is when you get to full-sail," Isaac said, "Captain only wants half-sail in the bay because going too fast could endanger those on board".

    "Endanger..." Ebony trailed off. Just how fast could the ship go if it was dangerous to go fast?

    There was a sound that reflected the flapping of canvas, and suddenly the ship pulled forward, slowly at first, but gradually building speed as it turned in a wide circle and headed for the mouth of the bay.

    Isaac stood in a relaxed state as his eyes pierced the path ahead.

    They approached smoothly as the sun rose in the east. Suddenly, Isaac grinned as he pulled Ebony up. She moved reluctantly as she followed his finger to see where he was pointing.

    There, near the mouth of the bay, was a large group of whales, their figures periodicly breeching the water.

    "Whales to Starboard!" called Isaac.

    The ship pulled slightly to port to give the whales a decent amount of room, but they were still close enough to be able to throw something at them and not miss. As Ebony watched the whales, she couldn''t help but think that maybe, to be able to see such massive and majestic creatures meant that being so high up wasn''t so bad after all.

    "Full-sail!"

    The ship jolted forward with a new burst of speed and Ebony clutched the side of the nest tight enough for her knuckles to turn white.

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    Isaac laughed.

 Chapter 119 An Experienced Shipmate

    As Ebony struggled to maintain a sense of ''manly'' dignity at the top of the main mast, Aegin and Rassa were in the process of learning how to follow orders so that the ship could run as smoothly as possible. It involved various tasks, but encompassed mainly the operation of the anchor and sails. Their teacher, a man in his thirties by the name of Jorl, was a veteran on the Miranda. As he took the two younger men around the ship, instructing them on various tasks throughout the morning, he spent time telling them of the various feats the ship they were on had achieved throughout the years. He was quite the entertaining storyteller, enough to get blood pumping with a fierceness that Rassa and Aegin hadn''t really felt before. The fierceness of determination.

    Being rather adept at physical movements, Aegin and Rassa picked up on the labour aspect of their new job fairly quickly. Jorl seemed quite impressed by the time lunch rolled around and they were well on their way into the journey. It''d been a couple of hours since the ship had seen the mainland, and the larger movements and currents of the ocean made for a strange experience. Getting used to the motions and jolts was easy for Rassa. Aegin seemed to struggle a little, but managed not to make a complete fool of himself. They had yet to see Ebony, who remained aloft even past the lunch hour, only being visited briefly by her teacher who deliver a small meal to her before retiring to bed. Apparently he''d taught her enough that she''d be fine on her own for the afternoon. Rassa had to convince himself that she''d be okay. Even with the sea breeze he could scent her heavy anxiety and fear from down on the deck. But, just beneath it there was a trace of determination, of persistence. She wouldn''t quit easily no matter the job she''d been given. Rassa couldn''t fault her for that.

    "Here, have a break," Jorl said, offering a hunk of bread and an apple. Rassa opened his mouth to reject it, ready to say he didn''t need to eat. Then his mouth snapped closed. He''d gotten too comfortable with the work that morning. He''d almost forgotten that he was supposed to be hiding his diet. Another aspect of that comfort was what Ebony had said about her and Aegin''s relationship with him compared to everyone else. About how being honest about what he was had led to them sticking around. Considering they''d left the empire now and Rassa didn''t technically need to hide in order to avoid the Kildares, he''d had half a mind to just be honest about it. But then that doubt rose in him again. What would these men do upon learning about his true nature? To be stuck on a ship with them for an extended period of time...Rassa at the very least believed that if he was going to be honest about what he was, he should have given them a fair say about whether or not they wanted him on board. After all, he''d be feeding from them.

    Better to keep quiet for now, besides, the ship wasn''t supposed to be a permanent solution, simply a means to an end.

    Rassa took the offered food with a small smile and sat down on top of the mass of rope he''d been untangling. Jorl sat beside him, eating his own meal as Aegin joined them.

    Aegin glanced at Rassa holding the food giving a small frown. Rassa gave the slightest shake of his head to tell Aegin not to worry then bit into the bread.

    Yuck. It tasted much worse than when he was still attempting to eat human food all those years ago in Cordon. Back then the food had just tasted bland. Now...it was like eating dirt. Rassa longed for even a drop of blood to wash it down, but endured it, noticing the little smirk Aegin was giving.

    The bastard knew that this was torture for Rassa.

    "So what brought you aboard The Miranda in the first place Jorl?" Aegin asked, distracting the older man from Rassa''s plight.

    Jorl happily jumped at the chance to tell another story, "Well now, that was quite the time in me life". he reminisced, a distant look appearing on his face, "I was a bit younger than you lads when I arrived at Quintel Seaport in Aldred, my homeland on the Western Contient. With three older brothers there was little need for me on the family farm, so me Ma proposed I look elsewhere for work. Me Pa was none too happy about me leaving but they both knew I had an adventurous spirit, which is why I went straight to the sea. I''d only just arrived in the port when The Miranda sailed in, Captained at the time by Gabriel Token, Jeremiah''s Uncle. It was a brand new ship then, just a couple of years old. Hadn''t yet been battered by a storm nor had troubles with pirates. But even if that was the case it was a well-known vessel thanks to its Captain. It only sailed to the western continents once a year thanks to the long journey, but the trip was well worth it due to the gem stones that they''d bring to the Southern Continent and Eldovia. Anyhow, I''d watched the ship sail into port, larger and more magnificient than most of the other ships and I''d fallen in love with this beauty. When there was a notice posted that they were looking for new crew members I jumped at the chance. It was quite the intimidating interview as well, Jeremiah was First Mate at the time, and he said I likely was only selected because of my appreciation of The Miranda. Apparently old Captain Gabriel had a true soft spot for the girl, not that I can blame him, she is a beauty".

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    Jorl sighed thoughtfully before taking another bite of his lunch. Meanwhile, as he fell into his memories, Rassa passed his food discreetly to Aegin. Aegin only smiled this time, he didn''t complain at getting extra rations.

 Chapter 120 A First Night in the Galley

    The climb down was harder than the climb up had been. Mostly because it only reinforced the fact that Ebony had been stuck up so high all day. It was only as the sun began to set that Isaac had returned from abandoning her at midday to relieve her of her duties. Though as she left he had instructed her to be up the mast and ready to take over from him come dawn. She didn''t in the least bit like the prospect of climbing up so high for another full day, but the work itself was relatively easy. Isaac had only needed the morning to instruct her on the calls and what to look for. He''d told her quite plainly that the hardest part of the job was when one was staring at the horizon constantly. Sometimes it messed with the mind, and created things that weren''t there. As such, having something to distract oneself on occasion helped with concentration, such as Isaac''s whittling or Ebony''s embriodery.

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    She''d taken out the cloth and cotton cautiously, and Isaac had smirked.

    "Not what I expected," he''d said, though hadn''t teased her further. Ebony was grateful for that.

    As Ebony''s feet finally set themselves firmly on the main deck once more, she breathed a sigh of relief.

    "Hard day?"

    Ebony jumped at the voice, turning to find Rassa smiling at her. The bastard didn''t look the least bit phased, just like after every day of hard work. It didn''t seem the bother him in the least bit, which only seemed to bother Ebony and Aegin more. It was like nothing could touch the guy. Well, she supposed nothing could, but that was beside the point.

    "I''ll be okay," Ebony said after a moment. Aegin didn''t look okay. He didn''t exactly looked ragged, but he hardly looked okay either. Ebony could only ascertain that he''d had to do a fair amount of labour, more than the docks had given them.

    "Let''s eat, I''m starving," Aegin grumbled, turning to follow the crew down into the galley.

    While Midas had only pointed at it during their quick tour that morning, Aegin and Rassa had been down earlier when they were ordered to help peel and chop vegetables. Apparently, those of the lowest rank got to help the cook. Rassa wasn''t bothered by the couple of hours of work to feed the crew of eighty, in fact, he seemed to turn his nose up at the food there, though was doing his hardest not to show it. Aegin on the other hand had thought it pure toture to sit there and prepare everything and then be forbidden from touching the finished product until the evening meal. Despite the extra rations that Rassa had secretly passed him, he was famished.

    The Galley, as mentioned earlier, was on the third deck. The deck itself was sitting just at the waterline, but there were no windows to see out, only dimly lit candles lined the walls and tables, giving an eerie feeling to the galley. There were three long tables that each sat about twenty individuals. Apparently those with a higher rank usually dined with the captain in his quarters, and of course there were those who would eat later, or earlier in Isaac''s case, that were currently on watch. Aegin, Rassa and Ebony arrived when about thirty sailors had already been served and had taken a seat at the long tables. There was a merry atmosphere amongst them, though no drinks accompanied them. Apparently alcohol was forbidden on the ship, water only. Still, that didn''t dim their spirits. The three new recruits could tell that the crew were all in high spirits, a result no doubt of their return to the open ocean. They''d only had a taste of it today, but there were two moments that were memorable to just about everyone who became a part of a ship. The first was when you stared out at the endless ocean and realised that you could truly go anywhere with how large the world was. The second reason was the feeling of working in unison with so many others to reach a common goal. The three of them, having been forcibly isolated for one reason or another, had never felt they belonged or that they were a part of anything. Now that they''d experienced it, even if they were still cautious of those around them, they could sense just how great that feeling of belonging was.

    To Rassa though, it was a reality check in one form. Vincent had once told him that it was his responsibility to lead a new age of Vampires. But knowing what Rassa would have to do to create those Vampires, that he would have to do it himself...he''d insisted that it would never happen. That he would never sentence anyone to an eternity of hunger like that. And yet now...the prospect, though still a source of conflict within him, was beginning to sound somewhat appealing. If there were others like him, others that shared his trials and hardships, would he feel even greater than what he''d felt for a moment here on The Miranda?

    The three of them moved up in the line, and were each instructed to retrieve a bowl and a small roll before they were served a salted beef stew with a few vegetables. Rassa had originally been surprised that they were able to cook on board, he''d thought with the confined space and all that it would be took much of a risk. But the cook was well-trained and took his safety in the kitchen seriously, something Rassa silently commended him for. The last thing they needed was the ship bursting into flames in the middle of the ocean. Rassa seated himself opposite Aegin and Ebony at the end of one of the tables and Rassa cautiously took a bite.

    He immediately wanted to spit it back out.

    "What''s up with you?" asked Ebony as she noticed Rassa''s expression. Aegin chuckled as he saw Rassa''s disgusted expression which was hard to conceal without his hood up.

    Aegin leaned over and whispered to Ebony, "He''s not fond of our human food".

    Ebony''s eyes widened, then she looked to the others around, "Are you okay?"

    Rassa sighed, "I''ll survive if that''s what you''re asking".

    His spoon moved the meat around absentmindedly. Gods he couldn''t wait until they were asleep for the night. Then he could wash away the foul taste in his mouth.

    As Ebony and Aegin proceeded to eat, Jorl sat with them and introduced them to a few other sailors, including Tank, a huge man whom apparently held the record for arm wrestling. With how much pride he took in his title, Aegin was tempted to make Rassa wrestle him, but knew it was likely his friend would feign weakness. When the others weren''t looking, Rassa spooned his stew bit by bit into Aegin''s bowl. Ebony insisted she didn''t need the extra food, she wasn''t the one doing hard labour all day. Aegin was not complaining. In fact, he was thinking that this was the beginning of a great new deal between him and Rassa. One in which he could see no down side.

    Extra free meals amongst a rationed crew? Now that was something to celebrate no matter how hard the day had been.

 Chapter 121 A Midnight Meal

    The hammock, surprisingly, was far more comfortable than expected. The feeling of being suspended seemed to make up for the lack of any padding. In fact, it seemed as if the position one was in when sitting in the hammock actually helped most of those on the crew fall asleep faster. Though it could have also been due to the work they did on board.

    After their meal in the galley, some crew members stayed behind for games of cards or the like. The most common currency to bet with on board were bronze coins, sometimes silver depending on those playing. Though for those who weren''t playing as seriously, sometimes the currency consisted of minutes spent on watch, or rations. These however, were strictly controlled as it would do no good for someone to loose an entire night of rest or a few days worth of food. Jorl invited Aegin, Ebony and Rassa to join, but the only one amongst the three that was even vaguely familiar with the rules was Aegin, and he wasn''t confident enough. So instead they promised that they''d practice and would play after they were more confident in their abilities. The crew jeered at them, but were understanding enough to the new members to let them go. Rassa was cautious however, despite how well-disciplined and welcoming the crew was, he could tell from the way they worked that they would not tolerate any free loaders or shady characters. Despite the secrets the three held, they would have to interact with the crew if they wanted to stay on board for any length of time.

    "So where are we heading, we were only told south," Rassa asked Jorl as they surveyed the current game from the sidelines.

    "The Island of Rouke," Jorl replied, "The Trader''s Festival there begins in a couple of weeks and goes for a fortnight. Quite the event. It''s held biannually, and just seems to get bigger every year".

    "The Southern Isles aren''t far though," Rassa said, "It can''t take two weeks to get there".

    Jorl nodded, "No, it doesn''t. But word is the President of the Token Trade Association has ordered the Captain''s presence. Despite the Captain''s dislike of staying on land for too long, he can''t refuse the President. But with so much happening on Rouke during this time, it''s unlikely any of us will be bored. After all, the ship only need five guards a night, so they''ll rotate through the crew whilst we''re there and it''ll give the rest of us plenty of time to do what we like".

    Rassa nodded, "What''s the Festival like?"

    Jorl grinned, "Like a rainbow of a thousand colours. The Rouke Island Trader''s Festival is considered the biggest Trader''s Festival in the known world. This one event every two years brings enough revenue to the entire Southern Isles to have them last until the next Festival! Trade Associations, Countires, Cultures, nearly every representation of the known world you can think of is present there. The days are filled with markets all over the Island. There are twelve markets, in the seven ports on the island, but the fortnight gives everyone enough time to travel and visit every single one. In fact, there are specially constructed ferries to take patrons from one port to the next. In addition, every night has a different event, all culminating in the final two nights. The second last night is the Rouke Festival Auction, said to cater to the richest individuals in the known world and sell items appropriate to their status. And the final night, the Trader''s Crown Awards".

    "Trader''s Crown Awards?" asked Rassa.

    Jorl nodded, "The Bronze, Silver and Gold crowns. At the end of the fortnight, every representative association, country and culture are all tallied against one another for earnings and reputation during the festival. The top three are awarded the crowns, and it is guarnateed that they will be prosperous until the next Festival".

    "I''ve never heard of it," Rassa admitted.

    "Someone mentioned you were from up North of Eldovia. It''s feasible that word of such a competition would not have reached there. It is, afterall, far more well-known on the seas," Jorl replied, "Still, you should feel proud to be a part of the Token Trade Association, for the past fifty years, Token has never placed outside of the top three. They''ve always had a crown. The competition itself has only been running for sixty, ever since the war between the Southern and Western Continents came to an end and they sought a way towards peace".

    Rassa nodded. Jorl was quite the source of information. He sensed that however long they were on board The Miranda, he would learn quite a lot of the world''s happenings from Jorl.

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    Now however, as Rassa listened to the breathing and heartbeats of his sleeping shipmates slow to a steady rhythmn, he could only think of what awaited him just beneath their unsuspecting skin. His fangs elongated in anticipation, his eyes cutting through the darkness with ease as he picked his target.

    He decided on one several hammocks down from him, he figured it was best to select his meals at random for fear of them discovering a pattern should his deed actually be uncovered. But as Rassa confirmed that the crew was indeed asleep, he pulled the shadows around him so he could leave the hammock silently, emerging to the side of one of the hammocks. As Rassa looked down at his meal, he vaguely remembered the man''s name was something like Tym, but with no connection to the man, it was all too easy to see him as food rather than human. Some vague part of Rassa''s mind acknowledged that that had been happening a lot in recent times, acknowledging strangers as prey rather than equals. But that part was quickly silenced by the hunger. Who cared? It certainly wouldn''t be the prey seeing as they would have no memory of the event. Rassa was quick, placing a hand over the man''s mouth. The move roused the man, and he stared at Rassa''s wide eyed before the Vampire''s Allure calmed him in an instant.

    "Quiet. Forget this and Sleep".

    The commands may have been whispered so as not to arouse anyone else, but the man felt their overwhelming presence in his mind, and had no will to disobey. His eyes rolled back and his slept soundly once more. Rassa''s hand slipped away from the man''s mouth and picked up his arm, baring his wrist aloft before Rassa''s waiting fangs. They sunk into the veins beneath easily, and Rassa drunk, his own eyes nearly rolling back into his head with how grateful he was that the foul, dirt-like food taste was finally a forgotten memory.

 Chapter 122 A Game with the Captain

    The five day trip to Rouke Island went relatively smoothly. Though it was originally meant to be four days, they had been delayed slightly by a combination of less than desirable weather and Eb''s learning abilities. He''d made a few minor mistakes, but it had been cause for course corrections and he''d been punished accordingly for it. Still, considering his clear fear of heights, he was picking up the job relatively quickly, and Jeremiah was once again impressed by Midas''s sense for his crew. His First Mate had always been good at sensing these things about his crew members. Jeremiah had never been let down by it.

    In addition to Eb, the other two new crew members were also working surprisingly well. They seemed to slot into their roles seamlessly, picking up the work quickly and performing no less diligently than the rest of the crew. After three days, there was no need to have Jorl supervise them, they simply received their work for the day and did it. It was on the fourth day that Jeremiah visited the Galley to eat with his crew. He did this occasionally in order to ensure that the crew were as happy as they could be and that work wasn''t too hard for them. What he found was Rassa in the middle of a card game with several crew members, and stoic as a statue, he was winning.

    "How many games has he won?" asked Jeremiah, turning slightly to look at Jorl who watched over the group.

    "This is the first night he''s played," Jorl said, "The first few nights he insisted he didn''t know how and simply watched with his friends, tonight he said he''d be willing to give it a go. He''s won four games so far, and his ability seems unmatched".

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    Jeremiah''s eyebrows rose in interest and he turned to watch the game. In fact, the card game that was played was quite simple. They piled four decks of cards together with the values of cards being 3 as the lowest and 2 as the highest. At the beginning of the game, the winner of the previous game (playing the role of the King) would receive the highest value card dealt to the loser of the previous game (playing the role of the Slave), and would give his lowest value card back in return. Following this, play would proceed to the left with the first player determining what cards were placed out on the table. For instance, starting with a pair of threes. The next player would have to place cards of higher value, but still in a pair. The player to place the highest value on the pile would win the right to begin the next round. Play continued until players were able to discard all of their cards, the winner being the one to empty their hand first. The Joker cards were used as wild cards to represent any number of cards at any value.

    Bets were placed on who they thought would win a game. The winner of the previous game was usually seen as most likely, but the game all came down to strategy. When to use your highest value cards and when to use your lowest.

    As Jeremiah watched, it seemed that Rassa had not only grasped this concept, but had also seemed to have grasped the tendencies of the other players and could predict the moves they would make. The game had in turn become almost easy to the boy. He won the fifth game without any problems.

    Jeremiah gave a side glance at Midas who stood by his side. Midas shrugged in response to the unanswered question. Jeremiah smiled as he turned back to the table.

    "Deal me in".

    The crew seemed surprised at first, but then grinned shuffling to make room for the Captain at the table, "Aye, Captain!"

    As per the rules, new players entered the game as Commoners, those that had no advantage nor disadvantage. Hadolf, who''d lost the previous game, handed his highest card face down to Rassa who gave back his lowest card. Rassa then placed out 3 threes and play proceeded around the table.

    3 fives.

    3 eights.

    3 jacks.

    3 aces.

    Rassa passed his second turn, indicating he didn''t have 2 cards of a value higher than 3 aces. A short frown that was quickly gone from Hadolf indicated that the man thought it was unlikely. Jeremiah ascertained that Hadolf had likely handed over a joker card.

    With eight jokers swimming amongst the five players, it was unlikely that Rassa didn''t even have 1. It was not against the rules to pass a turn despite having appropriate cards to play however. It entirely depended on one''s strategy.

    Tank grinned as he won the first round with his three aces, placing the dead cards aside and starting a new round with a pair of threes.

    Hadolf won the second round with a pair of twos.

    Jeremiah took the third with a joker.

    While he was very good at hiding it, the slight tick of his jaw allowed Jeremiah to see that he''d made a move Rassa hadn''t expected. If the first two rounds were any indication of Jeremiah''s play style, Rassa would have assumed that Jeremiah liked to save his high value cards until towards the end of the game, the stance that most experienced players took. But now...

    Jeremiah waited in anticipation to see how Rassa would proceed.

    But contrary to Jeremiah''s expectation, Rassa seemed to do nothing for the next four rounds. By that stage, Rassa was left with the most cards out of anyone on the table. 10 cards, whereas the average of the rest of the table was 6. Tank, who''d won the previous round but now seemed to sweat with his lack of high value cards, placed down 3 fours.

    It was now that Rassa made his move. He slapped down a joker on top of the fours.

    Everyone looked at him with a frown. Was he that desperate? Slapping down the highest value card when the round had barely begun. But his face remained stoic. He tossed the cards onto the dead pile then brought out his next hand, five sixs.

    Everyone paused. In an instant, Rassa only have four cards left, and had played five of a kind, something that none of them currently possessed. Unless someone chose to play a joker, of which there were three left in play, Rassa would win this round immediately.

    After a moment of hesitation, Yates played a joker and began another round with a pair of eights.

    Jeremiah played a pair of queens, Tank passed. Rassa played a joker.

    This was ruthless! How many jokers did he have? There was only one left in play. Jeremiah didn''t have. By Tank''s expression, he didn''t have it. That left Hadolf, who had already given a joker to Rassa at the beginning, and Yates, who had just played a joker himself.

    The ruthlessness didn''t stop there, Rassa played a pair of twos, leaving him with a single card. Jeremiah knew immediately that that card must have been the final joker.

    The table paused before all passed.

    Rassa started the next play...with a single five.

    Yates sighed.

    Jeremiah, who''d initially been stunned as he had expected a joker, looked at the tiny flicker of a self-satisfied smirk on Rassa''s face. The smirk of someone who''d gambled and won. Of someone who knew he''d be able to do it again. Jeremiah''s expression relaxed to a smile.

    "Well played," Jeremiah praised, going out with a pair of aces in the following round, the third to finish after Yates played his joker then started the round Jeremiah won with a pair of sevens, "You banked on Yates wanting to use the joker as a final trump card and the rest of us assumed you had the final joker after your previous ruthless displays".

    Rassa said gave nothing away at the praise, replying simply, "The Captain is too kind".

    Jeremiah stood, placing a hand on Rassa''s shoulder, "It was a good game".

    Jeremiah''s words appeared as praise to the less versed, but to Rassa, Midas and some of the more experienced crew it spoke volumes. Rassa had done well in a game, but when it came to gambling with more life-altering values, did he still dare?

    Rassa said nothing in reply.

 Chapter 123 A Potential Unknown

    Ebony''s first glimpse of land was shortly after dawn on their fifth day at Sea. Several tiny islands appeared before them to the east, and she called down to the Quarter Deck.

    "Land Ho!"

    Over the days which she''d been at sea, she''d slowly grown accustomed to the height. To say that she''d conquered her fear was stretching it, but she''d grown somewhat used to the feeling of being in the Crow''s Nest. Most of all, she''d been looking forward to that call.

    "Islands dead ahead!"

    Midas, who had heard her call, pulled out a looking glass from coat and extended it, looking out to the direction Ebony had indicated. After a moment he began giving orders to prepare the crew, and someone woke up a reluctant Isaac who''d been asleep for just over an hour.

    Despite Ebony''s quick learning, navigating around islands was far more difficult than the open sea, and hence Midas felt more comfortable with his experienced watchmen in the Crow''s Nest helping Ebony.

    Isaac yawned like a mighty beast as he pulled himself into the nest, squinting into the sunrise to see the islands.

    "Are they...?"

    "The Southern Isles," Isaac informed her, "A collection of over a hundred islands, many of which are too small to be inhabited to the point where they don''t even possess fresh water".

    "So where is Rouke Island?" asked Ebony.

    "We''ll get there in another three hours or so, it''s situated closer to the centre," Isaac said, "The biggest Island in the Southern Isles, the Island built up and inhabited by Traders".

    Isaac yawned again, rubbing his eyes.

    "Sorry to wake you," Ebony said guiltily.

    Isaac chuckled, "Better to wake me now than when we skewer the ship on some rocks thanks to you, newbie".

    Ebony frowned, "I''m not that inept".

    "But you''re not completely confident either, are you?" asked Isaac.

    Ebony turned away, refusing to admit it. Isaac continued to smile lazily, "Keep me awake for the next few hours, then I can go back and get some rest".

    ***

    "The Southern Isles are in sight, Captain," Midas reported as Jeremiah stepped onto the Quarter Deck. Jeremiah took the looking glass that Midas offered and spied the Islands through it.

    "Good, knowing Griffith, he''ll be in Port Cresh on the Northern side of the Isle," Jeremiah said, "Seeing as he''s expecting us it''s best we aim to dock there".

    "I sense reluctance on your part, Captain," Midas smiled as he took back his looking glass and folded it away. Jeremiah gave an unimpressed frown in reply. Of course he was reluctant. He didn''t want to be there. If he didn''t want to get this over with as quickly as possible he would have ordered them to Port Leis on the Southern side of Rouke. As far away from the Token President as he could get.

    "Never you mind your senses in this case, Midas," Jeremiah replied, "They''re better used ordering the crew to a smooth dock".

    Port Cresh was the largest on Rouke, and it also had the deepest water, hence there was no need for The Miranda to be Anchored further out as it had been in Port Lovolon. Not having to row longboats back and forth would make things far easier for him and the crew.

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    Jeremiah''s eyes diverted to where Rassa was working on the main deck. Ensuring ropes were tight and untangled and everything was in order so that when pushed into action things would go smoothly.

    "How has he been?" asked Jeremiah.

    Midas followed Jeremiah''s line of sight and nodded once, "Jorl says he picks things up faster than anyone else he''s trained before. He even reckons that the kid could have been working on his own after the first day, but seemed to hold back for some reason. Observing him the last few days, and from what you''ve told me of what he was like in Lovolon, I believe he''s trying to keep to himself".

    "So not unmotivated?" asked Jeremiah.

    Midas shrugged, "Not when he has work to do no. But there''s just something that tells me he hasn''t seen himself being on a ship for an extended period of time. Like its a means to an end".

    "And what end would that be?" asked Jeremiah.

    Midas smirked, "My senses aren''t that great, Captain. You''ll have to ask him yourself for that".

    "Oh?" asked Jeremiah, feigning disappointment, "Looks like I''ll have to get you to read through the President''s collection again".

    Midas rolled his eyes, "Like that''ll change anything".

    Jeremiah smiled as he watched his crew work, his eyes drawn to Rassa. Ever since Jeremiah had met the mysterious kid he''d wondered. Wondered what kind of potential those mysteries were hiding. He''d seen glimpses of it over the past couple of weeks. His shadow magic, his incredible combat abilities, and then the card game last night. To be able to read the other players like that...it would truly be a shame to leave such potential in the shadows, even if the kid believed he belonged there.

    Midas chuckled, "You look like you''re schemeing".

    "Who, me?" asked Jeremiah as he straightened and headed for the stairs down to the main deck, "Never. You have the helm".

    "Aye, Captain".

    Midas watched in amusement as Jeremiah disppeared below decks, no doubt to check on the preparation of the cargo that was to be unloaded when they reached Rouke. His eyes cut to Rassa, who was still working in silence, diligent as ever. He couldn''t help sighing. Poor kid was in for a tough few weeks if Jeremiah''s schemeing had anything to do with it.

 Chapter 124 An Island Built by Traders

    Rassa had lost count of the amount of small Islands they''d past that morning. Some of the larger ones had small villages or farms, but most looked too small to have anything living on them. Still, the closer they got to Rouke, the more Islands there were, and the larger they became. Several of them seemed to even have mountains on them, or what Jorl referred to as volcanoes. Apparently they were mountains that the gods controlled, mountains that spewed molten earth and clouds of black ash when they gods were displeased. Rassa had wondered why on earth their were people living so close to such dangerous places.

    Jorl had just replied simply, "The gods can never be unhappy when they see their children prosper as the Southern Isles does".

    Rassa figured that was a gamble, but one that these people were clearly willing to make. Seeing as he had no memory of Victor or any of the other vampires knowing what a volcano was, it was likely that they had never come across such things, that they were rare. Even then, the vampires never believed in gods, only in Order and Chaos. So, Rassa could only conclude through logical assumption that the volcanoes were naturally formed, likely from Chaos considering their nature, and that the lack of Chaos in the current world and led to their dormancy. It was a thought rather than a theory, but the thought did make him question whether or not it was safe for him to step foot on the islands, like his mere presence would cause them to erupt.

    With his luck, he couldn''t completely dismiss it.

    Still, the first time Rassa laid eyes on the Island of Rouke, he put all thoughts of molten earth and Chaos behind him. Because no matter what its origin, he''d never seen anything like Rouke.

    The Island looked to be the biggest they had seen so far. Big enough that Jorl proclaimed it would take half a day to sail around from the north to the south side of the Island. It seemed to resemble a crooked triangle, the Western point that they originally sailed past was a massive Port settlement. Port Tegi, it was called, apparently in one of the Western Continent''s languages, ''Tegi'' meant West. Even though they were still a ways out, the Port appeared bustling with life, a mix of architecture from multiple cultures that seemed to somehow fit together and compliment each other despite the puzzle-like arrangement.

    Behind the Port as they travelled further East, the Island had several high cliffs, which made it hard for Rassa to see beyond. Jorl informed him that aside from the Ports, and one Trader''s Union Establishment near the centre of the Island, Rouke was mainly forest. Apparently there were no largescale farms or livestock on the Island, Rouke mainly relied on its nearby neighbours for food and supplies. In return, Rouke provided all manner of finances and craftsman. The dependant relationship the Islands had on one another allowed them to function as a semi-unified nation. The only thing seperating them was the water.

    One of the cliffs jutted further out, blocking off the view of what lay beyond, at the very top of this cliff, perched like a bird on a thin tree branch was a tower, one that seemed overgrown and abandonded, but carried about it some sense of ancient pride. Rassa was both in awe and unsettled by it as he took in its countenance.

    as then rounded this massive cliff, the view became all too picturesque.

    On the eastern side of the cliff, the land dipped steeply towards the water level, and retreated back and around in a half circle to form a crescent chaped bay. And from the base of the cliff, all the way around to the opposing tip, their was life. Buildings of varying degrees and cultures fit together to create their own style, one that seemed more well-rounded and thought out that Port Tegi. As if when this Port had been built the builders knew what to expect and planned accordingly.

    The land from the port edge heading inland was on a slow incline, much like Port Lovolon, only it seemed in this case that the farther from the shoreline one was, the more magnificent and majestic the buildings became, culminating in a grand structure at the top of the hill that overlooked all of those below it. It was not however, gaudy like a King''s or an Emperor''s Palace would be. Though large and magnificent, there were no apparent signs that the owner was attempting to show off their power. It felt more...welcoming. Like it was a place for everyone.

    "Fold Sails!" called Midas from the Quarter Deck.

    Rassa snapped out of his mesmerised state and rushed to obey, scrambling up the ratline of the foremast in order to pull in the the sails and slow the ship''s progress into the bay.

    Four smaller ships approached as The Miranda slowed, and Midas, who was at the helm, followed their directions to one of the many docks. Aegin on the deck below helped toss the thick guide ropes to those on the dock, Rassa climbed unhurriedly down the ratlines, admiring the hustle and bustle of the port at midday. The ship gaze a short jolt as the ropes tying it to the dock pulled taut, then Midas immediately began ordering the cargo hold open so that the supplies could be unloaded before sundown.

    As Rassa helped, he noticed a man from the dock walk up the newly situated gangplank to greet the waiting Jeremiah. They shook hands. The new man was older than Jeremiah by at least a decade, but if possible, had twice the aura. He seemed powerful, more so that Rassa had expected from a mere human. His stormy grey eyes swept over the deck before turning back to Jeremiah.

    "It''s good to see you," he said.

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    "You too, President Griffith," Jeremiah replied.

    "You''ll be joining me for dinner tonight I hope, once you''ve parted temporarily with your ship," the President smirked.

    Jeremiah sighed, "Wouldn''t miss it".

    Rassa could see the lie on Jeremiah''s face, and so could the man he was talking to. The last place Jeremiah wanted to be was anywhere other than his ship. Old friend or not.

 Chapter 125 A Street of Skewers

    When the evening came and the cargo was unloaded as needed, Jorl wrapped an arm around Rassa''s shoulders and steered him off the ship, Aegin and Ebony in tow.

    "Where are we going?" asked Rassa.

    "Primarily to get dinner," Jorl replied, "While we''re docked the ship won''t provide meals for us, though we are still allowed to sleep on board. Saves some coin sleeping there rather than in an inn or tavern".

    The thought hadn''t occurred to Rassa about that, but thinking that Aegin and Ebony were likely to spend most of their coin on meals, Rassa decided it was best to save his own as back up for them rather than spend it on a room. Even if it meant being cooped up in the ship for longer. He could just hunt before he went back to the ship for the night, Jorl hadn''t mentioned a curfew. Not that the guards would really matter, Rassa would be able to sneak by them pretty easily.

    "So where are you taking us for dinner?" asked Rassa, sensing that Jorl clearly had something in mind.

    "Skewer Street," Jorl replied.

    Rassa frowned, unsure if that name sounded appealing or not.

    Jorl seemed to sense his discomfort and chuckled, "It''s named that way because the night market there specialises in foods cooked on skewers. All kinds of food of flavours from all over the world! It''s quite the sight, and the smell, when you first see it".

    Rassa pretended to look impressed, in all honesty, he was not looking forward to this. Aegin and Ebony on the other hand, looked intrigued.

    Seeing their enthusiasm, Jorl encouraged them to get closer as he began telling them all the stories he''d heard about this skewer street. How it had begun as a competition between vendors of two different continents, but had grown to become the Port''s signature food. As he talked, Rassa took in the sights of the city around him. Despite it being evening, no one seemed to be slowing down. In addition, Rassa could see all kind of different people from all over the world. Dark skin, light skin, blue eyes, green eyes, amber eyes, tall, short, thin, large, brown hair, black hair, red hair, blonde hair. The variation seemed endless, and Rassa couldn''t help but give a faint smile at it. At the fact that all these different kinds of people seemed to be in harmony together, no matter their origins.

    It reminded him of Victor''s memories. Of Star Crash City. There had been no end to the variations their either, and not just humans, but beings of all kinds of races.

    The sense of familiarity felt nice to Rassa. Despite him never seeing it with his own two eyes, this diversity united under a common goal, it felt right. It felt...normal. He didn''t know any of these people, but in just a short walk, without them even knowing it, they''d somehow made him feel the most normal he''d felt in years.

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    As his eyes swept it up, he caught other nuances that no doubt added to these feelings. Like the fact that the buildings themselves were quite plain, and yet something as simple as building them to feel more open, with wider doors and larger windows, it made them feel more welcoming. The various lanterns and colourful fabrics, food and other assorted prodcuts added to its vibrancy.

    As Rassa caught a whiff of the skewers Jorl no doubt spoke of, he couldn''t help but feel that as a people, Traders seemed without a doubt to be the richest of all, and not just from the coin they made.

    "Smell that?" asked Jorl, his nose pointed in the air and eyes closed in happiness, "That''s the heavenly smell of Skewer Street!"

    Rassa couldn''t help but smirk at Aegin who was almost drooling at the mouth. Ebony didn''t seem much better, but at least hid her eagerness in order to maintain a certain image of decorum. Not that it counted much amongst sailors.

    The group rounded a corner, and all of a sudden the wide open street was packed to the brim with all manner of street vendors hawking their wares. Not that they had to try hard, the smell and the atmosphere were doing 80% of their job for them.

    "I''ve never seen this many skewered foods in my life," Aegin proclaimed.

    Jorl chuckled proudly, "Aye, I dare say you won''t see its like anywhere else in the world. Come on, I''ll give you the tour of my favourites and see how long it takes to fill that young stomach of yours!"

    Aegin and Jorl marched forward side by side, Ebony moving to follow but turning to Rassa who stood with a stoic face at the end of the street still.

    "Are you coming, Rassa?" asked Ebony.

    Rassa sighed, "I guess I have to, huh?"

    Ebony smiled half-heartedly. It''d been amusing at first to watch his plain disgust at human food, now she just felt sorry for him. Still, better to keep up the farce now that it''d started.

    She turned and headed after Aegin and Jorl before she lost them in the crowd, knowing Rassa would be able to find them with his hunting skills.

    Rassa went to follow her but stopped, a scent wafting past that lay beneath the sensory overload that was Skewer Street. A scent he hadn''t smelt in a very long while, and one which he didn''t think he''d ever smell again. He frowned, pausing to look around, only to pause.

    Whether the scent was there or not, did he really want to talk to her? That question was one of the easiest to answer. He took a step forward and into the crowd and left the scent behind him.

    ***

    "Shall we stop for some Sweet and Sour Skewers, Miss?" asked Layn, turning to his superior in question as they passed by Skewer Street on their way back to the manor.

    "That''s sounds nice," the young woman in question replied, a light smile touching her lips, "It''s been months since we last tasted them".

    Layn gave a short bow and then disappeared into the crowd as the woman and her two guards waited patiently at the end of the street. The woman folded gloved hands before her, her elegant mannerisms allowed others to assume that she was a noble lady, but in reality she''d only been born a merchant''s daughter. Still, that had never stopped her from being elegant and beautiful. Her honey coloured eyes swept over the crowd, smiling at the bustling atmosphere.

    In her silence she couldn''t help picking up snippets of conversations around her.

    "The pepper skewers were so spicy..."

    "...want, lamb or beef?"

    "....tried the corn skewers..."

    "...take three..."

    "...Rassa?"

    The young woman stilled at the name, a frown settling on her porcelain brow. She hadn''t heard that name in years. Her eyes instinctively followed the voice that had called it, and she found two young men half hidden by the crowd. One turned and disappeared, leaving behind the taller of the two. He wasn''t facing the young woman, but the hood styled jacket was all too familiar.

    It wasn''t possible...was it?

    She stared across the crowd at the figure, not daring to believe what she could see before her. He half turned, as if looking for something, and the young woman managed to glimpse his jawline, his black hair...

    The young woman stumbled at step forward, ready to call out, but in the space of a breath he turned and dived into the crowd ahead of him, disappearing from sight. The young woman craned her neck to try and see him again. To catch a glimpse of him. She''d been expecting the child she''d last seen, but that had been silly of her, he wouldn''t be a child any longer. If she could only get another look, just to confirm what she thought she''d seen.

    "...Miss Falla?"

    Layn''s voice cut through her desperate search and her head snapped to her subordinate. Falla took in the skewers held aloft and couldn''t help the initial confusion that rushed over her.

    "Is everything okay, Miss Falla?"

    Falla glanced back at the crowd, at where the young man had disappeared. She''d imagined it, of course she had. The last time she''d seen that boy, he''d been in a cage bound for Toulle, and no one had heard anything beyond him disappearing not long after arriving there. As she''d discovered, it was a big world beyond their little village of Cordon. Beyond ever Eldovia.

    Falla turned back to Layn, slipping off one of her gloves to take one of the offered skewers, a smile adorning her face once more.

    "It''s nothing, I must have imagined it. Thankyou Layn," Falla said.

    "Of course, Miss," Layn replied, nodding his head as Falla took the skewer to her lips and took a small bite, turning to walk back towards the manor.

 Chapter 126 An Unusual Gemstone

    Griffith Token was Jeremiah''s Uncle. To put it simply, they had an understanding. Griffith wouldn''t bother Jeremiah unless necessary, and Jeremiah would continue to work as a Merchant Captain was Token Trading. It was a win-win. Still, Griffith was a bit more for familial bonds than Jeremiah''s free spirit. As such, despite Jeremiah''s repeated attempts to escape his responsibilities beyond the Miranda, Jeremiah usually ended up playing right into Griffith''s palm.

    "Really, Jeremiah?" asked Griffith as he cut into the steak placed before him, "The least you could do is attempt small talk. We haven''t seen each other in years".

    Jeremiah sighed as he half-heartedly cut into his own meal, "Perhaps those years apart should have been an indication of how much I detest small talk. I know you brought me here for a reason, Uncle, out with it".

    "Uncle?" asked Griffith with a small smile, "Attempting to butter me up so I''ll let you off easier? You haven''t called me Uncle since you were a child".

    Jeremiah rolled his eyes, "Fine, President".

    Griffith frowned, "Now that''s too formal for our connections".

    Jeremiah dropped his cutlery and leaned back, "Why don''t you quit avoiding the subject you actually called me to discuss and get to it".

    The corner of Griffith''s mouth twitched teasingly, "Straight to the point as always, you''re no fun Little Jerry".

    Jeremiah''s eyes narrowed at the detestable nickname. He''d been determined to be rid of it when he was five. He was nearly fifty now, and the only one that held onto it was this Uncle. It was no wonder Jeremiah barely saw him.

    Placing his own cutlery down and wiping his mouth, Griffith sat back and raised a hand at the servant nearby.

    "Very well, down to business it is," Griffith said, "In your travels, Jeremiah, have you heard of the Vanguard?"

    Jeremiah''s brow furrowed, and he shook his head, "What of them?"

    "They are relatively new, so it''s not surprise you haven''t heard of them," Griffith replied, "In addition, they were established amongst the Dwarven People. Quite frankly that alone would be enough to keep their name in whispers alone considering how recluse Dwarves tend to be, but I doubt that will be the case much longer considering what they deal in".

    The Servant returned with a wooden chest about a half metre in length and width. He placed it on the table before Griffith who opened the chest without ceremony and turned it to face Jeremiah.

    On the inside was a pair of large daggers, simply made apart from one major difference, at the end of each of their hilts was a clear gemstone about the size of a grape. At first, Jeremiah thought it was a Diamond, but Diamonds reflected light. These stones seemed to be catching and trapping the light. If that was even possible.

    Griffith indicated for Jeremiah to pick one up.

    "Both handmade, the only ones the entire Token Trading Company was able to get their hands on. In short, they''re weapons, but with a catch," Griffith said, he picked the remaining dagger up, and then seemed to flick a small latch of some sort on the handle. The clear gem turned a milky white, then a light grey before Griffith turned to the wall behind him and cut the air before him with the dagger. An arch of lightning spread from the dagger, stricking the wall in an almighty crack that echoed in the large dining hall. When the lightning faded, burn marks from the lightning stricks appeared scattered across the wall, a couple of which had started fires which the servants quickly put out.

    Griffith slowly turned back to Jeremiah who stood in shock. If one dagger could do that much damage...

    "How did...?"

    "We bought them to dicover the method, but from what we''ve been able to ascertain so far. We know only that the gem stones are a unqiue type of crystal that is often mistaken for diamond. There are quite a few companies that have made profits from it in the past by selling it as cheaper versions of high priced jewellery," Griffith admitted, "Though the Dwarves seemed to have discovered this lightning essence within it, and have weaponised it. No doubt that within a decade, these Vanguard as they are called, will become a primary type of weapon".

    Jeremiah''s eyes hadn''t left the burned and scorched wall behind Griffith.

    "Is there any way to defend against it?" asked Jeremiah.

    "Not that we''ve discovered beyond the obvious," Griffith replied, "But even a stone wall would only be able to stand so many strikes, and if the stones are applied to something as devestating as a cannon?"

    Griffith shook his head as if to indicate how useless it would be to stand against such a weapon.

    "So what will our stance be?" asked Jeremiah.

    Griffith sighed, "Unless we can figure out a way to replicate and produce these Vanguard ourselves...we can only purchase as many as we can to prepare for anyone choosing to challenge our position".

    Griffith certainly looked like he was out of his depth. Like for the first time in his long life he hadn''t a clue how to handle this new type of weapon. This new threat to what his family had built.

    "What of the Trade Association?" asked Jeremiah, "Surely the council won''t remain quiet on this".

    Griffith sighed, "It''s likely most if not all of them already know of these weapons, but whether or not they themselves are trading in them, or they need a way to defend against them is still an unknown. By announcing their fear of this new weapon, they show vulnerablity. In short, I doubt any of them will bring it up unless it is for profits".

    Jeremiah sighed, placing the dagger back down again.

    "So you want me to purchase and look for information regarding their workmanship?" asked Jeremiah, "If they are Dwarven made there''ll be a pretty tight lid on that information. My contact in Lovolon new only that a new weapon had been developed. Even then I think we''re missing the main point here. This is a power that those without lifelines can weild. Isn''t it right to question how that is even possible?"

    "Indeed," Griffith sighed, "It is quite unsettling. If there are other gemstones that produce other elements aside from lightning, it''s likely that battle-type Magicians will become less and less needed in the future".

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    "Will they though?" asked Jeremiah, "I mean, as powerful as these weapons are, the weilder appears to have no control of the exact target or the level of force used. Or was that your old bones at work?"

    Griffith sighed, "No, you''re right, the same force is applied each time, and you can only give a general direction. These weapons are not without faults, but that does not at all diminish their worth".

    Jeremiah sighed, taking a seat once more. He needed a plan. Even with the Traders festival arriving wtihin the next couple of weeks, there was no guarantee that these weapons would be available for sale. In fact, the only place they could turn up was at the Auction, and that was for everyone to see, not something that Token could monopolise even with their position.

    "I can see those cogs turning, Little Jerry," Griffith said, "If you have a plan I''d be more than willing to here it".

    "The completed Vanguard are indeed difficult to procure," Jeremiah said, "Not to mention that with their rarity they''ll be expensive. But what of the stones?"

    "Are you suggesting that we purchase the stones?" asked Griffith, "Even if we buy them all we still won''t know the method for turning them into Vanguard".

    "But to make Vanguard you need to stones. Clearly," Jeremiah replied, "If we monoplise the trade on the stones, we could effectively control the production of Vanguard".

    "We can''t monopolise something like that," Griffith sighed, "The crystal veins are more common than you''d think, and Token doesn''t control mines, it only trades in finished products".

    "You don''t need to control the mines. You just need to control what the mines are producing," Jeremiah replied.

    "Most of those traders are from the West, you aren''t usually the type to stay there long for a reason," Griffith''s eyes narrowed.

    "I don''t have to deal with them, I''ve got people for that," Jeremiah replied.

    "Midas doesn''t tolerate their guady arrogance either," Griffith replied.

    Jeremiah smirked as he stood, "Other people".

 Chapter 127 A Challenge

    Rassa woke the next morning with a smile on his face. The hunt the night before had been much easier than on the ship, and it had been satisfactory in ridding his mouth of the taste of skewers. No matter how good they tasted to Jorl, Aegin and Ebony, to him they were no better than dirt, something that irked him tremendously. Seeing the enjoyment on their faces really made him miss human food, if only to be able to taste it the same as them. Alas, it seemed that his taste buds were now only attuned to blood, blood and more blood.

    It was perhaps an hour after dawn when Rassa awoke. Now that the ship was docked, he wasn''t technically obligated to perform any duties beyond keeping the ship clean and performing his watch according to the schedule. Today however, Rassa was free to explore Rouke, something he was looking forward to. He had yet to really explore any land, and the prospect of such a venture made him surprisingly happy.

    After dressing, Rassa ventured above decks in preparation to explore the Port in the daylight.

    "Rassa," the call came from the Quarter Deck, and Rassa looked over in surprise. Jeremiah awaited him at the top of the stairs, and looked as if he had been waiting there for some time.

    Rassa only hesitated a moment however before approaching his Captain.

    "Yes, Captain?" asked Rassa, thinking that the Captain had a task for him to perform before he went off an explored.

    If Rassa had known what the Captain was going to say that morning, perhaps he would have made an effort to awaken earlier in order to avoid him. But one cannot avoid the inevitable forever.

    "Come in to my office, I have something to discuss with you," Jeremiah stated, and Rassa followed without complaint.

    Jeremiah''s office was at the rear of the quarter deck. At first glance it did not appear very large from the outside. Upon entrance however, Rassa found that the far wall had a row of windows that sat behind a wooden writing desk. Either side wall was lined with book shelves covered in diamond shaped slots that held scrolls of various kinds. Rassa would bet on most of them being maps though. The centre of the room was dominated by a table about 4 times larger than the little writing desk, with maps and official looking documents spread across it as if left over from a discussion Rassa had not been privy to. On top of the table also sat a wooden chest which looked somewhat out of place compared to all the charts and maps.

    This chest was clearly the object of Rassa''s visit to the Captain''s office as Jeremiah walked straight for it.

    "I have a task for you, Rassa," Jeremiah began, "And I''ll be first to admit it is a test of sorts".

    "A test, Captain?" asked Rassa.

    Jeremiah looked over his shoulder at Rassa, his eyes stating clearly that he wouldn''t put up with any sort of act.

    "What is it you need?" Rassa rephrased.

    Jeremiah turned back to the chest and opened it, stepping aside to show the contents to Rassa, "Have you ever heard of Vanguard?"

    Rassa took a step forward, though he did not need to. With a quick glance at the daggers he immediately recognised the crystals locked into the end of their hilts. Just like the one that the Ridge Man had had with his whip. An Elemental Crystal.

    "Once," Rassa said. Looking at the serious expression of the Captain, there was not talking his way out or around whatever the situation was, "It was not pleasant".

    Jeremiah''s eyebrow rose, "So you know its capabilities?"

    "The Crystal''s stored energy is expelled through the weapon upon being triggered," Rassa replied.

    "Stored energy?" asked Jeremiah, "Admittedly you seem to know more than what I do".

    Rassa sighed, "I''m going to assume that these daggers expel lightning?"

    Jeremiah nodded, "Quite devestatingly. Evanine Crystals have shown a property we haven''t before known".

    "Where I come from," Rassa said, "We call them Elemental Crystals".

    Jeremiah''s eyes narrowed, "Where you come from?"

    Rassa said nothing as he met Jeremiah''s gaze. After a moment, Jeremiah relented.

    "Fine, keep your secrets, but you could at least let me know what I''m up against," Jeremiah stated.

    "The Elemental Crystals are essentially nothing but plain rock unless they''re exposed to an element. In this case Lightning. Considering that they are the only weapons I''ve seen so far, I''m going to assume that a vein of them was exposed to a large storm. When the vein was later discovered and mining began, they likely discovered the crystal''s new properties. Afterall, to activate it you merely need to hit it hard enough. Makes mining it a delicate operation. It''d only take someone clever enough to apply it to weaponry," Rassa stated. And that was all he was willing to offer. If he talked about anything else he''d been taught by the old Vampires he''d draw far too much attention to himself. Though seeing how Jeremiah had asked for him directly he''d clearly partially failed at keeping a low profie anyway.

    "I see," Jeremiah stated, "So they only replicate what they''ve taken in?"

    "No, not exactly. After a strong enough first exposure they only take on that element, but recharging them is as simply as leaving them be," Rassa said, "They are naturally connected to the mist, and they collect it in order to replicate their element when used. The longer it is left, the more energy it collects, though the size of the crystal does have limitations. Crystals that size-" Rassa pointed to the daggers "-I''d estimate them having the capacity to store enough energy to fire five or six lightning bolts each. Though you''d have to test it to be sure".

    "Testing it would draw too much attention," Jeremiah replied.

    There was silence as Jeremiah looked thoughtful for a moment, then his gaze turned back to Rassa, "My task for you was to purchase as many of these crystals as possible. We have no idea who is producing the Vanguard, but if we can control their supply of crystals-"

    "It will do no good anyway unless the crystals are charged," Rassa said, "As I''ve said, they likely have access to one vein in particular that they''re mining from".

    "So they can only produce a limited number of weapons?" asked Jeremiah.

    "Unless they find a way to replicate such a severe lightning storm at another vein''s location, or replicate an elemental event in general," Rassa replied.

    "Can they be charged if they''ve already been mined?" asked Jeremiah.

    Rassa nodded, "But as I''ve said, it takes a natural event. They cannot charge each other".

    "If it takes a natural event then...they can be charged by a different element, yes? That is why your people call them elemental crystals?" Jeremiah stated.

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    Rassa paused for a moment, then nodded.

    "In that case, I still want you to purchase as many crystals as possible. Doesn''t matter if they''re charged or not. I''ll give you a thousand gold to start, but after that you''re on your own in finding a way to buy as many as possible," Jeremiah said.

    "If its a task you set, why should I find my own way to pay for it?" asked Rassa.

    Jeremiah gave a small smile, "I''ll tell you what, Rassa. You do this task for me, and I won''t kick Eb off the ship".

    Rassa frowned, "Why would you-"

    "I''m not against women being on my ship, but it is certainly frowned upon that they mingle with the crew in such a way as she has been doing. Do this task for me, and I won''t say a word about it," Jeremiah said.

    Rassa''s gaze narrowed as he looked at Jeremiah for a long while. When he was finally satisfied that Jeremiah was telling the truth, Rassa sighed, "Do I have a time limit or a quota to fill?"

    Jeremiah shook his head, "Just for as long as we''re on Rouke. I''ll give you access to one of the old warehouses to store what you buy. Show me what you can do, kid. It''s a waste for someone of your talent to hide in the shadows".

    Rassa wanted to growl at Jeremiah. How dare he threaten him? How dare he force his hand? But a small part of him, the part that had hidden itself away since he was a child. That part of him was intrigued by this challenge. He took a signed notice from Jeremiah indicating his permission to withdraw a thousand gold from the Token accounts, then departed the ship.

 Chapter 128 A Business Venture

    Rassa had spent most of the morning attempting to determine how best to go about his new task. A thousand gold may seem like a lot of money, but it would only go so far. Evanine Crystals sold for an average of fifty silver per kilogram. Cheap for a crystal, but then, these crystals were uncharged and thought of as nothing more than cheap diamonds. It was likely that if Rassa wanted to purchase any Evanine Crystals that were charged, they''d sell for a minimum of 30 gold per kilogram, three times as much as your average kilogram of diamonds. Considering it had been a couple of months since the Vanguard had made an appearance, it was likely that Jeremiah was not the first to think of monopolising the market. The cost of even the uncharged crystals would likely equate to that of a diamond once word truly got out.

    After Aegin and Ebony found him, Rassa had relayed the task and his concerns to them. They''d readily agreed to help, Ebony especially seeing as it was her fault Rassa had been forced into this. Rassa had suggested that their first task would be to enquire in the ports around the island as to what the average price of the Crystals were. Rassa, with his speed, could easily visit all the ports that afternoon. As such, he left Aegin and Ebony to inquire around Port Cresh whilst he visited the others.

    The first stop on his rushed tour was Port Tegi, the Port they''d first passed upon arrived at Rouke Island. Jewel traders were few in general. The mines were often hard to hold on to and costly to maintain. Not to mention the fact that their workforce from the mine all the way to the store had to be trustworthy dealing with precious materials day in and day out. As such, it tended to be a pattern that Jewellers were often from more well-known entities.

    Port Tegi had three. Enough to establish competitive pricing but not overwhelm the market. But, only two of them dealt in Evanine Crystals. After a short inquiry, Rassa discovered their stock was limited, and on top of that the price had grown to 8 Gold per kilogram at one shop and 7 Gold 60 Silver at the other.

    In short, Rassa''s suspicions had been right, there were many who had already ascertained the value of the Evanine Crystals and sought to monopolise them.

    Of the three other ports he visited, the Southern Port Lace, and the Western Ports Reldo and Cornish, the best price he could find per kilogram of Evanine Crystals was 5 gold. But even then they only had twelve kilograms in stock.

    When Rassa again met up with Aegin and Ebony for their evening meal, it appeared that their efforts in Port Cresh has garnered the same result. Only one shop sold Evanine Crystals in Port Cresh, and they were currently going for 6 Gold per kilogram.

    "If we were to buy all the kilograms of Evanine available on the Island, how much would we have to spend?" asked Ebony.

    "400 gold," Rassa replied, "But we''d only be getting 55 kilograms of the stuff".

    "Compared to the 800 kg we could have gotten had they still been their regular price, we''re definitely taking losses," Aegin stated.

    "They''re uncharged," Rassa said, "But the traders all refuse to negotiate on the price, it''s a complete rip-off".

    "Were any of them willing to broach the subject of selling their mining veins?" asked Ebony.

    "Even if they were, we wouldn''t be able to buy one with just a thousand gold," Rassa replied, "At minimum we''d need twenty times that".

    "The Captain only wanted us to purchase as many as possible, yes?" asked Aegin, "Then why are we worried about spending all of the gold given to us?"

    "Because Jeremiah wasn''t just looking for the Crystals," Rassa replied, "He''s a businessman, he wants profit as well. One the market realises that the Evanine Crystals that are uncharged are essentially worthless, they''ll drop back to their original price, how then will Token make up the profit for all of these crystals? Even converting them into proper jewellery won''t make up their loss-"

    Rassa froze, a look crossing over his face that made Aegin and Ebony turn to him expectantly. When he said nothing, Aegin prodded him for information, "What, what have you thought of?"

    "Something I probably shouldn''t have," Rassa replied.

    Aegin and Ebony looked to each other, then back to Rassa, "What?"

    Rassa sighed, "I know how to make the money back, but doing so could expose more than I''m willing to expose".

    "You mean about��you?"

    Rassa nodded, "If I go through with it, they''ll want to know how I did it��and frankly that''s not something I feel comfortable reintroducing to the world".

    "Reintroducing to the world?" asked Aegin, confused, "What do you��urgh, nevermind, its just one of your many mysteries that I''ll never be able to get my head around. But still, if its something that can help, why can''t you do it?"

    "If you really can''t expose it��but what sort of harm could it do anyway?" asked Ebony, "If you''re unwilling to this extent".

    "It won''t do any harm perse," Rassa admitted, "The opposite in fact��but its implications, they could change the course of the whole world".

    "But if you''re the only one with knowledge of how to do whatever you''re proposing, won''t you be able to control it?" asked Aegin.

    "In theory," Rassa said, "But it will also expose me to far more attention than I want or need. No, it''s too dangerous".

    "If it''s the attention that''s making you hesitate��why don''t you propose it was someone else?" asked Ebony.

    What do you mean?" asked Rassa.

    "Well," Ebony looked to Aegin then back at Rassa, "Aegin or I could pretend to-"

    "No," Rassa frowned, "The kind of attention I''m talking about is not a game. It could get you dragged into world politics, embroiled in fights you can''t even begin to comprehend, let alone win. It''s out of the question".

    Ebony''s eyes narrowed, "I think you underestimate our capabilities".

    "I think you''re underestimating the scale of what you''re proposing," Rassa replied.

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    The corner of Ebony''s mouth quirked up, "Well now I''m just more intrigued. Now come on, what''s your plan?"

    Rassa sighed, "You''re not going to let this go, are you?"

    "You shouldn''t have brought it up if you didn''t want us talking about it," Ebony replied, "This is the most motivated I''ve seen you since we met. You may not want to admit it Rassa, but you like this challenge. You want to see what happens when your plans unfold. So, let us help".

    Rassa turned away like a sulking child. He disliked that she could see through him so easily, but at the same time, was grateful that he didn''t need to explain himself. After another moment of indecision, Rassa relented, far easier than he had foreseen.

    "Fine".

 Chapter 129 A Big Spender

    "Let me get this straight," Jeremiah sighed as he looked at the warehouse stocked with crates of Evanine Crystals, "You spent four hundred gold to buy 55kg of Evanine Crystals, but they''re all useless?"

    "I did explain the concept of charged and uncharged crystals to you, didn''t I?" asked Rassa.

    Jeremiah sighed, "You''re getting cocky, kid. I''m still your Captain".

    Rassa smirked, "The good news is, Captain, that I''ve got a way to make back that money".

    "Really, is that what you call spending the other 600 gold I gave you?" Jeremiah asked with crooked eyebrow.

    It''d been three days since Ebony had insisted they go ahead with the plan Rassa had devised. Unfortunately, despite their best efforts to come up with lies, they couldn''t hide from Jeremiah. They had to tell him the truth. Or at least part of the truth. But considering Rassa''s solitary nature, he understood that the kid didn''t want the limelight, and so agreed to pretend it was all Ebony''s ideas and skills.

    "What''s with all the mirrors?" asked Jeremiah, "You didn''t look to be the vain type".

    "I told you that charging the crystals takes natural phenomenon," Rassa said, "You can''t use crystals to charge other crystals, but that doesn''t mean you can''t cause those phenomena to occur yourself".

    "Last time I checked, Mirrors cracked under lightning," Jeremiah stated.

    "I''m not trying to charge crystals with lightning, it''d be crude and unmanageable," Rassa replied.

    "Then what are you charging them with?" asked Jeremiah.

    "I''m only charging one for now," Rassa said, "You''ll see when I manage to set it up, then shortly after, I''ll earn you back your thousand gold and then some".

    Jeremiah looked at Rassa for a long moment before shaking his head, "I don''t like the mystery about you kid, but even if I don''t like it, I can''t help but be intrigued".

    "You know what you promised," Rassa warned.

    "I know, keep you out of the limelight," Jeremiah replied, "Give me some results and I can start my own work".

    "Before the start of the Festival, you''ll get your money back then," Rassa said.

    "And the extra?" asked Jeremiah.

    "Well, you did say I had to make my own money," Rassa replied.

    Jeremiah''s eyes narrowed, "Those are Token products kid, you are thinking of stealing the profits are you?"

    "Well, not all of them. I''ll split it with you, 50% each," Rassa said.

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    Jeremiah blanched. The gall of this kid, he''d underestimated him.

    "Do you really think that I''d agree to-"

    "Without my idea, you''ll get nothing back and have wasted a thousand gold," Rassa chimed in.

    Jeremiah sighed, gathering his inner strength to not pummel the hooded fiend before him.

    "70-30," Jeremiah said.

    "I''m not negotiating," Rassa replied.

    Jeremiah gritted his teeth as he stared down Rassa. But those dark eyes were determined, there would be no moving him. And beyond that determination, Jeremiah could see something else. Something that he was reluctant to admit scared him. The old Captain indeed question for a moment whether or not he''d made a deal with a dark god. Because if Jeremiah didn''t agree to this, then the kid would take all the profits beyond the thousand gold, and there was nothing Jeremiah could do to stop him.

    "Fine, 50% each. But I want it in writing," Jeremiah replied.

    Rassa shrugged, looking nonchalant, "I''ll get Ebony to write out a contract and bring it to you".

    Jeremiah left with an angry gait.

    Aegin emerged from the shadows, "Didn''t think you''d make Jeremiah bend so easily".

    Rassa raised an eyebrow, "I can make an Emperor bend if I''m in the mood to. Lucky for them I don''t have such ambitions".

    Aegin believed him.

    "Just money then?" asked Aegin.

    "Got no need for anything else for now," Rassa replied.

    Aegin nodded, indicating to the mirrors, "Explain why we need so many mirrors again?"

    Rassa rolled his eyes, "You don''t want me to explain, remember?"

    "Well, if you explain things in a way that didn''t make my head hurt I might be inclined to listen," Aegin replied with a smirk.

    "It hasn''t happened yet," Rassa stated.

    "Doesn''t mean it won''t," Aegin pointed out.

    Rassa sighed, "Evanine Crystals, Elemental Crystals, are one of the most versatile materials you can find in this world. Not only can they be imbued with elemental abilities given the right circumstances, but they can also be persuaded to perform roles assigned to them with the help of the mist".

    "You mean the mist that charges them?" asked Aegin. Rassa nodded before Aegin continued, "I thought you said these weren''t charged".

    "They''re not charged with elemental energy," Rassa corrected, "They''re still charged with plenty of mist. All that''s left is to give that mist a purpose".

    "Which is where the mirrors come in?" asked Aegin.

    "Not quite," Rassa smiled, he found it amusing to watch Aegin connect the dots, "In order to give the crystals purpose, they need to be told what their job is, you do that by inscribing runes into its surface".

    "And you said that chipping away at it wasn''t sufficient," Aegin replied.

    "Not if you want it to be effective," Rassa said, "The best way to do that is the burn it into the surface, that''s where the mirrors come in".

    "So you''re going to use the mirrors to write that rune thing on the crystals?" asked Aegin.

    "No, I''m going to use the mirrors to make a tool that can write the runes into the crystals," Rassa replied, "What many people fail to realise is that light is one of the most powerful elements there is, capable of far more than just healing and prayers. Light, if focused properly, can cut through even the hardest materials".

    "Even anthrite?" asked Aegin.

    Rassa paused at the name of the metal that had caged him for so long, but nodded all the same, "Yes, even anthrite".

    Aegin grinned excitedly, "See, that wasn''t so hard".

    Rassa smiled, "Help me move these mirrors into position".

    Rassa moved towards the pile of mirrors they''d brought and Aegin followed.

 Chapter 130 A Light Element Tool

    It was curious, how Jeremiah came to know. Ebony knew there were observant people in the world, but she''d hardly been around Jeremiah ever since they''d met on the dock in Port Lovolon. The only explanation was that someone had told Jeremiah.

    Her first guess would be Midas. He kept an eye on all of the crew. It was primarily to look after everyone, but in doing that duty there also came the responsibility to take care of anyone who threatened the whole. It was most likely him with his near super-sense that had figured out her true gender.

    Still, despite the betrayal she''d clearly faced, Ebony couldn''t help feeling a sense of relief. At least around her superiors, she was free to act as she was. And in addition, this little revealed truth had now become a path to being useful. To having a purpose.

    Holding the recently signed contract in her hand, Ebony approached the warehouse where Rassa had spent the last two days constructing gods knew what. When he''d demanded as many mirrors as Ebony and Aegin could find, they''d been sufficiently stumped as to why he needed them. What could mirrors possibly do? That was when he''d told them his master plan.

    Ebony was to say the least, sceptical. If it took an entire lightning storm to charge the crystals with lightning, how could mirrors possibly charge another with light? No matter how many times light was reflected, it was still light. At least that was what she''d always believed, but Rassa''s determination had made her question it.

    She entered the warehouse without ceremony. The massive room had little beyond an entrance a few metres squared that served as an office. Ebony put the rolled up contract on the table there and then walked through to the main storage room. To one side sat the piles of crystals, the other side empty. The far end of the warehouse however, was dominated by a myriad of mirrors fixed to various surfaces, including the rafters. Then on the floor were several specially shaped glass pieces that Rassa had taken from a looking glass, all fixed into position in front of a table with a small stand that currently stood empty. Rassa stood to the side, surveying the position of the mirrors. Aegin sat on a stool just beyond the office door where Ebony paused.

    "Is he done ye-"

    Ebony paused as she turned to see that Aegin had most certainly fallen asleep. She rolled her eyes and kicked his chair. Aegin jolted awake, steadying his balance as Ebony walked across the warehouse to where Rassa stood.

    "That was rude," Aegin mumbled before settling himself again.

    "The contract has been signed, it''s sitting in the office," Ebony reported.

    "Good," Rassa replied, "Thankyou".

    He glanced at her briefly as he stepped over to the pile of crystals to the side. Ebony stood where she''d met him, looking up at the mirrors.

    "So you''re really convinced this will work?" asked Ebony.

    Rassa smirked, "I don''t suppose you''ll believe it until you see it?"

    Ebony didn''t reply, but nodded when he turned back to her with a small crystal in hand.

    "It''s okay, I wouldn''t have believed it either," Rassa replied, "But this world has a lot of things that have yet to be discovered. Or Re-discovered as the case may be".

    Rassa approached the little stand on the table and placed the crystal upon it.

    "I''d get into the office with Aegin, the light will harm your eyes," Rassa stated.

    "What about-"

    "Accelerated healing, I''ll be fine," Rassa replied.

    Ebony hesitated, but then gave a short nod and returned to the office, dragging Aegin unceremoniously off his stool, to which he gave plenty of protest but didn''t fight.

    "Alright, please work," Rassa said as he looked up at the hole he''d carved out of the roof, the noonday sun hanging overhead.

    He ascended the rafters, then shifted a single mirror ever so slightly.

    The affect seemed almost instantaneous. Light hit the mirror Rassa held and rebounded onto another, then another, then another. Splitting again and again until the twelve mirrors on the ground each held their own portion of light. They reflected onto a thirteenth mirror, which cast the light straight down the eye glasses.

    The light pinpointed into a single stream, and peirced the Evanine Crystal that waited for it.

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    There was a pause, a moment when Rassa believed he hadn''t done enough, then the crystal suddenly blazed to life like the sun crystals Rassa had seen in those memories of Star Crash Coven. After all, this was how the sun crystals were made. He''d only made a minature version though, it took far more effort to create the giant crystals Rassa had seen in that city.

    Rassa shifted the mirror back, and the light reflect in the mirrors ceased, even the light in the crystal faded, but the job was done.

    Rassa dropped back down to the floor, approaching the crystal. He smirked, then took the hollow cylinder of metal he''d brought and placed the crystal inside so that only the tip was visible.

    "It''s done!" he called out to Ebony and Aegin.

    The door opened and the two of them entered again. Rassa pointed to the pile of crystals.

    "Throw me one," he said.

    Aegin approached and picked up a crystal about the side of a grape, throwing it to Rassa who caught it easily. Rassa, "Don''t look right at the light".

    He then held the plain crystal aloft and in his other hand held the pen-like crystal, pressed down on the end.

    A laser of light shot out, only the width of a pin, and Rassa pointed it at the uncharged evanine crystal, slowly moving the beam across its surface until a black mark remained. He released his hold and the laser receded to nothing. Rassa put the crystal pen down and held the marked evanine crystal aloft. A run mark was now engraved upon it, it was symbol enough, a circle inside a circle.

    He threw it back to Aegin who caught it.

    "So what does this do-"

    Aegin flinched as Rassa suddenly appeared before him, his fist hovering just a few centimetres from Aegin''s face. Ripples like that on the surface of a lake moving out from it.

    "What the-"

    "Holy gods!" Ebony said in shock, covering her mouth, "What did you carve into that crystal?"

    Rassa stood back straight, retracting his fist, "Protective charm. Though it''ll only last so long before it needs to be recharged".

    "Protective...this is a little more than a charm, Rassa," Ebony replied, "It''s an impenetrable sheild!"

    "Until it needs to be recharged," Rassa replied.

    "You hit me," Aegin said absentmindedly as he looked at Rassa.

    "Did not," Rassa replied with a smile.

    "You didn''t even hesitate," Aegin said.

    "I knew the charm would work," Rassa dismissed.

    "What if I dropped it?" Aegin asked.

    Rassa scoffed, "You move like a snail to me, I would have stopped".

    Aegin raised an eyebrow, "Like I can hurt you anyway, but I totally get to trial the next one while you hold it".

    "You sure, it''ll hurt your hand," Rassa said, "It''s like punching a solid wall".

    "Pfft, you are not getting out of it that easy," Aegin glared at his friend.

    Ebony smirked, "Well, how do you want to use this...protective charm?"

    "Imbed it in jewellery and sell it," Rassa replied. Ebony''s smile dropped.

    "We''ll look like swindlers, only some stupid would fall for that," Ebony replied.

    Rassa shrugged, "That won''t matter, stupid person or wise, we only need one. Once the affects are noticed..."

    "Then the coin will roll on in," Aegin replied.

    "Pretty much" Rassa agreed.

    "Can it only protect individuals?" asked Ebony out of curiosity.

    "I can protect more than that, but it''s relative to the size of the crystal and what the crystal is touching," Rassa said.

    Ebony and Aegin both stared at Rassa.

    "What?" asked Rassa.

    "You''re a real mystery, you know that, right?" asked Ebony.

    Rassa smirked, "It''s one of my best qualities".

 Chapter 131 A Fool

    Olly had spent his entire life bouncing between Islands. His mother had said that he was born on one of the uninhabited ones where she''d been dumped after his father got sick of her constant nagging and seasickness. A whore wasn''t all that useful pregnant, but she was even less useful when she was throwing up most of the time.

    He left her with a box of supplies and half a barrel of fresh water then sailed off into the sunset, peaceful as last. Maybe the lack of aid on the Island was why Olly was always seen as nothing more than a fool.

    It could have also been one of the many times his mother dropped him. He was only a week old when another ship came by the Island and the Captain took a liking to his mother. If his mother had anything, it was beauty, even if she''d recently given birth and had a baby tagging along.

    Considering it was in her nature to take care of herself alone, Olly should probably be thankful, no he was thankful, that she had taken care of him for as long as she did. Which was a grand total of 1 month. Long enough to get him to the Island of Lua and drop him at a nunnery.

    Olly, to say the least, was a strange child. He barely cried, barely moved, barely complained at all. When he was three years old he''d yet to talk until one of the nuns asked him to start doing some chores like the other children. He''d point blank refused. She''d gotten the shock of her life, and for his first words, Olly had gotten a thorough punishment for his less than satisfactory choice of words.

    Olly decided he didn''t like the nuns after that, he kept quiet. So quiet that when he up and left in the middle of the night, stealing from their treasury, they didn''t discover his absence until the mother superior checked the vault at the end of the week. By that time Olly had travelled to another Island, Danfore. It was far less godly than Lua, and seeing the trove that Olly had with him, the six year old boy had been hustled out of all his coin. Or at least, that was how the story was told by those who knew the Fool.

    Until he was twelve, Olly lived on the streets. None of the other street children liked him very much because they all thought he was useless. As such, Olly often had to do things by himself. Considering how useless he was, everyone decided that the Fool had godly luck to survive in a place like Danfore.

    He got the most lucky when he was twelve when he met Master Rega.

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    Master Rega was a man who liked coins. That much was clear to even a fool like Olly. Olly could see that Master Rega looked at coins like men had his mother. How did Olly remember his mother? Olly''s reply was always, "How could I forget? She''s my mother". Everyone called him a fool in return.

    But back to Master Rega. He offered Olly a deal, move some goods from one island to another without anyone noticing, and Olly could have as much food as he wanted.

    Olly figured it was better than starving.

    And so it came to be that the Fool would become one of the greatest smugglers of the Southern Isles, though no one would ever figure out it was him because who would ever accuse a fool of such a thing?

    Until of course, Olly smuggled something he shouldn''t have. Until Olly took some weapons from Master Rega and sold them, taking the coins for himself. The Islands had been enough to fulfil him for seventeen years, but he''d had enough of them. It was time to sail elsewhere, to explore new places.

    Of course, Master Rega wouldn''t just let him leave.

    This is where we find Olly now, hurrying down the streets of Port Cresh with a cloak covering his form and hoping that the men following don''t kill him. Afterall, Olly was good at hiding, not at fighting.

    Olly looked over his shoulder, spotting the two familiar men a few streets back by one of the many stalls as their eyes scour the thick crowds.

    "..charms!"

    Olly''s ears caught the voice. The voice he''d heard many a time but had never had the chance to put a face to it. Protective charms, that''s what she''d say next.

    "Protective charms!"

    If anyone else had been privy to the Fool''s thoughts, they may have questioned whether he was a fool or not. They would have question his entire life. Perhaps it was true that he remember his mother. Maybe there was a reason he didn''t speak until he was three. Maybe there was a reason he was skittish and quiet and was good at hiding.

    But alas, despite the progressiveness of a land such as Rouke, their eyes still refused to see the true Fool among them.

    "Protective charms?" asked another voice, "For fifteen gold, are you insane?"

    "It''s only an Evanine Crystal with a couple of circle painted onto it, how is that a charm?"

    "How does a cheap diamond protect you?"

    "It doesn''t even sparkle!"

    The chuckles of amusement filtered through the crowd before the young woman with short hair. So short she almost looked like a boy. But it was clearly a girl.

    One of the passersby sneered and knocked her little table, the ''charms'' she was attempting to sell tumbling to the ground.

    "It''s a rip off, anyone who buys such a thing is a fool!" he snapped, then the crowd began to disperse as the young woman glared at the man who walked away. She then squatted down to pick up the crystals, Olly stepped forward, taking a look at one of the crystals as he picked it up. With one look, he made his decision.

    "How much was it?" asked Olly.

    The young woman scoffed as she stood, "You''re not going to make fun of me too?"

    "How much?" asked Olly.

    The young woman with blue eyes and straw coloured hair stared back, then spoke slowly, "Fifteen Gold".

    Olly pulled the coins out and placed them down on the table, "Thanks".

    Then he turned and walked away.

    The girl looked down at the coins in surprise, then caught the movement of two figures pursueing the cloaked man.

    "Fool," a passerby noted.

    "Olly!" shouted one of the pursuers, drawing a dagger and lifting it up as they caught up to the cloaked figure who stumbled and fell, the crystal clutched in his hand. The crowd turned to watch the show, seperating. They didn''t notice it as the girl was joined by a young man in a hood who packed all but five crystals into a bag and stepped back into the shadows.

    The dagger came down and Olly threw his arms up before him.

    The crowd gasped.

    And Olly opened his eyes to find the dagger hovering midair, right in front of his newly purchased, glowing protection charm.

 Chapter 132 A Fair Price

    "15 Gold was it?"

    The voice was of a man who just ridiculed her, but Ebony only stood behind her little table with five crystals before her in silence as she stared back for a moment. Honestly, she was surprised by how quickly their attitude had changed, but then, Rassa had told her to expect this. It was scary how good he was at predicting what would happened.

    After a moment of the man waiting on edge, Ebony raised an eyebrow, "15 Gold? Are you kidding? For this? Are you trying to cheat me?"

    The man''s expression dropped, "But you said-"

    "After what you just saw, do you seriously believe 15 Gold is enough? Would you say your life is worth 15 Gold?" asked Ebony.

    The man hesitated, "...Then what price would you deem fair?"

    "Fair?" asked Ebony, "I think what you should be asking is how much your life is worth".

    The man looked at his coin purse, then the crystals on the table in front of Ebony, "20 Gold?"

    "That sounded like a question".

    "25, no higher".

    "Are you bartering? You don''t even know my minimum".

    "What is it then?"

    Ebony shook her head, "You still haven''t answered my question. How much is your life worth?"

    "Do you not want the Gold?" asked the man, "Because that''s the only reason I can think of that you''d be talking in circles like this".

    "Am I talking in circles? You''re the one that won''t answer the question," Ebony replied.

    "30 gold!" called another voice, "I''ll offer double the original price".

    "Now, now, I''ve only got five crystals left today, first come, first serve," Ebony said, "When he can name a price he''s confident in saying is worth his life, when any of you can, I''ll sell".

    "You had at least a hundred crystals out on the table earlier," another voice piped up.

    "And you treated them as trash," Ebony replied, "Now that you discover a treasure do you think I''ll treat you the same way as well?"

    The crowd went silent. Who was this woman? She was nothing like the quiet girl standing behind the stall a few minutes ago. Now she seemed so dominating, so imposing.

    "One hundred gold coins," stated a voice as the crowds parted, a young woman that was as pretty as a porcelain doll walking through the crowd with a pair of guards behind her and a man by her side. Though the man was clearly a servant, not a partner.

    "Are you sure?" asked Ebony.

    The woman met Ebony''s gaze with her own, "The way you do business is quite intriguing. I''ll admit that at first I would have priced myself higher, but there are plenty of people like me in this world, I should not be so arrogant so as to say I am worth more. One hundred Gold coins. I shall pay this much".

    Ebony picked up a Crystal and offered it to the servant man who stepped forward with a weighted coin purse. He placed it on the table in front of Ebony, then took the crystal from her hand.

    "Thank you for your business," Ebony stated.

    "Will you be selling more of these items?" asked the woman.

    "Another day perhaps. Today, these remaining four will be enough," Ebony replied.

    The woman looked at her servant and nodded. The servant then withdrew a crest stamped into a metal coin.

    "If you need a supplier, or have any interest in a business deal, I''m more than willing to negotiate, you can find me here," the woman replied, "Good day to you".

    Then she gave a polite nod of her head and continued on her walk past, her servant leaving the stamped coin in Ebony''s possession.

    The crowd was silent for a moment, then the original man spoke up, "Forty Gold".

    Ebony measured the tone of his voice, and nodded, offering one the of remaining four crystals to him.

    ***

    Ebony strolled into the warehouse, weighed down by the bag of gold coins she held. The remaining crystals had sold for a total of 180 gold coins, bring her total for the day to 335 Gold coins. She was only 65 Gold Coins from what they''d spent to buy five and a half thousand crystals.

    "Well," said Aegin as he caught sight of her, "I take it you sold them".

    Ebony let the bag of gold coins drop onto the table beside him, then she reached into her pocket and withdrew a crystal from it, only this one was marked with simple outline of a pair of scales.

    "This Truth Charm is really something," said Ebony as she looked over a Rassa who sat casually as he carved another rune into one of the many crystals, "Though I still can''t agree that it''s fair to charge them this way".

    Aegin scoffed, "I think its genius. Only selling it to them when they think they''ve paid a fair price? Wemake no enemies and they get a way to save their own lives. More than once I might add".

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    "With the way they reacted, we could have made the money back easily if we''d set a base price," Ebony stated.

    "We could have, yes," Rassa agreed, "But we also would have wasted a lot of crystals. After all, I can make more than just protection charms, and I''m not going to waste this haul on something so simple".

    "And what about Jeremiah? These crystals were brought with the Token money, they''re technically Token property," said Ebony.

    "And with the amount of profit we''ll make, we can pay for the crystals we happen to take out of the original stock," Rassa replied.

    "Then we''re not going to stockpile the money for something else?" asked Aegin.

    "We''ll have plenty of opportunities to make money," Rassa scoffed, "I''d rather not have any debts first".

    "Speaking of opportunities," Ebony stated, taking out the coin the woman had given her, "A young woman expressed her interest in a business deal with us if we''re interested".

    "Oh?" asked Rassa, "That was quick, who was this woman?"

    "She didn''t say her name," Ebony replied, "But she gave me this".

    Ebony handed Rassa the coin. Rassa looked at it for a moment, the symbol on the coin was of an Apple Tree with the words ''Apple Star Trading Company'' written around the edge.

    "I''ve never heard of Apple Star," Rassa admitted.

    "It was only created recently in Lovolon," Aegin spoke up, "Only in the last couple of years. They specialise mostly in fabrics".

    "And yet their symbol is an apple tree," said Ebony.

    Aegin shrugged, "I''m not personally acquainted with the leader, when you find them, ask".

    Rassa frowned at the coin for a moment, "For now, do nothing. Let word spread and if others come with offers then say nothing to them either other than accepting their goodwill as you did today".

    Ebony nodded, "Alright, then no business deals?"

    "Not until we work out how long we''ll be here. No use making a business deal if we''re not staying in the Southern Isles. After all, it is only us," said Rassa.

    "You want to go further south?" asked Aegin.

    Rassa shrugged, "We were only here because this is where The Miranda sailed. It''s hardly an adventure if we stop at the first spot that''s new".

 Chapter 133 A Debt Repaid...and Some

    A rap of knuckles on his office door disturbed Jeremiah from the current problem he had at hand. The same problem he''d debating on for the last several days. What to do about these Vanguard?

    With a sigh that seemed more a relief than frustration, Jeremiah looked up to meet the disturbance.

    "Come in".

    The door opened, revealing Ebony and Rassa. Ebony led the way, Rassa behind her carrying a medium-sized chest with ease which he placed on top of the meeting table in the centre of the Captain''s office.

    "What''s this?" asked Jeremiah as Ebony closed the door.

    "Your payment, as promised," Rassa replied, "A thousand Gold Coins, plus the 50% of the profits made so far".

    Jeremiah looked from Rassa to Ebony, then to the chest, "It''s only been ten days since the contract was made".

    "Yes," Rassa nodded.

    "How much in profits?" asked Jeremiah.

    "Your share? 890 Gold Coins," Rassa replied.

    Jeremiah sat back in shock, "Are you telling me you made nearly 3000 Gold in ten days".

    "Technically, in a week," said Ebony, "We only started selling a week ago".

    "Selling what?" asked Jeremiah.

    Rassa took an Evanine Crystal from his pocket and threw it to Jeremiah who caught it, looking at it and finding the black circle rune on it. A circle within a circle.

    "What is this?" asked Jeremiah.

    "Protective Charm," Rassa replied, "Will even work against those Vanguard you''re having trouble with, though I wouldn''t actively seek them out".

    "Against the Vanguard?" asked Jeremiah. He''d heard the rumours of these new protective charms. He''d even sent Jorl down to investigate, only to find that several times the vendor selling them had disappeared after selling out their product. Still, the rumours were rather fantastical. An invisible wall that prevented any injury in a fight? As if Jeremiah wouldn''t be interested, even if it was a rumour. Such a power, to be able to go against the Vanguard. Jeremiah had truly been on the verge of desperation trying to get his hands on it. And now, rather nonchalantly, the kid full of mysteries and his cross-dressing friend had thrown him one as if it wasn''t the greatest new commodity on the market.

    "��How?" asked Jeremiah.

    Rassa smirked, "That''s our secret. Do you think we''d be making as much as we were if it wasn''t?"

    "To make so much though," Jeremiah frowned, "Have you used all of those crystals?"

    Ebony snorted in amusement, but composed herself against quickly, "We''ve sold thirty-five crystals".

    Jeremiah paused for a second, believing he''d misheard, "How many?"

    "Thirty-five".

    "Thirty-five?" asked Jeremiah, "Not five thousand and thirty-five?"

    "Definitely thirty-five," Ebony nodded.

    "So you''ve made a profit of.."

    "Considering we spent 400 gold to by five and a half thousand crystals initially��" Rassa paused, "It''s a profit of��roughly 1,090%".

    The room fell silent. Jeremiah utterly astounded by the number, Ebony and Rassa somewhat smug in their achievement. They''d clearly been underestimated by Jeremiah. His expectations had thoroughly been blown out of the water.

    "��And all that, from drawing this picture on a crystal?" asked Jeremiah, "If anything most people just looking at it would assume the crystal was marred and therefore permanently defective".

    "It''s not just any mark, it''s called a Rune," Ebony stated professionally, "It gives the Mist collected by the Evanine Crystal a purpose without having to charge it with an element".

    "I thought you said you weren''t giving your methods away?" asked Jeremiah, "What''s to stop me from marking my own batch of crystals with this so-called Rune".

    "Nothing," replied Rassa, "Mark as many as you like. I''d like to see you try to sell them for as much profit".

    From the kid''s tone, it was clear that marking the Crystal wasn''t the only part of the process. Clearly he was going to keep the most important parts to himself. That didn''t mean that Jeremiah and particularly Griffith wouldn''t make efforts to discover the process. The fact that they were using a Token warehouse at the moment was reason enough to constitute surveillance, let alone the fact that they were using products bought using Token gold.

    "So, I''m assuming that you''re intending to sell the rest of the crystals as well?" asked Jeremiah.

    "Well, yes, but only half of the originals. For the other half, I''ve added their worth to the gold in this chest to purchase them directly for my own use, as well as the worth of all the mirrors and other equipment we brought with the remaining money," said Rassa, placing a hand on top of the chest he''d brought in, "A total of 800 gold".

    "800��but you said that-"

    "Yes, they''re worth that much when they''ve got runes," Rassa replied, "However, the ones I am purchasing from you are normal Evanine Crystals, not worth nearly as much".

    Jeremiah, if possible, looked more flabbergasted than before. He stood, angry at not being consulted upon with this decision.

    "We''re having it all moved at the moment to a place for our own purposes, so your Token Corporation won''t have to worry about us taking up space in your Warehouses any longer," said Rassa.

    "And our crystals-"

    "Already marked with the protective rune," said Rassa, "Ebony will sell them during the Festival, and as per our previous agreement you''ll be given 50% of the profits".

    Jeremiah sat back down, stumped on what to say. This kid was utterly ruthless. Perhaps Jeremiah should have kept him caged.

    "I suppose this means you''re also leaving the crew?" asked Jeremiah.

    Rassa shook his head, "On the contrary, we''ll happily sail with you to the southern continent. Whilst the Southern Isles are intriguing, we left to get an adventure, not a new business".

    "Oh?" asked Jeremiah, "And what are you to do with all of that Gold you''re going to make?"

    "Put it in a bank," Rassa replied.

    Jeremiah was getting too old. He''d been thoroughly thrashed about in the last ten minutes. The Kid had solved his problems, made them worse, then reassured his concerns all in that space of time. Jeremiah didn''t know if he could take any more.

    "In a bank?" asked Jeremiah, "You''re the first person I''ve met to get rich this quickly. You''re also the first to not spend it just as fast".

    Rassa shrugged, "I''ve got no need for it at the moment. Better to put it somewhere safe. Got any recommendations?"

    Jeremiah smirked, "Get out of my office Kid. I''ll expect you back after the festival with the rest of the profits, after that our agreement is over".

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    Rassa nodded with a small smile on his face, then turned and left, Ebony right behind him.

    Jeremiah rubbed his temples. He wasn''t sure if he''d last the three week journey to the Southern Continent. It seemed too cruel.

 Chapter 134 A New Commodity

    "Have you heard?"

    "Heard what?"

    "The incredible new product you can buy at the Rouke Markets?"

    "You don''t happen to mean the shield no one can see that is generated from an Evanine Crystal?"

    "Of course I do! Such an incredible product. I saw it working when Dock Master Taylor met with a rather unreasonable Captain. The Captain had his sailors beat Taylor in order to intimidate the man into giving a spot at the docks for free. But low and behold, when the sailors went to start the fight they found their fists stopped mid-air, their fingers broken as if they''d punched a wall made from stone!"

    "Truly a remarkable product, the makers must be making a fortune!"

    "A fortune? I''ve heard they''ve sold less than a hundred products".

    "Aye, but each is worth the cost of one''s life".

    "The cost of one''s life?"

    "They become indebted?"

    "No, no, the literal cost in coin. The seller literally barters until the individual wishing to buy one of the protective charms says the price they think they are worth. The lowest so far I heard has been thirty gold coins, the most expensive near five hundred when Lord Delrowe purchased one of their products".

    "How do they get away with such a thing?"

    "No one has worked it out yet. But all the customers walk away thinking they''ve paid a fair price, especially those who have experienced the charm in use. In fact, some feel that whatever they paid is cheap".

    "30 Gold is cheap?"

    "I can''t imagine feeling that way for 30 gold. My annual salary is barely a fraction of that".

    "Well, how much do you think your life is worth?"

    "What do you mean?"

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    "Apparently that''s the question that is asked by the seller".

    "I don''t know, if I make nowhere near 30 gold I can''t possibly be worth that much. At best, I''d be worth 10".

    "They''d never sell such a product for that little".

    ��

    This, Rassa supposed, was the fatal flaw of his resolve to price the protective charms according to what one believed the value of their lives were. Once the pattern was realised of the price changing depending on how one valued themselves, and according to one''s social standing and earnings, it would likely be met with problem. That was why Rassa didn''t intend to keep selling in this fashion. After all, he''d no doubt encounter a lot of ire the longer he decided to work that way. If he wished to sell the same products in future, he would have to determine a set price. The process he had come up with using the Truth Charm would only work for so long.

    Still, that wouldn''t stop him from keeping to his current quota until the end of the festival. They were selling many more of the stones now. It was only coming towards the end of the second of fourteen days and they had just over 2000 charms left. Though, Rassa had moved 2,250 gem stones, including those which he''d marked with differing runes, to another location which Aegin was guarding until Rassa found somewhere appropriate to put them. He''d earned roughly another 1,500 gold from his sales over the past two days. Ebony was working hard, hard enough that they''d hired a guard by the name of Raul to ensure none of the merchandise was stolen. His pay? He''d only asked for one of the crystals. Ebony had insisted that she pay him, but apparently he had plenty of gold saved up from his previous work. Honestly, saying that only made Rassa and Ebony speculate what his previous work was for him to have gold saved up.

    Today, as he walked to streets of Port Lace with the man who was showing him available properties, he''d found plenty of amusement out of the conversations of the locals. Knowing that his products were spoken about so avidly on the other side of the island was just asking to pet his ego. Which some would think was already big enough, but considering what he''d been through, knowing that his work was valued really put a welcome smile on his face.

    "This property, Mr. Moon, would certainly meet your requirements. It''s three stories and built with the latest amenities to ensure your comfort of course," the salesman said. He sounded more like a robot at this stage. When Rassa had initially told the man his budget, the man had been overjoyed, and done his best to showcase the properties available.

    But, contrary to the man''s positivity, Rassa declined every property the man had shown him. By this stage, the man was only seemed committed to ensuring Rassa walked away with something.

    Rassa took the tour of the place, and again was disappointed by what he saw. It was all so enclosed. So locked away from the rest of the town. And yet at the same time, Rassa couldn''t seem to escape the populations on the street no matter how far away he was. In the end, Rassa again shook his head.

    The salesman sighed, "Look, Mr Moon, I don''t mean to offend, but perhaps you could tell me some features that you are interested in so that we can find what you''re looking for as soon as possible".

    Mr Moon. When the salesman had asked for a surname, it was clear what clientele he usually dealt with. Not wanting to be disadvantaged, Rassa had just named the first thing that came to mind. Aegin would surely get a laugh out of it later.

    "Something away from the main town, and something not as��cage-like," Rassa said.

    The salesman looked rather stumped for a moment as he tried to think of an available property. His eyes lit up momentarily before he turned to look at Rassa cautiously.

    "Well, I do have a property available for sale that is away from the main town, on the outskirts of the Port in fact," the salesman replied, "However��it is in a state of��disrepair".

    "I''ll look anyway," Rassa said, "I have plenty of time".

    The salesman looked hesitant, but nodded. The two of them then proceeded out of the main town and towards the Eastern block of the city. They were, essentially, slums. There was no better way to describe them. And, as soon as Rassa saw the worst out of all of them, a three storey building that looked like a cross between a house and a warehouse, he knew that was where they were headed.

    ''Disrepair'' was certainly a word that could have been used to describe it. Though, Rassa thought ''burned-down'' and ''dilapidated'' were better. The third storey essentially didn''t exist anymore, only a partial brick wall indicated that there had once been something above the second storey. The rest of the place appeared no better than a blackened skeleton.

    Still��it was open. And it was definitely away from the busy main streets. It was at this stage that Rassa realised that the salesman had been rambling on about what few ''good'' qualities he could pick out from the place. The poor man was struggling.

    For a moment, Rassa contemplated letting him continue, then he interrupted the man.

    "How much?" asked Rassa.

    "I-seriously?" asked the salesman, somewhat surprised.

    Rassa nodded.

    The salesman stuttered a moment, "I..uh��I��I believe it''s being sold for two hundred gold".

    Rassa frowned, "So much?"

    "Well, the original owner would let it go for no less," the salesman replied, "It is why we''ve had such trouble se-"

    Rassa stepped forward to look inside, "Prepare the papers, I''ll come by the office later to purchase it".

    The salesman looked shocked for a moment before his face revealed a wide grin and he nodded enthusiastically, "Right away, Mr Moon, Right away!"

    The salesman turned and dashed off.

    Rassa looked at the ruin for a moment before he tilted his head to the side, focusing on something he''d detected but hadn''t expected.

    It seemed either the salesman wasn''t aware or didn''t care��but this place wasn''t abandoned.

 Chapter 135 A Moon Amongst the Shadows

    "What is he doing?"

    "He''s just standing there".

    "Didn''t he say he''d buy this place?"

    "Will we have to leave?"

    "Of course we''ll have to leave".

    "No, we won''t, we''ll just scare him off like all the others".

    "But-"

    Rassa didn''t allude to the fact that he could hear those hidden within. From the sounds of it, there were at least six individuals in the front room, over a dozen hidden in various parts of the place. Even before he could see them, from the smell alone, Rassa could tell that they were not authorised tenants.

    What they were doing here��Rassa could only guess at that, it was their story to tell when they wanted, and not his business to find out.

    At least, Rassa felt that way until the shadows moved.

    He could feel the influence of it from his own connection. It was strange, to feel the shadows respond to a call that was not his. Even stranger that he would find someone with similar abilities here. Similar because they were not the same. Rassa could feel the limitations of this stranger. Limitations that were not there when Rassa used his abilities. The Stranger could fold and twist and influence the shadows within a certain distance, but they could not make themselves one with the shadows, nor use it to move to another place. As Rassa came to familiarise himself with these limitations, the shadows rose to form the vague shape of a man on the door.

    "You are not welcome here!" a deep voice growled from beyond the shadow, "Begone from this place or you shall pay the price for trespassing".

    Rassa stared at the shadow, then gave a small smirk, "How amusing".

    The eyes watching from beyond the shadow saw a man in a hood step to the side, then disappeared as if he was never there. Among them, the young boy who was making the shadows move, the one who''d promised to protect them, suddenly turned pale.

    "Oh no".

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    The shadows moved separating from beneath the boy and condensing in the sides of the room, covering the windows and closing those inside the room in. An unnatural light existed beneath their feet. Well, it wasn''t exactly light, it was just not shadow seeing as they had all moved to the walls of the room.

    Then, as the six individuals, four young and two older, backed into each other, frightened, the hooded figure seemed to materialise from the shadows and step around the room.

    "I admit, I was not expecting a magician among you. No wonder you have stayed here as long as you have," said Rassa, "I''m somewhat impressed".

    "Please don''t kill us," the Magician in question spoke.

    He was young, only about ten, but his ability to control the shadows was quite exceptional, even by Rassa''s standards. Considering his condition, it was clear he''d never been formally educated, and yet he was doing much better than those his age.

    The others all moved even closer together at the boy''s words, realising that they were well out of their depth.

    "We''ll leave," said a girl, one of the older ones who appeared to be in her late twenties or early thirties, "We won''t come back".

    "Where will you go?"

    "Does it matter?" asked the other older girl, taking the two youngest behind her protectively.

    "Not really," Rassa admitted, "I just can''t help feeling a little guilty for kicking out thirty odd people who have clearly made this place their homes".

    The group looked at one another, "You''re��not going to kill us?"

    "Well, as bad as this place looks, I think I''d prefer to clean it up on its own rather than add more of a mess to it," Rassa stated, the shadows shifted and the group flinched, only to pause in surprise as the shadows seemed to form a chair which Rassa promptly dropped into, "How long have you lived here?"

    The shadowed walls seemed to disappear. Rassa had done a good enough job in intimidating them, none of them were lucid enough to move.

    "A��a��year".

    "A year?" asked Rassa, "How long since this place burned to the ground?"

    "At least three," one of the older girls took it upon herself to answer the questions, though she couldn''t quite work out why she felt so inclined to do so. She just met this man''s eyes and felt��safe enough to answer.

    "Do you have a place to go?"

    "No. If we leave, we''ll be captured by the Masters".

    "The Masters?"

    "Slave Traders".

    "I see," Rassa sighed, "In that case, how would you feel working for me?"

    The group looked at one another confused.

    "Why?"

    "You need a place to stay, I need some workers," Rassa replied, "Is that not reason enough?"

    "You''ll let us stay here?"

    "And in return, you''ll help me rebuild it".

    "For the most part, we''re orphans, we have no skills apart from stealing".

    Rassa smirked, "Do you think everyone is born with skills? You have to work at them. Train them. You were not born knowing how to steal, were you? I will not expect you to be well-versed in the tasks I give you at first, but if you show the determination to be better, I will not reprimand you for it".

    "And you will offer us a place to stay?"

    "Plus enough money for food and necessities of course. Those who work hard enough I will offer contracts for regular payments".

    "You''re essentially getting free labour, why should we agree?"

    "Because if you don''t, I''ll sell you to the Masters myself," Rassa said. The shadows moved, binding the six individuals and lifting them up into the air, even the little shadow magician, "I think we can all agree you don''t stand a chance against me".

    "This is wrong!"

    "Oh?" asked Rassa, "And what are you going to do about it? The guards or the union won''t offer help to people like you".

    "You''re-"

    "Never mind what or who I am," Rassa rolled his eyes, "The fact is that this world is cruel, the faster you learn how to live in it, the better your outcomes will be. So what will your decision be?"

    The older girls looked at one another, then one of them, the one with darker hair, nodded, "We''ll work".

    The shadows lowered them and then returned to their appropriate positions before Rassa stood, the shadow chair he''d created disappearing as well.

    "Good. Now, if you wouldn''t mind showing me around," Rassa stated.

    "What do we call you?" asked the girl with dark hair.

    "Rassa," Rassa replied, looking at the shadows with a smile, "Rassa Moonshadow".

    That suited him better than just Moon.

 Chapter 136 A Young Shadow

    The building at the back did not look quite as awful. That wasn''t to say it wasn''t destroyed, it was, but it left fewer things to the imagination when trying to picture how the original building looked.

    The ground floor was like any classic style home. It had a large kitchen and the skeletal remains of a library, as well as a sitting room and what Rassa assumed had once been a music or entertainment hall. It was clear someone well off had once lived here. The second floor was a little less structurally intact, though seemed to have been composed of another sitting room, bathrooms and bedrooms. It was unclear what the third floor had had, but Rassa assumed there had been more bedrooms, possibly a study or two.

    This was not however, going to be a home. At least, not just a home. Rassa intended for this place to one day be a way-point for him and his people, whoever they turned out to be.As such, the first floor would be totally dedicated to the business side of things. The back half of the house would consist of offices, the library would be turned into a records room, and the front rooms would be altered to become a store of sorts for whatever Rassa wished to sell. At this stage, it would probably be Runed Crystals, but who knew what he''d come across in future.

    The second floor would consist of work rooms and a large storeroom for the products. The top floor would be a living space for himself and a trusted few. It would mean the bedrooms were smaller, but it was a temporary solution at this stage, besides the fact that Rassa didn''t need much to be content.

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    The girl who held the most seniority amongst those living at the ruin, a dark-haired girl in her late twenties called Sharli, quickly became aware from Rassa''s questions that he was not in the least bit interested in harming them. Unless of course they did something against him, she''d gotten that threat loud and clear like the others. The only member of the group who was older than her was an old blind man by the name of Tegin. Sharli said that his tree didn''t go all the way to the top branch, as he often told stories about events in his life that had never actually occurred as far as she knew. Still, his stories entertained the children, of which there were many.

    Apart from Sharli''s younger sister Iah, the rest of the residents were below the age of sixteen. A couple of them risked working at the docks, but the money they earned was nowhere near enough to feed the twenty-seven residents of the ruin.

    That was what they''d affectionately called it, the Ruin. It seemed to fit, not because of the state of the building, but the state of those who lived there. They had nowhere to go, had no aspirations beyond surviving. In a state of ruin that no one seemed concerned enough to attempt to get them out of.

    After a tour, Rassa, took the young Shadow Magician, a boy named Kit, out with him. He could tell the boy was burning with questions, and figured it was faster to get them over with now.

    "How did you move with the shadows?" asked Kit, "How did you make them solid enough to take weight? Have you been trained at an academy? Can I do that one day? You''re not going to send me away are you? Not to be an assassin like Sharli says will happen if someone knows-"

    "Slow down kid, you''ll bite your tongue," Rassa smiled in amusement, "You''re pretty good for your age, I don''t think the Academy could teach you much. As for assassination, I personally believe shadows have their uses for more than killing".

    "Like making chairs and blocking exits?" asked Kit.

    "Perhaps," Rassa shrugged, buying two large baskets and handing them to the ten-year-old to hold, "Follow me".

    Kit followed eagerly, as if Rassa had never appeared to be the scary entity that had threatened him and his mismatched family. In truth, Kit had felt the intent behind the shadows, they had been lethal, of course, but not out of desire, only out of necessity. Kit hadn''t mentioned it to the others.

    To him, this was not a form of betrayal, he trust this new man. This new Shadow Magician. In truth, he was the only Magician Kit had ever come across apart from himself. When he''d awakened, Sharli and Iah had insisted that he stay put, that he stay quiet. They''d had many experiences in their life, and those who awakened as Magicians were always taken away. It didn''t matter if they didn''t desire it, training those Magicians became a necessity, it was simply a matter of who did the training. In the end, Kit had managed to stay hidden, and due to his connection with the shadows in their dark and abandoned corner of the slums, he grew to become quite skilled even without a teacher. The shadows taught him for all intents and purposes.

    But still, he knew he was not powerful enough to protect the others. Not indefintely. What would happen if someone came along that he could not scare off? His fake ghosts wouldn''t do much harm.

    But this man, the one who hadn''t been scared...he was an opportunity, and despite Kit''s young age, the boy didn''t wish to pass it up.

    "Can you teach me?" asked Kit.

    Rassa was looking through a stand full of vegetables when Kit spoke, and he paused to look down at the kid. Rassa didn''t need their shared connection to the shadows to know the look in that kid''s eyes. He''d had that look once. A determination to protect what was dear to him. That look had disappeared over the years, as he became less and less capable. He''d only just started to feel an inkling of it again here on Rouke. This world was big, and the potential enemies numerous. Even with all of his power, he could not guarantee the safety of those around him.

    He''d thought of another use for this kid. Besides, the kid was not like Rassa, he could only do so much with the shadows.

    "I''m not really a great teacher, but I do have an idea," Rassa said, "Something that could help your family. Something only you can do".

    Kit frowned in thought for a moment, "What is it?"

    "Do you understand what the Mist is, Kit?"

    Rassa paid for the vegetables and moved to another stall.

    "The Mist?" asked Kit.

    "The dust that others can''t see, the stuff that seems to sit over the world and that helps you with the Shadows," Rassa explained.

    "Oh," Kit said in understanding, "I suppose I just understand it as how you described it".

    Rassa paused on the edge of the crowd and took out a piece of paper from his jacket, taking a piece of charcoal from a nearby pile and drawing a cirlce within a circle.

    "What is this picture telling you?" asked Rassa.

    Kit frowned, taking the paper from Rassa and looking at the symbol for a moment before looking at Rassa, "I don''t understand what-"

    "Don''t look with your eyes, look with the Mist," Rassa replied, "It will tell you if you listen".

    Kit hesitated, but looked back at the symbol. After a moment, the symbol seemed to become sharp with clarity. It was not just a circle within a circle. It was a barrier around something solid, something with will. The word seemed to whisper into Kit''s mind as the symbol became more and more clear, as he saw layer after layer of meaning.

    "Protection," Kit said softly.

    Rassa smiled, "When we get back, I''m going to get you some ink and paper, I want you to let the mist teach you how to draw these symbols, these runes. When you can understand them as you draw them, when they have the same clarity as this one, I''ll give you the next task".

    "What about the shadows?" asked Kit, "Can''t I learn them".

    "You''ve done a pretty good job on your own kid," Rassa admitted, "Unfortunately, I''m not quite the same as you so my abilities are a bit different. Perhaps one day you can create solid objects, but you need to practice, to test your limits and be more creative. Maybe learning about these runes might help you with that".

    "You think so?" asked Kit.

    "Maybe," Rassa replied.

 Chapter 137 A Surname

    When Rassa and Kit returned that afternoon, it was to find that those in residence at The Ruin had done their best to clean up the kitchen. Rassa and Kit handed out apples to the children who were more than shocked to realise that they were able to eat a whole apple each. While Sharli and Iah did their best to ensure the children didn''t make themselves sick by scarfing down what was given to them, Rassa had Kit sit down at a makeshift table and start etching away at a piece of paper.

    "I''ll be back in an hour or so, make sure no one touches the food or they don''t get to join in the feast tonight," Rassa ordered. Kit nodded obediently then watched as Rassa seemed to dissolve into the shadows.

    Aegin was right where Rassa had left him, hanging out in a cave half way up the volcano on Rouke Island, napping amongst crates of Evanine Crystals.

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    Rassa kicked his boot, jolting his friend awake. Aegin sat up with a dagger in hand, only to relax when he realised who it was that had awoken him. He sheathed the dagger and stretched high as he yawned.

    "So, how went the house hunting?"

    "Alright," Rassa replied, he handed the deed he''d retrieved from the salesman whilst out with Kit, and Aegin read it out, smirking at the name he found at the bottom.

    "Moonshadow?" asked Aegin.

    Rassa rolled his eyes, snatching back the sheet, "You try and come up with a name on the spot".

    Aegin shrugged, "No, actually, I think it suits you".

    Rassa raised an eyebrow.

    "It kind of reminds me of that night in Fountain Ridge when you dropped from the skies, your wings spread wide enough to block out the light from the moon," Aegin replied, "Rassa Moonshadow".

    Rassa could tell Aegin was serious, a far cry from the teasing he''d expected. Rassa scoffed, "That''s more menacing a thought than I had intended. Not sure if I even wanted to invoke certain thoughts with my name. I just combined two things that I feel reflect who I am. What I am".

    Aegin stood as he stretched out, "Well, it could change I suppose, but I like I said. I think it suits you. Rassa Moonshadow. Sounds both foreboding and powerful.

    Rassa''s eyes narrowed, "Like I said, there was no such intention behind it. Out of curiosity, if you had to pick your own last name, what would you go for?"

    Aegin seemed surprised, then shrugged, "I''m not anyone important, Rassa, I don''t need a last name".

    "Humour me," Rassa smirked, crossing his arms over his chest.

    Aegin thought for a moment, then smiled faintly, "When I was amongst the Ridge Men, daggers were the weapons I happened to pick up the fastest. Considering how young I was, I was nicknamed ''little thorn'' by some of the older instructors. It didn''t stick once I started training in other weapons, but I always liked the thorn analogy. Don''t really know why".

    "Aegin Thorn," Rassa tested, "It''s not bad, feels incomplete though".

    "Oh? What else would you add to it?"

    "I don''t know yet, I''m sure we''ll figure it out along the way though," Rassa replied.

    Aegin shrugged, "I don''t need a last name, so I doubt it".

    Aegin turned to the crates of crystals behind him, "So are we moving them?".

    "Not quite yet, gotta get the area ready," Rassa said, "But I figured you were bored up here and wondered if you were in the mood for a feast".

    "A feast implies food so, obviously," Aegin grinned.

    "Great".

    Rassa held out a hand. Aegin grimaced. He hated the shadow travel that Rassa used, it always made him feel queasy. Aegin reached out a hand hesitantly and took Rassa''s before he felt his body lurch and split and melt before reassembling again. He turned pale as his stomach protested just like he knew it would. He caught his breath as he leaned against a wall, the warehouse in Port Cresh from what he managed to acknowledge in his state.

    Ebony waited to the side, counting the coins she''d made that day.

    "Good afternoon," she stated, "Did you find what you were looking for?"

    "Yes, and I''m having a feast to celebrate, though could use your help with the cooking considering me taste testing things will be pretty useless," Rassa smiled.

    Ebony rolled her eyes, "A feast? How many people are you invitied".

    "The new place came with...staff".

    Ebony frowned, "Staff?"

    Rassa nodded, "They are now".

    Ebony''s frown deepened, "What were they before?"

    "Not really a concern now," Rassa replied, holding out his hand, "You finished counting?"

    Ebony nodded, indicating to the two piles. Rassa stretched out his shadows and swallowed one pile of coins.

    "Where do they go when you do that?" asked Ebony.

    "Everywhere and nowhere," Rassa replied.

    "Huh?"

    "It''s hard to explain," Rassa smiled.

    "Why can''t you do that with the crystals?"

    "Cause I''m still technically carrying the weight," Rassa replied, "And those crates aren''t light".

    "So, where are we headed?" asked Ebony, deciding to end that train of conversation before Rassa started on an explanation that neither she nor Aegin would understand.

    "It''s a surprise".

    ***

    Ebony stirred the pot of soup awkwardly as her eyes moved around the room, or what was left of the room. When Rassa had said ''surprise'', an affective ruin full of orphans was not what she had pictured.

    Still, she wouldn''t deny him. She could tell that he''d found something here, and as the children witnessed more and more dishes be cooked and set on the table, she realised that they had unintentionally found something as well.

    The boy Kit was the biggest surprise. Staying hidden for so long, awakening so young. She didn''t like the tought of what could have happened to him to make him awaken. After all, Magicians were made through severe circumstances. Usually something life threatening, and often traumatic. What could have happened to him? Ebony couldn''t get the thought out of her head.

    The way that Kit looked up to Rassa though, as he studied and sketched various runes all afternoon. It was like he''d found a hero. Like he''d found the idol he''d always dreamed of. Rassa was patient with him, but Ebony could see the cogs of Rassa''s schemes ticking.

    The fact that this was the first individual Rassa had attempted to teach the Runes to made Ebony admittedly jealous. She''d asked before if she could help, and she''d become a saleswoman. Before she''d seen him interact with Kit she''d somehow thought that her and Aegin were enough. That somehow the three of them would get by together. But Kit...

    Ebony couldn''t help but ask when Rassa came to check on her progress, "Why do you teach him?"

    "Because he can learn," Rassa replied.

    Ebony frowned at the insult. Rassa seemed to pick up on her anger and he smiled sadly, "To draw runes on the crystals, or to draw them in general, you need more than anything to understand them. And to understand them, you need an understanding of the Mist those runes can command. I have no doubt that if you could understand the Mist, Ebony, you could learn, Aegin could learn. But you have no connection to the Mist. How can you understand it if you cannot even see it?"

    It was a somewhat cruel way to put it, but Ebony understood immediately why letting others know that drawing on the crystals was the only part of the process in making the charms. They could draw and draw as much as they wished, but without an understanding of the Mist which most of them could not see let alone comprehend, they would fall short. The charms could be activated by anyone, but only a few could make them.

    "You are not useless to me, neither is Aegin. Just as I like to think I am not useless to the both of you," Rassa replied, "We''re in this together, you know it''d take a lot more for me to leave you behind right? You were there when I needed you the most, when I was at my worst, you still are."

    "Of course we are," Ebony replied, feeling somewhat better at his reassurance, "You''re like a brother to me".

    "And you a sister to me," Rassa smiled, "So how''s the food coming, sis?"

    Ebony rolled her eyes, "Done".

    "I''ll gather the hungry hoards then".

 Chapter 138 A Meal to Remember

    Soup, skewers, stir fried vegetables, rice, bread, noodles...the list went on. Ebony had really prepared all out for a feast. Having thirty odd mouths to feed was quite the challenge, but Ebony had delivered. Upon seeing the food she''d immediately told Rassa it wasn''t enough, and Aegin had been sent to collect more ingredients. However, she hadn''t considered that these people were malnourished and likely wouldn''t eat as much as thirty people normally would anyway.

    Still, the sheer amount of food seemed to bolster the mood amongst the residents, and they eagerly dived in without ceremony. Perhaps the greatest compliment to the chef.

    "Wow, it''s so good!"

    "The vegetables are so yummy!"

    "This is the best meal ever!"

    The kids chorused their appreciation, and Ebony grinned at their praise, clearly happy.

    "It''s true, everything is lovely, where did you learn to cook so well?" asked Sharli.

    Ebony''s smile faded slightly as she glanced at Rassa. Rassa, who hadn''t touched any of the food and was merely watching everyone else, shrugged. It was her story to tell, Rassa didn''t care what she decided to say.

    So, Ebony decided on the truth.

    "I was a slave up until a couple of months ago, I had to learn in order to please my masters," Ebony said.

    The mood on the table sobered somewhat.

    "I...sorry," Sharli said, her expression dropping, "I shouldn''t have asked".

    "No, it''s fine," Ebony replied, "I''m not there anymore, besides, it at least allowed me to gain a few skills".

    Sharli didn''t look much better despite Ebony''s reassurance, then she glanced at Aegin and finally Rassa, "Then you were-"

    "Not slaves, but prisoners in our own ways," Rassa replied, "Common ground brings together people who would have otherwise never met".

    Sharli''s head dropped as she put her spoon down, "It appears I have misjudged you severely. I thought you were just another noble, abusing your power".

    Rassa smirked, "And you''re just another poor girl, selling whatever she can to provide for her strange family".

    Sharli frowned at the insult.

    "First impressions are deceitful things," Rassa said, "Better to reserve judgement most of the time, though sometimes that can lead to stabbing yourself in the back. But, regardless, I know you''re at your core a good person. You would not have attempted to look after so many if you weren''t. What you do to look after them is something you need to justify, not anyone else".

    This seemed to make Sharli feel somewhat better, and she picked up her spoon once more, "To a better future then".

    Rassa nodded, but Sharli paused when she realised that Rassa was not eating.

    "Is the food not to your liking?"

    Rassa smiled, "Something like that".

    Sharli began to stand, "I''m sure we can get something for-"

    "He''ll hunt later," Aegin chimed in, "Don''t offer what you don''t understand".

    Rassa turned to Aegin, "You make me sound so horrible".

    Aegin shrugged as he tore into a peice of bread, "Just doing my part".

    Sharli sunk back down into her chair, "What does he mean?"

    "I have a rather...unique diet," Rassa stated, "What you perceive as food doesn''t do anything for me".

    Sharli frowned, "Then what do you eat?"

    Ebony and Aegin paused, glancing at Rassa and wondering if he''d go all the way. He''d yet to trust anyone besides the two of them outright. In the end Rassa tilted his head to the side, as if weighing her reaction as he spoke, "Blood".

    Sharli''s nost scrunched up in disgust, "Blood?"

    Rassa nodded, "Blood".

    The table paused again.

    "As in...BLOOD, blood?" asked Kit.

    Rassa nodded, "Don''t know what other type of blood there is, kid".

    There was silence before one of the older boys spoke up, one that had been working on the docks during the day, "You''re one of them aren''t you? One of those monsters that tore apart Fountain Ridge".

    So the stories had reached this far? Rassa had somewhat expected it though he had no idea how fantastical they had become.

    "To be more specific, I got rid of all the monsters that tore apart Fountain Ridge," Rassa replied, "It was partially my fault to begin with so I had to take care of it".

    No one seemed to know how to respond to this. In the end, Rassa stood, "I''ll let you continue your meal in peace, I don''t want to ruin the atmosphere".

    Rassa was nearly out of the room when Iah spoke. She was quiet most of the time, Rassa honestly hadn''t expected anything out of her, let alone at a moment like this.

    "Prove it," Iah said, "That you feed on blood, I mean".

    Rassa was a little shocked as he looked at her. So was the rest of the table.

    "Iah!" Sharli scolded.

    "Apart from his initial show, he has been nothing but kind to us. He let us stay on his property and eat the food provided for him, and yet because he eats something different and some story from another land scares you you''re going to turn your nose up at his generosity?" asked Iah, she pointed to Aegin and Ebony, "They stuck around, clearly he''s not all bad like you see to believe. Were we not just talking about how first impressions can be deceptive. There is a possibility he is not being deceptive at all right now, yet you''re letting your imagination carry him further down a road of no return".

    Sharli looked guilty. It was clear that whilst she was the leader, Iah was a voice of reason in times of need.

    "How do you want me to prove it?" asked Rassa in the silence.

    "How do you usually eat?" asked Iah.

    "From the source," Rassa replied honestly, "Blood turns gloopy and sticky when its exposed to the air for too long. Gives a bad case of indigestion".

    No one saw the humour in it except Aegin and Ebony, and they decided this was not a time to respond to the bad joke.

    Iah rolled up her sleeve, "I''m assuming you don''t need a lot?"

    Rassa shook his head, "You might feel a little tired and woozy afterwards, but you''ll live".

    Iah nodded and offered her arm out to Rassa, "Then don''t leave".

    Rassa hesitated, looking at the rest of the table who seemed to be sitting on the edge of their seats, ready to run at a moment''s notice. Not that they''d get far. Rassa decided he''d already said one too many bad jokes and shouldn''t mention that detail.

    Rassa sighed, he hadn''t had an audience when he drank since the dear Doctor. It was somewhat unnerving, but if this was all it took to prove a point, then fine. Rassa rounded the table and took hold of Iah''s offered arm. It was only when he touched her that it occurred to him that he still wasn''t entirely comfortable being so close to a woman. He had to conciously stop himself from pulling away as he spoke, allowing his fangs to elongate in the process.

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    "It''ll hurt initially," Rassa said.

    "Hur-"

    Iah gasped in pain and her expression tensed as Rassa sunk his fangs into her arm, then after a moment, she relaxed, the pain disappearing. She watched in fascination, like they all did, as Rassa sucked and gulped down her blood. It was a strange feeling, but something was stopping her from fighting it, in fact it almost enjoyed it.

    Suddenly, the feeling disappeared as Rassa pulled back, then his tongue swiped over the two little holes on her arm and he backed away. Iah watched as the mark on her arm stitched itself back together with a tingling feeling like pins and needles, until there was no indication she had been fed on but the slight lightheadedness she felt.

    The room was silent as Rassa took a couple of steps away. It became an awkward silent as the group seemed to realise that there had been nothing overtly special or scary about what had just happened. In fact it strangely felt almost...normal.

    After a moment, Ebony spoke up, "Anyone for another bread roll?"

    Sharli cracked a smile as she snorted, "Yeah, thanks".

    As the rest of the table began to laugh at how ridiculously tense they''d all been before, Rassa leaned back against a nearby wall. He''d done it. He''d been accepted. Though it was only a first step it was something. And something felt so much better than the deceit he''d been intent on sticking to up until then.

 Chapter 139 A Need for an Ally

    By the fourth day of the Festival, Rassa had managed to help assemble the first floor of The Ruin again. His ability to control shadow allowed him to not only store a bulk of materials, but also help to shape them and put them in place. Despite it being an Island, it was actually quite easy to find building materials, and the outer walls of the building were constructed from various pale coloured stones.

    The front room, which would eventually be for a shop were sectioned off from the back rooms by a thinner stone hallway that ran the width of the house with two smaller rooms at either end for staff use. In the centre, another hallway met it in a T shape and ran all the way to a large, open area at the back of the warehouse that would eventually be filled with multiple desks for work. The rooms down either side of the hallway were private offices and meeting rooms.

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    Finally, in a move which no one had expected and which Rassa had completed rather quickly, he''d constructed an underground floor which he lined with metal and called his ''vault''. Most that knew of it figured that was something that only appeared in banks, and Rassa admitted that until he had the time and proper materials his would be a rather crude version to store the crystals and any immediate funds in. After construction was completed on the first floor, Rassa was convinced that Kit had learned enough from watching and working with Rassa to be able to help with the second floor on his own. He at least was at a point where he could help hold objects in place with a solid shadow now, though he could not take as much weight as Rassa could.

    Rassa then helped Aegin move the crystals from the Volcano cave into the vault, and handed a copy of the key to Sharli, promising to return over the next ten days at random intervals to check and see if they needed help.

    Thanks to Ebony''s work with the crystals, they had just over 1500 of Jeremiah''s half of the crystals left to sell. Rassa had started moving Ebony to the other port cities as well, to make sure than not too many customers swarmed in one spot. It would do no good for her to be overwhelmed despite the limited amount she was to sell every day. She was doing well though. Out of the gold that was being made for their own profits, Rassa opened an account under the name Moonshadow at a bank in Port Lace and placed half of their profits inside it. He kept ten gold each out of each days profits for immediate use by Ebony, Aegin and himself, then handed the rest to keep in the vault he''d made at The Ruin. He informed only Sharli how much money was actually in there, and instructed her to set aside one gold coin per person per week for those that were living at the ruin. At this stage, he had no idea how long he would be gone when he left, but if they kept up their profits and kept to the amount Rassa had designated, they would be able to live without working for more coin for at least a couple of years. He didn''t intend to be gone for that long, but to be honest he could not predict for sure when he would be back. This was part of the reason why he was teaching Kit how to mark the Crystals. Rassa had already put runes on about half of those he had in stock, not just protective runes either, but a few truth runes and other types as well.

    When Rassa returned at the end of the first week of the festival to see the progress of the second floor, now half done thanks to Kit''s help, it was to discuss the charms and base prices to sell them at should they need more money. He also discussed the possibility of purchasing more Crystals, but Sharli was not an expert in business, none of them were, and she knew that even if she looked the part of a merchant it was unlikely she would be taken seriously given her lack of education.

    From this, Rassa encountered his first problem. Ideally he''d want Ebony to stay behind, but knowing her, that wasn''t an option. Ebony enjoyed being useful of course, but she didn''t want to be left behind anymore than Rassa did.

    At the end of the first week of the festival, the Rouke Island Theatre was opened up for that evening''s special event. There were several theatres across the island that would be open to all people, but the main stage, for theh main traders, was held at the Trader''s Council in the centre of the Island. Rassa had not been invited initially, but Jeremiah had insisted that he attend alongside Ebony as representatives of those making the astounding Protective Charms. In short, Jeremiah wanted to show them off.

    Rassa had initially refused, thinking it best that Ebony just attend in his place, but after realising that he needed to find an ally, one that would help in his new business ventures, Rassa decided that it was probably best that he show up.

    So, during the afternoon, he and Ebony shopped for appropriate attire for such a formal event, and Rassa had Ebony talk with him about any Corporations and figures that had made her offers.

    "In short, most of them want nearly the entirety of our profits and the method for production," Ebony finished as she twirled in front of a mirror in the shop where they currently were, "The few that take us seriously are minor traders, and likely could not provide what we need in terms of materials".

    "So are there any candidates that come to mind that might actually work with us?" asked Rassa.

    Ebony paused for a moment, looking at Rassa as he exited the changing rooms to look at the mirror beside her. She suddenly understood then, why it was the dressmakers around her had been whispering and cutting glances at the changing rooms ever so often. She was honestly so used to seeing Rassa with his hood up that aside from that first moment when she''d seen him surrounded by moonlight and covered in blood, she''d never really thought of him as attractive. Even now, as soon as she pictured him covered in blood she couldn''t help but turn away. He was, for all intents and purposes, the perfect hunter. Literally built to attract his prey. Considering the looks of the women around her - even some of the men - he was doing a fine good job of attracting.

    The black suit he wore with a charcoal grey waistcoat fit him perfectly, so much so that the tailor to the side who was standing by for last minute alterations looked stumped that he didn''t have any work to do. He awkwardly hovered to the side, pins poised to poke at material had been left in thin air.

    Rassa''s dark hair hadn''t been styled yet but it seemed to fall perfectly anyway, his dark eyes assessing his looks in the mirror. The high collar of the shirt and the silk tie concealed his Life Lines affectively, that seemed to be the only part of the clothing that concerned him, and after gazing at himself for a moment he turned to look at Ebony.

    "How do I look?" he asked.

    Ebony rolled her eyes, "I hate you".

    Rassa snorted awkwardly at the seriousness in her tone, "What?"

    "To answer your question, there are only two that I''m sure we can work with cofidently, one we were already working with and you have already attempted to sever ties," Ebony stated as she looked at the goose egg grey dress she''d chosen for herself. She disliked colours that made her stand out, but now that she realise she somewhat matched Rassa a part of her wanted a brighter colour just so she could be distinguished from him.

    "Oh, and who is the other?" asked Rassa.

    "Don''t know for sure," Ebony replied, "Remember the Apple Star woman that gave me that coin?"

    "Ah, the coin," Rassa replied, "Well, if she''s our only option I suppose we could see what she wishes to offer. You''ll have to point her out if you see her tonight".

    "Of course," Ebony replied, turning to one of the dressmakers, "Do you have any shawls?"

    The dressmaker snapped out of her enthrallment and nodded hurriedly, "Of course Miss, I''ll be right back".

    Rassa nodded and turned to go back to the dressing room, once he disappeared, one of the girls spoke up to Ebony, "If I might say Miss, you are quite lucky to have that young man in your company. He might be one of the handsomest men I''ve ever seen".

    Ebony couldn''t help but snort, which surprised those around her, "Lucky is not necessarily a word I''d use to describe being in his company. But I get by".

 Chapter 140 A Night at the Theatre

    To all that looked at him, Rassa may have appeared handsome and dignified, but in truth he felt completely out of his element. He''d never worn clothing this expensive, and whilst it was all comfortable and light, it also smelt of money. Whilst coins carried the scent of metal and those that had touched them before, beyond that Rassa hadn''t perceived it as having it''s own unique scent until he''d entered the Trader''s Council building that evening.

    He followed Jeremiah in, a man who truly was out of his element. Rassa was so used to seeing the man in his sailor''s coat and boots that he looked the epitome of a fish out of water in formal attire. Rassa, admittedly, preferred the sailor. This Jeremiah looked so uncomfortable that Rassa was almost embarrassed to be accompanying him. Thankfully, Griffith Token appeared nearly the exact opposite. He greeted warmly and made introductions as necessary, joking and shaking hands and in all being a fabulous and lively presence. The man was without a doubt an expert in negotiation, and Rassa gave Ebony a look that he hoped she would interpret as his way of saying she should learn. Evidently, Ebony didn''t need the reminder, she was already doing her part, though admittedly with a more elegant approach than Griffith.

    She was unconfident at first in the way she carried herself, but she seemed to fall into the role rather quickly. No doubt her time watching and serving nobles had given her some insight, but Ebony seemed to be able to take on any role that was handed to her. As Rassa had witnessed her play more and more parts over the time he''d known her, he couldn''t help but realise that perhaps this was what she was best at. He was even tempted to make her practice, but wasn''t sure how she''d feel about it. To play a role, especially one of significance, and be believed��it was not only a stressful and confusing environment, but a dangerous one. He would not suggest it for the time being at least.

    Most of the invited parties arrived an hour before the play was to begin, they mingled and partook in the drinks and elegant spread of food provided. It was clear that this was truly a gathering of the elite, and despite the fact that in the memories that had taught him of his ancestors had depicted events far grander than this, Rassa could not help but be impressed. Order may have regressed since Chaos had fallen, but that didn''t make its achievements any less worthy.

    "Ah, the young lady who sells the protective charms, why, by the gods, are you accompanying these has beens?" asked a rather dignified looking man as he approached. He swept a hand at Griffith and Jeremiah, two key figures of one of the most powerful Trade Organisations, as if they were nothing less than common rabble. He looked foreign, with bronzed skin and dark features, his hair braided into rows that met at the crown of his head and flowed freely halfway down his back. His attire was looser, draped over his body rather than fitted, though he wore it with as much dignity as a king. He also held a cane, the metal work around it pure gold, only serving to reinforce his status along with the gold jewellery that pampered the rest of him. He appeared to be in his thirties, but he carried himself like the most powerful man in the room.

    "Ishta, so noble of you to grace us with your presence," Griffith cut-in, saving Ebony who was quite taken aback by this new gentleman.

    Ishta grinned, his arms sweeping around him in a welcoming motion, "And miss the greatest gathering of wealth in the known world? My Griffith, I see you''re still underestimating its value".

    The insult was subtle, but Rassa had witnessed vampire politics for years. Listening to a room full of bored and cunning immortals for hours on end tended to sharpen one''s wits. Though, for the most part Rassa had yet to test himself in that sense.

    Ishta swept up Ebony''s hand and kissed it, his amber eyes, which stood out from the rest of his figure, meeting hers. Rassa immediately sensed Ebony''s discomfort and surprise. She clearly had not expected him to be so forward, "Might I know the name of the beautiful lady who seems intent on protecting us from certain death at the hands of our foes?"

    Ebony pulled her hand back, stepping back to her position beside Rassa as she composed herself, "Ebony".

    "A commoner then," Ishta stated, "A diamond in the rough as they say".

    "What do you want, Ishta?" asked Griffith, "You never approach anybody without a purpose".

    "If it were any other time, I would be offended you think that of me, but right now I believe any business talks I desire to have are not with you. After all, rumour has it that Token will only have monopoly over these new treasures for so long. The real deal is for the taking, is it not, Ebony?" Ishta''s gaze swept back to the young woman.

    To his surprise, she met his gaze with narrowed eyes, "I appreciate your forwardness, but you have already offered me a business deal which I have rejected. Unless your terms are for that of equal parties, I suggest you talk business elsewhere".

    Ishta seemed surprised to be outright rejected so thoroughly, but he recovered quickly with a smile that was on the verge of threatening, "You must be joking, no one can offer you a better deal. I should know, I own the greatest shipping company here".

    "As I recall, that is yet to be seen," a soft voice spoke.

    The crowd, who had quietened and moved back to witness the talks, further seperated to let through a woman as beautiful as a porcelain doll. She stepped forward in a sapphire blue dress that showed off her elegance and beauty better than any other woman in the room, and as she stepped forward with confidence, it was clear that she carried herself in a similar fashion to this Ishta. Not because she believed herself better than all others, but because she was confident in herself and her ability. Rassa froze as soon as he saw her, the scent wafting over him. Her name fell on his lips, but he stopped himself from uttering it, simply watching as the scene unfolded before him.

    "Miss Falla Startree, I hardly think your humble self should be involved in this discussion," Ishta protested softly.

    "I think she should, considering her offer was more attractive than yours," Ebony cut in before either could speak up. It was a white lie considering Falla had yet to make any offer, but as Ebony cut across in front of Rassa and took Falla by the arm, the two women looked impregnable.

    Ishta paused for a moment as if weighing his options, then scoffed and turned with a flare of his arm, "Proposterous. No one offers better deals than I, but it is your fall to take".

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    The room slowly turned back to normal, and Ebony stepped back, "Apologies, I didn''t mean to-"

    Falla smiled at Ebony''s sudden change in character, "It''s fine, I was glad to see you anyway". Her eyes travelled to where Rassa stood behind Ebony, "Both of you".

    Ebony turned to look at Rassa, who was trying very hard to keep his expression calm despite the emotions that dwelled in Falla''s gaze.

    "It''s good to see you, Rassa".

    Rassa held her gaze for a moment, then turned away with a sigh, "Let''s get to our seats, Ebony".

    "Bu-"

    But Rassa had already disappeared into the crowd.

 Chapter 141 An Old Friend?

    Ebony, taken aback by Rassa''s behaviour, turned back to the Mistress of Apple Star Trading Company with an apologetic expression, "I''m so sorry, I don''t know what''s come over him-"

    The woman, who Ebony was quite sure was one of the most beautiful individuals she''d ever seen, smiled sadly, "You don''t have to apologise, it''s likely he does not wish to speak with me".

    Ebony frowned, "...you know him?"

    The woman nodded, "We grew up together".

    "Then you...?"

    The woman''s eyes flicked to where Rassa had disappeared, then down to the floor before she nodded, "Yes, I am aware of what he is. In all honesty, I was sure he was dead until about a month ago when I received a letter from a mutual friend stating that he''d seen Rassa. Needless to say I was quite surprised. Though not as surprised as I was when I saw him tonight".

    Ebony smiled shortly, "Then surely, if you are an old friend, he would like to speak with you".

    "Oh, I don''t think that''s-"

    "I insist," Ebony said, "It is not as if he can avoid you all together anyway, we may not have made a deal yet but you are the only trading company who seemed to be willing to offer favourable terms".

    The woman''s expression turned business-like in an instant, "How favourable were you looking for them to be?"

    Ebony shrugged, "The details should be discussed away from prying ears, don''t you agree?"

    The woman smiled, then held out her hand, "My name is Falla Startree, you are Ebony, yes?"

    Ebony took the woman''s hand, "Yes, I was under the impression that Rassa grew up a commoner".

    "He did, my father was a merchant who frequented the village Rassa spent his childhood in. Though my surname, as you may have assumed, did not come from my family".

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    "I see," Ebony smiled.

    Anyone who earned a surname was considered quite the prodigy. But a woman who had earned it on her own? That was quite the achievement. This Falla Startree was not to be underestimated.

    "You should get back to him," Falla said, "We can talk later tonight".

    Ebony stayed long enough to retrieve a location from Falla before she disappeared into the crowd after Rassa.

    He was already seated in the Theatre when she found him. She dropped into the seat next to him but he barely acknowledged her presence. He seemed distant, thoughtful.

    "Is this broodiness going to become a routine thing?" asked Ebony.

    Her voice seemed to awaken him, and he turned to glance at her before turning back to face the stage.

    "You spoke to her," he said. It seemed on the verge of being accusatory.

    "I did," Ebony replied, "She is the head of Apple Star".

    Rassa sighed, he''d hoped Ebony''s bluff had been more complete than that, "We''ll find someone else".

    "We''ve already considered everyone else," Ebony replied.

    "Well we''re not dealing with her," Rassa stated like a grumpy child.

    "We will meet with her and discuss our terms before we decide that," Ebony replied with an icy tone, "I don''t care who she is to you, Rassa. We''ve done a lot in the past couple of weeks and if you''ve got no intention of sticking around to oversee it we need to find somebody trustworthy who will".

    Ebony''s fierce tone silenced Rassa, though he did not appear happy about it. If anything he looked conflicted. He knew what she did, but he clearly didn''t want to have anything to do with this Falla woman.

    "The fact that you''ve known each other before, grew up together, doesn''t that say anything about whether or not we can trust her?" asked Ebony.

    "That was then, this is now," Rassa replied.

    "What difference does that make?" asked Ebony.

    "It makes all the difference. Literally. Time doesn''t just stand still for us, mortal or not. We change with it, denying that fact is just plain stupid," Rassa replied.

    Ebony frowned as the crowd began to fill the theatre, Jeremiah and Griffith joining them, "We''re meeting her, even if it is just for business. You know we need her".

    Rassa was silent for a moment, long enough that Ebony thought she''d prevailed in her bid to get him to come, then he finally spoke just as the curtains were about to draw back, "I''ll meet her, you can go to our room for the night".

    Ebony sensed from his tone that in this, she would not be able to convince him.

    She was not naive enough to believe that winning argument meant that she would win them all. After all, Rassa, despite how he denied it, had the makings of a powerful leader. Ebony had no doubt that there would come a day where nothing and no one would stand in his way. And yet, the part about him that she appreciated, the part that she knew would make him great, was that he never disregarded other opinions unless it was serious. She''d leard this over the past couple of weeks. If she asked about future plans, he''d tell her eagerly, giving his thoughts. In return he''d listen to her opinions, if she had any, and consider them. He''d originally not wanted to bother setting up their own trading firm, but Ebony had convined him otherwise. Mostly by using the phrase, ''I thought you said you didn''t want to be chained down anymore. Stick with Token, and no matter how good their benefits are, chained is what you''ll be''.

    He''d removed the chains pretty quickly after that, eager to be rid of them. Ebony did not relish in knowing his weakness, but it was certainly a good motivator when the occasion called for it.

    So, in silence with the rest of the business world, Ebony and Rassa sat in a respectful silence as the theatre of the Trading Centre on Rouke Island put on an astounding show to celebrate the end of the first week of the Trader''s Festival.

 Chapter 142 A Past Better Forgotten

    Rassa stalled for almost an hour after the designated time that Ebony had given him. He ran circles around the island, ducked in and out of shadows, anything to escape. But he ended up right back in front of the door to the small suite that had been given to Apple Star Trading. He''d hunted just so that when he walked through that door, if his anger got the best of him, which he knew was entirely possible, he''d be better able to contain the gluttony that rose within him every time it did.

    With a sigh that carried the weight of a past he had thought he''d left behind him, Rassa raised his fist and knocked.

    The man who answered the door was clearly not Falla, but he seemed to be expecting Rassa.

    "Come in," he stated.

    Rassa decided not to hesitate further. If this was going to be a business deal, it''d be pretty submissive of him to do so. That was all business had been in Rassa''s experience, a series of shows of dominance to see who bowed under pressure first.

    Falla was seated with a pile of documents before her, a pot of tea to the side. She looked up as Rassa entered the room, then stood, surprised. She clearly had not expected him to come. Rassa hadn''t expected to come either, but Ebony was right, they needed this.

    "Thank you, Layn," Falla said in a soft voice, "That will be all for tonight".

    The man who''d opened the door was hesitant as he glanced at Rassa, but Falla simply nodded to him and he returned it with a respectful bow before he exited the room, leaving Falla and Rassa alone. For a moment, they simply stared at one another, trying to decipher the look in one another''s eyes for a moment too long. Falla gasped, seeming to realise the atmosphere was getting rather awkward, and then she turned to the tea on the table.

    "Would you like-" she stopped, glancing back at Rassa, "Right, never mind, take a seat, please".

    Rassa could remember how she''d appeared the last time he saw her. When the carriage tugging his cage had pulled out of Cordon and he''d seen her through the bars. All he''d seen then was fear in her expression, fear and a sense of betrayal. It was all he''d been able to think about since he''d smelt her scent on skewer street upon arrival in Port Cresh.

    But now, as he assessed her, as he scented her emotions...fear was not among them.

    Relief, uncertainty, resolve...regret? It wasn''t an emotion he''d smelt often. He''d first scented it surrounding himself in Jerrica, but it had been faint amongst the blood. Then with his father as he died. Regret was not looking to be a good emotion to have in Rassa''s presence.

    "I thought you were dead," Falla spoke into the silence, "We all did".

    Rassa knew who she meant by all, and he turned away to look outside, a view of the moon visible out the window. After a moment, he spoke, the first time he''d spoken directly to her since all those years ago, "There were times I wished I was. But even in death I couldn''t escape my fate".

    "I..." Falla clearly had no idea what to say. Rassa didn''t either. What do you say in a situation like theirs?

    "I''m sorry".

    Rassa looked up at her words, eyes narrowing. He didn''t know why the apology made him angry, but it did. With no one to hold him back or remind him that this was technically a business meeting, he didn''t bother with niceties, he unleashed upon her with his words. They would hurt her more than his claws and fangs and shadows ever would.

    "Sorry?" asked Rassa, "You''re sorry?"

    Falla nodded, "Truly, I-"

    "Do you think I want an apology?" asked Rassa, "Do you think that''s going to make up for the utter disgust and fear with which you viewed me when I was dragged away in a cage? A cage, which despite the fact that I never hurt anyone in the village, I ended up in because my diet was different? A cage and bars and chains which kept me as nothing more than an animal for over five years? Because that was all you and everyone else saw me as, an animal. I was no better than a predator, and I needed to be caged because of it. Do you think something as quick and meaningless as a word is going to make up for that?"

    "Of course not, Rassa, I just-"

    "I know you were a child, that you could do little to help me at the time, but somehow that thought does not quell my anger and disappointment," Rassa continued, "I honestly have no idea what will".

    He stood, moving to the windows that stood beside them, the doors closed but leading onto a balcony covered in the chilly night air.

    Falla sighed, then stood and rolled up her sleeve, "Then hurt me as I hurt you".

    She offered her arm, and Rassa''s eyes narrowed at her. In an instant he was inches from her, scaring her enough to make her fall back into her chair.

    "Stupid girl, if you learn anything from me, learn that the last thing you want to offer a Vampire is your blood," Rassa said, "You are food. Entertaining food perhaps, dressed up and pampered, but food none the less. When you are offered an apple, do you just take a bite? It''s a waste of an apple to just take a bite, you should at least finish it off".

    Falla paled, "Then you kill-"

    "Only when I need to," Rassa replied as he back away, "But I''m trying to impress upon you how foolish what you just did is. To me, taking only a bite is not just a waste, it''s against my instincts. I have to fight to pull away and not drain my prey every time. It gets easier no doubt, but all it takes is a single lapse in judgement. A single thought that maybe it''d just be better to take the easy route, to give in. That''s the line I walk, Falla. Daily. Don''t be stupid enough to urge me to cross it".

    Falla looked down, ashamed, "I see. I guess that was rather stupid. But I don''t know enough about you, Rassa. That''s what led me to make my mistake the first time. A mistake that I and the others have regretted ever since. But I''m not a child anymore, just as you said. Please, give me a chance to prove that".

    "Then do yourself a favour, Falla," Rassa replied, "Don''t treat me like the child you knew either. I was forced to grow up a long time ago, and I don''t think it was quite the same upbringing as you".

    "Very well then," Falla agreed as she indicated to the seat across from her, "My name is Falla Startree, founder and head of the Apple Star Trading Firm. I hear you have a product of particuar interest?"

    Rassa stared at Falla for a moment, trying to gage her seriousness in this. Business was good. Business meant they had time to develop personal connection, and only if they desired it. He took a seat opposite her and then took her oustretched hand.

    "Rassa Moonshadow, founder and head of the Moonshadow Trading Firm, I''m assuming that by this product you are referring to the Protection Charms? If you are willing to listen to and accept my terms, I can give you 50% of any profits we make for the first five years of business, at which point we would revist our agreement should our cooperation go well," Rassa spoke.

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    "Very well, what terms do you offer?"

 Chapter 143 A Deal is Struck

    "I have recently purchased a building in Port Lace that I intend to use as my base of operation on Rouke Island," Rassa began, "I have also placed several staff there, including one that within the week will be capable of making the Protective Charms, as well as other Charms".

    "Others?" asked Falla.

    Rassa nodded, "A full list will be given should you agree to the terms". Falla nodded in agreement before Rassa continued, "The staff that are manning this soon-to-be shop however are...unequipped for both the clientele and the administration that will need to be done when the business opens, which will likely not be for several months. My offer is simple, in return for providing lessons to these individuals in these areas, and support where it is needed prior to the opening of the business, you will receive 50% of the first six months'' sales. However, if you are also capable of providing a steady stream of Evanine Crystals, the five year deal will stand".

    "50% for six months simply for training your staff? You are quite generous," Falla stated, "Jane told me you were more than capable of reading yourself, why can''t you teach them?"

    Rassa decided to ignore the mention of that name. He wasn''t ready to talk about her.

    "Because I''m not staying. I will leave come the end of the festival and I have no idea when I''ll be back," Rassa stated.

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    Falla''s eyes narrowed, "So you also need somebody who has vested interests to keep an eye on this business of yours so nobody is bullying your staff?"

    "It would be appreciated," Rassa replied.

    Falla pursed her lips as she thought about the deal.

    "You say the 50% for five years will only occur should I find a steady supply of Evanine Crystals?" asked Falla.

    Rassa nodded, "Correct".

    "Does that apply to crystals that my own stores sell as well?" asked Falla.

    Rassa shook his head, "The Charms shall only be sold from my store at set prices".

    "I see, may I add my own term then?" asked Falla. Rassa indicated the she could continue, "If I can supply a steady supply of crystals, then after the initial six months I will only ask for 40% of the profit, but in return I want an individual of my choosing to learn in your store how the charms are made. They will be sworn to secrecy for the duration of the contract, but able to pass on their knowledge at the end of the initial contract".

    Rassa thought for a moment, he knew it was unlikely that she would relent on this point. The knowledge was key to a vast fortune.

    "30%," Rassa countered.

    "35%," Falla replied.

    "Very well, 35%," Rassa sighed, "But only on the condition the crystals are found and secured".

    "Of course," Falla nodded.

    Rassa''s eyes narrowed, "You seem quite confident. The Evanine Crystal Veins are in high demand at the moment. The reason I''m seeking out a partner is because I''m not confident in purchasing my own".

    Falla gave a small smile, "My life has not been as simple as you might think for the past few years. Some people might call it fate that we have encountered another at this time because I just so happen to own what could be the largest Evanine Crystal Vein in Eldovia".

    Rassa frowned, "Own it? Then why do you deal in fabrics?"

    "This Crystal Vein is a closely guarded secret. Upon securing, the man I won it from happened to mention his knowledge of the Vanguard, which were still a prototype product. He advised I keep my cards close," Falla stated.

    "Won it?" asked Rassa, "That''s sure to be an interesting story".

    Falla shrugged, "The best ones are, but alas, that is for another time. I shall still need the initial six months to organise the business there and establish a safe route to transport them".

    It was a shame that Kit could not use the shadows as a movement ability. He would have been able to teleport them between the safe and the mine with little effort.

    Rassa nodded, "In that case, shall we have the contract drawn up?"

    Falla nodded, then picked up a little bell to the side and rung it. Within ten seconds, the man Layn appeared once more at the door.

    "Yes, Miss Falla?"

    "Prepare two sets of contract papers, Layn, Mr Moonshadow and I have reached an agreement," Falla instructed.

    Layn nodded respectfully and disappeared through another door, returning a minute later with paper, ink and a fancy looking pen, as well as wax and a seal.

    "Do you have your own seal?" asked Falla.

    "I admit that I have no have not had an official one made yet, but I can have it done by tomorrow evening," Rassa stated.

    Falla nodded, "Then shall we meet again then to sign?"

    Rassa gave a short nod in agreement, then stood to leave. He paused before the windows, then turned back over his shoulders.

    "It was nice doing business with you, Falla Startree".

    "And you, Rassa Moonshadow. I will see you tomorrow evening for dinner at the Blue Jade Restaurant in Port Lace," Falla stated.

    Rassa nodded then opened the doors and stepped out onto the balcony. He realised that to Layn, who had only seen him walk through the door and had no idea of what he was, then Rassa''s next move probably seemed suicidal. It the surprised gasp was anything to go by, Rassa had certainly shocked him as he jumped over the balcony railing and fell to the ground. Still, Rassa didn''t much care for the opinions of Falla''s attendant.

    Ebony and Aegin were waiting for him at the Ruin where he''d left them both. They looked to him expectantly, to which Rassa nodded.

    "We came to an agreement, we''ll sign tomorrow. I need you to order an official seal be made tomorrow morning, Ebony. As quickly as possible," Rassa stated.

    Ebony nodded, deciding from his dismissive attitude that he was probably not in the mood to talk about Falla or his past with her. Still, they had an ally now. They could leave without worries.

    Or at least less worries than before.

 Chapter 144 A Tracking Charm

    The next morning, Rassa called Sharli, Kit, Iah, Aegin and Ebony to one of the spare rooms. The five individuals sat tensely on newly acquired furniture as Rassa rose from behind the desk and rounded it to place six charms on the table before them, one for each of them.

    "I haven''t seen this run before," Ebony stated as she picked one up to inspect it, "What is it?"

    Kit picked up another, "It''s not one rune, it''s...five?"

    Rassa nodded with a smile, he was impressed by Kit''s progress. The young shadow magician was picking up the art of runes rather quickly.

    "The first rune is the rune for Location or Locate, or even Track. Essential a beacon," Rassa stated, "The second rune indication connection, that it is one of many in a sequence, the third rune designates that sequence, in this case, Moonshadow is the sequence".

    The others nodded, though only Kit seemed to understand.

    "I didn''t realise you could place more than one rune on a charm," Ebony stated.

    "It depends on how specific you want that charm''s job to be," Rassa replied, "Some things can be conveyed through a single rune, though it leaves more room for the mist to interpret as it pleases, as Kit will tell you, there are many layers to the meaning of each rune. The more runes you place on a charm, the more specific its instructions, and the less the Mist can interfere in interpretation".

    "What are the fourth and fifth runes?" asked Aegin, "You said their were five".

    "Yes, the fourth rune is to designate a single individual as the wielder of the charm through blood, and the fifth that the charm will always return to the possession of the wielder, no matter if it is dropped, stolen or lost," Rassa stated, "My intention is to give each of you one of these charms, so that should the need arise, we can find one another. When activated, they will provide indications to the wielder where the other charms in the sequence are located, and considering the return rune, the wielder will always be able to locate the original holder unless that charm is removed from the sequence, which can only be done in the presence of the other charms, or if the condition of the wielder''s blood changes".

    "Then, if we wish to hide from the others...?"

    "This is why I am making it your decision as to whether or not you choose to enter this agreement. Because that is essentially what it is," Rassa warned, "We will not be able to hide from one another one the charms are activated".

    "Why?" asked Iah.

    "Because I-" Rassa then turned to Aegin and Ebony, "We, don''t know how long we''ll be gone. With no way to contact one another or check on your progress...I''m afraid we will only know when we return. But if something was to occur, something you couldn''t fight against alone, you can use these to find us".

    They all thought for a moment, looking to each other, then Sharli picked up one of the stones and looked at it closely as she spoke.

    "Then, in a way, this is a way of you inviting us into your, what did you call it? Moonshadow family?" she asked with a smile, "Why not give one to everyone?" asked Sharli.

    "They are still young, children, I will not force them into anything and give them to freedom to leave should they wish," Rassa stated, "After all, they will earn their own wages and be free to learn their own skills ones the business picks up".

    "They what about us and Kit? Do we have no choice?" asked Sharli.

    "This is your choice," Ebony frowned, "Don''t make it sound so awful. I''m certainly willing".

    Aegin said nothing, but it was clear that he concurred. Sharli and Iah turned to each other, then to Kit. He seemed deep in thought, but was smiling.

    "I''ve learned more from Mr Moonshadow in the last few days than I''ve learned in the last few years. He is not forcing me to leave my home, nor do anything I don''t want to. He is leaving me to be myself through my own devices, even giving me new routes with which to explore that I only partially understood before. Of course I won''t say no".

    Rassa sighed with a roll of his eyes, "I told you to call me Rassa, Mr Moonshadow makes me seem so old".

    "You''re not exactly your average eighteen year old either, Mr Moonshadow," Ebony smirked.

    Rassa turned to look at Iah and Sharli, who after a moment, nodded in agreement.

    "Very well," Rassa took out a seventh charm, this one with a feignt red centre, and placed it amongst the others, putting a sixth charm back in his pocket, "Just prick your fingers and place a drop of your blood on the surface of your charm".

    "Who is the other one for?" asked Ebony suspiciously.

    Rassa said nothing.

    "You were thinking of giving it to Falla, weren''t you?" asked Ebony.

    "I will let you decide whether or not we offer her that tonight," Rassa replied, "After all, you''re all coming with me to dinner".

    "All of us?" asked Sharli.

    "Yes," Rassa replied.

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    "I thought you said it was at the Blue Jade Restaurant," Iah stated.

    "And?"

    "And, that place is...well we don''t have anything suitable to wear there," said Sharli.

    Rassa turned to Ebony.

    "I''ll help you out with that," Ebony smiled, taking a needle and pricking her finger before cleaning the needle and passing it to Aegin as she swiped a drop of blood over one of the charms. It gave a red flash, then it appeared clear with a red spot in the centre like Rassa''s. The process was followed by each individual around the table before they all had their charms activated.

    One day in the future, this day would become signficant in the telling of the stories of Rassa Moonshadow and his closest council. The day that the first vampire sealed the fate of his future empire.

 Chapter 145 A Signing and A Sealing

    The Blue Jade Restaurant was just as lavish and high end as its name suggested. The three floor system prevented the rabble from mixing with those who could afford a more ''authentic'' experience. The general public, at least those who could afford it, were crowding the first floor. Despite the expense, it seemed no one wanted to miss out on the famous dishes that the restaurant had to offer. Everyone sitting on the first floor seemed to have made special effort to dress up so as not to impact on the aesthetic of the grand hall.

    Rassa had yet to step into the restaurant, he had seen it and heard about it in the past couple of weeks, but seeing as he didn''t eat he was not exactly inclined to go. However, as soon as he did step inside, he understood immediately why Sharli and Iah had insisted they go shopping for better clothes. Despite his new clothing �C which Rassa had insisted was just fine with a clean shirt and new pants with a jacket �C Rassa felt his attire to the Theatre the night before would have been more fitting here. Still, he didn''t let it get to him as he stepped inside and was met with a waitress standing at a podium greeting guests.

    "Hello Sir, welcome to the Blue Jade Restaurant, is it your first time eating with us?"

    Though they did not outright say anything, Rassa''s company were all mildly shocked that the woman was so composed before Rassa. He may have thought he was underdressed, but there was a reason the others hadn''t insisted he dress up more. The women silently seethed that no matter what he put on, Rassa never looked anything less than regal. Kit was silently proud to be called the man''s student. Aegin, dressed very similarly to Rassa, was the only one amongst them who couldn''t bring himself to care. Fashion had never been his thing.

    "Yes," Rassa replied, "We''re meeting with Miss Falla Startree".

    The woman''s eyes flashed with recognition and she changed her outward appearance in an almost imperceptible way to become even more courteous, "Of course, Sir. Miss Startree is awaiting you in Suite five of the second floor. If you''ll follow me".

    She led them with a dignified air through the first floor hall and to the stairs at the rear of the hall, climbing them undeterred. Rassa and Aegin simply followed without fuss, a demeanour which the others tried and failed to copy as they gazed around the restaurant in amazement. So this was what it was like to be treated like you mattered. Like you had the coin to back you up should you fall into trouble. It was a vast difference to the streets and slavery they''d previously been accustomed to. Were still accustomed to if they were being honest.

    The first floor was large and open, big enough to fit several hundred guests and not make them feel boxed in. The second floor was just as large in terms of size, but appeared more private thanks to the cordoned off sections for separate groups. They did not appear all that sound proof, but gave the appearance of private sections at least, gossamer curtains covering the entrances.

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    The waitress, or was it more appropriate to call her hostess thanks to her air? Led the group to the left of the staircase. The staircase was like a line separating one line from another. Odd numbers on the left, even on the right, and a long open space in the centre looking down on the first floor. Rassa found it outright incredible was immediately curious how it was achieved because from the first floor it appeared to be a roof of several paintings. The others too appeared surprised. The hostess seemed to notice their surprised and proudly continued leading the way, giving no explanation.

    If Rassa had to guess, it was a light magician who specialised in illusions. It was a rare path for light magicians to take considering it was not taught at the academies, but it was entirely possible for them to achieve.

    Upon coming to the third section on the left, the hostess pulled aside part of the curtain covering the entrance and gestured for the group to enter.

    Falla awaited inside, Layn beside her along with two other men and a woman, all of whom Rassa had yet to meet but from their appearance he assumed they were all under Falla''s employ.

    They stood as Rassa''s group entered.

    "Glad you could join us," Falla smiled in a business-like manner.

    "The pleasure is ours, please," Rassa indicated for them to sit and everyone did so. After a moment Falla indicated to her party and begun introducing them.

    "You''ve already met Layn, he is my secretary and closest advisor. I could ask for no one better to do the job. And this is Talia, Dane and Louis. They are three of my staff, and also those that I have handpicked as the teachers you require".

    Rassa nodded a greeting, "You have met Ebony, unfortunately we are not set up enough to have official positions, but I believe she serves the same purpose that Layn does to you. Aegin is, for the most part at least, my intelligence officer and advisor. This is Sharli and Iah, the two you will be instructing in administration and such, and finally Kit, Charm Craftsman".

    Kit seemed slightly surprised by the title, but knew better than to question it. He hadn''t actually been allowed the carve a rune into a crystal yet.

    "It''s lovely to meet you all, I hope we can all work well together in future," Falla greeted, then she indicated to Layn, "I realise its improper to present before we eat, but I thought it would be better to use the dinner as a celebration rather than a business discussion".

    Layn handed over two copies of the contract, Rassa quickly read through it, ensuring the terms were as he and Falla had stipulated the night before. After a moment, Rassa nodded, he turned to Ebony then. She brought out a smaller contract, and handed it across the table as Rassa explained, "This is the agreement for the individual you choose to learn how to craft the charms. I believe the terms are fair but please let me know otherwise".

    Falla unrolled it and read, frowning as she finished, "A blood contract?"

    "It may seem a bit extreme when I explain it, but please understand that it is necessary to prevent the secret from leaking out," Rassa stated, "One of my lesser used abilities is that of blood magic. Among other things, this allows me to seal contracts using magic. Upon signing with their blood, the parties involved in the contract are bound to its terms until the contract period ends".

    "That sounds no different to a normal contract," said Falla, "Why this part about punishment?"

    "Blood contracts bind the soul of an individual. If a contract is broken, at minimum it will cause them immense pain. A pain unlike anything you could comprehend because it is felt in the soul itself. It will also alert the other parties to the broken contract. It is more common howver that breaking a contract signed with blood will simply kill an individual," Rassa explained

    The table looked shocked, those unversed in Rassa''s condition confused as to how he would come to acquire such a thing.

    "That is quite the extreme punishment," said Falla, a frown on her face.

    "I would not insist on this contract if I did not believe the ability I was giving this individual was equally powerful," Rassa stated.

    Falla hesitated a moment, meeting Rassa''s gaze before she nodded, "Very well".

    Her party looked surprised she had agreed.

    "Will you insist the same of our contract?" asked Falla.

    "I will not, unless you ask it. I believe that you will be true to your word".

    Falla nodded, "In that case, I see no reason to wait any longer".

    Layn brought out ink and pens as well as a pot and a wax stick which he prepared to melt as Falla took one of the contracts and one of the pens.

    Rassa took the other and they each signed, Layn melting enough wax to stamp before the contracts were switched and signed and sealed once more. Following which, they were rolled up and put away.

    "Very well, let us eat to celebrate!"

 Chapter 146 A Disgruntled Party

    "What do you mean they signed a contract with Startree?"

    From this less than impressed response, the informant could immediately tell that Lord Ishta Alamone was not happy with this news. The Informant silently cried that he couldn''t change his information. He was sworn to deliver facts, even if that meant the facts wouldn''t please his benefactor.

    "In section 5 of the second floor, My Lord," the Informant stated, trying very hard to not let his voice quiver with the fear he felt, "Ebony and the man who accompanied her to the Theatre last night seem to have signed a contract for the charms with Falla Startree".

    "That widowed fabric peddler?" hissed Ishta. He threw his glass across the third floor private room of the Blue Jade restaurant. It shattered against the wall and the Informant flinched, "What is with these stupid Eldovian women refusing my generous offers? First dear Miss Startree is widowed after being married only a year and rather than handing her business to me for twice its worth, she insists upon keeping it for herself. A woman! And a common woman at that, insists she can run a trade business. The gall! And now, another common woman decides that she is too good for my generous offer as well. I''d like to see them try. As soon as I get my hands on the method for making the charms they''ll be finished!"

    The Informant frowned, "Apologises sir, it seems I have not clarified, it appears that Ebony is not the head of this small business as we originally assumed. The man that accompanied her seems to be the one in charge. He was the one that signed".

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    Ishta paused, "Why is this information only disclosed now? Who is he? Why hide behind a woman?"

    "I...I don''t know, Sir...he seems to appeared out of nowhere just like this Ebony did. We have no record of him before his appearance at the Theatre last night," the Informant stuttered.

    Ishta seethed, picking up a knife and throwing it at the Informant who managed to dodge it just in time, "Do your job. And do it before you disappoint me further".

    Ishta''s tone was deadly, and the Informant left the room without further prompting.

    Ishta picked another glass and smashed it in his anger, "Nobody refuses a deal with me! It is my Company''s right and destiny to be number one in the world, no upstart is going to stop me from that!"

    Ishta Alamone was the Lord and Master of the Southern district of Kalle in the country of Dagglen. He had been the Lord and Master since the age of 10 when his father had passed on before his time.

    At least, that was Dagglen''s polite way of saying he''d been betrayed and killed in the process. It was how most Lords of the eight districts of Dagglen passed on their titles. So then, how had the then 10 year old son succeeded a father who was betrayed and murdered? Well, their were many speculations about that...Ishta never confirmed nor denied any of them. A people fearful of what he did at 10 would be terrified of what he could do as a man should he be crossed. Still, he may have been an arrogant and terrifying bastard, but he was also the one who had brought Kalle riches in the last two decades. Enough riches to compete with the Sovereign of Dagglen. The Shah, Leopold Surren. They say even the great Shah didn''t want to get on Ishta''s bad side.

    This Traders Festival was supposed to be Ishta''s triumph. The time when he finally proved that his efforts had culminated in the greatest Trade Company of the known world. Yet his spotlight had been stolen by some upstart carving pictures into useless Evanine Crystals.

    When they had first appeared, Ishta had ordered his people to carve the charms too, but no matter how they carved it, they never produced the same results. There must have been some secret to the process, something they were missing. Yet even when Ishta had generously offered 10% of the profits from charms made by the original carver, they had still refused. All they had to do was hand over the method, but it seemed that this group was not as smart as their invention would suggest.

    No one crossed Ishta Alamone on his road to success, no one.

    "Illai," Ishta spoke.

    A figure seemed to fold from the shadows, a small pool of water dripping from around them as they did. Like the shadows themselves were made of liquid.

    "Master".

    The figure''s face was covered, but it was clearly a man from his tone. Ishta glared out across the room where his informant had left, "Find out what you can. I want to know everything about this man".

    "As you wish".

    The man seemed to splash into the shadows, like a fish diving back into water, and they suddenly reverted back to how they were before, leaving nothing but a damp patch on the ground.

    If Rassa had seen this, he may have been able to pick out what this figure was. As it is Rassa had felt a disturbance, but had simply assumed it was any other Magician. After all, a Hybrid Magician was a rare thing, and a strange existence certainly.

    Meanwhile, Ishta turned back to his dinner, it''s lavish appeal looking like no more than dirt to him. Miss Startree was proving to be more of a problem than he''d originally foreseen. That husband of hers had been useless when it came to living, but he''d certainly given his dear wife everything he could before he succumed to the disease that had made him so sickly since birth. And what had his dear wife asked for? A Star Pavillion, the only one besides the Emperor''s in the Eldovian Empire. The sickly sap had handed over such a precious and sacred place without second thoughts.

    A place where one could communicate with the gods, now her private playground. Ishta had thought her nothing more than a spoilt child until she''d started earning a name for herself in the trade world. In his world. But that just made him wonder...

    What did a little merchant''s daughter want with a Star Pavillion?

    And now she wanted a slice of that Charm Business pie. The bigger piece no doubt.

    He would not stand for it. Not when he''d worked this hard for this long. That pie was his, slice and all.

 Chapter 147 A New Collection of Charms

    Rassa was nervous. He rarely felt that way now. It was a foreign feeling, one that unnerved him even more just because he was feeling it. Still, no matter how nervous or jittery he managed to get, he didn''t regret making Falla sign the agreement before telling her the whole truth. She surely would have hesitated if she knew the full extent of how disadvantaged they were.

    They were a new company, so newly established that their business, the rumour generator though it was, was not known beyond Rouke Island. Because of this, Rassa had thought that Falla was hesitate at least a little, but despite that, she''d invested anyway. Rassa couldn''t decide if he was daring or stupid, but what he was nervous about now was the moment she realised the true extent of his business world abilities.

    Comparatively, the business world felt just like when he''d been stuck in anthrite chains. He had the knowledge and the skills, but they were untested, unused. He was also not as in control as when dealing with his blood-given abilities. No, the business world was largely out of his control, something Rassa was becoming more and more aware of. It did not feel good to not be in control. That felt like the hunger going out of control, and it was not an outcome anyone would desire.

    So, as Rassa waited inside the almost completed second storey of The Ruin, which Rassa had not bothered to rename because everyone was just used to it, he could not help the pacing.

    "You''re going to wear a hole in your new floor," Aegin commented, clearly amused.

    Rassa couldn''t help the very slight hiss that escaped his lips. He was too on edge. Aegin sighed upon hearing it, wiping the smile off his face as he turned to fully face Rassa from where he lay, relaxing.

    "She signed the agreement, she can''t back out without repercussions," Aegin said, "Besides, she didn''t seem like the type to go back on her word".

    He was right of course. He and Falla had agreed that they''d both changed since they were children, but Falla had never been one to break a promise, a deal. It was something that had been ingrained in her from her father.

    Ebony walked in then, the room they were using had become Rassa''s office for the time being, and so if there was a chance of finding him, it was likely he was there. Rassa had gotten used to seeing her in a dress. It was strange to think that in five days she''d likely have to go back to pretending to be a man.

    She was holding a writing pad which she promptly handed over the Rassa.

    "The list of Charms you wanted," she said.

    Rassa sighed as he took it. He''d included six different types of charms. Enough to generate interest but not enough to saturate the market. He''d be debating with Falla today what the base prices of each should be.

    The Protection and Truth Charms were included, but Rassa hadn''t included the Tracking Charm. That took too much work and intricacies, besides the fact that Rassa didn''t want someone to work out how to take advantage of the system he''d created. After all, despite all of the restrictions and instructions he''d given, it was still possible for someone to take advantage of it. It was why he''d instructed everyone given the charms to keep quiet about their properties.

    The other four charms were as follows;

    A Healing Charm, which had the ability to heal any minor cuts or bruises it came into contact with. Rassa figured that making it any more powerful would be too much for the mist held within the charm itself.

    A Sealing Charm, capable of magically sealing rooms or boxes that it touched, though it depended entirely on the size of the room and the size of the entrances.

    The Unsealing Charm, the exact opposite of the sealing charm. Unfortunately this presented unlawful possibilities, so the sale of these would be restricted. Though Rassa had placed on the charm a rune that meant this charm could only be used in concert with the Sealing Charm.

    Finally, the Clarity Charm. It could be used in one of two ways that was often up to the interpretation of both the mist and the holding. It could either make one''s vision better, or, it could clear one''s mind of unnecessary thoughts and worries. Perfect for meditation.

    Rassa hadn''t initially thought of the mind part of it, but the Rune for Clarity had a deeper meaning than he had initially suggested. Much like many others of the runes.

    "Are you sure about this?" asked Ebony. She''d protested to the unsealing Charm, it''d been why Rassa had placed the second rune on it regarding it only being used in concert with the Sealing Charm. He admitted that she had raised a good point. The Unsealing Charm posed a massive threat to any locks, especially considering that many weren''t all that complicated, you just needed to right key. A Key to unlock all doors��Ebony had thought it was an advantaged best kept in their own camp, and the others had readily agreed.

    "I''m sure," Rassa replied, "Though the base prices are sure to be quite something".

    "I don''t know," Ebony replied, "Falla seems at least reasonable. Not overly greedy like that Ishta man. You should have seen what he asked for it, he practically wanted us to give consent for him to rob us. What did he expect us to do? Unlock the door and invite him and skip out with crate after crate of charms? Ridiculous".

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    Rassa couldn''t deny that. Still, he''d heard rumours about Ishta Alamone. A noble, and a very influential one at that. Not to mention his achievements. Rassa had to admit that the man may have been ruthless, but he''d managed to do what many had not even thought possible. The man had a right to be arrogant, but his greed may have been getting to his head.

    Rassa paused in his pacing, turning to face the window. He could hear the carriage making it''s way down the street now, Falla and her closest council within.

    What would she think of the place he''d managed to make? If they considered the street it was situated on, there was certainly much to be questioned. This abandoned slum of a district was an eyesore in Port Lace, few but the poor and depraved ventured here. Yet the Ruin in the past week had evolved to begin resembling the storefront shops in the business district. Perhaps not as grand or elegant, but imposing nonetheless. It stuck out like a sore thumb on the street it was situated on. Or perhaps it was just like a diamond amongst coal. Either way, it was a good thing that Rassa had a one-of-a-kind product, otherwise it was unlikely that anyone who could actually afford his products would risk making the trip.

    "She''s here?" asked Aegin.

    Rassa nodded.

    Ebony sighed, "I''ll make some tea. I trust you can escort her here without becoming a jittery mess?"

    Rassa turned to glare at Ebony, a hiss on the tip of his tongue. Ebony glared back, and Rassa snapped his mouth shut, turning away. She was right. Of course she was. Urgh, it was frustrating.

    "I''m fine".

    "Sure you are," Ebony replied with a roll of her eyes, "Good to know that even monsters can get nervous".

    Aegin chuckled, "Nervous about women?"

    Rassa rolled his eyes, "Come on, let''s go".

    He figured it was better not to address that problem.

 Chapter 148 A Truth Bomb

    ''Diamond amongst Coal'' was probably to generous in describing The Ruin. At least in Falla''s opinion. But that wasn''t to say that it didn''t have potential. It was the best-looking place on the street, though the street was for all intents and purposes, full of unsavoury folk who preferred the shadows. It was not until she got closer that Falla realised the place wasn''t completely constructed. Still, it Rassa had only purchased the place recently, he''d done well to get it this far in such a short time, and it looked sturdy too.

    Layn was not so optimistic, "Are you sure about this Miss Falla?"

    "It''s a bit late to be asking me that, Layn," Falla sighed, "We''ve already signed the contract, we must keep our word".

    Layn sighed, "Yes, Miss Falla. Though please note I am not optimistic about this venture".

    "I will do so," Falla smiled.

    Layn had been her late husband''s assistant before he became Falla''s. Over the several months the three of them had spent together, Layn had grown to understand and respect Falla, as young as she was. He was a good decade older than Falla, older than her late husband by half that. Still, he''d been quick to reassess his judgements of her age when he''d seen the scale of the Evanine Crystal Mine she''d managed to come into possession of.

    To put it simply, it was a good thing the mine was underground, or else it would have been difficult to hide it.

    The carriage came to a halt, and Rassa walked out into the daylight right on time, his hood up to shield his eyes. Most would think of this as him lacking any decorum, but Falla was just used to it. She could hardly imagine what Rassa looked like without his hood during the day anymore.

    Layn alighted from the carriage first, turning to help Falla down. Falla looked up to the Ruin, as Rassa had told her it was called, and then to Rassa.

    "It''s certainly new," she commented.

    Rassa sighed, "Good morning".

    "Morning," she replied, stepping forwards to greet him as he led her inside.

    "I suppose a tour is in order first," Rassa said.

    "That would be nice, yes," Falla replied.

    Their conversation was quick and to the point. It was also somehow awkward and not at the same time. Layn had been thinking to make his own greeting as well, but seeing their interactions he''d simply snapped his mouth shut and kept quiet.

    The three of them entered through the main doors, greeted by a large room with half-constructed shelves around. They appeared to be bookshelves, but their shelves were slanted down and they had glass panes blocking them from being touched.

    "The store," Rassa stated, "The shelves have all been constructed to both display the charms and to keep them from the public. Each glass pane can only be unlocked be removed by a staff member, who are only to do so should a purchase be evident".

    "How many charms are you selling?" asked Falla.

    The room was quite large, to fill the entire thing with the Protection Charms seemed pretty boring.

    "Six," Rassa replied, and he handed over a list, "They''ll be arranged by size and I thought of selling accessories as well to compliment the Charms. Perhaps pouches and the like to hold them".

    "Not Jewellery?" asked Falla, "After all that is what the crystals are currently used for".

    "We could sell Jewellery, but I don''t have anyone amongst my people who specialise in inlaying gems. Besides, the charms are most affective when they touch the skin of the person who wishes to invoke them. Putting a metal barrier in the way could inhibit them from working," Rassa replied.

    "Then why the pouches?" asked Falla.

    "You can take them out of the pouches," Rassa replied.

    "And you can touch the gems inlaid in jewellery," Falla argued back.

    Rassa sighed, "It would be better not to inlay charms that already have runes on them. "If you do the inlay before they hold a rune, it would be better".

    Falla gave a very business-like nod, "I''ll explore it and get back to you".

    She didn''t deal in jewellery either.

    They moved through the rest of the first floor, stopping at the rear work area where Kit was working on drawing the runes on paper. He still hadn''t been allowed to mark actual crystals. He was not bothered by that though, he''d watched Rassa draw the runes before, and knew that mistakes were not tolerated. He''d rather perfect his drawing before he started marking.

    "I thought you said he was capable of marking the runes," said Falla, eyes narrowing.

    "I said he''d be capable by the end of the festival," Rassa replied.

    Falla surveyed Rassa for the moment, and his confident expression released a breath, "Are you not afraid that I''ll reveal your training methods by seeing him".

    "It''ll be useless anyway," Rassa stated.

    "Why is that?" asked Falla.

    Rassa was silent for a moment, then spoke, knowing he could not hide the fact from her any longer, "Because an ordinary human can''t draw runes. You need a Magician".

    Falla was silent for a moment, "I see".

    She seemed neither disappointed at his witholding of the truth, nor angry. Instead, she considered it as objectively as possible, and concluded that despite her surprise and this information being sprung on her after the contract was signed, she could not fault Rassa for it.

    "Is magic required?" asked Falla.

    Rassa shook his head, "Not to mark the Runes, you just need a specific tool for that. The reason you need a Magician is because they can read and understand the Mist".

    Falla nodded, "So Kit is..."

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    "A Shadow Magician, quite a skilled one at that," Rassa stated, "Especially at his age and being untrained. I was surprised no one had found him, but he had no desire to leave and jumped at the chance to learn the runes".

    Falla nodded again, "I suppose it is a good thing that I have six months to find a candidate to train, isn''t it?"

    Rassa couldn''t help the small smile on his lips, "I''m sure you''ll find somebody. You seem apt at getting what you want".

    "Clearly not with everything," Falla stated, "But then, you seem even better at getting what you want".

    "After years of not getting what you want, you can go one of two ways," Rassa replied, "Either you accept that reality, or you completely reject it".

    Falla sighed, "Shall we proceed with the tour? I saw a second floor".

    Rassa nodded, "There is indeed".

    Now that that was out of the way, hopefully the rest of their business would go smoothly.

 Chapter 149 A Captains Decisions

    Jeremiah, after nearly a month on the Island of Rouke, was itching to get back out on the open ocean. He''d had to deal with Griffith and all of the trade politics that came along with it. In essence, it was something he''d rather not deal with. Unlike all of the other traders that seemed to congregate on Touke Island, Jeremiah was not in this business for the coin. He was in it for the adventure. He cared not how much money he made, so long as he could sail where he pleased it was enough.

    When he''d met Rassa...there had been a kind of desire in the boy''s eyes. A desire to care about something, to find something to want. When he''d displayed his intelligence in that card game, well both of those were reason enough for Jeremiah to invest in the kid''s future.

    Now however, when Rassa, Aegin and ebony hadn''t been back since they''d unceremoniously dumped their massive profits in his office, Jeremiah couldn''t help but think to regret his decision. Those kids had only just begun to experience the world and they''d taken to it so damn well they''d practically forgotten about him.

    Jeremiah wasn''t usually one to be so attached to his crew. They were good people, but they came and went. Only those whose desires aligned with Jeremiah''s were guaranteed to stay. Jeremiah was just fine with that, but for some reason, he''d liked those kids. He''d liked that despite the trouble he''d seen in their eyes, they''d wanted to move forward. The fact that they were doing it together had also touched a soft spot in Jeremiah, one he usually didn''t let out.

    So now, two days before he was due to sail The Miranda for the Southern Continent, Jeremiah couldn''t help but think about those kids and how they were getting on...and in doing so, feel just that little bit bitter.

    As if his very thoughts had conjured them up, the three of them appeared on the dock that morning as Jeremiah surveyed the daily chores and preparations of the crew from the Quarter Deck.

    "Well, well, well," Midas remarked from the main deck, looking down the gang plank at where the three stood on the dock, "Look who finally decided to show up for work".

    Rassa gave a little shrug, "Our assignment took longer than expected".

    Midas turned to look up at Jeremiah. That quick look was enough between the two of them. Midas sighed and motioned towards Jeremiah.

    "Go on up, Captain wants a word," Midas stated.

    "Yes, sir," they replied quickly as they made their way up to where Jeremiah stood.

    They were silent as they waited for Jeremiah to speak, daring not to say a word. Jeremiah would have compared them to timid mice, but they were more confident than they''d been a month ago, more domineering.

    "Made your fortunes now?" asked the Captain, "Come to gloat?"

    Rassa scoffed, "A fortune perhaps, but not one we''re ready or willing to gloat about. Sure way to make some enemies".

    "From what I hear, you''ve already made some," Jeremiah sighed as he turned to face them.

    Rassa frowned, "Who?"

    "Some of the crew were questioned about you yesterday, didn''t know the man who did it, but they said he had a strange air about him," said Jeremiah, "Of course, none of us really know you so I can''t say the information given was accurate if any was given at all".

    "I see," Rassa replied, "Then I take it you don''t want us bringing trouble back to your ship then?"

    "Trouble?" asked Jeremiah, "We all make trouble one way or another. Its a reality you''ve got to accept with age. Everyone makes trouble at some point in their lives, usually its whether or not they''re given a second chance that makes them".

    "Don''t understand how we failed the first, you should see the six chests of gold we just dropped off at the Token place," Aegin grumbled.

    Jeremiah sighed, "A fair point, you going out on your own was outside of my calculations. But still, if you have indeed accumulated that fortune why would you come back here?"

    There three of them looked at one another before Ebony spoke up, "Because if we stopped at our first detination, could we really call it a journey?"

    Jeremiah couldn''t help but smirk at the line, "You, young lady, should be making more of an effort to avoid a place like this ship. I can''t imagine what those socialites will say about decorum".

    "Why do I care what they think? If they prefer it locked up in their homes with a needle and thread to occupy their time with the occaisional lavish party, they can go right ahead. But I''ve spent my fair share in a similar situation, and I can''t think of anything worse," Ebony grumbled, crossing her arms over her chest.

    Jeremiah chuckled, "Gods, the man you end up with is sure to be quite someone".

    Ebony blushed ever so slightly, suddenly quiet. The man she ended up with? Between leaving Eldovia and starting a business she hadn''t exactly had a spare second to think about such a thing. And what about Aegin? Gods, what about Rassa? What kind of life would it be to know that you''re going to outlive your spouse? Ebony would rather not be with anyone if she knew that she''d be rubbing it in Rassa''s face the whole time.

    "Very well, so I can assume then that you want your spots on the crew back?"

    The three nodded, Jeremiah sighed then pointed at Ebony, "You''ll take Aaron''s Quarters. I won''t have a woman down in the bowels with those men".

    "But I-"

    "You can''t keep it up indefinitely," Jeremiah sighed, "Try being yourself, you''ll find its a lot more freeing".

    Rassa couldn''t help flinching at that. He''d felt that freedom, now he was about to go back to hiding what he was. He looked at Aegin and Ebony who were both looking at him.

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    "You can report tomorrow afternoon, we sail with the tide the next morning," said Jeremiah, turning to walk back to his office.

    "What about the ranking ball?" asked Ebony.

    Jeremiah scoffed, "I care little about that".

    "Captain," Rassa stepped forward to follow, "Can I...have a word?"

    Jeremiah paused, glancing at Rassa, then at Aegin and Ebony who paused for a moment before turning to walk away. Clearly this was something that Rassa had talked to them about previously, either that or they just knew what it was about.

    "Come in then," Jeremiah said.

    Rassa followed Jeremiah inside.

    He''d come this far being honest about who he was. If Jeremiah could accept a woman on his ship...even though it was a leap, surely he could accept someone like Rassa.

 Chapter 150 A Ship, a Captain and a Vampire

    If he was being honest, as soon as Rassa stepped into the Captain''s office he was on the verge of turning right back around and walking out. He''d thought it prudent that the Captain know his condition, but talking about it...Rassa hadn''t ever been in a situation where he needed to explain himself. Because, with Jeremiah being in the position he was, there was no doubt he''d want an explanation.

    Rassa could omit things of course, he was well within his rights to do so. But he also knew that the Captain had a way about him that allowed the man to know exactly when someone was hiding something from him. If the Captain thought that Rassa was hiding something when Rassa''s condition was laid out plain to see...he might very well ask that Rassa leave the ship for fear of something happening to his crew. Rassa could respect that. But at the same time, he had no intention of lying about what he was anymore. He could blend in as much as he wanted, but there would be always be somebody that found out. Somebody that protested against his existence. It was time he accepted that and move forward. He''d dwelled in the past long enough.

    But all these things are easier said than done. The first step is saying them.

    "So," Jeremiah said as he rounded his desk, Rassa closing the door behind him as he stepped inside the office, "What do you have to say?"

    Jeremiah could see those troubles in Rassa''s eyes. The troubles he''d seen in that alley back when they''d first spoken.

    "I think if you are intent on Ebony being herself, it should probably follow that I should be truthful about myself," Rassa replied.

    Jeremiah crossed his arms over his chest, "Alright, out with it then".

    Yep. Definitely easier said than done. It''d been easy with Sharli, Iah and the others at the Ruin because Rassa hadn''t known them that well. He''d known only that they were going to be working under him, and that had given Rassa some thin form of reassurance that they wouldn''t reject him. With Jeremiah it was the opposite. Jeremiah was the boss and Rassa was the employee. It was intimidating. The monster beneath Rassa''s skin shivered in annoyance. It was not created to be submissive. How dare this lowly creature try to intimidate it.

    Rassa sighed, pushing that voice down. It''d gotten easier as he''d come to accept more of himself, but it was still hard to ignore his instincts. He was a predator afterall.

    Moving forward, Rassa took a seat to the side without being invited, if only so that when Jeremiah heard the truth of it, Rassa might appear smaller - that and not be in the way of the only exit to the room.

    "I was born human," Rassa began, "But I am not anymore. I was altered. Altered in an irreversible way. That alteration has led many to fear me, to chain and imprison me, to use me for their own selfish desires. I have seen and felt more cruelty in the last six years that I wager you''ve experienced in your entire life. It is only recently that I have tried to move beyond it. To find my way in a world that does not accept me nor know how to".

    Jeremiah listened, eyes narrowed as he took in Rassa''s words. Rassa could tell he was trying to read between the lines that Rassa had drawn. To try and figure out what cruelties had been done to him. Rassa had thought he could say it aloud when he walked in, but the more the words spilled from his mouth the less okay he was with sharing that part of himself. With talking about what had happened to him.

    "Why do they fear you?" asked Jeremiah.

    "I would like to think it is because they do not understand me, but that is not entirely true," Rassa said, "They understand one thing, and they have narrowed their minds around that so quickly that they haven''t had a chance to see anything else. So if I tell you the danger I pose to those on this ship, will you narrow your mind?"

    Jeremiah continued to look at Rassa for a moment before the man sighed and moved to lean on the large meeting table across from Rassa''s chair, "Narrow minds aren''t very useful in this business, but I cannot tell you a definite answer until you tell me what it is that is so dangerous about you".

    Rassa could see the logic in that. He liked that Jeremiah was honest. There were few of those men he''d met in his life.

    "They fear my diet," Rassa stated, "I drink blood you see, straight from the source".

    There was silence for a moment, as if Jeremiah hadn''t expected that answer. He probably hadn''t, he seemed noticably surprised. But there was no fear in his eyes. That was a good start.

    "Blood?"

    "Yes," Rassa replied, "Once a day at most, and only about a glass full".

    For a moment, Jeremiah looked to be contemplating where Rassa got the blood from, then the line ''straight from the source'' registered, "I see".

    As realisation dawned in Jeremiah''s eyes, Rassa tensed. Was this it? Was he going to be kicked off the ship?

    "You...fed on my crew?" asked Jeremiah.

    "They have no idea," Rassa said quickly, "It''s one of my abilities".

    "Abilities?"

    Rassa nodded, "A Vampire, what I am, is one of the magical races. We have Life Lines and therefore abilities".

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    "So you can...make them unaware of you?" asked Jeremiah.

    "No it''s more...a very strong persuasion".

    Jeremiah didn''t know how he felt about that, but thankfully Rassa''s actions had ensured that no one was in panic on his vessel.

    "Any other abilities I should know about?" asked Jeremiah.

    Rassa hesitated.

    Jeremiah sighed, "Nevermind, I know magical races aren''t inclined to share".

    Jeremiah stood and paced his office, Rassa waiting impatiently and in a very tense state for Jeremiah to make his decision. Finally, Jeremiah paused and turned to Rassa.

    "Can you promise that you will not harm my crew?"

    Rassa nodded, "Of course. The crew isn''t in any danger from me unless I''m locked away and starved".

    Jeremiah could sense another story there, but from the look in Rassa''s eyes decided not to pry.

    "And they will continue to remain unaware?" asked Jeremiah.

    Rassa realised that Jeremiah had no intention of informing the rest of the crew about Rassa''s condition. Likely Rassa would have to continue to hide from them. It was not ideal, but Rassa could understand why Jeremiah would want that. He agreed, "I can do that".

    "Then I will ferry you to the Southern Continent, but if anything happens, you will be held responsible. I cannot speak for the rest of the crew in this decision which is why I would prefer if you to kept quiet about it," Jeremiah stated. Then he frowned, "You can still eat normal food, you''ve been seen doing so".

    Rassa grimaced, "I prefer not to".

    Jeremiah sighed, "I don''t know how else we can get around that..."

    "Well...if it helps, I much prefer night time. I''m happy to be on perpetual night watch, that should somewhat limit my interactions with the crew," Rassa replied, "And I won''t see them at meal times".

    Jeremiah raised an eyebrow, "That why the hood is a permanent feature?"

    Rassa nodded, "Sunlight hurts my eyes".

    Jeremiah sighed, "I''ll let Midas know about the night watch then. You report tomorrow for your first watch".

    Rassa nodded again, standing, "Thankyou, Captain".

    Jeremiah shook his head, "I can''t say I''m completely convinced, but anyone who comes up with something like drinking blood is either insane or a very divergent individual. You''re not insane, you''re too lucid and intelligent for that".

    Rassa shook his head, "Can''t say I agree with either of those. I could be both for all I know. I haven''t really had the chance to figure it out".

    Jeremiah sighed, "Alright, off with you. I''m assuming you''ll at least use some of that coin at the auction tonight".

    Rassa wasn''t sure about that. But he was sure that the last 100 Protection Charms were going to be a gold mine.

 Chapter 151 A World-Class Auction

    "Are you sure about this?" asked Ebony, "I really don''t get why we''d need anything from there anyway. We''re only going to be stepping on the toes of bigger and more powerful people if we bid on anything".

    "Who said anything about bidding?" asked Aegin.

    "I wouldn''t hesitate to bid if it was something I wanted," Rassa piped up.

    "That''s my point," Ebony sighed, "Please don''t be impulsive".

    "I am never impulsive," Rassa scoffed.

    "Sure," Aegin smirked, "And I don''t spend my spare time napping".

    Rassa spun to face Aegin, "Whose side are you on?"

    Aegin raised his hands in surrender, "I''m just pointing out that you can, in fact, be impulsive when you want something".

    "When? Name one time".

    "Well, there was that time when you decided to control a fire and lead a stranger right onto your trail," Aegin began.

    "Or that time when you tripped up a man in a bar just because he was being an a**hole".

    "Or when-"

    "I said one".

    Ebony and Aegin hid smiles behind their hands like two scheming children and Rassa couldn''t help rolling his eyes. Children, the both of them. Was he really that impulsive? He hadn''t thought he was. Now that he thought about it though, perhaps he was. His Vampiric instincts leaking out and making him go after what he wanted like the world was his playground. Like there weren''t any consequences for his actions. Perhaps he should try and reel that impulse in a little more. If only to protect those closer to him.

    "Fine, I won''t bid without consulting you first".

    Ebony sighed, knowing that was the best she''d get.

    The three of them had been invited to join Falla''s party on the first floor of the Auction Hall. It was the same hall they''d used for the performance mid-festival, but this time their seating was on the lowest floor with other lesser known trading firms. Rassa hadn''t noticed the last time, but the floor he''d been on previously was for those of the highest teir. Then, he and Ebony had been guests of the Tokens, this time, they were guests of Apple Tree Trading. Rassa could see the merit in this teir system, but he also felt that it didn''t really matter where one sat in this instance, the thing that spoke the most was money.

    Layn met them at the entrance and escorted them to where Falla was waiting.

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    "I''m glad you could make it," Falla smiled.

    "It seemed to be an event we''d be silly to miss," Ebony replied.

    Falla nodded, "Indeed, The Rouke Island Auction is a World-Class Auction. Only those on the top teir will truly know what some of the items are for sale are, mostly because they have ears and eyes everywhere. The rest of us can only rely on rumours".

    "Any interesting rumours around this year''s auction?" asked Rassa.

    "None that will surprise you, I think," Falla replied, "A few Vanguard, some charms, a few Evanine Crystal Mines".

    Rassa''s eyes narrowed, "If the Evanine crystals are just beginning to become so popular, why sell them?"

    "For the same reason I won''t ever willing give away information regarding the mine in my possession," Falla replied, "If these powerful entities all want to dip their hand into the pot, exactly how are those below them going to keep thwacking their hands away with out causing damage? Better they get the biggest profit out of it now than have to deal with the problems keeping one for themselves and not being able to maintain it may cause".

    Falla made a good point, but she always illustrated the fact that she herself was clearly unprepared for any onslaught.

    "Are you-"

    "For now, and I have six months to work out a better plan than my current one," Falla gave a half-hearted smile.

    "While I hate to point it out, you do not sound confident," Aegin piped up.

    Falla sighed, "Well losing my husband was rather straining in the level of manpower I had at my command. My-"

    "Wait, husband? You''re married?" asked Rassa, surprised. Falla was only a few months older than himself. He supposed it was not strange than she was married, but her husband must be quite tolerant to allow Falla to run a business of her own.

    "I was," Falla replied, "He died".

    Rassa raised his eyebrows, then turned away awkwardly, "I''m sorry".

    Falla gave a soft laugh, "It''s okay. It was some time ago now. I did love him, but his death was inevitable, I knew that when I married him".

    "Then why would you...?"

    "His family was quite influential, I caught their attention as an eligible maiden who was fertile. My husband was their own living heir, and they hoped that by marrying him off they could get a new heir before he passed on," Falla admitted, "Alas, it was not to be. He was too unwell. The few lucid moment he had he could not bring himself to put the stress of raising such an important child alone on my shoulders. His family disagreed with this, but by the time they discovered his hesitation, it was too late. The only reason I am allowed the freedom I am is because they don''t want to look upon their failure of a daughter-in-law".

    Rassa frowned, "Then you..."

    "I barely have contact with them, it is almost as if that part of my life never happened. If not for Layn, I wouldn''t have any contact with that family at all," Falla admitted, turning to face Rassa, "If it our business that you are worried about, don''t be, they will not interfere".

    Rassa was about to protest, but he was interrupted by the stage light coming on and the auctioneer walking out enthusiastically to welcome the crowd.

    "Good evening and welcome, ladies and gentlement, those of title and those of merchant status, we come together today to celebrate the great tradition of Rouke Island''s World-Class Trader''s Auction!"

    A round of applause followed and Rassa relaxed back into his seat. Falla seemed to visibly relax, clearly, despite her words, talking about her married life and her husband''s family was not a comforting subject for her.

    "We have many items to get through today from across the world, and I certainly can''t wait to get started. But first of course, the rules," the auctioneer stated, "At the beginning of every auctioned item, the base price will be stated as well as the minimum price that each bid can raise the amount by. Your paddle numbers should have been handed to you on your way in. Should you exceed the maximum worth you stated, you will immediately be removed from the bidding and the price will fall back to the last bidder. Now, without further ado, let us start with Item number 1".

    The item in question was wheeled out onto the stage and the auctioneer removed the red cloth covering to reveal what appeared to be an ornamental white jade fox about the size of a book.

    "This first item comes from the southern continent, a fox carved from white jade. The..."

    As the auctioneer did his job and spun stories to draw intrigue and coin from the crowd, Rassa''s head tilted to the side ever-so-slightly. The mist was reacting to that fox, reacting in a way that truly stumped Rassa. He could not make heads or tails of the object.

    Then, something flashed in his vision so fast that he was not entirely sure he''d seen it, even with his sense. Then, to the side of the stage he caught the figure of a young woman, hair of sunburnt orange that was tied up elegantly atop her head and held in place with various pins. Her skin was pale and smooth like marble, her lips red and plump. She wore traditional clothing from the southern continent, and despite its restricting nature she didn''t seem in the least bit bothered by it. But what caught Rassa''s attention was not the woman''s clear beauty, it was the twitching ears atop her head, and the six sunburnt orange and white-tipped tails that emerged from the base of her spine. She paused for a moment, and Rassa registered the white jade fox that was held in her hands, then she gave a shrill laugh that both chilled and enchanted the audience as it echoed through the auction hall. Then, like a breath of air, she was gone.

    The Auctioneer looked at the now bare trolley in shock, "It..g-g...Thief! Thief in the Auction Hal!"

    Chaos erupted.

 Chapter 152 A Stolen Item?

    Protests and exclamations of shock arose from the crowd quickly. This was a World-Class Auction, how could Rouke Island allow their security to be so lax as to allow an item to disappear so quickly?

    "I''ve never seen anything quite like it," Falla frowned, "One moment the item is before us and the next it is not? Sounds like a Magician''s work".

    Aegin raised an eyebrow at Rassa, who had stood upon seeing the fox girl disappear, "What?"

    "Did you see?" asked Rassa.

    "That''s what we were saying, no one saw who took it. It was as if we all imagined it to be there," Aegin frowned.

    "No, not the statue, the thief," Rassa insisted, "Did you see her?"

    Ebony turned to Rassa, "You mean you did?"

    "Of course, I-"

    Rassa paused, unsure how to describe her. By the looks of her, it was unlikely any of them would be able to catch her. Rassa pulled on the shadows around himself, "I''ll be back".

    Falla, Aegin and Ebony all watched as Rassa seemed to sink into the floor beneath their seats before he was gone without a trace.

    Falla seemed the most surprised, she had yet to see Rassa use this skill of his, and so was ready to comment on it before she realised that Ebony and Aegin had barely blinked. Clearly, this was an ability Rassa had used often before.

    In a shadowed corner of the hall, the shadows themselves seemed to bend and change as they rose from the ground, solidifying into the form of a pale young man with dark eyes that pierced the night around him with ease. There were no witnesses as the man tilted his head to the side to focus his hearing, then scented the air for his prey. Grinding his teeth in frustration, he disappeared back into the shadows again.

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    Again, he appeared further up the mountain, using his senses to survey the surrounding area. But nothing alerted him and seemed out of the ordinary. Again at the base of the mountain.

    Rassa grew frustrated. His senses had never failed him before. Why now of all times? He turned to meld into the shadows once more, only to feel the shift in the wind and a light and evocative scent invade his nose.

    A giggle rose up.

    "Aren''t you a determined one..."

    Rassa spun to face the voice, then stepped back as a set of claws much like his own swiped for his face. He hissed, feeling his fangs lengthen in anticipation of the fight this woman was asking for.

    He paused a few steps away from her as she delicately twirled in place to face him, her eyes mischeivious and arrogant as they perused him.

    "Ooh, scary".

    She giggled and lunged forward. Rassa growled and did the same, meeting her claw for claw. She was very light on her feet, practically dancing around him. It made Rassa''s elegant moves look like that of a barbarian. Rassa flicked the shadows in her direction to restrain her, and she grinned, her hand turning palm up as it cupped a blue flame that arose from her skin. The flame stung the shadows, warding them away.

    "Curious little thing aren''t you? Fighting claw with claw and now magic and magic, what else have you got in your little arsenal?" she grinned.

    Rassa gave way to his frustration, he let his instincts take him over as he lunged forward.

    The girl''s eyes widened as she saw him coming right for her, and then all of a sudden she disappeared. Vanished like she hadn''t been there before. Rassa felt his instincts fade in surprise, and he turned to survey the area around him. He stilled, waiting for an inevitable attack. After a moment of silence, he hissed.

    "Come out, fox," Rassa said, "You stole what does not belong to you".

    She reappeared gradually as her anger took her over, and Rassa sensed her just as she was within a few centimetres of stabbing him with her claws. He spun, catching her arms and spinning her before he slammed her against a nearby tree, trapping her there.

    She shrieked in rage, trying to turn but failing under Rassa''s strength.

    "Who are you, fox?"

    "I could ask the same of you!" she snapped, "How did you find me? You are no fox!"

    "You are in no position to ask questions, now who are you?"

    She struggled for a moment before relenting, breathing heavily as she spoke, "Just kill me. You have bested me so it is your right".

    Rassa frowned, "I don''t have any desire to kill you. I just want to know if you''re the fox the rumours were talking about in regards to the Fairy Forest".

    The fox froze, "What rumours?"

    "About the woman with fox ears and a tail who grants wishes," Rassa replied.

    The fox chuckled. Rassa frowned, his grip loosening in his confusion. The woman seemed to disappear again, breaking from his hold as the world suddenly turned darker around him, and gravestones began to rise from the earth. In the distance was a shrine, atop which was the jade fox statue that had been at the Auction. A shadow rose from the earth with a malicious grin and took the statue, then the fox girl appeared beside the empty shrine.

    "I took back what is rightfully mine and was stolen from me. Nothing else. Leave this matter and that of the Fairy Forest be, stranger. This is not a path you should tread. I sense you have already chosen your own".

    Then, just as quickly as the world had turned into a graveyard, Rassa found himself standing in the forest at the base of the mountain, alone.

    "Hey, wait!"

    There was no reply. Rassa growled and turned, punching the tree he had pinned the fox woman against. There was an almighty crack as the tree splintered and fell. Then the world was silent as Rassa tried to process what the hell had just happened.

    Meanwhile, in the Auction Hall, the only thing the audience was told after an hour was that the original owner had reclaimed the item and that if any of the owners wished to do the same, they should do so immeidately before the Auction began anew. Everyone there knew it was a false excuse, clearly the Auction Hall had no idea how this had happened either.

    Ebony, Falla and Aegin watched in silence for most of the night, Rassa did not return, but they did not worry. The Vampire had proven more than once that he could look after himself.

 Chapter 153 An Exchange

    "So you have no idea who it was?" Falla asked the next morning as the group sat down for tea in the Ruin. The second floor had been completed, and construction of the third floor had begun. It was not quite comfortable inside the Ruin, just less than a fortnight after it had been brought. If anyone else had been witness to its construction speed, they likely would have been astounded. That and untrusting as to its foundations. Falla had arrived early, she''d been informed the night before that Aegin, Ebony and Rassa were all leaving that afternoon to board a Token Trading Vessel to the Southern Continent. Falla was not sure it was a wise choice as there was still so much that needed to be done here, but nevertheless she did not argue.

    She had been able to tell that Rassa did not desire to have anywhere tie him down. It was a noble pursuit, but Falla also knew that it was unlikely he could keep up such a goal forever. One day, he would find a home, and find himself feeling all kinds of wrong at the prospect of leaving it behind.

    "No idea," Rassa replied, "She gave me no name. No other indication of who she was apart from the fact that she was the rightful owner of that statue. Even then I''ve got no idea how she showed me or what she showed me. I guess that could have been a lie too".

    "Still, a woman with the ears and tail of a fox? Even if it was a rumoured story that we''d heard before it sounds a bit outlandish," Aegin said, "In the Fairy Forest I guess it could pass, but here? In the Southern Isles? The most we may hear about is the merfolk, and they tend to keep to themselves anyway".

    Whilst Aegin had a point, Rassa knew what he''d seen.

    "Whether or not I saw her, or if she exists at all, she has left now with no clues I can easily decipher about her existence," Rassa replied, "If we happen to encounter her again in future then we''ll deal with it then".

    "Well said," Falla agreed, "Better not to dwell on something that disappeared out of our lives as fast as she appeared into it".

    "On that note," Rassa said as he produced a Tracking Charm and placed it on the bench before Falla, "This is my gift to you before we depart".

    Falla frowned, picking up the charm, "And what does this one do, I wonder?"

    "Put simply," Rassa said, "If you choose to use it, you will be able to find us if you need us just as we will be able to find you".

    Falla frowned, "Just like that?"

    Rassa nodded, "Some will power is involved but the charm will lead you to us if you need to find us".

    Falla looked at it a moment, "The implications of this..."

    "That''s why I''m giving you a choice," Rassa stated, "Kit, Iah, Ebony, Aegin, Sharli and I have all made a decision to mark a charm of our own. They all belong to the same sequence so we can find each other if need be. Yours is the last stone left unmarked for the sequence. If you decide to add yours to the sequence, you''ll be able to find any of us just as we will be able to find you. As far as I am aware, nobody is capable of tapping into that sequence and using it against us. That is not to say they won''t be able to one day, but even then they will need extensive knowledge of the sequence and of those in it, not to mention the ability to carve the runes".

    "And how long do you suppose it will take somebody to figure it out?" asked Falla.

    "A decade at least," Rassa replied, "As much as I would like to put faith in today''s Magicians, they are, simply put, a fragment of their former selves".

    "Former selves?" asked Falla.

    Rassa shrugged, "It''s a long story".

    Falla sighed, turning away upon knowing that Rassa would not share further. Then she gave a firm nod to show her resolve, "Very well, I accept".

    Rassa called Sharli, Iah and Kit to the room so that their own charms were present as Falla placed a drop of her blood on her own charm to add it to the sequence.

    The sequence completed, they all pocketed their charms and spoke of it no more.

    "How long will you be gone?" asked Falla.

    "Six months at least," said Rassa, "Though I don''t expect this journey will take years I haven''t ruled it off the table. There is so much of the world we have yet to see. It would be wasteful for me to abandon the opportunity".

    "Even with these people here waiting for your return?" asked Falla.

    "Why do you think I am leaving?" asked Rassa.

    Falla frowned, "Sorry?"

    Ebony leant forward, taking Falla''s hand gently, "Falla, Rassa is not like us. He will not simply grow old and die. He has a very, very long life ahead of him. Do you think it is fair of us to ask him to remain in a single place for all that time? He certainly views it as unfair for him to ask us to rely on him for our lifetimes. He is not leaving because he does not appreciate you, nor is he leaving because he does not want a friendship with anyone here. He is leaving because, quite simply, you should all live your own lives. He has given you the means to do so, what you do with it inevitably is up to you".

    Falla paused, taking in this new information before she looked at Aegin then back to Ebony, "Then why are the two of you going with him?"

    Aegin smirked, "Cause he can''t get rid of us even if he wants to".

    Ebony smiled in agreement, "Someone has to be a voice of reason".

    Falla sighed, seemingly considering this for a moment before she reached into her bag and pulled out a small box which she handed to Rassa, "A gift. It may be a little guady and extravagent, but I think it suits you".

    Rassa frowned, taking the box and removing the lid. Inside was a metal bracer about half the length of his forearm that was carved with curling lines and patterns. In the centre of the bracer however, was a flat gem stone that had been inlaid in the metal. Opaque with the slightest tinge of silvery blue in its colour. A moonstone.

    Rassa gave a small smile, "It''s beautiful, but you''re right, a little to gaudy for now".

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    "Just put it on," Ebony sighed, "You can hid it under your sleeve if you''re embarrassed".

    Rassa frowned at Ebony''s words. What did she know?

    Rassa decided not to question it. The group finished their tea and then bid farewell to Falla. The girl in Rassa''s mind had now become a strong and independent woman. He was happy for her, and perhaps, given time, he may become better at forgiving the child that was. Looking at the noonday sun, Rassa put on the bracer she had given him and slipped his shirt sleeve over the top. The weight of it felt comforting. Something he hadn''t felt for a long time.

 Chapter 154 A Charm Craftsman

    That afternoon, the last thing that Rassa came to check on was Kit. The young Shadow Magician had been working nearly non-stop on the projects that Rassa had given him. Frankly, many thought that it was unfair for Rassa to place so much strain on Kit, but Kit seemed to revel in it. He loved practicing his magic and learning the runes. Having a purpose felt freeing to Kit, so he had never once complained to Rassa or anyone else about the work he was doing.

    That afternoon, Rassa came to him with a small Evanine Crystal and pushed it into young Kit''s palm. Rassa said only two words then sat back and watched.

    "Show me".

    So Kit did.

    He took up the light element tool that Rassa had showed him, poised with it ready, cleared his mind of anything else, then activated the tool and watched as the mist solidified into place on the surface of the crystal, content in the job Kit was giving it.

    It seemed to be a lot of practice for just a few short moments, but that didn''t make the moment any less special to Kit when he placed the tool down and looked at his work. It was not as neat or precise as the ones Rassa had drawn, nor the ones Kit had drawn on paper, but Kit could tell just by looking at it that it worked. That the charm was functional.

    Rassa gave a small smile, "Well done".

    Kit grinned at the praise, "Does this mean I''m a Charm Craftsman now?"

    Rassa gave a small nod, "I suppose so, but that doesn''t mean you should slack off on your training".

    Kit gave a serious nod in reply, "Of course, Sir".

    Rassa shook his head, "What''s with this ''Sir'' business?"

    "Well," Kit began, "You are the one who bought the building I''m living in, and the one who taught me the runes and how to solidify the shadows...I think ''Sir'' is fitting".

    Rassa sighed, "Maybe when I come back you can call me by my name, huh? After all, you''ll surely be an expert by then".

    Kit grinned, "I don''t think anyone could be better than you".

    Rassa shrugged, "I don''t know. Charm carving isn''t really for me. Maybe you can take over one day?"

    Kit''s smile dimmed, "That doesn''t seem possible, Sir".

    Rassa rolled his eyes as he stepped forward, "Nevermind that now. What have I told you about what should happen whilst I''m gone?"

    "Protect the Ruin," Kit said, "Don''t teach the Runes to anyone but the one who signs the blood contract Miss Startree is in possession of".

    Rassa nodded, "And?"

    "And...is it really necessary?"

    Rassa nodded, "Of course".

    "And...if the Ruin falls, protect the mine Miss Startree has," Kit said, "Keep it in the shadows".

    Rassa nodded, "Good".

    "But what if another magician comes?"

    Rassa stood, looking over his shoulder at Kit, "I handed you a Tracking Charm for a reason, Kit. If you must use it, you must".

    Kit nodded solemnly. Then he stood and approached Rassa, wrapping his arms around Rassa''s middle. Rassa froze at the unexpected hug, then awkwardly pat the kid on the back.

    "Thank you," Kit said, "For teaching me. Please come back".

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    Rassa smiled, "Of course I''ll come back. It may take a while, but I will be back".

    Kit nodded, then stepped back.

    "Be good kid, listen to what Sharli tells you to do," Rassa instructed, then he turned and headed towards the front where Aegin and Ebony were gathering the last of their things.

    Ebony had made new clothes for herself. She was dressed in pants, a shirt and a jacket but they were shaped more to her feminine curves rather than how the men''s clothes she''d previously worn had tended to hide these things. She''d announced the day before when she''d shown them the clothes that there was no way in hell she was wearing a skirt if she had to scale the ratlines again. Aegin and Rassa weren''t bothered, but they couldn''t wait to see what Jeremiah had to say about it. Especially considering his recent, shortlived attempt to get her to dress in a more lady-like manner.

    Sharli and Iah waited by them, the two clearly looked nervous. As soon as Sharli saw Rassa, she stepped forward.

    "I really don''t think that-"

    "You looked after everyone here before I was here. You can do it again after I leave," Rassa said. She''d been getting nervous, unsure. It was clear that the pressure of Rassa''s Charm business was getting to her. Rassa and Ebony both had tried to reassure her alongside Iah, but eventually, Sharli had requested that she only manage those who lived there. That the business be left to those who were capable.

    Rassa had instead proposed that, if after training with Falla''s staff, that she still felt the same, then she could turn away and pass the management role to someone more suited. But until that point, she could train and not have to handle the business. After all, there was enough money in the vault to last them some time. Sharli, reluctantly, had agreed, but clearly she was having second thoughts now.

    "Sorry, Rassa," Iah sighed, "I tried to talk to her but-"

    "It''s okay," Rassa reassured the more level-headed sister before he turned back to Sharli, "The deal stands, you train first. At the very least you should become literate before you decide that things are too hard".

    Sharli sighed, nodding in agreement, "Thank you".

    Rassa turned back to Iah as Ebony stepped forward to comfort Sharli.

    "Is she really okay?" asked Rassa.

    Iah looked at her sister, then back at Rassa, "For now".

    Rassa nodded, "I know I don''t have to ask you to do so but-"

    "I know, she''ll be taken care of," Iah gave a small smile. She was so silent, always in the shadow of her sister. But it was clear that over the years, Iah had learned that that was where she was needed the most. Where she had the most purpose. A proper roof, food in their bellies, and money to spend would not change that.

    "Take care," Rassa said as he slung his bag over his shoulder, Ebony and Aegin joining him.

    "Of course," Sharli smiled, clearly Ebony had said something reassuring, "Safe travels".

    "Until we meet again," Rassa replied, then wrapped the shadows around himself and his companions, travelling to the external area of the Token Warehouse in Port Cresh.

    "Gonna be thankful I don''t have to do that for another couple of weeks," Aegin said as he breathed deeply. He didn''t like the shadow travel, he said it felt unnatural.

    Rassa sighed, "Come on, the Captain will be waiting".

 Chapter 155 A Dark Shade of Ink

    "Glad you could join us," Midas remarked as he welcomed the three of them on board, "I hear you''re on night duty, Rassa, so best you get some sleep for the next couple of hours so we don''t have you dozing off whilst on watch".

    "Aye, Sir," Rassa said, after which he bid farewell to Aegin and Ebony and disappeared below decks.

    Midas pointed Aegin in the direction of Jorl, who waved eagerly upon seeing a familiar face.

    "You get going, still got plenty to load and prepare before we set sail with the tide tomorrow morning," Midas said. Aegin gave a cautious glance to Ebony, but seeing the young woman boldly standing her ground, Aegin only gave a small grin and an acknowledgement of the order before he moved to do as he was told.

    After this, Midas turned to Ebony and looked her up and down, "Smart for not picking a skirt considering you''ll be in the crow''s nest. But won''t you be drawing more attention to yourself dressing like this?"

    "So the Captain approves of that behaviour on his vessel, does he?" Ebony cut back.

    Midas''s eyes narrowed, "You might be a woman, but you''re still a sailor under my command, get to helpin'' Isaac with the ropes".

    "Aye, Sir".

    Midas''s eyes followed her shortly before shaking his head and turning his eyes to the loaders.

    "Oy! Tie them right or risk ''em falling and breaking in the bilge! Like to see you idiots cleaning that up!"

    ***

    Rassa was woken from his barely dozing sleep just a few hours later. The sun had dipped below the horizon, and the rest of the crew were settling in for their evening meal. The Miranda sat low in the water, its hold full with the cargo it would be taking to the Southern Continent. From the smell, it was several barrels of wine, fabrics and jewellery.

    Rassa cared not for the cargo however, he wasn''t on this ship for that. Rassa made his way up to the foredeck at the front of the ship, making himself comfortable. With his senses, nobody would be able to sneak past him even if he dozed off. Still, as he leaned against the mast and surveyed the night celebrations happening in the Port, Rassa could not help but relax. It was a beautiful and charming atmosphere the likes of which he had seen little of.

    The lanterns that lined the streets were of multiple colours and depicted various languages and symbols from cultures the world over. Rassa truly felt that it was a celebration the world should be proud of.

    As midnight approached, a bells tolled, ringing loudly through the streets for nearly thirty seconds before they fell silent. With them, the entire crowd fell silent with them. After a short pause, a set of fireworks burst in the sky over the port city, and various other fireworks could be seen in the distance above the other inhabited areas of Rouke Island. The fireworks depicted a symbol of a blooming flower that was circled by a snake eating its own tail. The symbol for the Elenius Trade Company that speciallised in medical supplies.

    From the colour of the fireworks, a dark red, Rassa assumed they had placed third and would be given the Bronze Trade Token.

    A cheer arose, then another firework was launched, this time a silvery white, and the of a ship on the waves, the Token symbol.

    Second? The Silver Trade Token. An honourable position no doubt, but who was first if not the Token Group?

    Rassa''s silent question was answer just a minute later when the gold firework burst in the sky, the symbol? A mountain of gold bars shielded by a palm tree. Judging by the sounds that came from the shore, there was surprise, respect and joy from the citizens of the port.

    "Ishta''s company," Ebony informed him as she approached, Aegin in tow.

    "It appears his gaudy appearance wasn''t for nothing," Rassa commented.

    "I hope Falla is careful," Ebony said.

    "I''m more concerned about Sharli," Rassa replied.

    "He''s an ass, what comes will come, nothing we can do about it now," Aegin stated.

    Rassa and Ebony turned to look at him, and Aegin shrugged.

    "What?"

    Rassa sighed and shook his head with a small smile.

    "While you''re right, its a good thing you don''t handle the business side of things," Ebony stated, "Your attitude is so..."

    "Carefree?" Rassa offered.

    Ebony paused, "Sure, let''s go with that".

    Aegin frowned, "Well what were you going to say?"

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    Ebony waved him off, "Nevermind".

    She turned to Rassa as Aegin continued to protest, "Are you okay for dinner?"

    Rassa smirked, "I''ll handle it fine".

    Ebony rolled her eyes, "I wasn''t offering, was just going to point out that there is someone watching from above".

    Rassa nodded, "I know".

    She waved goodnight and then turned to go back towards what would be the Cabin Boy''s area but had been given to Ebony as the only woman on board, Aegin protesting the entire way.

    Rassa shook his head at them, then settled in as the night became somewhat silent once more. It was almost perfect as he let his senses spread out. The pale moon high above him to keep him company, the shadows long and dark, ready to pounce at a moments notice. It was peaceful.

    Almost.

    What was that?

    It disturbed the shadows. Made them feel thick and heavy. It shaped them differently, differently in a way that felt entirely unnatural to Rassa. He frowned, his eyes opening. Something wasn''t right.

    Rassa concentrated, the feeling, it was coming from the water line on the boat, a presence there that disturbed him. He retracted the shadows ever-so-slightly away from the water line and up the side of the ship''s hull.

    The sludge like darkness recoiled, then, as if knowing it had been detected sunk deeper to where Rassa could not see it. He waited, waited for it to resurface, but he felt nothing. Releasing the hold he had on the shadows, the fell back into their natural place.

    Rassa thought for a moment. It was clearly intelligent, and the way that it functioned, although unnatural, had felt just like a Magician. But it had not felt like a Shadow Magician. It had felt heavier, more tangible.

    Rassa had heard about and read about Magicians who could use more than one element before. They were exceedinly rare as the elements had to be awoken at the same time, and could not function seperately. Rather, it was as if the elements merged. The training of these Magicians was rather difficult as while teacher of the individual elements could give guidance, it was ultimately still different than the combination of merged elements. This time, if Rassa''s thoughts were correct, one of the merged elements was Shadow. The other...considering where it was, water?

    A Shadow and Water Magician...an Ink Magician. Well, at least that sounded better than sludge. Though Rassa wasn''t sure if he should praise or condemn this new individual yet.

 Chapter 156 A Source Revealed*

    Ishta Alamone had just retired from celebrating his great victory when Illai appeared before him.

    "What have you found?" asked Ishta. Illai was always more thorough than any informant. The best there was.

    "It is as I suspected, Master, Rassa Moonshadow is a Shadow Magician. Quite an apt one at that. He sensed my presence and prepared to respond the instant I touched the shadows in his vicinity," Illai stated.

    "You were detected?" asked Ishta, his tone darkening.

    "Not beyond him noticing my presence," Illai assured her master.

    "Good, he is on the Token Vessel?" asked Ishta.

    "Yes, Master," Illai nodded, "He has left his business to a few untrained street urchins and Falla Startree".

    Ishta scoffed, "Ridiculous. It''s practically asking for me to take it".

    "However, Master, from my observations, I cannot confirm if there were many individuals that this Rassa Moonshadow taught in regards to the method of creating the charms. There is perhaps only one other, and I cannot be sure he was taught everything as he is still a child," Illai stated.

    Ishta gritted his teeth. She was right, and Illai never dared to advise him unless she was sure he had missed something.

    Ishta stood and looked out the window to the south, "Token is heading to the Southern Continent, yes?"

    "Indeed, Master," Illai replied.

    Ishta thought for a moment, then spoke in a pondering tone, "It is not a safe journey South...plenty of merfolk, dangerous storms...and plenty of those who prefer to work outside the law. If those who were so inclined were informed of a rich merchant vessel passing through...I doubt they could avoid the temptation".

    Illai bowed her head in acknowledgment of the hidden order, "Your Servant shall obey".

    Ishta turned and watched as Illai seemed to melt and then her pool of being flowed past him and over the railing of the balcony he was viewing.

    "While I honestly couldn''t care either way, Rassa Moonshadow, please do survive this. It''d be a shame to see my grand plan wasted because you decided to die in an unfortunate accident," Ishta grinned, then turned from the window to retire.

    ***

    Facing the impending climb up the mast, Ebony resolved herself to a decent night''s sleep. It turned out however, that it was not so easy. Perhaps she had subconsciously gotten used to the prospect of not climbing the mast in the month she had been on Rouke Island - not that the four days on the journey there had been enough for her to get over her fear of heights - but now, the thought of it alone was enough for ''decent'' sleep to elude her. In the end, she had simply passed out from exhaustion and had at least 3 hours of rest, but when she arose just before dawn the next morning with the rest of the crew, none dared to step too close. Now that they had learned she was a woman, they knew it was best for their own safety if they didn''t make a comment on the dark circles under her eyes.

    At least, most knew except Isaac. He''d come down to greet her and retrieve breakfast, his night watch over. He handed her some bread and indicated towards the ratlines, to which Ebony reluctantly approached.

    "Good sleep?" asked Isaac as she began to climb, Isaac just below her. He was needed in order to get them out of the busy port.

    Ebony had stuffed the bread in her mouth so that she could climb with both hands, and hence did nothing but pause to glare down at Isaac. The young man grinned in amusement, "Come on, you did so well before".

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    Ebony turned back to the ratlines and gathered her courage. That look down had been a bad decision. They were already near the lower yardarm, she needed to get a grip.

    Knowing that the longer she took to climb up the more impatient the Captain and Midas would get, Ebony resolved not to look down again until she reached the crow''s nest at the top and it wouldn''t matter then for at least an hour or so whilst Isaac instructed the helmsman in getting them out of the port.

    Sure enough, just a short minute later, she reached the Crow''s nest and huddled herself inside to eat. Isaac chuckled at her antics, "See, told you you''d be scaling it like a spider-monkey".

    Ebony just continued chewing.

    "The least you should know is that it wasn''t your eating habits that gave it away," Isaac stated as he looked below to see if the crew were ready to cast off yet.

    Ebony frowned, confused, "Huh?"

    "That you''re a woman," Isaac replied, "It wasn''t the way you ate that gave it away".

    Ebony''s frown deepened, "Are you..."

    "It was the embroidery," Isaac replied, "I''ve seen plenty of sailors take it up, but none are quite so neat or dainty when they do it".

    Ebony''s eyes widened, "You told the Captain?"

    Isaac shrugged, "Figured that at least he had a right to know there was a woman on board his ship. I personally couldn''t care less as long as you do your job, but I won''t apologise for telling him".

    Ebony turned away, "I thought it was Midas".

    Isaac shook his head, "Midas is observant, sure. Perhaps he did work it out, but we were only on board for a few days and he didn''t spend as much time around you as I did".

    Ebony took another bite of her bread, chewing it awkwardly before she spoke again, "I''m sorry I lied to you".

    Isaac shrugged, "There are those who''ve done plenty of worse things in their lives than pretend to be something they''re not. Actually, that''s pretty common".

    Ebony sighed, "Yeah, I guess".

    Isaac gave a small smile, then the conversation was broken by the call from deck.

    "Prepare to cast off!"

    "Here we go," Isaac smiled, "I think you''ll like the Southern Continent. Many of the countries there are quite reserved but, they''ve also got some pretty neat stuff you can''t find in Eldovia for sure".

    Ebony appreciated his attempt to lighten the mood, and smiled in return, "I can''t wait".

 Chapter 157 A Whalers Strait*

    It was not until evening that the Miranda managed to leave the Southern Isles to it''s North and continue on into open waters. What lay before them was Whaler''s Strait, the sea that stood between Eldovia and the Southern Continent.

    According to Jorl, who was the authority on pretty much every story that originated from the high seas, it was so named because the ancient tribes of the south had always used their large ships to hunt whales in these waters. It had been quite the spectacle to watch back then, and if anyone was lucky enough to see it happening these days, they would tell you it still was. The whales themselves were nearly the size of the ship, so hunting them took quite the manpower, and quite the skill to hunt them.

    These days however, there were few of those tribes who were left, and the countries of the southern continent were not skilled in whale hunting. They would try occasionally, but it usually resulted in more trouble than the whale was worth. Mostly because the merfolk disliked whalers. They considered Whales to be a pure and peaceful existence in their waters, hunting them was against their laws.

    How had the ancient tribes done it then? Apparently those ancient tribes knew a few things about the merfolk, some things that shouldn''t be revealed. They''d reached an agreement. The Merfolk wouldn''t interfere with them hunting the whales so long as they only took what they needed to survive. In return, the tribes would say nothing about the merfolk.

    It was a story with quite a few guesses, but intriguing nonetheless. It made one think of the possibilities if there really were people out there who knew the intricacies of the Merfolk.

    Dinner on The Miranda came and went, and the swapping of the shifts proceeded. Rassa emerged once more onto the Foredeck and Isaac climbed the main mast. The others who were on night shift were called Raden and Loft. They were both in their late twenties, and had been on the ship with Jeremiah for at least a decade.

    Still, there wasn''t much room for chatting with one another on a night watch, even if all you saw was open ocean. Rassa didn''t feel very much like talking anyway.

    Raden, who guarded the main deck, tended to spend most of the night fishing. He was quite good at it too, the fish he caught would usually be added to whatever porridge the chef cooked up for breakfast.

    Loft, who guarded the Quarter Deck, spent most of his time making sure the Miranda was sailing in the right direction, navigating with the stars high above.

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    Isaac whittled away in the crow''s nest on his latest project.

    Rassa? Rassa was an oddity to the other three. He took nothing with him to keep him occupied and simply remained stationary most of the night. At first they''d thought he was falling asleep, but time and again when one of them elected to check on him, Rassa would be wide awake. Considering this, after just a few nights on duty they considered Rassa to be the most diligent out of the bunch.

    In reality, Rassa''s stiff posture and lack of movement had lulled them all into a sense of security. Hence, when Rassa disappeared for a couple of minutes to feed on the sleeping crew below, none of them suspected a thing, they didn''t even notice he''d disappeared.

    After the first week on the open ocean, Midas stated that it was time for their sparring tournament.

    This took Rassa, Aegin and Ebony by surprise. They hadn''t expected such a thing. Jorl stated that it was a way for the crew to relax during the three-week journey from continent to continent. There wasn''t much in the way of entertainment, and while work was good, it was also nice for them to get some down time. It was therefore a regular occurrence for these week long tournaments to take place, and everyone in the crew was to take part.

    Even the Captain.

    The names of all the crew members were placed on small slips of paper and placed in a hat. All except Ebony, who with her lack of any training and the fact that she was a woman, had been elected to be the official judge and scorer. She''d protested at first considering she wanted to be treated as any other crew member, but the Captain had utterly refused considering she had no training. It was for this reason that she managed to weasel her way into the next tournament if she could learn come combat arts. After which she turned to Aegin and Rassa expectantly who had no choice but to follow along.

    The rules were pretty simple, the hundred or so crew members would be matched up randomly for the first round, with names being drawn out of the hat until none were left. Those who lost would be eliminated. Starting from the top 25, the competition got more intense. This was because those left were often the younger and/or more skilled crew members who took their fighting ability quite seriously. Five groups of five would be created, and they would all fight each other in one-on-one battles. The top two scorers from each group would advance to the top 10, this resulted in another random draw, the winners of the five matches would create a top 5 and a follow-up five that would compete much like the top 25. The final match was when the top 2 scorers from the top 5 would compete for the number one spot.

    This number one spot always received a bonus from the Captain. Sometimes it was extra pay, sometimes it was a rare item, it depended on what Jeremiah had on board at the time.

    It was at this stage that Rassa became aware that Jeremiah was not the greatest fighter on board. Jorl had stated that though Jeremiah was a fierce swordsman, his age had impacted on his ability greatly in the last decade or so. Hence, he was often within the top 25, and sometimes in the top 10, but not necessarily in the top 5. This only made Rassa curious to see who would come out on top.

    "Alright, first round," Ebony announced, taking a name from the hat, "Isaac, come and pick your opponent".

    Isaac stepped forward, rubbing his hands together with a grin as he dipped his hand into the hat and withdrew a slip of paper. He eagerly unfolded it, and his smile dropped immediately.

    "Tank".

    The huge man in question guffawed, stepping forward to slap the back of poor Isaac.

    "Want to give up now you chicken-legged beanpole?" Tank taunted.

    Isaac frowned, "My ass!"

    "Clear the way!" Ebony called, and the crew stepped back.

    A circle had been drawn in chalk on the deck, and Tank and Isaac stepped into it.

    The rules were simple, first to step out of the ring, or tap out, lost. There were no hits allowed above the shoulders or below the knees, the rest of was a free for all. Their weapons? Most elected not to use them as in the small circle they often became a hinderance, but there were wooden training staffs of various sizes for those who wanted them.

    "Alright, remember the rules?"

    The two nodded as they faced each other.

    "Alright, ready...fight!"

    Rassa rolled his eyes at Ebony. She was enjoying this a little too much.

 Chapter 158 A Couple of Underdogs*

    Needless to say, Isaac and Tank''s fight had ended quickly. It was clear that Isaac was at least an adequate fighter, but only against opponents of a similar size. Tank''s enormous bulk was not to be laughed at, and Isaac certainly wasn''t laughing when Tank managed to pick him up and drop him down outside the ring. Everybody else was though, and Isaac descended down to the cabin to sleep off his humiliation.

    Several other crew members had their fights, most were only a few minutes long, but occasionally there was a match-up of a couple of good fighters who were pretty evenly matched. Midas and a man named Kent were one of these. The two were of roughly the same size and weight, and their abilities pretty on par with each other. Jorl admitted that they''d been on the ship for almost the same amount of time, and had almost always competed with each other.

    In truth however, the two fights that most of the crew were waiting for were from Aegin and Rassa. These were two individuals the crew had yet to see the skills of. None of them knew much about the two, only that they''d come from Eldovia, and had always kept mostly to themselves.

    Aegin was called up first. He only gave Rassa a short questioning look. To which Rassa shrugged, and Aegin grinned.

    It was Rassa''s approval to use as much force as Aegin wanted. Out on the open Ocean, there was little to worry about regarding their skills being talked about, and considering they still had two weeks before they reached civilisation, it should be enough time to earn the respect of the crew.

    Aegin was paired with Loft. Loft was an average looking guy, but Rassa knew he must have had some form of fighting ability. Jeremiah and Midas wouldn''t put any of the crew on watch without it. The only one on watch duties without fight training was Ebony, and she was up in the crow''s nest so was considered pretty out of the line of fire so to speak.

    Prior to the two-year gap when they didn''t meet, Rassa had understood that Aegin was trained, but was not overly motivated to do much. Afterwards, when they''d met up again, Rassa had come to understand that Aegin''s time training with Phillip had led to the ex-Ridgeman being far more confident in his abilities, and hence never inclined to turn down the opportunity to flex his skills a little. Except against Rassa, who after an initial sparring session on the road had affectively killed any of Aegin''s hopes of winning against him.

    With that being the case, Aegin walked into the 4-metre diameter ring with all the confidence and swagger of someone already crowned the winner. He took with him one of the two-metre-long staffs, one of the few who had brought weapons in with him. It was not that Aegin was incompetent in hand-to-hand combat, it was just that - and only Rassa would know this - he wished to show off a little.

    The crowd allowed it thinking that Aegin felt a little more secure with a weapon in his hands.

    Loft grinned, thinking it was going to be an easy win as he took his stance and waited for the call. Aegin stood on the other side of the ring, leaning lazily against the upright staff as he waited.

    "Ready...fight!"

    Loft advanced steadily, and Aegin shifted slightly. Loft had his fists raised up, just below his face. As he got within about a metre of Aegin, Aegin kicked up the bottom of the staff towards the oncoming Loft. Loft caught the movement in surprise, he''d expected the staff to be wielded from around Aegin''s waist like most others did, not from below. He moved his hands, blocking the staff''s advance and knocking it back to the ground. Aegin grinned shifting his weight onto the staff as he took two steps around the edge of the ring and lifted off the ground to kick towards Loft from the side. Loft''s eyes widened at the sudden realisation that he was facing an opponent that was a lot more proficient than he''d initially ascertained.

    He braced himself as he twisted towards the oncoming kick, and caught Aegin by the ankle. Aegin seemed to flip mid-air, twisting so that his other leg caught Loft around the waist, then he released the staff, letting his hands fall the ground for leverage. Using that, he lifted the unprepared Loft off the ground and flipped him over. Loft landed hard on the deck, half in the circle and half out, the wind knocked out of him.

    "Aegin''s win!" called Ebony in the shocked silence of the crowd.

    Aegin released Loft and flipped up to stand, offering a hand to the winded sailor.

    Loft coughed, then accepted the aid up, "Where''d you learn to fight like that?"

    Aegin shrugged, "Here and there".

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    Loft looked slightly unsatisfied with the answer, but accepted it. It wasn''t his place to ask. By this stage the crowd was cheering for the unexpectedly good fight.

    "Alright, alright!" Jeremiah called, "Break it up, time for lunch!"

    The crew happily took a break, Ebony scaling up the crow''s nest to resume her watch for a while.

    It was a clear day, and with nearly everybody above deck Jeremiah had let her off for the morning. Tomorrow, after half of the crew had been eliminated, someone would be put up on watch for them all.

    Jorl approached Aegin over lunch, grinning and slapping the young man on the back, "Quite the skills you''ve got".

    Aegin grinned at the praise. Rassa remained silent.

    Jorl continued on as he sat down, "You get it from this one?"

    Jorl pointed at Rassa, and Aegin coughed, his bubble of arrogance bursting, and Rassa chuckled, "Something like that".

    "Always a mystery you two," Jorl grinned, "You''re going to open up one way or another".

    Rassa shrugged, "Maybe one day".

    "Well, at least this competition will be interesting. Couple of underdogs you two are".

    Rassa didn''t argue.

 Chapter 159 A Stormy Night*

    Rassa''s fight was a little more anticipated now that they''d seen Aegin''s skills. The crew were just slightly disappointed when Jorl was selected to compete against Rassa, and the older sailor gracefully bowed out of the ring in surrender.

    As such, Rassa advanced to the next round without the crew seeing his abilities. Though, now that they''d seen Aegin''s they were more or less convinced that Rassa was not incapable. There were also those few who had seen him, albeit briefly, fighting in Port Lovolon. Before this competition they were not overly convinced of what they had seen, as Rassa''s speed was simply inconceivable, so they''d decided not to talk about it. Now, whilst they hadn''t seen everything, their lips did loosen somewhat.

    The afternoon fights passed by pretty quickly, done within just a couple of hours. After which the ship went back to business as usual. Ebony climbed the main mast to resume her duties in the crow''s nest. Rassa went below decks to join the other crew members who were on night watch in sleeping through the rest of the day.

    One thing that Rassa had realised was that he enjoyed sleeping during the day. It felt far more natural for him to only be awake at night. He hadn''t learned of such a thing while he was getting lessons from Victor and the other Vampire Spirits, but they had the sun stones and the barriers to block out the sun. They''d no doubt altered their environment enough to feel comfortable to sleep at night and remain active during the day. Alas, Rassa was a very long way away from rediscovering that technology.

    He comfortably slept through the rest of the afternoon, and was awoken by Aegin later that evening.

    "You good?" asked Aegin.

    Rassa yawned and rubbed his eyes. He''d been up most of the morning, so he''d only gotten a few hours of rest, "I prefer the night watch. Being awake during the day is just too tiring".

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    Aegin rolled his eyes and said with sarcasm, "Well, apologies my lord".

    Rassa smirked lazily, "Yeah, yeah, I''m moving, mum".

    Aegin smirked and the two moved back towards the stairs that led to the main deck, Aegin parting with him to go to the kitchen for dinner as Rassa went to the Foredeck for his watch.

    He noticed before he even smelt the outside air that something was off. The water was a little too calm and pleasant, the ship wasn''t being pulled by the wind quite as quickly.

    He paused at the top of the stairs and Isaac came up behind him, "Noticed it huh? That''s good for a newbie".

    "Storm?" questioned Rassa.

    "Not until later, but yes, we''ll be having a storm tonight," Isaac confirmed, "Judging by the lack of wind it''ll be a strong one".

    "The Captain won''t try to avoid it?" asked Rassa.

    Isaac shrugged, "When the wind gets like this it''s unlikely we''ll be able to escape it. Besides, the Captain trusts that his crew will know what to do. Might want to start preparing the life lines though".

    Rassa frowned, "The what?" He''d immediately though of the black lines covering his skin, but Isaac was clearly referring to something else. The young man pointed to the piles of rope that were tied and neatly stored around the masts.

    "Life lines," said Isaac, "Everyone gets tied to one so that it''s less likely someone will go overboard".

    Rassa nodded in understanding, then headed towards the Foredeck to start preparing them. Jorl had mentioned them before and showed Rassa how to tie them so it wasn''t hard to find and prepare them. Jorl hadn''t called them life lines when he said it. He''d just referred to them as ropes.

    It seemed even someone as seasoned as Jorl wasn''t perfect.

    Sure enough, it was just passing midnight when the wind started to pick up and the waves started to crash a little harder. Isaac descended from the crow''s nest, making his way below deck to wake everybody up. It was a good thing too, because within just ten minutes, the sky had gotten so dark that Rassa could no longer see the moon or the stars, and the rain had started to come down. Hard.

    Rassa helped secure life lines to the crew who made their way to the fore deck. They then started scaling the Foremast, preparing to bring in the sails before Midas had even given the order. They weren''t far ahead of him though.

    "Batten down the hatches! Bring in the Sails!"

    The orders were carried out like a well-oiled machine as the ship started to rise and fall over waves increasing in size. The sky was lit by a bolt of lightning for an instant, as it crested a wave, then thunder crashed as the ship dove down, riding out its journey.

    Without the sails, the ship certainly felt less out of control, but it was clear that all the crew were determined in doing was riding out the storm. Trying to navigate correctly would be suicidal, so they picked a generally south direction and adjusted as necessary to ride over the giant waves. Those they missed crashed onto the deck, finishing the job the rain had already started of drenching everything in sight.

    Ebony, Aegin and Rassa had never experienced a storm at sea before. They found it terrifying...and terribly thrilling at the same time.

    Perhaps Rassa''s impulsiveness had rubbed off on Aegin and Ebony, because they grinned almost as widely as he did as they worked with the rest of the crew to keep the ship in working order. Jeremiah, who watched from the Quarter Deck as his ship cut through and crested and crashed through the turbulent ocean, couldn''t help but shake his head in amusement.

    "Crazy Kids".

    ***

    Illai didn''t mind being wet. It had been a part of who she was from a young age, from the moment she''d been thrown down a well because her family couldn''t afford to feed her. They certainly hadn''t expected what had become of her, but then, Illai had never gone back after she''d climbed her way from that dark, wet place.

    She''d learned to become one with it, letting the dark waters shape her and take her where she needed to go. It had done so this time, taking her to a place some would view as darker than her own darkness.

    "You better have a damn good reason for being here, Inktress," the imposing man declared. He may have scared everyone else, but Illai''s master scared her more. This man was outwardly evil. He was violent and cruel. Ishta Alamone hid behind a carefully constructed mask, and when that mask cracked...Illai never wanted it to crack, lest she be on the receiving end of his wrath.

    Inktress. The name was not one she had given herself. The only one who knew her real name was Ishta, everyone else had had to get creative. Inktress was one of the ones she preferred, though she thought it a bother to explain to them that her ability couldn''t really be described as ''ink''.

    "My master has a target for you," Illai replied smoothly.

    "You tell your master, that I am no errand dog," grumbled the man, dark eyes piercing from a tanned and wrinkled face covered in hair as pitch black as night.

    "A Token Vessel," Illai added.

    The man gave a double-take in surprise, "Token Vessels are off-limits. I don''t need that company to have a vendetta against my entire enterprise".

    "This one isn''t," Illai said, "My Master wants only the man named Rassa Moonshadow. The rest you can do with as you please".

    Illai stepped forward and held her finger aloft above a map. A drop of black liquid fell from her finger and landed on the map below, "They are headed south. My Master also hopes you won''t take too long, he is an impatient man".

    She swept some water aside, leaving behind a box, "To help you in your ventures. Consider it a payment for a job well-done". Illai then seemed to melt as she walked away, her figure degrading into a dark puddle which disappeared under the door.

    The man sneered at the retreating Magician, but his eyes darted briefly to the map, then to the box.

    A Token Vessel, huh? The spoils shouldn''t be too shabby...

    He approached the box, opening it to find an evanine crystal marked with a circle within a circle, and a sword with another crystal attached to its hilt. The man picked up the sword, clutching it tightly. As he did, a spurt of lightning encompassed the blade. The man grinned.

    He looked to the map where the dot was centred, "East it is".

 Chapter 160 A Friendly Competition*

    When Rassa woke up the next day, it was already evening. The storm had lasted a good four hours before it had calmed enough for the crew to retire once more. Even then it was not like they got much sleep with it still raining. Rassa retired about an hour after sunrise as his replacement came. Apparently the crew had the morning off to rest and recuperate.

    The storm had not been that bad compared to some of the storms they''d ridden out over the years, but that didn''t mean it was any easier to recover from such a battering. As such, the competition was suspended until the following day.

    The watch was much easier the next night, there was no storm to speak of, though it was a little overcast and windier than normal. Rassa barely felt the chill. That was winter coming, and with it would come bigger and more dangerous storms than the one they''d experienced the night before. It was likely that Jeremiah would spend at least four months in the Southern Continent in order to avoid the worst of it. Rassa didn''t mind that, the Southern Continent was a big place, bigger than Eldovia at least. There was a smattering of at least ten different countries, the enormous Sumaka Desert that was itself as big as a country, and of course the Fairy Forest. Plenty to see and explore. Rassa entertained himself with thoughts of the Southern Continent that night.

    The next day, the competition didn''t start until after lunch, and by that stage, the top 50 were all ready and raring to go.

    Again, names were selected randomly from a hat, Ebony being the judge for the fights. Surprisingly, Aegin was called up first. His opponent? Jeremiah.

    The Captain took up a pair of wooden training staves that were meant to imitate swords. Aegin grinned and took up another pair. They both stepped into the ring and Ebony declared the fight''s start.

    Aegin didn''t wait this time, he dove forward. He was much nimbler than Jeremiah, his youth giving him the advantage, but Jeremiah was not one to look down on.

    Their weapons clashed in a repetitive rap as they traded blows back and forth. Occasionally Aegin would get impatient and add a kick or a punch, but Jeremiah wasn''t going down easily.

    "You''re not bad, kid," Jeremiah grinned as they fell into a stalemate for the third time, "Little aggressive though".

    "Just impatient," Aegin replied with a growl as he pushed Jeremiah back then spun to trade blows again.

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    Movement was hard in such a small circle, and more than one time they came close to stepping outside only to dance away from the edge. Finally, with a feint to the head, Jeremiah kneed Aegin in the back of the leg. Aegin''s balance crumbled for only a second, but it was enough for Jeremiah to push forward, only for Aegin to surprisingly release the grips on his weapons the grab Jeremiah''s arm, flipping the older man over onto the deck. It was a surprise upset as Jeremiah coughed and chuckled in surprise.

    "Quite the instincts you''ve got, kid," Jeremiah groaned as he sat up, his feet had been just outside the circle and hence he''d been declared the loser, "A lot of fighting men would think abandoning their weapon is a bad choice. It''s good to see that you can take the opportunities given to you and turn them around to your benefit".

    Aegin grinned, "Hope I didn''t hurt you too bad, Captain".

    He helped Jeremiah to his feet, and the Captain in question chuckled, "I''m old, but I''m not quite that old that I can''t take a hit".

    Jeremiah graciously moved to the sidelines with Aegin and the next fight was called out.

    There were a few more rounds before Rassa was called up to fight, this time against the Quarter Master, a hard looking man named John.

    "Alright kid, let''s see what you''ve got," John stated.

    Rassa was not opposed to fighting bare-handed, and he stood still as he faced John. He knew that he couldn''t let too much of his Vampiric abilities show, as not only would it scare the crew but it would also be incredibly unfair. John, who was not quite as bulky as Tank but still a large man, was nothing more than a mouse in front of Rassa. Still, Rassa would show a bit of civility if it would save him the pain of explaining himself afterwards.

    John didn''t move quickly as he advanced, he had a strong and determined gait though. Rassa stood ready, and stepped forward so that he was at least a metre from the edge of the circle as John threw the first punch. Rassa moved ever so slightly, allowing the fist to glance off of Rassa''s palm before Rassa turned and hit the inside of John''s elbow.

    John gave a look of surprise. He had heard of some tribes in the west using this style of fighting, but he had yet to see it himself. A style that focused more on the redirection of the opponent''s strength than strength itself. As the two traded blows, it became evident that Rassa was a proficient fighter, there was nothing that John threw at the young man that Rassa couldn''t counter.

    When Rassa drew too close to the edge of the ring he would duck and spin out of John''s reach, situating himself safely back in the centre.

    The battle became a drawn out one as John tried to get more creative with his movements only to be thwarted by Rassa''s own careful and calculated movements. Eventually, John began to move slower, until Rassa took the opportunity to duck inside John''s guard and deliver two quick punches to his torso that immediately winded John and made him stumble to the side, catching himself on his hand...a finger just outside the ring.

    "Rassa wins," Ebony declared.

    John chuckled as he stood, "Where''d you learn that technique? I thought you hadn''t left Eldovia before coming onto this ship".

    Rassa shrugged, "I had a well-versed Master".

    That was putting it mildly. Vampires lived for a very long time, and while they didn''t actually fight that often, they all thoroughly enjoyed it. Hence, when they found a new technique it had been all the rage until everyone was versed in it. The technique Rassa had shown however was not as popular. Only those who would frequently face opponents stronger than themselves had bothered to learn it. Vampires possessed immense strength as it was, what was the point in learning a style that didn''t make use of it? Rassa''s training hadn''t missed a thing however, and Rassa found himself quite liking the style as Victor had before him. Not because they frequently faced opponents of higher strength, but because it allowed them to be somewhat lazy. Victor especially had liked the style. Rassa, who had yet to meet opponents who were stronger than him, had had less of a chance to use it. This competition had given him that opportunity. It really was advantageous to someone who wanted to hide their true strength.

    With that fight said and done, the top 25 participants were ready and waiting for the next day''s events.

 Chapter 161 A Lesson from a Vampire and an Assassin*

    That evening, as Rassa took on his watch duties, Ebony appeared with a request.

    "Teach me to fight," she said.

    Rassa sighed, "I''m on watch".

    Ebony rolled her eyes, "We both know you can teach and watch at the same time".

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    Rassa pointed behind him, "They don''t know that. I''m already strange enough as it is".

    "I thought you''d decided you weren''t hiding anymore," Ebony cut back.

    Rassa frowned. There she went again, digging at his sensitive spot. There to remind him of what he''d promised himself to work towards. He knew it wasn''t normal that she had to remind him. It should have been something he just accepted and did. But something held him back, kept him from being who he knew he was.

    "Fine," Rassa grumbled.

    He looked around and picked up some spare rope about as thick as a large egg. He then handed it to Ebony who didn''t seem to have a problem with the weight.

    "What''s this for?" asked Ebony.

    "Hold your arms out straight in front of you with the rope on them," Rassa instructed. When he was happy with Ebony''s stance he gave the next instruction, "Now squat like you''re sitting on an invisible chair".

    Ebony''s frown deepened but she did as told. When Rassa said nothing else she stood back up, "Are you making fun of me?"

    Rassa turned and sat back down against the mast, "If you don''t want to learn that''s your problem".

    "So what am I supposed to do in that position?" asked Ebony.

    "Hold it," Aegin said as he joined them on the foredeck, "Hold it until you feel like you''re going to faint from the strain".

    Ebony''s eyes widened, "Why, by the gods, would I do that?"

    "You wanted to learn," Aegin shrugged, "No point in learning if you don''t have the proper strength to deal with the work".

    Ebony realised why they were asking her to do this ridiculous stance and looked at the rope hesitantly. After all, Aegin had specified to hold the position until she was on the verge of fainting. That''d have to be a long time. And...it''d hurt.

    Still, they were teaching her. And she was sure she''d been through worse than this.

    Ebony took the stance again, looking forward with determined eyes.

    Aegin took a seat next to Rassa, facing the determined Ebony.

    "How long do you think she''ll last?" he asked.

    "If she''s determined, maybe a couple of hours, if not, maybe forty minutes," said Rassa.

    "You''re generous. I bet she wouldn''t last twenty," said Aegin with a smirk.

    Rassa looked at Aegin, then smiled confidently, "She''s fitter than that".

    "We''ll find out".

    Ebony frowned at their conversation, "What? No bets?"

    Aegin placed a hand on his chest as he looked offended by the question, "That you would think we''d degrade you to the point where your suffering was a game to us really hurts me, Ebony".

    Ebony''s eyebrows raised in surprise, then she watched as Aegin turned to Rassa, "10 gold that she falls in the first hour".

    Rassa looked at Ebony, who now looked offended, then turned to shake Aegin''s outstretched hand, "You''re on".

    "Hey-"

    "You''re only a minute in, don''t make me start counting again," Rassa cut her off.

    Ebony shut her mouth, turning away in her annoyance. The three lapsed into silence for a while before Aegin spoke in a lower tone to Rassa alone.

    "So what are you teaching her?"

    "She''s too small, it''s better she learn the Havoi style I used earlier today," Rassa said, "Did you ever learn it?"

    Aegin shrugged, "A little, I could probably teach her the basics".

    Rassa raised an eyebrow, "Care to prove it?"

    Aegin smirked, "What, you don''t want to save that for the competition?"

    "Call it a warm up," Rassa replied.

    Aegin stood and jumped up on his toes, giddy as he skidded towards the bow of the ship. It''d been a while since he''d had a decent spar with anybody, he''d started to miss it. Even if Rassa had beat him to a pulp last time, this time they were limited to a style, it should make things more interesting at least.

    Rassa stood, stretching slowly before he turned to look at Ebony, "You''re fifteen minutes in. Aegin and I are going to spar in the style I feel is best to teach you considering your stature and strength. It''s the same as the one you saw me using earlier today".

    Ebony seemed to want to open her mouth to reply, but closed it again as her arms began to shake. She settled for nodding.

    Rassa then turned to face Aegin, who had stood ready and waiting until the moment that Rassa did turn around, at which point he darted forwards.

    The Havoi Style was rather defensive, but it did have a few moves to attack with. Mostly moves using the upper body.

    Rassa and Aegin traded blows back and forth with wide grins. Aegin especially. He held out for a lot longer when they were fighting using this style. However, he refused to acknowledge the idea that he was holding out for that long because Rassa was trying to show Ebony the style as best he could.

    Regardless, they traded blows for quite a while before they were interrupted by Ebony crashing back onto the ground, exhausted and her limbs shaking.

    "How long was that?" asked Aegin.

    Rassa sighed and pulled out ten coins, holding them out to Aegin, "Forty-one minutes and fifteen seconds".

    Aegin grinned at the gold, pocketing it as Rassa made his way over to Ebony.

    "Sit up," he ordered. Ebony breathed heavily, looking at Rassa incredulously. He''d never been this harsh with her before.

    He glared at her until she shakingly managed to sit up. Rassa then moved behind her, spreading her legs out wide in front of her before he pushed her back so that she was leaning forward, "Stretch out your arms as far in front of you as you can".

    "But-"

    "Flexibility is also really important in this style," Rassa cut in before she could protest, "I''m going to show you how to do a series of stretches, I want you to do them at least four times a day until you can do them easily".

    So, through the stretches they went, and by the end of it, Aegin had to help take Ebony down to her hammock. They all knew that Ebony would wake up sore tomorrow, but hopefully the stretches would help somewhat.

 Chapter 162 A Dark Tiding on the Horizon*

    Sore. So sore that Ebony wasn''t sure she''d make it all the way up to the crow''s nest before lunch time. As she heaved herself into position however, Isaac could only watch in amusement.

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    "Honestly I think you did well to last as long as you did," he commented.

    Ebony sighed, of course he''d seen. He had a view of just about everyone from up here.

    "Was that supposed to be support?" asked Ebony.

    Isaac nodded, "It''ll help if you do the stretches he taught you. Though apart from that I''m going to assume you''ll feel pretty miserable for a couple of days".

    Ebony sighed, bowed her head in disappointment. She would never have insisted if she knew it was this awful.

    "Have a good day," Isaac said, "I''m off to bed".

    And so he descended below deck, leaving Ebony alone in her suffering.

    The suffering in question was not helped by the stretches, if anything it made Ebony more sore and tired than before. Though it was possible she was doing them wrong considering the confined space she was in.

    When it came time for her to come and judge the fights below, the first of five groups stepping up to compete, she waved down and told them to pick someone that had been eliminated. She was not making the trip down more times than was necessary.

    Jeremiah took up the judging position without complaint.

    Meanwhile, Ebony alternated between her embroidery, watching the waters around the ship, and thinking about the sparring session between Rassa and Aegin last night. She had only ever seen the two fight once before, and they''d been a whole lot more violent than the style they''d used last night. The style from last night was so delicate and fluid. One barely moved from one step to the next and yet such small movements could mean the opponent''s loss.

    Ebony had at first been eager to learn, but the longer she watched Rassa and Aegin spar, the more she felt like she was in over her head. How could she ever learn to react like that? To know when to make the next move, or even what the next move would be. It was all rather daunting, and within her stressed self, she had collapsed under the weight of the rope and the strain on her muscles.

    Still, she''d asked for this, the least she could do is see where it led.

    The competition below her on the deck continued. She rarely looked down to watch considering her fear, but she still heard the results from Jeremiah''s loud calls. It seemed the points system for the round was based on how quickly the rounds ended.

    If an opponent won within 10 moves, they''d get ten points. Between 10-20 moves, 9 points, and so on. A loss would constitute points being subtracted. It worked in the same system as the winner, however many points the winner won, was however many points the loser lost. As such, the fights tended to drag out, but this seemed to be a norm for the most part. The point system seemed to have been designed for this purpose.

    It was only the first group who were fighting today, this group included Midas, but no other members that Ebony knew or had spoken to before. She''d seen all of their fights though, so she knew they were all adequate fighters. Midas swept through all his opponents to earn a total of 24 points, none of his fights had lasted longer than 57 moves.

    As they were watching the final fight of the round, Ebony looked up from her embroidery to survey the ocean around the ship briefly. The horizon looked clear all the way around, and she turned back to her embroidery, only to pause and glance back up again. Had it been a trick of the light? For the briefest instant the horizon hadn''t looked so clear as it had all day.

    She turned back to look out past the starboard stern. Her eyes squinted and she blinked to make sure her eyes were clear.

    There, right on the horizon, what was that black spot?

    Ebony pocketed her embroidery and took out the spyglass that Isaac had given her, pulling it out and looking through it carefully. She had marvelled before at how it had magnified objects that were many lengths away. Now...now she was just grateful.

    There, closing in from the horizon, a ship with black sails, that could only mean one thing.

    Pirates.

    As Ebony went to shout to the deck, she caught the glimpse of something else out of the ordinary, and she paused for a second.

    It was more than one ship.

    Ebony''s eyes narrowed as she put her fear behind her, leaning over the side of the crow''s nest to shout down at the rowdy sailors on deck.

    "Pirates!" she shouted, "Pirates to Starboard Stern!"

    It took a moment, as if some of the crew hadn''t heard the call at first. Midas had heard though, and he ordered silence immediately as he took out his own spyglass and pointed it in the direction Ebony had indicated as he bounded up to the quarter deck. Jeremiah followed him. After a moment, Jeremiah cursed.

    "Damn! And here I was thinking it was going to be smooth sailing. Alright men, prepare for a fight, we''re too slow to remain ahead of them for long!"

    Midas shouted orders to those in the crew, and they hurriedly got to work, the competition forgotten at the sudden threat.

    ***

    "Should we drop some of the cargo?" asked Midas.

    "Oh sure, just give them what they want," Jeremiah grumbled, "Of course not, this is our cargo and we''re going to protect it".

    Midas sighed, "Captain, that''s three frigates. They''re built for speed, not to mention they''ve no doubt been modified for some ugly fights".

    "Are you saying we haven''t got a chance, because that isn''t like the First Mate I''ve appointed," Jeremiah frowned.

    Midas''s gaze hardened, "Very well, I''ll get John to get the gunpowder ready".

    "Get Rassa out of bed if he isn''t already up," Jeremiah said.

    Midas wanted to question what the kid had to do with this, but decided against it seeing the serious look on Jeremiah''s face.

    ***

    Rassa was roused by the hustle and bustle above deck. It was far busier than the average work or fight. Something must have happened. He rubbed his eyes and stretched, climbing out of his hammock only to see Midas making his way down the deck towards Rassa''s corner.

    "Good, you''re up, Captain''s asking for you," said Midas.

    Rassa frowned, "What happened?"

    "Pirates," Midas said, "Closing fast".

    Rassa frowned, Pirates? He made his way to where Jeremiah stood on the quarter deck, switching between giving out order and keeping an eye on the approaching ships through his spyglass.

    "Captain?"

    "Good, you''re here," Jeremiah said, "Any way you can get an idea of their abilities?"

    "From here?" asked Rassa, "At night maybe, but not during the day, the shadows are too thin".

    Jeremiah cursed.

    "What''s wrong?"

    "There are three of them, and they''re coming right at us. Even at a distance," Jeremiah admitted, "It''s suspicious".

    It certainly was. While it was possible that they''d spotted the ship before Ebony had spotted them, the way they were sailing, without any indication of having turned to pursue...they must have been alerted to the presence of the Miranda somehow.

    "Anything in your arsenal that can delay them?" asked Jeremiah, "Pirates are persistent bastards, but they won''t pursue us to the end of the earth if it''s not worth it to them".

    "And if it is?" asked Rassa.

    Jeremiah''s expression turned grim, "Let''s just hope we come across something to help us before that happens".

 Chapter 163 A Shadow Magician...or more?*

    For days Illai had led the Pirates from their fog encompassed island to where the Miranda sailed. She had corrected their course when she needed to, but otherwise kept to herself within the depths of the ocean as she dragged the ships through the water at a pace far faster than what they could accomplish on their own. Now, finally, her Master''s target was in sight. This final chase was meaningless. In daylight, the Shadow Magician was far weaker, but her ink in the depths of the ocean was as strong as ever. Light could not reach so far down. Still, Illai could reach up with ease from the depths and attach her ink to the hull of the merchant ship, slowing it down even further to allow the pirates to catch up.

    Though, despite the grin on her face, she quickly felt a strain. Reaching so far ahead of her would of course be detrimental. She was not all powerful, the shadowy depths could only do so much for her. Still, with her efforts, the pirates closed in above the water.

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    Illai held on for a little longer, then moved to the hull of one of the pirate ships to get a view of the coming battle.

    She did not have to wait long. Though the sounds were dulled from her watery vantage point, the sound of the cannons firing was clear to hear. Illai grinned, prepared to snatch her Master''s target, only to feel her triumph slipping away as she witnessed the massive streams of shadow that grew from the deck of the Token ship.

    The shadow was solid, and with the movements they made they battered the cannonballs that would do the most damage away from the ship. The cannonballs sunk into the water without causing any damage, and an answering fire came from the Miranda as it turned.

    The Pirate Ship that was first in pursuit and therefore closest to the Miranda, was hit mercilessly with the cannon fire. It had turned about itself to fire, and now found itself a sitting duck as the crew recovered from the shocking display of the shadows.

    Illai''s expression turned into a frown as she moved up onto the deck.

    "That ain''t no ordinary Shadow Magician," said the Pirate Captain with a growl, "He''s more powerful than any I''ve seen, especially with it being broad daylight".

    "A Miscalculation, he is still a target," Illai replied.

    The Captain frowned at Illai, "Don''t give me orders, Inktress, I''ll do this myself, you can pick up whatever is left for your master".

    Illai decided not to argue with the sneering pirate, not because she thought she couldn''t win, but because it was literally a waste of her time and energy to do so. Besides, she cared not what happened to the rest of those aboard the Miranda.

    ***

    "Prepare to fire again!" called Midas from where he stood near Rassa. He''d had indications from the Captain that Rassa was not an ordinary kid, but batting cannonballs out of the air with dark shadows like he was swatting a fly? Midas hadn''t expected that.

    "How long can you keep it up?" asked Midas. As much as he wanted to believe Magicians were invincible beings, they were not. They would run out of energy eventually, and though Rassa was trying to hide it, he did not appear as confident as he had when he made his way onto the deck.

    "I''d rather not have to," Rassa admitted. It was a strain, pulling shadows into the light. He''d done it before of course, but never on this scale. It was mid-afternoon, the sun still high in the sky. The only shadows cast on the deck where that of the masts and possibly the sails if they were lucky. And even then, those shadows were not thick. There were layers to shadows, a lot of people wouldn''t think so, but there were. Light rebounded from all directions, and could reach even into the darkest of crevices. The more light that reached a place, the thinner the shadows. And thin shadows were not as powerful nor as easy to manipulate as the thick ones. He''d grown hungry from just that one display, hungry enough that he could have at least three glasses of blood rather than his usual one.

    Midas looked up to the two oncoming ships. They''d made mincemeat out of the first one that had fired upon them after a few of Rassa''s shadows had aided the Miranda''s own fire in taking it down. Still, Midas didn''t like the odds of them keeping it up with two more ships. Especially seeing as he was sure the only reason they''d been able to take the first ship out of commission was because Rassa''s display had caught them by surprise. Rassa hadn''t been able to bat away all of the cannonballs, but he''d kept them away from the important parts of the Miranda.

    The two others ships were slightly bigger than the first, no doubt it was the main reason they were slower. They were still smaller than the Miranda though, which had allowed them to catch up.

    Midas opened his mouth to give the order when Rassa spoke.

    "I''ve got an idea, but I''ve got to wait until they get closer," Rassa said.

    Midas raised an eyebrow, "Closer and we''re sitting ducks".

    "Not necessarily," said Rassa, "The barrel of a cannon is pretty dark, right?"

    Midas frowned, "What''s that got to do with anything?"

    "You''ll see," said Rassa, "But I can''t reach that far, they''ve got to be closer".

    Midas grumbled and turned to Jeremiah who just nodded, "Fine, but if it doesn''t work and this ship goes down, you''re going down with it".

    Rassa smirked, "Just get ready for a fight. I can stop the cannons, but not all the men".

    What he was about to do, he''d be weaker for it afterwards, but he was not alone here. At least, in the sense that he wasn''t the only one who could fight and they weren''t facing those horrid creatures his blood had happened to create a few months ago. These pirates were probably ruthless and foul, but they were human. And he''d learned long ago that humans were awfully frail creatures.

    ***

    Illai watched from the shadowed hull of the Pirate Ship as it drew up alongside the Miranda. It''s partner taking the merchant vessel from the other side as it prepared to fire. The Captain above was no doubt grinning in triumph as he opened his mouth the give the order.

    Illai''s attention was not on the Pirates she had brought across the ocean however, her attention was on her target as he closed his eyes and took a deep breath, his hands reaching out either side of him to the pirate ships.

    Illai then felt it, that shift as the Mist worked to answer his call. She felt it condense and target the spots he asked it to without a word of protest. The sheer scale of what he asked of it...she''d never seen a Magician command that much power, not even herself. And she could tell as well, this was not going to exhaust the man. Rassa Moonshadow would not feel faint from this exertion of power. He would be a little weaker perhaps, but that was all. It terrified her.

    She''d never seen any being with that much power before, and the mere possibility of it frightened her. What would happen if she were to bring this man to her Master? Could she bring him? If she did manage to capture him, she wasn''t sure he would submit. From the response of the Mist, Illai doubted that he would. He was too dominant. Too powerful. She would only put her Master in danger if she were to bring this man, this beast, back with her.

    Illai watched as the boom of the cannons rung out, and the pirate ships'' hulls splintered, yet the Miranda remained almost unscathed. The Mist lingered in the barrels of the cannons of both pirate ships.

    He''d blocked the opposing cannon barrels, no doubt causing plenty of damage. Their cannons would be useless now.

    But this fight wasn''t over, the Pirates had caught up, and the crew of the Miranda were severely outnumbered. Illai resolved herself as she watched the abnormal speed at which Rassa Moonshadow moved onto the deck of the Pirate Captain to the Port Side of the Miranda.

    If her Master could not have him, no one could. And it would be detrimental to allow him to survive this encounter.

 Chapter 164 A Lonely Existence*

    Rassa''s eyes narrowed as he looked across the divide between the ships at the malicious grin of the Pirate Captain. Was he really so arrogant as to believe that he could even make a dent in Rassa''s defence? Even with Rassa''s power significantly impacted by his move with the cannon barrels, he was still more than a match for a mere man.

    As the pirate crew took up ropes and prepared long planks to board the Miranda, Rassa realised this man really was that arrogant.

    Very well. Let''s see how he deals with a Vampire rather than a sailor.

    Rassa didn''t even bother holding back. His strength launched him across the divide without aid, and his speed left the Pirate Captain with quite the surprised expression. In an instant, Rassa was before him, not a metre in front of the imposing man.

    "Don''t get cocky," Rassa spoke with a tilt of his head. Then he let his fangs extend as he dashed forward, ready to replenish his waning strength. Only, as soon as he went to bite down on the man''s neck, he rebounded back.

    Rassa grunted at the force that pushed him backwards, looking up at the Captain in surprise.

    A protection charm? Seriously?

    The Captain grinned darkly, "I have a right to be cocky".

    He drew the sword by his side and then gripped the hilt tightly. Rassa registered the crystal in the hilt, and watched as the sword sparked and crackled with lightning along its blade. The Captain grinned triumphantly and swung the sword.

    Rassa let the lightning hit him as it seemed to carve through the air unhindered. The lightning crackled over his own protective barrier, and where it didn''t hit Rassa, it splintered the deck of the Miranda behind him with an almighty crack. Rassa turned slightly to watch as some of the Miranda''s crew jumped out of the way, or were thrown away by the blast. The main mast, near where the lightning had struck, wobbled dangerously.

    "Ebony get down!" Rassa shouted as he met his friend''s terrified gaze.

    Ebony wasn''t arguing with him.

    Rassa turned back to his opponent, taking out his protection charm, "My company makes these, did you really think I''d walk around with one?"

    "From what I know, these charms of yours don''t last forever, shall we see who''s shield breaks first?" mused the Captain.

    Rassa''s eyes turned dark to the pirate, and he dodged to the side again to avoid a strike of lightning. Rassa was in a dilemma now. If he used his shadows, his energy would be depleted faster, and he wouldn''t able to keep up the speed to dodge. But if he only used physical attacks on his opponent''s shield, his own would weaken far quicker facing the magic attacks of his opponent. It was just how the charms worked, magic attacks consumed far more of the Mist''s energy to disperse than physical attacks. Rassa''s eyes narrowed, the pirate wouldn''t be able to keep up with him anyway. He picked up a stray cannon ball and threw it at the pirate who seemed surprised by the move.

    "Very well, let''s see how long it takes your sparkly sword to deplete," Rassa taunted. After all, the crystal in the sword wouldn''t last long either.

    ***

    Aegin was right in the thick of the fighting. There was nowhere else he''d rather be as he wielded the two short swords around him, fighting off the pirates that wanted to board the Miranda. He sent them right back to the ocean they''d come from, not a shred of remorse in his eyes for doing so. Some of them were pretty tough, but with Midas, Tank, and many others fighting close by, Aegin never had to deal with more than one opponent for long.

    He threw off another pirate before slashing low, and kicking the man overboard before he looked across deck to check on Rassa.

    Who was no longer there.

    Aegin''s eyes strayed to find Rassa on the port side pirate ship, doing his best to look like the monster he was. Clearly he didn''t need any help with that. Aegin then looked up towards the crow''s nest to see Ebony''s situation.

    She wasn''t where she was supposed to be either. The stupid girl was climbing down the ratlines towards the fight.

    "Idiot!" Aegin cursed, darting through the fighting, slashing away enemies where he needed to before he jumped down to the main deck where Ebony was going to come down.

    "What in the gods names are you doing coming down here?" asked Aegin.

    "Did you not see the Vanguard cleave a hole in the deck?" asked Ebony.

    Aegin turned to look. Honestly, he hadn''t. He''d gotten used the cannon fire and hadn''t realised there was more than that going on.

    "What''s that got to do with you?" asked Aegin.

    "Rassa ordered me down, up there isn''t sa-"

    Aegin pushed Ebony down and drew his swords over her, stepping so that he was between her and his opponent as he fought him off, "Down here isn''t safe either!"

    "Nowhere is safe!" she snapped back, "We''re under attack!"

    Aegin grumbled, "Stick behind me but don''t face my back, and duck when I tell you to".

    Ebony didn''t argue this time.

    ***

    The deck of the Miranda was absolute chaos, but so was this whole situation. Regardless, Rassa was more concerned about his current predicament than what was happening on the Miranda. Aegin could look after himself, and Ebony wasn''t stupid either. The crew respected them both so no doubt they''d be well-looked after during the fight. Rassa was free to unleash. And unleash he did.

    Rassa was limited to what he could do with his magic, even then, he used it where he could, sending all kinds of stray objects and debris at the barrier surrounding the Pirate Captain so that he wouldn''t have to face the backlash directly himself.

    Meanwhile, the Priate Captain swung his lightning coated Vanguard back and forth, destroying parts of the Miranda as well as his own ship. He seemed near crazed as he moved around and seemed to target spots randomly. To Rassa, his movements were so slow, easy to dodge. He''d counted at least nine slashes of lightning, at least four of which had managed to hit his shield. But this was nothing like when he''d been caught off guard in his cell in Jerrica. At most, this crazed man had four more strikes of his sword left. Judging from the mist left in his charm, Rassa could stand another two hits before he''d have to dodge the uncontrollable bolt of lightning by himself.

    Though, Rassa was running out of ammunition. He spotted a shadow to the side and reached for it, only to find it not responding to him. He frowned and reached out again. That presence was there, the one he''d felt the night they''d left Rouke. He had no time to contemplate it though, as in his moment of surprise and confusion, a lightning strike hit him full power rather than glancing off his shield. His protection charm fluttered and he felt the protective shield around his body fall away.

    "Ha!" the Pirate cried triumphantly. Rassa turned and saw the Vanguard cleaving the air in his direction once more. Rassa dropped to the ground as the lightning passed over him the air burning and sparking before another explosion of splinters aboard the Miranda. A big one.

    CRACK.

    Rassa turned in surprise at the sound, it was much more defined than the previous one''s he''d heard. Rassa then watched in horror as the main mast of the Miranda leaned dangerously to one side, the ropes holding it snapping at the strain. Catching a glimpse of Aegin and Ebony standing back to back on the deck, looking up at the falling mast in shock as it began to fall, faster and fast, towards them.

    "Look out!" Rassa cried.

    He went to move towards them, only to find his feet stuck to the deck.

    His head snapped down to find the sticky black substance he''d been unable to name holding him firmly in place. He pulled on his own energy to move away, but his moment of distraction has cost him again.

    "You''re done, monster!" the Pirate grinned. Rassa couldn''t escape it as the lightning made it his way. It struck him painfully, just as awful and incapacitating as it had been in Jerrica.

    Rassa collapsed onto the deck, flinching and jerking as the electricity coursed through his body unhindered. He turned to look towards Aegin and Ebony, and saw it as Aegin turned and grabbed Ebony in slow motion, then jumped over the starboard side of the Miranda and out of sight. The mast came crashing down, splintering the deck of the Miranda and the remaining pirate ship on the far side.

    No. He had to get to them, to make sure they were alright. He gritted his teeth, pushing himself to his knees as he fought off the lightning.

    "Tough one, aren''t you?" asked the Pirate, "I take it I have your approval to kill him, then?"

    The top half of a woman in a black robe appeared from the shadows trapping Rassa''s feet, she grinned from the shadows of the cowl, "I will tolerate no threats to my Master".

    The Pirate grinned, then slashed his sword down, a final strike of lightning cleaving the edge of the deck where Rassa crouched and throwing Rassa into the ocean below.

    The water made the sizzling through his body worse, it was like it just kept coming as he sunk, choking on water as it filled his lungs.

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    Finally, mercifully, it stopped as he dipped below the hulls of the Miranda and the pirate ship. Rassa pulled his arms up and through the water, making his way to the surface to gasp for some air, only to see the figure of that woman diving through the water, from the hull towards him. Her sticky darkness gripped him, then dragged him down. Her voice cut through the water towards him as he struggled against her, reaching to call upon shadows of his own.

    "If you will not serve my master, you will serve nobody".

    The shadows responded to Rassa call, reaching down from the ship towards him. Rassa paused right as the shadows were about to reach him, catching sight of a sinking Aegin and Ebony. It had only been seconds since they''d landed in the water, hadn''t it?

    It took barely an instant for Rassa to make his decision. His was a lonely existence anyway. Theirs? They still had a chance.

    The shadows redirected from Rassa, pushing the two fragile humans to the surface. Rassa watched them gasp for air in the light as his world grew darker the deeper he went.

 Chapter 165 Authors Note and Thank you

    Wow!

    Who would have thought that I could write two whole books between March and October of the same year? Usually I''m lucky to write 1 in that time...

    Of course, I know exactly why I can write this much, and of course it''s because of you guys!

    *Fireworks*

    *Sparklers*

    *Confetti*

    *Waiters bringing out a vampire themed cake* (Cause it ain''t a party without cake!)

    Thank you so much for your support for this second volume, it has meant quite a lot to me and I hope it will continue into the future considering the vast and diverse world I''m only on the verge of creating. At the end of last week (Sunday 29/09 at 5:30pm AEST), I did a check and a tally of the top 15 of those on the site that had contributed the most comments and votes for this story and hence here is the shout-out below:

    Top 15 Voters:

    1. SoraxKairi �C 572

    2. Nekomino �C 550

    3. esmeraldo �C 461

    4. kehdue �C 401

    5. Rabliel �C 367

    6. Twisting_Shadows �C 290

    7. Triorchan �C 275

    8. AllMight00 �C 273

    9. zecond �C 248

    10. daniel44 �C 222

    11. DVDD �C 200

    12. Ivy_Jones �C 199

    13. Savacou �C 191

    14. Nourah1999 �C 190

    15. DD8DD - 185

    Top 15 Commenters (good or bad, they all contributed to my motivation one way or another):

    1. DaoistLilSpoderman - 122

    2. Legion20 - 72

    3. SoraxKairi - 64

    4. Athrium - 52

    5. Chaoticmike - 46

    5. Coolio - 46

    7. 02842 - 45

    8. MazniBanichki - 40

    9. K1ra12066099 - 39

    10. Crazyreader - 38

    11. Nourah1999 - 37

    11. peejay2 - 37

    13. Dragonia_101 - 36

    13. Senior_Nepuko - 36

    15. AvidReader962 - 31

    15. Everything_system8 - 31

    And of course, a special shout-out to those who have posted a review. While I can see that I certainly can''t impress everyone, I''m grateful for the kind words and recommendations.

    *Let''s out a breath*

    So...who''s interested in hearing about Vol.3? Probs the only reason why you''re reading this chapter huh?

    *Laughs Evilly*

    Okay, enough with the suspense...

    ...

    ...

    ...

    ...

    No really, I''ll tell you.

    So I''m taking a break until the end of October for various reasons.

    First and foremost, I''m finishing my degree and applying for jobs for next year so kinda busy with that.

    Second, I gotta go back and edit this second volume, possibly change a few things too but it''ll be the same general structure for those who can''t be bothered going back to read it again. As always edited chapters indicated by a * in the title.

    Third, I gotta start writing the third volume, titled ''The Man and The Monster''. Can''t tell you much cause it''ll give too much away, but there will be a lot of the characters we''ve met this second volume getting their own story lines. I''ll let you guys guess who.

    And finally, I''m setting up a P*a*t*r*e*o*n account. Primarily, this account will be used to finance my writing. I would love to be able to send the first volume off to a publisher and get recognition straight away, but that just ain''t happening.

    "Well why don''t you self-publish?" you may ask

    Self-publishing to me is like a last resort if no one else wants to publish my book, but regardless of which route I take I still need to get my books professionally edited. Doing it myself or getting friends or family has been how I''ve been doing it so far, but let''s face it, neither me or any of them are professionally trained to spot things that are wrong with my book or give me suggestions on how to fix it. And, like most things, editing costs money...a shit tonne of money that I don''t have, hence the P*a*t*r*e*o*n Account.

    I''ll obviously give more information later (when I post a teaser for the third volume), but essentially Patrons will have access to Q&As with me or with the characters (Will be taking questions from my discord server ONLY), they''ll see short stories from side characters, or sometimes main characters, and possibly some extra content about the wider world of Chaos.

    Obviously, if you don''t want to become a Patron, that''s cool too, no hard feelings. You won''t miss out on anything from the main story line as all the incidents within the short stories will be at least mentioned in the novels, but if you are interested I''d really appreciate it and you''ll be able to see more updates on my discord server so get that link on the title page of this novel.

    Okay, I think that''s it...for now anyway.

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    Oh wait, you probably want dates huh? Silly me, leaving you hanging there...

    Vol.3 Teaser & first chapter releases on Chaptail (Hopefully P*a*t*r*e*o*n Page Launch as well but I don''t know how long it''ll take me to set up so could be the following monday): 21st of October at 5pm AEST (Australian Eastern Standard Time)

    Vol.3 first chapter release on Webnovel: 28th of October at 5pm AEST (Australian Eastern Standard Time)

    Mark the dates in your calendars dear Denizens of Chaos, and I shall see you then!

    Until next time, Happy Reading!

    -Jelim

 Chapter 166 Teaser for Vol.3

    Hello everybody! Hope we''ve had a nice break. I know I did. Guess who finished her degree? Me! Woop woop!

    So my main aims in editing Vol.2 have hopefully been achieved. I didn''t mention it a couple of weeks ago but I was fully aware that the last few chapters didn''t make complete sense. I will clarify that the ending is still the same, but I''m making/have made efforts through the rest of Vol.2 to make the ending more acceptable and realistic. As you''ll no doubt see in a moment, the separation of Rassa from those he knows and the way in which he is separated is very important to the Vol.3 story line. So, hate it as much as you want, but the ending to Vol.2 ain''t changing - at least beyond minor edits.

    Okay, enough of that, we all know you guys are here for the teaser, so without further ado...

    ***

    "...You have lived your life constantly at war within yourself. Too stuck in what it means to be human to embrace the fate given to you. So, Rassa, what will it be? Will you choose the man, or the monster?"

    Thanks to the meddling of someone Rassa didn''t even deem worthy of acknowledging, the family he''s worked to create has been separated and thrown into disarray in his absence. Aegin and Ebony are captured by the Pirates that attacked them, and those on Rouke Island are being eyed from all sides. They''ll need to learn to stand on their own two feet now, because as days turn into weeks, then months, even if Rassa does live - and of that they can''t be certain - their faith that he''ll come and save them as he has before dwindles and begins to die.

    ***

    I look forward to everyone joining me in The First Vampire''s third volume: The Man and The Monster.

    The first chapter is now available as premium on Chaptail for those who are interested. Otherwise, I''ll see you all next Monday at the same time.

    Find authorized novels in Webnovel��faster updates, better experience��Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting.

    Also, anyone willing to join the P*a*t*r*e*o*n that I created (really hoping Webnovel doesn''t censor that cause it annoyed me last time), the link is now available on the info page of this book I would really appreciate the support if you do, but no hard feelings if you don''t.

    See you next week, and happy reading!

    -Jelim

 Chapter 167 The Pirate Lord

    Aegin thought he was drowning.

    He''d hit the water pretty hard. In his desperation to get himself and Ebony out of the way of the falling mast he hadn''t really braced for the fall. He''d barely even taken a breath. Landing on his back hadn''t helped. It''d jolted the air from his lungs and he''d let go of Ebony in his desperation to get it back.

    But just a glance up was enough to acknowledge that going up was a bad decision, he reached out and yanked Ebony down further with him, just as the scattered debris from the mast''s fall broke the surface of the water and began to sink down. Ebony flinched and cried out, swallowing a mouthful of water as a rapidly sinking cannon barrel hit the bottom half of her leg. She slapped her free hand over her mouth, but Aegin could tell the damage was already done. Now she was drowning too.

    Lungs burning and darkness closing in around his blurry vision, Aegin tried to pull them both up to the surface. But it was too far away.

    Losing the last of his air, Aegin''s world got darker and darker.

    Just on the edge of unconsciousness, he felt a force propelling him and Ebony up to the surface, and he gasped as they broke through, a thick shadow depositing both of them haphazardly on the end of the fallen mast, right where the broken crow''s nest floated.

    Aegin knew that shadow. He coughed and spluttered as he did his best to look around.

    "Rassa!" he called.

    The fight was still going on just to his right. It looked as if the force of the mast crashing down had been enough to cleave the pirate ship on the port side of the Miranda in two. It seemed almost impossible, but that lightning had no doubt done its fair share of damage before the mast fell. Aegin''s eyes fell on the still unconscious Ebony.

    "Shit, Ebony?" asked Aegin as he pulled himself up and dragged her across the mast towards him. He shook her, but there was no response, "Ebony!"

    It was to no avail. Aegin pinched her nose and brought his mouth to hers, blowing air into her lungs.

    One breath, two breaths, three breaths.

    Ebony coughed violently as the water that''d been in her lungs was expelled back into the ocean. She gasped for air as Aegin held her so that she wouldn''t fall back into the water. He caught a glimpse of her leg then, the one that''d been hit by the falling barrel.

    Broken. Definitely if the angle of her ankle had anything to say about it.

    "My leg," Ebony managed through the coughing.

    "Broken," Aegin replied as he helped her stabilise on the mast.

    Ebony looked down, tears coming to her eyes at the pain.

    "Ow," She whimpered, trying her best to fight through the pain.

    Aegin looked around again, "Rassa!"

    The reminder seemed to break Ebony from the pain, "Is he okay?"

    "I don''t know," Aegin replied, "We''re not exactly in the best position to see the fight. Pretty sure it was his shadows that brought us up though".

    "Brought us up?" asked Ebony, eyes wide, "You don''t think��"

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    Aegin dove back into the water, swimming through the debris as he tried to get a view of the water below, blurry as it was. But it was too shadowed from the hulls of the ships above, and the rest too dark to see anything. Aegin burst back above the water about ten metres from Ebony.

    "Is he down there?"

    "I don''t-"

    Aegin''s eyes widened as he caught some of the pirates throwing a rope down over her, "Look out!"

    He powered through the water back to her as she screamed, fighting to free herself from the rope as they hauled her back onto what was left of the deck of their ship.

    Aegin grabbed a hold of the hull and hauled himself up, fishing a couple of daggers from his belt to stab into the hull. He was up in a matter of a seconds as he listened to Ebony struggle on the deck above.

    "Ebony!" he shouted, only to be whacked forward by a wooden staff of some kind. They''d been expecting him. He stumbled forwards towards where Ebony was being tied with several other members of The Miranda''s crew.

    A battered Tank and Isaac were among them, barely conscious. Clearly they''d put up a fight.

    Aegin turned over and kicked out at those who wanted to capture him. They backed off, giving him enough room to use the momentum of throwing his legs to allow his body to follow through and right itself. He stood with his daggers up ready to attack.

    "I wouldn''t do that, boy," said the gravelly tone of one of the pirates who held a sword to Ebony''s throat, "Rare to find a girl out here, I''d hate to have to mar her pretty face".

    Aegin glared at him, then at those around him, then looked at Ebony, her eyes pleading with him.

    Rassa was still nowhere in sight, and as he glanced over at The Miranda, he could see many other members of the crew, including Jeremiah and Midas, in the process of being captured.

    Aegin growled and threw down his daggers, they embedded themselves in the broken deck and the pirate grinned, "Good choice".

    "With those skills, he''ll make a good fighter," said another.

    "All in good time," replied the first, "We''ll see what our Lord has to say first".

    Through some not-so-gentle manhandling, those who were left out of The Miranda''s crew, about half of it, were gathered together onto what was left of their ship. The Miranda, who had sailed across the seas for years, would likely not survive this encounter. Surveying the state of her, she was on her last legs, barely floating on the suface.

    Aegin looked to Jeremiah as the Captain was thrown in with the rest of his crew, kneeling on the deck.

    "Rassa?"

    The Captain looked up at Aegin, his eyes sad. But Aegin''s answer didn''t come from Jeremiah.

    "Dead".

    The Pirate Captain, or no doubt the ''Lord'' the other Pirates had referred to, swaggered onto the deck confidently, the sparks of his Vanguard intimidating all who saw it.

    "He was a tenacious bastard, I''ll give him that," the Lord said, "I doubt he was human from how quickly he moved, but he died anyway".

    "No," whispered Ebony.

    "A little shock and he was as useless as they come. He sunk to the depths of the ocean just like the other useless members of your crew," the Lord said.

    "No!" cried Ebony, moving forward as best she could. The Pirate Lord grabbed her collar and hauled her to her feet.

    "You best believe it little girl," he hissed, "And you best believe that you and everyone else here will join them if you aren''t useful to me. So I suggest you behave".

    He threw Ebony back down amongst the remaining crew, and she cried out at the pain in her ankle. The Pirate Lord didn''t look in the least bit sympathetic to her pain, if anything, he seemed to relish it, "Get ''em all in the brig! We''re bringing a haul back this time boys!"

    A cheer rose up amongst the pirates, as Aegin did his best to help Ebony up.

    There was no way Rassa was dead. No way.

 Chapter 168 The Inktresss Folly

    Illai had struggled at first. This being, whoever and whatever he was, was far more powerful than she''d first ascertained. If she hadn''t taken advantaged of his momentary lapse in judgement, she likely wouldn''t have had this opportunity. But now, as she dragged him deeper and deeper into the depths, it was all too clear who''s element they now resided in.

    He''d put up a fight. The shadows he called on were bloodthirsty and cruel, but Illai was one with the water as well as the shadows, his attempts to free himself only passed through her.

    Illai was sure that he would drown quickly, and with how deep she dragged him, it should have happened already, but he just wouldn''t give up. It was like his instinct for survival took him over. His blood red eyes drawing her closer only for the fangs to pass through her skin like it was water. Because it was. In this element she never let her body solidify. His frustration and desperation was clear, and his roar of discontent was left unanswered as the depth and the darkness swallowed it.

    Finally, after a stretch of time that Illai had been too desperate to measure, his red eyes dimmed and his body stilled. She held him down for only a moment more, making sure it wasn''t a bluff, then she released him. He drifted down slowly, his water logged lungs unable to lift him to the surface.

    Illai grinned at her victory. There was no threat to her Master now. Rassa Moonshadow was dead.

    Illai turned and made way for the pirate ships on the surface to see the other spoils they had collected. Perhaps those two companions he''d tried to hard to reach could be of use.

    In the depths of the ocean, far from any signs of life, a single heartbeat thumped.

    ***

    Aegin stilled his hands and looked at Ebony who looked back at him with a fearful gaze. She was being held still by Isaac, her broken leg out in front of her where Aegin worked. Aegin knew he didn''t need to say it because she knew, but he spoke anyway.

    "This will hurt".

    "No shit," Ebony squeaked half-heartedly as she took the rag offered by Isaac and forced it into her mouth.

    Aegin took her broken leg in his hands, ignoring it as she flinched and closed her eyes.

    "1��2��3��4��"

    Ebony opened her eyes in confusion.

    CRACK

    She screamed into the cloth as her bones were put back in place, then Aegin took the stray pieces of wood that Tank had managed to take from the cot and tied them to Ebony''s leg as a splint. He took the cloth from Ebony''s mouth and used it as one of the bandages.

    "Mother of��" Ebony proceeded to curse foully and the sailors around her looked on in shock before smirking.

    "Good thing she''s not a lady," Tank mumbled.

    Aegin smirked with them as Ebony glared at them, "I''d like to see you do better".

    "Darlin'', you''re a tough one. Don''t let that part of you go," Tank sighed, "Especially now".

    They fell silent as Aegin finished working on Ebony''s leg, then moved to sit beside her with his back to the wall.

    "He''s not dead," Ebony mumbled, "Right?"

    "Na?ve girl," the voice seemed to hiss out. And the damp puddle beyond the brig bars rose up to form the figure of a woman in a dark cloak, "I admit he put up more of a fight than I expected. But he drowned in the depths and will be forgotten there".

    Aegin''s eyes narrowed, "You killed him".

    "He had to die," the woman replied.

    "Why?" Ebony asked.

    "He was a threat to my master. Now that threat has been dealt with," the woman replied, "I admit it is a shame that we couldn''t get the method for producing the charms from him, but seeing as he was so close to you two-" Her figure stepped forward and melded through the bars before she put a finger beneath Ebony''s chin and raised it, "-Perhaps you could be of use in that aspect".

    "Go bake in the sun, Inktress," Midas spat from the next cage over.

    The woman turned with dark eyes towards him, and Midas smirked, "Yeah, I know who you are. The Hybrid Magician who serves Ishta Alamone like a loyal dog".

    "Ishta Alamone?" asked Ebony, "He ordered this?"

    The Inktress straightened her back, "You had no place to deny him in the first place. This world is his for the taking, it is only a matter of time".

    "This world?" asked Aegin with a smirk, "I think he thinks to highly of himself".

    The Inktress glared at Aegin, then wrapped his throat with the dark ink she was so famous for. Aegin gasped for air, and his hands struggled with the watery choker. He couldn''t grip it, and yet it gripped his neck so tightly.

    "Should I drown you as well? After all, you don''t sound like you know anything. Your life is worth nothing now without him," the Inktress hissed.

    "Did you behead him?" asked Ebony.

    The Inktress paused.

    "Did you stab him through the heart?"

    The Inktress turned as she looked at Ebony. The ink''s grip around Aegin''s throat loosened, and he coughed as he chuckled.

    "You didn''t di you?" asked Aegin, "You should have done your research. Rassa isn''t your average being. It takes quite a lot to kill something like him".

    The Inktress''s eyes narrowed, "What are you saying?"

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    A small smile painted Ebony''s lips, "We''re saying you should do a thorough check before you pronounce someone dead".

    "When he comes for us," Aegin said, "You better believe that your ink won''t be able to save you then".

    The Inktress seemed suspicious. Like she wasn''t sure whether or not to believe them. Then she melded back into a puddle.

    Illai rushed to the depths, casting out her ink to find the body. But as she stopped in the spot where those red eyes had faded, her heart skipped a beat in fear.

    Where was he?

    What had she let loose?

    Back on the ship, Midas looked at Aegin and Ebony, "What do you mean he''s not dead? No one survives what she no doubt did to him".

    "He''s not human," Jeremiah said from the side. He''d been silent until them, his pride as a Captain pierced and ruined, "What did he call himself again?"

    "Vampire," Aegin provided, "And from what I know, they''re very difficult to kill".

 Chapter 169 The Business Training

    Iah, Sharli and Kit all stared at the papers before them with noticeable frustration. It had only been a little over a week since Rassa, Ebony and Aegin had left, but they already wanted them to return. Despite appearances, Rassa was quite the patient teacher. No doubt part of the reason was due to Ebony''s hovering, but nonetheless, he had been far kinder to them than Ebony''s subordinates.

    Talia, Dane and Louis, the three that they''d met upon signing the deal with Startree, were no doubt experts in their field. They all had vast experience, and were quite intelligent, not to mention they spoke quite highly of Miss Falla. Still, with that vast experience came a mild form of arrogance. The three were harsh in their expectations of Iah, Sharli and Kit, and had pushed the three to learn how to read and write in the shortest time possible.

    Kit was at least doing better than Iah and Sharli. His young age meant that he was more susceptible to new knowledge, and he soaked it up like a sponge. Iah and Sharli struggled more. They''d never needed to read or write before, and now that they were being forced to learn, they found themselves sometimes questioning whether it would be worth it.

    Of course they understood the opportunity being given to them. Just a month ago they were nothing but squatters in the darkened and abandoned slums of Port Leis. Now, they had the opportunity to be part of a vast enterprise that monopolised a new and superior product. However, the learning process was not an easy one.

    Sharli in particular was not doing well. Their three teachers paid particular attention to her because it was clear that Sharli could become a manager of the business in the future. But Sharli was just too slow for their expectations.

    Now, as they were presented with their assessment results for their first stage of learning, Sharli had come out on the bottom by more than twenty points.

    "Really, Sharli, I just don''t know what to say," said Talia, "You should put more effort in, or else you''re only going to fall behind more".

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    Sharli, intent on not making an enemy of those Rassa had deemed his allies, decided to keep her mouth shut, "I''ll do better".

    After this concession, the three were given more things to study before their teachers left. Sharli sighed as she looked at her assessment paper.

    "Is something wrong?" asked Iah.

    "You mean besides the clear indication of my stupidity?" asked Sharli.

    Iah sighed, "You''re not stupid, you just have a lot on your plate".

    Sharli looked at her younger sister, "Rassa left me in charge for a reason. Now I''m just letting him down".

    "You''re trying your best," said Iah, "Besides, you''re currently responsible for looking after the two dozen residents of the ruin, you frequently take it upon yourself to clean and cook meals, plus you spend a lot of time supervising construction of the upper floors. It''s no wonder you have so little time to study".

    "That''s not an excuse," Sharli huffed.

    "It is too," Iah replied, "Look, why don''t you get some of the older ones to share responsibilities. That way you''ll have more time to study. I can help you supervise, we''ll take it in turns".

    "But then you''ll be held back as well".

    "If we look after each other, just like we always have, we''re not going to fail. Rassa had faith that we wouldn''t," Iah insisted, then she pointed to the retreating Kit with an amused smile, "Besides, if worse comes to worst, we''ll just have Kit take over".

    Sharli rolled her eyes. At this rate, that might really happen. Kit had shown himself to be a fast learner. He had managed to create several charms in the past week, not to mention his rapidly improving reading and writing abilities. He was showing immense talent. Sharli couldn''t help but be jealous.

    But when asked what he did to learn so fast, he''d just replied, "The Mist helps".

    Such a thing fell beyond Sharli''s realm of understanding, and she could only sit and be quietly envious of the boy''s mysterious helper.

    "Look," said Iah as she stood, taking the Tracking Charm out of her pocket, "Why don''t we check on their progress? That usually cheers you up a little".

    Sharli couldn''t deny that. Using the Tracking Charms, even for a moment, was reassuring to Sharli. Reassuring to know that her family members were safe, wherever they were. She nodded gently as she took out her own charm and clutched it in her hand, willing it to show her the others in the sequence.

    Before Sharli''s eyes, a bright blue line appeared before her, connecting the stones she and Iah held. It was almost as bright as the sun, though nobody but those holding the charms would be able to see it.

    She, Iah and Kit had learned over the past week that the brighter the line was, the closer the other stones in the sequence were. Rassa had informed them that a solid line meant that the other party wasn''t in any danger, no matter how dim it was. Sharli gave a small smile as she looked at the slightly less bright line connecting her stone to Kit''s, and another that was Falla''s stone. Finally, she turned to the south where three lines existed, much dimmer than the previous ones.

    As Sharli observed the lines however, her smile faltered.

    Two of the lines, despite being dim, were still relatively solid. But the third��not only was it now skewing to a separate location than the other two, it was also flickering, like a sputtering torch in a breeze.

    "Something''s not right," Iah said as she too looked at the same phenomenon.

    Sharli nodded, determining that the line was Rassa''s. Her eyes widened as she turned to look at her sister.

    "Something''s happened to Rassa," said Sharli. Iah nodded as well, and Sharli stood quickly, "We''ve got to help-"

    "We can''t," Iah said firmly. Sharli turned to look at her sister, surprised.

    "Why not? If he''s in trouble then-"

    "You know Rassa, he can look after himself," Iah replied.

    "But what if this is something bad? Something he can''t get himself out of?" asked Sharli.

    "Even if it was, what exactly can we do?" asked Iah.

    Sharli''s determination faded. Her sister was right. They had no power to help Rassa. She caught sight of Falla''s line again, looking in that direction. Iah followed her line of sight and sighed.

    "You''re right," said Iah, "We can''t do anything, but at the very least we should let Falla know. If there is anyone among us here on the Island that can do something, it''s her".

    "Right," said Sharli. After informing those who were still inside the Ruin, Sharli and Iah set off to look for Falla Startree.

 Chapter 170 The Ominous Sign

    Despite the Trader''s Festival having ended, Falla Startree''s workload had not decreased in the slightest. If anything, it had grown larger. Moonshadow Trading Company might have been just starting out, but it''s product was miraculous, and considering they''d only released one onto the market so far, Falla could only dream of what the reaction would be like when they introduced 5 more kinds of charms.

    As such, she had been hard at work attempting to find an appropriate transport route between her heavily guarded and secret Evanine Mine, and Rouke Island where the business was based. There were many checkpoints and individuals that the crystals had to pass through before they made it to the Island, and Falla was doing her best to not only ensure that those individuals were trustworthy enough to be given the task, but also that no third party knew about the trade route and could therefore interrupt it. She''d never needed to take this much caution for any of her products before. It was part of the reason she''d decided to trade in fabrics. They were mostly common materials, the only thing that Falla attempted to do differently and therefore attract customers were the colours and designs on the fabrics. She''d met with mild success, and had been quite happy.

    Now, she had to question if her decision to join hands with Rassa''s new company was a good decision on her part. On the one hand, there was no doubt she''d earn incredible profits from this, and on a personal note, she had the opportunity to reconnect with Rassa. Though it was clear that it would be on a strictly friends'' basis at most. On the other hand, she was joining hands with a new company that had an indescribably popular product and no on hand security.

    It was just asking for trouble, and Falla knew it.

    She''d tried, in their brief meetings, to convince Rassa that he should be more cautious. He was admittedly doing a good job as it was, but his security relied solely on Rassa''s abilities and power. His followers had no way of protecting themselves now that Rassa had left, and Falla was sure she hadn''t stressed this point enough to him beforehand. She had promised to take care of them, but she was sure that Rassa had overestimated her capabilities. Apple Star Trading Company was not large, and it was not widely known. Still, Rassa had seemed confident that she could do it, so Falla was determined not to let him down.

    There was a knock on her office door as she signed a trade order that Layn had placed on her desk earlier that day.

    "I''ve got it here, Layn," said Falla as she held up the document quickly, "Just approved, sorry I''m a little-"

    "Miss Falla?" asked Layn''s hesitant voice. Falla frowned, looking up. Layn was never hesitant. She looked at where Layn stood in the doorway to her office, "You have a gue-"

    Falla shot up out of her seat as she saw the individual standing behind Layn in the hallway, "Jane?"

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    Jane grinned confident as she stepped forward into the room. Falla hadn''t seen her since her husband''s funeral, she''d been busy with her final assessments at the Academy in Barday.

    "Falla!" said Jane with a grin as she skipped forward to hold Falla''s arms and Falla smiled in return, only to have her smile frozen in awkwardness at Jane''s arrival.

    It was wholly unexpected, the last Falla heard, Jane was back in Cordon.

    "Jane, what a surprise, what are you doing here?"

    "I hope I''m not interrupting?" asked Jane as she noticed Falla''s expression, her own enthusiastic smile dropping.

    "What?" asked Falla, "Oh no, there are just some everyday things I have to deal with. I thought you returned to Cordon after you graduated?"

    "Well, yes," Jane replied, "But when I was asked which Guild I wanted to join, my first thought was to join one so I could be closer to you! After all, it''s been so long since we spoke and I know you haven''t had the easiest time since��anyway, I thought I''d take the opportunity is all��am I overstepping?"

    "Of course not," Falla smiled, "I''m just caught off-guard by your arrival is all. Shall we have some tea and catch up?"

    "Sure," said Jane.

    Falla turned to Layn who awkwardly stood in the doorway still, "Some tea please, Layn".

    "Of course, Miss".

    "So how has business been?" asked Jane as Falla led her to the small table and chairs she had in the corner of her office.

    "Quite well, I''ve recently made a new deal with-"

    Falla cut herself off. She couldn''t mention Rassa. Not only would it make Rassa angry, but it''d no doubt worry Jane as well. That matter was far too complicated, and it was not Falla''s place to explore it. It would be better if she didn''t mention it at all.

    "With?" prompted Jane.

    Falla smiled, "Oh, sorry, it''s a secret unfortunately so I shouldn''t discuss it, but it''ll bring in a lot of profits if all goes well".

    Jane smiled happily, "That''s great, I''m happy for you".

    "And you, I heard your Graduation went well?" prompted Falla.

    "Ah, yes, my battle team graduated at the top of our class," Jane grinned, "Honestly it was quite the scandal when we announced the members but it all turned out well in the end. They''ll be arriving here too soon. Though I suppose rather than choose a guild we''ve been assignments to complete on the Emperor''s orders. It''s quite a prestigious position".

    Jane looked quite proud of herself, and Falla couldn''t help but be proud too. Falla''s understanding of the Academies was not the best, but she did know that the top students from every graduating class were employed directly under the Emperor. To earn such an honour��Falla had rarely seen Jane use her abilities, but she knew that Jane must be exceptional to be in the position she was.

    "Yes, we''ve been order to look into these items called Protection Charms that were made available during the Trader''s Festival," said Jane, Falla froze, "I figured the best way to get a good start on the task was to ask someone who was here during that time. Do you happen to know anything, Falla?"

    What was she to say at a time like this? She definitely couldn''t mention Rassa. But Jane would no doubt hear the name somewhere. Especially during the latter half of the festival, Rassa hadn''t hidden the Moonshadow Trading Company''s establishment. With the authority of the Emperor, despite his loose hold on the Southern Isles, Jane would eventually dig up his name.

    "Well-"

    "Miss Falla!"

    The call came from a familiar voice as the door to her office opened once more and Sharli and Iah barged in, they were clearly out of breath, but their eyes widened upon seeing Falla had a guest.

    "Uh��"

    "Oh, is it urgent?" asked Falla.

    Sharli and Iah both nodded their heads, eyes wide.

    "I see," said Falla.

    Falla seized the opportunity before her as she turned to Jane, "I''m terribly sorry, how about we meet for dinner tonight. We can catch up and I can tell you what I know then?"

    Jane seemed to have assessed the situation as Falla being quite busy and nodded, "Very well, where should I meet you?"

    "Oh, tell Layn to make a reservation at a restaurant of your choice on the way out. I''m sorry again," said Falla.

    "It''s okay," said Jane with a warm smile as she walked out, the office door closing behind her.

    "Miss Falla-"

    Falla put a finger to her lips. Being and Wind Magician, it wouldn''t take much for Jane to overhear conversations.

    Falla stood and approached the two, hurrying then over and away from the door.

    "What''s wrong?" asked Falla.

    Iah took out her tracking charm, holding it tightly. Falla took out her own with a frown, willing it to activate. She looked at the two lines before her, and the other line leading to Port Leis where Kit was, then the remaining three.

    Two of them, though dim, were still solid somewhere to the south-west. But the third��

    Falla looked at Iah and Sharli to see if they had an explanation, but the two of them were looking at her the same way. Falla sighed, placing a hand on her forehead as she thought.

    "He told us he''d come back," said Falla, "So we have to have faith that he will. The connection isn''t completely lost, so he is still alive. We''ll continue as usual. Unless something comes up, we won''t pursue this".

    Sharli and Iah looked to each other, then back at Falla.

    "Are you sure?"

    Falla nodded, "We can''t do anything else".

 Chapter 171 The Inktresss Vengeance

    Aegin had never expected the Inktress to leave them alone for good. After all, she thought that they had something she wanted, why would she simply leave them to the Pirates?

    Sure enough, only a couple of hours had passed before she was back in the brig, holding both Aegin and Ebony aloft with her ink.

    "Where is he?" she hissed in anger.

    Aegin couldn''t help laughing as she choked them. So he''d been right. Between Rassa telling them he was immortal and seeing the state he''d been in when he was starved, Aegin was positive that merely drowning the Vampire wouldn''t kill him. Afterall, the only thing that water did to the body was block the airways. Asphyxiation didn''t seem grand enough for someone of Rassa''s abilities to die of.

    "How��would��we��know?" Ebony choked out.

    The Inktress seemed to growl as she clenched her teeth, then she threw the two from one side of the brig to the other. It wasn''t a large cage so they didn''t go far, but it was still painful thanks to the force the Inktress had used. Ebony squealed in pain despite her having Tank to break her fall. Aegin on the other hand smashed straight into the bars and to the ground. The knock to his head dazed him, and after a moment he raised a hand, drawing it back to see blood. He grinned.

    "That was rather rash of you," Aegin said, "If we die, who else do you expect to get information from?"

    Aegin turned to face the Inktress, but as he did, he noticed the Tracking Charm had fallen from his pocket as he''d been thrown, and it lay in between him and the Inktress. Of course, both the Tracking Charm and the Protection Charm Rassa had given Aegin and Ebony had been taken by the Pirates upon their imprisonment. However, the unique properties of the Tracking Charm allowed it to appear back with Aegin and Ebony not long after they had been taken.

    The Inktress, about to retort, spotted the charm at the same time Aegin did. Despite Aegin''s attempt to school his expression, he knew the Inktress saw his alarm right before Aegin lunged forward to take the charm.

    The Inktress swept an arm across her body, the ink sweeping out to trap Aegin against the bars of the brig before she knelt down and picked up the charm.

    "Interesting," the Inktress said as she looked at the charm, "It''s not like the others, the markings are different, more intricate".

    Ebony, having realised what it was the Inktress was holding, gritted her teeth through the pain as she spoke, "It''ll make no difference to you. You can''t use it".

    The Inktress''s eyes narrowed as she comprehended what Ebony had said, her eyes focusing on the markings.

    As she looked, the door to the brig opened, and the Pirate Captain who had captured and imprisoned them descended with a few of his crew members.

    "Inktress, you''re making an awful racket. I thought you''d already gotten what you came for," the Pirate Captain sneered, "Our agreement was that I got the rest of the spoils".

    The Inktress''s eyes narrowed as they began to comprehend the mist that surrounded and penetrated the charm in her hands, the mist that wove and began to speak to her, whispering the meaning behind the markings on the stone. She''d never tried to comprehend the markings on the stone before, but now that she realised how heavily the mist played a part, she could only grin as she began to see the meaning behind the markings.

    "A Tracking Charm?" asked Inktress, "How useful".

    She ignored the Pirate Captain as she turned to Aegin, an inky shadow pierced up from the ground like a spike, stopping right before Ebony''s chest, "Tell me how it is activated, and I''ll let her live".

    Aegin''s eyes narrowed as they flicked to Ebony, then back to the Inktress.

    From the corner of the next cell, Jeremiah spoke up, "I may have only been around these kids for a bit over a month, but I can guarantee that death would not be a punishment to them. Face it Inktress, you made a bad call. I would love to see the look on Ishta''s arrogant face when you inform him that you messed up. That you lost him an investment that would have probably allowed him to dominate the world".

    The Inktress''s eyes turned dark, nobody insulted her master. Certainly not a Token.

    Another inky spike formed in an instant, only thing one didn''t stop before it pierced through skin. A wet sounding shik echoed in the quiet brig, and Jeremiah sucked in a breath of air. There was a moment, a pause where no one could quite believe it had happened, the Midas spoke.

    "Captain?"

    "Insignificant Dog".

    With her insult, the spike retreated back to the damp shadows, leaving a gaping hole in the centre of Jeremiah''s chest. The vacant look in the old Captain''s eyes was confirmation enough for everyone who watched on.

    The Pirate Captain tsked in displeasure, "He would have sold for a good price too. Anything else you want, Inktress?"

    The Inktress turned her eyes back to Aegin as she held the charm aloft, "How do I activate it".

    Aegin''s eyes narrowed as they turned from Jeremiah''s collapsing form back to the Inktress''s dark gaze.

    "You can''t," Aegin replied, "Or did you not read the blood that the Mist is tied to?"

    The Inktress gritted her teeth in annoyance, the spike that had zeroed in on Ebony moving forward. Ebony ignored it, looking at the Inktress, "If you think either of us will cooperate with you, you''re insane. Though, considering you work for that ass of a man, I think you''ve already swallowed a heap of crazy".

    The Inktress''s gaze cut to Ebony threateningly.

    "Inktress!" snapped the Pirate Captain, drawing his Vanguard, "If you think that hurting my merchandise is a good idea, please go on. Good luck getting any future cooperation from us though, no matter if it''s a request from your precious master or not".

    The Inktress gritted her teeth, then released the shadows binding Ebony and Aegin as she stepped away, taking the charm with her. She flicked a bag of gold coins at the Pirate Captain, "Don''t go easy on them. Evidently these two are hard to break".

    Then she melded into the shadows. Aegin made his way to Ebony to check she was okay, and Ebony reached up to touch Aegin''s bloody wound on his head.

    "Are you okay?" she asked.

    "Fine," said Aegin, "You?"

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    "I''ll live," she replied, "Aegin if she finds-"

    "She won''t," Aegin replied, "You know she won''t".

    "How sickly sweet," the Pirate Captain grumbled as he pocketed the coins, "We''ll see how sweet you are once you get to Herguard".

 Chapter 172 The Fools Eyes

    The little charm that Olly clung to so tightly was the only thing that allowed him to influence the Mist. It was a powerful thing, the Mist. Powerful and mysterious. Even Olly, who had read and watched and listened to it all his life found its intricacies undecipherable. Still, as he''d learned over the years, being able to listen was gift enough. There were plenty of people who didn''t. Plenty of people who let it pass them by. Even those who had the ability to influence the Mist rarely sat down to look and listen unless it was necessary. Olly supposed that was the reason why these charms had been so astounding, and why even Magicians couldn''t work out how to create them.

    It was because they were listening.

    Ever since Olly had seen the miraculous affects of the charm, and not just what the Mist had told him, Olly had drawn the circle within a circle many times. So many that he''d long ago lost count. The abandoned apartment he''d squatted in had been filled with the run for protection. Over and over and over he''d drawn it, though he''d never been able to imbue it with the power that the charm had. He''d known there was something missing. But only wasn''t drawing the rune so he could replicate the affects, even if given the right tools he could. He was drawing it because for the first time since he was born, he''d been able to give the Mist, that mysterious and all-encompassing substance, meaning.

    To be able to communicate with it. To have it understand what he wanted so that he wasn''t just listening and interpreting. It was a powerful thing. Olly had never felt so powerful despite only being able to communicate one thing.

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    Protection. Protection. Protection. Protection��

    It was repeated over and over all around him. Not imbued with power like the charm, but understood all the same.

    Protection. Protection. Protection. Protection��

    The Mist, having known Olly and guided him for so long, had contemplated for a long time on how to reply. Olly was after all, not giving it a purpose. It was more like, a request. At least, that was how the Mist saw the symbols that Olly drew. It saw a request, and having never had any request from him before, it had to search. It had to seek out what he was asking for and then give him a choice.

    Now, finally, it was ready.

    As Olly sketched out another protection rune, his eyes wide and excited like they had been for weeks, he suddenly paused, the Mist swirling around him, then showing him what he desired.

    There were several images, all side by side. Choices, options. The Mist had never given him choices before, it simply advised him on a path and he followed.

    Now, as he looked at the images before him, he realised that while he might not be able to influence the Mist directly, that didn''t mean he couldn''t do anything but listen. The runes. The runes had given him this opportunity.

    Olly looked at the images before him. Watching them and the possibilities they presented. Eventually, he narrowed his choice down to four of them. The first was a woman, a woman that the wind listened to and followed joyously.

    The second was also a woman, this one was pretty and petite, but her eyes held authority, and behind her was a mountain of evanine.

    The third image was of a man decked in finery, an arrogant smile on his face and an ink-like shadow at his back.

    The final image was of a boy shrouded in shadows, a boy who used light to carve a rune into a crystal.

    As Olly looked at these four images, he realised that they weren''t really four images at all. They were all a single image. A single image united by a moon in the top corner, a moon that was gradually shrouded in shadow.

    "Moonshadow".

    Olly whispered the word, and the mist seemed to react with its version of joy, it erased the other images, presenting those four together. Olly''s eyes danced over the images, then they narrowed on the boy. He could draw the runes, imbue them. Olly''s eyes widened as he reached out to touch the image. As he did, the images disappeared, and the mist seemed to flow towards the window, out into the street.

    Olly rushed out to follow it as it wondered and danced through the slums. The piece of paper with the incomplete protection room clasped in one of his hands and a piece of charcoal in the other.

    Anyone who had watched Olly over the past few weeks, let alone in the past few minutes, would have assumed like always that he was insane.

    Olly was nothing but a fool in their eyes. Which of them would ever imagine that the Fool''s eyes saw more than they ever would in their lifetime? That the Fool''s eyes were more powerful than most Magicians. If any of them had bothered to look, they may have noticed that in his irises, swirling amongst the hazel, there were half-formed Life Lines. The Fool''s ability, his eyes, what commotion would it bring if the world were to discover this?

    After all, and ability such as Olly''s had not been seen since the time of Chaos. And all because his whore mother had been too exhausted and hungry to hold the babe as he cried, and had left him on some large rock as she went out to flag down a nearby ship.

    Even if she''d checked the rock, and the markings that covered it, Olly doubted that she would have known what it was.

    Olly followed the mist through the slums, stopping just before a newly restored, white stone building that looked severely out of place amongst the other decrepit and abandoned buildings here. He took a step forward towards it, only to pause just before the door. The mist gathered to the side of the building, and Olly followed it, walking around to the back of the building. There, through a small window, Olly peered inside, seeing the young boy carving the runes, Olly grinned, excited as he tried to get a better view.

    His foot slipped, on the damp stone, and he fell to the ground unceremoniously. Olly groaned as he made an effort to sit up, rubbing his elbow as he hissed in pain. The shadows bent around him, the mist responding the call as it moved towards Olly.

    "Who are you?" asked the boy as he leant out a side door. The boy''s eyes narrowed at the piece of paper in Olly''s hand, the rune on it a source of recognition, "Spies aren''t welcome here".

    Olly held his hands up, "Wait!"

    The boy lifted an eyebrow, "Why?"

    Olly looked around at the Mist, then his fool''s grin appeared on his face as he held out a hand, blackened by charcoal, "I''m Olly, the Mist brought me here".

 Chapter 173 The Stranger in the Depths

    Lua peaked over the coral towards the patrol guards at the edge of the city. Lia, her twin, tugged at her fin to pull her back down.

    "This is a bad idea," Lia insisted through their mental link, her large eyes wide with nervousness, "If we''re caught-"

    Lua grinned, "You''re always such a spoil sport, Lia. If you stop being so skittish, we won''t get caught".

    "But-"

    Lua grabbed her sister''s arm and pulled her forward to the edge of the reef. She peaked out past the edge towards the guards, then turned to spot the pod of whales making their way past the reef.

    "Get ready," Lua smiled.

    "Lua, I-"

    "Go!"

    Lua jetted out from the reef, pulling her anxious sister along with her until they were amongst the pod of whales, bypassing the guards on the way down towards the depths.

    "Are you sure this is a good idea?" Lia asked, "You always say that the shipwrecks are interesting, but we never find anything there that we haven''t seen before. The human world is so boring".

    "One of them was a pirate ship! There''s sure to be some treasure there," Lua grinned.

    She''d heard the patrol report a fight on the surface between a merchant ship and several pirate ships. With this wreck still being fresh, she was bound to find something good.

    "Pirates?" asked Lia, "Lua, you know that we''re supposed to stay away from Pirates".

    "Lia, I doubt they''ll be any live pirates at the bottom of the ocean," Lua rolled her eyes.

    The two swam on, their blue Life Lines shimmering with their scales. Lua''s scales were a deep blue, contrasting greatly with the smooth, pale skin on her stomach, palms and face. Lia''s were a pale purple, reminiscent of her soft and kind disposition.

    The two swam with the pod of whales towards the west, then, after a few minutes, paused to watch as some of the lighter debris finished falling to the ocean floor.

    "See, I told you it was fresh!" said Lua excitedly. She made to dive down, only to have Lia grab her hand, "What?"

    Lia pointed towards the dark chasm nearby. The wreck had fallen on the edge of the deep crevice, a place where only the braver merpeople ventured, but there, floating listlessly, was the figure of a pale man in black. Considering there were many other bodies of human men floating about, Lua was inclined to ignore it.

    However, as his shirt lifted up in the weightlessness of the ocean, it exposed something that was absolutely not human.

    "Are those��black Life Lines?" asked Lia.

    The two had never seen black Life Lines before. A human Magician''s Life Lines were silver or white. Elves had green, Merpeople had blue, Dwarves, brown. But black?

    Lua swam over, catching his body lightly and directing it over to the edge of the chasm, she unceremoniously flipped him over and pulled up his shirt to expose the Life Lines. She didn''t touch them, such a thing was taboo to any race, but as she hovered her finger over them and tried to read them, she found herself falling short. Lia, who had approached cautiously with her hands clasped before her, looked at her sister in confusion.

    "I can''t read them," Lia admitted.

    "Neither can I," Lua replied, "They look so��wrong".

    Lia nodded in agreement, "Lua, maybe we should just leave him and pretend we didn''t see-"

    Lia paused, looking towards the distant west in surprise.

    "What''s that?" asked Lia.

    "Quick, hide!" said Lua.

    Their Life Lines glowed as they pulled on the water around them, the water swirled around them and the unknown man before it appeared to all the world like they had never been there, like they didn''t exist.

    A dark, ink-like existence shot to the top of the crevice, and there, amongst the darkness, was the shape of a woman. A Magician by the looks of her.

    She spun around in panic, looking for something, then her ink spread out dying the world in darkness. Lia and Lua froze in fear. They''d never seen or heard of a Magician with this capability before.

    After a moment, the ink retreated, and the woman appeared enraged before she shot back towards the west. It took another few minutes before Lua and Lia felt safe enough to release their influence on the water, their eyes glued to the far west.

    "Okay, I think we should really go back now, Lua".

    Lia sighed as she looked up at her sister, releasing the man''s shirt and flipping him back over, "But this is a really important discovery! If we could take him to the elders, then we could-"

    Lua froze as her hand fell on the chest of the man, and unbelievable, she felt a heartbeat. A single heartbeat, but it was clear. Lua''s gaze snapped down to the man, "He''s still alive".

    "What?" asked Lia, moving forward.

    "I felt a heartbeat," Lua insisted.

    Lia moved forward and placed a hand beside her sister''s. They waited for a moment, but felt nothing. Lia sighed, "Maybe you-"

    Thump.

    Lia''s eyes widened as she snatched her hand back, "How in the depths is he still alive?"

    Lua looked up at her sister, "Do you think we should take him back now?"

    Lia thought for a moment. About the Magician in the ink and the man before her with black Life Lines. This had happened near her people''s home. Even if it brought trouble, it was trouble they should be prepared for.

    "Fine," Lia said, "But you''re taking the blame".

    Lua rolled her eyes, "Please, you practically begged me to take you out".

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    The two young mermaids each grabbed a hand and dragged the man through the water back towards the east, arguing the whole way.

    ***

    Meanwhile, in the depths of that body''s soul, Rassa floated in the nothingness. He could not help but sigh now that he was all alone without connection to the outside world. Victor had told him that the sub-death was a way for Vampires to sleep, and had implied that it occurred when they starved. Clearly, that was not the only way to fall into the sub-death.

    He''d been drowning when his survival instincts had reared up, determined to make a meal out of the Inktress so he could gather enough power to rise back to the surface. Then, he''d found himself here. At first he thought he was dead, but after feeling the familiar environment, he realised the truth of it. He was stuck in the sub-death until someone gave him blood, either purposefully or accidently. Whether he''d been starving or not on the way in, that was the only way Rassa knew he could come out of the sub-death. Even if he could come out merely by having the water expelled from his lungs, that wasn''t bound to happen any time soon. He''d been in the middle of Whaler''s Strait, and deep down from his understanding. Even if the currents eventually took him to land, by then he''d be starving, especially considering his energy was no doubt being used to maintain his body at this stage.

    Rassa sighed in disappointment. He''d failed his friends. Failed them epically. If only he''d been more confident in his abilities. In his powers. He''d had the power to decimate those ships, yet he''d been too overconfident, too arrogant.

    No. He''d been neither of those. All he''d been was scared. Scared of what he''d become and what people would see him as.

    He did not belong in this world. Him or his abilities. He was a monster, and despite their faith in him, Rassa knew that Aegin and Ebony had never seen Rassa step over the line. Had never seen him and what he could truly be. They''d seen glimpses perhaps. In the mines at Jerrica and at Fountain Ridge on the night he was Unsealed. But he''d placid since then. Tame. No doubt he''d given them a false sense of security.

    It would have been better if he''d never met them. If he''d never put their lives in their kind of danger. If he''d never taken responsibility for them when he couldn''t even protect himself.

    It would have been better if he''d just stayed that innocent little boy who chased rabbits with the other kids in Cordon. What had this darkness brought him that was any good anyway?

 Chapter 174 The Heartbeat of a Drowned Man

    Lua and Lia knew they were in trouble as soon as the guards spotted them. Well, of course they knew they were going to be in trouble before that, what with them sneaking off and all, but they didn''t know exactly how much until they realised that Kaesius, the Captain of the city''s guard, was talking with the two on-duty guards at the main entrance.

    To put it mildly, Lua and Lia were well-acquainted with Kaesius. He was a legend in the merfolk circles, a warrior and a talented leader. Many other merfolk cities had been jealous when Kaesius had chosen to guard their city of Luven. To Lua and Lia however, Kaesius was little more than nuisance who''s one of many duties were keeping the two young princesses out of trouble.

    Was Kaesius aware of this part of his job description when he chose Luven? It was unlikely. However, it''d become a trouble unavoidable part of his week to hunt down the twins wherever they''d managed to sneak off too at least once a week.

    Now, as he turned to find the two of them dragged a human body behind them, he couldn''t help but narrow his eyes in silent fury. Great. Not only had they gone outside city limits this time, but they''d also brought back an outsider. A human.

    Kaesius swam out to meet them where the girls paused. They knew they couldn''t swim from him so instead they waited with nervous looks as he arrived before them, his blue-silver armour glistening in the low-light as he appraised them with stern dark eyes.

    "So��"

    His tone made the girls flinch, particularly Lia, who was docile as it was.

    "��not only did the two of you think it was appropriate to venture beyond city-limits without an escort, but you also saw fit to bring back a drowned human?" asked Kaesius, "Exactly what do you think we''ll do with him, he''s better off as shark food".

    "Well��he''s not dead," Lua said hesitantly.

    Kaesius''s eyes narrowed, "Humans can''t survive underwater, you know that. And if he had a water affinity we''d know".

    Lua shook her head, "No, not a water affinity".

    "Come on, your parents are worried sick," Kaesius turned to swim back to the gate, "And drop the stranger. The last thing we need is to cause a stir about the princesses being interested in humans".

    Lua hesitated as she looked back at the man, "To be honest I don''t know what his affinity is, we can''t read his Life Lines".

    Kaesius paused, looking back at them, "What do you mean you can''t read his Life Lines?"

    Lua looked at Lia, then the two drew the body closer and lifted the shirt of the man''s back to expose the black line.

    Kaesius''s eyes widened as he saw the lines, then he swam quickly back to them, pulling the shirt down frantically, "Where did you find him?"

    Lua looked at Kaesius''s shocked expression and then hesitantly pointed west, "The new ship wreck by the crevice".

    Kaesius frowned, looking at the body.

    "You said he was still alive?" asked Kaesius.

    The two girls nodded, "He''s got a heartbeat, though it''s not a normal heartbeat".

    Kaesius pressed a couple of finger''s to the man''s neck, waiting for a moment. Eventually, a single heartbeat pulsed through the body, then there was only stillness once more.

    Kaesius looked at the body, then at the two girls. He turned and motioned to the guards.

    "Get back to the palace," Kaesius ordered.

    "But-"

    "Now, Lua!" Kaesius snapped, "This is not a matter for you to be involved in".

    Lua frowned, released the man and swimming past Kaesius towards the gates with an angry glare. Lia hesitantly followed behind her sister. After a moment, Lua stopped and turned back, right as the guards passed them.

    "There was someone after him," said Lua, "A Magician woman who seemed adept at both water and shadow elements. She was quite angry when she didn''t find him, and she went west after we succeeded in hiding his presence".

    Kaesius''s expression turned grim, but before he could say anything, Lua turned back towards the city, her sister in tow.

    Kaesius handed the body over to the two guards, "Follow me. This is a matter for the council of elders".

    ***

    The elders were debating seriously two hours later as they took turns trying to read the black Life Lines as well as feeling for the heartbeat of the otherwise drowned man.

    "You said there was a hybrid magician after him?" asked Ilo, one of the elders.

    Kaesius nodded, "From what Lua implied, she did not have good intentions and she left quite unsatisfied".

    "We can''t keep him here," Tarion insisted, "We have no idea who that Magician is or what her intensions are. If she somehow finds her way here, we''ll end up being exposed".

    "I agree with Tarion," Juline stated, "We may be able to handle a single Magician, but what if she brings others next time? Our city is not equipped to sustain a long-term siege, nor should we have to for the sake of an outsider".

    "Still, black Life Lines?" asked Yulan, "You don''t think he is like Her do you?"

    "You know that no matter what form they take they cannot hide their true nature," Runa stated, "I see no tails nor ears on this man".

    "Runa is right, he is not Kitsune," said Juline, "Still, with black Life Lines, She would no doubt be better qualified to address this situation".

    "And, you know how difficult it is to find her, if we didn''t have the crystal she gave us its unlikely we would ever encounter her again if we looked," Tarion said, "He will be better off with her, and with him gone the city will no longer be in danger".

    The five elders lapsed into silence, a silence that was broken by the entrance of the King.

    "I heard that a stranger was brought in?" asked the King, and he too assessed this drowned man with a heartbeat and black Life Lines before he concurred with the elders.

    "I think taking him to someone even vaguely like himself is the best option," the King stated as he turned to Juline, "Might I ask you, Elder?"

    Juline sighed, "Very well. I suppose I haven''t seen her in years".

    Though, the unspoken rule was that she was not to be visited unless under dire circumstances. The Merfolk may have been some of the few people that had connections with the Kitsune of the Fairy Forest, but with that came an understanding. An understanding that Kitsune preferred to be alone.

    "Prepare an escort guard," the King order Kaesius, "You''ll leave in the morning".

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    It was a fortnight-long journey to the Fairy Forest. They needed time to make appropriate preparations.

    With that decision made, the council of elders parted ways, leaving the pale human alone in a solitary chamber whilst they made their preparations.

 Chapter 175 The Fate of His Investmen

    Ishta Alamone had been in quite a good mood as of late. He''d been officially crowned the King of Merchants with the Golden Trade Token at the end of the Trader''s Festival, and had had no problems with his trading partners ever since. Word of such a prestigious award travelled remarkably quickly, and no one wanted to give trouble to the company that had proved itself better than all the rest.

    Still, despite his recent success, he couldn''t help but turn his eyes to the one thing that everyone else seemed to have also been eager to watch.

    This Moonshadow Trading Company...what would it do next?

    Following the mass of charms that had been auctioned off on the second last night of the Trader''s Festival, there had been no word of the mysterious owner nor of any of their products being sold anywhere. It was as if the company had appeared and disappeared with the Trader''s Festival. Such a prospect truly perplexed everyone. Were they a business that only opened during the biannual Trader''s Festival? It was possible with the amount of money they earned, but surely such a successful business prospect would be greatly received all year round.

    Perhaps they''d run out of materials? But there had been no indication of the stock dwindling, and they''d had plenty of opportunity to make appropriate trade deals. In fact they had made one with Apple Star Trading Company. Why they had made a deal with a Company that specialised in fabrics was the conundrum. Why would they do that unless they were interested in going into the fabrics industry? But Fabrics had nothing to do with the charms as far as the general business world could tell.

    Even Ishta was confused as to why this Rassa Moonshadow had made a Trade Deal with Falla Startree. Though his confusion mostly stemmed from the fact that he''d been positive that his offer was far more attractive, besides the fact that he held ownership over a large portion of the Southern continent''s Evanine Crystal Veins.

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    In the end, all Ishta could do was wait for good news from Illai. She''d never failed him before. She''d bring back the insubordinate young man and then Ishta could have a nice long talk about his future prospects. Which, of course, included the secret to manufacturing the powerful charms.

    Who would have thought that for the first time in her two decades of service, Illai had made an irreversible mistake?

    Ishta grinned as he shook hands with one of the lesser merchants on Rouke Island, and walked him out of his office. As he closed the door to bring silence to the room, Ishta turned to find Illai standing to the side of the broad window.

    "Illai, what a pleasant surprise," Ishta grinned as he walked around to the side table where he kept his best liqour, "I hope your trip was fruitful".

    Illai said nothing, she seemed reluctant to speak.

    "Come, tell me what happened," Ishta prompted.

    Illai seemed to gather her courage before she spoke, "Rassa Moonshadow proved to be a more difficult opponent than I had ascertained".

    Ishta scoffed, "Illai, you''ve taken down a Miracle Level Shadow Magician before with little effort, how could he possibly pose a threat?"

    "With respect sir, my initial report was incorrect. Rassa Moonshadow is not simply a Shadow Magician. To be honest, Sir, I''m not entirely sure what he is, but it became clear when I approached to capture him that he would pose more of a threat to you alive than anything else".

    "Pose more of a threat to me alive?" Ishta pondered the words, "Sorry, I could swear that you are implying that you killed him? The only reliable source we know of that knows how to produce the charms".

    Illai sunk to her knees quickly, bowing her head, "This servant asks that you punish her for her transgressions".

    There was silence for a moment, then the glass in Ishta''s hand shattered. He sighed lazily grabbing a towel from the side and wiping his hand, "That was good liqour too".

    He walked towards the window, "What made you make this call without permission?"

    Illai hesitated only a second before she spoke, "The way he controlled shadows was unlike anything I''ve ever seen before even during the height of the day he seemed powerful. In addition, he possessed incredible speed and strength, the likes of which I have never witnessed before, even from the elvish. Seeing this, I decided that despite his unique knowledge, it would be better if he were to die than to threaten my master".

    "So you killed him?" asked Ishta.

    "I...I tried to, Master," Illai replied.

    "Tried to?" asked Ishta, his tone darkening.

    "I...I took him to the depths to drown him, where the shadows were at my command rather than his own. He fought vigorously and ferociously for longer than I expected, but he stilled after some time. I waited, but he didn''t move and simply floated for quite a while. I then turned to his companions to see what information that I could derive from them," Illai said, "However, they informed me that it was unlikely I had killed him by simply drowning him. When I went back to check on the body I...I couldn''t find it, Master".

    "Couldn''t find it?" asked Ishta, "So he is still alive?"

    "I don''t-"

    Ishta turned to glare at Illai and Illai shut her mouth immediately.

    "You don''t know?" asked Ishta slowly. Illai could only nod in reply, she was nearly shaking in fear. This tone...things did not bode well for her.

    "So the man I sent you to capture, whom you attempted to kill, is now at an unknown location, likely still alive?" asked Ishta.

    Illai reached for a pocket, "They had a tracking-"

    Illai''s eyes widened as she found nothing in her pocket. What had happened? She''d taken it from that Aegin man.

    "A tracking what?" asked Ishta.

    Illai looked up at her Master in fear.

    "His companions, they had a charm that seemed to be capable of tracking others in a sequence," said Illai, "If we can use them to find Rassa Moonshadow then-"

    "Then where is the charm?" asked Ishta, holding out his hand.

    "I...I took it but..."

    "You lost it?" asked Ishta.

    Illai said nothing as she looked down.

    A resounding smack rang out as Illai was backhanded across the face. She sprawled onto the ground, but quickly righted herself despite the pain in her cheek.

    "Do you have any good news to bring me at all, Illai? Because so far I have been incredibly disappointed," Ishta snapped.

    Illai hesitated, then spoke softly, "The Pirates are in possession of his two companions, and despite your connections with them, I fear those two will not cooperate anyway. However, they did leave behind allies here on the Island".

    Ishta''s eyes narrowed as he turned away. He was silent for a moment, then spoke once more, "You will spend three days in the solarium. After which I want a full list of his allies on the Island and their suspected roles in his business. Is that clear?"

    "This one accepts the punishment and will obey," Illai replied.

    She then stood and walked to the door. The Solarium. The one place where she would have no access to any shadow but her own, and certainly no water. It was torture for a Magician to be kept from their element for more than a day. Ishta had come up with quite the special punishment for Illai, and she dreaded every moment she was in there. Still, she could not refuse him in this instance.

    She''d asked for punishment, and her Master had given it to her.

 Chapter 176 The Wind Comes Calling

    In all her time spent amongst merchants, Falla had never felt this nervous. She''d spent the better part of the day coming up with a convincing story. While she was sure that Jane would believe it given their friendship, she wasn''t so sure that she could keep up the lie. It was the one time since she''d met him that Falla felt regretful for having known Rassa.

    But, she knew Jane better than she did Rassa. And if Jane discovered that Rassa was not only alive, but now possibly on the brink of death, she would stop at nothing to find him and protect him. It''d been a promise she''d made to herself. Jane had been heartbroken upon hearing about Rassa''s death, and the topic had been a sensitive one ever since.

    It would do Falla no good to speak of her meeting and communicating with Rassa. And honestly, she had to wonder if it would do Jane any good. Jane had always spoken of the caged boy. The one who had given up his freedom and dignity just so those he loved would be safe. The Rassa that Falla had met a month ago was definitely not that boy. He was stronger, and seemed to have no intentions of surrendering to anyone, or at the very least appeared that way.

    Layn had made reservations for them at the Fire Falls Restaurant in Port Cresh. It had a similar reputation to the Blue Jade in Port Leis, and the two were frequent competitors on Rouke Island. Fire Falls didn''t have the same grand atmosphere as Blue Jade however. It was more serene and peaceful thanks to a it being built into the side of the cliff to the west of Port Cresh''s Bay. The steep cliff that swept around to the East and was topped by a crumbling tower so old that no one had any memory or story of who had built it. The Restaurant itself was built so that a pool of water sat on the upper level, filled with hundreds of koi fish and surrounded by private rooms that over-looked it.

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    The water then fell, with a dulled drumming, to the lower level, which consisted of a more open, public area. The pool here was often used by the commoners to increase their luck, and it was said that the restaurant granted one wish every day �C but only to those who ''wished'' with coin.

    Thanks to the angles of the windows and the many coins at the base of the pool, in the morning the waterfall looked to be shades of gold and red, hence, Fire Falls.

    Falla arrived early that evening, ordering a glass of wine to calm her nerves. She rarely partook in alcohol, mostly because she didn''t have the tastebuds for it, but she''d been told her tolerance was average. Falla wasn''t so sure, she always felt rather confident when she drank, sometimes too confident. She''d come to this conclusion after requesting her husband''s family''s prized Star Pavilion as a wedding gift.

    It seemed to arrogant now that she thought of it, but her husband had handed over the ownership documents the next morning whilst she''d clung to her aching head.

    "Better you than our Imperialist cousins," he''d said, an edge of disdain in his words. His family had always been against the Kildares being the Imperial Bloodline, though after he''d been born the branch families had decided to turn over a new leaf. After all, if the main bloodline died out, who would they have to lean on?

    Their decision had only been solidified after they discovered the heir''s decision to hand over their most prized and sacred place to an outsider, whether he''d married her or not.

    Falla had protested strongly at the time, but her husband had insisted. In the end, she decided not to fight him on it. As the Heir, it was his decision to make, the rights had been passed to him when he''d been born, as with all male-heirs of his line before him.

    Despite owning it however, Falla had never had the opportunity nor the desire to go there. With how her husband''s family revered it, the prospect of such a place only served to frighten her.

    As Falla downed her glass of wine, Jane arrived, her Magician''s robes looked ever-so-elegant on her slim build. Whilst Falla had grown into quite a curvy woman, Jane had only shot-up in her teenage years. She was almost like an elf, though lacked the etherealness and pointed ears.

    "Good evening," Jane smiled as she was escorted inside. Falla rose to greet her and the two embraced.

    "Hello, sorry about earlier," Falla stated.

    "It''s fine, whilst I''m not a merchant, I do know that you are far busier than you used to be," Jane smiled as she stepped back and took a seat.

    "You have no idea," Falla sighed, "The Trader''s Festival this year was exhausting, and it doesn''t seem to have stopped yet".

    Jane''s eyes narrowed in her concern, "I hope you''re looking after yourself".

    Falla smiled, "Layn is doing a good job of that. I don''t know what I would do without him there to remind me to have my meals and stop working before midnight".

    Jane sighed, "Well, clearly somebody has to".

    "Speaking of meals, shall we order?" asked Falla.

    Jane smiled, "You do it, I don''t know what''s good here, though the atmosphere feels quite remarkable. I''ve never been to a restaurant with a waterfall before".

    "It is quite pleasant on the upper floor, though the lower floor sometimes gets too loud with the water drumming down," Falla admitted.

    The two ordered their meals before Falla decided to raise the topic she dreaded talking about. Better to get it out of the way now.

    "So, you mentioned earlier that you''ve come to Rouke Island with a mission of some sort?" prompted Falla.

    "Yes," Jane nodded, "The Emperor has heard word of a miraculous charm made from Evanine Crystal that came form a protective shield around the wielder. That it protects against attacks both physical and magical. I did some scouting around this afternoon and found that they were first sold right here in Port Cresh. Do you know of them?"

    Falla smiled and took out a protective charm, "I own one".

    Jane''s eyes widened as Falla willingly handed it over for her to look. Everyone else she''d asked that day had been hostile upon hearing the request.

    The crystal was only as large as a walnut and seemed to be an ordinary Evanine Crystal. The only thing that defined it was a black mark that marred its surface and seemed burned in. A circle within a circle.

    Falla observed Jane for a moment as stared at the rune. Rassa had explained before that only a Magician could read the intentions of the rune for what they were, was that what Jane was doing now? That seemed to be the case, because after a short half-minute, Jane spoke a single word.

    "Protection".

    She looked up as if in though, then handed the charm back to Falla, "Thank you. I''ve never seen a mark like that before".

    Falla smiled as she pocketed the charm, "No one had until the charms began being sold. I don''t consider myself an expert and I haven''t had to use it yet, but having it by my side has in the very least reassured me. Apparently its power is limited though, it can only sustain so many attacks before it needs to recharge, whatever that implies. I''m told something to do with the Mist".

    "That makes sense," Jane nodded.

    "It does?" asked Falla, half surprised. After all, she knew nothing of the Mist except what Rassa had told her, and she barely understood that.

    Jane smiled and nodded, "The Crystal itself is a natural container for the Mist, the mark, through whatever method was used, is somehow able to harness the Mist within the crystal to perform a task, in this case, to protect the wielder. However, the Mist within the crystal will eventually cease to exist after continuous use, after that the crystal would need time to gather the Mist within it once more. It''s quite an ingenious device. Whoever came up with it is surely highly sought after".

    Falla nodded, "Indeed, though no one actually knows who came up with the process".

    Jane raised an eyebrow, "Oh?"

    "No, the only thing the public knows is that the crystals were manufactured by a newly established Trading Company by the name of Moonshadow," Falla stated, "But despite the fanaticism around their product, no one has actually met the creator, only the owner of the company and his companion. Even then, since the end of the festival they''ve disappeared".

    "Disappeared?" asked Jane.

    Falla nodded, "No one has seen them since the night of the auction".

    "I see, that does make things difficult," Jane sighed. She thought for a moment before speaking again, "Can you tell me any more information about them?"

    "To be honest Jane, all I can tell you is that they are no longer on Rouke Island," Falla stated.

    "How do you know?" asked Jane.

    "Because my company is the only one that successfully made a trade deal with them," Falla admitted.

    Jane frowned, "What was the deal?"

    Falla shook her head, "I''m sorry, Jane, but it''s a confidential business contract, I can''t discuss its contents. All I can tell you is that it will take some time until you see any movements from Moonshadow again".

    "You can''t discuss it? Falla, I''m your friend," Jane insisted.

    Falla smiled sadly, "I know, Jane. But I''m sorry, this deal is just too important for me to jeopardise. Even if I''m just telling a friend".

 Chapter 177 The Strange Fool

    Iah and Sharli had returned from their visit with Falla feeling quite disconcerted. Falla had seemed somewhat distracted, and had insisted that they do nothing despite Rassa clearly being in trouble. Iah and Sharli of course didn''t agree with her entirely, after all, he was their benefactor, but they were also severely lacking in ideas on what they could do.

    They were just a couple of ordinary commoners, the only difference between them and slaves was that they had hadn''t had a master to serve. Their conditions had been that poor, and they''d been incredibly grateful to Rassa for what he''d done for them. He''d practically adopted them. Gave them food, clothes, rebuilt their home and pushed for them to be educated. All in the span of a few weeks. Some might think is strange that they had grown so attached to him in such a short time, but after sitting on the edge of a cliff for so long, their lives reliant on a thread of hope, they''d finally found something to reassure them. Something to hold them up in times of trouble.

    Now that something was threatened, maybe even on the verge of death...were they really going to do nothing?

    Yet they had no other clues as to what they could do. Rassa had clearly left them in Falla''s care. It wasn''t that she hadn''t done a good job in his place, she had. But Falla had her own business and people to take care of, the Ruin was clearly a secondary priority to her, especially considering her earlier decision.

    "We should get passage south," Sharli hurriedly insisted as she paced up and down the kitchen, "If we can go south we have a better chance of finding out what happened".

    "Rassa told us to stay here, and Miss Falla should know more than us regarding this," Iah spoke hesitantly. She knew Rassa wouldn''t have put them in Falla''s care if he didn''t trust that she knew what she was doing. It didn''t sit well with her to stay put, but Falla must have had her reasons.

    "Rassa could be on the brink of death for all we know!" Sharli snapped, "And Miss Falla clearly has other priorities".

    "Sharli, we can''t just leave, what about Kit? What about all the other kids here?" asked Iah, "You promised to look after them".

    "They''ve got plenty of money now," Sharli said.

    "Oh, sure, give the two dozen 8-13 year olds access to the coin vault. They won''t misuse that," Iah grumbled.

    "Well...you go then!" Sharli insisted, her eyes clearly desperate.

    "Sharli, I don''t have the confidence to find him on my own," Iah said, "And you''re too frantic, you''ll probably get into more trouble. Face it, neither of us are a good choice for pursuing whatever has happened. We aren''t equipped to deal with whatever they''ve faced. He''s Rassa for goodness sakes. A Vampire, whatever got to him must have been powerful".

    "Inktress," an unfamiliar voice interrupted their argument, and the two sisters turned hurriedly to face the doorway.

    A young boy of no more than eighteen stood in the doorway, though he appeared younger thanks to his child-like eyes that were wide with wonder and curiosity. He was quite plain looking, with very short brown curls and the tanned skin reminiscent of someone like themselves who had spent their lives on the Isles. He was dressed in clothes that appeared little better than rags, and he stank as if he hadn''t washed in weeks. The way his strange eyes - one blue and one brown - darted around the room, he appeared no less than crazy.

    Behind him, Kit stood, giving the older boy a weird look.

    "Kit, who is this?" asked Iah.

    "He was peeking into the work room from outside," said Kit, "He said...he said the Mist brought him here".

    "He''s a Magician?" asked Sharli.

    Kit shook his head, "I don''t think so. I can''t sense an element on him".

    "Hey, kid, why are you here?" asked Iah.

    "The Mist speaks. I listen," the boy replied, his eyes darting around the room as if he was following something. Iah followed his line of sight but couldn''t see anything but the regular kitchen she was used to. She shook her head with a sigh.

    "I think we should take him to get some help," Iah said as she stood, "I don''t think he''s...all there".

    "He''s alive," said the boy.

    Kit frowned, "Who''s alive?"

    "The Moonshadow," said the boy as he pointed to a corner of the kitchen then looked over his shoulder at Kit, "See".

    Kit frowned, looking at the top corner of the kitchen where the boy pointed. He watched the corner for a moment, then turned back to the boy, "What are you-"

    The boy grabbed Kit''s shoulders and pointed, "Don''t watch, listen".

    Iah and Sharli looked at each other with concern. The last thing they needed was the crazy boy influencing Kit. They stepped forward in order to seperate them when Kit''s eyes widened and he suddenly took out the tracking gem and activated it.

    "Mr Moonshadow, he''s..."

    "We know, Kit," said Iah, "Miss Falla insisted we should stay here, but-"

    "We should," Kit said, "He''s okay".

    Sharli frowned, "How do you...?"

    "Well, he''s not dead..." Kit said, "He''s not exactly alive either, but he''s not dead. That''s why there''s a change in the line. Remember what Mr Moonshadow said? The connection will be affected if the state of the holder''s blood changes. The fact that the connection is still there means he is still alive".

    "But we should help him, shouldn''t we?" asked Sharli, "After all, if he''s between life and death it must be something serious".

    "The Inktress caught him off guard," said the boy as his eyes looked around, "He was unprepared to face her in the middle of the day. Especially the way he is".

    "What do you mean?" asked Sharli, "And how could you possibly know that".

    Kit looked at Olly, then vaguely glanced around the room, "I don''t know how he''s doing it without Life Lines, but he''s reading the Mist. Listening to it. The Mist is literally telling him".

    "Then, can you confirm it?" asked Iah. She had no understanding of the Mist other than the fact that it connected Magicians to their Elements.

    "Not exactly, I can only get vague feelings and intentions from the Mist," said Kit, "It''s always up for interpretation, but what he''s doing...it''s like he''s actually communicating with it. I''ve never heard of anyone being able to do that. Not even Mr Moonshadow".

    "What do you mean, ''especially the way he is''?" asked Sharli, "Rassa is powerful, more powerful than most Magicians".

    "He has access to his matured abilities, and yet he does not," said the boy, "His human values hold him back. He is too terrified of what he will become if he lets them go, but thanks to that, he cannot release the full potential of what he is".

    "This is..." Iah frowned, "You do realise that to us that sounds like speculation, the words of a crazed man-"

    "Fool," the boy said, "They always called me a Fool".

    Iah looked away awkwardly, and Sharli sat in silent contemplation to the side.

    "Well, I don''t think you''re a fool," Kit grinned, "I''ve never seen anyone read the Mist like you can. But that doesn''t change the fact that you trespassed. Why are you here".

    "The Mist told me to come," the boy replied.

    "That seems..."

    "Like a rather thin excuse," Sharli concluded, "Look, miraculous ability or not, he was spying on you in the workshop, and you know that Rassa didn''t want you sharing your craftsman abilities with anyone".

    Kit sighed, "That''s why I caught him".

    "We should bring him to Miss Falla, she''ll know-"

    "Falla Startree seems to have plenty on her plate already," said Sharli, cutting off her sister, "He can stay here under watch until we decide what to do with him. Can you watch him, Kit?"

    Kit shrugged, "I guess, but-"

    "Good," Sharli sighed, "We might know Rassa is alive, but he''s clearly still in a position where he can''t come and aid us if something happens. We need to start looking for a way to look after ourselves".

    Sharli looked at the boy, "If you try to run, I''m sure your Mist can tell you what will happen".

    Then Sharli turned and walked out.

    Iah sighed, "What''s you''re name?"

    The boy met her gaze for the first time since he''d come in, and seemed to actually focus. The look in his eyes...it was like that was the first time he''d been asked that question.

    "Olly," he replied.

    "Well Olly," said Iah, "I think you should go with Kit and take a bath and get some new clothes".

    Kit grumbled as he turned to walk away, "I''m only ten, why do I have to look after him?"

    Iah couldn''t help but smile sadly. True, Kit was only ten. But he''d always been far more mature than his age. Perhaps Olly might help to balance him out in a way. After all, Iah didn''t believe Olly was as much of a threat as Sharli did.

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 Chapter 178 The Charm Craftsmans Persistent Fool

    Kit had certainly not expected that bathing with a man on the edge of sanity was how his day would come to a close. He was willing to bet that most people wouldn''t expect such a thing. The only thing he''d known for sure was that someone had been spying on him while he worked, and Mr Moonshadow had been very clear about not letting anyone know the process except the person who''d signed the blood contract with Miss Falla.

    So, he''d done what he''d resolved himself to do if he found any unsavoury soul snooping around the Ruin��prepared to kill him. Only, he''d been met with an unexpected response.

    "Wait!"

    The young man, no older than Mr Moonshadow himself, had actually spoken quite desperately in the face of death. Kit had actually stopped then, unsure how to proceed. Despite his affinity with shadows, he hadn''t actually killed anyone before. He''d only ever used his shadows to scare others away. So, when he went to actually take a life, he was suddenly met with a response he hadn''t imagined. He hadn''t actually expected the strange man to say anything. Mr Moonshadow, though he had never actually spoken about death, didn''t give the impression that people did such a thing in the face of their own demise.

    (Though, it should be noted that when Rassa did take lives, it was often done so quickly and cleanly that his victims hadn''t the time to do much more than scream. Kit however, would not learn this until much later)

    So, in the face of such an unexpected response, Kit''s hesitation had turned to pure curiosity, "Why?"

    The man, who for an instant had seemed terrified, had then grinned like a fool and held out his charcoal-covered hand to Kit, "I''m Olly, the Mist brought me here".

    Kit frowned, looking at the Mist surrounding Olly, "You''re human, but not a Magician, how could the Mist do anything with you?"

    "I listened and did as it said," Olly replied, his hand dropping.

    Kit frowned. That seemed unlikely. The Mist didn''t talk. As a Magician he read the Mist. He could see its movements and intentions, and in rare cases something akin to emotions lay within it. But the Mist had never spoken.

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    Kit had said so, "The Mist doesn''t speak".

    "You just aren''t listening hard enough," Olly had replied.

    The Mist hadn''t felt malicious when it interacted with Olly''s aura. If anything it had felt protective. So, not knowing how to proceed, Kit had brought him before Iah and Sharli. Two humans who knew nothing about the Mist, nor could see it, and yet were his authority figures now that Mr Moonshadow had left.

    Their conclusion hadn''t been all that definitive. All that Kit got from it was that he wouldn''t have to kill Olly. For now.

    So, while Kit couldn''t bring himself to entirely believe that Olly was capable of ''listening'' to the Mist, he did believe that the Mist somehow thought of Olly as significant. In light of this, rather than ignore Olly''s abnormalities that had defined him as a ''fool'' all his life, Kit sought to understand them. His 10 year old mind created all sorts of fantasies originating from the question, ''did the Mist really have a voice?''

    If it had a voice, did it have a body too?

    A face?

    Was it a boy or a girl?

    Was it old or young? Surely it was very old? Mr Moonshadow had described it as being there since the dawn of life��that must have been ages ago.

    What about it''s voice? What did that sound like?

    Or was it many voices? Many individuals? After all, the Mist was made up of countless particles. Did each particle have a voice?

    The questions were practically bursting from Kit''s mind as he bathed. Olly absentmindedly scrubbing his dirty skin also as his eyes darted around the room. Should Kit ask? Iah and Sharli had seemed to think that Olly was a little crazy like old Tegin who liked to tell stories. Kit wasn''t necessarily convinced that Olly wasn''t crazy considering his strange, darting eyes, but Kit was also fairly sure that Olly hadn''t lied about at least being able to interpret the Mist. After all, what he''d said about Rassa had seemed true according to the Mist. Though Kit hadn''t heard the Mist explicitly say anything, it was more like a feeling.

    In the end, feeling the awkward silence surrounding him, Kit hesitantly spoke up, "How old are you, Olly?"

    "Eighteen," Olly said, "I turned Eighteen in the Summer".

    A clear, straightforward answer. It didn''t sound like a crazy man.

    "Have you always been able to��listen to the Mist?" asked Kit.

    Olly nodded, "I was left on a rock shortly after I was born. The rock let me listen to the Mist".

    "��a rock?" asked Kit. Okay, that bit sounded crazy.

    Olly nodded, "It was a special rock".

    Even a ten-year-old would have a hard time believing that. Maybe he was crazy sometimes and not others? Kit tried another question.

    "Why is the Mist so��protective of you?"

    "You can hear it?" asked Olly, his eyes turning to Kit.

    "Ah, no, I can just see it," Kit replied.

    Olly looked somewhat disappointed, then he pointed over to his dirty pile of clothes, "I got a charm, the charm said protection and the Mist understood. I''ve never been able to talk to the Mist before. But with the circle within a circle I can. The Mist understood when I drew that".

    Kit frowned, "You drew the protection rune?"

    Olly nodded, "Again and again and again. Then the Mist gave me choices. I chose the moonshadow, and it led me to the little shadow who knew it''s language".

    "You mean the runes?" asked Kit.

    Olly nodded, then he looked excited, "You can teach me, yes?"

    Kit frowned, "No".

    Olly''s smile dropped, "But you know them".

    "And I was told by that moonshadow you saw that I must not teach anyone".

    Olly looked quite disappointed, then his eyes started darting around the room.

    "��blood��blood contract? The Mist says that will allow you to teach me!"

    Kit''s eyes widened, "How did you��? You know what, never mind. Even if it''s true, you have to get permission from Miss Falla, and that means you have to prove you''ll keep this a secret".

    "I can keep secrets," Olly grinned, "I can keep lots of secrets!"

    Kit looked away, "Saying it is not the same as proving it".

    Olly frowned, looking away and then his gaze started darting around again. He didn''t speak again as they bathed.

 Chapter 179 The Fate of his Investmen

    Ishta Alamone had been in quite a good mood as of late. He''d been officially crowned the King of Merchants with the Golden Trade Token at the end of the Trader''s Festival, and had had no problems with his trading partners ever since. Word of such a prestigious award travelled remarkably quickly, and no one wanted to give trouble to the company that had proved itself better than all the rest.

    Still, despite his recent success, he couldn''t help but turn his eyes to the one thing that everyone else seemed to have also been eager to watch.

    This Moonshadow Trading Company...what would it do next?

    Following the mass of charms that had been auctioned off on the second last night of the Trader''s Festival, there had been no word of the mysterious owner nor of any of their products being sold anywhere. It was as if the company had appeared and disappeared with the Trader''s Festival. Such a prospect truly perplexed everyone. Were they a business that only opened during the biannual Trader''s Festival? It was possible with the amount of money they earned, but surely such a successful business prospect would be greatly received all year round.

    Perhaps they''d run out of materials? But there had been no indication of the stock dwindling, and they''d had plenty of opportunity to make appropriate trade deals. In fact they had made one with Apple Star Trading Company. Why they had made a deal with a Company that specialised in fabrics was the conundrum. Why would they do that unless they were interested in going into the fabrics industry? But Fabrics had nothing to do with the charms as far as the general business world could tell.

    Even Ishta was confused as to why this Rassa Moonshadow had made a Trade Deal with Falla Startree. Though his confusion mostly stemmed from the fact that he''d been positive that his offer was far more attractive, besides the fact that he held ownership over a large portion of the Southern continent''s Evanine Crystal Veins.

    In the end, all Ishta could do was wait for good news from Illai. She''d never failed him before. She''d bring back the insubordinate young man and then Ishta could have a nice long talk about his future prospects. Which, of course, included the secret to manufacturing the powerful charms.

    Who would have thought that for the first time in her two decades of service, Illai had made an irreversible mistake?

    Ishta grinned as he shook hands with one of the lesser merchants on Rouke Island, and walked him out of his office. As he closed the door to bring silence to the room, Ishta turned to find Illai standing to the side of the broad window.

    "Illai, what a pleasant surprise," Ishta grinned as he walked around to the side table where he kept his best liqour, "I hope your trip was fruitful".

    Illai said nothing, she seemed reluctant to speak.

    "Come, tell me what happened," Ishta prompted.

    Illai seemed to gather her courage before she spoke, "Rassa Moonshadow proved to be a more difficult opponent than I had ascertained".

    Ishta scoffed, "Illai, you''ve taken down a Miracle Level Shadow Magician before with little effort, how could he possibly pose a threat?"

    "With respect sir, my initial report was incorrect. Rassa Moonshadow is not simply a Shadow Magician. To be honest, Sir, I''m not entirely sure what he is, but it became clear when I approached to capture him that he would pose more of a threat to you alive than anything else".

    "Pose more of a threat to me alive?" Ishta pondered the words, "Sorry, I could swear that you are implying that you killed him? The only reliable source we know of that knows how to produce the charms".

    Illai sunk to her knees quickly, bowing her head, "This servant asks that you punish her for her transgressions".

    There was silence for a moment, then the glass in Ishta''s hand shattered. He sighed lazily grabbing a towel from the side and wiping his hand, "That was good liqour too".

    He walked towards the window, "What made you make this call without permission?"

    Illai hesitated only a second before she spoke, "The way he controlled shadows was unlike anything I''ve ever seen before even during the height of the day he seemed powerful. In addition, he possessed incredible speed and strength, the likes of which I have never witnessed before, even from the elvish. Seeing this, I decided that despite his unique knowledge, it would be better if he were to die than to threaten my master".

    "So you killed him?" asked Ishta.

    "I...I tried to, Master," Illai replied.

    "Tried to?" asked Ishta, his tone darkening.

    "I...I took him to the depths to drown him, where the shadows were at my command rather than his own. He fought vigorously and ferociously for longer than I expected, but he stilled after some time. I waited, but he didn''t move and simply floated for quite a while. I then turned to his companions to see what information that I could derive from them," Illai said, "However, they informed me that it was unlikely I had killed him by simply drowning him. When I went back to check on the body I...I couldn''t find it, Master".

    "Couldn''t find it?" asked Ishta, "So he is still alive?"

    "I don''t-"

    Ishta turned to glare at Illai and Illai shut her mouth immediately.

    "You don''t know?" asked Ishta slowly. Illai could only nod in reply, she was nearly shaking in fear. This tone...things did not bode well for her.

    "So the man I sent you to capture, whom you attempted to kill, is now at an unknown location, likely still alive?" asked Ishta.

    Illai reached for a pocket, "They had a tracking-"

    Illai''s eyes widened as she found nothing in her pocket. What had happened? She''d taken it from that Aegin man.

    "A tracking what?" asked Ishta.

    Illai looked up at her Master in fear.

    "His companions, they had a charm that seemed to be capable of tracking others in a sequence," said Illai, "If we can use them to find Rassa Moonshadow then-"

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    "Then where is the charm?" asked Ishta, holding out his hand.

    "I...I took it but..."

    "You lost it?" asked Ishta.

    Illai said nothing as she looked down.

    A resounding smack rang out as Illai was backhanded across the face. She sprawled onto the ground, but quickly righted herself despite the pain in her cheek.

    "Do you have any good news to bring me at all, Illai? Because so far I have been incredibly disappointed," Ishta snapped.

    Illai hesitated, then spoke softly, "The Pirates are in possession of his two companions, and despite your connections with them, I fear those two will not cooperate anyway. However, they did leave behind allies here on the Island".

    Ishta''s eyes narrowed as he turned away. He was silent for a moment, then spoke once more, "You will spend three days in the solarium. After which I want a full list of his allies on the Island and their suspected roles in his business. Is that clear?"

    "This one accepts the punishment and will obey," Illai replied.

    She then stood and walked to the door. The Solarium. The one place where she would have no access to any shadow but her own, and certainly no water. It was torture for a Magician to be kept from their element for more than a day. Ishta had come up with quite the special punishment for Illai, and she dreaded every moment she was in there. Still, she could not refuse him in this instance.

    She''d asked for punishment, and her Master had given it to her.

 Chapter 180 The Fools Observant Eyes

    Olly had been pretty stumped on how to proceed. He''d been given a bed within The Ruin, alongside the Charm Craftsman. He was given food as well, and instructed to wash often. But during the day, when the little shadow called Kit entered the workroom to carve charms, Olly was not allowed to enter. Everyone else was, because they could not see the mist and therefore could not replicate the process. Olly however, though his reasoning was rather flimsy - it being based on his interaction with a ''special rock'' when he was just hours old - could see the Mist. Therefore, Kit was not permitted to share the process with him.

    It had been over a fortnight since he arrived at the Ruin. He spent most of his days in silence, just like he had everywhere else. The children that inhabited the Ruin had at first given him a wide berth. However, after discovering how ''funny'' Olly was, they frequently requested him to play games with them. Olly, having little else to do, complied.

    It was also his attempt at getting the others to trust him. The Mist had told him that this Miss Falla, the one to whom he had to prove his secret-keeping skills, was the pretty woman who had the mountain of Evanine behind her. From what Olly had learned, Miss Falla had a business deal with Mr Moonshadow to provide Evanine, and then share the profits of the charms. Miss Falla was also training Kit, Miss Sharli and Miss Iah to run a business.

    After a fortnight, Olly honestly still felt like he was an outsider. Though there were things that he seemed to notice before everyone else thanks to his ability to communicate with the Mist.

    For instance, he knew that the teachers that Miss Falla sent were rather unenthusiastic about their job. He sensed that at first it had been a great honour for them. But now that Mr Moonshadow was gone and Kit utterly refused to let them anywhere near his workroom or the vault, they were rather underwhelmed by the whole thing. After all, they were just teaching a bunch of street kids how to read and write and run a business. There was nothing else special about this task that Miss Falla had set them.

    Olly also knew that Miss Sharli was rather conflicted about her current predicament. She had disagreed with Miss Falla and Miss Iah about pursuing Mr Moonshadow. Olly''s confession about him had only seemed to unsettle her more. She wanted to help him, as he was the one that had brought her out of a bad situation. He''d given her money, shelter, food and a sense of security...but then he''d left.

    Miss Sharli didn''t seem to be taken his absense very well. Like she somehow expected him to always be there despite his insistence that she learn to survive on her own. Not having that secure feeling to fall back on...it was a hard thing for Miss Sharli to accept, and the Mist knew it.

    Olly however, after many days of playing the the children and being another strange addition to the Ruin, had come to know just how much they relied on Sharli. How much they looked up to her as a mother figure or older sister. Olly had seen how she cared for them, but her absentmindedness and worry was starting to become more obvious to even those young children.

    "Sharli, is something wrong?" asked one of the children one evening at dinner.

    Sharli was barely paying attention as she chewed slowly on her food. After the table became quiet, waiting for an answer, Iah nudged her sister. Sharli jumped and looked at her sister who pointed at the child.

    "Sorry?" asked Sharli.

    "There''s something wrong, isn''t there?" asked the child.

    Sharli smiled warmly, "Come now, why would you say that?"

    Olly didn''t need the Mist to tell him that was a lie. Everyone in the room heard it.

    "Because...you''re acting weird," the child had stated.

    Sharli looked surprised for a minute before she frowned, seemingly thinking about her actions. After a minute she took a big bite of her food and smiled again, "It''s nothing for you to worry about. I''m sure it''ll all be fine soon and I''d have worried you for nothing".

    That was a lie too, but even children can sense when those close to them don''t wish to talk about something. Luckily, these children seemed to have enough restraint to not ask.

    Olly turned to Kit later that night as they slept. Kit might have been younger than him by eight years, but the boy was smart for his age. And he was kind of like Olly. He may not have been able to hear the Mist, but he still had a connection, one that many of his kind didn''t. The Mist had taught him, not other Magicians with their subjective opinions and interpretations. Even when Kit had learned from Mr Moonshadow, though it had been brief, the older man had not given any clues beyond a question or two to guide Kit''s line of thinking.

    "Kit..." Olly whispered in the darkness. There was no reply from the cot beside him, so Olly spoke again, "Kit?"

    The ten year old rolled over, his dark eyes opening slowly as they looked over grumpily at Olly.

    "What?" Kit croaked out.

    "Is Miss Sharli really okay?" asked Olly.

    Kit frowned, "Of course she''s okay. She''s always been okay".

    Olly raised an eyebrow, "But she was lying, she doesn''t think things will sort themselves out at all".

    Kit sighed as he looked over at Olly. On any other night, Kit probably would have been angry at being woken up. But he''d somehow gotten used to Olly''s inconvenient timing for questions. Now, even if the room was only lit by the moonlight, Kit could tell that Olly had a look of concern on his face. So Kit asked the question he knew Olly wanted to answer, "What does the Mist say?"

    The question had become more common over the last fortnight. As much as Kit wanted to ignore the human''s clear understanding of the Mist - and a greater understanding of his own, which defied logic - Olly''s insights were often quite helpful. And, as Kit listened more and more, he''d realised that Olly was very rarely if ever, wrong.

    "It says she''s standing on a cliff," said Olly, "And that if she decides to jump, there won''t be any time to regret or take it back".

    Olly often spoke in metaphors and gave cryptic answers. His excuse was that it was how the Mist talked. Kit couldn''t exactly disagree with him. Even if he couldn''t hear the Mist, everything he saw was confusing and disorienting.

    A cliff? Would she die if she jumped? Kit frowned in thought. He didn''t like the idea of Sharli dying. She''d been the one who found him all those years ago, in that dark, dark place...

    "I''m worried we''ll have to follow her down," Olly muttered lowly.

    Kit focused on Olly again, looking at the older boy''s honest and worried eyes. After a moment of contemplation, he sighed, "I''ll tell Iah in the morning. Get some sleep".

    It was all he was really willing to do. Besides, Iah had always been close with her sister, she''d be able to handle this better than him.

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 Chapter 181 The Top Graduates of the Magicians Academy

    Jane had been thoroughly surprised when Falla had flat-out refused to utter a word about Moonshadow or her dealings with them. The remainder of their dinner after her insistence had been in a word, awkward.

    Falla had never hidden anything from Jane. At least as far as Jane was aware. It was hard to hide secrets from her considering that the wind liked to carry whispers to her ears. Any gossip that she''d heard at the Academy regarding her or her friends had been dealt with quickly, and the same had been done outside of the Academy walls as well...though with far less influencing of the Mist and far more from Rizan''s mouth. The Water Magician could talk his way out of anything. In fact, most of the time he didn''t have to talk, he just gave that charming, warm smile of his and the gossips quickly turned to praise him and his untouchable aura.

    Jane had disliked it at first and thought him to be conceited. In reality, Rizan really was one of the kindest people she''d ever met, and the only one who''d ever been able to calm down his cousin, Fire Magician Seti.

    Rizan and Seti had been bitter rivals since their youth, at least in Seti''s mind. When they''d become Magicians, the rivalry had only increased, until they''d met Jane. They were from a middle class family, so while they had no last name they were generally well-off. Seti in particular had looked down on the commoner students, whilst Rizan, who was nearly always quiet towards strangers, had just stood by and watched. Seti had stepped over the line when he''d started teasing Jane''s roommate, Laura. Laura was a Hybrid Magician of earth and water. As such, she''d been teased as a ''Mud Witch''. Most of the time she didn''t let it get to her, but Jane wouldn''t stand for the bullying regardless.

    Jane and Laura, much to everyone''s shock, had challenged won against Seti and Rizan in the battle arena. The boys attitude had significantly improved in the following weeks and months. Eventually, they''d become friends, and then a Magician Team.

    Magician Teams were mainly used in Battle, but when there was no war to fight they typically undertook smaller missions assigned by their superiors. There were typically 5 members, and Jane''s Team was no exception.

    Their fifth member was an oddity, even more so than her roommate, a half-elf named Leiv.

    Leiv had awakened late to his earth magic, and thanks to his halfling state, the elves, who were quite isolationist in their society, refused to let him into their cities with his mother. His father, being only low ranking himself, had no way to sway the elven elders. Leiv hadn''t really been close with his father anyway.

    So, instead of being trained by the elves, Leiv was enrolled into the Magician''s Academy. Though, as a half-elf he had often been bullied, and had in fact been isolated from the other students for almost eight years before he''d run into Jane and her team while they''d snuck out one night. Jane, having witnessed what being caged and mistreated had done to Rassa, immediately petitioned to have Leiv released to mingle with the other students. It had been another upset, but by then, Jane was practically known for such things in the Academy.

    Now, finally, Jane and her Magician Team had been sent out into the world on their first official mission. They''d been given missions already as students as part of their graduation requirements and advancements to Master Magicians. The lot of them were considered prodigies for having become Master Magicians so young. Especially Leiv, who was only fifteen, though he was technically a Magician to begin with.

    Jane had investigated around Port Cresh for a fortnight and found nothing of note after her awkward dinner with Falla. Now that Leiv and Laura were here, she was hoping to get a different perspective. After all, with their earth affinities they could perform certain degrees of tracking. Leiv in particular was quite efficient at it.

    Jane had heard from the wind early in the morning that the rest of her team was finally on their final approach to Port Cresh. So, after washing up and retrieving a quick breakfast, she made her way down to the docks to await their arrival.

    She was not to be disappointed.

    They were on a ship that looked to be of the Saah Trading Company from the sandy yellow palm tree on the sails. They hadn''t made specific arrangements, just booked passage with a ship that was making its way to Rouke Island. Luckily, Saah earned about half its income from passenger transport, so there was no lack of amenities on board and they weren''t required to work with the crew for their passage.

    Though, from the look on Laura''s face as she disembarked, Jane was positive that her friend would have preferred the work to having to deal with the three other team members.

    Rizan wasn''t so bad thanks to his silent and cold nature, which he displayed as he stiffly descended onto the dock. Seti and Leiv on the other hand��Seti was a hot head that was always up for a challenge, whether that be a fight or a competition. No thanks to his fire element it had only made his personality worse. Leiv had been quite reserved at first, but once he''d begun opening up to the others, they discovered he was quite the trickster when he felt the need to be.

    Judging by the look on both Laura and the Captain''s faces, Leiv had felt that need more than once during their four day journey.

    "Jane!" Leiv grinned as he happily made his way over to Jane hugging her with a childish charm that the group both loved and hated, "Have you been well?"

    Jane nodded, "I see you are fine after your journey".

    "Of course," Leiv gave an impish grin.

    Laura sneered, "No thanks to the-"

    Seti, who looked a cross between mortified and angry, placed a hand on Laura''s shoulder to silence her, "We promised to never speak of it".

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    Laura sighed, then turned back to Jane, "We survived. That is all I am honour bound to disclose".

    Jane knew better than to pursue such a sensitive topic. She then turned to the silent Rizan. He gave a small, almost imperceptible smile and a nod.

    "Alright, let''s head to the hotel so I can catch you up on the investigation," Jane said.

    "How is it going to far?" asked Laura, skipping forward to walk alongside Jane.

    Jane sighed, "Not as well as I''d hoped".

    "The Great Spirit of the Wind and Skies is stuck?" asked Seti, "Didn''t expect that line after you''ve been here a fortnight ahead of us and have a friend on the Island".

    "The friend is sort of the problem," asked Jane, "I had all the information at my fingertips on the first afternoon��but after she mentioned that she was the only one who''d managed to come to a business agreement with Moonshadow, she clammed up about everything to do with it. I''ve already tried to talk her down a dozen times to no avail, and not other leads seem willing to present themselves".

    Leiv grinned over at Seti, "Sounds fun".

    "You''re not terrorising my friend, even if it is inconvenient," Jane said, "No, this time we''ll have to solve this problem in a more��diplomatic way".

    Leiv raised a hand, "Then I vote we send Rizan in, his poker face should be intimidating enough".

    "If we''re talking about the same friend, then it''s the woman who managed to con the Luthen Family out of their precious Star Pavilion. I don''t think even Rizan''s intimidation will be enough," Laura concluded.

 Chapter 182 The Kitsunes Dilemma

    It was said the Fairy Forest was so large that one could not see the end of it in any direction even if they had climbed the tallest tree within. Not that anybody had ever traversed it but those who were born within. And of course, those who were born within never saw fit to share their treasured forest with outsiders.

    It had been an age since Juline had last visited the Fair Forest. She''d been little more than a child when she had done so last time. As curious as her great nieces, Lua and Lia. The Fair Forest was not a domain of the merfolk, but Juline had decided that if such a place existed, a place said to be more wondrous than even the merfolk citadels of the Wide Ocean, then Juline needed to see it with her own two eyes.

    Arrogant in her own abilities, she hadn''t anticipated that the underground rivers and lakes were home to creatures that despised guests. She''d been injured, and in seeking shelter, had ended up in a lake near the home of a pair of two rather intelligent foxes. Foxes that, considering their four tails, were far more than they seemed.

    She had talked with the curious foxes, surprised that they knew how. She had never heard of such creatures, and they had never heard of merfolk like her. They shared stories in the days that Juline healed, then, after many days had passed, the older of the fox sisters gifted her a small crystal.

    "It will let you pass through back to the ocean," the fox had said, her intelligent eyes warning of what would happen in Juline misused this gift. The stories the fox had spoken of were warning enough.

    She had returned home safely, but had refused to lead anyone else back there.

    That had been over a century ago.

    Juline had heard enough stories from the sailors at various ports to know that it was very probably the sisters were still alive. However, the question lingered in her mind as she led her brethren through underground rivers to the lake she remember her crystal allowing them to pass through unharmed.

    She''d questioned it for the two weeks journey here. Not just on her own account, but on account of the creature they brought with them. While it had not been obvious at first, in the last couple of days his body had started to carry with it a sort of decay. One which was consistent with that of a dead being. And yet, his heart still beat. One part of her told her to just leave the body somewhere it would never be found and leave. The other part, the curious part that had led her into these caves as a child, told her that the foxes were a good solution. A solution to a problem she and her people had not the knowledge nor the resources to solve.

    But the Fairy Forest, the place that was reknowned worldwide to be impregnable to races not born inside it, surely they would know. It''s history was longer and more profound than any other place. It was not her place to pry, she could only hope that when presented with this strange young man, they would know what to do.

    Just below the lake, Juline paused, "We''re here".

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    The warriors that had accompanied her looked to one another, then back to her, waiting for her orders.

    "I''ll go on alone. No one in the Fairy Forest likes company, let alone the unexpected kind," Juline sighed. She clung to the crystal, hoping that she would not be turned away. She then reached out with her abilities, the water swirling around the young man and dragging him behind Juline as she rose up and into the small lake. She surfaced at its centre, looking around. It was night, but in the Fairy forest, night was when life bloomed. Luminiscent flowers and tiny spokes of light that looked like stars filled the area around the lake. Even the water itself seemed to illuminate in the moonlight. Thriving in its natural state.

    Juline cautiously moved forward, reaching up and placing the crystal on a stone on the shore. She waited about a metre back from the stone, her breath baited in suspense.

    Would they come? Juline waited until the moon was about to set, then turned to dive back down, her visit failed.

    "Leaving without even saying hello?"

    Juline turned back quickly, there, on the stone playing the with crystal between her two paws, a fox with fur like a golden sunrise lay. She was more mature than Juline remembered, and more than that, the Fox had twice as many tails.

    Rather than the four of last time, eight flitted and danced behind the fox. Juline looked on in wonder. She was just as beautiful though. Just as elegant. Juline bowed her head respectfully.

    "Greetings, Surai".

    The older sister. Surai was far more gentle than her sister, and most believed her to be wiser as well. Juline could not help but think however that they always underestimated the younger sister, Kali.

    Surai titled her head to the side, "It has been an age, Juline. What brings you here to my humble home...and I sense that you don''t come alone".

    Juline sighed, "Forgive me for intruding, Surai, but our council did not know what to make of him, nor what to do with him. He was being pursued by a Magician with affinities for both water and shadow. Those who found him managed to conceal him, but we do not know if the Magician will return, nor if she will come with allies. We cannot hope to protect against such a force for a stranger".

    "Then why bring him here?" asked Surai.

    Juline turned as the water brought the young man to the surface, then she delicately lifted his shirt.

    "Because we sensed he is more like you than us".

    Surai, who until then had appeared elegant, but rather lazy. Suddenly rose, and between one step and the next, seem to transform to the image of a human woman with bare feet and flowing gossamer white robe. Her golden hair fell to her waist in waves, and her intelligent golden eyes peered curiously at the black lines that Juline revealed. Atop her head, her fox ears remained with their golden sunrise fur with darker tips. Her eight tails also remained presented at the base of her spine, fanning out as they rose in curiosity, their white tips almost glowing with how clean they were.

    Surai stood with the water to her knees as she delicately took the shirt from Juline and lifted it higher to reveal more of the black marks.

    Her eyes darted along them, first amazed, then growing sad, and finally, concerned.

    "You can read them?" Juline realised.

    Surai paused a moment, then let the shirt fall with a wet smack against the young man''s skin. She then rounded him to the side and took a look as his pale face for a moment. Then she placed a hand on his chest and closed her eyes.

    She stood there for another moment in silence, then her tails and ear twitched as her eyes fluttered open.

    "You are right, he is more like me than you," she stated.

    Juline smiled, "Then will you hel-"

    "But he is not like me at all," Surai continued. She then turned and stepped out of the water back onto the shore before she looked at Juline, "And he will not be welcomed here the way he is. Little more than a child, yet with such desolating power. He will be nothing but a plague for this forest".

    Juline blanched, the water''s hold on him falling away. He dropped to into the water with a splash, and seemed to float for a moment before sinking to the floor of the lake.

    "I''m sorry, I did not know," Juline stated.

    Surai did not turn to look at Juline. She seemed deep in thought. Her eyes turned back to look at the young man lying beneath the surface of the water. She looked torn, and for a moment, Juline truly thought she was going to walk away, then, Surai turned back and stepped into the water before hauling the young man out onto the shore.

    "But, I though you said-"

    "You have done all you can, Juline," Surai spoke as her hand softly caressed the young man''s face, her eyes full of concern, "Thank you for your visit".

    Juline hesitated only a moment before she dived back into the lake, the sun rising to the east.

    Surai looked down at the young man''s face before she leant down and pressed her lips to his, breathing hair back into his cold lungs.

 Chapter 183 The Dream that was not a Dream

    Rassa was sure he''d been dead. Or at least stuck in the sub-death. All he remembered was the pounding pressure of the ocean, his fangs sinking through water and shadow, then endless darkness. He had no indication of how much time had passed, nor what had become of him, let alone his friends. Yet now, as he smelt the distantly familiar scent of bread baking, and heard dogs barking and children laughing close by, he could not help but think that he must have died for good. Because that was the only logical explanation for what he was sensing.

    The blankets covering him? The cot he rested on? The scent of the bread? Even the taste of the air. All of it��he was positive that he was in his bedroom��inside his parent''s cottage��in Cordon.

    But that wasn''t possible. It must have been a dream. Could he dream in the sub-death? He hadn''t thought so. Victor had never mentioned it, and when he''d experienced it for himself he''d spent days in perpetual nothingness. How long had he been in the sub-death that he was dreaming?

    Weeks? Months? ��Years?

    He frowned at the thought, shifting ever so slightly. The rub of his sheets and blanket, the smell in the air��no, this can''t have been a dream, it was all so real. He dared not hope it was real. Because if it was real, if he was really here in Cordon smelling his mother''s baking��it would mean that the life he''d lived in chains, in a cage being tortured and experimented on, violated beyond reason��it would mean that all that had been the dream. And all that had felt real as well.

    There was only one way he''d find out for sure. Only one way he''d know that this wasn''t a dream.

    Rassa opened his eyes.

    The wooden dresser that his father had constructed for his third birthday sat opposite his cot, the light from the window by his head streaming past onto the uneven wooden floorboards. A chair sat beside it, leather boots sitting on the ground beneath it and a coat folded over the back. A ball, stitched together from old leather and filled with a half-sack of rice sat by the door. He used to play with that as a child. It was a gift for his fifth birthday, and he''d played with it endlessly, even after what had happened to him.

    Rassa slowly sat up, the blanket falling to collect at his waist. He frowned, his head ached. He reached up, and found a bandage wrapped there. Strange, he didn''t remember hitting his head.

    He didn''t remember how he''d gotten to Cordon either.

    As Rassa contemplated how all this was possible, his ears picked up soft humming outside. He remembered that tune. His mother used to hum that tune whilst she baked.

    Rassa shifted his legs over the side of the cot and stood, padding to the door and reaching out to grasp the handle. He twisted and pulled gently, the door barely making a sound as his eyes were met with the living area he''d called home for more than half his life. The dining table sat in the centre of the room, tools to boots and a wash basin by the door to his right. In the far corner was the kitchen, the fire crackling beneath a stone tray which held a browning loaf of bread. His parent''s bedroom to the right had the door partially opened, but there was no one inside.

    Rassa stepped out into the living area, his eyes wide as he took in everything. This was impossible.

    The front door opened, and there, looking only slightly older than the day Rassa had last seen her as he was carted out of Cordon, was his mother.

    Anna''s eyes widened as she noticed Rassa standing in the room, but her expression quickly softened, "Oh thank the gods Rassa, you''re awake".

    "��Mum?"

    Anna stepped towards him with a soft smile, though concern was laced in her gaze as she approached him.

    "How are you feeling?" asked Anna, "The Doctor said you should take it slow, you took quite a hit-"

    "Is it really you?" asked Rassa.

    Anna paused, meeting Rassa''s gaze before she gave a short laugh, "Did you take such a hit that you cannot even remember your own mother?"

    Rassa''s eyes watered, his emotions swelling to the surface. He must have been dead. After all, he knew she was. He''d been to her grave.

    "Oh, honey," Anna said, "Why are you crying? Does it hurt? I''ll go fetch the Doc-"

    Rassa drew her into her arms, hugging her tightly as he gasped pitifully. It was his mother. She was smaller than he remembered��no he was just bigger. But this was definitely his mother.

    "It''s okay," said Anna with a small smile, gently patting his back, "Gods you haven''t cried like this in years, nor held me so tight. Whatever happened to ''I''m a man, mother, men don''t cry in their mother''s arms".

    Rassa barely held back a sob as he buried his face in the crook of her neck. Nothing could replicate this scent. Like flowers and warmth and��not blood��not blood?

    Rassa''s expression froze in confusion. Ever since the change he''d always been cautious when he''d held his mother. When he''d held anyone. Being so close to his food source he''d always been tempted to take a sip. But now that he thought about it, he couldn''t smell her blood at all. In fact��he didn''t even feel the hunger. At least not the hunger like he had before. As he thought of hunger, he caught a whiff of the baking bread once more, and stood as he turned to look at it. Wiping the tears from his face as he stared at it.

    The bread actually smelled��appealing. No, it smelled delightful. He could almost taste it and his mouth watered at the prospect.

    When was the last time his mouth had watered for anything but blood? He couldn''t remember. His mother smiled and gently released him.

    "You must be hungry, you''ve been asleep for three days," Anna said as she approached the oven, picking up a thick wooden paddle so she could fetch the bread. She scooped it up and brought it out to test it, smiling, "And it looks like you''ve woken just in time. Come on, sit down".

    Rassa watched her, intrigued. It was just too real. Too perfect. It was everything he''d ever wanted. Normalcy. Just a sense of it again. And now, as he stepped forward and sunk into one of the dining chairs, and his mother presented him with a plate of freshly baked bread and some cheese, he couldn''t help but feel his emotions swell within him again.

    Again he dared to hope. Hope that the dream was the nightmare he''d woken from. And as he bit in the fresh bread and nearly moaned from the taste of warm, fluffy, freshly baked bread and creamy cheese, he could not help but believe it.

    His mother sat opposite him, tearing a piece of her own bread and nibbling it.

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    "It''s good that you''re up. We''ll have to go and see the doctor later though. Just to make sure you''re okay," Anna smiled, "After all, we can''t have you being incapacitated for your engagement party".

    Rassa choked on the bread he was in the process of swallowing, then coughed violently. His mother stood in concern and walked around the table to help support him.

    "Rassa? Are you okay?"

    Shock continued to move through him, and a cup of water appeared before him as Anna held it out to him. He took it and drank, downing it quickly as he turned to his mother.

    "Engaged to who?" asked Rassa, his tone incredulous.

    Anna smiled awkwardly, "Jane of course".

    Rassa almost forgot to breathe. Which of course ended in another coughing fit.

    "Since when was I engaged to Jane?" asked Rassa.

    Anna''s expression turned to a look of concern, "On the night you injured yourself. You took her to the lake in the orchard to propose because that was where you had your first kiss. Then the boys all thought it would be hilarious to surprise you. It worked a little too well, both you and Jane slipped in the damp mud on the edge of the lake. Jane managed to escape unharmed, just soaked to the bone, but you hit your head on the way down on a rather large rock. Jane was in hysterics, and by the gods did she let the boys have it��" Anna took in Rassa''s confused expression, and she sobered up in an instant, "Rassa, don''t scare me. What''s the last thing you remember?"

    Rassa combed through memories, but all he could remember was the nightmare��what was the last thing he could remember that was not a part of that nightmare.

    "Chasing the rabbit into the woods," Rassa admitted slowly, "When I was five".

    Anna''s eyes widened in shock, "I think we should take you to see the doctor, Rassa. You haven''t chased rabbits since you were injured in the forest when you were five. You haven''t even stepped foot into the forest since then".

    Rassa took in her shocked expression, and the question that had plagued him since he''d woken up here came to the forefront of his mind once more. Was this a dream, or was the last thirteen years of torture and blood and isolation the dream?

    He certainly knew which one he preferred.

 Chapter 184 The Inktress Lurks

    The Solarium had been just as awful as she remembered it to be. She had not felt so parched and dry in such a long time. With no food nor water to quench her thirst nor satisfy her hunger, and no places for shadows to hide in any significant number, Illai had had plenty of time to ponder on her abrupt behaviour.

    Following her three days in the Solarium, Illai had immediately set out to seek more information for her Master. Port Cresh was her first port of call.

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    It was where Falla Startree ran her business from, so Illai had no doubts that sooner or later, there would be an indication of the charms that her master coveted. But after a week, whether it was transportation of goods or just talk, Illai had seen nothing.

    In fact, she''d had to be cautious thanks to the frequent visits that Falla seemed to receive from a Wind Magician. Illai had never encountered her on Rouke Island before, and seeing as she was only at the Master level there was little for Illai to worry about. However, Wind Magicians were tricky. They were exposed to their element constantly, and so their power reserves were often far higher than any other Magician. And to make things worse, air was an element one couldn''t not observe, they could only see the affects it had. The Mist would help her somewhat of course, but being blind to what she was fighting was still unsettling to Illai.

    What irked Illai even more was that she had yet to see those who had kept Moonshadow company previously. Those he''d picked up off the street, including the little shadow grandmaster that she suspected had knowledge of the charms beyond any others, were no where to be seen. They didn''t come nor go to Falla in the week that Illai kept watch over the Apple Star Trading Company Building. Her master was getting impatient. So Illai had no choice but to wrack her thoughts for something more substantial. Perhaps she''d missed a detail before. Something important that could lead her where she needed to be...

    There were only four occasions where she''d witnessed Moonshadow prior to his departure from Rouke Island. Two of them were from event nights at the Trader''s Union Building, and on the second of those she hadn''t even seen him leave.

    The third was when she''d tested him whilst he was on watch on The Miranda the night before he''d left Rouke Island from Port Cresh.

    Finally, the only other time she''d seen him was when he''d dined with Falla Startree at the Blue Jade Restaurant.

    Illai tilted her head in interest. The Blue Jade Restaurant was in Port Leis, on the other side of the Island to Port Cresh. Falla Startree had no reason to go there unless...Unless Moonshadow Trading Company called Port Leis their base of operations.

    It was worth investigating, after all, she''d seen nothing here in the past week. Just as Illai had turned to leave, she saw the Wind Magician arrive, though this time she was not alone.

    She was accompanied by four others, all Magicians themselves by the looks of it. Illai frowned. She was confident in taking out two or three of them if it came to a fight. But five? It would push her limits of concentration and power. Especially considering that one of their number had an interaction with the mist that was inconsistent with a single element. Illai had never met with another Hybrid Magician before, and a part of her was curious. But the more cautious part won out as she left Port Cresh behind.

    As Illai travelled around the Island, she could not help but remember the speed at which Moonshadow had moved when he fought with the Pirate Captain. They were only short and sharp bursts of speed, but he''d been fast enough to appear as a blur in her vision. Was that how the charms had sold in Port Cresh one day then in one of the other Ports the next? After all, it wasn''t normal for merchants to move so quickly around the Island.

    The thought made Illai more sure that she''d find something at Port Leis. But where to start looking?

    The only place she''d seen them was at the Blue Jade restaurant. But from the way they carried themselves, besides the fact that Illai now knew they''d practically been picked up off the street, it was unlikely that they''d dine at such a high-end restaurant frequently.

    In the end however, Illai still decided that the restaurant was the best choice. After all, restaurants and other places where society gathered were hot spots for gossip. And Gossip was just what Illai needed to fuel her hunt.

    So, Illai took a seat at an empty table in the corner of the first floor and sipped on some tea as she listened to those around her.

    It was two hours before she heard something other than trivial matters.

    "I heard your family finally sold that delapidated old warehouse in the Cermine District," one woman spoke rather haughtily, "Who was the idiot who bought it?"

    The woman sitting opposite her shrugged as she placed her tea cup down, "The Realtor wouldn''t say. Said the man was too high profile. Can''t say he''s too smart though. No one ever visits the Cermine District after that Fire Magician went mad there. Some say the ghosts of his victims still haunt the whole district, it''s why everyone has had such a hard time selling property there".

    "I heard a lot of building supplies were being carted into the Cermine District though," said the third woman in their party, surprising the other two.

    "Building supplies?" the first woman scoffed, "Who by the gods would want to build there. I tell you, the Cermine District is a scourge on the rest of the Port Leis. The city is beautiful and thriving, that''s the only black spot that dares to mar it".

    "Eleanor is right, Lilly," said the second woman, "Anyone who keeps property in the Cermine District is losing money. The place gets no foot traffic other than the beggars and runaway slaves, it''s why everyone is so desperate to sell their properties there. I''ve a mind to ask the Port Council why they haven''t just demolished the whole place..."

    Illai frowned in thought. The Cermine District in Port Leis...it was certainly out of sight. Operating there would explain why no one knew where Moonshadow had set up shop. Only, the beggars were sure to know. Why had they not spoken of it?

    Illai shook her head, she should just take a look for herself, she''d know for sure whether this should concern her or not if she could see it.

 Chapter 185 The Difference between Ink and Shadow

    "Iah?" Kit asked cautiously as he helped with the dishes after breakfast.

    Iah hummed in acknowledgement, waiting for him to continue.

    "I''m worried about Sharli," Kit said.

    Iah turned to look at Kit with an expectant expression, "What about her?"

    "Well...she''s not acting like she''ll just get over this," Kit said.

    "Get over what?" asked Iah.

    Kit sighed, "You know what".

    Iah paused, sighing as she looked at the sink full of half washed dishes, "She''s stronger than she looks Kit, she''ll pull through".

    "Olly doesn''t think-"

    "Since when has Olly''s opinion mattered?" asked Iah with a frown. Kit paused in surprise as he looked at her, "Look, Kit, Olly seems like a nice enough young man, despite his quirks, but are you honestly saying that you''d believe his opinion - somebody you''ve known for less than a month - over Sharli? The woman who you''ve known since you were four?"

    Kit sighed. Iah may have been right, but thanks to his connection with the Mist, he also knew that Olly had every right to be cautious, "I''m just saying, Iah. I think you should keep a close eye on her. Ever since Mr Moonshadow came along she''s been growing more and more attached to him, hanging on his every word. You can''t say that you think she''d fine now that he''s left and we don''t know his fate".

    Iah sighed, "Very well. I''ll watch her. But I don''t know what you expect me to do...I''m not a leader like she is and despite all these years of experience, I know I can''t do what she does".

    "I''m not asking you to," Kit said, "I just want you to consider the fact that Sharli''s decision isn''t the only one. That''s what Mr Moonshadow wanted us to learn, wasn''t it? That we are all our own person?"

    Iah looked over at Kit and sighed, "You''re too smart for your age, Kit. It''s no wonder he taught you even when the rest of us weren''t useful to him beyond mere labourers".

    Kit wanted to deny it, but he couldn''t say for certain that she was wrong. After all, despite all he''d done fore then, they hadn''t known Mr Moonshadow all that long either.

    Kit left the kitchen after he was done helping with the chores, and Olly waited for him outside of his workshop. He did this every day. Kit wasn''t sure what he was trying to accomplish by waiting outside, and Olly didn''t seem to be willing to divulge that information. Still, Kit had no problem with Olly sitting outside of the workshop, it was when Olly could see what Kit was doing that it went against the deal he''d made with Mr Moonshadow.

    "I asked Iah to keep an eye on Sharli," Kit said.

    Olly nodded, "I heard".

    "The Mist?" asked Kit.

    Olly shook his head, then pointed to the open kitchen door not a few metres away, "The Mist isn''t the only one that speaks".

    "Oh".

    "Miss Iah isn''t wrong," Olly sighed, "You haven''t known me very long".

    Kit nodded.

    "But I don''t understand what that has to do with trust," Olly admitted with a frustrated sigh, "Trust is a feeling, not a measure of time, so what does one have to do with the other".

    "Well...you build trust with a person the longer you know them," said Kit.

    "Then why do some people trust people as soon as they meet them, and others trust only after years?" asked Olly.

    Kit frowned, "Everyone is different. Some people you just...know you can trust, and others you feel you can''t even after a long time".

    "More time," Olly frowned, "You just described it with a feeling but then added the condition of time. If it is a feeling, what does time have to do with it?"

    "Time can change the feeling though," said Kit, "The more you discover about another will influence how you see them".

    "How long did it take you to trust Mr Moonshadow?" asked Olly.

    Kit frowned, "I..."

    Olly''s darting eyes settled on Kit for a moment before moving off again, "The Mist says it was less than a day. How long to trust Miss Sharli and Miss Iah?"

    Kit frowned, scratching his head, "I don''t remember".

    "The Mist says it was several months before you spoke to them," Olly stated, "What about me? How long did it take you to trust me?"

    "Can''t the Mist tell you?" asked Kit.

    Olly gave a goofy grin, "Yes".

    He offered no further answer, so Kit sighed, "Fine, yes, I trust you. Which some people might think is unsettling but I shouldn''t let that influence me because the Mist never lies and the Mist happens to tell me that you are trustworthy and that I should-"

    Olly placed a hand on Kit''s shoulder, "You''re a good friend, Kit".

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    Kit paused and stared back at Olly''s smiling face for a moment before the older boy turned and seemed distracted by something the Mist has said to him.

    Kit waited a moment, then opened the door to the warehouse, pausing in the threshold, "You''re a good friend too". Then Kit stepped through and closed the door behind him before he could hear an answer.

    On the chair beside the door, Olly pulled up his legs to hug his knees to his chest as he smiled.

    "I''m a good friend".

    ***

    Olly wasn''t able to wipe the smile from his face for the rest of the day. He smiled as he drew the circle within a circle, moving around the Ruin to find quiet spots some of the time and loud spots the other. The other inhabitants ignored him, assuming that he was just going through one of his episodes. He''d done it a few times, just sat and drawn the Protection Rune over and over on endless peices of paper. It was a good thing that Kit had plenty placed aside to practice his own drawing. They''d found it was better to leave him alone as the first time that they''d tried to pry him from the task he''d screamed until they''d left him alone with his charcoal and paper.

    It''d been the only time of his stay that Kit had been seconds away from kicking him out of the Ruin.

    It was in the early evening when Kit emerged from the work room to find Olly drawing the rune over and over beside the work room entrance where he''d left him this morning. The only indication he had that Olly had moved was the charcoal and paper that occupied him.

    Kit sighed. Maybe he should take Olly to Miss Falla. After all, Olly was clearly a good candidate, and Kit believed that at least for the moment - and especially under the blood contract - Olly wouldn''t divulge any sensitive information. His motives were purely selfish.

    "Hey, Olly-"

    Olly moved so quickly it scared Kit. He leaped out of his seat and slapped a hand over Kit''s mouth. Kit''s eyes widened as he grapped at Olly''s surprisngly strong grip. Then Olly placed a finger to his lips, and then pointed at the opposite end of the hallway before guiding Kit forward.

    Kit frowned. What? What was happening. He wanted to ask but Olly wasn''t letting up his grip on Kit''s mouth.

    After a few silent seconds, they reached the far end of the hall and ducked around the doorway to peer into the front room, the shop room. Olly had crouched down with Kit, and he slowly pointed out of the window at the building opposite. Then, as he released Kit slowly he spoke a single word.

    "Inktress".

    Kit frowned at the somewhat familiar term. Where had he heard that before?

    He turned to look at where Olly pointed, knowing after interacting with Olly that trying to observe the Mist rather than just what ordinary humans could see was a faster way to get Olly''s random whims.

    Kit peered through the shop window, and focused on a dark, sludge-like substance in the shadow of the opposite building. His first thought was a shadow magician like him, but it didn''t feel like him at all. It also didn''t feel like Mr Moonshadow, who''s shadow magic was more bloodthirsty. No, this magic was...like liquid shadow. Ink.

    Inktress, the one who''d hurt Mr Moonshadow.

    Kit''s gaze narrowed, "She hurt Mr Moonshadow".

    Kit went to stand but Olly caught his arm, "You''re not strong en-"

    Kit pulled out of Olly''s grip and drew the shadows around him. The Evening light had made them longer, darker, and it was easier for him to call on them as he sent them across the street, stabbing into the ink. He withdrew just as quickly, but the ink seemed to attach itself to his shadows, invading and hijacking them. He recoiled, trying to bring back his power. He saw the ink seem to mould itself into the form of a woman with dark hair and eyes. Then just as quickly as she formed, she seemed to splatter against a surface just beyond the window. Like a split bottle of ink.

    Kit breathed heavily in his fear as he watched the woman pulled back from the surface, forming once more as she stared vengefully at the thing that had stopped her advance and then Kit and Olly. Then she dove back towards the shadows.

    Kit watched as her presence disappeared, then he turned to Olly, "How did she...?"

    Olly pointed to the sheets of paper with the protection charm written on it scattered randomly through the shop.

    "I asked, the Mist answered".

    Kit, whose ability to articulate what he knew about the Mist was rudimentary, knew that this was signficant. The Mist has responded to a rune that was not attached to a vessel that contained it. The rune had been on a plain piece of paper, though the intention had clearly been imbued within the rune.

    "I think you should meet Miss Falla," Kit said.

 Chapter 186 The Doctor who was Kind

    After he''d eaten, Anna had insisted that Rassa rest a while longer. He''d clearly worried her with his admittance that he didn''t have any memories beyond chasing that rabbit in the woods thirteen years ago. Of course, the truth was that he did have those memories, only, he wasn''t entirely sure if they were memories anymore. If this was real, as it was more and more convincing as time passed and Rassa experienced more and more, then that nightmare hadn''t really happened, and saying otherwise would only make him look insane.

    So, Rassa retired to his room once more, only to think of another thing that he was sure would confirm whether or not this was a dream. He looked down over his shoulder at the clear water in the basin on his dresser and slowly lifted the back of his shirt.

    It wasn''t what he''d expected.

    The black lines weren''t present anymore, but neither was his skin completely bare. Instead, his back seemed covered in scars, ugly and raised like his skin had had a terrible time healing from such a thing. He was surprised he felt no pain in his back. But as he looked at the scars more closely, he realised that they mimicked where his life lines would have been had they been present.

    "Mother?" asked Rassa.

    It only took a moment before Anna opened the door, concern on her face. She spotted Rassa looking at the scars on his back through the water''s reflection and paused.

    "What''s wrong?" asked Anna.

    "How did I get these scars?" asked Rassa.

    "Oh, honey," Anna said, "Are you sure you don''t remember? It''s why you don''t go into the forest".

    Rassa dropped his shirt, turning to look at his mother, "Really, I have no idea".

    Anna sighed, "Come, sit down".

    Anna took him to his bed and spoke softly. It was clearly hard for her to talk about this. How horrible had the incident been for her to act this way?

    "When you were five and chasing after that rabbit...you went beyond the boundary line the elders had marked out," Anna stated, "You hadn''t realised it at first, but soon you came to a den that the hunters hadn''t detected despite it''s closeness to the line. The village was quite shocked that it was hidden so well. But it was too late, the damage was already done".

    Anna looked at her son gently as she spoke, "You and Diggory were attacked by the wolves. You selflessly threw yourself on top of him to protect him from the worst of it, but as a result your back was horribly mauled. The Doctor said it was a miracle that you even survived. You were bedridden for months and there were several times we thought you wouldn''t make it through the night. After the attack the village elders and the Baron made it clear that only the hunters were to go into forest. Everyone else was forbidden to prevent such a tragedy from happening again".

    Rassa frowned, "I...I don''t remember".

    Anna''s eyes teared up, "I think we should take you to see the Doctor. For you to forget thirteen years of your life? Surely there''s a way to fix this".

    Rassa wasn''t so sure, but seeing the distressed look in his mother''s eyes he certainly hoped it was possible.

    ***

    After another two hours of rest, Anna finally could hold off no longer and readied Rassa for the walk to the Doctor''s house. Rassa had yet to be outside in this dream. He''d decided to call it a dream for now considering that while he wanted to hope it was real, he wasn''t entirely sure that it was. Everything seemed so intent on convincing him of that fact, yet he couldn''t get rid of the nagging part of his brain that told him it wasn''t real.

    Still, as soon as Rassa stepped outside, he wanted nothing more than to silence that part of his brain.

    The village street was just as he remembered it. The small cottages and wide dirt streets. The small pens when family goats or pigs were kept. A plough horse for those families that could afford them.

    The street was rather lively as well, there were many people that were out and about. Rassa knew it was approaching the end of the day so many seemed to be returning from their work in the orchards or the fields. He smiled warmly with his mother when they asked after him. It was a strange feeling, smiling like that. But if this dream was real was there really any reason why he shouldn''t smile warmly? If what his mother had said was true then he''d lived rather peacefully here in Cordon, wolf attack aside.

    He and his mother walked to the Doctor''s office, a familiar building to Rassa. Though his last memory of being in there hadn''t been all that pleasant. He''d been dragged out by the scruff of his neck and thrown in a cage just cause he''d dared to nibble on a rabbit in his starving state. That damned rabbit had been the start of his suffering. If he were to do it over again, Rassa knew that he should have just persisted. It was not as if the knights could have done anything to him or his family with the power he had at his disposal. The Kildares would never have found out about the anthrite if he''d never been captured.

    He''d been so young and naive to think that what he was doing would solve everything. That surrendering and trying to make them see he was no threat to them would never work. Prey always knew instinctively that they were prey.

    "Doctor?" asked Anna as the two entered the house. The man in question poked his head out of his office to look at Anna and Rassa.

    "Oh, Rassa," he said with a smile, "So good that you''re up".

    The Doctor approached and reached out for Rassa''s head. Instinctively, Rassa leaned back, away from his touch. The Doctor and Anna both looked at him, surprised.

    This was the man that had imprisoned him like a common animal. He may not have been as bad as that other Doctor, but he certainly wasn''t much better. But if this place wasn''t a dream...then what need was there for Rassa to fear him?

    "Rassa, are you okay?" asked Anna.

    "I...sorry," Rassa said.

    Anna looked at him worriedly as Rassa straightened and took a seat on one of the beds that the Doctor indicated, "It''s okay, I bet you''re still sore. You took quite a hit".

    "Yes," Rassa said, "It does hurt".

    The Doctor nodded, "Then may I see the wound? I promise to be gentle".

    Rassa gave a short nod and clenched his fists as he sat still, watching the Doctor as he unwrapped the bandage from Rassa''s head.

    "Any side effects?" asked the Doctor, "Do you feel dizzy or have trouble focusing?"

    "Actually, Doctor," Anna began, "It appears...well, it seems like he doesn''t remember the accident".

    "Oh?" asked the Doctor, "That''s not unheard of for a head injury, what is the last thing you remember?"

    Rassa looked at his mother, then back at the Doctor, "Running in the woods chasing a rabbit...when I was five".

    The Doctor paused, looking down at Rassa with a frown, "That long?"

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    Rassa just stared back.

    There was a pause for a moment before the door to the office burst open, "Rassa?"

    There, in the entrance, her blood hair blowing in a soft breeze and her brown eyes looking at him in concern, stood what Rassa, despite his years of not seeing her, could only identify as his childhood friend. The one whom he''d pushed away in Toulle for her own good as she''d ventured off to the Magician''s Academy. The one whom he''d planned to avoid for the rest of her natural life if possible. She may have looked older, a young woman instead of a girl, but there was no mistaking who she was.

    "Jane".

 Chapter 187 The Fiancee

    Rassa had barely spoken since Jane had entered the Doctor''s house. Not because he didn''t have anything to say, on the contrary, he had plenty. But instead, he chose to remain largely silent because if this was real, and he was questioning more and more whether or not it was, he didn''t see how he''d ended up here.

    Despite his desire for normalcy, Rassa had never imagined that his life without having encountered the path of gluttony would be so...normal. Had he truly grown up to be a farmer and then gotten engaged to his best friend? What about the Kildares? Surely after nearly two decades they knew Phillip''s location and that he had a son.

    But then again, Phillip had been the one to alert them in the Not-Dream that he remembered. But the Kildares had a massive information network, surely they would have found out eventually anyway. They would have sent the Ridge Men...Aegin. Aegin would still be amongst the Ridge Men.

    No, wait...Rassa had only learnt about the Kildares after they incident in the woods. If this new world he was in was not a dream...was it even true that he was related to that prestigious family? Let alone that Aegin and even Ebony existed. Had he just imagined them?

    But they''d felt so real. They''d been his family. The ones who''d accepted him - at least as much as a human could - after he''d shown them who he was. Those who had been cautious of his monstrous nature, but had not feared him...could they really just been figments of his imagination?

    Rassa caught the concerned look on Jane''s face as she spoke to the doctor, and Rassa couldn''t help but frown. She seemed too passive to be Jane...or was that the other reality informing him so? After all, it had been thirteen years, no doubt she''d changed somewhat beyond her appearance.

    Rassa mulled over the possibilities for quite a while, until his mother, Jane and the Doctor approached him. He''d contemplated asking questions, but if this was reality, his questions might scare them more than even his lost memory.

    "Okay, Rassa," the Doctor began, "Are you absolutely sure you remember nothing between the incident when you were a child and when you woke up earlier today in your room?"

    Nothing that you wouldn''t freak out at, anyway, Rassa thought.

    "I''m sure."

    The Doctor sighed, turning to Jane and Anna, "I think it''s best if you allow him to get some rest, but in between that, walking him around the village, try to help him remember. It''s possible that his memories will come back, but I can''t say for sure".

    Both women looked quite distressed, but Rassa could do little to comfort them. At the moment he was struggling to comfort even himself.

    ***

    Jane walked him back home later that evening. She''d looped her arm through his, and set a slow pace as they went on a long route back towards the house.

    "That''s the orchard, remember?" she asked as she pointed to the many fruit trees in the distance.

    Rassa nodded, "I know".

    Jane blushed, "Right, that was still there when we were young...do you want me to show you the lake? There are plenty of memories that we have there together".

    Rassa figured it was better than this awkward walk. The only thing it was doing was alerting him to how unrealistic this situation was.

    They arrived at the lake shortly, having to wave at those still in the orchard and having to awkwardly explain Rassa situation after they asked after his health. Their gazes of immense concern were not helping Rassa''s situation at all.

    Finally, they reached the lake, which was somewhat peaceful compared to the rest of the orchard. Jane stepped forward and grinned as she turned back to face him, "This was where we had our first kiss. And where you proposed to me".

    "First kiss?" asked Rassa. He seemed to remember it being a little further into the woods. His version anyway.

    Jane nodded, "I promised I''d always be there for you. You were having a hard time because Digs had just been sent off to the Knight School by his father. You weren''t feeling all that great at seeing him leave".

    Rassa decided to risk it, "Wasn''t it over there?"

    Jane frowned, "Over...?"

    She paused for a moment then turned back to Rassa, "You mean our first kiss? Well it was a bit further in...you remembered?"

    Well, he''d remembered a version of it. The version where he''d thought the smell of her blood and the feeling of it pumping through her lips just milimetres from his fangs was far more intoxicating than the kiss itself.

    "Maybe," Rassa replied, "I just felt that here wasn''t exactly right".

    Jane tilted her head, then smiled, "Well, at least we know the memories aren''t completely gone. If there''s feelings, the memories can''t be far behind, come on, let''s go to the spot".

    Jane took Rassa''s hand and dragged him forward towards the trees he''d pointed to. He followed, but as he turned, he caught sight of a wisp of golden hair between the trees. Rassa paused. Instinct telling him to follow it. He turned and darted into the trees after it.

    "Rassa?" Jane called after him in surprise.

    Rassa kept moving, not even glancing back. He''d never felt a pull towards anything that was this strong before. He paused amongst a group of trees, turning in a circle. After a moment, a small giggle caught his attention, his head swung to catch a glimpse of the golden orange hair that ducked between more trees. He darted after it once more.

    "Hey, wait!"

    Rassa stepped forward, only for Jane to grab his arm and pull him back. The sensation was unfamiliar. Not her touch, though that was unfamiliar too, but the feeling of being stopped by someone. His Vampiric strength had always been far superior. A mere human woman couldn''t stop him.

    "Rassa!" Jane snapped at him, "You''re hurt! You shouldn''t be running around like this. What''s gotten into you?"

    Rassa frowned as he glanced into the trees where the golden hair had disappeared, "I thought I saw something familiar".

    Jane frowned at him, "I think that''s enough for today, you should get some rest, who knows if you''ve made it worse with how fast you moved then, maybe we should go back to the Doctor''s-"

    "I''m fine," Rassa said with a small smile, "I just need some rest is all".

    Jane looked at him skeptically for a moment before she sighed, "Fine, but no more running off like that! You worried me".

    Rassa nodded, "Promise".

    As they left, Rassa turned to look into the woods. He''d be back. That pull was not normal, and reminded him far too much of the Vampiric version of his memories. Of the Mist and all its wonders. This normal version of himself had no such abilities or tendencies. Something was going on here, and Rassa was determined to find out what it was.

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 Chapter 188 The Blood Contrac

    "I found them".

    Illai had prepared nothing else to report to her master. She''d deemed this the most important thing she''d discovered and hurried back. She''d found the place where Moonshadow had made his base. The place where he no doubt made the charms considering the barrier that seemed to be constructed around it. She''d even seen that little shadow magician that she''d sensed back at Blue Jade. The one whom Moonshadow had called a Charm Craftsman. If that were true, even if he only had limited knowledge her master would jump at the chance to secure the investment.

    "Found them where?" asked Ishta as he paused his work to look up at the kneeling Illai.

    "The Cermine District in Port Leis," Illai reported, "I''m sure Moonshadow''s base is there. I saw the young shadow magician who was with him in the Blue Jade restaurant".

    Ishta raised his eyebrow, "The one whom you said you suspected had knowledge of the charm making process".

    "Yes, master," Illai nodded.

    "And you didn''t bring him back?" asked Ishta.

    Illai paused awkwardly, "I tried, master, but there was a barrier surrounding the property...it felt just like the protection charm".

    "Surrounding the entire property?" asked Ishta with a frown.

    "Yes, master," Illai reported, "I couldn''t go beyond it".

    Ishta turned away thoughtfully for a moment. He seemed displeased that such a prize had been kept from him. A Protection charm that couldn''t just shield a person, but an entire property? No wonder Moonshadow had seemed so cautious and quiet about his movements.

    "What of Apple Star?" asked Ishta.

    "I surveyed the company and all who came and went for nearly a week. I saw no one who seemed associated to Moonshadow. However, it seems that the company is currently dealing with a Magician Team," Illai admitted, "At first it was just an Air Magician of the Master rank, but now four others have joined her, one of whom appears to be a hybrid".

    Ishta''s frown deepened, "So we cannot infiltrate Moonshadow''s base thanks to a large protection charm, and Apple Star is consorting with a Magician team to unknown ends..."

    Her Master did not seem pleased despite the information she had gathered. Illai struggled to think up an appropriate plan to move forward. She could gather more information, but that would cost her Master time...

    "Might I suggest something, Master?" asked Illai.

    Ishta did not seem opposed, so Illai continued, "With Moonshadow gone, perhaps Apple Star will be more compliant. After all, those left at his company are not capable of running it, surely it is not a beneficial deal for Apple Star to remain in".

    Ishta''s head tilted in thought, "Perhaps, but Falla Startree is not so easily swayed. We will need to prepare appropriate incentive".

    Ishta turned to Illai, "You have a day to find that incentive, Illai, I''m getting impatient".

    Illai bowed her head, "Yes, Master".

    ***

    "I really don''t think it''s a good idea to go out, Olly," Kit insisted, "Not with that Ink lady out there".

    "She''s not there," Olly replied.

    Kit frowned, "That doesn''t mean we won''t run into her".

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    "We won''t," Olly stated.

    Kit sighed as he followed Olly through the streets towards the marketplace. They''d pick up a carriage ride there to the opposite side of the Island. They wouldn''t get there until midday, but it was worth the early morning. At least to Olly it was. Ever since the night before when Kit had said that he''d introduce Olly to Miss Falla, Olly had been very excited. He''d barely slept. Therefore, Kit hadn''t gotten much sleep either.

    After a quick explanation to Iah and Sharli, the two of them had headed out. Ever since the Inktress had attacked the night before though, Kit had been curious. How was it that Olly had been able to form a barrier without a vessel for the mist. Considering the size of the Ruin it would have had to be a rather large Evanine Crystal if that was the vessel. But Olly had done nothing but repeat the rune over and over with charcoal and paper. The Mist had responded however. Responded on a scale far greater than Kit had seen even Mr Moonshadow produce before.

    Kit had no idea what to make of Olly other than the incomprehensible conclusion that the Mist actually...liked Olly. That seemed like the wrong word to use, but then so were ''obey'' and ''control''. Olly was doing neither of those things. But the Mist didn''t exactly seem to be controlling him either.

    In the end, Kit had just decided to let the matter pass.

    After all, before he''d known it he''d been standing in front of Apple Star Trading Company''s Headquarters, having missed the whole morning whilst he thought on the conundrum that was Olly.

    "We''re here to see Miss Falla," Kit said to Layn who had walked through the lobby at a convenient time. No doubt no one else would know who Kit was, and letting a child and a madman pass through to the boss''s office was not going to be good for any future promotions.

    Layn led them through, somewhat surprised at their appearance but knowing that it must have been important if the charm craftsman had personally made a trip.

    Miss Falla was holed up in her office, working diligently despite it being lunch time.

    "Miss?" asked Layn, "Kit is here to see you".

    Falla looked up in surprise. She''d had to deal with a team of Magicians yesterday, and now with the charm craftsman. She was stressing so heavily about what would happen if they were to meet and converse. Kit should have been back at the Ruin, safe and out of prying eyes.

    the man beside Kit was one which seemed vaguely familiar to Falla, but she was sure she''d never met him before.

    "Kit?" she asked as she stood, "What brings you here?"

    Kit hesitated as he looked at Olly, then back at Falla, "Olly here wants to sign the blood contract to be a charm craftsman".

    Falla frowned. She had no idea that it had been such free knowledge that she held that contract. Sure she knew that Kit had known, he''d been there when Rassa had explained it, but she had no idea that Kit was allowed to announce it so freely.

    "And Olly knows about the contract, how?" asked Falla.

    Kit sighed, but Olly spoke up before he could reply, "The Mist told me. I wanted to learn runes so the Mist brought me to Kit".

    Falla tilted her head, "the Mist...''told'' you?"

    Olly nodded with an innocent grin on his face.

    Falla turned to Kit, unsure how she was going to get a more adept answer from a child but seeking one anyway.

    "He''s spent a couple of weeks at the ruin with us. He''s done no harm so far. In fact, yesterday he somehow managed to prevent an attacker. Though I have no idea how," said Kit, "In short, he qualifies for the contract if you''ll let him".

    Falla frowned, "I hoped to make that decision from a pool of my own candidates".

    "It''s been over a month, do you have any?"

    The question floored Falla, and she looked back in disbelief at the child. He really was more mature than she gave him credit for. After a moment, she sighed in defeat, "Well, it is not as if he can tell anybody the method without consequences. And I''m far too busy trying to prevent outsiders from interfering with the business contract to seek a candidate of my own. Very well, Olly, you may sign the blood contract, of course only after you have read it and understand the weight of its terms".

    "I understand," Olly smiled.

    "You haven''t read it yet," Falla frowned.

    "The Mist told me," Olly said.

    "You don''t fear the consequences?" asked Falla.

    "They only happen if I tell," Olly replied, as if one would be stupid not to consider that fact.

    Falla sighed, then looked behind them where Layn stood, "Bring the contract".

 Chapter 189 The Shadows Shrink in the Day

    "So what other runes did Mr Moonshadow teach you?" asked Olly, a grin on his face as he turned to look at Kit. The two were headed back towards Port Leis after visiting Miss Falla and now that Olly had signed the Blood Contract he was more than eager to learn. Honestly, with how giddy he''d been Kit was surprised he''d lasted this long, they were nearly halfway back.

    Still, Kit turned to glare at Olly, giving a side glance to the driver of the cart.

    Olly looked, quite obviously at the driver, then back to Kit in confusion.

    "Mr Moonshadow taught you��a driver''s rune?"

    Kit rolled his eyes, "No, Olly. I meant you shouldn''t be discussing this stuff, it violates the contract".

    Olly shook his head, "No it doesn''t".

    "You''re revealing secrets to outside parties," Kit said.

    Olly pointed at the driver who had kept silent with his back to them the whole time, "He is deaf".

    Kit frowned, turning to look at the driver, "He is?"

    Olly nodded, "He cannot hear us so therefore I am not revealing secrets and not violating the contract".

    Kit sighed, then turned away again, placing his cheek in a bored gesture, "He taught me six others, but I haven''t finished practicing yet".

    "What were they?" asked Olly, leaning closer to Olly.

    Kit glanced at Olly, just coming to realise what he''d gotten himself into, "I''ll show you when we get back, not in the open".

    Olly huffed and turned away, after a moment, Kit noticed that he started to get excited again.

    "Sealing, Unsealing, Tracking, Truth, Clarity and Healing," said Olly.

    Kit frowned, turning to Olly, "If the Mist was going to tell you anyway, why sign the Blood Contract".

    Olly frowned as if the answer was obvious, "The Mist wanted me to sign the contract first".

    Kit tilted his head to the side, "If the Mist can tell you runes��can you learn new ones so that we don''t have to wait for Mr Moonshadow to come back?"

    "He might not come back," said Olly.

    Kit frowned, "What do you mean by that? You said he could".

    "He can yes, but that depends if he wants to," said Olly.

    Kit looked like he''d been punched in the gut, "Why wouldn''t he want to?"

    Olly looked at Kit, and seemed to realise that he''d hurt his friend''s feelings.

    "He��he was given a choice when he became what he is, but he never really accepted it. He is being given that choice again," said Olly, "And if he cannot fully commit to his decision, he may not ever come back".

    "The Mist told you this?" asked Kit.

    Olly nodded, "The Mist allowed him the chance to make the decision again".

    Kit didn''t know how he felt about that. He felt somewhat betrayed, and sad that he might not see Mr Moonshadow again. Rassa. He''d asked Kit to call him Rassa.

    Olly put a hand on Kit''s head, "Losing faith so soon? What happened to all that trust you have in him?"

    Kit sighed, "Faith isn''t the same as trust".

    "Isn''t it?" asked Olly, "You sound just like you''re adding conditions again".

    "Some forms of trust have conditions," Kit grumbled.

    "Not the true kind," replied Olly as he took a piece of paper and charcoal from pockets of his coat. Kit wasn''t even aware he''d brought that with him.

    Kit sighed, "You can''t draw here".

    Olly paused, pouting it as he looked at Kit. Then, before Kit could speak, Olly turned and looked away for a moment.

    When he didn''t turn back, Kit got annoyed, "Are you giving me the silent treatment? That''s not very mature. You''re older than me, you should be better than-"

    "Ink".

    Kit felt himself grind to a standstill, his mouth open to continue an annoyed rant, then he followed Olly''s gaze, looking at the Mist in the distance.

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    Dark. Unnatural. Ink.

    After their last encounter, Kit was positive that he didn''t stand a chance against her. But just as he caught sight of her, she rose up from the inky sludge of shadows and paced forward across the field, her hands reaching out towards them.

    The Ink rose behind her, she must have been straining considering it was the middle of the day, but it was directly because of that fact that Kit was struggle too.

    "Get the driver to go faster," said Kit as he scrambled to his feet inside the Cart.

    "He''ll lose some of his sto-"

    "Just go!" snapped Kit.

    Olly moved as well as Kit took a deep breath and drew the shadows up from his immediately surroundings to form a barrier around them.

    It was too thin. Kit knew before he even felt the stab of ink through his barrier that knocked the cart. Kit tumbled back into a sack of potatoes and grunted. The Driver, terrified at the prospect of Magicians battling it out over his cart, handed the reigns to Olly like he was passing burning coal then promptly bailed out.

    "Sorry!" Olly called out after him.

    Kit huffed and got back to his feet. A full barrier wouldn''t work again. The sun was too high in the sky still. Not to mention the fact that he could already feel the strain it had taken the first time. Kit had never liked using his powers in the middle of the day. The Shadows were not nearly as cooperative, and it was becoming all too apparent here.

    The only positive thing he had going for him was that the Inktress didn''t seem all that powerful right now either. At least not compared to when he''d seen her the previous evening.

    The Cart jolted, the horses moving faster.

    Another stab of Inky darkness towards the cart, this one faster and more forceful, and headed right for Kit.

    Kit condensed the shadow right in front of himself. They held for just a few seconds before the ink broke through and stabbed towards Kit. The hit would have gotten him right in the shoulder if not for the protective charm in his pocket.

    As it was, Kit stumbled back again from the force. He''d never been in a Magician''s fight before. He wasn''t even sure if this qualified as a fight considering he was pretty much just defending as much as he could.

    "I can''t hold on!" said Kit.

    "She won''t be able to keep up, we just have to get out of range!" Olly replied, "Once we get back to the Ruin, she won''t be able to get to us".

    Kit went to stand, then the cart hit a bump and he tumbled back down. As he turned to get back to his feet, he saw the inky spike already incoming.

    He drew the shadows, but the spike went right through them without pausing. It hit im in the stomach this time, and he was pushed backwards through the wooden divider and into the front seat of the cart.

    "Kit!" Called Olly as he grabbed for his friend.

    Kit was terrified as he hung for a moment in the air, suspended between the cart and the back of the galloping horses. Olly pulled him back, and Kit took a deep breath of relief as he felt his stomach and realised the protection charm had done it''s work again.

    He turned to look over his shoulder, only to find that the Inktress seemed two distant. It occurred to Olly as he watched her that fighting on land was not her forte. Her element was a combination of water and shadow. It was not conducive to fighting on land during the height of the day.

    "We''re too far away, she won''t catch up," Olly reassured him.

    Kit sighed as he turned back around, the fear and excitement from the fight beginning to wear off.

    "That''s goo��d," Kit managed through half-lidded eyes, his exhaustion hitting him all at once.

    He heard Olly calling to him as his heavy eyes closed against his will and he felt the weight of his body shift from its centre.

 Chapter 190 The Choice is Given

    Rassa''s couldn''t sleep. He''d lain awake for hours ever since Jane had brought him back from the lake and insisted he get some more rest. Rassa didn''t want rest. He wanted answers.

    First the foremost, where by the gods was he? Was he dead? Cause that would explain an awful lot. Though what it wouldn''t explain was how real everything felt. Where were Aegin and Ebony? If they did exist. Had he left them to drown? He hoped that wasn''t the case but he still feared the worst. How long had it been since he''d been drowned by that Inktress? Days? Weeks? Months? Years? There was no way to tell. But he knew the longer he remained in the dark about what was going on, the longer they were in danger. At least if they were real.

    Finally, Rassa was sure that everyone was asleep, even his father whom he''d heard entering and sighing in relief when he heard that Rassa had awoken from Anna. This version of his father seemed more content than ever to live the farming life he''d made for himself and his wife. It was a stark contrast to the warrior he''d known before. The man who''d tried to protect his new family from the past he''d left behind yet had to choice but to turn to when things got bad. The Phillip of this timeline had never needed to do that. He''d always been content. For some reason, it annoyed Rassa.

    Still there was no need to dwell on that now. As it was, nearly everything that Rassa had encountered since he''d woken up had played out like it could have had he not been turned. Everything except that woman by the lake in the orchard. She had to know something.

    He snuck out, his years of training and hunting still ingrained into his muscle memory despite his lack of physical advantages. He''d forgotten how slow humans were, how utterly weak and fragile. It was the first time since he''d woken up that he felt annoyed that his body was now a reflection of that humanity. He''d relished in it before. Been joyful to know his mother again. To hear with human ears and taste with human tastebuds. Now those senses seemed little more than a hindrance as he left the village behind and entered the orchard, relying on memory more than his sight to navigate.

    The moon was not very full tonight, so the fruit trees only severed to block what little light the moon was willing to cast. Finally, after tripping on roots he''d underestimated the size of a couple of times and slipping on rotten fruit more times than he''d care to admit, his clumsy human body made it to the side of the lake.

    Despite the lack of moonlight, Rassa could see her plain as day as she leaned over the edge of a large rock that jutted out over the water. She was pointing her finger into the water, moving it and watching the ripples in the surface. He golden hair was braided down to her tail bone, and her body wrapped in a simple dress that had she not been clean would have looked like a rag. Rassa watched her for a moment before he approached. He wasn''t stupid enough to think she hadn''t noticed him, so he didn''t bother trying to conceal his presence as he walked up to her. He honestly wasn''t sure whether or not he could conceal it anyway.

    "I was wondering how long you''d take to show up," she said as he came within a few metres of the rock.

    "You know me?" he asked.

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    She glanced at him and nodded, "Of course".

    "How?" asked Rassa, "Because I don''t remember you".

    "Of course you don''t, this is the first time you''ve met me," she said as she sat up, turning to face him fully.

    "Then how do you know me?" asked Rassa.

    She smiled in amusement, "I''ve met you before".

    Rassa frowned, annoyed at her spinning words. She seemed to sense that and sighed, clearly unimpressed by his unwillingness to play along with whatever game she was playing.

    "Your corpse of a body was dropped on my doorstep so to speak," she said, "Those Black Life Lines of yours were quite the conundrum to those who found you, but to me��not so much".

    Rassa''s frown slowly faded, "You''re a Vampi-"

    "Oh gods no," she said, her nose scrunching in disgust, "But I do walk a path of Chaos".

    "Which one?" asked Rassa.

    "Do you even know any apart from your own?" she asked.

    "Pride," Rassa replied, "The one that Order became when-"

    "I would not speak so casually of that path," she said, "Of any of the paths really, but that is of little concern to you right now".

    Rassa raised an eyebrow, "And what do you think my concern is?"

    She smiled again, then swept an arm around her, "I would have thought that was obvious".

    Rassa released a breath, "Then are you going to tell me how my corpse of a body as you so put it, ended up here��and somehow human again?"

    She shrugged, "I thought it was more fun to watch you squirm for a while, but I suppose that might be a little too cruel".

    Rassa said nothing, though it was clear from his expression that he agreed.

    "My name is Surai," she said, "I live in the Fairy Forest of the Southern Continent, and I really prefer my solitude".

    Rassa frowned, frustrated. He didn''t much care who she was, he wanted answers.

    "Why? Why am I here? What in the world have you done to me?!" Rassa shouted. Surai frowned at Rassa from where she sat beside the lake. She seemed mighty unimpressed by his attitude, and she turned back to face the serenely calm lake as if ridding herself of the bother.

    "I granted your wish," Surai replied.

    Rassa frowned, "What wish? I was drowning in Whaler''s Strait, then I''m here. Suddenly in my birth village, though it''s not Cordon at all because I''m human and the cave never existed and I''m engaged to my childhood friend. This is not my life, unless I had an incredibly elaborate dream for the past thirteen years".

    "Isn''t it?" asked Surai, "When you were being dragged to the depths, your thoughts were only for your companions. That they survive without you. By extension, you wished that you''d never met them, because then they wouldn''t be exposed to the danger they are thanks to you. I only gave you what you wished for. A life where you''d never changed. Where you remained that boy from the village that chased rabbits into the woods and kneaded bread with his mother. So, I suppose, the question you should be asking, is why aren''t you satisfied?"

    The question floored Rassa. It was true, while he''d been trying to accept his Vampiric self, he''d always, somewhere in the back of his mind, wished that he was normal. Wished that he''d never entered the cave. Surai, whoever she was, had granted this wish, yet he''d so far spent his time questioning it rather than living how he had always wanted.

    "Is it real?" asked Rassa.

    Surai shrugged, "It is as real as you want it to be. You can stay here and live out a human lifetime if that is what you want. But you are conflicted, and it will never remain as it is if you are conflicted. So, I will give you a choice. A choice that will only be completed when you prove that your decision is absolute. You have lived your life constantly at war within yourself. Too stuck in what it means to be human to embrace the fate given to you. So, Rassa, what will it be? Will you choose the man, or the monster?"

    "Why give this choice to me?" asked Rassa, "What are you?"

    Surai grinned, "Right now? I''m just a young widower seeking refuge far from life in the cities. But then, in this place, I am whatever you think I am. We''ll meet again Rassa. I''ll leave you to your decision now".

    Then Surai gradually seemed to fade from existence, as if she was never there to begin with. Rassa stood in place, utterly dumbfounded. So it wasn''t real. It was just some kind of dream or illusion. Yes Surai had assured him that if it was what he wanted, he could live here for the rest of his life. As a human. He could live the life he should have had. The life he''d always wanted but had never been capable of having since he''d stepped foot into that cave.

    Regardless of Surai''s intentions, she''d given him an opportunity here. An opportunity he would otherwise never have had.

    He could be human here. He could cast aside the burdens and tribulations that came with his vampirism. He could let Aegin and Ebony live their lives without the danger his presence had constantly caused them. Rassa looked down at his reflection in the lake, as dull as it was in the dim light. His face didn''t have the same paleness or sharpness that he was used to. His features still grown-up, but softer. Less vicious and haunting. After a moment, Rassa allowed himself a small smile. He''d been given this opportunity, the least he could do was take advantage of it.

 Chapter 191 The Weightlessness of Human Selfishness

    He slept in late the next morning. Considering he was still injured, no one bothered to come and wake him up at a set time. He rose and washed his face in the basin before dressing. He could hear voices in the main room, but thanks to his lack of hearing couldn''t make out what they were saying. Considering they were whispering though, it was pretty much guaranteed that they were talking about him.

    "Morning," Rassa said as he opened the door, finding his mother sitting at the dining table with Jane. They both turned to smile at him.

    "Did you sleep well?" asked Anna.

    Rassa nodded as Anna brought him a slice of bread and cheese for his breakfast, "Fine, thanks".

    "And how are you feeling?"

    "Better," Rassa admitted.

    There was silence before Anna asked cautiously, "Do you remember��?"

    "No, sorry," Rassa said, "But I''ll keep trying. Maybe if I could get back into a normal routine again it would help".

    "Oh," Anna said, "Are you sure? You''re still injured. We don''t want to push you too-"

    "Really, mum," Rassa smiled, "I''m fine".

    Anna and Jane looked at one another before Jane spoke up, "If you''re sure".

    Rassa nodded, "I am".

    Jane nodded, "About the wedding��don''t feel pressured about it. I''m willing to wait until you do remember. It seems cruel to make you get married to me when you don''t even remember falling in love with me".

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    She seemed quite sad to say this, but there was a kind of determination behind her gaze as well. Rassa leaned back in his chair as he met her eyes, "Thanks, I appreciate it".

    He honestly wasn''t that interested in marrying her either if he ''couldn''t remember'' how the relationship even began.

    "Well, if you want to get back into a normal routine that''s good," Anna said, trying to move the conversation along from the topic that Jane clearly considered sensitive and Rassa did not, "However, I don''t think it''s a good idea to get straight into working with your father again, the labour might be too much for you. How about you just return to the orchard for a few days?"

    Rassa nodded, he wasn''t really sure he''d be capable of the work his father did either. His head did feel like it had been injured, but it also seemed to be recovering quite quickly. He decided not the question it too much, no doubt it would ruin the illusion before him.

    "Great, I''ll take you there," said Jane with a smile.

    ***

    Unlike the day before when she''d showed him around, Jane didn''t attempt to hold his hand. It was clear she wanted to by the way she fidgeted, but she didn''t reach out to take it, clearly wanting him to be comfortable. He appreciated that. It felt like he had more under his own control, a quality he''d severely lacked over the years thanks to his imprisonment.

    Thankfully, the routine of the Orchard work was familiar to him. Every now and then he would chat with Jane who never strayed too far from his side. At first it felt strange and unnerving. But the longer her presence was there, the more comfortable he became. After all, his hesitation had stemmed half from the knowledge that this place was an illusion or dream of some kind, and half from the knowledge that he''d pushed her away. He''d thrown away this relationship before it had had any chance of developing. He''d always been scared of facing her again, unsure how she would react to seeing him. In all honesty he was unsure of how he would react. Would he be relieved to see her? Or would he be angry at the prospect that his efforts to push her away from his dangerous life had been for nought?

    Still, now none of that seemed to matter. At the end of the day, they were working near each other as just two adults who had been friends as children. While a small part of Rassa always wanted to remind him that this place was not real, the larger part of him, the part that had never desired the fate he''d been given, that part got comfortable and accepted what was.

    At the end of the day, he returned home more tired than usual, but he stayed up long enough to see his father again.

    Seeing Phillip was almost more painful than seeing his mother. With his mother he''d only had to wave goodbye, he only heard about her death and accepted that she was now a part of his past. But with his father��Rassa had watched him die. He''d sat back with the knowledge that he could have given him another life and watched the life leave his father''s body. Seeing Phillip again, smiling and warm, Rassa felt that perhaps he hadn''t been selfish enough. If all these people had left him, where was his family? And worst of all, for most of them it had been his choice. It has been his choice to push them away not theirs. Would they have accepted him for what he was had he allowed them to make the choice instead? The question nagged at him, and eventually, having no one else to ask, Rassa sought Phillip out after his mother had gone to bed.

    "Father?"

    "Rassa, shouldn''t you be in bed?"

    "I''m okay," Rassa said as he sat beside his father who was smoking out the front of their cottage. Rassa sat still for a moment, then decided he may as well get straight to the point, "Can I ask you a question?"

    "Of course," Phillip replied, "I don''t know why you''d need to ask permission, go ahead".

    "Well��" Rassa started, "Imagine you''d done something unforgiveable, something that you needed to do but that isolated you from everyone else".

    "Okay," Phillip said, looking at Rassa to continue.

    "Well, there are a few of your loved ones that still treat you the same as much as they can under the circumstances because they love you, but one by one you drive them away because you fear something bad will happen to them if they stay with you," Rassa said, "In that situation, imagine if one of them actually got hurt and you could save them thanks to that unforgiveable thing you''d done, but by doing so they could become unforgiveable themselves and therefore the way they look at you could change��would you still save them, or would you let them go so that they wouldn''t have to suffer the burden like you?"

    Phillip frowned a moment as he turned away to look up at the sky, "It sounds like quite the complicated situation you''ve conjured up there. What brought this on?"

    Rassa sighed, leaning his head back, "I don''t know, I guess I just got bored and thought too hard trying to remember. But still, what would you do?"

    "Well, I''m not entirely sure," Phillip replied, "Of course I would not want them to suffer burdens if I loved them. But I almost think it is too selfish of me to make that decision for them".

    Rassa looked at his father for a moment, ready to admit to himself that he''d known it all along, that he''d been too selfish, then Phillip spoke again.

    "Or perhaps the selfish part is the loved one treating me in the same way," Phillip replied, "After all if I''ve committed something unforgiveable clearly I am not the same as I was. Wouldn''t treating me like I was be the same as hoping I haven''t changed at all? It''s almost the loved one''s own fault in that sense. But that sounds wrong as well. Perhaps they are both at fault for assuming".

    Rassa looked up at the stars as he considered his father''s words. The night sky and the moon were peaceful, but the serenity he felt in this moment was that of a human, a man who was listening to the advice of his father.

    "But, in the end, despite there being two individuals in the equation it only takes one to make a decision. Everything that happens after that is a reaction to that decision," Phillip said, "It''s why you should consider the consequences before you make decisions".

    "But you can''t possibly consider every consequence," Rassa said.

    Phillip nodded, "You''re right. That would be impossible. It''s why, when you are the one to make decisions, you should do so only when you are ready to accept the burdens. If I committed something unforgiveable, clearly I was ready to accept those burdens, even if my loved ones were not".

    "What if you weren''t ready?" asked Rassa.

    "Then I likely wouldn''t have had a clear enough head to make the selfless decision to spare my loved ones from the same burden," Phillip said, turning to look at Rassa. For a split second, Rassa felt as if Phillip knew exactly what Rassa was talking about. But that was impossible, in this illusion, those events he remembered had never happened.

    Phillip smiled then as he put out his pipe, "It''s like your mother making dough. You have to know the right moments to push and pull in order to get the best results".

    Phillip stood and walked towards the door, "Get some rest, Rassa. Don''t spend too long delving too deep in those thoughts of yours or you''ll miss the times to make those important decisions you seem to dwell on so much".

    Rassa gave a small smile in reply, nodding in acknowledgement. He spent another hour in silence, just staring up at the stars before he finally decided that what he''d done for his father was a mercy. What he''d done for Jane was a mercy. But here, he no longer held those burdens.

    That night, his human thoughts became a little more selfish than the Vampiric ones he''d left behind.

 Chapter 192 The Island of Herguard

    Nearly three weeks in the brig had done little to improve the situation of the remnants of The Miranda''s crew. The only thing that had had any improvements was Ebony''s leg, and that was only because she hadn''t had any broken skin and was lucky enough for the bone to have had a clean break. Thanks to the brig''s nature, she didn''t have much room to move around, and whenever she did, Aegin helped her hobble there. He was very strict about her putting weight on her leg.

    In short, she wasn''t allowed to.

    Finally however, after those three weeks, there was a shift in the atmosphere of those aboard the ship.

    The crew of the Miranda were not privy to the sights outside thanks to their current incarceration, however, the gloomy, eerie feeling of the outside world didn''t escape their notice.

    The ship they were aboard moved slowly through a maze of fog and jagged rocks that seemed permanently shrouded in a wholly unwelcoming aura. Despite this however, the pirates all seemed quite joyful. Aegin and Ebony thought that perhaps to them, this unwelcoming aura was akin to coming home, a feeling that neither Aegin nor Ebony were accustomed to.

    Finally, after nearly an hour of crawling through the treacherous waters, the fog began to thin, and an Island at least as large of Rouke if not bigger was revealed.

    It did not appear to be overly wealthy nor high class. In fact, most of the Island seemed quite run down and dilapidated despite the clear evidence of residents. There were only two buildings that seemed to stand out from the rest even from the bay. The first was a massive castle, the likes of which even the Eldovian Emperor may be jealous of. The second was an even larger building that the entire port city on the island seemed to be centred around. It was at least six storeys tall, and as circular as one could make it. There appeared to be no roof however, and great roaring cheers echoed from within.

    The Warrior''s Arena.

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    The Pirate Ship pulled into port, and the pirates both on board and on the docks rushed to see the boon that the great Pirate Lord Zanvar had returned with.

    The Pirate crew descended down into the belly of their vessel, and after a few minutes, returned with a line of chained prisoners, pale and sickly from their less than accommodating voyage below decks.

    Aegin and Ebony squinted as they saw the light of the day again. Despite the cloud cover, the day was still surprisingly bright, especially when compared to the dark brig.

    Ebony held onto Aegin''s arm as she hobbled. It was the only thing she''d been allowed to do. Any effort by Aegin to support her beyond that and they''d be separated. It was painful for her to put weight on her leg. Aegin had told her that bones healed only after about a month and a half, if not two months. The fact that he had experience in such things had made her curious, but like most things to do with their past, Aegin never offered any further explanation.

    They hobbled up onto the deck, then after being crudely sorted into groups of ten, were tied together then marched down onto the docks.

    Jeers and taunts and leers were what greeted them as they walked the city streets. There was no effort to pave their roads, and a horse and cart were rare. In fact, the only ways that Aegin and Ebony were able to distinguish between status were the quality of clothing and the fact that some of the richer folk road around in tiny carriages that, rather than having wheels and being pulled by horses, were instead about half the size and carried by collared slaves.

    It seemed far more inconvenient to Aegin and Ebony''s eyes who had both grown up on the Eldovian Continent. However, they supposed that it was a far more obvious way of displaying one''s superiority over their ''lesser'' slaves.

    Ebony however was particularly disgusted by the prospect. It made her feel ill to think that she might one day soon be in that position. Aegin''s expression remained impassive.

    After some time, they arrived at a large building that stood on the port side of a market square. On the opposing side stood the imposing figure of the Warrior''s Arena. The cheers from within were near deafening at this range, and they were still on the outside. They only received a brief glimpse of the building before they were ushered to cells on the underground level, but it was enough for any of the crew to fear being sent there. The whole place, despite the atmosphere around it, carried a dark and deadly aura, worse even than the jagged maze they''d passed through to get to the Island.

    The underground was lit only by torches, and as they moved through a series of complex corridors even larger than the building above, Aegin ascertained that they were in fact underneath the Market Square.

    They passed by a few meeting rooms and bunk rooms then what could only be described as a dining hall, with kitchens on one side and table after table lined up. They had to be able to feed at least five hundred people in the large room.

    At the end of the dining hall, they were lined up next to each other, and a man in far better apparel than the other black clothed guards walked out to appraise them.

    "They''re so sickly," the man remarked after a few minutes, turning his nose up at the slaves before him.

    "Three weeks on limited rations isn''t exactly a great environment for nurturing health," the Pirate Lord himself stated as he marched through the dining hall to greet the man, "Slave Master".

    "Lord," the slave master stated, "Well their condition means I can''t sell them for a good price immediately, and the only female you''ve brought me is clearly broken".

    The Slave Master indicated to Ebony who was still using Aegin for partial support as she leaned her weight on one leg.

    The Pirate Lord''s gaze hardened, "You promised me fifty percent of the sale''s price plus the cost of transporting them here, which I estimated to be at least fifteen thousand gold given that I lost two ships in capturing them".

    "That''s your problem," the Slave Master, "Our deal had nothing to do with your method of capturing, only the transport, which considering their state can''t be more than a thousand".

    Zanvar gritted his teeth, "That''s a complete rip off".

    "I''m a Slave Master, not a bank teller," the Slave Master replied, "What did you expect? You''ll get 40% considering the fact that I''ve got to spend at least a week getting them healthy again, that''s if the worst of them don''t die. And with her you''ll get 20% at best. Nobody likes broken goods".

    "35% for her," said Zanvar.

    "25%," bartered the Slave Master.

    "30%".

    "Done," said the Slave Master, then he turned to a man with grey robes to the side, "Write up the new deal for the Pirate Lord".

    The Slave Master turned to Ebony, then pointed to her with a finger, "Take her to the Madame to be washed, then get the physician to make sure that splint is actually doing her good".

    Ebony''s fingers dug into Aegin''s arm, and Aegin moved between her and the guards, his unexpected movement causing the line of slaves he was tied into to shift.

    The Slave Master''s eyes narrowed, "Don''t make things difficult. I''m not in the mood for heroics. Save it for the Arena if you''re so keen".

    "Then that''s where we''ll be sold?" asked Aegin.

    "Some of you, perhaps," the Slave Master replied with a condescending grunt.

    "We''re a pair, you can''t separate us," Aegin stated firmly.

    The Slave Master smirked, "I can and I will. Whatever I need to can maximise my profits. Women aren''t in abundance on this Island despite the fact that the residents are quite fond of raiding and pillaging. You aren''t worth a fraction of her, even if she''s broken. Now move, this is your first and last warning".

    ***

    AUTHOR''S NOTE

    Hey! Welcome to 2020 everyone, figured you needed something to bring in the New Year!

    That poem I wrote will be available to see on my P*a*t*r*e*o*n for those who are interested. It also has the beginnings of Jane''s short story series at the Academy as well as Vol.1 and 2 in PDF form to download. Other content will be uploaded as the following there increases so would appreciate the support (especially seeing as now that Chaptail has shut down I won''t be releasing any Premium Chapters on there).

    As you should have seen in the note a couple of chapters ago, I rearranged Vol.3 to flow in Chronological Order rather than whatever I had it (sorry, it probably got confusing for you cause it was confusing even me). You shouldn''t need to read all the way back to the start as the 3 chapters I added are within the last 5 chapters but if you want to read all the way back to see if the flow of the story is better I would appreciate your opinions.

    As for that 30 chapter mass release I promise. Don''t worry, that''ll be the next thing out within the next fortnight. I''ve decided to write the rest of the novel differently as the multiple story lines were getting a bit confusing and I think that was part of the problem why I needed the break. I''m now writing the story lines separately before I''ll put them together in chronological order to post (hence why I still need a couple of weeks at least to write those 30 chapters).

    Apologies that you still have to wait, but there''s plenty on my P*a*t*r*e*o*n as mentioned above to tide you over (will be more if goals are met on there).

    Wishing everyone the Happiest of New Years and all the best for 2020!

    -Jelim

 Chapter 193 The Unsteady Deal

    Aegin stared down the Slave Master, "We''re not going to be separated".

    He felt Ebony''s hand tighten on his arm as the Slave Master stared back at them. His eyes narrowed in discontent, and without bothering to even look at the guards, motioned them forward.

    Ebony felt Aegin tense beneath her fingers, and she slowly released him, sensing his readiness to move. Aegin, feeling Ebony release him, took it as permission to do what he needed to. The knots of rope around his wrists were loosened thanks to his working at it whilst they were on the move. As the two guards approached with spears points at Aegin, Aegin watched them.

    The first guard tried to herd Aegin away from Ebony, only Aegin side stepped into Ebony and looped the rope around the spear. He drew it towards himself, throwing the guard off balance. Aegin grabbed the spear and used it to cut part of the rope. Even if they were only criminals on this island, evidently their weapons were still well crafted.

    After that Aegin kicked out behind him where another guard had approached thanks to Aegin''s attacks.

    "Duck," he said to Ebony. Unable to bend one of her legs, Ebony did the next best thing and fell forward, catching herself on her hands. He flinched from the pain, but didn''t cry out as she watched Aegin lose the ropes around his wrists before he flipped the spear around, the end hitting one of the guards in the head hard enough for him to spit out a tooth.

    Aegin paused, the spear up and ready as he looked at the two guards before him and the two guards behind. The rope was at his feet, and the Slave Master looked on, a mix of anger and intrigue.

    "Useless idiots! Get him!"

    The four guards moved forward together, only to be met with a combination of spear and flesh as Aegin did away with them. The guards in the external part of the room began to move in as Aegin moved, but they were too late as Aegin fought off the immediate four guards then used the seconds he had to spare by taking up the rope and tying a lasso into the end, he then took his discarded spear, planted it upright in the ground and jumped up. His foot kicked out towards one of the guards, both pushing the guard away and pushing Aegin around to another position where he threw the lasso.

    The Lasso pulled tight around the surprised Slave Master and Aegin yanked him across the cold stone floor towards him. He then held the spear as he stood, stabbing it towards the Slave Master.

    "Stop!"

    Aegin''s call froze the oncoming guards, who had no idea how to react to their boss being threatened. None of the other prisoners had ever had the gall to make such a move, nor the skill to get past six of them. The look on Aegin''s face��they were positive he could have got through many more before he''d been overwhelmed.

    "You''ll never get off the Island," the Slave Master spoke, his tone relatively calm for his current situation, "You have no allies here".

    Aegin glared down at the Slave Master, "I''m well aware of that. I only had one request, don''t separate Ebony and I, yet you refused to listen".

    "You are aware of your situation and yet you still protest against it," the Slave Master spoke, "I sense you''re going to offer me a deal?"

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    Aegin smirked, "I figure that a Slave Master like yourself is all about the profits. How much does the Warrior''s Arena earn?"

    "Enough to feed a kingdom five times over," said the Slave Master, "Even with all the disposables".

    Disposables? Was that how he thought of the warriors? The slave that were pitting their lives in there? Aegin wanted to feel disgusted, but he knew that he was running out of time. It would only be so long before the guards worked out that Aegin couldn''t defend against all of them.

    "I''ll fight in your Warrior''s arena, and for every game I win, you allow Ebony to stay with me. She can be a server at the Arena if you don''t want her in the cells with me, but no one touches or takes advantage of her, and she gets care for her leg," Aegin stated.

    The Slave Master raised and eyebrow, "And if you lose?

    Aegin knelt down, "If I lose, I won''t be around to protest in whatever you want to do, will I?"

    The Slave Master grinned, "And you''re confident you can win more than what I''d get if I sold her?"

    Aegin nodded, "Give me three trials. I''ll earn back your losses".

    The Slave Master was intrigued, for a moment he said nothing, then, unable to refuse the temptation, nodded, "Very well. In one week you will have three days to earn the prospective amount that I would have received by selling her. If you happen to succeed, every trial you survive will mean that I will not sell her off".

    The Pirate Lord scoffed to the side, "Slave Master, what integrity do you have to make a deal with your merchandise".

    "Perhaps I''m just bored, Zanvar. Maybe I want to see if this new little asset can really live up to all that talk," said the Slave Master as he turned his head to look at the Pirate Lord, "After the display he just had, I''m sure we''ll at least have an interesting trial next week. If he happens to survive the first one, I''m sure it''ll bring in some decent returns. Do we have a deal?"

    The question was directed at Aegin. And after a quick glance at Ebony, Aegin dropped the spear and stepped back with his arms up. The Guards moved in quickly.

    The Slave Master stood, "Get the girl some medical help when you take her to Madame. Tell Madame of the deal, get the girl trained as much as possible in the next week.

    "Aye, Master," one of the guards spoke before he approached Ebony and separated her from the line before taking her away. Aegin watched tensely, the Slave Master watching him before he spoke again.

    "Take him, that one, that one and that one to the Arena and have them washed and given cells," said the Slave Master, inform the Warden that this one this��"

    "Aegin".

    "This, Aegin, has a trial in one week," said the Slave Master, "Get the rest ready for sale".

    Aegin was shoved away, along with Tank, Midas and Loft, one of the men who''d shared night duties with Rassa.

    Aegin turned to look to another corridor where Ebony was being led away. Ebony looked back at him, worry in her eyes. Aegin couldn''t help but question his decision then. Had he done the right thing? Had he kept ebony safe or had he only put her in greater danger? It was unlikely he could trust the Slave Master. Still, it was the only thing Aegin had.

    He may have been a good fighter, having been trained as Ridge Man for most of his life, but that didn''t mean he could take all of these men alone. And the Slave Master was right about one thing. There was no getting off this Island. Not without some serious help.

    Aegin lost sight of Ebony as they were dragged into separate halls. He clutched at the tracking charm through his pocket and looked at the fading, flickering line that led to his lost friend. As if the charm could also send messages, Aegin willed his thoughts down that line.

    Please, Rassa. We need you.

 Chapter 194 The Cost of Burdens

    When Kit and Olly had left early that morning stating that they were going to see Falla about the blood contract, Iah and Sharli had been sceptical. They weren''t capable of carving runes. Olly may have been able to read the Mist, but he was no Magician. Would he even be capable?

    But Kit seemed sure, so they left without delay.

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    "Do you think he''s really capable of making the Charms? That being able to see the mist is the only thing that''s required?" asked Iah.

    Sharli sighed, pausing in doing her chores as she turned back to Iah.

    "Kit seemed sure," Sharli stated, "Still, I can''t help but think I''d be much more sure of everything if Rassa was here with us".

    Iah rolled her eyes at her sister, "Sharli, you were in charge of this place for years before Rassa showed up, it''s why he left you in charge. Sure there are more things to worry about now than just the next meal, but that doesn''t change the fact that we trust your decisions. All of us".

    "I could barely get us to the next meal, Iah," Sharli sighed, tossing the rags she was washing back into the water as she sat down, "How can I get a business off the ground if I could barely find food?"

    Iah looked at the pitiful vision of her sister and moved to sit beside her, "Sharli, you need to have more confidence in yourself. In your decisions. Rassa was sure you could do it. I''m sure. Why can''t you be?"

    The question was left unanswered as one of the children, Meg, burst out of the back of the Ruin breathing deeply.

    "Meg?" asked Iah, "What''s wrong?"

    "Kit��he''s hurt," said Meg.

    Iah and Sharli jumped up immediately, moving into the Ruin and following Meg to the bedroom where Olly had unceremoniously dumped him. The troubled young man was now rapidly drawing on a sheet of paper. Runes by the look of it, but he didn''t appear to have a care in the world for Kit who looked pale and covered in sweat where he was sprawled on his bed.

    "What, by the gods, did you do to him?!" shouted Sharli as she rushed forward, her hand going straight to Kit''s pale and sweaty skin.

    Olly looked near uninterested, "He''ll wake up later".

    "Gods, he has a fever, Iah go and get some water," said Sharli, then she turned to Olly, her eyes fierce, "What did you do to him".

    Olly didn''t even look up as he repeated what he''d said, "He''ll wake up later".

    Sharli''s expression turned frustrated and she stood, crossing to Olly''s bed in two short steps before knocking the paper and charcoal from Olly''s hands. Olly looked genuinely surprised as he looked at the scattered papers, then up at Sharli.

    "I''m just practicing-"

    Olly''s head whipped to the side, a sharp smack ricocheting off the walls of the small room as Sharli''s palm connected with his cheek. There was silence in the room, the only sounds Sharli''s rage filled breath and Kit''s ragged one. Olly raised his charcoal stained hand to cup his rapidly reddening cheek as he slowly turned back to face Sharli. His expression was different this time. So much so that Sharli took an unconscious step back. Gone were the innocence and childlike mania that usually graced his face. In its place was a cold, deadpan expression that terrified her. Olly stared at Sharli for a moment, then his eyes flickered to Olly and they softened ever so slightly. He dropped his hand, then he dropped to his knees on the floor, taking up the paper and Charcoal.

    Sharli sucked in a breath of frustration, "I don''t give a damn about your practicing. I give a damn about my friend. My family, who was fine when he left this morning with you but is now looking like he''s on the verge of death. I asking you, what happened?"

    Olly gathered his papers and charcoal, then he stood, taller than Sharli, though he was always so hunched over whatever drawings he was working on it was rarely something she''d focused on. She focused on it now, his cold stare intimidating her.

    "He will wake up, later," Olly repeated, then he moved around her and walked out, clearly sensing that he wasn''t welcomed. Sharli watched him leave, only snapping out of it when Iah returned.

    "What''s wrong?" asked Iah.

    Sharli huffed, wiping a hand across her face, a hand she realised, that was shaking. Had he scared her that much? He''d never appeared dangerous before. Sharli wasn''t even sure what she was scared of. What was it about him that made her so instinctually terrified?

    Sharli balled her hand into a fist, arresting control of her emotions as she moved to Kit''s side and helped Iah to wipe the sweat from his body.

    "I don''t know, he''d only say that he''d wake up soon," Sharli admitted.

    Iah glanced over her shoulder to where Olly had disappeared down the hall.

    "Well I''m sure he''s not wrong," said Iah.

    "I don''t trust him," Sharli admitted.

    Iah turned back to her sister.

    "You don''t think Kit will wake up?" asked Iah.

    Sharli shook her head, "That''s not what I meant. Olly he''s��does he really expect us to believe that his only motivation to learning these Runes is that he just wants to learn them?"

    Iah frowned, "Well, by the looks of it he''s signed the blood contract now. He can''t give away any secrets about the Charms, not without severe consequences".

    "That blood contract was made by Rassa," said Sharli, "Did he ever tell you what happens if one of the parties die before the contract is fulfilled".

    "No," Iah admitted.

    "Me neither," said Sharli, "But something tells me we won''t be able to suffer the consequences".

    Iah watched her sister for a moment, then the two of them tended to Kit in silence.

    ***

    "Is he awake yet?" asked Iah as Sharli exited the room.

    "He''ll wake up later," Olly spoke from halfway down the hall. He''d take a seat there and continued with his ''practice''. It had irked Sharli. He was doing nothing to help Kit. Only serving to get in the way from her perspective. Yet that cold look he''d displayed earlier, the one that had all but disappeared by now, kept her from telling him off again. The red handprint on his face a reminder of their earlier disagreement.

    "No," Sharli sighed, "But he seems to be improving at least. His fever is going down and his breathing isn''t as ragged".

    Iah watched her sister eye Olly before she stepped forward, lowering her voice to a whisper, "Are you okay? Why''d you hit him earlier?"

    Sharli scoffed, "Why? Are you kidding. That''s the only thing he''s said for the last five hours. He''s not giving us any clues as to how or why this happened to Kit. He doesn''t even seem to be concerned. He''s just drawing those runes like it''s a gods damned competition".

    Iah sighed, "Sharli, he''s been sat in that same spot ever since you kicked him out of the room. He''d be in the room if you hadn''t. He is concerned about Kit. At the very least he''s showing a positive attitude".

    Sharli rolled her eyes as she shoved past her sister towards the kitchen, "And when has a positive attitude ever saved anybody, Iah?"

    Iah watched her sister go in disappointment. Where was the sister who''d stood strong and confident? It only appeared to Iah that she was getting further and further away. Iah looked over at Olly. Maybe the guy was right. Her sister was standing on a cliff, and the way things were going, jumping off it would do none of them any good.

 Chapter 195 The Ruin is Compromised

    Illai was tentative and weak as she reported back to her Master''s headquarters. She''d thought that by attacking in the middle of the day, that she''d be able to best the little Shadow Magician with ease. He''d been more efficient than she thought. Still young though. If he''d been older, it was likely that he probably would have been able to attack her rather than simply defend.

    The Mist was a complicated thing. It only awakened in younger individuals, but when it did it was unlikely to give the individual full access to the scope and depth of their abilities. Until they come of age at eighteen, they are capable of exploring both in small steps. The little Shadow Magician had clearly had plenty of opportunities to explore scope, more so even than he would have in an Academy, but he had not done as well in depth. He still looked seven or eight years from coming of age, but that was a lot of time to explore depth.

    Illai had severely underestimated her opponent on this occasion, and it was likely she would not have such an opportunity again. She had already let down her Master one too many times. It was likely that her punishment would not be light.

    "Reporting to Master," Illai spoke as she knelt by the edge of his office. Ishta Alamone was alone this afternoon, clearly waiting for her return. The eagerness in his eyes faded considerably when he realised she was alone.

    "You have failed me again, Illai?" he asked.

    "I have no excuses, Master," Illai stated, leaning forward to placed her forehead on the ground, "Please punish me as you see fit".

    There was a pause, then a rage-filled roar echoed from Ishta''s desk as he stood and flipped the desk and everything on it in the process.

    "Incompetent, useless woman!" snapped Ishta, "Report to the Solarium immediately. Don''t even think of getting out before the Summer Solstice".

    Illai closed her eyes in sadness. Being in there that long for very near kill her.

    "Yes, Master. As you wish," stated Illai.

    She stood and walked from the office, her steps strong until she was out of earshot of her Master, then they turned heavy and dragged terribly.

    She would not die physically, being completely cut off from her element, but it was likely that she would want to. It was going to be a long two months.

    Back in the office, Ishta glared at the mess on his floor. Even with Rassa Moonshadow out of the picture, this was beginning to become tedious. It had been over a month since he''d left the Island. Two months since he''d begun selling the charms. He must have made a fortune during the festival��

    But now that Ishta thought about it, there had been no new stock on the market since. Despite Falla Startree taking over the business, and Illai having found the other individual capable of making the charms, they had not made efforts to make a profit out of such a commodity.

    Why?

    The question bothered him. Almost as much as his subordinate''s inability to do as asked.

    "It''s time I have a conversation with Falla Startree," Ishta mused, "I refuse to believe that woman can continue to stay ahead of me when it comes to business wits".

    ***

    Kit had a splitting headache. It was without a doubt the first thing that called his attention as he awoke. The next, as he groaned low and raised a hand to nurse his pounding head, was that the rest of his body wasn''t all that great either. He was aching as if he''d just recovered from a flu.

    "Kit?" Iah''s worried voice made its way through his pained consciousness and his eyes fluttered open. Iah sighed in relief upon seeing him awake.

    "Thank the gods you''re okay," Iah said.

    Kit opened his mouth to speak, then realising how parched he was, struggled to mime drinking to her.

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    Iah caught on quickly and helped him up so that he could drink. After downing two cups of water and starting on a third. Kit finally took a breath to look at Iah.

    "How long was I out?"

    "Since Olly brought you back Mid-afternoon," Iah replied, "It''s the middle of the night now".

    Kit turned to look around the room, "Where''s Olly?"

    Iah looked awkward for a moment before she replied, "He''s sleeping in the workshop. Sharli kicked him out".

    Kit frowned, "Why?"

    Iah sighed, "You know how Olly is��Sharli was getting frustrated with him".

    Kit titled his head in confusion, "He can''t have done much harm. It''s Olly".

    Iah shrugged, "The only thing he''s said since he brought you back was that you''d wake up soon. We don''t even know��what happened to you?"

    Kit sighed, finishing his third glass of water before he spoke, "We were attacked by the Inktress on our way back".

    Iah''s eyes widened, "What?"

    Kit shook his head, "I''m fine, just exhausted. You know how I get if I''m in the sunlight during the middle of the day".

    Iah did. When she and Sharli had first met Kit they''d encouraged him to play outside with the others, but every time he did he''d come back looking at least twice as drained as everyone else, sometimes he''d even look sick. Eventually, he explained that being a Shadow Magician meant that when there were few shadows around him, he wouldn''t be as active or as powerful. It had the opposite effect in fact. And that was just when he didn''t use his abilities. Iah didn''t have any abilities herself, but she imagined that being forced to use his abilities at the height of the day wouldn''t have been easy.

    "I''ll go and get you some food," said Iah as she stood, "We should contact Falla about this. If the Inktress is attacking you-"

    "Then she probably knows at the least that I''m close with Mr-with Rassa, and at worst, that I can make the charms," said Kit.

    Iah nodded.

 Chapter 196 The Madame

    The Madame, as it turned out, was quite the powerful individual on Herguard. It didn''t take long amongst her subordinates to work that out. The gossipy young slave girls primed and pruned and poked at Ebony until she was sure her skin was raw and they''d ripped half the hair from her body. When they were finally done, an old woman, whom from her behaviours Ebony assumed was their physician, assessed the damage to her leg. She barely spoke, only asking Ebony when the injury had occurred. After that was over and done with, she wrapped the leg in a new splint and encouraged Ebony to eat foods good for her bones. Ebony assumed the slave girls around her were taking note of that seeing as Ebony doubted she had a say in what she ate.

    Following this, Ebony was taken to a sitting room in a building above ground. It seemed to be an estate house of sorts, and it was tastefully decorated. Even to the point where Ebony questioned whether she was still on Herguard. Surely they wouldn''t have the taste or the means to design such an expensive and high class home?

    It took Ebony moments to work out that she was very wrong on that point.

    The Madame was perhaps a middle-aged woman, but she wore her age better than most. She gave the air of an elegant and refined noble woman, and made sure everything she wore, ate and drank was a symbol of her class. Her mere presence demanded respect in a way even Ebony had never encountered before.

    "Sit".

    It was a command, not a request. Ebony hobbled over thanks to the crutch the physician had given her to help her walk. She took her seat as gracefully and respectfully as possible in her condition, then she patiently waited to be spoken to.

    It was a long moment of silence before the Madame spoke again.

    "You''ve been a slave before," she said, "Were you stolen from your masters or freed?"

    Ebony realised then that the manner in which she''d sat, in which she avoided eye contact and kept her head lowered, in was the same manner she''d been taught to adopt as a slave when interacting with superiors. She''d adopted the manner unconsciously now. She hadn''t had to adopt it for over four months, and a tinge of disgust at how easily she''d slipped back into it fluttered in her chest.

    "Neither, Madame," Ebony spoke softly.

    "Oh?" asked the Madame. It was permission to elaborate more than genuine interest.

    "My Masters were slaughtered, the man responsible allowed me and a few others to go free," said Ebony.

    "Who did you serve before?" asked the Madame.

    "My most recent Master was an overseer of the Jerrica Prison Mines," said Ebony.

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    "Eldovia?" asked the Madame, "You didn''t look or sound like you were from the South I suppose".

    There was silence before she spoke again.

    "Your name?"

    "Ebony".

    "Well, Ebony, I have been informed that your��friend, though I can only assume lover from what I hear, has brokered a deal with the Slave Master. A foolish thing to do but lovers are fools so we can expect nothing less," said the Madame, "You will heal your leg, and as you heal you will learn what I teach. Given your previous experience I would assume it will not take you long to pick it up. You will not be touched, at least for the time being. However, should the Slave Master grow bored of the deal with your lower, or he fails to keep his end of the bargain, you can guarantee that you will have a regular place in one of my brothels. You have a pretty face, and should you grow out your hair a little more I have no doubt you''ll fetch quite a price".

    Ebony knew it. She had not been innocent to unwanted sexual advances, but after having been freed she assumed she''d be spared of such things. The only thing working against such advances was the splint on her leg and the crutch under her arm. Some however, would probably consider such things a part of their advantage.

    "Is this understood?" asked the Madame, "I''m sure you can guess what is expected of you. You do not appear as stupid as your fool of a lover".

    "It is understood, Madame," Ebony replied.

    "Good".

    That was the last word that Ebony heard from the Madame before she was taken below ground once more. Her one reprieve the fact that she would not have to service anyone for the time being.

    ***

    It was not until three days later that Ebony saw Aegin again. And, if the guards and gossipy slave girls she''d been around were to be believed, it was only because he''d threatened to kill the Slave Master''s prized gladiators should he not be able to see her state.

    Ebony had seen Aegin fight before. Of course she had. But never had she seen him quite so��unhinged.

    He looked to be like one of those Barbarians she''d heard about on the western continent. He''d been given new clothes, bland and minimalist as they were. Brown cotton pants and a top. His hair had been shaved at the sides again, and though it had been washed, his brown hair was still plaited from the crown of his head and down his back.

    It had only been three days, so he had yet to gain back the weight he''d lost while stuck in the brig at sea, but he never let any weakness show on his face. Not until he saw her.

    She was brought to sit at a table opposite him, both of them chained and held away from each other.

    "Are you okay?" he asked.

    Ebony''s eyes skimmed over him, and caught glimpses of the bandages beneath his shirt.

    "Are you hurt?"

    He sighed, "I''ll be fine".

    He''d clearly taken her answer that she was okay.

    "Are they treating you well?"

    "We''re slaves, Aegin," Ebony replied, "They''re treating us as such".

    Aegin sighed, "It won''t be for long. We''ll find a way. Rassa will come".

    "Rassa?" asked Ebony, surprised, "Rassa was drowned and then he disappeared. The only thing that tells us he''s alive is the tracking charm, and that line fades and flickers more by the day".

    "He''ll come, Ebony," said Aegin, "He promised. He promised he wouldn''t leave us behind".

    Ebony sighed and turned away, then, after a moment, turned back, "Fine. But I hope you don''t set yourself on waiting for him. If he was awake, surely he would have gotten to us by now. If not��well, you know better than I what it takes to wake him back up, and if he''s at the bottom of the ocean, it''ll be a long time before that comes to him".

    Aegin sighed, then nodded in agreement, "We stick together. Yes?"

    Ebony nodded, "Agreed. Just��try not to get killed".

    Aegin gave a half-smile back, "I may have never spoken of my past, Ebony, but I think we both know a little of what the other has lived through. I''ll survive".

    There was no promise, but Ebony somehow knew he didn''t need it. He would survive this. The question was whether or not they could do it together.

 Chapter 197 The Unwelcome Gues

    Falla was exhausted. She may have found a Charm Craftsman, a weight lifted from her shoulders far earlier than she''d predicted, but the job of transporting the Evanine from the Mines in Eldovia to the Ruin in Port Leis was turning out to be far harder. Those few Captains under her employ were used to transporting fabrics, so their cargo holds were not as weighed down and they were capable of travelling faster. With the crystals their journey would be slower, and that was if they managed to keep their cargo a secret. Hauling crates upon crates of Evanine from the mainland to Rouke Island was just one part of the problem though.

    The job that had become considerably more difficult, was how to transport the crystals via land. There were too many bandits, and other unsavoury characters that would take interest in her cargo. While it had been brought up in negotiations that Falla didn''t have the resources to protect her mine once its location was found, she also had not made much progress in finding trustworthy people to guard the mine, let alone the transports.

    Mercenaries could be bought, so they were out of the question. She did not have the resources to buy loyalty. Even if in the long run the Charms would generate massive profits for her, she still had to wait some time before she would see those profits, especially if she spent so much money on hiring guards.

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    It had been suggested to her that she could train her own guards. While that was a lovely idea in theory, training them took time. And that was if she had someone to train them. Which she did not.

    Falla was running into too many dead ends, and the ever fading line attached to Rassa only served to remind her how alone she was in this. Sharli and Iah may have been doing well in their studies, and Kit may have been doing great in his work on the charms, but there was no one amongst them that was sufficiently knowledgeable and strong enough to cope with the work she needed to be done. The truth was that she needed to go back to Eldovia. Back to her mine so that she could run things from there. But doing so would leave the Ruin and its inhabitants exposed.

    What she wouldn''t give for a solution to all her problems.

    Layn, ever the dedicated assistant, knocked and entered her office. His expression alluding to the fact that more bad news had just arrived.

    "Just tell me, Layn," Falla submitted to the inevitable.

    "You have a guest, Miss," Layn stated, "��Mr Alamone is requesting a meeting".

    "Requesting?"

    "Demanding," Layn corrected.

    Falla sighed, placing her head on her desk for a moment. Gathering herself, Falla sat back up and moved several papers off of her desk and into draws before she nodded to Layn, "Bring some tea".

    She detested the man, but as a businesswoman she would never deny her guests refreshments, even if they were unwelcome.

    Ishta Alamone stepped inside seconds after Layn exited. He commanded attention with his arrogant stride and elaborate, on the edge of gaudy, adornments.

    "Ishta, what brings the head of Golden Sands Trading Company to my humble business?" asked Falla, the warmest smile she could muster adorning her face despite the circumstances.

    "Miss Startree, I would be willing to admit that you and your associates have caused me far more trouble in the past few weeks than I had bargained on," Ishta sighed as he sat down on the opposite side of her desk as if he owned the office instead of her. She tried her very hardest not to let him intimidate her, "It has grown tiresome".

    "Oh?'' asked Falla, "Mr Alamone, my little fabrics business has little impact on your own trades. Why, as a Golden Token company, you have far more renown than I ever would. What trouble is it that you speak of?"

    Ishta lost all pretences as he leaned forward, "As I said, Miss Startree, this game has grown tiresome. You know exactly what I am after, I am asking you the price for handing it over".

    "I have no authority to negotiate with you. The Business Deal I made is between my own Apple Star Trading and Moonshadow Trading," Falla stated, "Your business is not apart of this deal, and without the other representative, there is no room for discussions".

    "Rassa Moonshadow is dead," Ishta proclaimed.

    "On the contrary," Falla replied, "He is very much alive".

    Layn entered with the tea and a silence befell the two as Falla poured Ishta a cup and then herself, Layn leaving the room once more.

    "Perhaps if your subordinate had been less hasty in her decisions we''d be having a different conversation, but alas, I will not offer you something that was not meant to be yours, Ishta," Falla stated, sitting once more and taking a sip from her tea, "You can desire the world. Anyone can. Desiring it is easy. If you think the world will become yours just as easily you''re not fit to have it".

    Ishta gritted his teeth, "Do not lecture me, woman. I built my company up from the bottom and in just twenty years have made it the most successful trading company in the world. It I desire the secrets to the Charms, I will have them. One way or another".

    "Then perhaps you should have been kinder," stated Falla, "If Rassa ever does return I doubt he will be willing to deal with you. In the brief times we spent together I had the impression that you were not high on his list of friends".

    "Businessmen don''t need friends, they need associates," Ishta bit back, "Rare is the occasion when we actually like each other. Everyone wants a piece of the pie but there is only so much to go around".

    "Pity you tried to bite off more than you could chew," Falla stated.

    Ishta stood, "I can see I will get no where with you. I thought it prudent to at least ask, my kindness to you as a fellow businessman. Do not think I will be so kind in future".

    Ishta then turned and exited the office.

    Falla breathed out a sigh as the door closed behind him. She took another sip of her tea, only to have the door open once more.

    A worried Sharli stood in the doorway, looking at Falla then behind her to where Ishta had no doubt disappeared.

    "Sharli?" asked Falla, surprised to see her, "What''s wrong?"

    Sharli stepped inside and closed the door behind her, "Kit and Olly were attacked on the way back yesterday. Kit believes it was the Inktress...he thinks they know now".

    Falla gritted her teeth. No wonder Ishta had come to her. Another problem had now presented itself. The Ruin was no longer safe.

 Chapter 198 The Crux of the Problem

    Sharli rubbed the coin stamped with gold bars and a palm tree inside her pocket. When Ishta Alamone himself had handed it to her upon noticing her outside Falla''s office, she''d been terrified. She''d resolved herself to throw it away just as soon as he and his unconcerned smirk were out of sight. But then his words had hit her.

    "When you realise how futile it is that Falla Startree fights the inevitable alone, I would truly enjoy the presence of your company".

    Sharli had hesitated. She hadn''t agreed with Falla doing nothing about Rassa''s clearly volatile situation initially. She agreed even less with her persistence in the matter. And now, thanks to that persistence, someone she cared for had been hurt, and it was only a matter of time before others met with the same ending.

    They needed Rassa. They needed his power and authority. Sharli admitted she knew little of it, but what she did know was that Ishta would not be so confident had Rassa been present. Falla''s reaction to the attack on Kit and Olly instilled even less confidence than Sharli''s dwindling resolve could take.

    She hadn''t thrown away the coin.

    "Sharli?"

    Falla''s questioning tone brought Sharli out of her thoughts, her fingers stilling as they wrapped around the coin inside of her pocket.

    Sharli raised an eyebrow in question as she looked to Falla, "Hmm?"

    "I asked if Kit and Olly were okay," Falla said.

    They were travelling inside Falla''s carriage on the way to Port Leis. Falla had determined that was safer than asking the others to leave the Ruin.

    "Olly is fine, Kit...he was unconscious from exhaustion most of yesterday, but he seemed to be much better this morning," Sharli stated.

    Falla sighed deeply, "If I''d known that Ishta would send that witch of a woman after anyone at the Ruin I would have been far more careful".

    Sharli frowned, "You knew about the Inktress?"

    Falla nodded, "She is quite renowned. How do you think Ishta has managed to build up his empire so quickly? He''s had her doing all his dirty work, and some beyond that for over a decade. No one dares to contend with her considering that very few Magicians who can exist outside of the Guilds".

    "Forgive me, I know little of Guild politics, but why don''t they interfere?"

    "Guilds do not align with any one entity. They may be partial to some over others, but in general they exist to protect and serve the people. Seeing as there has been no war for quite some time, they tend to find that ''protect and serve'' these days falls more into the lines of academics," said Falla, "They consider business skirmishes the whims of children. Beneath their worth to deal with".

    Sharli frowned in disappointment, "Even that Magician that visited you? The woman? You seemed like friends".

    Falla gave a faint smile, "We were, some time ago. Perhaps we still are. But the situation we are in involves Moonshadow trading, and if the Magicians were to get their hands on Kit, or Olly for that matter, they would have the ability to create the Charms. It surely wouldn''t take a bunch of academics long to figure it out once they knew the key".

    "So you''re avoiding asking them for help in this situation to protect your business secrets?" asked Sharli, an undertone of disgust to her words.

    Falla''s eyes turned to her, her gaze hardening, "I understand that you are not comfortable with the current situation, Sharli, but you need to look at the bigger picture. Regardless of whether Rassa comes back or not, we are capable of manufacturing the Charms. It may seem low and unnecessary for me to prioritise them, but exactly how do you think we will finance searches for Rassa? Or even live without the profits generated by the selling of those Charms".

    "That could take years," Sharli pointed out.

    "Which is why we''re meeting together, we need to come up with a better plan than the one we have. We are too exposed here, all of us. And I haven''t the resources to fix that," said Falla.

    "Rassa trusted you would," Sharli stated.

    Falla sighed, "If I had more time, sure, Sharli, I''d be able to. But I don''t have time, none of us do now that Ishta is making an effort to knock on our doors himself".

    "It''s the Inktress you should be worried about," Sharli grumbled.

    "Oh no," Falla said, "After all, if the Inktress was so powerful, why then would she bow to Ishta?"

    Sharli frowned, "Are you saying that Ishta is a Magician?"

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    Falla shook her head, "There are scarier things in this world than Magicians, Sharli. At least if you''re facing a Magician, you can often see what they''re doing. Now, Businessmen? They like working where you can''t see them, and it becomes an art in itself just to navigate whatever they''ve placed in the waters to make it treacherous. Ishta is a Master at making things treacherous for others. Only a Master at navigating would be able to out do him, and while I''ve done my best, I don''t have the equipment needed to deal with some of his traps".

    "Your metaphors are getting exhausting," Sharli sighed.

    "It is exhausting, isn''t it?" Falla stated absentmindedly, "I''ve been dealing in illusions and metaphors for years, but Ishta is not someone I ever desired to come up against. He will win against me unless I keep my cards hidden. That is proving to be an awfully hard thing to do".

    Sharli huffed and turned away. She was sick of arguing with the woman opposite her. In Sharli''s eyes, the solution to their problem lay in finding Rassa. Sure, they needed to tools to find him, but if it would take years to gather those tools then what was the point? Would he even still be alive by that point? He was unlikely to still be in the same place. Even if they found him, with so many years left abandoned and half-dead, would he even want to come back to them?

    Sharli turned to look out the window, her thoughts desperate for a plan that would salvage the family and hope she''d had just a few months before. Her fingers began moving over the coin in her pocket once more.

 Chapter 199 The Proposal

    Kit hadn''t thought anything of it when he walked into the kitchen and sat down beside Olly. Iah, Sharli, Falla and Layn all stood around the table, but Olly had situated himself at the far end of the room, drawing his runes in the corner. Now that Kit had found himself beside his fellow Charm Craftsman however, he realised that Olly had likely not felt very comfortable at the table.

    Between Falla and Sharli''s blatant disregard of each other, and Layn''s resolve to stand behind his boss and Iah''s attempts to soften the atmosphere, Kit much preferred sitting next to Olly, no matter his quirks.

    "Kit," Falla spoke as she spotted him beside Olly, "I heard what happened, I trust you''re okay?"

    Kit nodded, "Fine, a good meal and sleeping for nearly a whole day and I feel somewhat normal again. Still a little tired but I''ll be fine by tonight".

    Falla nodded, "I''m sorry that there wasn''t anyone protecting you".

    Kit shook his head, "It''s not something that we should expect from you, Miss Falla. We know you''re busy trying to secure the Evanine".

    Olly''s drawing paused slightly at the word to do with his Charms, but he quickly went back to drawing as soon as Sharli opened her mouth.

    "Kit, do not make excuses for her. when she signed that agreement she agreed to protect us in Rassa''s absence, she''s not held up her end of the deal," Sharli declared.

    "Sharli, I really don''t think-"

    Iah''s attempt to placate Sharli was hurriedly silenced by Sharli''s warning glare.

    Falla sighed, "As I mentioned to you before, Sharli, the contract dictated that I had six months to live up to my end of the bargain. That contract was also made when Ishta Alamone wasn''t looming over us like a death god ready to slit our throats and steal our profits. It has only been a little more than a month since we all witnessed and signed that Contract, seeing as we were all present, I believe it is prudent that we all have a say in how we proceed-"

    "The Ruin is under threat, I would think the next course of action is obvious," said Sharli.

    "I don''t have the resources to hire mercenaries that can be bought off anyway, or train a private army which will take more time that you don''t seem so intent on giving me," Falla replied.

    "Well, you''re the businesswoman, we''re all supposed to be in training still, so-"

    "This is not a problem of business," Kit cut in, "And Rassa would have wanted us to work together, as a family, not against one another. If we keep fighting like this then nothing will be done, and the family we have made together will fall apart. Isn''t that right, Sharli?"

    Sharli hesitated, then sat back, silent. Falla sighed.

    "Thank you, Kit. You make a good point, the problem we are facing now is not one of business, it is one of security. We don''t have the resources to protect the Ruin, at least not as it is. Even is we sell the charms in the vault we won''t have the money to continue on as we are and gain the security we need," Falla stated, "So, the only solution that I could see was to move".

    "To where?" asked Iah.

    "My headquarters in Port Cresh is a little small, but I think we can fit everyone," stated Falla, "Ishta wouldn''t dare attack another business openly, and with all of us together we''ll be better able to defend ourselves".

    "And is this plan long-term?" asked Sharli, "What about the vault? Is anyone staying behind to protect that or are we risking somebody seeing us move it?"

    "Well we can move it in stages," said Falla, "As for whether or not it is long-term, I believe it will need to be the case at least until I can secure the Evanine supply line. Without that we don''t have a steady source of income, and can''t even dream of what we can use to defend ourselves".

    "The Mine," Olly said softly as he paused.

    Kit turned to look at him as the others discussed the relocation before them.

    "The Evanine Mine?" asked Kit.

    Olly didn''t acknowledge Kit as he spoke again, "The Inktress is after us. Not them".

    Kit frowned a moment, then seemed to connect the dots of what Olly was implying. He turned back towards the table.

    "We don''t all need to move," Kit said.

    His proclamation surprised those at the table, then his eyes fell on Falla, "He is only after Olly and I because we can make the Charms. I''d bet he''s not even aware that you have the Mine. He''s not after our entire business, he''d probably rather destroy it so he can build his own on top of it. But he still needs to method. With Rassa gone...only Olly and I know it".

    Falla thought for a moment, then nodded, "That does sound as if it will fit into what we know, but even if we only move you and Olly to the headquarters, the Ruin will still be under threat".

    "I''m not talking about moving Olly and me to the headquarters, I''m talking about treating us as if we don''t exist as well," Kit stated, "He knows nothing about the mines. You might not be able to get anything out of there without being noticed at the moment, but surely you can get the both of us in?"

    Falla frowned, "The Inktress will still-"

    "She won''t be a problem," Olly stated, "She is being punished for failing to capture us".

    "If we move now, and the rest of you continue to act as if nothing has changed, it will be at least a month before Ishta realises we''re even gone, and by then we''ll be out of reach," Kit finished for him.

    Falla, Layn, Sharli and Iah all looked between each other before they turned back to Olly.

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    "You''re sure that she''s out of the picture? Because if you''re not and she senses you-"

    "I''m sure," Olly replied, "I don''t speak if I''m not. Lies are wasteful".

    They turned to Kit who shrugged, "You''ll be able to work better should the ones who are under direct threat be out of the picture, right?"

    A slow smile dawned on Falla''s face as she turned to look at Sharli, "Yes, if I can keep my cards hidden I trust I can find a path out of our current predicament".

 Chapter 200 The Beast of the Arena

    Aegin bit back a grunt as the burly beast of a man slammed him onto the floor. That had hurt, more than he''d care to admit.

    The first two days inside the prison cells beneath the warrior''s arena had been spent eating actual meals and trying to regain some semblance of humanity. Nearly a month inside a cramped brig had been hell on his body, but it wasn''t something he was completely unaccustomed to. As a part of the Ridge Men, part of his training, punishments as well, had been similar treatment followed by harsh training. His body remembered the rebound, a part of the reason why he''d been able to threaten the Slave Master originally.

    Still, he''d felt tired too quickly after that brief fight. He welcomed the food that meant more energy for his tired muscles.

    After those initial two days, the meals had continued, but the sparring with the other warriors, the more experienced ones, had begun. Aegin had some semblance of respect for them, mostly because it hadn''t taken them long to figure out that he was putting too much strain on his body for what it had been through. After they started ganging up on him in groups of three, he took several beatings.

    Of course, that didn''t mean he didn''t take the opportunity when presented to give as good as he''d taken. They''d seemed to respect that about him, rather than treating him as a live punching bag, they started treating him like he may actually last a little longer. Though, it was only when the treatment changed that Aegin realised that none of them had expected Aegin to come out of his Challenge fight in the Arena alive.

    The Beast of a man who had pinned him was literally known as ''Beast''. He''d been at the arena for over a decade, and was one of the most accomplished warriors there. He barely spoke to anyone but the eight or so others that were as accomplished as him. Most of the hundred or so warriors in the cells assumed it was because he believed the majority below him, but Aegin had watched him interacting with the ones higher up. He did not disregard those junior to him because he had some sort of superiority complex, it was because he feared what relationships he would form with them. It was pretty much a guarantee that those of lesser skill sets were more likely to die. By forming relationships only with those more likely to live, he was saving himself from a whole lot of emotional and mental pain.

    Today, on his sixth morning in the cells and the day before his fight, Aegin had approached him. Aegin hadn''t only watched the man inside the common rooms and cells, he''d watched him in the sparring ring as well.

    "I want a challenge, and I was hoping you''d be willing to meet it," Aegin had said. Not arrogantly, it was his show of respect for the other man. Beast had looked up at Aegin, along with the other eight warriors he usually interacted with, then he''d given a half smile.

    "For a last request kid, I gotta say that''s a first".

    Aegin can''t have been more than six years younger than Beast, yet he was a ''kid''? Aegin brushed off the jab and agreed to meet on the sparring mat.

    This was his fourth round, and every time he''d ended up on the mat. All it took was for Beast to get some form of hold on him, the man was just too damn strong.

    Aegin tapped him and the Beast released him. Aegin sat up, giving a deep sigh. The other eight chuckled from the sidelines, having found amusement in watching the spar.

    "Don''t look so forlorn," one of them said, "Every one of us gets beat up by Beast at least once a month".

    In the Arena no doubt. Despite this being a sparring room, Beast had made no attempt at causing Aegin actual injury. There was plenty of time for that in the Arena.

    Aegin took in a deep breath and stood, "One more time".

    They paused, looking at Aegin. Beast didn''t hesitate though as he stepped forward once more. He was a mountain of a man, at least seven feet tall and enough muscle to crush Aegin pretty easily. His stability was incredible. Aegin had already tried twice to knock him off his feet and been unsuccessful. His first attempt he''d gone all in, that hadn''t worked either. In his final attempt, Aegin had attempted to climb the man to get an arm around his neck, but that had just given Beast the opportunity to get his arms around Aegin. It had been one of the quicker rounds.

    This time, Aegin didn''t spring forward like he had previously. Beast didn''t move either. There were a few tense seconds where they sized each other up, then Beast shrugged and stepped forward.

    "Was nice knowing you, kid," one of the older spectators muttered just loud enough for Aegin to hear.

    Aegin barely resisted the urge to roll his eyes before he side stepped a punch and wove his way around Beast''s body. He took three steps back, creating distance, then looked up to Beast''s surprised look. It only last a few seconds before Beast advanced once more, this time going for two punches, one after the other. Aegin dodged the first, then diverted the second to the side. Beast caught himself just before he fell forward and he looked at Aegin with new eyes.

    "You know the Havoi Style," Beast stated, then frowned, "You don''t look like you grew up in desert plains".

    Aegin shook his head, "I didn''t".

    Beast lowered his guard and stepped back, the fight unofficially ending, "Don''t show that style here. Not unless you''re desperate".

    Aegin frowned, confused. Fighting was fighting, wasn''t it?

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    "The Slave Master doesn''t much like Havoi. Besides, their style of fighting doesn''t make for a very bloody show. That''s the worse kind in the Arena, the crowd will demand refunds," Beast stated.

    One of the others clapped Aegin on the shoulder. Aegin had barely sensed him approaching, "Didn''t think you had it in your repertoire. If we ever have a moment, I''d love to spar against you with it".

    Aegin scratched the back of his head awkwardly, "I''m not that great, honestly. My friend is much better".

    "The girl?" asked one of the others with a raised eyebrow, they''d seen Aegin talking to her the other day at breakfast, not to mention they all knew he was making a deal with the Slave Master for her.

    Aegin shook his head, "No, another friend".

    The group all looked to one another, then the one who''d asked for the spar with Aegin gave a small grin, "Well, I''d like that spar all the same. Name''s Talo".

    "Aegin".

    "Oh, we know. Just about everyone down here knows it. And once you fight tomorrow, guaranteed the rest of Herguard will too," Talo grinned.

 Chapter 201 The Dawn of a Warrior I

    Ebony sucked in a breath as quietly as she could through her slightly parted lips. She''d spent the week in training with the subordinates of Madame, and had excelled at many things more than they did. It became obvious to many of the teachers that Ebony was not new to serving Masters. Still, she never let that defeat her newfound desire for freedom.

    Over the week, she''d only met once with Aegin, but his confidence in being able to protect her, and by extent escaping at some point, had been clear to see. Aegin had not reserved himself to remaining a prisoner here on Herguard, so Ebony saw no reason to believe otherwise, even if she was somewhat skeptical.

    Ebony had been brought up to the stands of the Warrior''s Arena this morning. The Madame had thought it fitting that Ebony watch her fate play out before her. In a place that had a reputation like the Warrior''s Arena, Ebony was anxious to watch. But this was Aegin, and when it came to a fight, the only one Ebony had ever seen him lose against was Rassa.

    Her anxiety over what Aegin would have to face almost completely overwrote the fact that she was currently standing at the Madame''s flank, a slave collar around her neck that was attached to a rope, the other end of which was grasped lazily in the Madame''s hands. The Madame didn''t trust Ebony, nobody could afford to trust anybody around here, but the Madame did trust that Ebony wasn''t stupid enough to try and escape from where she was.

    The Madame was right, but that only made Ebony more annoyed at the fact that she was standing beside such a woman.

    "What do you think Madame?" asked the Slave Master from his seat beside her, "Will the boy survive?"

    The Madame sighed in obvious boredom, "That entirely depends on what you''ve concocted to go up against him. Though it would be a shame to lose such marvelously trained goods".

    The Slave Master glanced at Ebony, aware that the Madame was not in the least concerned about Aegin.

    "You''ve taken a liking to it?"

    "Well, if it wasn''t currently incapacitated I would have put it to work," the Madame replied, "I''d make a fortune with this one".

    "Well, the boy seemed confident I''d make a fortune off of him alone," said the Slave Master, "If he survives the next three days, perhaps we could even make it a competition of who could earn more?"

    The Madame sighed, "I couldn''t think of a more boring way to pass my time".

    The Slave Master chuckled, turning to look back at the Arena floor where one of the four gates was opening.

    Ebony held her breath as she watched Aegin step through it, armed with a spear and a belt with six throwing knives in it. He held no shield, something that the crowd whispered about being strange for a new warrior. He''d surely die without one. Ebony took another breath. No need to be anxious over this, he''d more than proved how deadly he could be without a shield.

    The announcer, a portly man who stood in a box beside the VIP stand, looked to the Slave Master in question. The Slave Master just nodded.

    "Ladies and Gentleman, please welcome our challenger, Warrior Aegin!"

    The crowd gave a polite clap. They hadn''t seen what he could do yet, but not bringing a shield was stupid.

    "Warrior Aegin has Challenged the Slave Master himself in order to protect his one true love," the Announcer said it mockingly, but there was a wave of interest through the crowd. Ebony didn''t know how to feel about everything thinking she and Aegin were together. It had been a good rouse at first, but it hadn''t actually occurred to her that she may need to keep it up.

    "The Slave Master has answered with Three Trials," the Announcer Continued, "Should Warrior Aegin complete them, he shall win the freedom of his love".

    Ebony chocked back a scoff, clearing her throat. ''Freedom'' clearly had a different meaning here. The Slave Master turned to look at her, and Ebony looked back for a moment before she turned to Aegin.

    "The First of the Challenges...The Pentablade".

    The crowd seemed to shake with excitement as the gate opposite Aegin opened. Five warriors, each holding a sword variant of some kind, stepped forward together. Compared to Aegin on the opposing side of the Arena, the Pentablade certainly commanded a far larger aura and respect from the audience. There were cheers throughout the crowd.

    Clearly, the Slave Master was not going to make the trials easy by any means.

    Ebony bit back a protest. It was not her place to question, and chances were pretty much none that she could convince the Slave Master to be more fair. This was the Warrior''s Arena. ''Fair'' was unlikely to ever pass through the gates.

    Ebony''s eyes fell on Aegin, who stood still as he stared across the flat Arena. There was nowhere to run or hide here. Nothing to use to his advantage. The Announcer spoke again.

    "This fight will be to the death. Let the Trial begin".

    The Pentablade moved forward, confident in their strides as they spread out to encompass him. Ebony clasped her dress in her hands as she watched, her anxiety creeping up into her throat.

    He can''t die here. He won''t die here.

    ***

    Aegin watched the advancing swordsman, observing the way they communicated with one another. It was obvious that the guy in the middle that headed straight for Aegin was the leader. He''d seen the five of them before in the sparring room. While they were well known, Beast and the others clearly didn''t like them much. It had told Aegin all he needed to know about these Pentablades. They liked being here. They liked shedding blood for the crowd and their masters.

    To Aegin, that was enough for him not to think about sparing them.

    As they closed in, about five meters away, Aegin finally moved. He whipped out a throwing knife and flicked his wrist towards one of the men at the side before he sprinted forward towards the leader. The leader met the attack, which Aegin used to propel himself up and over the man. A quick glance assured him that his knife had met the target. One down, four to go. The leader gave a cursory glance towards his fallen comrade as well, then turned dangerous eyes onto Aegin.

    "You''ll pay for that".

    Aegin gave a smirk, "I''m more concerned about evening the odds, but thanks for the warning".

    Aegin advanced towards the man once more.

    The man met Aegin''s spear jabs with his sword, his feet moving backwards to compensate for Aegin''s longer reach.

    "Watch for the throwing knives!" the leader ordered as the others began to advance from Aegin''s sides.

    Aegin smirked, then grabbed the end of the spear and spun it around. The first one jumped back, but the third was too busy watching for knives to defend against the spear''s blade. It sliced his neck and he fell to the ground.

    Aegin gave the remaining three no time to contemplate as he took a stronger hold on the spear and advanced once more.

    These last three were clearly stronger, they began to attack together, taking advantage of openings that Aegin left. Two of them were at least smart enough to know to be careful every time an opening was there, the third didn''t realise the pattern until he found that getting within arm''s length of Aegin was just as deadly as getting within spear''s length. He fell when Aegin drew another knife and sliced he throat.

    Without even a breath to pause, Aegin threw the same knife. Though the leader deflected it as he charged forward with a roar. Aegin backed up quickly, keeping him at spear''s length until his back suddenly hit the wall of the Arena.

    Aegin''s eyes widened at the blade moving for him. He ducked down and rolled to the side, abandoning his spear as he drew out two of his remaining dagger and held them firmly in either hand. The Leader lunged for him, and Aegin deflected the blade before slicing at the man''s arm.

    Aegin had to admit. The man had some skills. They all had. But their skills were suited for this Arena. Their warrior blood was bred and cultivated here. Aegin''s was not.

    The leader recoiled, only to be replaced with the other remaining pentablade. Aegin ducked under his guard and stabbed a dagger into the man''s abdomen as he stepped forward towards the leader. The second hissed as Aegin took the blade with him. Then as the Leader prepared to meet Aegin''s attack, Aegin spun and threw a second dagger right into the second''s spine.

    Aegin completed a full spin back around before the man even collapsed, throwing the dagger in his other hand right at the leader. Aegin kept advancing at the leader deflected the blade, then Aegin stepped wide of a slice from the leader''s blade and followed through by flipping back onto his hands and then onto his feet.

    "There," Aegin said, "Now it''s just you and me. Though after seeing the capabilities of the Pentablades, I really think it was more even at the beginning".

    The leader grit his teeth, then picked up the spear Aegin had dropped before throwing it at him as he charged. Aegin stepped to the side of the ferocious spear throw, then, in a move that was clearly unexpected, Aegin caught the end of the spear in one hand and used its momentum to spin it around grasping onto it better with his other hand before he paused and braced.

    The Leader charged right onto the end of the spear, eyes wide with surprise as his jaw loosened and a string of blood leaked from the side of his mouth.

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    Aegin pulled the spear back as he stood, tsking at the fallen warrior before he turned back to face the VIP box where the Slave Master sat.

    Ignoring the crowd, Aegin raised a single finger.

    One down. Two to go.

 Chapter 202 The Smuggler in their Mids

    After sending off the appropriate letters as warning for the oncoming visitors, Falla got to work on how it was she was going to get Kit and Olly off of the Island without Ishta noticing.

    Olly had insisted that the Inktress was taken care of. That she was nothing to worry about. But that didn''t mean that the Ruin wasn''t being watched by Ishta''s other followers. The contents of that building, both alive and not, were too important for him not to be watching.

    Hence, it became important to discover how best to escort Kit and Olly from the Ruin.

    Her conclusion? Well it had only taken her a day to work out that simply disguising them wouldn''t be enough. What if the ones Ishta had sent were Magicians as well? They''d sense Kit easily thanks to his connection with the Mist.

    Hence, the day following their decision to send Olly and Kit over to Eldovia, Falla once again returned to the Ruin, this time to talk with Kit and Olly on how to get them off the Island.

    "You could smuggle us off," Olly said simply.

    Falla had been surprised for a moment before she realised that it was actually a pretty good idea. Kit agreed.

    "We''ll have to find a smuggler though, one that we can trust," said Kit, "And a skilled one. Not to mention though, we still have to find a way to conceal me".

    "And me," Olly said, appearing almost horrified at the prospect of being left behind.

    Kit nodded, "Yes, and you".

    Falla sighed, "There aren''t many smugglers on Rouke. Most of them deal on Danfore, and very few come here considering the amount of security. No one wants to be caught doing illegal trade on the Island that is known for the legal kind".

    "The Evanine," said Olly, looking towards the vault.

    Kit raised an eyebrow, "What about it?"

    "Move the Evanine," Olly stated.

    Kit sighed, "Not that I don''t agree it needs to be moved, but I personally value us more than that".

    "Yes, we''ll move the Evanine in the vault of course, but the priority should be you now-"

    Olly spun to them, a frustrated look on his face.

    "Move the Evanine," Olly said, "Smuggle us".

    Falla began to protest when Kit''s face lit up, "Genius!"

    Falla turned to Kit, "Sorry?"

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    Kit turned to look at Falla, "He means that if you hide us in create of Evanine, no one will realise we''re being moved. My connection with the mist will be concealed by the Evanine around me".

    Falla tilted her head in thought, "It''s a good idea, but Ishta will certainly be interested to see me moving Evanine out of the Ruin".

    Kit''s face dropped slightly, then Olly sighed as he leaned forward, putting a piece of blank paper on the table between them and drawing 3 ''X''s with the charcoal in his hands. He pointed to each in turn.

    "Port Leis, Port Cresh, Eldovia," Olly said. He then drew a box with two stick figures inside it surrounded by other boxes above the Port Leis X, "Gather all the Evanine and Charms in the Vault. Move them and us to Apple Star in Port Cresh".

    He drew the boxes again in Port Cresh, only this time he drew the two stick figures outside of the boxes.

    "Kit and I wait until nightfall, then move into crates with Apple Star goods to go to Eldovia," said Olly.

    "By that stage, Ishta will be too focused on the Charms and Evanine to watch for ordinary goods going in and out of Apple Star," Falla caught on.

    "Won''t that put your headquarters in danger though?" asked Kit.

    Falla sighed, leaning back, "Yes, but it''s better than putting the Ruin at risk. Besides, Apple Star headquarters in Port Cresh is in a much more public position than the Ruin is here in Port Leis".

    Her eyes flicked over the Olly who had sat back with his charcoal and paper, "How did you think of that?"

    Olly shrugged, "Master Rega liked it when I smuggled goods cleanly".

    Falla''s eyes widened, "Master...Rega?"

    Olly nodded.

    "You worked for Master Rega?" asked Kit in surprise.

    Olly looked down at his paper, his ears blushing pink in embarrassment, "I was hungry. He told me I could eat if I did a good job. When I did a good job he let me eat more".

    Kit and Falla looked at each other, then back at Olly.

    "Olly, excuse me for asking, but how are you alive if you''re not with Master Rega anymore?" asked Falla.

    Master Rega was a notorious Black Market tradesman on Danfore. He was, without a doubt, a cruel man. He would do what he saw fit to those who disobeyed him. For Olly to be here. It couldn''t be possible that he''d let Olly go, right?

    Olly brought out a protection charm from his pocket, "I brought a charm from a nice lady with short blonde hair. A bargain really, for fifteen gold".

    Falla''s eyes widened in recognition, "You''re the one that brought the charm from Ebony when you were being chased by thugs. The first one to buy a charm".

    Olly nodded.

    Falla tilted her head in thought, "But how did you know it would work".

    Olly grinned, looking quite impressed with himself, "The Mist told me".

    "The Mist?"

    Olly nodded.

    "How?"

    Olly frowned, "You can''t even see the Mist".

    "I can," Kit said and Olly turned to look at him, "How did the Mist tell you?"

    Olly looked a little wary, but after a moment he smiled like a child telling their parent about a fun game.

    "Well, I got tired of Master Rega telling me what to do, so the Mist told me that if I sold Master Rega''s weapons in the next shipment and took the money, I''d find a nice lady in Port Cresh that was selling Protective Charms. The Charms would save me. They would protect me from Master Rega and his angry thugs," said Olly, "Then I hid until the Mist told me to go to you to learn more about the Runes like what was on the charm".

    Kit and Falla were silent for a moment in wonder. Nobody really ever took Olly seriously because of all his crazy talk. But for that moment, when every facet of his story seemed to click into place around the bigger picture, Kit and Falla couldn''t help but wonder.

    Just who was Olly?

 Chapter 203 The Dawn of a Warrior II

    "He was lucky," the Slave Master had grunted as he''d watched his prized Pentablades fall one after another, "He will not continue to be so".

    He''d given Ebony quite the glare as he''d stood and left. He had also, however, earned quite the profits from lost bets thanks to Aegin''s surprise win. Ebony wasn''t going to be in any form of denial however. Aegin had won, but it had nothing to do with luck. Even as far back as she''d been standing, she''d seen the change in his eyes. The Decision to turn the Pentablades from opponents into prey. She was not the only one between them fighting past demons, but the complete and utter cold acceptance of death in Aegin''s eyes had been a stark contrast to the joking, teasing young man who''d always kept her company. It had even scared her a little.

    The Madame had stood also, then dragged Ebony with her down into the Warrior cells below. They''d stopped before a cell, then she''d had one of her subordinates untie the rope at Ebony''s neck as another opened the cell door.

    "You get an hour. Don''t waste it," the Madame had spoken.

    Ah, clearly the Slave Master''s way of letting Aegin know that Ebony was still okay. And of course, an opportunity for more carnal desires. Would Ebony have to be convincing in that sense? She wasn''t sure she could. Let alone whether or not Aegin could. Was this a ruse she really wanted to continue with? Thank goodness the only part of the cell that was see through was the window at the door. It was also the only source of light, so Ebony strained to see through the darkness.

    "Ebony?" Aegin had asked, his voice still distant, but with a trace of surprise. He clearly hadn''t expected to see her, so it hadn''t been something he''d asked for.

    "Yeah," Ebony replied, then she hesitated before she asked, "You okay?"

    Aegin''s silhouette, which she could vaguely make out was sitting on a cot on the side of the room, shrugged, "A little tired but fine otherwise".

    Ebony couldn''t help the silent wariness in her body language. After a moment, Aegin spoke.

    "It''s okay, Ebony. Really. Death, taking lives, it''s not exactly anything new for me. It''s what I trained to do my whole life".

    Ebony hesitated before she moved over to the cot and sat beside him, resting her crutch on the side, "Like I was a slave?"

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    "I was one too. In a sense," Aegin nodded, "My mandate was to take orders from my Masters just like you. Only my orders meant spying on the enemies and the allies of my Masters both, and when it came to it, taking out both threats and competition in a variety of ways. It was not always by killing them, but that was quite common".

    Ebony only nodded, "I thought so. Thank you for telling me though...are you going to be okay out there? I know there must have been a reason you left that part of yourself behind".

    Aegin nodded, "There was. But Rassa''s not here to spill blood in my stead, and I''m not sure he ever really liked that part of himself anyway. At least one of us has to stand between life and death or we''ll never live the way we want. If that has to be me for a while, so be it".

    Ebony sighed, turning away. She accepted that Aegin was right, but that didn''t mean that she had to like it, "The Slave Master will never make it easy for you".

    Aegin nodded, "I wouldn''t expect him to. If I expect to last longer than this trial. I have to do more than win. I have to put on a good show".

    "It sounds so terrible, to make theatrics out of killing," Ebony admitted softly.

    Aegin turned to her, then away again, "I don''t want this Ebony. You know that, right?"

    Ebony turned to look at Aegin, "Of course I know that".

    Aegin sighed, "Good. Because I''d rather have you look at me as the friends we''ve come to be".

    Ebony took Aegin''s hand in her own, "If I ever begin to look at you differently, tell me. Or, if it comes to it, I''ll tell you my concerns first".

    "And I you," Aegin replied.

    "It''s not so hard for me," Ebony admitted.

    "Perhaps not, but that doesn''t mean it won''t become that way," Aegin said, "We get through this together. Agreed?"

    "Agreed," Ebony responded.

    In the silence between them as they held hands in the silence, Ebony whispered, "They gave me an hour in here, I think they believe we''re...you know...".

    "Together?" asked Aegin, "Well, they can believe what they want. It''s no longer our place to make them believe otherwise. And frankly it may be dangerous to make them believe otherwise".

    "So what should we do?" asked Ebony.

    "Continue as we are," Aegin replied, "If they ever question why we''re not being intimate. Just tell them that you''d rather not have a child here".

    Ebony paused for a moment, then nodded. They lapsed into silence once more before Ebony whispered her confession, "I can''t have children".

    Aegin turned to look at her in surprise, realising that he may have been too insensitive with his last comment, "Shit, Ebony, sorry...I-"

    "It''s okay," Ebony assured him, "It wasn''t until I tasted freedom that I even entertained thoughts of having children...they were more like dreams. My Masters made it so long ago that I would never have any".

    Aegin hesitated before he spoke, "I would have thought the Masters would have liked the idea of...breeding their next generation of servants".

    Ebony scoffed, "Some did. But prior to being sold to Jerrica I was intended to be sold to a Brothel when I came of age. Brothels, particularly higher class ones, look down on workers who suddenly can''t work because they''re with child".

    Aegin could understand the logic, he''d been in plenty of such brothels. But he hadn''t ever thought about what it was like for those women.

    "Well," Aegin said, "It''s probably not any consolation to you, but I think you would have made a great mother".

    Ebony chocked on a laugh, "Thanks, Aegin. You cold bastard".

    Aegin chuckled softly in reply.

 Chapter 204 The Dawn of a Warrior III

    Aegin took a deep breath in, then released it out. He was standing in the Weapons Vault just below the Arena Gate. The Warriors that were fighting would be placed in there with the weapons that would be available for them to pick for the fight. There were all manner of weapons. Enough that Aegin would never be hurt for choice. But the down side was that he knew nothing of the terrain of the Arena. Most of the time the Arena was flat, just a course sand covered earth. But occasionally there would be obstacles put in. If there were obstacles, Aegin was more inclined to pick the bow and arrows. He much preferred it when there was something to stand on top of or behind. But for normal confrontations, Aegin was partial to the spear and throwing knives he''d used for his first trial. He preferred the longer reach and more dynamic use of a spear. Swords were okay too, but he had other weapons he preferred to use.

    He''d stood in the weapons vault, contemplating what challenge the Slave Master would give him for this trial. In the end, Aegin had bit the bullet and gone back to his spear and knives. As he was making his way towards the gate, one of the guards stopped him, then tied a long red scarf to his belt.

    "What''s this for?" asked Aegin.

    The Guard had just smirked as he''d walked off. Aegin hadn''t liked that smirk. He very much doubted that some noble lady had offered him a token of her affection. Any noble lady wouldn''t be caught dead on Herguard. Such a token would certainly never be so large, the scarf fell to his calf and swayed as he walked.

    The gate opened up before him, his welcome into the Arena this time much more pronounced than yesterday when everyone had been unsure about him. It wasn''t quite the welcome the Pentablade had received, but then, they''d probably had time to build a reputation. Despite Aegin defeating them, the crowd likely didn''t think that one fight was enough for Aegin to really prove himself. They were probably quite happy that Aegin had 3 trials.

    Aegin stood to the side of the Arena, about ten metres from the gate he''d stepped through. He watched the other gates, waiting for his opponents to come out. The Announcer threw energy at the crowd and they responded in kind. Aegin tuned it all out, focusing only on the task ahead.

    After a moment, the earth beneath his feet rumbled like an earthquake.

    Aegin''s head titled to the side ever so slightly as he squatted down lower to place his hand on the earth. His eyes scanned over the base of the arena, and suddenly, two rectangular cages rose from the Arena floor at equal distances from Aegin and each other. The cages rattled and clanged, then a distinct roar echoed through the arena.

    Aegin''s eyes fixed on the cage to his right, he''d never seen the beast for himself, but he''d heard the stories and seen them illustrated in books. As large as a horse, though it had a shorter stature. It''s fur gold and the mane around its neck and shoulders a dark bronze. Aegin''s eyes narrowed at the sharp teeth as long as one of his knives'' blades. The beast swiped a large paw at the bars, its nails producing a distinct ringing sound as they hit the metal bars. A Lion. An actual Lion.

    Aegin''s eyes, still partly focused on the dangerous beast, flicked over to the cage on the left.

    This animal at least, Aegin had seen before. Though he''d only seen it grazing in meadows and relatively passive, not charging the cage bars enough to bend them. It was twice the size of the lion, and its hide was no doubt thicker as well, it snorted aggressively and pawed at the metal base of its cage with tough hooves. It''s horns curled to the side and then above its head, pointed at the tip and likely filed to be sharper, though he pitied the keeper that had to do such a job. Each was was as long as his forearm, perhaps longer considering he was seeing both from a distance.

    Aegin huffed, glancing up at the Slave Master. The Bastard really wasn''t playing fair. Aegin then looked at the spear in his hand. It may help somewhat with the Lion, but he doubted it would be much use with the bull.

    Aegin stood once more and moved ever so slightly to withdraw a dagger from his belt. The red scarf tied to his waist fluttered in the wind, and the bull, which had been raging in the cage, suddenly went stock still and fixed on Aegin. Aegin glanced down at the scarf.

    No wonder the damn guard had smirked like that.

    For a moment, Aegin wondered if they were going to release both creatures at once, but surely that would mean they were at a greater risk of harming each other, not just Aegin. Sure enough, as Aegin was contemplating whether or not to abandon the spear in his hand, the cage on his right opened. The lion hesitated only a moment before it jumped out, padding away from the cage. It didn''t seem to be in a hurry to kill him, though as it appraised the area, its eyes fixed on the raging bull, who was now intent on killing Aegin, then, after a moment to assess the danger there, its eyes turned to lunch.

    Aegin looked right back. There was a pause in the atmosphere during which neither moved then, the Lion gave a deep gutteral growl of warning.

    Aegin huffed. Yeah, he didn''t much want to attack it either.

    Aegin glanced at the cage, that had yet to be dragged back beneath the Arena floor, then, without further indecision, he ran for it.

    In hindsight, running was probably not the best idea.

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    The lion roared again, jumping forward threateningly before straightening back up again. When it determined that Aegin was not heeding its warning, it growled and ran forward to attack.

    Aegin may have been fast, but it became clear rather quickly that he couldn''t outrun a lion. His only advantage was that the lion was headed for him, not the cage, meaning it had a further distance to go.

 Chapter 205 The Dawn of a Warrior IV

    All to aware of the danger barrelling towards him, Aegin focused on his destination, when he was within a few metres of the cage, he planted the spear in the ground before him, intending to use it to vault his body onto the top of the cage. As he shifted his body weight midair, looking lengthwise down the spear and readying himself to push away from it and the ground, the lion came into view. It had leaped at him from his flank, and just as Aegin was about the finish shifting his bodyweight, it collided with the length of the spear, snapping it in two effortlessly and pulling it from Aegin''s grasp. Aegin went crashing into the ground, skidding into the side of the cage. He ignored the graze on his side as he looked at the Lion who had rounded on him without delay. It pounced at Aegin again.

    Aegin rolled hastily out of the way, and the Lion collided with the bars of the cage. It backed off, shaking its head.

    Aegin hurried to his feet, looking up at the cage, he took two steps then jumped up, grabbing the top and hoisting himself up. He rolled onto the top of the cage, breathing heavily.

    The Lion shook off its pain, prowling around the cage and glaring up at Aegin.

    Aegin withdrew a dagger, readying himself to throw it at the lion. But just as he prepared his aim, the lion took a few running steps, then jumped up onto the top of the cage right beside Aegin.

    "Fuck!" Aegin cursed as he jumped back from a swipe of a paw then tumbled down from the top of the cage. He landed on his feet and rolled back a couple of metres, sitting up in a crouch as he handled his daggers in either hand. The lion roared and leaped for him.

    In those several milliseconds, the feeling of the ground rumbling once more hit Aegin. Only this time felt different. This time it felt like something heavy was getting ever closer. Aegin''s eyes widened in realisation, and without a second of hesitation, he leaped to the side.

    He heard the squelch of flesh and blood and the crunch of bone. A pained yowling growl.

    He turned to watch as the bull reared its head up and threw the wounded lion to the side.

    Not quite dead, but certainly not getting up again so easily.

    Aegin''s eyes shifted to the bull that was rounding on him once more. The question of when they''d opened the other cage seemed completely useless as Aegin struggled to his feet and caught the fluttering of the scarf at his waist.

    Knowing that there was not way he could out run the raging bull, Aegin watched the bull huff then charge for him. Aegin dodged to the side at the last second, right as the bull put its head down to ram at him. It was somewhat easier than dodging the much more aware and agile lion, but Aegin was positive he wasn''t nothing to do with the bull either.

    Looking down at the scarf as the bull began to round on him, he realised that he''d never heard a rule saying the scarf had to stay on Aegin. He cut it off with one of his daggers, knowing it''d take too long to undo the knot under the circumstances.

    He unfurled the scarf, the bull focused on it immediately. Aegin waited as the bull charged once again, then, just as the bull put its head down, Aegin shifted to the side and caught its horn, pulling himself onto the bull''s back.

    The bull didn''t like that.

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    It huffed and threw its entire body weight into trying to dislodge Aegin. Aegin, unprepared for the sheer force at which he was being jolted, lasted all of a couple of seconds before he was flung to the side. He landed on his shoulder, hard. The pop of his shoulder from its socket was audible, and Aegin hissed in pain. He''d had worse, but a useless arm was really not what he needed right now. He shifted to his feet as quickly as he could, only to find the bull nearly upon him. Aegin moved instinctively, shifting just enough to the side as he crouched to miss the bull''s head. Then his armed hand stuck a dagger as hard as he could in the underside of the bull''s neck. He fell back out of the way, cringing at the pain in his shoulder. He stood on unsteady feet as he appraised the clearly in pain bull as it threw its head back and forth, unable to dislodge the dagger.

    Then, in a move that nobody would have been able to predict, the bull came up along side one of the cages and threw itself into the bars. Perhaps it was an attempt to get rid of the dagger in the only way it knew how. But in its enraged state, the bull hit the cage too hard, the dagger sunk deeper into the bull''s flesh. It paused for a moment, as if shocked by the occurrence, then it slowly, painfully, collapsed.

    Aegin huffed, turning to look across the arena at where the struggling lion lay. It wasn''t technically that far compared to the side of the arena, but Aegin had been thrown a fair distance.

    Aegin made his way to the side of the cage, then, fitting his arm between the bars, he took a few quick breaths before he joted his shoulder back into the socket. He hissed a string of curses, then he made his way towards the lion, knowing that his trial wouldn''t end until the beast was dead. He got within a few metres of it, and it growled at him, glaring as it clawed at the ground. Aegin withdrew a dagger and threw it. It embedded itself between the lion''s eyes, and Aegin watched as it stilled, then promptly died.

    Aegin looked up at the Slave Master. Two down. One to go.

 Chapter 206 The Cover of Nigh

    "In there?" asked Kit.

    Olly nodded. He stepped forward and covered the majority of the inside of the empty crate with a false base, "The Evanine goes on top".

    Kit nodded in acknowledgement, "It looks a little small".

    Olly look at his ten-year-old friend, then down at his full grown self, "I think you''ll be fine".

    Kit, who hadn''t been paying attention to Olly, stepped forward and lifted out the false base before stepping into the crate himself to appraise the size. After a moment of squatting in the crate, he looked up to meet Olly''s eyes, "I suppose it''s not so bad".

    Olly wasn''t quite sure what he had expected. Smuggling was an art. Smuggling comfortably was a rather unexplored facet of that art.

    Falla stepped forward from the side, "Ready?"

    Olly and Kit looked to one another, then back at Falla. They nodded.

    Iah and Sharli stepped forward from the side as Kit stood. Iah handed him a bag with a strap that went over his shoulder.

    "It''s got food, and water, and some spare clothes. Some charcoal and paper for you as well," Iah said.

    Kit smiled, "Thanks, Iah".

    Iah paused a moment, then she leaned forward and hugged Kit. Kit hugged her back.

    "Be safe, okay?" asked Iah. Kit nodded against her chest.

    "You too".

    Iah smiled at his concern, then she stepped back, wiping at her eyes before her tears fell as she stepped over to Olly to hand him his own bag. Sharli stepped up to Kit then.

    "Are you sure about this?" asked Sharli.

    Kit nodded, "I''m positive".

    "How can you be so sure?" asked Sharli.

    Kit shrugged, "I just am. This is the right thing to do. It gets the Ruin out of danger".

    Sharli gave a side glance to Falla who was busy talking to the workers who were moving the Evanine and charms from the vault.

    "It''s not her fault," Kit said, "It''s not anyones. We can''t always predict what will happen, so we have to be strong when something doesn''t go our way, right?"

    Sharli''s mind flashed back to not long after she''d met Kit. When she''d said the exact same words to that boy who was terrified of the abilities he had. Terrified of being taken away. She nodded back at Kit, "Right".

    The hugged each other, and Kit whispered softly in her ear, "Don''t go where we can''t follow. Please".

    It sounded like he was begging, though Sharli had little idea about what he meant. If anything, she couldn''t follow him. But before she had a change to ask about it, Falla stepped forward.

    "Alright, we''ll get you to the headquarters. You''ll be in there until late tonight, then we''ll get you some food as we transfer you into the other crates".

    Kit and Olly nodded, then put themselves into the two crates before the false bottoms were put over them and then the Evanine piled on top. Falla knocked onto each crate in turn. Three short raps with a pause after then two more short. It was the safe code they''d agreed upon. Olly and Kit tapped the pattern back from the inside of the crates.

    "Alright, start taking them out to the carts," Falla ordered.

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    ***

    "Master, Sir, there is movement at the Ruin," stated the informant clearly.

    Ishta turned to look at him, "Oh, what movement?"

    "Falla Startree has arrived with several carts, the others say that she''s transporting Evanine sir. At least twenty crates of it," said the informant.

    "Twenty crates?" asked Ishta, "Where did they get so much of it?"

    "Forgive me, sir, but the informants also say that several charms are mixed in," said the informant, "And not just the protective kind that was sold before".

    Ishta gritted his teeth, "I knew that Moonshadow had more up his sleeve that just magic shields. Have the informants follow them. I want to know where she''s taking all that stock, but keep an eye on the Ruin. If they''re moving the Evanine, they''ll surely move the craftsman of the charms soon as well. You can''t have one without the other when making the charms".

    "Master," the informant acknowledged, then he left the office.

    Ishta turned thoughtfully to look out of the window, "So you think that moving them will save them? Think again Miss Startree, and even better, now I''ve got more stock to work with. If anything, you''ve revealed your cards far too soon".

    ***

    It was too cramped in the boxes. It only took about twenty minutes before Kit wanted to shift around. Only shifting would make noise, and that would totally ruin the mirage they were trying to create. If Kit had known that Olly had fallen asleep within minutes of being on the cart, he likely would have throttled his friend.

    After what must have been several hours, the cart finally stopped, and Kit waited as they were unloaded, he and Olly with them. They were walked for several minutes before they were placed down on the ground, then silence ensued.

    He''d only heard muffled voices through the crate walls, but the silence meant that they were likely in the stock room at Apple Star Trading Headquarters.

    They''d made it halfway.

    Kit released a breath of relief.

    Now, he just had to wait until nightfall. Though now in the silence of the stock room, he felt free to sift in his bag for things to do. For fear of needing to relieve himself whilst still stuck in the crate, Kit only sipped at his water and nibbled at a bit of bread in his bag.

    Quite a few more hours passed by in the darkness before movement was heard outside. Kit dozed off at some point thanks to his boredom. When the false base was removed and he was helped out of the crate, he couldn''t help stretching his neck hurt. Olly was doing the same, though seemed slightly less annoyed. Kit couldn''t think why unless he was used to such tight spaces.

    Layn looked between the two of them and handed them each a bowl of stew.

    "There''s a ship due to leave with the tide tomorrow morning with Silks from the South. It''ll take you to Port Lovolon," Layn explained as they ate. He then handed a map and a small pouch of coins to each other, "The Captain is aware so he''ll help you out of the crate once you''re out of sight of the Island. The map is to the Star Pavilion. It''s owned by the Miss so you''ll be safe. You''ll meet my brother there, Lync. He''ll escort you to the mine. Be careful. They''re expecting you at the Pavilion before the end of the Fortnight. If you don''t get there in that time...I honestly cannot say if we will be capable of sending somebody to find you".

    Kit nodded in understanding, "Tell Miss Falla that it''ll be at least 3 months before she can get her first patch of Charms from us, so savor what Rassa left behind. That''s of course if she finds a safe route".

    Layn nodded, "Very well. We can afford a few more hours outside of the crates, just be quiet. I''m sure there is somebody watching".

    That morning, in order to confuse whoever was watching. Several crates of Evanine and Charms were move along with the silks that were being sent to Port Lovolon. They spies were so focused on the Evanine and Charms that they didn''t look twice at the boxes of silk. Half a day later, Kit and Olly emerged on the deck of The Sea Wing, bound of Eldovia.

 Chapter 207 The Dawn of a Warrior V

    "Plenty of Warriors have passed through those doors, Aegin. They never leave the same as they were".

    Aegin could understand what Beast had meant when he''d offered that small snippet of insight. Even with only two fights in the Warrior''s Arena, Aegin could tell how it would change a person. One needed to be okay with the idea of death in there. Those that weren''t, they lost themselves in mind or body, sometimes both. Those that were too okay with it. Those that reveled in the spilling of blood. Well, they ended up changed in other ways, and none were suitable for a peaceful life outside of Herguard.

    Thanks to his previous training as a part of the Ridge Men, Aegin had already been okay with the idea of death. He did not relish taking life though. He was taught that it was a necessity, and in order to live inside the Arena, it was very much a necessity that he take life, no matter if they were beast, man or somewhere in between.

    He''d heard the concern in Ebony''s voice when she''d spoken to him. Of how she feared he would lose himself to it. But with her around, it was doubtful he would. He''d made her his ground in this place. A technique taught when he was young. To choose something or someone that reminded you of who you were, of the goal you were aiming for. The fact that he was fighting for Ebony to remain near him so that they wouldn''t be separated seemed to be more than enough reason for him to make her his object of grounding.

    Aegin took a deep breath in. It was his third fight this time. And now that he''d heard those words the night before from Beast, he was confident that he could win. That he could pass this third trial and pull through to secure his and Ebony''s safety here in this dark place.

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    He turned to the weapons around him and looked at the spear and knives that he''d fought with the two previous times. The spear had been practically useless last time. The knives had only just gotten him by. Still, his knives had gotten him out of plenty of tough spots before.

    He took the belt of six throwing knives buckled it at his waste, then looked at the spear. He reached for it, then he turned to the twin short swords.

    So far he''d fought five on one, and with two different beasts. The Slave Master was theatrical if anything. This fight would be catered to be the most difficult for Aegin, but apart from the short exchange with the Pentablade''s leader, he hadn''t actually fought one on one with anybody. Sure he could do it with a spear, but something told him the swords would be a better option.

    Aegin took them and attached them to the belt at his waist as well.

    Aegin made his way to the gate. It opened for him and he stepped out into the Arena to an applause that would be considered thunderous compared to the first day. If he won this, he would most certainly win the profits that he''d hoped for.

    Aegin looked up to where the Slave Master sat, Ebony with who Aegin assumed was the Madame sitting slightly in front of her. Ebony gave him a short nod of encouragement, and Aegin''s eyes went back to the Arena floor.

    The gate on the far side opened, and Aegin''s eyes narrowed.

    There was no mistaking that hulking figure as he walked out of the gate, a massive battleaxe sitting over his shoulder. It was a good thing Aegin hadn''t chosen the spear. It would have snapped in two with one hit.

    Beast stared back at him across the arena, the warning in his eyes. One of them was going to die today. There would be no mercy. The Slave Master wouldn''t allow that.

    Aegin drew the short swords and spun them in his hands like a nervous tick before gripping them tightly.

    "Ladies and Gentleman, today, Warrior Aegin''s third and final trial. He will fight one on one to the death with one of the Arena''s greats, the one, the only, Beast!"

    The crowd cheered as Beast stopped, the axe falling to the ground and piercing it with a clear thud.

    "Will Warrior Aegin prevail with his thorns to save the rosy cheeked love of his life? Or will the great Beast end his great crusade?"

    Aegin was getting sick of that announcer. He wasn''t quite sure if he could throw quite far enough to kill him though. Maybe one day. He''d certainly be dying before Aegin got off the Island, along with the Slave Master and possibly the Madame depending on how she treated Ebony.

    "Let the fight begin!"

    Beast pulled the axe out of the ground, holding it slightly to the side as he stepped forward, Aegin followed the meet him. If either of them were going to die, he would not do the warrior the discourtesy of running away. Beast had spent to much of his life here. If this was to be his last fight, he would want it to be worth it. He would earn his death.

    Aegin''s speed increased as he approached, though his agility would be his only advantage against Beast, whose strength had appeared unrivaled in the training rooms.

    Sure enough, the Beast swung the axe around and up above his head as he gripped it with his other hand, then straight down to slice Aegin in two.

    Taking that his straight on would flatten him, Aegin crossed his short swords to the side and push the Axe blade to his right as he skidded across the ground on his knees. Beast was quick, twisting the axe and pushing it across Aegin horizontally. Aegin pushed off the ground with his hands, spinning over the blade before he landed on his feet and sliced across Beast''s leg before backing up as Beast threw in another lethal slice.

    They danced back and forth, Aegin only daring to make contact with the axe when there was no other choice. The weapon was too solid, too heavy for his tiny short swords and even tinier throwing knives.

    The longest he''d lasted against Beast in training was ten minutes. But that was without weapons. Aegin wasn''t sure if he had the advantage or not with them. He could barely keep track of time as they both took the fight seriously, dodging, cutting and barreling towards one another with their lives.

    Finally, as Aegin attempted to dodge under Beast''s guard and around him, Aegin realised he''d made a mistake. Beast shifted his footing ever so slightly, and Aegin was unable to dodge it. He tripped and rolled to the side, dropping one of his short swords as it clattered away. He looked at it desperately as Beast took two, steps, raising the axe up once more and bringing it down towards Aegin. Thanks to the awkward position he''d stopped in, Aegin couldn''t move out of the way.

 Chapter 208 The Dawn of a Warrior VI

    On his stomach with one arm half beneath him, Aegin moved his free arm behind him, angling his remaining sword to send the battleaxe down beside him. He knew it wouldn''t work. The sword was too light, especially without his twin. He looked up into Beast''s gaze as the axe made contact and began to bend the blade of the sword, then Aegin threw his entire body weight into his blade, and in turn into the side of the battle axe.

    His own blade sliced his back, and as he used the action of hitting the side of the battleaxe to shift his momentum and roll the other way, away from Beast, he knew he was incredibly lucky to not had hit his spine. As it was, he knew he cut pretty deep into his side, that and he''d have bruises like no man''s business all long his torso for some time to come. Aegin stood clutching his bleeding side with one arm and his bent short sword with the other. He looked down at the sword as he met Beast''s gaze. The other sword was too far away. Aegin gritted his teeth as he threw his remaining sword away, then he drew two daggers and stood ready.

    Beast pulled the Battleaxe from the ground then nodded to Aegin''s wound, "You''re not gonna last lone with that. You''re bleeding too much".

    Aegin took a deep breath, "Better finish this quick then".

    Beast grinned, and together, the two moved. Aegin threw the knives in his hands one after another and Beast deflected them before drawing his axe above his head once more. Aegin stepped forward as Beast brought axe down, then launched himself into the air. As he tumbled over the axe blade, Aegin drew two more knives from his belt. He landed on the axe handle, pushing it further into the ground as it landed. As he landed he reached forward with his two blades, pushing off with his feet once more and flipping over the top of Beast, the two dagger embedding into the two sides of Beast''s neck. Aegin landed hard and rolled, clutching at his side. Beast collapsed behind him.

    Aegin gritted his teeth, putting pressure on his wound as he gathered his feet under him and stood, turning to look behind him at Beast''s body.

    He fought well. He''d been a great opponent. And he''d gotten a pretty decent hit in. Aegin was pretty sure thanks to the blood gushing from his wound that if he''d had to drag it out he wouldn''t have survived. As it was he already felt a bit lightheaded.

    He turned to look up at the Slave Master, who stared right back at Aegin. It was then that Aegin recognised the cheers of the Arena. The crowd who were cheering for him.

    After several moments of cheering, a chant began to resonate in the crowd. A chant that solidified his name in the Arena for many years to come.

    "Bloodthorn!"

    "Bloodthorn!"

    "Bloodthorn!"

    "Bloodthorn!"

    The announcer looked around at the crowd, grinning, "The winner, and the completion of his trials! Aegin Bloodthorn!"

    Aegin stood for a moment, frowning at the name and remembering the time when he''d discussed surnames with Rassa. He''d never wanted one, still didn''t. But he''d thought ''Thorn'' would be fitting. Rassa had said it sounded incomplete. Almost as if he''d known...

    Aegin turned and walked back towards the gate.

    ***

    The Slave Master watched with Madame and the crowd as Aegin walked out of the Arena clutching his side, the resonating chants of the surname he''d been granted drowning out all other noise.

    "It seems you are safe from being sold for now," the Slave Master stated, "Though he''ll have to fight at least once a fortnight for the rest of his life to keep it that way".

    He turned to look at ebony, who stared back at him, "He needs time to heal".

    "He''s got two weeks. Pretty generous for someone whose life is destined for the Arena," the Slave Master stated, "I''ve already made a deal with him that has likely cost me my reputation, I will not be making another with him or anybody else. Behave, or I might see fit to break this deal too".

    The Slave Master stood and walked out of the VIP box, then the Madame stood as well, looking over her shoulder at Ebony.

    "You can make a deal with me if you want," she smiled, "But I can pretty much guarantee your beau won''t like it much".

    Ebony glanced at her, then looked away, "No, thank you, Madame".

    Madame smirked then walked past Ebony, tugging on the rope as she went, "Your loss".

    Ebony wasn''t so sure.

    ***

    "The Slave Master has given you two weeks off," Ebony spoke after she was let into Aegin''s cell. The Physicians had finished stitching and bandaging his wound. It was surprisingly sterile, but then, the Slave Master likely only lost his Warriors the way they were supposed to be lost.

    "Didn''t think he was that generous," Aegin grunted from where he lay, clearly not the least bit inclined to sit up.

    "You okay?" asked Ebony.

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    "Not really," Aegin replied, "Physician said if it''d been just an inch deeper I would have cut through my spine. I figured as much...it''s going to leave a pretty decent scar".

    "I''m glad you''re alive," Ebony said, "Scar or no scar".

    "I am too, though I think if Beast lived I would have had a more decent treatment here," Aegin stated.

    "Beast?" asked Ebony, "The guy you...fought?"

    Aegin sighed, "He was a good man, Ebony. Decent despite his circumstances. There are only a few of those in here".

    "Then, from now on, don''t kill them," Ebony said.

    Aegin couldn''t help the scoff, which he then groaned at thanks to the jolt in his torso, "I''m not sure how much of a choice I''ve got in that, Ebony. I don''t decide who I fight".

    "Yes, but from what I''ve heard, life or death fights aren''t as common," Ebony said, "The Slave Master doesn''t have a big enough roll over of slaves to constitute it. Most are just until someone is injured or forfeits. Though the one who loses loses more than just the fight".

    Aegin sighed, "So he followed through on his promise?"

    "for now," Ebony confirmed.

    "Let me know when he decides not to," Aegin said.

    Ebony sighed, "You can''t protect me from everything Aegin. I appreciate you trying, but the fact is that in here, it''s every man for himself. I don''t know how long they''ll let me visit you, but when my leg gets better. I want you to start training me again. Like how Rassa was going to".

    "I''m not like Rassa, Ebony," Aegin said.

    "But you know it''s not an option to say no," Ebony replied.

    He did. Of course he did. Aegin waited a moment then replied, "Fine. But only when you''re better".

    Ebony nodded, "You too".

    "There''ll be more cuts and bruises and likely broken bones before this is over," said Aegin.

    "No lost limbs?" asked Ebony.

    "Well I''m quite fond of my limbs, so I''ll be trying pretty hard not to lose them," Aegin replied.

    Ebony couldn''t help the light chuckle that left her lips. Then she grasped Aegin''s hand.

    "Just don''t die, okay?"

    "You too".

    "Agreed".

 Chapter 209 The Winter Solstice

    A month passed by pretty quickly. Rassa''s injury recovered and he went back to the harder labour in the fields rather than the work in the orchard. He still hadn''t recovered his memories, but now that he knew that this was an illusion he realised that it was unlikely he''d ever remember seeing as they never happened.

    Still, it didn''t change the sad and longing look in the eyes of those who loved him. His parents grew to understand, and simply reminded him of something if he ''forgot'' how to do it, but the look in Jane''s eyes when they met was different, it was longing and a little broken. If Rassa was being honest, he missed his best friend too. He wanted to talk to her, but the part of him that had been the prisoner and pushed her away was afraid of acceptance. If he''d pushed her away once, what would it take for him to push her away again? Just how many times could he do it before she refused to let him back in?

    Rassa was honestly afraid of the answer, but his fear wouldn''t change the look in her eyes. That raw desire for a friend. To just talk. He''d fought against that look, his mind telling him it was just the illusion, but his heart called out to answer. To meet her for that talk they both wanted.

    Eventually, the Winter Solstice arrived in Cordon. A celebration of the village to thank the gods for guiding them through the longest night of the years. He''d loved it when he was a kid. The tasty, warm treats made by the baker, the stories the elders told of times long past. Then there were the dances. The Winter Solstice was the best time for the traditional dances. A chance to keep one''s body warm with the exercise, then snuggle up with warm, sweet teas that chased the last of the chill away.

    Of course, Rassa had only ever had a chance to participate in the dances as a child. Those dances were playful and fun, often made more fun when the boys purposely messed up and ran into each other. The girls knew no such foolishness, and often scolded the boys back into their places.

    The dances of the adults were more partner orientated, and took up a large portion of the night after the feast. However, the greatest portion of the night, the one that everyone looked forward to, was the Ribbon Dance.

    All the young adults who were unattached or uncommitted were encouraged to join. A long ribbon was tied to each person''s wrist, the other end attached to the top of a tall pole. With the men on the outside and women on the inside, the dance proceeded in a fashion that by the end of the dance, the ribbons had been woven in and out between each other therefore creating a net of sorts. The tradition was that the couples who finished closest to each other would owe each other a favour of sorts. Sometimes it was to share a meal or a drink, other times it pertained to work. It was said the dance spin the relationships of fate that were available to us in our darkest hours.

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    It had always been entrancing to watch. Some of the couples even ended up marrying after ending up together in a Ribbon Dance. Rassa only ever remembered watching them as a child, he''d never participated as he was too young.

    "Here, Rassa". His mother handed him a warm apricot bun, encouraging him to each the sweet treat. Gods he''d missed these. They were his favourite as a child. He sweetness of the apricot jam inside the doughy bread filled his mouth and warmed his stomach, Rassa blowing out mouth fulls of steam in between bites.

    "There''s more, no need to burn your tongue," Anna chuckled as she blew on her own.

    Rassa smiled, "I know, that''s why I should eat faster, that way I get more".

    Anna rolled her eyes as she turned to her husband who ate his own apricot bun with just as much vigor, "I can''t even tell him it''ll rot his teeth seeing as you''ve still got all of yours".

    Phillip smiled, "He''s only having them tonight, besides, he''s an adult, you don''t have to mother him".

    Anna pouted, "He doesn''t mind".

    She turned to Rassa for his approval. Rassa leaned down and kissed her cheek, "Thank you for your mothering, mother".

    the tray went past again and Rassa picked up another. Anna''s eyes narrowed.

    "What? I''m still having another".

    Anna sighed, nibbling on her own bun as she turned back to watch the children dancing in their rings around the Ribbon Pole in between the two bonfires.

    Rassa turned to watch as well, and noticed Jane standing on the other side with a few of her friends. Rassa met her gaze, holding it for a moment. He contemplated calling out to her, but then she turned away.

    It wasn''t as if he''d meant to ignore her over the past month. He''d been so busy enjoying the time with his parents that he hadn''t thought about Jane as much as he probably should have.

    The music for the children''s dance finished and the village clapped and cheered for the young ones. The Baron stepped forward, grinning from ear to ear, "And now, the highlight of the evening...may we have our participants for the Ribbon Dance move into place?"

    The crowd shifted ever so slightly to view the Ribbon Pole. A few young men and women stepped forward, including Jane and her friends. Rassa watched, contemplating what to do. So she didn''t see herself as attached to him? Well, she had said that there wasn''t any pressure on him to reciprocate. But still...

    Rassa felt the small morsel of food left in his hand snatched away, and he turned to protest, only to have his mother push him forward.

    "Go on, have fun!"

    Rassa opened his mouth to protest, but meeting Jane''s eyes, he realised that he didn''t really want to. Rassa stepped forward, waiting as a ribbon was tied to his wrist. He recognised a few of the others, but he found his eyes kept straying back to Jane on the opposite side of the circle.

    "Very well everyone, let the dance begin!"

    The music flowed through the air and Rassa found himself instinctively moving into the first steps of the dance.

 Chapter 210 The Dance of Fate

    When Rassa had trained, both with his father and with Victor in the memories, he had found that dancing was similar to the rhythm of battle. Like battle, his steps had to be precise. His movements smooth. The only difference that Rassa had been able to ascertain between dancing and battle, was that only one required one''s partner to bleed.

    Now, as he danced step after step with the partner opposite then spun behind her then past the next before dancing again with the next along, he found himself finding the rhythm quickly. His partners smiled. Some with joy at the dancing and the fun they were having. Others were more suggestive, and Rassa found it harder to smile back at those. Just a minute into the dancing he found himself spinning past Jane, who met his gaze with a torn expression before dancing with the man behind Rassa. Rassa followed her with his eyes for a moment before his eyes turned back to his current partner.

    They danced with each other, one after another, kicking their legs and joining hands, stepping forwards backwards and to the side before spinning to the next. The Ribbon began to tighten as it wove together, drawing the dancers in closer to the pole. The music became faster as it did, the movements of the dancers swifter and filled with greater energy. The colours and light from the bonfire, the clapping of the crowd to keep the rhythm, the enchanting tone of the music. It wove together as a feast for the senses and Rassa reveled in it, finding himself grinning as he danced. He hadn''t had this much fun in so long. A fun that was so pure and innocent in its intentions. Where there was no goal but to finish what had begun.

    The rhythm reached knew heights, the dancers breathing heavily with the exertion yet grinning from ear to ear as they moved. Rassa joined hands with his partner, skipped back and forth with her, they spun around each other her skirt flaring out with the others as they spun away from each other. Rassa saw the eyes of one of the others as he spun past her, the music at an all time high as he was pulled tight towards the pole, the ribbon woven above his wrist as tight as could comfortably be done. The music hit the last couple of notes, and Rassa stopped before his next partner, a grin on his face and his cheeks flushed with a healthy warmth as he met her eyes.

    He recognised those eyes.

    Their smiles faded a little as they finished the dance together. The music slowed and they circled each other until their hands were tightly bound together by the Ribbon. Rassa bowed as Jane curtsied, their eyes never leaving each other. This was as close as Rassa had been to her in a while. Too long, he realised. He missed her. He needed to speak to her.

    "Can I-"

    "Can we talk?"

    Jane finished the sentence for him as the crowd clapped and cheered around them, the villagers moving forward to cut the ribbons so the couples would be free. In such close quarters, Rassa couldn''t help but chuckle, Jane joining him as she turned away.

    "Yeah, I''d love to," Rassa replied.

    ***

    "How''s your mother doing, I know she never used to cope well with the cold," Rassa spoke as they walked together away from the village square where the festivities were still happening.

    "Well," Jane replied, "Ever since she got those furs from...well she''s been doing a lot better with them".

    Rassa caught her hesitation, "So I gave them to her?"

    Jane nodded awkwardly.

    Rassa sighed then stepped forward in front of Jane. She looked up at him surprise as he spoke.

    "I''ll tell you what, why don''t we just go back to being friends? Best Friends. Because I might not remember falling in love with you, but I do love you, and I miss you. So could we...could we go back to-"

    "Yes," Jane interrupted him eagerly, "I miss you too".

    Rassa smiled, "Good...I mean-"

    Jane held up an apricot bun, "I grabbed the last one for you. It''s your favourite...I mean it still is your favourite, right?"

    Rassa took it from her with a smile then broke it in two and handed half back to her, "It is, but I''ve already had two so I better go easy or mother won''t be happy".

    Jane accepted the half and nibbled on it as Rassa bit into his half, they kept walking, side by side in silence.

    "This is kind of awkward, isn''t it?"

    Jane nodded in agreement.

    "What did we used to do? You know, so that it wasn''t awkward?"

    "Well...it was never really awkward before," Jane admitted.

    Right. Of course it wasn''t. Rassa was making it awkward. Awkward because this was a damn illusion and he didn''t share any memories with his best friend except for those from before he was six.

    "Is the labour in the fields okay? With your injury and all?"

    "I''m fine, the work is fine," Rassa said, "A bit more interesting than picking fruit in the orchard if I''m being honest".

    Jane nodded, "Yeah, once you were old enough to work in the fields you went there. You always said that the work wasn''t challenging or interesting enough in the orchards. I don''t know what more there could be in the fields, but I admit I haven''t worked there myself".

    "I thought you would have been competitive enough to try it," Rassa said.

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    Jane scoffed, "I did. Mother and Father banned me from following you".

    Rassa chuckled and Jane glared at him.

    "Sorry, it just sounds so much like you," Rassa said, "I''m imagining pouty faced Jane".

    Jane pouted and Rassa pointed at her, "Yes, that''s it".

    He laughed and she joined him. After a moment they were quiet again, "So what did you do instead? Just stay in the orchard?"

    Jane shook her head, "I started learning how to bake from your mother. When I got good the baker took me as an apprentice".

    Rassa smiled, "So that''s why I proposed huh?"

    Jane looked at him in surprise and he held up the almost finished Apricot Bun in his hand, "I''d get an unlimited supply".

    Jane smiled back, "Well, it wasn''t said explicitly, but I don''t doubt that was one of the reasons".

    "Huh," Rassa replied, as he paused in front of her house, "Well, I guess I shall just have to uncover a few more".

    Jane looked at her house then back at him, "Thanks for walking me back".

    Rassa nodded, "My pleasure. Thanks for agreeing to be my friend...despite how awful I''ve been at it for the past month".

    Jane nodded, "You have been...but I guess I can enjoy watching you uncover those reasons again".

    "See you tomorrow?"

    Jane smiled, a glint in her eye that hadn''t been there before, "Tomorrow. Good night, Rassa".

    "Good night, Jane".

    Rassa watched her enter the house, then he turned and walked towards his own.

 Chapter 211 The Slow Turn

    Meg grinned up at Iah as she handed her finished plate over.

    "Thank you, Iah," she said.

    Iah smiled down at her, "You''re very welcome, Meg. Why don''t you go and get the baskets and our coats. We need to go down to the Market today".

    "Okay!"

    Meg ran off excitedly as Iah dipped the dirty plate into the sink before her to wash.

    It''d been nearly a month since Kit and Olly had left the Island. They were well into winter now, though Winter in the Southern Isles rarely saw snow like Eldovia.

    The Ruin had gone through a qualitative change nonetheless though. With Kit and Olly gone, the Ruin seemed to lose some sort of life. There had always been a warm presence in the shadows behind doors and under tables. Everyone living at the Ruin had always thought of it as Kit''s element. As nothing to be feared. Now...now they just seemed empty. Some of the children had even started having nightmares in the dead of night, the shadows no longer a comforting presence with out Kit nearby. No, now with the stories surrounding the Inktress and the Ruin, the shadows had taken on a darker, inkier quality that wasn''t the least bit warm.

    Iah often found herself shivering when she past the darkest ones, and when she held the Tracking Charm in the palm of her hand in the depths of the night to check and see that Kit was okay, that Rassa, Ebony and Aegin were still alive, she couldn''t help but wonder if that cold darkness was what Rassa had felt when he had been attacked by the Inktress.

    She paused in cleaning the dishes now, her hand straying to the pocket in her skirt where she kept the charm. The blue lines filling her vision. There was less brightness now. Even less than before. Still solid though, all accept the line that connected her to Rassa. That connected them all to Rassa. Iah stared at it. Her sister had been talking recently. Bringing up how Rassa''s presence would not doubt help their situation. Iah couldn''t deny her. But there was a reason Rassa left. They could not ask him to sacrifice for them whenever they needed him. It was too selfish of them. He needed his own life too. Still, she did hope he would come back.

    But now...was that line dimmer than before? Was he moving somewhere further away? It flickered like a dying candle flame in a breeze. Was something wrong?

    "Iah".

    Her sister''s call broke Iah out of the trance and snatched her hand away from the charm, turning to look over her shoulder at Sharli.

    "Yes?"

    "You okay?" asked Sharli, concern in her tone, "I called you three times".

    Iah gave a small smile, "Fine, I was just away with my thoughts. I was going to the market after this with Meg, do you need anything? I remember you saying something about needles".

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    Sharli watched as her sister turned back to the dishes then her eyes softened, "If you can, yes. Some thread as well. Carter''s torn a hold in his trousers again".

    Iah smiled, "You know, we have got the coin to buy him a new pair. He''s working at the docks so he really should get one".

    Sharli waved a hand dismissively, "No use wasting coin when all that''s needed to fix them in a short stitching job".

    Iah nodded in return, "Alright, anything else?"

    "No," Sharli said, "I think I can grab the rest myself. I''m headed to the Elenius district for some herbs, we''re running low and I think I''d rather not see the boys suffer through colds as they try to pick up work".

    "Ah, good idea," said Iah, "Some Redia as well if you could?"

    Sharli nodded, "Of course, see you this afternoon".

    "See you," Iah smiled. Sharli put on a scarf and turned to walk out into the hallway, almost bumping into Meg on the way. She chuckled and righted the little girl before she headed on her way. Iah smiled at Meg.

    "Ready to go?"

    Meg held up the basket with a big grin, "Ready!"

    "Really?" asked Iah, "Where have you put your boots then?"

    Meg looked down, "Oh, they''re in my room".

    "Better go get them then, and don''t forget your scarf!"

    Meg ran off again, leaving the basket on the table. Iah shook her head with a smile on her face as she turned back to the dishes, then she paused. Has Sharli taken a basket? She didn''t remember seeing one...Iah shook her head. She''d probably picked up one of the ones at the door.

    ***

    Iah pointed to the more ripened tomatoes at the back of the stall as Meg picked up a few of the apples to the side and put them in the basket she was holding. Iah caught the basket as it was tipping.

    "Careful Meg, don''t want too many bruises on those apples," she smiled as Meg righted herself and began to watch the basket carefully as she picked a couple more.

    "There you are, Miss," the vendor smiled as he handed over ten of the tomatoes and Iah handed him back the coin, "Thanks for your business".

    "Thank you," Iah smiled as she took Meg''s hand and walked down the market, "Alright, what else do we need".

    Meg thought for a moment, looking between hers and Iah''s basket, "Cheese".

    "Cheese?" asked Iah, "I''m sure there was plenty when we left. Did those mice get into it again?"

    Meg blushed and looked away, "I saw it, that Mouse, it was big and fat. I think he really must like cheese".

    "Big and fat?" asked Iah, "Are you sure we''re not raising a rat?"

    Meg shook her head, "Maybe it''s got a family too. Maybe its sharing the cheese".

    "Is it just? I thought you said it ate it itself," Iah smiled.

    "Nah uh," Meg insisted, "I said it was big and fat. I didn''t say it ate all the cheese itself".

    Iah chuckled, "Alright, cheese it is. Maybe we should get some extra for that mouse and his family, huh?"

    "Right!" Meg said excitedly as she pulled Iah in the direction of the cheese vendor.

    Iah laughed as she looked from Meg to the crowd around her, watching for any dangers that Meg might miss in her one-track mission to the cheese vendor.

    Iah suddenly paused, her eye catching a cart on the nearby road, or more specifically, its passenger. That was...

    "Iah, come on!" Meg insisted, pulling Iah. Iah turned to Meg as the child tugged her along, then Iah turned quickly back to the road. But the cart was gone, disappearing past the crowd and down the street.

    Iah frowned, turning away. No. She must have been seeing things. Iah turned back to the task at hand and followed Meg through the Market.

 Chapter 212 The Road Best Not Taken

    Sharli had flipped that coin over and over more times than she could count. It had almost become a subconscious habit over the past month. There were even times she was sure when she''d left the coin somewhere else, only to find it in her pocket again, her fingers flipping it over and over and over again.

    The habit persisted now, as she stood in the bustling main shop of Golden Sands Trading Company. It was three times as large as the shop at Apple Star. There were even customers being served tea as they surveyed the products available. Ishta Alamone was on another level compared to Falla Startree.

    "Is there something I can help you with, Miss?" one of the attendants paused beside Sharli, smiling warmly at her. the coin in Sharli''s hand paused as she hesitated.

    "I...I''m not actually a customer..."

    "Oh? Are you lost then? Where are you headed, perhaps I can help," the attendant replied.

    Gods be damned, why did the attendants have to be so nice when Ishta had only ever shown himself to be a conniving bastard. No, a businessman. That was what Falla had called him. A businessman she couldn''t defend against inevitably. A businessman who had the resources to find Rassa where Falla did not.

    Sharli took the coin from her pocket and handed it to the attendant.

    "I''m here to see Mr Alamone".

    The Attendant appraised the coin for a moment then looked back at Sharli, "Do you have an appointment?"

    Sharli hesitated, "I didn''t realise I needed one, he told me to come see him once...well anyway, can you tell him Sharli, the associate of Falla Startree is here to see him".

    "I''m afraid that''s not-"

    "Tell him I have a way to find Rassa Moonshadow. He''ll understand".

    The attendant looked skeptical, but he wondered off towards what Falla assumed was the way to the offices.

    ***

    Ishta looked up at what his secretary had said, then gave a smile, "Invite her in, and prepare some tea".

    The secretary nodded. Ishta continued with his work, and a few moments later, the nervous woman he''d seen standing outside of Falla Startree''s office walked in, clearly just as nervous as before if not more so.

    "Miss Sharli, yes?" asked Ishta as he stood from behind his desk.

    Sharli nodded, "Yes, Mr Alamone".

    "Please, call me Ishta," he said, indicating for her to sit on the couches as his secretary rounded her to place a tray of tea down. Ishta sat and began pouring the tea himself, pointing to the couch again when the nervous woman didn''t mood, "Please, sit. I hear you have a way to find someone who drowned in the depths of Whaler''s Strait".

    Sharli sat obediently, then nodded to his question, "As long as you promise not to hurt him when we find him. I can help you".

    Ishta smiled, "I''m afraid I do not have much faith in the spoken word, it''s an unfortunate side effect of my profession". He handed over a teacup to Sharli who immediately put her hands around it and cradled it comfortably, no doubt to placate her nerves, "How can you do what you ask? Are you a Magician by any chance?"

    Sharli shook her head, "No, Sir".

    "Then I fail to see how it is possible for you to locate him. I find myself far more interested in the boy he trained to make the charms in his place. What was it he was called? A Charm Craftsman?" Ishta stated.

    Sharli looked somewhat pale at the mention of the boy, then she slowly placed her tea on the table, "Kit is...I doubt you will be able to reach him".

    Ishta chuckled at her audacity, "You like in a building in a practically abandoned district of Port Leis. My patience has lasted this long, but it will not last forever. The boy may be a Magician, but he cannot defend against me forever".

    "He''s no longer there," Sharli said, "Falla Startree sent him away to protect her investments".

    Ishta sensed no lie in her tone, and his smile faded, "When?"

    Sharli bit her lip, clearly unwilling to give away such information, "The only reason I came to see you was to-"

    "When!" Ishta barked. Sharli jumped, frightened by his tone. She took a breath to calm down before she spoke, refusing to look Ishta in the eyes.

    "A month ago".

    Ishta gritted his teeth, "They moved with the Evanine and the Charms didn''t they? Then they wouldn''t have left Apple Star Trading. He is even closer now. Perhaps no longer in an abandoned building but still accessible".

    Sharli refused to meet his eyes as she picked up the tea to sip at it. Ishta watched her for a moment.

    "Unless he is not at Apple Star Trading".

    Sharli glanced up at him, confirmed his suspicions.

    "Then where has Miss Startree sent him?" asked Ishta, leaning forward threateningly.

    "I don''t know," Sharli said, "She wouldn''t say".

    Ishta could hear the wavering in her voice. This woman was not a good liar.

    "You do know," Ishta said.

    Sharli took another breath as she put the tea down, "I only know they''re not in the Southern Isles any-"

    "They?"

    Sharli flinched, clearly unhappy with herself. She''d given away something she hadn''t meant to.

    "So she has more than one at her disposable and the clever wench has hidden them away," Ishta hissed, "I underestimated her".

    There was a pause, then Ishta turned back to Sharli, "You still have not explained how you plan to find Mr Moonshadow, however. I was firm on that point, if you cannot prove it then..."

    Sharli reached into her pocket and withdrew a Charm. It had several intricate runes on it. So the suspicion his spies had was true, there was more than one type of charm.

    "This is a Location Charm. Also known as a Tracking Charm. It is capable of showing a direct path to others in its sequence," said Sharli.

    Ishta''s eyes narrowed. It sounded similar to what Illai had described when she''d returned from her mission.

    "This one is a part of a sequence with the one in Rassa Moonshadow''s possession. As long as he has it on him, and he isn''t dead, I can find him," Sharli said.

    "And if it isn''t on him?" asked Ishta.

    Sharli shook her head, "Impossible. When the charms were given to us by Rassa, he made us form a bond with it through blood. Whether it is lost, stolen, or dropped, it will always return to our possession within a matter of hours".

    Ishta sighed, "So I suppose that means I cannot simply buy the charm from you".

    Sharli clutched the charm tighter, "I will lead you to Rassa Moonshadow. In return, you will not harm him, and you will leave the Ruin in peace".

    Ishta raised an eyebrow, "Not Falla Startree as well?"

    Sharli sighed, "I am here alone".

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    Ishta gave a cunning smile as he held out his hand to her, "We have a deal, Sharli, where do we need to go".

    She took his head hesitantly, "South".

    Ishta shook her hand, "Then south we shall go. The ship will leave with the tide tomorrow morning, be on it".

    Sharli nodded.

    After the girl left, Ishta called his secretary forward.

    "Have Captain Luvain prepare to sail towards the Southern Continent tomorrow morning with the tide, and get Illai out of the Solarium. Tell her we''re leaving in the morning".

 Chapter 213 The Faithful and the Faithless

    Iah had waited all afternoon for her sister to return. She''d kept telling herself that the figure she''d seen on the cart couldn''t possibly be her sister, but the nagging feeling in the back of her mind was persistent. Because, what if it was? Her sister never lied to her so what reason could Sharli have for not doing as she''d said? Olly''s warning echoed in her mind.

    Poised on a cliff...Poised on a cliff.

    Cannot follow...Cannot follow.

    It had distracted Iah all day, and she''d barely gotten anything done. She''d even manage to cut herself on the papers she was arranging for when they were to take their next lesson.

    Finally, as she was preparing dinner. Sharli returned. Iah almost breathed a sigh of relief when she saw the basket with herbs in Sharli''s hands, if not for the distant look on her face.

    "Hey, are you okay?" asked Iah, "You''ve been out all day, did you get held up or something?"

    Sharli turned to her sister, shaking her head as if throwing her thoughts aside, "Uh? Yes, there was quite a wait for the herbs. I think there must be something going around".

    Sharli put down the basket and took off her scarf, moving to help Iah in the kitchen, "Get anything good at the market".

    Iah smiled, "Well somebody insisted that we were unintentionally feeding a family of mice with our cheese so of course we would need more".

    Sharli turned to where Meg sat at the table, munching on a small wedge of cheese. She smiled warmly, "I see, well then of course we can''t let the family starve".

    "Of course not," Iah nodded in agreement.

    "Where do you need help?"

    Iah pointed at the vegetables to the side, "I''m making some vegetable soup if you could help with the chopping".

    Sharli got to work.

    "Funniest thing, I could have sworn I saw you at the market earlier," Iah said.

    "Oh?" Sharli asked, her knife hesitating as she went to peel the potatoes.

    "Yeah," Iah said, "There was this woman on the cart, could have sworn it was y-"

    "Ah!" Sharli hissed as the knife sliced at her finger.

    Iah rushed over quickly, "What are you doing? Careful!"

    She pulled her sister over to the sink and turned on the tap. She''d been so grateful to Rassa for the running water.

    She looked over at Meg, who was looking over worriedly, "Go and get the bandages please, Meg".

    Meg put down her cheese and hurried to comply.

    "I''m fine, it''s just a little cut," Sharli insisted.

    Iah sighed, "Where is your mind? You seem distracted".

    Sharli shook her head, "I just need some sleep. That''s all. I''ll be better in the morning".

    Iah could practically see her sister''s walls go up. She sighed. Fine, if she couldn''t get her to talk now, she''d try again in the morning when she didn''t have the same excuse.

    "Fine, maybe you should go rest then. I''ll bring some food up to you later," Iah said, "Besides, I''d rather not have you bleeding all over the food".

    Sharli nodded as Meg returned with the bandages. Meg helped her bandage the cut before Sharli disappeared up to bed.

    "Is Sharli okay?" asked Meg.

    Iah smiled, "Of course, she''s just tired is all. She''ll be better in the morning".

    Meg nodded and sat back down with her cheese.

    ***

    Iah was pretty sure the sun had yet to rise when she was roused from a deep sleep. The movements were only quiet, barely audible apart from a faint rustling, yet the movement alone was enough to push her consciousness to the forefront. She opened her eyes, heavy as they were from her sudden wakefulness. She squinted in the dark across the room to her sister''s bed.

    "Sharli?" Iah mumbled.

    The figure who was standing beside the bed froze, looking over towards Iah.

    "What are you doing up?" asked Iah, yawning as she sat up, "Is something wrong?"

    Sharli didn''t reply as Iah rubbed her eyes. Instead, she hurriedly placed a few sets of clothing into a bag.

    "Sharli?" asked Iah again, more alert now, "What are you doing?"

    Sharli tied up the bag and slung it over her shoulder, "I''ve got something to do Iah. Something that needs to be done?"

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    Iah frowned, "What are you talking about? Where are you going?"

    Sharli walked to their bedroom door, opening it and pausing in the doorway, "I''m going to find Rassa".

    Iah was awake now. She hurriedly threw away her covers and followed her sister out, hissing her words in the darkness of the hall so as not to wake the children.

    "What are you talking about, Sharli? You know we don''t have the resources to go out and find him," Iah said.

    "We don''t," Sharli replied as she entered the kitchen, taking a few of the apples and a wedge of bread and cheese and wrapping it before adding it to her bag.

    "So who does?" asked Iah in the silence.

    Sharli paused, then looked to her sister, "Someone who has just as much of a reason to find him as we do".

    Iah frowned for a moment as she thought about it. Her sister leaving the room. Suddenly, Iah''s eyes widened in realisation and she hurried after Sharli, "You can''t be talking about Ishta".

    Sharli was busy putting on her boots as Iah came to pause in front of her. Sharli only glanced up at her and Iah''s frown deepened.

    "No".

    She grabbed the bag from Sharli, pulling it off her shoulder, "You...why would you even consider him as an option?"

    Sharli sighed as she stood, "Give me the bag, Iah".

    "You''re not going," Iah insisted, "This is stupid and you know it".

    "This is our only choice!" Sharli snapped, her voice loud enough that Iah flinched in the otherwise quiet darkness. Sharli seemed to notice she''d scared her sister, and her expression softened somewhat before she continued, "Rassa can solve all of our problems, Iah. Everyone knows it. You''re all just in denial".

    "Sharli, he may have set us on a specific path, but we''re supposed to walk it without him, that''s what he wanted," Iah insisted, "If you go running after him you''re betraying his trust in you".

    "So what!" snapped Sharli, snatching back her bag, "It''s better than blindly walking on that path as if everything will turn out okay. Okay at least means that our family is together. We wouldn''t have had to send Kit away if he was here, tell me that''s not true".

    "I..."

    Iah couldn''t deny that. She knew Rassa would have found a way to keep them together. Her moment of indecision was enough for Sharli to open the front door and step out into the street.

    "Wait, Sharli!" called Iah, running after her sister, her heart in her throat as she turned to begging so that her sister wouldn''t leave, "Please! Please you can''t leave! You''re my sister, you can''t leave".

    Iah clung to Sharli. And Sharli froze for a moment, as if considering this point. Then Sharli took a deep breath and pushed Iah with enough force that Iah fell back onto the street.

    "Enough, Iah," Sharli said, "I''ve made my decision. This needs to be done. For our family".

    Iah''s eyes welled. Olly had been right. And there was no way that Iah had been able to stop it. But that didn''t mean she wouldn''t try now. Iah pushed herself onto her knees as she reached for her sister.

    "Please, Sharli, don''t go-"

    An damp shadow grew between her and her sister, and Iah recoiled from it with a gasp. She looked at her sister as she noticed a woman seem to meld from the shadows around them and stand beside Sharli.

    "Come, we''ll be late otherwise," the woman said.

    "Inktress," Iah breathed.

    Sharli paused for a moment, as if unsure, then nodded and stepped forward.

    Iah could only watch as they walked away, covering her mouth to keep from crying out in her distress as tears tracked a path down her cheeks.

 Chapter 214 The Failing Mission

    Jane sighed as she pushed the rice around the bowl in front of her. Six years in the academy and she''d never so much as thought of giving up. Two months on an Island on her first mission and she was seriously considering it.

    Despite having Leiv''s tracking abilities present, with Laura to back him up, they''d only had a minimal amount of luck. They''d managed to find where the charms had been hidden, a newly restored building in Port Leis that stood among a bunch of long abandoned streets. Their victory had been short-lived however, as they had no way into the vault, and simply blasting their way in, despite how easy and entertaining it would be for Seti, was against the rules. Just when they''d discovered the presence of a Shadow Magician there as well, his presence having been previously masked by that of the large amount of Evanine and Charms, Falla''s people had come and taken all the charms to the headquarters of Apple Star Trading. And, as the group had realised the following morning, the Shadow Magician as well.

    To be so close yet always one step behind. It bothered Jane. It bothered her whole team.

    Considering how Falla had denied her the first time she''d asked, Jane doubted her childhood friend would be anymore accommodating this time around. Jane considered going back to the building where the Charms had originally been stored, but even if that was Moonshadow Training, the fact that they were getting lessons on how to read and write from Falla''s subordinates showed that they knew little about the Charms.

    Jane''s eyes flicked to the shifting colours in the grain of the wood that made the table her Magician Team were currently sat at. It looked like thousands of tiny ants were moving against and around each other before they stopped. Jane''s eyes narrowed as she took in the table again. Disregarding the plates and bowls and utensils that covered most of the surface, it was clear to see that the grains had been shifted to form an image. More specifically, an image of Seti picking his nose.

    Seti seemed to notice the same moment she did, and he slapped the table angrily as he turned to look at Leiv.

    "Not funny elf-boy," he grumbled.

    "It''s a little funny," Laura smirked where she happily ate her soup.

    "Then should we see what he thinks you look like in the same pose?" asked Seti threateningly.

    Laura glared back.

    Jane sighed, "Enough. Leiv, change it back".

    Leiv''s entertained grin turned into a pout as he rubbed his finger on the table in a bored gesture and the grains of wood reverted back to their original place.

    "So, what are we doing today, oh fearless leader?" asked Seti, "Have you finally gained the insight I''ve been waiting for?"

    "You mean burning down Apple Star Trading in order to get to the charms?" asked Jane, "Just how stupid do you think I am?"

    "I don''t see how she could be much of a friend if she won''t even talk to you about it," Seti grumbled.

    Jane huffed, opening her mouth to speak.

    "Jane?"

    Jane turned to spot Falla in the doorway of the restaurant they were eating breakfast at.

    "Falla".

    Falla smiled warmly, "It''s good to see you again, have you been well?"

    Jane looked at her Magician Team, who looked between her and Falla with varying emotions. Laura seemed interested. Leiv seemed ready for some for of entertainment, anything to keep his boredom at bay. Seti seemed as if he was waiting for an order to attack and finally get the show on the road. Rizan was quiet and stone-faced as usual.

    "Fine, I''ve been fine. Yourself?"

    Falla''s smile faded a little for a moment before she shrugged, her smile returning, "As well as I can".

    There was an awkward silence between them before Jane realised she had yet to introduce her comrades.

    "Ah, this is my Magician Team," Jane said, "Laura, Leiv, Seti and Rizan".

    Falla nodded to each in turn, "Lovely to meet you all. I have heard much about you from Jane".

    "And us about you," Laura grinned, "I hear you''re quite the businesswoman. It''s impressive what you''ve managed to build without...well I mean, on your own".

    Falla smiled, "Thank you. I hear your achievements are quite something as well".

    Laura grinned, "Well-"

    "They''d be a lot better if we could complete this damn mission," Seti grumbled.

    The table turned to silence as awkwardness dawned between them. Falla didn''t lose her smile as she turned to look at Seti.

    "No progress then?"

    "No thanks to you," Seti replied.

    Falla continued to smile as Jane reprimanded her friend, "Seti, enough".

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    "It''s okay," Falla said, "He has a right to his opinions. If it were any other business deal, I probably would have helped you. But this one...this is deal involves a product that could very well change the world. It has already begun doing that or you wouldn''t be here. Are you going to tell me that if you were in my position, you''d tell everyone you knew and paint a target bigger than the one you''ve already got on your back".

    Jane frowned, "Someone''s after you?"

    Falla turned back to look at Jane, "Of course. I would be stupid to think they weren''t. You should know what the Charms'' existence means. Like I said, you wouldn''t be here if you didn''t".

    Jane fell silent as she looked at Falla. She couldn''t believe she''d never actually considered the danger Falla would be in. Sure they''d noticed others watching the Ruin, but Jane had automatically assumed they were just after the products. They were, of course. But getting the products now meant going through Falla, and Jane didn''t like that.

    "Do you need extra protection?" asked Jane.

    Falla sighed, "While I don''t want to say no, I don''t think its the wisest idea at the moment. But if that changes...I hope I can turn to you".

    Jane''s team looked at her, and Jane glanced at them before turning back to Falla, "We''ll stick around then".

    Falla smiled, "Thank you-"

    "That''s-"

    A commotion drew their attention to outside the store. A woman who had just stopped before it seemed quite distressed, and Jane noticed her talking to Falla''s subordinate Layn. Layn listened then, he stepped towards the store and looked at Falla seriously, the woman pushing past him.

    "Iah?" asked Falla as she recognised the woman, "What''s wrong?"

    The Iah woman looked both distressed and sad as she spoke, "It''s Sharli, she...she went to find Rassa".

    Jane froze at the name. Falla turned to look at Jane, and the two of them met eyes before Falla ushered Iah towards the door.

    "I''ll talk to you later, Jane," Falla said.

    Jane had seen the look in Falla''s eyes. She''d seen all the confirmation she needed. Rassa wasn''t exactly a common name, but Jane had been indecisive when she''d first heard the Iah woman speak it. It can''t have been Rassa died. Yet Falla''s gaze had told her different.

    Was this what her friend had been hiding from her? The fact that Rassa was alive? Jane watched them until they were out of sight, then she slowly turned back to the table. She wasn''t sure how to feel about the fact that Falla had hidden him from her. But her friend wouldn''t do that without a reason. There had to be a reason. There just had to be.

 Chapter 215 The Path to Moonshadow

    "Sit here," the Inktress had ordered firmly as she situated Sharli right near the helmsman of the ship, "And make sure our heading remains on the right path".

    Sharli had nodded, looking at the helmsman quickly to confirm that he was in fact ready to follow any directions she might give. She''d then hurriedly retrieved the Tracking Charm from her pocket and proceeded to make sure the ship remained pointed steadily in the direction of Rassa''s fading line. That had been a week ago ago.

    On occasion, usually for a couple of hours at a time, Sharli was allowed to retreat below deck to have a break from the sun which seemed to grow harsher the further they traveled south. At first the trip had been fun. Sharli had never been on a ship before despite living on an Island. That had worn off rather quickly however as she was forced to sit in the same spot for hours on end, occasionally instructing the helmsman to correct his course. Even that didn''t happen often, he was pretty good at keeping the ship steadily sailing in the same direction.

    The crew had barely spoken to her except to instruct her to move, or eat. Either one. The silence got to her. A constant reminder that she''d left her own family behind. Here she was just a tool, useful until they found what they were looking for. Sharli didn''t relish the thought of what would happen to her when they found Rassa.

    One morning, as she was watching the bow of the ship rock back and forth as it crossed the choppy waters, she suddenly felt the damp coldness of the Inktress''s grip on the back of her neck. She gasped as she was yanked backwards, looking up as the Inktress stared down at her.

    "Where are you leading us?" asked the Inktress.

    Her question roused nearby members of the crew, who looked on in curiosity.

    "T-to Rassa," Sharli said as she swallowed. She could see the threat in the Inktress''s eyes.

    The Inktress gritted her teeth in frustration, "This is not the right way".

    Sharli frowned, "It is".

    Sharli released her, pushing her forward again, "Don''t play games with me, I really don''t have the patience, where are you leading us?"

    "I told you, to-"

    "Illai".

    Ishta commanding tone drew the crew''s attention as he emerged from the cabin behind the helm, one of his subordinates holding an umbrella above him to shield him from the sun.

    "Master," the Inktress replied, bowing her head, "She''s leading us the wrong way".

    Ishta''s gaze turned to Sharli, "I certainly hope not, because that would mean a wasted journey, and everyone should know how I feel by now about wasted journeys".

    Some members of the crew shivered, as if recalling something they''d rather not. Sharli held up the stone.

    "I''m just following where its telling me to go. Where Rassa is," Sharli said.

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    "But this isn''t where drowned him," Illai said, gritting her teeth, "We have to go further West for that. We would have reached there by now if we were going there".

    Ishta, after listening to his servant, turned back to Sharli in question, as if she could give an explanation. Sharli opened and closed her mouth, searching for one. Illai moved forward and Sharli recoiled.

    "W-wait!" Sharli protested, "Couldn''t the currents drag him elsewhere? Or...or could someone else have taken him? Like perhaps a fishing vessel?"

    Illai hesitated, frowning as if she hadn''t wanted to consider that possibility.

    "Fishing vessel don''t come out this far," she said.

    "But the currents are certainly a possibility," said the Captain from beside the helmsman, "How long as this man been missing?"

    "Nearly three months," Sharli said when no one responded.

    The Captain nodded, "The current don''t usually go this way, but it''s possible he could have been pulled into several. He could be anywhere. Besides, you ain''t even considered the possibility of the Merfolk getting involved".

    "The Merfolk don''t like humans," Illai hissed, "They''d sooner kill them for entering their territory than save them".

    The Captain shrugged, "We can''t pretend to know their ways. There''s a reason they''ve remained so secretive for so long".

    Ishta sighed, looking at Sharli, "If you lead us the wrong way, I''ll let her drown you too".

    Ishta indicated to the Inktress, Illai. Sharli nodded gravely.

    They left her be again.

    Sharli clutched the tracking charm in her hand again, watching Rassa''s flickering line. It was less faded now so Sharli knew she was closer, but it was flickering faster than ever, as if preparing to fade for good.

    Hold on Rassa, Sharli thought, I''m coming.

    ***

    Ishta looked at the Captain whose eyes were fixed on the maps and sea charts in front of him.

    "Well?" asked Ishta.

    The Captain glanced up and sighed, "She''s still saying to head South, but from what I can see from the Charts, we''re too far west from the nearest port".

    "We''ve nearly reached the Southern Continent, then?" asked Ishta. Thank the Gods, he''d been on this ship for two and a half weeks. He may have run a Trade Company, but Ishta spent as much time on land as necessary, he didn''t relish sea travel because it meant he had practically nothing to do.

    "Yes, Sir," the Captain replied, "Though if we keep going on this same course, and this Rassa is not in the water...we''ll have nowhere to access the main land".

    Ishta was well aware of where they were headed. He''d never traveled this far west himself, but the Fairy Forest was a place for the faint of heart. And it''s northern border, hundreds of leagues long, was dominated by cliffs that left it near inaccessible. For those few paths that were rumoured to exist, no one had survived or made it back to make them well-known.

    "If we manage to get all the way to the border, will we have enough supplies to make it to the nearest beach or port so that we can get on land?"

    "We''ll have to travel west for at least three days," the Captain replied, "But yes we should be able to make it".

    Ishta gritted his teeth, perhaps he should send Illai ahead to search the waters so that they didn''t waste too much time.

 Chapter 216 The Hope of a Boy

    The new buds of Spring had broken through the frost of winter. Though the nights were still cold, for the first time in a long time, Rassa couldn''t bring himself to care about what happened during the darkest part of the day. Instead he stood by candles and torches and wood oven fires. Smiling with his parents on some nights and his friends on others.

    He found time passing him by. The rhythm of work and the warmth in his heart seeing and interacting with his home as he used to allowing him to push any worries of his life outside of the illusion aside. The illusion in fact was becoming more real to him than his life outside. Still, it was in those deep nights, when the candles were doused and the fire had burned out that Rassa found his mind drifting elsewhere. Where he found himself in his dreams were memories of what he was. Of what he would always be. The reminder, where at first it had grounded him and made him determined to find a way out faster, it now turned into resentment.

    He wanted no part in the pain and blood lust that had ruled his life before. He just wanted peace. He just wanted to be free of the burdens that had been placed on him so long ago just because they''d thought his will was strong enough. His will? How was will enough to get past all that he had been through. To face it and tell himself that this was his life, that it always would be.

    So one night, Rassa decided not to douse the candle by his bedside. He would let light lead him to his peace, not the shadow that had always ruled his life. Only then, much to his disgust and increasing frustration, he couldn''t sleep.

    Taking the candle with him, Rassa walked down the streets, out towards the orchard then over to the lake. Surai sat there, waiting for him as she stared out over the water.

    "I''ve made my decision," Rassa said.

    Surai didn''t look at him, practically ignoring him.

    "Surai, I-"

    "Yes, I heard you," she replied, "I also wouldn''t say you have".

    Rassa frowned, "I''m not going back there. To all that pain, both mine and that of others. It''s not how I want to live my life. It is too big of a burden. I would rather stay here".

    "Would you?" asked Surai, turning to look at him, then her eyes flicked to the candle, "I think you''re just clutching onto the hopes of a boy. I told you to pick between the man and the monster. Not the boy and the burdens".

    "You sound like you''re the one who has made the rules when you said this was my choice," said Rassa.

    "And you are making it by my power," Surai snapped back, "I told you to prove to me that you were confident in your choice. That it was absolute and that you''d never go back on it. You have yet to do that".

    "I have too, I have accepted this life," Rassa insisted.

    "Then what is the reason you''re carrying that candle, Rassa?" asked Surai.

    Rassa blanched, unprepared for the question as his gaze flickered down to the flame.

    "I..."

    Surai was suddenly before him and he took a step back though she didn''t seem to notice.

    "Our lifelines are black because Chaos prefers the boundless possibilities of the night sky to the restricted Order of Day," Surai stated, "You may not be able to see your Life Lines in this Illusion as they are meant to appear, but you know they are there. You still feel them".

    Rassa frowned, thinking of the scars on his back as Surai continued to speak.

    "You carry that candle because it is a source of light," Surai stated, "And in trying to escape what Chaos granted you, you have manifested light as your shield. So long as the light is there, and the candle remains lit by your own will, you have not made a decision".

    Rassa stared at the candle, then at Surai who seemed to be waiting for him to say something, do something. He didn''t disappoint her, "Is that what I need to do then? To prove to you that a decision has been made? Just blow out the candle?"

    Surai chuckled, "If your decision was so simple you would have done it already".

    Rassa frowned. Then what did she want him to do to prove his decision was made.

    "Alright, Rassa, I''ll make it simple for you," Surai stated, "If you can blow out the candle, I''ll consider your decision made".

    Rassa took in a breath to do just that but Surai held up a hand to stop him, "But, when you do it, accept the consequences. All thoughts of Aegin, Ebony, Falla and whoever else you left behind must disappear with the light. Let it carry them away for good, so that the man you choose to be will not carry the burdens with him. ".

    From the look in her eyes, Rassa knew that Surai was serious. That this had to be absolute. It was one life or the other. Rassa stared down at the flame between he and Surai, watching as it flickered between them. She was giving him exactly what he wanted. What he''d asked for. He''d wanted to give Aegin and Ebony and the others a chance to live on their own. A chance for them to live their lives without his shadow forever following them. Surai seemed to see the indecision in his eyes.

    "You''re the only one in this illusion, Rassa, the consequences are yours to bare alone," Surai said.

    They were his, yes. But if those consequences meant he could live the life he''d always hoped for, the peaceful one where his parents were still alive and his friends had never abandoned him...then he''d throw aside the burdens that had always been on his shoulders in a heartbeat.

    Surai saw the decision in his eyes as Rassa took a deep breath, and as he released it, the candle flame extinguishing between them, he could have sworn he saw her eyes turn sad, as if he was passing his burdens onto her. Her words echoed in the darkness, following him all the way back to his bed and into his dreams.

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    "So be it".

 Chapter 217 The Watery Depths

    Sharli looked up at the cliffs in the distance. They''d come into view an hour before when the cry ''land ho!'' had rung from above. Sharli had gotten excited. Three weeks on this ship and she was itching to get off.

    Only the cliffs, as she could see them clearer now, were quite clearly too high to climb. Still, that didn''t stop her from admiring their magnificence, or the edge of the forest that she could just make out high above.

    "What Forest is that?" asked Sharli.

    The Helmsman gave her a side glance, as if making sure she was being serious before he spoke, "You never been this far south?"

    Sharli shook her head.

    The Helmsman sighed, "It''s the Fairy Forest, Miss".

    Sharli''s eyes widened. The Fairy Forest? That place where all manner of magical creatures lived and no human dared venture for fear of getting lost...or worse? She''d heard many stories of such a place.

    She glanced down at the tracking charm in her hand, then at the line that clearly told her go past the cliffs to find who she was looking for. She paled. If Rassa was in the Fairy Forest then...

    "So he is in there?" asked Ishta as he looked at Sharli.

    Sharli turned to look at Ishta, then nodded reluctantly.

    Ishta gritted his teeth, "Tell the Captain to head for the nearest Port".

    "But I thought the Forest was-"

    "With you, we shouldn''t get too turned around, should we?" asked Ishta with a threatening raise of his eyebrow, as if he was daring her to defy him just so that he could do something unspeakable to her. Probably hand her off to Illai.

    Sharli felt sick.

    Speaking of the Inktress, she arrived back on the ship just as it was turning to the East.

    "No sign of him," Illai reported.

    "Our Charm compass says he''s in the Fairy Forest," Ishta stated. The Inktress didn''t look all that happy about the news either, "Perhaps the Merfolk did get to him".

    ***

    Sharli lay in the hammock that had been assigned to her below deck, the tracking charm warm in her hands. She''d used it a lot for the past hour. Clutching it in her hand as she stared down the line that led North-West of her. Towards her sister. She kept picturing her sister''s betrayed and pained expression as Sharli had pushed her away then walked off with Illai. If she saw her again, she''d have a lot of explaining to do.

    Sharli sighed, ready to roll over and go to sleep when the flickering of Rassa''s line suddenly got so rapid that it scared her. Sharli sat up, somewhat panicked as she watched it. Then, before she could even breath a word, it was extinguished.

    Sharli stared at the spot where it had been, shocked. No. He couldn''t die. He hadn''t died. Sharli rubbed at the Charm with her sleeve, convinced there was something wrong with it. But when she clutched it again, there was no line to Rassa. It was just gone, as if he''d never been there in the first place.

    "No," Sharli whispered.

    She felt a cold presence at her back, and she turned to find Illai looking at her, a cold smirk on her lips, "What''s wrong, Sharli?"

    "I..."

    Illai grabbed Sharli dragging her from the hammock. Sharli hit the deck hard, letting out a short squeal in pain, but Illai proceeded to drag her across the deck and towards the stairs. The crew stepped out of the way, not in the least bit concerned about Sharli''s well-being as she was dragged up into the night air then over to Ishta''s quarters.

    Ishta emerged thanks to the commotion, glaring between Illai and Sharli. Illai kneeled, "Something is wrong, Master. With the Tracking Charm".

    Ishta''s eyes cut to Sharli.

    Sharli sat up as best she could, tears in her eyes from the pain in her limbs that would no doubt mean bad bruises, "It''s fine, I-"

    "You didn''t look fine as you panicked over it," Illai stated.

    Sharli gritted her teeth, then took a deep breath, knowing that there was no escaping her fate now.

    "He''s dead".

    Speaking it aloud made it real. Sharli felt the tears in her eyes before she could stop them. Her last hope. Her family''s last hope. Gone just like that. She''d waited too long. She should have gone to Ishta straight away.

    "What did you say?" asked Ishta.

    "Rassa, he''s dead".

    Ishta gritted his teeth, "How?"

    "The Charms are connected to our blood. If we die, or the essence of a blood changes, we are no longer considered a part of the sequence," Sharli stated.

    "And he couldn''t have changed?" asked Ishta.

    Sharli shook her head. This felt different. He was certain that he''d died, as hard as it was for her to accept.

    Ishta growled angrily, backhanding Sharli hard enough to send her sprawling onto the deck.

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    "Useless," he growled, "Useless wench, take care of her".

    "Yes, Master".

    Illai''s cold hands were all Sharli felt as she was dragged to the side of the ship.

    "N-No!" Sharli cried as she realised what was happening. He hadn''t even hesitated to get rid of her. There was no second thoughts or reasons to keep her around. Her usefulness as a tool had been used up. Sharli only saw his back as he disappeared back into his quarters. She felt weightless as she fell into the water below, but that quickly gave way to the feeling of being dragged down to the depths, the ship disappearing from her blurry sight as the salt water stung her eyes.

    Her lungs burned shortly after, begging for air she knew she''d never get. She sought a light, anything to show her the way even if she couldn''t get there. Then in her panic, she released the last of the air in her lungs, the last words she heard distorted and mocking.

    "Though you won''t be able to tell me, perhaps you''ll find out if your currents really can lead you to him".

 Chapter 218 The Abyss of Sorrow I

    *Eldovian Era 1711, 15th day of the 3rd month*

    Ebony twisted her ankle around in circles as she sat on the bed beside Aegin. He nodded in approval.

    "Good, I guess after they fixed me I should have had more faith in them," Aegin sighed.

    Ebony gave a small smile, "I don''t know, I think they''re more concerned about their own lives than ours. Not that I can blame them".

    The silence lapsed between the two of them, "I hear you''ve made friends".

    Aegin shrugged, "Well the group that I thought would be a problem turned out not to be. I think they''ve been here so long that they''ve accepted the reality that one day they''re all going to die here. Hence, they mourn the loss of their comrades, but they don''t blame the culprit for it. It''s like they''ve totally given up on any form of vengeance. Of escape".

    "Well, I''ll be sure to hope they don''t rub off on you then," Ebony said, "After all somebody has to train me".

    Aegin sighed, "I guess you have healed now so I should probably do something about keeping that promise, huh?"

    Ebony continued to look at him expectantly. A grin dawned on his face.

    "Do you remember the exercise that Rassa taught you?" asked Aegin.

    Ebony''s look dimmed slightly, "That was serious".

    "Of course it was," said Aegin, "They only let us meet once a week, so do that exercise for at least an hour a day. The rest of the running around they make you do will surely be enough work for you to help with your stamina. Don''t be too harsh on your leg though. If it starts hurting you''ll have to take a break. Just do it for an hour in total at first. We''ll work on doing it an hour straight another time".

    "That''s it?" asked Ebony, looking unimpressed.

    Aegin nodded, "That''s it".

    Ebony huffed, "I thought this was going to be more exciting, it''s so underwhelming".

    Aegin snorted, "Don''t know what you expected, but basics are necessary. You can''t throw a good punch if your muscles aren''t prepared for it".

    Ebony turned to look at him, "You okay?"

    Aegin turned back to her, "Are you?"

    Ebony grabbed onto his hand and held it as she leaned over to rest her head on his shoulder, "We''ll get out".

    "Agreed".

    As they sat in a companionable silence, Ebony''s hand delved into her pocket to hold the Tracking Charm there. She did it at least once a day, usually when she was going to bed to make sure Aegin was okay. She was sure that Aegin did the same for her. They''d take it off her it they found it on her, but they''d gotten more lax as the weeks dragged by and somehow Ebony got it back even if it was put into a locked box that she was not allowed anywhere near. When she explained its purpose to the Madame, and the fact that it would return to her within a couple of hours regardless of whether it was locked away or not, the Madame had been intrigued by it and wanted to know who made it. Ebony, ever the useful slave, had told her the Maker was unavailable for consultation.

    She clutched the tracking charm, watching as the lines came into existence around her, the one connecting her with Aegin the brightest. Falla, Iah and Kit up north. Sharli''s had started travelling south a few weeks ago and now...wait, where was Sharli''s line?

    ...

    Where was Rassa''s line?

    Ebony sat up sharply, taking the charm out of her pocket and holding it before her as she counted the lines.

    "Ebony?" asked Aegin, "What''s wrong?

    "The lines...where are Rassa and Sharli''s?"

    Aegin took out his own charm and looked, then he met Ebony''s worried gaze.

    "They''re not..."

    Aegin''s eyes turned sad as he placed the charm on the bed beside him, "I think we''re on our own now, Eb".

    Ebony''s cry was near silent as she felt the tear well in her eyes. Aegin pulled her into him, hugging her tightly as she released the breath, then sobbed deeply into his chest.

    ***

    Far across the sea, on the Eldovian east of Port Lovolon, Kit sat on the side of Star Pavilion, watching as Olly paced around and around, eyes wide in amazement and wonder as he took in the sights.

    There really didn''t seem to be much to see from a distance. It was just a round Pavilion about a hundred meters in diameter, a column large enough that Kit couldn''t put his arms all the way around it situated every ten meters or so. They weren''t holding up a roof though, they were holding up arches that connected each column, then rings that went around and around before joining together at the apex. Olly had been so excited when he''d seen it, and even more excited the closer to the center he walked. He was even more excited when the night sky became visible and the stars came out. At one point, Kit was sure he''d wet himself, but then, even if he had Kit was positive that Olly wouldn''t care.

    He sighed, "Olly we''ve been here for hours, what exactly are you looking at".

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    "The beginning and the paths to the end," Olly replied.

    Kit sighed, looking over his shoulder at Olly, "Are we going to bed any time soon? Lync said we''re leaving in the morning to go to the Mine".

    "Can''t miss this, can''t miss this," Olly said.

    Kit rolled his eyes, he couldn''t exactly leave him alone. He''d done that in Port Lovolon when he''d bought the horses and as a result he''d lost Olly in a market. He''d found him arguing with street vendor who played find the coin with his customers.

    Kit had gotten him out of that argument as quickly as possible.

    In the month and a half they''d been at the Star Pavilion, Olly had barely left the Pavilion itself. Lync had insisted that Kit and Olly wait at the Pavilion until it was safe to move forward to the mines. The winter snow had taken longer to clear up than usual.

    Olly suddenly froze, noticed only by Kit because the excitable pacing finally stopped. Kit grinned as he stood and turned to face Olly.

    "So you''re finally...Olly? What''s wrong?"

    Olly had a complicated expression on his face as he appraised the Mist around him and stared towards the South-East. After a moment, he turned to look at Kit, his eyes sad but so clear.

    "Sharli...she jumped off the cliff and cannot return," Olly said.

    Kit frowned, then he pulled out his Tracking Charm and clutched it tight in his hand. The lines came to life around him, there was Ebony and Aegin, Iah and Falla...no Sharli.

    "Sharli''s dead," Kit whispered, tears filling his eyes. Then he noticed the other missing line, "What about Rassa?"

    He looked up at Olly for an explanation.

    "Is he dead too?"

    Olly frowned, "I...I can''t see Rassa".

    "What do you mean?" asked Kit.

    "The Mist won''t tell me, and I cannot see it. It''s like he doesn''t even exist," Olly said, "If I had to guess...I''d say he has made a decision".

    Kit bit his lip as he tried to keep his emotions in check. It didn''t work as he found himself on his knees, tears falling down his cheeks, "They''re dead. We left so they wouldn''t die, didn''t we?"

    He looked to Olly. Olly approached him, then sat down beside Kit and placed a hand on Kit''s shoulder.

    "Not everything is so black and white," Olly said.

    Kit had no idea what he meant, but knew that Olly was trying his best to comfort him.

 Chapter 219 The Abyss of Sorrow II

    Iah had been holding the charm when she''d watched Rassa''s line flicker then disappear. She''d sat in shocked stillness for several minutes, just waiting for it to return. When it didn''t, she''d felt the sob creep up her throat and come out without warning. He was dead. Rassa was actually dead. And just as she was processing that. Her sister''s line had disappeared too.

    She hadn''t known what to do, so she''d thrown the charm across the room, horrified by what she''d seen. When she''d sobbed enough, she crawled across the room and picked up the charm again, just to confirm she wasn''t wrong.

    She hadn''t been. The lines were no longer there. Rassa and Sharli both, were gone.

    She sat there all night against the side of the bed, though she had no idea time was passing until little Meg knocked on the the door.

    "Iah?"

    Iah had turned to her, rousing from her sorrow as she looked at Meg. Meg''s eyes had widened at whatever she''d seen in Iah''s eyes. After a moment, Iah had taken a breath before she''d spoken.

    "Ask Jennie to look after the Ruin today, Meg, I''ll be back later this evening," Iah said.

    "Are you okay?" asked Meg.

    Iah couldn''t manage a smile, not even for Meg, "I don''t know. Ask me again tomorrow".

    Iah had dressed then gone to town and taken a cart to Port Cresh. Layn had frowned when he''d seen her, but let her into Falla''s office without hesitation.

    "Iah?" asked Falla. One look and Iah knew that Falla had yet to look at the Tracking Charm. She took out her own, and Falla took the hint.

    Just a couple of moments later, the Falla sat down beside Iah on the couch in her office, "No appointments today, Layn".

    Layn had nodded. He''d returned only once to give them some tea, but that was cold now as the two of them sat in silence.

    "What do we do now?" asked Iah. She didn''t want to think about the future. Not when it hurt so much. But she had twenty-five kids waiting for her in the Ruin. Some of them might have been old enough to fend for themselves but not all. Falla had a business too. A business that now rested on a deal with a...with a dead man.

    Falla remained silent as Iah spoke again.

    "What about Kit and Olly? Ebony and Aegin?"

    "I don''t know," Falla breathed, her voice hitching at the end. She swallowed, "I...I just don''t know".

    Iah turned to look at Falla, and she was sure she saw someone as broken as she was. They were exhausted and broken. How were they going to pick themselves up after this? What exactly were they working towards? Part of their family were already gone after all, how much longer until the remainder went too?

    Just as they were wallowing in their despair, the door burst open with a strong gust of wind.

    Iah looked up to see the Air Magician that Falla was acquainted with storming through the door.

    "Alright Falla, I think I''ve been patient enough, it''s been nearly a month and you have yet to..."

    Her rage was snuffled out as she took in her friend who sat slumped on the couch with another. The very aura around the two of them was filled with hopelessness, and Jane immediately realised that maybe she should have listened to Layn before she''d stormed in.

    "Falla? Are you okay?"

    That seemed to be the catalyst. Falla burst into tears, sobbing into her hands, "I''m sorry, Jane! I''m so sorry, I should have just told you".

    Jane hurried around the couch and moved in to comfort Falla, "What are you going on about Falla, what''s happened to make you so sad?"

    Falla sniffed, attempting to gather enough breath between sobs to explain, only to burst into more tears.

    "He''s...d-d-dead," she managed between them, "Rassa''s d-dead!"

    Jane''s eyes widened, then narrowed in disbelief. She''d only just found out that Rassa was still alive, now he was dead again? She needed an explanation. She looked up at Layn, who stood still in the doorway, stunned after following Jane in and hearing his Mistress''s confession.

    "Explain," Jane demanded.

    Layn hesitated, but after a quick glance from Falla, Layn closed the office door and complied.

    He explained how he and Falla had encountered Rassa during the Trader''s Festival. How Falla had discovered that he was the man behind the new protection charms in her bid to reconcile with him. How Rassa had agreed to a contract with Falla regarding the charms before he''d done the bare minimum in preparing for such a venture and then gone south. Layn then mentioned how Ishta had gotten involved, and how Rassa and his two companions Ebony and Aegin had met with his subordinate, the Inktress. Ebony and Aegin were apparently still alive, and until just the night before, Rassa had been holding on in some semi-alive state. When Jane asked how they knew all this, Iah explained the tracking charms to her, showing Jane the charm willingly.

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    "Why didn''t you tell me all this before?" asked Jane, "I could have helped".

    Falla, still sniffling, sighed, "Jane, he''s not the boy you left behind. Rassa now is...I don''t know, darker, colder. There are moments when I think I might see an inkling of the boy that was, but whatever he''s been through the past few years, it can''t have been any good. He never sought to explain it but I think he spent most of those years imprisoned. He''s only been able to escape in the last six months or so".

    "So you kept it from me because you thought I wouldn''t be able to understand?" asked Jane.

    "I kept it from you because you spent so long in that Academy seeking a way to protect him," Falla said, "The last thing he wanted was protection. He didn''t want a cage, no matter how well-meaning or unintentional it might have been".

    "I wouldn''t have treated him that way," Jane insisted.

    "I guess we''ll never know now," Falla replied, then she gave a cruel chuckle, "And now we''ve got this entire business that he tried to start and never got the chance to see. I haven''t been able to find a proper trade route from the mines in the past four months, how am I supposed to do it now? Is there even a point?"

    Jane''s eyes narrowed. The last time Jane had been like this was after her husband had died. She hadn''t been able to stay by her side then. She wouldn''t do the same to her friend now.

    "Let me help," Jane said.

    Falla looked over at Jane, "I couldn''t ask you to do that, you''ve got commitments to your mission and the guild you don''t-"

    "My duty as a Magician is to protect the people," said Jane, "At the very least, I can ensure your safety as you work".

    "Ishta has a Hybrid Magician and gods know what else working under him," Falla said.

    Jane gave a small smile, "I have one too, this Inktress may be able to stand up against one or two Magicians, but I doubt she''d be much use against five. She won''t touch you...or the Ruin".

    Iah looked at Jane in surprise, "Thank you".

    Jane gave a small shrug, "You told me that place was Rassa''s. Least I can do while he''s gone is protect it, even if he doesn''t want anything to do with me".

    And so an agreement was forged between the three women. They would mourn. They would pick themselves back up. Then they would work for what they''d been working towards before. A better future for their family.

    ***

    Two years and Three Months Later...

 Chapter 220 The Untouchable Merchandise

    *Eldovian Era 1713, 3rd day of the 6th month*

    The clanging ring of metal against metal resounded through the arena, shortly followed by the excited roar of the crowd. Aegin retreated, backing into Talo so that they stood back to back.

    "What''s happening Bloodthorn? Are you getting old?"

    Aegin scoffed, ignoring the comment from the trident wielding crowd favourite, "Trust the Slave Master to bring in talents from abroad just to keep the crowd entertained".

    "Well they got bored of us winning all the time, and the last thing he wants to do is put his Nine Reapers on the chopping block against one another," Talo replied.

    That was true, Aegin was sure that the Slave Master had learned from Aegin''s fight with Beast two years ago what the cost was for putting his prized fighters in a fight to the death.

    "Duck!" called Talo.

    Aegin followed the instruction, Talo''s spear swinging over the top of Aegin before it sent one of the foreign warriors flying to the side towards where Garrow, the only one among them who preferred fighting his his fists. With good reason too, the guy had absurd strength.

    On this particular occasion, the Slave Master, in the process of entertaining guests from afar, had complied with the request of that foreign dignitary to pit the famed Nine Reapers of Herguard against one of his guard squadrons. This particular Squadron had thirty individuals that were quite well trained, but clearly not used to the lawlessness of the Arena. There were only sixteen of them left and the Reapers had only earned minor injuries so far.

    Aegin parried the jab of a spear and made his own move forward. Over the last two years, he''d grown quite close to the other Reapers. There was an understanding between them, one that stemmed from years of having been forced to fight for their survival in more ways than one. They understood that death was just a part of the life they lived, but they''d also come to acknowledge the fact that if they closed themselves off from everybody, it was a lot harder to live what little was left of their lives.

    The Reapers consisted of eight individuals of which Aegin was the newest. He was not the youngest however, that burden fell upon Layton, the sixteen year old whip wielding expert that had been put into his first Arena at 12, two years before Aegin''s arrival. He''d essentially been cannon fodder when he''d been placed in there with forty-nine other boys against a pack of starving wolves. He''d been the only one to survive, and had been dubbed the name ''Wolfsbane'' as Aegin had been dubbed ''Bloodthorn''.

    Talo, the one Aegin was closest too, had been kidnapped from the fishing villages along the northern coast of the Southern Continent when the Pirates had gone plundering. He''d never thought his skill at wielding a harpoon would come in handy anywhere else until he''d been thrown in the arena. He''d taken a trident when they didn''t have a harpoon in the Weapon''s Vault. He''d been dubbed ''Lovisson'' after the God of the Sea, Lovis, shortly after. Talo had been in the Arena for a decade now, and he was in his late twenties, though birthdays had stopped meaning much for many of the slaves here. It only meant they were getting older, and slower, and therefore increasingly closer to their last fight.

    Garrow was the muscle. He never talked much about his past, but he was around Talo''s age and refused to wield a weapon. He''d been dubbed ''The Bear'', but prior to when Beast died, hadn''t had an awful lot of attention paid to him thanks to their similar styles and physiques.

    Some of the more popular Reapers were the sword twins, Eros and Eon. They were from a country far to the South, and kept mostly to themselves except for the Reapers. They were only a couple of years older than Aegin and protected each other fiercely, never apart for long whether in the Arena or not.

    The final three Reapers were the bowman, Alistair, who was the oldest among not just the Reapers, but the Arena Warriors as a whole, just entering his forties. Will, the man slightly older than Talo who fought and sounded a lot like an Eldovian Knight, though Aegin had never gotten him to open up about it, and Sel, the assassin like warrior who after one awkward encounter, Aegin had discovered to be a eunuch.

    He certainly didn''t fight like a eunuch, Aegin thought as he caught Sel out of the corner of his eye, weaving between the enemies with such speed and prowess they barely had time to react before they were either choking on their own blood or screaming in pain. Aegin had sparred with Sel more than once, even he''d struggled to keep up.

    ***

    Ebony poured the goblet of wine effortlessly, with all the propriety she was supposed to display. She watched the fight out of the corner of her eyes as she moved seamlessly between the dignitaries and Herguard elite alike.

    The Reapers were absolutely slaughtering their challengers, just as their name suggested. When the name had been bestowed on them a little over a year ago, the Slave Master had been ecstatic. Now he regularly allowed foreign challengers to visit and test out the skills of his greatest warriors in a fight that took place bimonthly. The Reapers had yet to lose.

    "Girl, come here," one of the foreigners ordered. He indicated to his lap, and Ebony tried not to look utterly disgusted. Denna, one of the other slave girls, swept in front of the foreigner to draw his attention and gave him a ''come-hither'' flutter of her eyelashes as she smiled.

    "May I, Master?"

    He seemed surprised, but seeing Denna''s willing and supple body, his attention was drawn away quickly. Ebony moved on. The Madame had instructed the girls to all do such things over the years. At first they''d been hateful towards Ebony, not understanding why she was let off from such duties. However, after Ebony started passing on the lessons Aegin gave her about self defense and the Havoi style, they started respecting her a little more. Granted, Ebony wasn''t all that much of an expert, but her determination had allowed her to at least be able to spar with Aegin when they met up every week. She rarely won, but when she did she didn''t let him live it down.

    She''d asked him to teach her other fighting styles as well, and he''d reluctantly started to, though Ebony had realised quite quickly why he and Rassa had decided that the Havoi style was better for her. Other styles took a whole lot more effort.

    "More wine!" one of the dignitaries called. Ebony realised that it was the man who had suggested the challenge when she approached. He didn''t look pleased. Ebony probably wouldn''t be either if she was watching her subordinates get killed for the entertainment of others.

    Ebony poured the wine into his goblet elegantly, then stepped back and turned to leave, only to be dragged back by her waist and to have the offending hand delve towards more private areas.

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    "Not that one, Lord Revierre," the Slave Master spoke without turning towards Ebony, "You can have any of the others, but not that one".

    "Is she yours?" asked the offending Lord, his hand stilling.

    The Slave Master scoffed, looking over at Ebony who kept her head bowed and her expression cold, "She''s the wife of one of the Reapers. He fights, and so long as he wins, she sticks to serving food and drink alone. He has yet to lose".

    Lord Revierre scoffed, "You made a deal with your merchandise? How unlike you".

    "It seemed interesting at the time," the Slave Master stated, "Though it is growing tedious. At this point I''m still deciding whether I''d prefer to lose him or her".

    Lord Revierre waited a moment, then released Ebony, pushing her tot he side as he tsked in displeasure, "Let me know when you do. This one looks delicious".

    Ebony tried not to shiver as she walked off, but such was the life she lived.

 Chapter 221 The Charm Crafters

    "Kit?" asked Olly from the other work bench, "How big was that Rensmitt order again?"

    Kit deactivated the Light Tool in his hand and flipped up his dark tinted goggles as he turned to look at Olly, "Ten each of the truth and protection charms, a lock set and a Clarity charm as well".

    Olly ruffled his hair, it was getting too long. He''d need to cut it soon, it Kit could draw him out of the Charm Crafting Warehouse for long enough. Maybe he''d just have to bring the scissors in here. That''d probably work better.

    "Still need two truth and a Clarity charm then," Olly said as he counted what was on the bench in front of him.

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    "I''m doing the Clarity now," Kit replied as he flipped his goggles back down and turned back to his work.

    "I''ll get the truth then," Olly spoke and Kit sensed it as he wondered off towards the crates of untouched Evanine to the side.

    Kit activated the Light Tool again, moving the concentrated light in the elegant swirls of the clarity rune. He liked doing the clarity runes, they always made him feel refreshed and invigorated after he finished them. Sure enough, the familiar coolness cleared his over-worked mind as he put down the Light Tool, moving over to Olly''s bench to put the Clarity Charm among the others in the order.

    Over the past year and a half, Olly and Kit had been steadily getting busier and busier, to the point where they barely left the Warehouse, working nearly dawn to dusk every day to create the charms that had been ordered from the main shops on Rouke Island. Not only did they need to keep up with regular stock, an order of nearly six hundred charms per type, per week, but also any specialised orders that came in. Some were just of larger sized charms that contained more power, but others were charms that were inlaid into jewelry or other accessories. The Rensmitt order was one of these, the protection and truth charms having been styled to fit into specially fashioned belts to be worn under the clothing of regular shop attendants.

    Luckily, Olly and Kit didn''t have to also fashion the jewelry. Their only job was to carve the charms. Any stylized orders were dealt with in the warehouse next to theirs by the ten or so craftsman of varying professions. They''d been specially trained so that when they were inlaying the charms into the appropriate accessories, they didn''t activate the Mist within then. Kit and Olly had tried to work in the opposing order for a few months, but it proved to be too difficult to carve the runes into the evanine without damaging the rest of the piece. Hence, they''d switched the order in which they did the work.

    Kit moved to the side as Olly proceeded to carve the truth charms. Despite Kit technically being the teacher, Olly had picked up the art of carving the charms much faster than Kit. He was also twice as fast. Kit had been annoyed at first, having Olly surpass him in the job that Kit had been given originally was a bit of a blow to his confidence. But Kit had quickly gotten over it. Olly may have been excellent at carving the charms, but he had no desire to do much else regarding the business. Kit was the one that took in the orders and made sure they were on track. He was also the one that made sure Olly took breaks to sleep and eat. At first it had been a pain seeing how much bigger Olly was compared to him. After Kit had had quite the rapid growth spurt however, it had become somewhat easier. He was still shorter than Olly by about a head, coming up to his shoulders, but it was better than coming up to his chest.

    Olly put down the completed truth charms and looked at Kit, "What''s next?"

    "Lunch," Kit said as he took the Light Tool out of Olly''s hand and put it on the bench before steering him out of the warehouse, "Go and get something to eat, I''ll join you after I drop off this order".

    Olly clearly wanted to protest, but he''d learned not to over the past couple of years, that usually earned him a shove from the shadows rather than Kit''s arms. The Shadows were less tolerant despite the fact they came from the same person.

    Kit gathered the charms from the Rensmitt order and put them on a tray before he moved through a side door and down a hallway to the next warehouse.

    "I''ve got the Rensmitt order," Kit called out as he kicked the door closed behind him. He put it on a bench as one of the craftsman, a middle aged man named Kei, moved towards him.

    "Good, the leather from the belts are done, we just need to do the metal work".

    "Sound good, it needs to go out in tomorrow morning''s shipment," Kit replied.

    "Not a problem," Kei replied, "We''ll get it to the loaders this evening".

    Kit acknowledged his words then headed for the door to meet Olly for lunch.

    The business that they''d created was now running well. Falla had struggled at first to find a way to get the charms out of the mine and to Rouke Island without anyone noticing. It wasn''t until Olly, and his great smuggling mind came up with the idea of specially crafted crates that they managed to find a way around it. The crates looked ordinary from the outside, but the inside was lined with Evanine that held both the protection rune and the locking rune. Not only did the crate lock up and become practically indestructible without a specific unlocking rune, they could also locked to each other and the carts that transported them. It was an ingenious system that Olly had created, and it meant that they no longer had to smuggle the Evanine in fabrics which was the system they''d used for the first few months.

    Kit was not aware of the exact numbers in terms of their profits, but some of the names that came in on the orders let him know just how powerful some of the people who were asking for products from Moonshadow Trading were. There was no way that Iah and Falla wouldn''t be earning a fortune. A Fortune he''d been told that had been partially placed in accounts opened for both him and Olly. Kit had only requested an allowance for himself. He and Olly only took a 4 day break every month to the nearest town which was a day''s ride away.

    Olly waved at Kit from across the cafeteria. The Mine hadn''t been all that well equipped when they''d initially arrived, but thanks to profits that Kit had requested, he''d built several warehouses for the different work stations as well as living quarters and a main dining hall for those that lived and worked there. The Miners and other workers had been quite astounded by his shadows at first, but once they saw how quickly everything came together (just two months to build several large building around the Mine), they''d been especially grateful to Kit for the new and improved facilities.

    Kit sat down beside Olly who''d gotten a plate for him.

    "They''re serving pork stew," Olly grinned. Olly had a special love for pork. Clearly lunch was worth it this time around. Kit took up a spoon of his own. Just a quick lunch, then it''d be back to work.

 Chapter 222 The Charm Merchants

    Iah smiled warmly as she opened the case that the two workers had just set on the table in front of the customer.

    "I hope this satisfies your request, Mr Rensmitt," Iah said, her hand swept over the contents as she reiterated his order, "Ten belts inlaid with protection and truth charms, a locking and unlocking charm set and a large clarity charm".

    She opened the separate boxes for the clarity charm and the lock set. The charms they usually sold, what they considered ''small'' were about the size of the grape and could be found on the shelves out front if they were not placed in a specific order as Mr Rensmitt''s were. If any customer desired a medium charm, which was roughly the size of a chicken''s egg, or a large charm, which was about the size of an apple, they could place orders for it. Mr Rensmitt had taken advantage of this special order deal offered by Moonshadow Charms, and Iah could see the satisfaction on his face as he appraised the charms before him.

    "Excellent," he said, "You must thank your craftsman for this work".

    "I will do just that," Iah smiled back, "If there is no problem should we settle the bill?"

    "Of course, of course," Mr Rensmitt smiled, digging in his bag for his purse, "I believed the owed amount was 432 gold as you already had the 10% deposit, yes?"

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    "That is correct, Mr Rensmitt," Iah smiled before he handed over the pouch he had which Iah promptly handed the pouch to the workers to count, "The belts are quite something, Mr Rensmitt, I''m sure your subordinates will be quite thankful to you for caring for their safety".

    Mr Rensmitt chuckled at the praise, "So long as it keeps them and my business safe from the unexpected, it is more than worth it. This Clarity Charm was more for my own interest, I have heard great things about it".

    "The Clarity Charm is a favourite among the tired and stressed thanks to its properties, even despite its steep price," Iah stated, "Though I do not recommend using it more than once a day. Having the Mist''s power flow through the mind repeatedly can have some unwanted side effects".

    Mr Rensmitt nodded seriously before the attendants behind Iah tapped the table they were working at twice, a sign that the money was all present and accounted for.

    Iah stood, closing the box that held her customer''s item, "Thank you for your business, Mr Rensmitt, Ben and Taylor will walk the crate out to your carriage if you desire".

    "I would greatly appreciate the help, my old bones aren''t what they used to be," Mr Rensmitt smiled as he shook Iah''s hand gratefully then followed the two workers out.

    Iah heaped up the coin back into the purse and handed it to a passing worker in the hallway, "The accounting room please, the Rensmitt Order is completed".

    "Yes, Miss Moonshadow," the worker stated before she wondered off.

    Iah still wasn''t used to the name. The success of the business had practically bought it for her. Falla hadn''t thought anything of it when Iah had protested, "You''re a successful businesswoman now, it''s a good idea to take on a last name. I don''t think Rassa would mind that you take on his".

    Thanks to the money she now had, Iah had opened up accounts at the bank for Kit and herself as well as all the children. Most of them, thanks to Moonshadow''s success, had gotten apprenticeships at either Falla''s business or elsewhere on the Island. Only a few of the younger ones remained at the Ruin.

    When they''d abandoned the Ruin for the six months after Sharli and Rassa''s deaths, it hadn''t sat well with Iah. As soon as she was earning enough, she''d brought up the part in the contract that specified that Moonshadow was supposed to sell the charms. Falla had been impressed by Iah''s insistence, and had allowed the switch. Falla still earned 35% of the profit from the charms themselves, but Iah held the rest. Any inlays or the fabric pouches for holding the charms Falla earned 90% of their profit, with Iah only getting a share for distributing them.

    Still, despite how things were divided, Iah had no room to argue. They were earning 70,000 gold in just their regular stock every week, not to mention the special orders. Their growth in business was unprecedented. Despite moving the main business back to the Ruin, the flow of traffic hadn''t stopped, in fact, as the buildings around the Ruin were bought and rebuilt by Falla and Iah as well as many others, the entire district seemed to bloom in a little over a year. All thanks to Moonshadow Trading.

    Iah had kept thinking that eventually the profits would slow. Afterall, the Charms weren''t disposable items, but even after more than a year the business seemed to only be growing. People were coming from all over the world in order to buy their products, many begging them to build a shop in their countries. Iah and Falla had certainly considered it with the profits they were getting, but they barely had enough trustworthy staff as it was, besides, if they wanted the product, they''d come.

    Iah came into the front shop where there were half a dozen customers browsing the shelves and talking with the attendants.

    "Ah, Miss Moonshadows," Mei, one of the attendants approached her when she noticed Iah had entered the room.

    "Yes Mei?" asked Iah.

    "Miss Startree arrived whilst you were with Mr Rensmitt, I''ve directed her up to your office," Mei said.

    "Ah, thank you Mei," Iah smiled, "I''ll be up talking with her".

    Mei nodded respectfully as Iah turned and made her way back down the hallway. She passed the meeting rooms and the two storage rooms for new stock and special orders, then through then turned towards the staircase just before the large workroom that Olly and Kit would have been in had they been there. The only use it had now was the access to the vault. Iah then climbed to the second floor which held the accounting, records and public relations offices as well as the staff rest room. She avoided that hallway and went directly to the third floor.

    The third floor of the ruin held her office and the staff meeting room at the back, but at the front were her main living quarters. when the business had taken off, there had no longer been enough room to house all of the Ruin''s original tenants, so Iah had bought two buildings with apartments and had them redone before allowing the older ones to move in there and pay monthly rent at a very agreeable price. Falla had thought Iah was being a little too lenient when she''d heard the price, but Iah considered them family and never saw a problem.

    Iah had bought four other building over the year. One as staff living quarters, the other three as investments in other businesses. She''d been hesitant to invest at first, but the three she had invested in were all previous customers of Moonshadow whom she had gotten along with well. In return for Moonshadow owning 51% of their business shares, they were able to work and live in the buildings Iah bought for them rent free. Falla certainly thought that was too generous.

    But Falla didn''t run Moonshadow. Iah did.

 Chapter 223 The Jealous Rival

    Falla smiled as Iah walked in.

    "Iah, I see business is going well," Falla said.

    "As always," Iah smiled back as she took a seat opposite Falla who had helped herself to tea as she waited, "What brings you here?"

    "Well, I have come with a rather important order," Falla stated as she took out a piece of paper and handed it to Iah, "Jane recently reported to her superior on Moonshadow. Of course she did not reveal anything that is not publicly known, but her superior seems quite impressed by your business. He has placed quite the large order".

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    Iah raised an eyebrow at what was written there, "That is quite a large order, it will likely take the craftsman longer than the regular orders".

    "Yes, I informed her of that, at the moment she was only looking for a price and confirmation that you could complete it," Falla stated.

    Iah considered what was written there, and her eyes flicked to the name at the top.

    "The Eldovian Emperor should have more faith in such a booming business, of course we can complete it, as for the price, I will need to discuss it with the craftsman, though for the charms alone it will be 5,500 gold. The inlay into armour...we have only done a few pieces before but they did not hold a crest as this order demands. I would think at least 2 gold for every chest piece so that would make the total price around 7,500 gold," Iah iterated.

    Falla nodded, "I assumed it would be somewhere upwards of six thousand. Shall I make that your final quote?"

    "You can tell her it is my initial thoughts, though I have yet to speak to any artisans about the crests," Iah stated, "Regardless however, I will only agree should a deposit of 1,000 gold be paid".

    "A bit larger than your usual 10%, no?" asked Falla.

    Iah smiled, "When the order is greater than 5,000 gold worth of product, I think I have earned the right to have a little damage pay. Even from an Emperor".

    "I''ll let her know," Falla smiled back.

    ***

    Illai made no comment as she sat opposite her Master at the small cafe on Charm Street. Though, she was sure that if she didn''t speak soon, Ishta''s teeth would be ground down to his gums. Despite his attempts to thwart Moonshadow and their rising popularity, whether through more appealing business deals or outright threats, more and more customers kept pouring in for all corners of the known world. Illai had found herself accompanying her Master here at least once every few days so that he could watch the customer flow pour in and out of the Moonshadow Charm Shop.

    Really, Illai thought the street itself was indication enough of their success. She remembered vividly how the Cermine District had looked two years ago. If anyone had gone away then and come back down, they''d think they''d gotten lost. The street was not originally known as ''Charm Street'' but the locals had all agreed that it was a fitting name.

    It was not just Moonshadow that was doing well on this street either. Of course they came for the charms, but they stayed because of the many other boutiques, cafes and craftsmanship stores that had opened up along the street. There had been quite a few disgruntled shop owners who were losing business from the Market District in Port Leis, but even they''d agreed that a trip to Charm street was well worth it.

    Ishta had been stubborn and arrogant, positive that he was capable of thwarting their business before it got too big. Now, Illai knew that he came so often to Charm Street because he was waiting for any of the businesses to look like they were struggling. A place on Charm street was prime real estate now, and Ishta had missed his chance.

    Still, Illai didn''t say a word. She''d learned her lesson. Servants were better when they kept their mouths shut. Even when Falla Startree showed up a half hour ago and walked in with an air and grace only afforded to successful and powerful individuals.

    "Illai?" asked Ishta, breaking the silence.

    "Yes, Master," Illai acknowledged, sitting at attention.

    "I need you to find the craftsman," Ishta ordered.

    "Sir?" asked Illai. After the incident two years ago, he''d yet to trust her again with anything to do with Apple Star or Moonshadow Trading. Even when, just a few months before, Moonshadow had risen to become the tenth place Trade Company at the Trader''s Festival. It had shocked many. While Ishta had waved and happily accepted Gold once again, it was the first time Illai had ever seen her Master afraid. And he had reason to be. In eighteen months, Moonshadow had nearly achieved what he had in twenty years. With just one shop. Their growth was unprecedented, and many anticipated what another two years would do for their company. Was it possible, that in just under four years, they could become one of the top tier companies? On paper it seemed absurd, but when one watched Charm Street regularly they had to think...what if?

    "We''re aware that the Craftsman aren''t on the Island thanks to that useless woman," Ishta stated, "And the spies I sent managed to follow the cargo as far as Falla Startree''s Star Pavilion in Eldovia, but they''ve been cut off or mislead every time they try to enter and find the Craftsman".

    Illai had been aware that Ishta was still searching for the Magician boy who could carve the charms, and if they''d traced the charms back to the Star Pavilion, it was no wonder they''d hit a dead end. The Star Pavilion was a sacred place built inside a fortress. It had its own guard contingent that were specially trained to protect it. It would be the ideal place to keep the craftsman considering one could not enter without permission from the owner, but clearly Ishta wanted conclusive evidence, not hearsay.

    "I need you to succeed where they failed," Ishta continued as he turned to look at Illai with harsh eyes, "Can you do it?"

    Illai bowed her head, "I shall do my best, Master".

    Ishta frowned, "The fate of my entire livelihood lies in finding those craftsman. At this point I don''t much care if you bring them back to me alive, or if you kill them. I just don''t want them in the hands of such a problematic company any longer. Is that understood?"

    "Is it, Master".

    "Then go".

 Chapter 224 The Unexpected Visitor

    Rassa was running. Running so fast that the wind seemed to part for him. The scents of the forest permeated the air, soothing and invigorating him as he ducked and weaved around trees, over rivers and through valleys. He paused on one side of a meadow filled with flowers. It was beautiful even in the light of the full moon high above. He barely even flinched despite the exertion. Energy flowed through his body, a part of him. He was powerful here. Powerful enough to do whatever he pleased.

    Rassa waited on one side of the meadow, watching with an unnatural stillness. So much so that when the animals in the meadow stirred, suddenly aware of a threat to their moment of peace, they retreated towards him. They dodged around him, running into the forest and disappearing from sight. The reason why revealed itself shortly after. On the far side of the meadow, a group of people slowly approached. They wore white clothes and masks that covered their faces. Even with those masks though, they felt oddly familiar to Rassa.

    Rassa waited in the shadows of the trees, waited until they gathered in the centre of the meadow, and then he approached.

    It took them a while to notice him. His footsteps so soft and ethereal that they barely made a sound. He came to stand before two individuals in the centre, noticing how aged their hands looked, how hunched their stature was as they leaned on each other for support. His own words broke the silence, though he hadn''t expected them.

    "Why do you wear masks?"

    There was a pause as the group looked at one another, then the woman before him spoke, her voice so warm and familiar, if a little worn from age.

    "You''ve been gone so long, we feared you''d forgotten".

    Rassa titled his head to the side, curious, "Forgotten what?"

    The woman who had spoke reached up and slowly removed the mask that covered her face. At first, Rassa couldn''t recognise her despite how familiar she looked, then he met her eyes. They were piercing green, a colour he''d never forget given he''d first seen them on a night just like this one.

    "Ebony?" he asked.

    His gaze turned to the man beside her as he removed his mask, but the lavender eyes told him all he needed to know.

    "Aegin?"

    "You did forget, didn''t you?" asked Ebony sadly as Rassa switched his gaze between them, "You always forget when you''re alone for too long".

    "Forgotten what?" asked Rassa.

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    But he already knew the answer before she said it. He could see it right before his eyes though his being refused to believe it. Refused to believe that his family had...had grown so old and frail.

    "We aged, Rassa. I don''t think we can go with you anymore," Ebony said, "We could barely keep up when we were young, now...we are human, Rassa. We are not like you".

    Human. Rassa never realised how much he despised that word until he heard it from her old and thinned lips. He couldn''t help it as the words tumbled out of his own lips.

    "I''m sorry," he said, "I''m so sorry, I lost track of time, I-"

    "It''s okay, Rassa," Aegin smiled, understanding in his gaze as he looked at his friend, "You didn''t want to share the burdens you held. And you''ve proven you can carry them alone".

    Could he? Rassa wasn''t so sure.

    "I...How did I prove it?" asked Rassa.

    Ebony and Aegin looked at each other, a little confused before they turned back to him.

    "You didn''t come back, Rassa. Do you not remember?" asked Ebony.

    Rassa opened his mouth to ask what? What was he supposed to remember? Suddenly another voice dragged him away. He fell back, drawn into a pool of white, eyes wide as he watched the others in the group from a distance as they removed their masks. All old, all too human.

    "Rassa?" his mother''s voice roused him from his sleep, and he opened his eyes just as his mother opened his bedroom door, "Rassa, come on, get up. You''ll be late into the fields if you keep sleeping".

    Rassa sat up, rubbing his eyes, "Yeah, mum, I''m getting up".

    Anna watched him for another moment before she pulled the door shut again, and Rassa heard her footsteps retreat across the cottage.

    He sighed, pulling his feet from under the covers as he moved to get ready for another day. The remnants of the dream haunted him, but he pushed it to the back of his mind. The routine of the day always did that. It always pulled him into what mattered. His family, his home. Those he cared about dearly but had been taken from.

    Routine was routine though. It had been fine for the first few months, Rassa just grateful for the feeling of being human again. Of the people by his side. But as the months had turned into a year, and then two, Rassa had begun to wonder what it was he wanted from this life. He loved his parents, and of course his friends, especially Jane who he''d missed more than he''d thought he did. But that nagging feeling of the world outside of Cordon held him back from taking any step forward in his life. So he kept to the routine, and time dragged by.

    Rassa dressed and washed his face, taking a small breakfast from his mother and taking the lunch she''d packed for him before wishing her a good day with a kiss on the cheek. He walked side by side with his father down to the fields, talking of everything and nothing as they went, smiles on their faces.

    He set to work, checking the growth of the seedlings and weeding around them. Some of the faster growing crops were nearly ready. Another week or so and they''d be harvesting it. The first harvest of the season.

    "Rassa!" called his father from two rows over.

    Rassa raised his gaze to his father expectantly.

    "You got any water left?"

    Rassa pulled his waterskin from his belt throwing it over to his father. It was getting warm. They''d have to start bringing more than one waterskin soon lest they spend too much time running back towards the well for refills.

    Phillip caught the waterskin, and Rassa watched him for a moment before something caught his eye behind his father.

    There, on the road going into Cordon, was a carriage draw by two horses, several figures sitting on and around it.

    "Is the Baron expecting guests?" asked Rassa as Phillip threw his waterskin back to him.

    "Guests?" asked Phillip. Rassa pointed at the road behind his father, "Not that I''m aware of, but you never know. Maybe they''re prospective Merchants? Ever since Derrick stopped coming every summer we''ve had to take the food to sell ourselves".

    Rassa nodded, thinking this was reasonable. He''d learned not long after his arrival here that Derrick, Falla''s father, had stopped coming to trade with Cordon. No one was sure why, but some speculated it had something to do with Falla.

    Rassa turned back to work, glancing every now and then at the carriage as it approached. It was only about a hundred metres away when Rassa looked up to check its progress and froze, eyes widening.

    Those figures...he knew that uniform.

    Rassa scanned those present, his eyes straying to one of the figures that road on the back of the carriage, his posture that of someone half-asleep. But Rassa knew different, and he stood in shock at the recognition that washed through him.

    Aegin. Aegin had come to Cordon.

 Chapter 225 The Meaning of Comfor

    Ebony breathed out a sigh of relief as she placed down the jug she''d been carrying in the server''s room. When that man had touched her like that...she''d been seething, ready to knock him on his ass despite the fact that she''d only ever fought with Aegin or given guidance to the other slave women. It had been happening more frequently the last few months. The Slave Master getting less and less annoyed by the creeping hands of his guests. She''d kept it from Aegin, positive that he''d do something stupid like challenge the Slave Master again. She figured he was in enough trouble of his own without adding her problems to the mix.

    And they were problems. Mostly because she couldn''t seek help from anyone but the other slave girls. She couldn''t retaliate, because that might not mean punishment for her alone. They had Aegin, and Ebony knew that they would use him however they saw fit, which likely meant they''d be inventive outside of the Arena seeing how well he seemed to cope inside it.

    The door to the serving room opened, and Ebony''s break from outside was over. She turned to refill the jug she''d been carrying, only to find Lord Revierre, the man who had touched her, the visiting dignitary who had challenge the Reapers, standing in the doorway. And he didn''t look all that happy. Based on the cheering outside she could guess what had happened.

    "Lord Revierre, the restroom is three doors down on your left," Ebony''s voice was soft and timid but persuasive. It had been her only voice for many years of her life. Show them you are the Servant, their lesser, yet convince them not to hurt you.

    Lord Revierre''s eyes narrowed, "I''m not looking for a restroom".

    Ebony decided to continue to play timid and naive, "Oh? What are you looking for then, Lord Revierre? This is the Serving Room, there is not much here but refills that any of us can provide to you outside-"

    He stalked towards her, "Do you know what that husband of yours did to my men?"

    Ebony''s eyes dulled. Okay, persuasion wasn''t going to work, he was in close quarters, within the space that she considered comfortable personal space. Not that she had such a thing as a slave but it was the thought that counted.

    "He slaughtered them, like they were nothing but playthings. I''ve trained those men for years, they were unmatched!" Lord Revierre snapped.

    Clearly not, Ebony thought, but decided it best that the thought not even show in her eyes.

    "I figure that thanks to that loss, the Slave Master has to owe me something considerable, why not one of those Reapers'' women?" said Lord Revierre, "That should be a fair price, don''t you think?"

    He went to take a step forward as the door swung open behind them. Neva, one of the other slave girls, stepped through, pausing when she saw Ebony. Her eyes widened as she took in the scene and her lips moved before Lord Revierre could lift his foot from the ground.

    "Ebony, the Madame is asking for you," Neva stated.

    "Of course," Ebony said. She moved to sidestep Lord Revierre, but he grabbed her around the waist and pushed her back with force. Ebony hit the table, jostling it as she grabbed it to stop her fall. He stepped in close, far too close.

    "You''re not going anywhere," he growled, a hand clamping around her breast hard. She gasped from the pain, and he grinned, "See, you are at little slut aren''t you, just like all the others. You want this".

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    "I-"

    Ebony opened her mouth to protest, only to find it roughly invaded by the foul man. He tasted of wine and the snacks they''d served, and some tobacco concoction that Ebony found absolutely revolting. She froze, unsure what to do. Half of her fought to push him away, horrified by his violating mouth and grabby, wandering hands. The other half, the meek slave she''d practiced being all her life, told her to remain frozen and pliant.

    What would Aegin think?

    The thought wondered in unbidden. She had no idea where it had come from, yet she found she absolutely cared about the answer. If he''d known that she''d frozen after all he''d taught her, what would he think of her?

    Suddenly, Lord Revierre was pulled away from her, and she met the Madame''s cold gaze across the room.

    "I think Lord Revierre has had a little too much to drink, escort him to his room and send a few of the prettier ones to keep him company," the Madame ordered, her eyes never leaving Ebony. Ebony felt shame fill her body. A wave of it pushing past her defenses and folding her shaky hands over her body. She knew the look in the Madame''s eyes. The warning.

    Time was up on the Slave Master''s deal with Aegin, and next time, there was a good chance the Madame wouldn''t stop it either.

    ***

    What will he think? What will he think? What will he think?

    The thought repeated over and over in Ebony''s mind for hours following the incident with Lord Revierre. She knew she had to tell him. They''d been the only connection the other had had to some semblance of freedom after Rassa had died. They sought comfort in each other regularly, even if it had never gone beyond friendship. But that comfort meant the world to Ebony, and as she was walked down to the underground floor where the Warrior''s lived, Ebony found herself wanting more than anything to erase what had just been done to her. To seek something other than words and hand holding.

    The door opened and Ebony stepped inside, seeing Aegin sitting on the cot he''d been given as he usually was. The door shut behind her and he stood, a smile on his face.

    "Hey Eb, so I thought today we could focus on-"

    He couldn''t speak another word as Ebony grabbed his shirt and pulled him down to her level. Couldn''t speak because his mouth was preoccupied. He froze in confusion as Ebony crushed her lips to his. Ebony didn''t know if that was a good thing or a bad thing considering she knew he hadn''t been expecting it. So, instead of pulling away, she parted her lips and made a tentative swipe of her tongue. Once, twice.

    Aegin''s lips parted and he delved into her mouth as she did his. Their tongues battling as they would have sparred. Her showing all the fierceness but him eventually winning. Ebony moved her hands up from his chest to his face, then in his hair as she sunk into him, trying to get closer and encourage him to do something, anything in return. Anything to erase what had happened. But his hands moved oh so slowly, so carefully, as if terrified he''d break her. They sat lightly on her hips, then when she moved closer then rubbed her back as if comforting a crying child. That was the catalyst.

    Ebony broke away, staring up into his lavender eyes that looked softer, more caring than she''d ever seen them, "Fucking do something!"

    She moved to step back into him but his hands stopped on her hips and held them in place, held her back from him.

    "What happened?"

    The question froze her. Stopped any action she had in mind as she looked up into his eyes. Eyes that asked the very same question, but conveyed more. They told her it was okay, whatever happened, it was okay to tell him. Ebony wasn''t positive how long they stood there, but she felt it as the tears began to track down her cheeks. Her throat clogged with her shame, with her pain, and she closed her eyes, dipping her head into his chest. She sobbed and he wrapped his arms around her picking her up and taking her onto his cot. She folded into his lap, sobbing into his chest as he trailed a hand up and down her back, holding one of her hands all the while. He said nothing, just waited for her to stop crying enough to talk and answer his question.

    Eventually, she had no choice.

    "The deal''s off," she whispered, "And I don''t know how long I''ll last until I''m sent to serve in someone''s bed rather than pour their wine".

    She felt Aegin''s hands still before his head dipped and he pressed his lips to the crown of her head, "Okay. I''ll see what I can do".

    She looked up quickly, fast enough that he barely got out of the way before she headbutted him, "Aegin, don''t be stupid".

    "This isn''t the ''challenge the Slave Master'' kind of stupid I was two years ago," Aegin argued.

    Ebony sighed in relief as she bowed her head.

    "This is the ''we''re getting off this gods forsaken island one way or another'' kind of stupid," Aegin said.

    Ebony couldn''t help the huffed laugh that escaped her lips, "So what you''re saying is, you''ve gotten stupid in the past two years?"

    Aegin shrugged, "There''s no Rassa to rescue us now. And I''m pretty sure there never would have been. We get out. And we do it with our own power".

    Ebony rested her head on his chest once more as she leaned into him, "Agreed".

 Chapter 226 The Enemy Resurfaces

    Falla signed off on one last order and put her pen away as Layn collected the signed stock orders.

    "Anything else?" asked Falla.

    "Nothing urgent, Miss Falla," Layn nodded, "I believe you have an evening meal schedule with Master Jane?"

    Falla''s eyes flickered in recognition, "Ah, of course, thank you for reminding me". She opened on of her desk draws and retrieved a letter from what she''d discussed with Iah as she stood, "Bring the carriage around please Layn".

    "It will be done, Miss," Layn nodded, leaving the office as Falla continued to ready herself.

    Over the past two years, she''d worked quite closely with Jane and her team. At least as closely as a Magician Team employed by the Guild could get to a businesswoman. They''d used the excuse of Falla having connections to Moonshadow and the Charms they were investigating. It had worked for the most part. The Magician team had at one stage or another been given access to the charms. Thanks to their insights into the Mist, they could see clearly how the charms worked, but they could only speculate as to how someone carved the Charm itself.

    They''d tried to use a fire poker, but that had only marked the crystal crudely, and melted it in other parts. The rune had had no affect, and they''d been forced to take the experiment as a failure. It was only a month after that Jane had told Falla. Falla had been surprised at first with how close they''d come and how much they understood, and when Jane asked for some form of guidance or a hint, Falla had had to outright admit that she had no clue how it was done.

    After all, she couldn''t see the mist.

    Iah had been against giving any sort of information to the Magicians, and Falla, for the sake of keeping to contract, had agreed that it was necessary. Besides, if the Guild suddenly became capable of making their own charms, her profits would take a severe blow.

    And what enormous profits they were. And not just from the charms either. Anything that Moonshadow was connected with became a must-have product. It was why Charm street had become so popular. The Vanguard that had been so highly thought of and sought after two and a half years ago had become popular as well, though not on nearly as big a scale. From what Rassa had once explained to her, it was likely they were running out of charged Evanine, and had no sure way of finding more. Falla had little to worry about on that front though, the Protective Charms had been a fine counter to it.

    "We''re here, Miss," Layn told her as the carriage pulled up outside the Fire Falls Restaurant. Jane had taken quite a liking to the place, and Falla had no mind to deny her.

    She entered the private room she''d reserved on the second floor, and ordered some of her favourite dishes as well as some tea. Jane was often late to these meetings. Falla never held it against her, it seemed that her Magician Team was quite the handful as well as very important to her.

    Layn sat to her side, sipping at the tea as they waited in silence with the calm pool beside them and the drumming of the falls a few rooms away.

    Finally, the door to their room opened and Jane entered, looking a little flustered.

    "Ah, Jane, it''s good to see you. I hope you''ve been well," Falla said, pouring her friend a cup of tea as Jane paused beside the table.

    "Ah, yes, good," Jane said.

    Falla frowned up at her friend as she placed the tea back down again, "Don''t just stand there, sit".

    "Right," Jane said, she hurriedly sat, and Jane noticed that she looked a little more flustered than Falla had originally thought. Her cheeks were flushed and her eyes wide, her hair, though still elegant, was more windswept than usual.

    "Is something wrong?"

    "I..." Jane started then frowned, clearly unsure where to begin. Falla indicated to the tea, and Jane took a sip gratefully before she gathered herself and spoke, "Leiv was down by the ports earlier today...he sensed another Magician there, a powerful one".

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    "Oh? Has the Guild sent another..."

    Falla trailed off as Jane shook her head, "The Hybrid with water and shadow. You called her the Inktress? She entered the water from the side of the port and Leiv lost track of her. Though he''s pretty sure she headed North...towards Lovolon".

    Falla paused in thought, "Is he sure?"

    Jane nodded, "For the past two years he''s only ever spotted her headed south. She''s never gone North before. Never even stepped into Port Cresh unless it was to report to Ishta''s headquarters, but she never spent much time there".

    Falla sighed, "any idea why she might have gone North?"

    "I think we both know," Jane replied.

    Falla sighed, "It''s been two years. Why would he go after them now? And how did he find out it was Lovolon".

    Jane huffed, "No offence Falla, but I''m pretty sure everyone is aware that the Charm Stock comes from the Star Pavilion. No doubt it''s half the reason why your own business is doing so well despite the fact that you never sell the charms yourself".

    Falla breathed out a sigh. If they''d traced it only as far as the Star Pavilion that was good. Everyone probably presumed the stock was coming from there, and not from the secret tunnels beneath the fortress that spread out in various directions. Falla retrieved the note she''d written about the quote that Iah had made.

    "This is about that order you asked about," said Falla, "The quote is only a rough price seeing as Iah still needs to speak with the artisans, especially about the crests, but-"

    "Falla are you not even a little concerned about Kit and Olly?" asked Jane, "I know you''ve gone to great lengths to hide them away and protect them already. The Inktress is, from what you''ve told me, a highly capable agent of your enemy. I think that-"

    "They''ll be fine," Falla said, "I will send them a message to let them know, but I''m positive they''ll be alright".

    Jane frowned, "Are you really that sure?"

    Falla nodded. She had to be. She''d been unsure before and it had almost gotten them captured or worse. Besides, they''d been smart enough to think of their own solution before, Falla had to hope they''d think of one now.

 Chapter 227 The Ridge Men in Cordon

    The Ridge Men, despite their expertise at being unseen, were unable to hide in a small village like Cordon where everybody knew everybody. Hence, they did not even attempt it. As Phillip had thought they would, they made their way straight to the Baron''s estate, and from what the villagers heard, the servants there bent over backwards to accommodate them after the Baron read through a letter with a distinct crest embossed in the paper and stamped into the wax seal.

    The Kildares. Of course it was the Kildares. The Ridge Men answered to nobody else.

    When Phillip heard the name, he was understandably concerned. He had not recognised them out in the fields, and it had been two decades since he''d had any contact with his family. He''d had no desire to ever see or contact them again. Now it seemed that Cornelius was giving them no choice.

    But, in this illusion, Phillip had never explained his family situation to Rassa. Rassa had never even heard his father mention his family in the two and a half years he''d been here. The fact that Rassa had never even thought to ask...or perhaps he had thought about it, and then he''d pushed the thought away knowing that he wouldn''t like the answers. That the answers would highlight things that were different to what Rassa knew to be true, and ruin the illusion for him.

    But now it seemed inevitable. After all, the Kildares were still dealing with the crisis of not having an heir seeing as they hadn''t kidnapped Rassa and tortured him for his seed and Zaroth''s sick amusement. It was completely plausible that even in this Utopian reality, Rassa would still have to deal with this hurdle to his happiness.

    Only what floored him was seeing Aegin.

    The Aegin he saw was just a more grown up version of the Aegin Rassa had first met. Only his lavender eyes no longer sparked with curiosity, nor the teasing mirth that had resided in them in more recent times. These eyes seemed cold and distant, just like the others that were with him. How had Aegin''s curiosity that had led him to stray away from the Ridge Men been thoroughly suppressed in this illusion? What could they have done to make it so? Surely they wouldn''t have done anything so awful to him?

    But Rassa knew the answer. An answer he''d been avoiding.

    Seeing Aegin made him think of Ebony. If Aegin was still a Ridge Man, was Ebony still a Slave at Jerrica? It must have been the case. And if it was, her treatment was surely not something to brag about either. Was this the consequences that Surai had spoken of? That if he had thrown away his own suffering, those he''d liberated in one way or another would suffer in his place?

    After all, it had been Rassa''s interference in Ebony and Aegin''s lives that had set them on a path they''d both admitted they were happier with. It was the same with Sharli, Iah and Kit. They''d been squatting in a ruin and starving before Rassa had found them. If this was the consequence, was his burden really that much of a burden after all?

    Rassa hadn''t thought of the world outside in over a year. Every time it even tried to pop up in his thoughts he''d push it away. Insist on telling himself that reality was better off without him in it. Now, Rassa couldn''t help but second guess his decision. Second guess which parts of reality he''d truly wanted to cast aside, and if they had been worth it for what he sought. If he''d only been thinking of the burdens of his reality, had he really made a decision at all? What of the good parts? What of the family he had made? Of the small joys he had found? He had cast them aside because they''d been overshadowed by the burdens. Now, in this illusion, it seemed to be the opposite. He could sense the change in himself. How the burdens didn''t seem to weigh much at all when he thought of his family. But here...here Rassa was not the decision maker of the family. Here he was still a child to his parents, and he always would be.

    His parents sounded distressed that night as Rassa feigned going to bed early. He listened through the door as they spoke quietly to each other of their burdens. Of the arrival of the Ridge Men in Cordon.

    "I thought your father cut you off?" Anna questioned, "That he''d erased you from family documents".

    "He did," Phillip replied, "And I was happy to be rid of him. Of all of them".

    "Then why are they here?" asked Anna, "There is nothing here. We''re a tiny village and our main trade item is fruit. Not even the Life Line granting kind he seemed so intent on feeding to the world regardless of risk".

    "We know why he''s sent someone Anna," said Phillip, "He''ll be desperate for something, though we can''t know what, but it''ll be something to do with me".

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    "You don''t think he knows about...?"

    "About Rassa?" asked Phillip, "I never sent word, and I haven''t ever seen anyone who I know or who would know me. If he doesn''t know yet though, he will surely know when the Ridge Men return to him. There is no hiding Rassa. He''s an adult now".

    "Yes, an adult and a grandson of the most powerful Duke in Eldovia, not to mention a direct bloodline relative of the Emperor himself," Anna grumbled, "He has to know, Phillip. He can''t enter into this blindly".

    "I know, Anna," Phillip replied, "I don''t want him to be exposed to them any more than you do. They are powerful people, and have been powerful for over a thousand years. No one stays that powerful for that long and doesn''t lose track of their moral compass. I don''t want Rassa to lose his too. He''s too good. Too kind".

    "Of course he is, he''s my son," Anna huffed.

    "Yes, dear," Phillip said, and Rassa couldn''t help the small smile that came to his lips when he imagined Phillip rolling his eyes. His parents had always been good together, whether they were arguing or being sickly sweet to one another. The key word of course being ''had''.

    His parents were dead. The ones standing in the room beyond the door he was leaning against were figments of this illusion, spawned from his imagination and Surai''s power.

    Rassa''s eyes widened in realisation. Surai. He needed to talk to Surai.

 Chapter 228 - The Willing Escapee

    When Ebony had left that day - and of course Aegin meant THAT day, the one where she''d kissed him - he''d been understandably confused. He got that she''d been seeking comfort, that she''d been looking for a way to wipe the disgust from her mind and her body. She''d said as much to him as he''d held her afterwards. What Aegin didn''t get, and what he felt was really not the time to deal with, was the fact that he really hadn''t wanted to push her away.

    It was strange really. He''d never thought of himself with a person. Let alone Ebony. Sure she was attractive, and she had a good heart, but Aegin had never exactly been in a position to care about someone that way. Of course he''d been intimate with others over the years, but in brothels, a place where the relationships were guaranteed not to pass beyond the threshold of the bedroom. Aegin had been completely fine with that. With Ebony though it had felt different, deeper. The only way he knew how to explain it was the time they''d spent together and the knowledge they held about one another. So that was how he did explain it to himself.

    It did not however, condone Ebony''s treatment by the Slave Master. Aegin had never expected the deal with be set in stone for good. He was honestly surprised it had lasted as long as it had. But touching her like that, forcing her. It really pissed him off.

    It was time to leave the Island. To leave the Arena behind and find somewhere better, even if they died trying. And they definitely would die if they tried alone.

    Aegin knew their best bet by far was the Reapers.

    "So you know that visiting Lord who set his escorts on us two days ago?" asked Aegin as he sparred with Talo. The other Reapers were observing both their fight and the one between Layton and Sel. The kid''s whip wielding tended to hold it''s own against the strange eunuch.

    Talo frowned at him, "Yeah, what of it?"

    Aegin pushed back with his spear, taking a couple of steps back then circling as Talo did the same with his Trident, "He tried to **** Ebony".

    Talo sighed, but did not look horrified. Aegin knew it was because it was not an uncommon occurrence on Herguard, but he still felt it to be completely wrong.

    "I''m sorry, Little Thorn," Alistair spoke, his deep tone breaking the silence. Clearly they''d overheard what Aegin had said from the sidelines. It was not as if Aegin was talking in quiet tones.

    Still, Aegin didn''t like the way he said it, "Is it really okay for you to accept something like that?"

    Aegin dodged a blow from Talo, parrying with his own spear jab.

    "Kid, you know the deal," said Talo, "We''re slaves, they''re slaves. We do what we''re told to do. Willing or not".

    Aegin dodged another jab, "And that doesn''t bother any of you".

    Will scoffed, "Of course it bothers us kid, but we''re hardly in a position to do something about it".

    Aegin spun, "So you''d do something if you were in a position to do so?"

    Aegin felt the blunt end of the Trident hit the back of his legs hard and he went down, Talo''s Trident stopping in front of his face.

    "This is really getting to you," Talo frowned, "I can never get you on your back".

    Aegin scoffed, pushing the Trident out of the way as he stood, "Of course it''s getting to me, what I''m questioning is if its getting to any of you?"

    They looked at each other, even Sel and Layton had paused their fight to weigh in. Finally, Alistair spoke again.

    "Of course it gets to us, Little Thorn," Alistair said, "But we have all been here much longer than you have. There have been attempts at escape before. They never end well for the escapees".

    "Even if they get out of the Arena and onto the streets, they have no way off the Island," said Talo, "Believe me, I tried".

    Talo turned and lifted his shirt. Aegin had seen the ugly scar on his back plenty of time. The scar that went from the back of ribs and curved jaggedly around to his hip on the opposite side.

    "No one can navigate that fog unless they''ve seen the path through it before," said Talo, "If you take even one wrong turn, you end up one of the thousands of ships on the reefs and jutting rocks. I was one of few to survive".

    The twins, Eros and Eon stepped forward and each put a hand on Aegin''s shoulder.

    "Sorry Aegi," said Eros, "But once you come to Herguard-"

    "You don''t leave without the Master''s permission," Eon finished for him.

    Everyone off the Island assumed that the Pirate Lord was the Master of Herguard. It was all a front. The Pirate Lord plundered what he could whilst in service to the Slave Master. No one even knew the Slave Master''s real name. The Mistress as well. Though the Mistress adhered to whatever the Master said.

    "And of course," Will continued, "That''s assuming you can get out of the Arena. With the Posion Guards he''s stationed randomly, you have to be careful with any of the Guards you fight in case you get cut. No antidote, which of course only the Master has access to, and after a couple of hours, you''re as good as dead".

    Aegin had heard about the poison guards before of course. One of the many warnings he''d been given. He''d silently applauded the Slave Master for being creative with his lack of resources. He''d had poison but not enough to coat the blade of every guard. So he only coated some, but never told his workers or any one else which ones were coated and which weren''t. It made for slow and dangerous conditions if anyone attempted to make an escape.

    Aegin sighed, "So if I come up with a plan that''ll get us past the poison guards and onto the boats and through to the open ocean safely, then will you be willing to work with me".

    "Of course," Talo scoffed, "Do you seriously think any of us want to be here?"

    The others all nodded in the short silence before Talo pointed at Layton, "Except maybe Layton, but no one ever knows what that kid is thinking".

    "He''s currently thinking you can go fu-"

    Alistair slapped the back of the sixteen year old''s head and Layton looked at him with a frown.

    "We''re warrior slaves, not animals. Don''t make me wash your mouth out with the only soap bar we get this week," Alistair declared.

    Not just Layton, everyone looked significantly disgusted. No one wanted to put the soap bar that had been shared with a hundred or so sweaty men in their mouths.

    Alistair turned to Aegin, "You have our allegiance Little Thorn, on the condition that you have a viable plan".

 Chapter 229 - The Warning

    Kit sighed as put down the Carving Tool, flexing his fingers and massaging his hand. He''d just finished the last charm of an order that had 100 healing charms for the Knight Academy in Barday. And that was only the small ones. He turned around to look at Olly''s table, not surprised that he had long ago finished the 50 medium healing charms and the 25 large healing charms. He seemed to be working on the regular order, having placed the ordered charms to the side in a large crate. Kit stood, stretching his arms as he took steps over the the crate and dragged it to the side of his own table before he proceeded to sweep the small charms into the crate with the others, counting as he went to make sure the number was right.

    "Is there another order?" asked Olly, noticing that Kit had finished carving.

    Kit indicated to the order book to the side and Olly rose to look at it, "Five Large Lock sets and ten truth charms, the Sais Bank order".

    Kit nodded, "Alright, you get started, I''ll take this out to the packing room. Give me the book I''ll see if any more have come in".

    Olly put the book beside Kit then walked over to the larger crates to the side full of Evanine.

    Kit used his Shadows to lift the crate. He''d been getting better at making his shadows solid ever since Rassa had taught him how. The construction of this place had helped significantly considering that most of the heavy lifting was done by Kit.

    Kit walked through the tunnels, bypassing the artisan room to go to the packing room. The workers there busily handled the previous orders, ensuring that the charms, both on their own and worked with metals or leather, were stored appropriately for travel and presentation.

    "Master Kit," the manager of the packing house, Wilma, noticed and rushed over, a warm smile on her face despite her large figure.

    Kit placed the crate at the end of the line as she approached smiling back, "The Knight Academy Order. Let us know if we missed any, there were quite a few healing charms".

    "Of course, though I''m sure its perfect as always, Master Kit," said Wilma smiled, she''d brought with her a clipboard which she knew was a replica of Kit''s Order book and Kit stood with her as he crossed a line through the Academy order and she ticked beside it to indicate the order was completed and ready for packing.

    "Any new orders coming through?" asked Kit.

    "We have received some, yes, the specifics are on my desk," Wilma said as she began to lead Kit over. Kit followed, the staff nodding respectfully as he passed them. Kit held no actual position at the Mine apart from the Charm Craftsman. But the fact that he was a Magician, and that he was one of only two Craftsman in the world, had earned him an ocean full of respect despite being only 13. Olly as well, though everyone understood that out of the two craftsman, Kit was far more personable.

    "Here we are," Wilma stated as she passed Kit the order form, "And this came as well for you".

    Wilma passed him a letter that was stamped with the Crescent Moon inside a Full Moon. The Moonshadow Seal. Getting a letter from Iah wasn''t unheard of. He usually got one every week that he replied to, but getting one with the Moonshadow Seal indicated something substantially more serious.

    "Can I have a minute, Wilma?" asked Kit as he saw the letter.

    "Of course," Wilma nodded, "I''ll do a round of the warehouse and come back".

    Kit nodded as she walked off, then he cracked the seal.

    the letter had two notes in it. The first was a substantial order, one of the largest they had received so far, and required a talk with the artisans so that Iah could give a proper quote and time for the order to be completed. The second note looked as if it had been composed in a rush. It was quick and to the point.

    ''Jane''s Magician Team has sensed the Inktress heading north from Port Cresh. The Pavilion has been warned ahead of time. You and Olly should be careful''.

    Kit sighed. Even without being told he somehow knew it had been coming. Ishta had been too quiet for too long considering their success. Kit folded the letter then waved over to Wilma. He spent ten minutes going over the new orders with her and ensuring their lists were the same before Kit walked towards the Artisan Warehouse with the order form and the letter in hand.

    There he spent an hour talking with the Artisans about the large order, and eventually came up with a price closer to 10,000 gold for the 1,000 armour breast plates with crests and inlaid protection and healing charms. He then walked back to the Charm warehouse were Olly had pretty much finished the Sais Order.

    Kit sat down opposite him and waited for him to finish in silence. Olly had barely placed down the Carving Tool when he spoke.

    "The Inktress is coming," Olly said.

    Kit just nodded in the silence. Olly smiled, "The Sais order is done, what''s next?"

    "You''re not even a little concerned?" asksed Kit, "What if she finds the tunnels?"

    It was how no one had been able to trace the orders back to the mine and only to the Pavilion. Below the Pavilion and known only to the Knights who worked there and the Owners, was a Labyrinth-like network of tunnels that spanned for leagues in every direction. They''d originally been used as escape routes, but with the charm business, Olly had suggested using them for sneaking the charms into the pavilion so that no one would know where they came from. It had worked better than expected, most people believed that the charms were coming from the Pavilion itself.

    "The Mist is never concerned," said Olly, "So why should I be?"

    "The Mist is the Mist," Kit argued, "You are Olly. What do you think?"

    Olly just smiled, "That the Mist will tell me if I should be concerned".

    Kit rolled his eyes, then pointed to the next order in his open book, "One last one before you started dealing with the ones for the next week. I''ll be back in a bit, I''ve got to write a reply to Iah".

    Olly just nodded, busying himself with packing away the last order in the crate and moving onto the next.

 Chapter 230 - The Star Pavilion

    Long ago, some said even before there were Dynasties fighting over Eldovia, there existed an exceptional Magician the like of which the world had never seen before. So powerful was this Magician, that he could predict events before they would happen. He saw all, knew all, and people flocked the world over to ask him a question of what was to come.

    They came from far and wide, though no matter their status, whether or rich or poor, noble or peasant, all were only allowed one question. One question was never enough.

    Envious of the power the Magician wielded, one particularly powerful lord rose up against him, and through a means long lost to history, stole the power to see the future from the Magician and was never seen again. Since that time, the power to see the future was nothing but a myth.

    It was believed however that the Magician never stopped trying to divine the future, and he constructed a great Pavilion in order to help him and his disciples. A place that came to be known as the Star Pavilion.

    Every child had grown up with the stories of the Magician who could see the future. Even Illai. They all dreamed of seeing the Star Pavilion at one time or another. The place where it was said you could still hear the whispers of the Magician and his disciples, murmuring of the future and what it had to offer. Though, by all accounts, it had been centuries since anyone had practiced the art of Divination.

    Still, the Star Pavilion had remained a Sacred place. Sacred enough for it to have its own Knight Contingent that answered to nobody but the one who held the ownership rights to the Pavilion.

    An owner and contingent that currently stood in Illai''s way.

    Illai had done as her Master had asked. She had crossed the Ocean to Eldovia and come to the Star Pavilion. She was not the only spy who surveyed the Fortress that surrounded the Pavilion, though she was the only Magician.

    That however, appeared to make no difference.

    There was no way into the Pavilion, at least from what she could ascertain from an initial surveillance of the area. The Fortress was perched in the center of a massive canyon that followed the direct like of the sun from East to West. In Winter perhaps, when the sun was lower in the sky, it did not possess so much sunlight, but in the middle of summer it was practically alight like a beacon. It''s white walls encompassed the entire Fortress, the internal structure only visible from the cliffs on either side of the canyon that were far enough away that even an air Magician would have trouble controlling the winds long enough to fly in. And that was counting on the fact that they weren''t spotted.

    The only entrance into the Fortress was via a long bridge that connected the Fortress to a guard station in front of it, which in turn connected it to either side of the canyon. The door, for the most part, only opened when a delivery was being made to or from the Fortress.

    It was frustrating. The Knight Contingent''s watch was thorough, and they''d clearly been trained against the likes of Magicians as well. Every time Illai had attempted to sneak in through the shadows, she''d been spotted or detected in some way she had yet to ascertain. Three days has passed, and the Knight Captain she''d seen patrolling the Fortress walls was beginning to get on her nerves.

    Once she got in, he''d meet with an unfortunate end.

    Once her surveillance hadn''t overturned any stones, Illai had found herself a vantage point and settled to watch, waiting for an opening.

    But a week had passed by, then two. No openings arose, and Illai began to grow impatient.

    But then a thought had occurred to her, something that she hadn''t noticed at first, but as she''d changed vantage points over the fortnight, had grown more and more obvious.

    The deliveries that went in were not full of Evanine. With amount of charms that were being produced and sent off, surely there should have been massive deliveries coming in. But there was nothing.

    Even if the Evanine had been stockpiled in the Fortress, surely after two years they would have run out by now.

    So only one alternative possibility existed. The Evanine had to be coming through an alternative entrance. So Illai set to work, scouring the Canyon for the entrances that had evaded her.

    ***

    Knight Captain Lync Trevor marched through the Star Fortress, his squire and second at his flanks. The Trevor family, lower class nobles at best, had served the owners of the Star Pavilion for centuries, but never had they encountered an owner quite like Falla Startree.

    Lync had been serving as the Knight Captain of the Star Fortress for a decade when the Young Master of the Luvien Family, had passed the ownership of the Star Pavilion and Fortress to his young wife. It had been quite the scandal. Especially seeing as he died less than a month later. The Luvien family had held the Star Pavilion in their possession for five centuries, something that made them second only in standing to the Kildares in Eldovia. Losing it and their son had been quite the blow to them socially, but none had sought retribution from Falla. Not with the Trevors guarding her and the Pavilion. Lync here in Eldovia, and his brother Layn always by her side.

    Falla, true to the belief her late husband had had of her being unable to simply sit and look pretty, had not hesitated to use the Star Pavilion as a smuggling station for her Charm Business. Lync was in no place to disapprove of his Mistress''s orders, and for now, the general public simply believed that the Charms were being made there. The Pavilion nor Falla had lost any standing because of it. In fact, it had only seemed to boost their reputations. Lync frequently had to deal with invitations and requests coming in to visit the Pavilion. Something he had to refuse without exception thanks to his Mistress''s orders.

    Lync entered the surveillance room that sat beneath the Pavilion, and turned to look at the Knight Captain who had called on him, Harrow.

    "What is it?" asked Lync, "Is she moving again".

    Harrow indicated to the large slab of dark crystal behind him which had been carved with a map of the Fortress and the surrounding area. No one but the sworn knights knew of this technology. Something that had always been with the Pavilion and had been key to them protecting it so easily over the millennium.

    Harrow pointed to the spot of white light on the edge of the map, "She is moving on and off the edge of our detection range. Rapidly too. Like she''s looking for something again. A change from her movements over the past fortnight".

    "She''s worked out there''s another entrance," said Lync, he knew it had been coming. She was too determined, "Warn those below to keep the torches lit and keep sending reports to them".

    "Yes, Captain".

 Chapter 231 - The Boy faces his Burdens

    Rassa crashed through the orchards towards the lake, ignoring the pain as he tripped on roots and was whipped with low-hanging branches. He''d already had to wait until his parents had fallen asleep, he couldn''t wait any longer. He had to see Surai. Surai would be able to fix this. Or at the very least, tell him what had gone wrong.

    He burst through into the clearing where the lake was, looking towards the rock where he usually found Surai. Only she wasn''t there.

    "Surai!" called Rassa.

    His voice echoed out over the lake. But only the sounds of the crickets and other animals and the slight breeze in the trees greeted him. Rassa called again.

    "Surai!"

    He spun in place, trying to see through the dark. His foot hit the cool water and soaked through his boots and clothes quickly. He took another step out, the water coming mid way up his shins as he turned and splashed towards the rock where she usually sat.

    "Surai! This isn''t the time to be like this. Something''s happened! I need help, Surai!"

    Rassa trudged around the rock, then on top of it as if he was trying to get a better view through the darkness. He hadn''t felt so useless in years with this human vision.

    "SURAI!"

    But as the echoes of his call vanished into the distance, he let reality set in. She wasn''t here. Right now, in this moment where he needed her to answer his questions, she wasn''t here.

    Rassa sat down on the rock, defeated as he stared out over the lake. What was it she''d warned him the last time he''d seen her?

    "You''re the only one in this illusion, Rassa, the consequences are yours to bare alone".

    Was this what she''d meant? Rassa doubted things would be so simple with Surai. After all she''d created such an elaborate illusion for him. An illusion. This was just an illusion.

    "You have manifested light as your shield...if you can blow out the candle, I''ll consider your decision made".

    He hadn''t listened. Not really. If he had he would have hesitated at the consequences. Because even if he had blown that candle out that night, he''d never truly let his burdens be carried away. He''d taken it as his own escape. His own way out of the inevitable.

    "I told you to choose between the man and the monster, not the boy and the burdens".

    His burdens were a part of him too. His burdens meant that the family he had made for himself was still there. That they were still with him. They were burdens he should have been happy to bare. Had he really run from them so easily? So shamefully?

    No, not easily. He''d seen his parents, had witnessed and felt how they''d treated him. As human. As normal. And his life here had been normal. Exactly what it would have been had he never stepped foot in that cave. Had he remained the boy.

    Rassa hadn''t been a boy for a very long time. And now, as reality crashed down on him, he realised that no illusion would ever make him that boy again. No matter how much he wished for it. No matter how much he ran from the burdens. The boy had died in that cave.

    But Aegin and Ebony, Falla, Iah and Sharli, Kit...they were all still alive.

    The dreams had never stopped. They''d changed or gotten easier to push away, but they''d still been there. Blowing out the candle had done nothing for him. His decision had never been made. How long had he been here? Rassa stood quickly. For him it had seemed like over two years had passed since he''d awoken here. He''d celebrated the birthdays and the passing of seasons. Had the same amount of time passed in reality? Or had his dream come true? Had he pushed reality aside so much that whilst he pretended he was the boy his family was growing old?

    Had they even been alive to begin with?

    Horror struck through Rassa as he realised that he''d never actually confirmed if Aegin and Ebony were okay. He was sure that he''d pushed them to the surface, but they''d been in the middle of an attack from three pirate ships. Had they survived that as well as the ocean? If they had what had happened to them? Had the pirates taken them and sold them off as slaves? Maybe made them become part of the crew? Maybe they''d been left to starve with no supplies in the middle of the ocean.

    Oh gods. This was what Surai had meant.

    He was alone in this illusion. The consequences of staying in here...of abandoning his family like that...it was his fault.

    Shame rested heavily on his shoulders as he stared at the surface of the lake that reflected the night sky above. That sky had been a solace for him once. It was silent now. As if even it couldn''t bare to watch him dig this hole in his life.

    "I''m sorry," Rassa whispered into the darkness, then scoffed to himself, "Not that an apology will achieve much at this point. If an apology could solve the world''s problems there likely wouldn''t have been a war between Chaos and Order to begin with. But I am sorry. Sorry that I ran from my burdens rather than faced them. That likely wasn''t what you saw in me. I could promise not to do it again, but I think we both know that''s unlikely. I seem to be good at running from what I''m afraid to face. So instead I''ll promise to face it. When I find myself running, I promise to turn and face whatever I am running from. Even if I''m sure I won''t be able to handle it alone".

    Rassa found himself reaching back over his shoulder to rub the scars on his upper back. The remnants of his life lines.

    "Or maybe that was another thing I was running from," Rassa admitted, "Maybe I will be stronger when I don''t have to handle it alone".

    He turned back to look at the moon, then its reflection on the water, "Alright Surai, you win. I''ll prove it to you. I''ll prove my decision is absolute".

 Chapter 232 - The Madames Chains

    "Ebony," Neva spoke, breaking the silence in the room as those inside worked on repairing old pieces of clothing and cleaning them.

    Ebony looked up from where she sat, mending a pair of pants that no doubt belonged to one of the warriors. Neva''s gaze was expectant and Ebony immediately placed her needle and thread aside along with the pants as she stood and weaved her way through the others. Neva closed the door behind them so that they stood in the hall.

    "The Madame has requested that you serve her this evening," Neva said.

    Ebony''s eyes widened, "I...of course".

    Neva caught her arm. As the one that usually served the Madame, Neva was one of the more trusted slaves, and far higher ranking than Ebony. Ebony had no idea why she''d been requested, but she knew it must have had something to do with the encounter she''d had with Lord Revierre.

    "Remember, no matter what is spoken, heard or seen, nothing leaves that room," Neva''s tone was low, almost imperceptible, but Ebony caught the warning for what it was. Ebony nodded her head in understanding, then moved down the hall away from Neva.

    The Madame''s house was without a doubt one of the nicer places on Herguard. It was technically a house, but considering the underground access it had to the main network, most just referred to it as her rooms.

    Ebony bowed to the guards that stood outside the underground entrance, "The Madame has requested me? I am Ebony".

    The guards waved her through and Ebony entered the house. She entered through the kitchens, and took the plate of tea and biscuits with her as she ascended the stairs to the second floor where the main sitting room was.

    The room was darker than usual. The curtains were mostly drawn, and the small sunlight that had managed to break through the fog and mist surrounding the island barely made a dent in the darkness. A single candelabra was alight on the table in the centre, but the Madam was not on any of the seats.

    The Madame instead stood to the side, perhaps as casual as Ebony had ever seen her. Her hair was down, pin-straight, long and black in colour. She had her back to the door as she stood beside a large bird cage, whispering to the animal within. A large blanket coloured like a sunset was thrown around her shoulders, her arms locking it close to her body as she fed small pieces of fruit to the exotic looking bird within the cage.

    Ebony entered silently, placing the tea on the table with the candelabra and pouring a cup gently. The Madame''s movements paused as she noticed Ebony''s presence, then she placed the bowl of fruit down and instead put a hand on the cage. There was a long silence between them as Ebony finished pouring the tea, then stepped back from the table and kneeled down to await further orders.

    "Why do you think I requested you, Ebony?" asked the Madame.

    Ebony hesitated, not wanting to speak out of turn, but answered the question, "The deal is off".

    The Madame gave a slow smile as she turned to Ebony, "You can do better than that".

    Ebony hesitated again, daring to meet the Madame''s eyes, "Are you offering me a deal?"

    The Madame gave a short laugh at that, "Ha! No, you are one slave out of thousands that have ever set foot on this island. If I offered deals to all of them, I would never have gotten to where I am".

    Ebony raised an eyebrow, "But you do offer deals".

    The Madame said nothing as she looked to the floor, then she tapped the cage behind her, her rings tinkling on the metal bars, "This bird was quite the cruel gift, yet I can''t seem to part with it. So pretty and loyal, even if I take the time to let it out and stretch its wings it will not fly away. Yet every moment I care for it I am reminded of the fact that I too am nothing but a bird in a cage. I have no freedom, no choices, no will...not even a name".

    The Madame stepped over and sunk into the seat just a few metres from Ebony, taking the cup of tea that Ebony had poured, "I am nothing but a bird in a cage, all because the Master wished it so".

    Ebony dared not speak as the Madame appraised her. She took a sip of the tea, then placed the cup down, "You do not seem convinced".

    Ebony risked speaking out of turn to reply, "You seem to have done well for yourself, for a bird in a cage".

    The Madame chuckled, "I suppose it looks that way from where you are standing, or rather, kneeling. But gaining your pity for my plight is not my goal in telling you this".

    Ebony waited as the Madame looked around her shadowed room, then took another sip of tea.

    "I am warning you, Ebony," the Madame said, her tone softer as she lost her amused smile, "Because if you continue as you are, you will surely break. It may not be the first time you are forced, nor the second, you have a strong will, sufficient enough to last a while at least. But I saw how you froze in that room. How you could do nothing as the shame of your position filled you. If you let that shame take you over, perhaps you will be able to keep your will in tact...But that will break eventually, and you with it".

    "So I should just roll over and accept it?" asked Ebony, a tone of anger in her voice, "Is that what you did?"

    "I had no choice," said the Madame, "Not before or after I was trapped here".

    "So you''re saying I do?"

    "You have your will, do you not?" asked the Madame, "To have your own will implies you have a choice. You may think you do not because certain decisions would end in pain or death or worse, but you still have that choice".

    "You cannot choose to die?" asked Ebony.

    The Madame gave a sad smile, "That was the last choice I was ever given. To die or to live. At the time I was young, terrified. Now, after two centuries of this, I wish I''d had the courage to choose the other option".

    Ebony''s eyes widened as she looked at the woman who looked perhaps a decade older than herself, "Two cen...that''s not possible".

    The Madame sipped her tea again, "There are many ancient and powerful things out there. Things that are much darker and more terrifying that you could imagine. When the love of my life and I got a hold of one of these powers, we wished and wished and wished until that power was taken from us. It was only then that we looked back and saw the consequences. He didn''t waver, he stepped deeper and fell into the darkness. But I hesitated, horrified of what I''d become. Then he dragged me down with him anyway. Now he keeps me pretty and gives me nothing to complain about, but a cage is a cage no matter how gilded, and I stopped loving him long ago".

    Ebony hesitated before she spoke. She knew of ancient powers. Rassa had been proof, but when he''d alluded to not being the only one, she''d never really taken a moment to process it. Just how influenced was their world by the darkness?

    "The Slave Master..."

    The Madame nodded, "I cannot leave unless he dies. I think time has shown old age is not an option for either of us, and on this Island, nobody would dare look at him wrong".

    Her eyes turned back to Ebony, "Do not make the same mistake, Ebony. Do not give up your will in return for comfort, for the cage, even if it means that one day you might break".

    ***

    Ebony lay awake that night, pondering all that the Madame had said as she played with the tracking charm in her hand. Ebony had not expected that there was so much more to this Island. That there was something even darker beneath its already corrupted foundations. She had expected even less that the Madame would admit to it. But as the Madame had said, Ebony was smarter than to take the warning at face value. Her instincts told her that beneath that warning, hidden in the story she had told and the pain beneath the cold and uncaring facade, was a plea. The Madame wanted off the Island. She wanted out of her cage.

    But was Ebony really capable of giving that freedom? Of giving her back her will? It seemed like something beyond Ebony''s capability to give.

    Ebony sighed, rolling to the side of her sleeping mat as she clasped the tracking charm. The lines flickered to life, and she looked at those that travelled north with a faint smile. She''d follow them soon. She''d go back to see how her family was doing both her and Aegin would.

    As she turned to close her eyes, Ebony noticed a fifth line. Flickering and faint as it pointed towards the East. Her eyes widened. Her lips whispering the name of the individual she knew to be on the other end of that line. The person who she''d thought was dead.

    "Rassa".

 Chapter 233 - The Fools Path

    Olly was happy. Happier than he had ever been. Happy enough that he would want for nothing else than to spend the rest of his life learning the written language of the Mist and communicating with it. He had always listened to it of course, it was an integral part of his life, but it wasn''t until he''d seen the runes for the first time that he''d understood that he could talk back, if only he had the means to do so.

    He only knew a few runes. Not enough to complete a sentence and certainly not have a conversation. But regardless, he was excited every time the Mist understood and responded to what he asked of it.

    He was even more excited that he had someone to share it with. Sure, Kit didn''t hear the Mist as Olly did, but at the very least Kit understood it. And, the longer they were in each other''s presence, the more Kit understood him. Olly had never had anyone understand him. To have someone that did, a friend, a brother, it made Olly very happy.

    So when Olly had heard from Kit that there was a threat to his happiness. A threat that seemed to worry Kit quite substantially, Olly was truly lost on what to do. The Mist had not mentioned this threat. It was as if the Mist did not consider the Inktress a danger to them. For the first time, Olly had been confused as to whether to trust the Mist as he always had, or to trust his best friend.

    He''d defaulted to the Mist at first. It had never let him down before. But as Olly tossed and turned that night, he began to realise that unlike before he had met Kit and the others, Olly now considered himself to have taken a side.

    The Mist did not take sides. The Mist simply was. The Mist not telling Olly of the Inkress was simply because it legitimately did not care. Perhaps if the Inktress made it past the Pavilion, then it would see fit to mention it. The problem was that such a thing was not an option for Olly and Kit nor the other miners and workers.

    So Olly did the only thing he could.

    With his limited knowledge of runes, he could only hope that his drawing this time could convey what he wanted beyond the obvious.

    For the 236,731st time, Olly drew the protection rune. Not on a piece of evanine as he had been doing for some time, but with charcoal and a piece of paper as he had done before. Only this time, as he pushed the meaning of the run into it, he thought specifically about what he wished to protect. Who he wished to protect. Then he put it on the ground in front of him and waited.

    If it had been before, when he did not understand, Olly would have repeated the action. He would have drawn the rune in the same way until the charcoal ran out or his fingers bled, whichever happened last. In fact, he probably would have kept going, drawing with his own blood as it dripped from his knuckles. Would that help? From what Olly knew of Rassa he seemed to be pretty keen on blood.

    In the silence of the little sitting room between his and Kit''s bedrooms, Olly waited. His eyes wide and expectant. He would be happy for any reply. Anything that could give him some clue or reassurance. After several hours in the darkness, Olly finally heard the whispers as the Mist drew its images in front of him. As the images appeared one after another, Olly began to understand why the Mist had not spoken before. There was so much connected to this. So much to consider.

    In the first image, two individuals, a lavender eyed man and a green eyed woman, sat in a dark cell beneath the earth embracing one another. Their was sadness in their eyes, but also strength, determination. In the next panel was Iah as she sat in her office, pouring over the many factors of her thriving business, but clearly stressed. In the next was two women, one of whom was Falla, the other a Magician of Air. They seemed to be conversing like old friends, but Olly and the Mist could both see the look in their eyes. They were not as close as they once had been, but were both determined to not lose each other as they forged their own paths in the world.

    In the next panel was Lync, the Knight that guarded the Star Pavilion he watched over a giant crystal table as a light flitted around the edges. Beside that panel was the Inktress as she ducked and weaved between shadows in the night around the Fortress, trying to find her way in. In the next was a man who commanded his empire from his office, eyes arrogant and greedy. In the second to last panel was Olly himself beside Kit as they worked in the warehouse on the charm orders. Finally, in the last panel was split into two. In one half there was darkness, pierced by two glowing red eyes that were full of hunger. In the other panel was a deteriorating corpse beneath the moon, a golden fox sat looking on, its eight tails swishing back and forth behind it.

    So this was all that the Mist saw. This was all the fates that were attached to the Moonshadow. Or at least those immediately close to it. Olly could sense a choice there. A choice the Mist was giving him. Would he watch, as he always had, or would he choose a side? The Mist almost sounded expectant, as if Olly was always supposed to pick a side.

    Olly turned to look through the panels, focusing on the one with him and Kit.

    "I will protect this," Olly said, "I have found a place where I am happy, and I will not let anyone disrupt that".

    The Mist seemed to hum in approval, though not for his decision, only that Olly was capable of deciding. That he had made a choice for himself. All but three of the images disappeared. Himself and Olly, Lync at the Fortress, and the Inktress.

    Olly nodded, then he stood and entered Kit''s room, shaking the boy awake.

    "What?" asked Kit, his voice croaking from lack of use.

    "We need to go to the Star Pavilion," said Olly.

    Kit looked at Olly with a frown, "Did the Mist say something?"

    Olly shook his head, "I did. We need to go to the Star Pavilion. We need to go so that we can protect what is important".

    Kit sat up rubbing his eyes as he looked at Olly. He seemed ready to protest, but as he saw the look in Olly''s eyes, Kit could only nod, "Okay".

 Chapter 234 - The Proof Needed

    Saying he would find proof and actually finding it were two entirely different things. Rassa had honestly been stumped as to what to do on the way home that night, and it had led to a sleepless night gazing out his bedroom window. Though, admittedly, this time the night sky had been a little more welcoming than it had been the past couple of years.

    When Rassa heard his parents stirring the next morning, the routine of the past few years pushed him from his position, only for him to realise as he placed his feet on the floor that it was unlikely there would be consequences worth his time if he didn''t stick with routine for the day. The thought carried itself through breakfast, enough that when his father was finishing up, Rassa feigned leaving early so that he wasn''t obligated to walk with him to the fields.

    Instead, Rassa made his way towards the Baron''s manor. What he wanted was unlikely to happen in the illusion, but Rassa needed this. He needed to speak with Aegin.

    Of course, without help from his abilities, he was not nearly as stealthy. Not to mention the mindset of a hunter was something that Rassa had avoided for over two years. He would have liked to think it was something he could just fall back into, but without his enhanced senses and abilities, he was just the regular human he''d desired to be.

    It took him only a few moments to locate where the Ridge Men were, but isolated Aegin was not nearly as easy. Rassa waited an hour on the outskirts of the garden before he was ready to find another method, but just as he was about to move, he felt a blade at his waist.

    "You better have a good reason for standing there, I''m not all that tolerant of spies".

    Rassa froze, turning ever so slightly to find the lavender eyes he''d waited for staring back at him.

    "Actually," Rassa said, "I''m waiting for you".

    The brows over those familiar eyes drew together in confusion, "I don''t know you".

    "No," said Rassa, "Not here you don''t...but in another life".

    Aegin frowned before he withdrew his blade and put it back in its sheath, "They weren''t lying when they said those out in the boonies have a screw loose".

    Rassa cocked his head to the side as he watched Aegin turn to walk away, then he called out to him, "Hey".

    Aegin turned back, a barely there tolerance in his gaze.

    "If you had a choice between a normal life, and the one you''ve lived, which would you pick?"

    He frowned, clearly confused as to why Rassa was posing the question, "Man, I''ve got no idea who you are, and I''m not inclined to talk to you".

    "It''s just a question," said Rassa, "One which I would really appreciate the answer to".

    Aegin huffed, "Does it really matter? We''re all only born once, no matter your beliefs of another life. Even if we are reincarnated as some cultures believe there is no proof that anyone actually remembers the lives they''ve lived before".

    "Of course it matters," Rassa replied, "It''s your life".

    Aegin sighed as he looked away, as if exasperated that he had to deal with the mentally unstable intruder rather than a dangerous one, then he turned back to Rassa, "My life has led me here. I don''t see the point in worrying about an alternative path if I can never go back, just forward".

    Aegin then turned and walked back towards the manor. Rassa stood still as he watched Aegin walk away, then he couldn''t help smiling.

    "Yeah, figured," said Rassa, "Though I wish you were actually here to tell me that, or at the very least complain about how stupid I''ve been".

    After all, that was what family was for.

    ***

    "Rassa," said Jane, a little surprised as he walked into the bakery later that day, "What are you doing here?"

    "I just needed some time to think," said Rassa as he sat down against the wall opposite the counter. Jane smiled as she placed her wash cloth down and turned to come sit beside him.

    "Oh? What brought this on?" asked Jane, "Making big plans are we?"

    Rassa scoffed, "What kind of big plans can be carried out here?"

    Jane shrugged, "Whatever you put your mind to. You''ve never been one that lacked imagination".

    "Just the courage to see it through," Rassa muttered.

    "Huh?"

    Rassa shook his head, then turned to her, "You know why I did it right?"

    "Did what?" asked Jane.

    "Why I cast you aside like that," said Rassa.

    Jane''s smile dimmed as she turned away, "Well...I get that it wasn''t because of me".

    "Gods no," Rassa shook his head, though knowing they were speaking of two entirely different events. Her of their ''engagement'' and him of the time where he''d sent her off to the Academy without a kind word, "Never because of you. You''re my best friend Jane. I loved you and still love you like a sister because you were always there for me, even when I didn''t need you. But I think its time".

    "Time for what?" asked Jane.

    "We have to put the past behind us," Rassa replied, "We have to leave it where it belongs. I can''t spend eternity worrying about what could have been. You will always be important to me, Jane. The girl who still wanted to treat me as her friend despite her fear of the monster within. But you do fear it. I know you do. And I''m just beginning to see that that is entirely okay".

    Jane looked at him, her eyes confused, "You aren''t a monster, Rassa. You''re just you".

    Rassa smiled, "Thank you for saying so. Can I get one of the apricot buns to go?"

    Jane smiled, "Of course".

    ***

    Rassa was munching on that apricot bun when he arrived back at his parents'' the cottage. Though he''d paused at the far end of the street as he took in the two Ridge Men outside the front door. With a sigh, Rassa stepped forward towards them as he finished off his bun.

    The Ridge Men stepped forward to stop his approach to the door.

    "Not now, come back later," the gruff voice spoke.

    Rassa sighed, "I live here".

    The man looked at his companion, then knocked on the door behind him. The voices within went quiet. Then Anna opened the door. Her eyes widened as she took in Rassa.

    "Rassa," Anna said, fear in her gaze, as if begging her son to leave. The boy in him opened his mouth to play along, to turn around and not come back until the intruders had left, but it was the man who spoke.

    "Afternoon, Mum, I didn''t realise we were having guests," Rassa said as he stepped forward.

    He helped his mother inside, taking in where Aegin sat in the corner of the room, his father Raymond standing opposite Phillip.

    Phillip looked at Rassa, his gaze full of warning, then Raymond spoke.

    "You''ve got a son," said Raymond.

    "He''s got nothing to do with you," said Phillip, his eyes turning back to Raymond.

    "Your father wants you back, it would be wrong of me to take you and your wife but not your son," said Raymond, then he turned to Rassa, "Any grandchildren by any chance?"

    Rassa frowned, "I''m not married. Who are you?"

    "No one-"

    "I work for your grandfather," said Raymond, "I''ve been ordered to bring the long lost son home to Fountain Ridge".

    Rassa raised an eyebrow as he looked at his father, "Ordered? So then we can''t have time to consider it as a request instead? Cordon is humble but it is our home, we don''t have the money to travel to the other side of the Continent".

    "Expenses will be paid for," Raymond said, a smile blooming on his face as he realised Rassa was considering the request, "You won''t have to pay a cent".

    "We''re not leaving," Phillip stated adamantly.

    Raymond turned to Rassa, "I''ll be back in the morning. Try to talk some sense into your father. You''ll be happy you did considering you have the blood of the Empire in you".

    Raymond stepped out the door, Aegin following behind as he gave Rassa a strange look, then silence pervaded in their little cottage.

    "Rassa I-"

    "I know," said Rassa.

    Phillip and Anna both looked at him surprised.

    "I heard you talking. Can''t say I really care for our relatives and I don''t have a desire to go with them either, but what exactly is the alternative?"

    Phillip looked stumped as he considered it from his son''s point of view.

    Rassa sighed, "Why don''t we just have a nice dinner. They won''t be back until morning so we have plenty of time".

    If Rassa had any say, it wouldn''t matter anyway. He didn''t plan to still be here when the sun rose.

 Chapter 235 - The Test of Trust

    Ebony hadn''t been able to believe it. She hadn''t believed it when she''d seen the line disappear, but she''d had over two years to get used to that reality. The three days since she''d seen that same line re-establish were not nearly enough. She was afraid to touch the charm again. Afraid to activate it and realise that it had all been a dream.

    Because if Rassa was alive, where had he been all this time? Why hadn''t he come?

    A part of her hoped that he''d been indisposed. That he was incapable of coming. That the flickering line meant he was somewhere between life and death. Another part, the part that was still covered in shame and was living the life of a slave, thought otherwise. Rassa was immortal after all. He would live for eternity, maybe he''d finally stopped to think as the Inktress was drowning him and decided he was better off without the dead weight of mortality for company.

    But until she saw him, until she had a reason, whether that took a few more hours or a few more years, she decided not to judge him. To not condemn him.

    Instead, Ebony turned her thoughts to their escape plan. She''d seen Aegin in that time since serving the Madame, but her story had seemed too bazaar to pass on. Aegin had told her that he had proposed escape to the other Reapers. But they had refused unless given a proper plan. One that was likely to work without them all dying.

    So Ebony and Aegin were met with a wall. The same wall they''d always had in front of them since they arrived on Herguard but had avoided. Now that they were facing it, they''d realised how large it was. Aegin was reluctant to do more than smash through it with him own strength, but Ebony knew that wasn''t possible.

    They needed help, and help had practically set itself down on their doorstep.

    So when she was next allowed to meet Aegin, Ebony barely waited until the door was closed when she spoke.

    "I found us an ally," she said.

    Aegin''s eyes widened, "Who?"

    "The Madame".

    Aegin''s eyes narrowed again, "Seriously?"

    Ebony nodded, "She''s bored".

    Aegin rolled his eyes, "Ebony, that''s not a reason that someone would become an ally. At least not a reliable one. What happens when she gets bored with our escape plan? She''s going to back out just as quickly".

    Ebony sighed, "It''s not like that".

    "Oh, and how do you know?" asked Aegin.

    "Look, she''s not here by choice either," Ebony said, "There are things she told me that...well they''re about as believe as...as Rassa''s story".

    Aegin frowned, "What are you trying to say? That she''s like Rassa? He was pretty sure that was impossible".

    "No, I mean," Ebony sighed, struggling to find the words, "I mean there are other things out that like Rassa, but not like Rassa. Darker powers that...well they seem to have a fair amount of influence on Herguard if what she was saying was true".

    "So she told you a story, you believed it, and now you think she should be our ally?" asked Aegin, "Ebony, I don''t mean to sound negative, but are you sure this place hasn''t knocked a screw loose?"

    Ebony frowned, offended by even the thought of it, "Look, I know I didn''t handle the latest development in our already shitty situation all that well, but I hardly think that''s grounds for you to accuse me of insanity just because I found an ally in somebody unlikely".

    "Unlikely?" asked Aegin, then lowering his voice to a hiss when he heard movement outside the cell, "Ebony, she''s just as nameless as the Slave Master, they''re two peas in a pod on this island. If we let one know about our plans, the other will too".

    "We''re going to need an ally, Aegin, you and the Reapers are strong but you''re not strong enough to fight off an entire Island worth of low lives without a little help, let alone get off the Island," Ebony reasoned, "She''s a way that we can achieve both. Likely the only way we can achieve both and still come out the other side alive".

    "So she''s got a way to deal with the poison spears?" asked Aegin.

    "I didn''t propose the escape plan to her," Ebony scoffed, "I just got the vibe that she really would rather be anywhere else given the chance".

    "Oh, excuse me," Aegin held up his hands in mock surrender, "Let''s lay our entire plan on the fact that you got a halfway decent ''vibe'' from the woman who made sure you were brushed up on your ''how to please the clients'' course".

    Ebony flinched at the jab. Aegin, who had been glaring at her in contempt for her plan, frowned as if regretting what he''d said, "I..."

    Ebony waved him off, "Sorry for thinking to contribute to our escape plan seeing as I''m the only one that can move around this place relatively freely".

    Aegin moved towards her and despite how she fought to keep him away from her he hugged her close to him, "I''m sorry, I didn''t mean it like that...I just don''t feel comfortable trusting outsiders. Not here. Not in a place that''s done its damned best to make itself a game of survival and turn us all against one another. I didn''t mean to turn against you. I''m sorry".

    Ebony sucked in a breath as she let him hold her, then she closed her eyes to gather herself before pulling away.

    "I don''t trust her, Aegin," Ebony said, "Not like I trust you. Never like I trust you. But I do trust that she wants off this Island just as much as we do, if not more. We trust her enough to get us off this Island, after that we can go our separate ways and we''ll never have to worry about her again".

    Aegin turned away, seeming to contemplate it before finally nodding, "If the plan you can come up with isn''t suicidal, then fine. The only way I think we can get out of here is if we''re in the Arena when we break out. Being down here in the underground, the tunnels are too confusing for those of us who have only been to four or five rooms the entire time we''ve been here. We need to be above ground when we fight our way out. And I really don''t think we''ll get off the Island any other way".

    Ebony nodded, "I''ll see what she can come up with".

 Chapter 236 - The Letters

    Ishta watched the street below with impatience. How long could it possibly take for her to report back? He''d already given her a path to the Craftsman, yet the deliveries had continued on schedule without even the slightest bit of delay. And in addition, he had heard nothing from his well-trained spy. He''d even begun to wonder if she had betrayed him. But that couldn''t possibly be true, despite Illai''s failures, she was absolutely loyal to him. He had yet to produce another subordinate as obedient and powerful as she.

    Still, that didn''t mean that he couldn''t do it again if she failed him this time as well.

    A knock on his office door disturbed his thoughts and he allowed the invader entrance.

    "A message from the Inktress, master," the servant stated, handing over the letter to Ishta.

    Finally. Ishta waved the servant away as he opened the letter and began to appraise the contents.

    *My Master,

    I have followed your instructions and reported to the Star Pavilion. After many days of observation however, I could find no way in that I wasn''t thwarted or spotted. It was almost as if they knew exactly where I would be. Following this I observed more, only to notice a flaw in the information received about the Charms. They come out once a week in a caravan of well protected carts, but there is never any Evanine nor Charms going in. I was forced to conclude that as such, unless the Pavilion is sitting on an Evanine Mine or at least a large stockpile, it is likely that the Pavilion is only being used as a way station between where the Craftsman are and the Ports. I have since surveyed the surrounding area for hidden entrances and found several, though again my entrance was thwarted through them. I will continue to attempt entry and find the way to the Craftsman.

    Illai*

    Ishta scrunched the letter in his fist. His spies had found the Pavilion over a year ago, yet none of them had thought about the fact that no Evanine was ferried inside? He would have the incompetent fools whipped.

    Ishta threw the letter into a metal dish and used a match to light it. Perhaps Illai would not prove to be entirely useless this time.

    ***

    Iah sat down at the table opposite Falla and Layn as they laid their paperwork side by side and prepared to discuss business. It was a monthly meeting that they held to ensure that the Charm Business was running as smoothly as possible and there weren''t any improvements to be made. Still, despite it being a routine thing, Iah couldn''t seem to keep her mind completely focused on the task at hand. Her thoughts straying to the envelope she knew she would have present to Falla during this meeting. The Envelope that essentially held something life changing. Whether that change was going to be good or bad had yet to be seen.

    "Then to business," Falla started, unaware of Iah''s distraction, "Everything seems to be running smoothly on my end, the mine is operating in secret still. Deliveries seem to be on schedule with no apparent disruption. The Pavilion has met with some trouble thanks to the Inktress but so far the Captain has been able to handle situation and she has yet to gain access. I trust Kit and Olly have been made aware?"

    She would have communicated with Olly herself seeing as he was contracted with her company and he was only receiving training from Kit, however, sending him letters seemed to prove useless considering any reply he thought worth his time was communicated through Kit. In the end, Falla had given up on her attempts. If she could go back now, she likely wouldn''t have chosen Olly as the signer of that contract. He was clearly not allied with Falla and had no incentive to return and train anyone she wanted when the contract was dissolved. The only thing she now held was access to the Evanine Mine. She knew Iah could get her hands on everything else easily.

    "Yes, I sent the letter some time ago��"

    Falla looked up at Iah, sensing the hesitation.

    "And?" she urged.

    Iah''s eyes flicked to Falla, "He acknowledged the danger, but Olly didn''t seem concerned, so they will continue business as usual".

    "So he is confident that the Inktress will not find them," Falla mused, a slight bit of confidence in her own voice, "Let''s hope we can keep it that way".

    Iah took a note from her pile of paperwork and offered it to Falla, "He talked to the craftsman as well, this is the renewed estimate for that order".

    Falla''s eyes brightened as she took the note which listed the material requirements and the associated price, "60,500 gold, quite the price".

    "It is, but the craftsman are good workers, there shouldn''t be much room for error," said Iah.

    Falla nodded, "I''ll pass it along then".

    Iah gave a half smile, looking away again.

    "Is something wrong?" asked Falla, "Surely you are happy to receive nearly an entire week''s worth of profits in one order?"

    "It''s not that," said Iah, "Though perhaps you should hold off on sending the quoted reply".

    Falla frowned, "Is something wrong?"

    Iah lifted the letter from her lap and held it in her hands before her, "The letter about Olly''s lack of concern arrived a week ago. Considering the lack of care I thought it would be fine to wait until this meeting, however this arrived this morning".

    "What''s happened?" asked Falla.

    Iah handed over the letter to Falla, but continued speaking even as Falla took out the note.

    "It seems Olly received some kind of advice from the Mist and determined to go to the Star Pavilion," Iah stated.

    "What? No!" said Falla in shock, "It''s far to dangerous there even if Lync as the situation with the Inktress under control".

    "I''m afraid that''s just it," said Iah, "They''re likely already there seeing as they left the mine the same time the letter did. They probably went with it to the Pavilion".

    Falla''s eyes scanned the words in the letter, "This can''t be right��they''re confronting her? Kit barely stood a chance last time".

    Iah nodded gravely, "With both of them there, and seemingly determined to face her, its not just their lives on the line, but the entire business".

    "If you lose the craftsman��"

    "We lose any way of making the charms," Iah finished, and their meeting fell into a sombre silence.

    Iah of course cared about Kit and Olly outside of their ability to create the charms, but the business they had built had hundreds of lives attached to it, not just theirs. If Moonshadow lost their signature and only product, it was essentially the end of the newly established charm street.

    "Gods," said Falla, "We can only pray to the Gods that they''re be okay".

    Iah was in no position to refute such a claim.

 Chapter 237 - The Plan

    Ever since the discussion with Aegin, Ebony had been looking for a way to talk with the Madame again. It seemed however that the Madame had said all she had wanted to say to Ebony. It was not until nearly a fortnight after their previous discussion when Ebony was able to talk with the Madame, and it was only because Neva was indisposed.

    Lord Revierre, who had since their last unfortunate encounter gone and returned to Herguard, was proposing another challenge. He was determined to win back his pride against the Reapers who had defeated his previous challenge. The bet had doubled in the stakes, and Ebony could practically see the chests of gold in the Slave Master''s eyes.

    Luckily, when Lord Revierre was grabbing slaves to join him in his bedchambers following dinner, Ebony was in the kitchens, and had done her best to remain out of sight anyway. Neva was not so fortunate, and as a result Ebony was called to attend to the Madame that evening.

    "You were rather lucky tonight," said the Madame, "If Neva hadn''t caught his attention he would have gone looking for you".

    Ebony nodded, "I''m aware".

    The Madame looked at her, "You seem different, perhaps my warning was more effective than I thought".

    "Not exactly," Ebony admitted.

    The Madame raised an eyebrow in question.

    "I have a deal which I''m sure you''ll be interested in," said Ebony.

    "Oh? How intriguing," said the Madame, "Go ahead and propose your deal, I could use something to amuse me".

    Ebony sighed, "Aegin and I, we''re planning an escape-"

    The Madame snorted, "How stupid to tell me that-"

    "And we''re likely going to destroy Herguard in the process," Ebony finished.

    The Madame sighed, "If you think you''re the first to think of escaping, you''re sorely incorrect. You''re the first who has been stupid enough to propose it to me however-"

    "The Slave Master keeps you here, yes?" asked Ebony.

    The Madame paused, looking at Ebony and waiting for her to continue.

    "If we promise to kill the Master, you could leave, couldn''t you? You wouldn''t be bound to stay anymore," said Ebony. It was the only reason she could think of that the Madame would have to remain on the Island.

    The Madame''s eyes narrowed, "Such a feat is easier said than done".

    "Not if his Reapers are the ones to do it," said Ebony.

    The Madame looked somewhat surprised before she sighed, "Perhaps they could do it, but I doubt they would be given the opportunity".

    "That''s what you''re going to provide," said Ebony.

    "I''m sorry?" asked the Madame as she turned back to Ebony.

    "Lord Revierre has just issued a challenge against the Reapers," said Ebony, "They''ll all be in the Arena at once on that day. They can''t get out through the tunnels because the guards will never open the gates unless they''re given the order to, and even then they wouldn''t let the Reapers roam freely. But up in the stands..."

    "There is no way from the Arena floor to the stands unless one goes through the tunnels," said the Madame.

    "Unless we made one," said Ebony, "A few ropes over the walls should be sufficient".

    "You''re placing the hope of your escape on a few ropes?" asked the Madame.

    Ebony sighed, "Look, once the Reapers are up in the stands the crowd will panic. Especially if the tunnels below are also being flooded with the other escaped slaves".

    "Other escaped slaves?" asked the Madame.

    "You heard the challenge that Revierre issued, it''s the biggest one since Aegin and I have been here, and I''d wager it''s been longer than that since something like this has gone on in the Arena. Everyone will want to watch the fight, and if the warriors are all locked up where their supposed to be, they won''t think about consequences. You only need one slave to release those down there, and after the other hundred of so Slave Warriors are free, they''ll have a full on riot both above and below ground to deal with," said Ebony.

    The Madame looked somewhat convinced, but still skeptical, "Why me? You could have attempted to bribe one of the guards".

    "Because you''re the only one I''ve met who truly wants to leave and has the influence to do what is required," said Ebony, "Do you not?"

    The Madame looked away in thought, and after a few tense moments during which Ebony couldn''t help but wonder if she''d made a mistake, the Madame sighed, "So kill the Master then help those freed navigate away from Herguard I assume, but what of me after that? I have not set foot on any land apart from Herguard in over two hundred years. I may hate my life here but I have no life anywhere else".

    Ebony bit her lip in thought. She''d hoped the Madame wouldn''t be so long-sighted, but clearly Ebony had hoped a little too much. After a moment, Ebony took the Tracking Charm from her pocket and showed it to the Madame.

    "Do you know what this is?" asked Ebony.

    "The Charm we attempted to take from you but always seemed to find its way back to you. Your Aegin had one as well. The Protective Charms you had have been quite useful, but I''ve heard word that the Market for these Charms outside of Herguard has grown. A Moonshadow Trading Company produces them and is the only one despite efforts of many to replicate the product. Why do you ask?" asked the Madame.

    "Because I know Moonshadow''s owner and the First Craftsman of the Charms," said Ebony, "If you can free us and get us off this Island, I''ll give you an introduction. Your a businesswoman after all, It can''t not be a tempting offer".

    A slow smile adorned the Madame''s face before she couldn''t help the laugh that escaped her lips.

    "My, my, my little Ebony," she said, "You seem to have the makings of quite the businesswoman yourself".

    The Madame leaned forward, offering her hand to Ebony, "I will make preparations, but if the Reapers cannot put on a convincing show in the arena during that challenge, the deal is off. After all, I will not risk my own neck. I will have ropes thrown down when they are on the verge of winning, tell them to be ready, and if they cannot dispose of the Master quickly, there will be no hope of escape. Do I make myself clear?"

    Ebony took the Madame''s hand, "And the others in the tunnels?"

    "They''ll be the distraction when the ropes come down," said the Madame, "Don''t worry, I''ve had plenty of years to learn how to get my timing right".

    The Challenge was only a few days away, she had to get the message to Aegin.

 Chapter 238 - The Living cannot wait for the Dead

    "All you have to do is fight as you normally would, then, when the ropes come down, kill the Master as quickly as possible".

    Ebony''s instructions after she''d explained the plan to Aegin were simple enough. But executing them would be entirely different. For one, along the way to killing the Master, Aegin and the other Reapers would have to avoid all of the guard''s weapons in case they were cut and poisoned. There was no way to get around such a hurdle in such a small amount of time. If they had longer perhaps they could swap out all of the weapons in the Guard''s arsenal without being noticed, but they only had two days, and that was not nearly enough time to work without being noticed.

    Because of this, the Reapers were still apprehensive when Aegin told them about the plan. However, they also had to admit that if the Madame played her part, it was the plan with the best chance of actually succeeding.

    "We''re fighting that Lord''s warriors again...maybe we could steal their armour after we kill them?" Talo proposed, "After all the more skin we cover the less likely we''ll be cut".

    "And the less quickly we''ll be able to move around," Eros countered.

    "I''m not going to be a jingling mass of mismatched armour, I won''t be as agile," Eon added.

    Aegin didn''t say anything. He was just happy they were discussing this like it was a possibility.

    "We could take extra armour from the Armoury," suggested Layton.

    "If we are to act as normal this may not be a liable option," Sel refuted, "None of us ever take much armour, even with a challenge like this".

    So the idea of extra armour was dismissed, though Will did point out that if their opponents dropped a shield or two that wouldn''t be as hard to pick up on the way to the ropes.

    The night before the challenge and their inevitable attempt at escape, Aegin nervously passed the Tracking Charm from hand to hand. This was it, he was going to get out. He and Ebony would finally be able to start the free life that they''d always dreamed of, and they wouldn''t let something like this happen again. Their life was theirs to live, Rassa had given them that opportunity originally, now, they were taking it for themselves.

    Aegin clenched the Charm in his fist, full of determination. His and Ebony. They''d get out of this together. They''d survive together as they had for the past two and a half years. His eyes raised to follow the brightest line that led from the charm as he activated it. The one that led to her. He was reassured by the fact that she was still in the direction of the slave quarters this late at night. She''d no doubt had to employ all manner of tricks to get away from the Lord who wanted to use her for means she was not willing to accommodate him in. Aegin turned to lie down, ready to go to sleep for the night, only to freeze when he saw the flickering line that headed to the East.

    That wasn''t possible.

    Aegin rubbed his eyes, convinced he was hallucinating. He hadn''t seen that line in years. That line had faded and disappeared. That line had made him loose all hope of rescue. Yet there it was. Still flickering and faded enough to show a great distance stretched between them, but it was there.

    How long had it been there? Had he been alive this whole time?

    Why hadn''t he come?

    Aegin felt an overwhelming sense of betrayal as he stared at the line. Where by the gods had Rassa been? All this time when he and Ebony had been suffering and he chose now to reappear? Now when they were on the eve of their escape?

    Aegin threw the charm into the corner of the cell and it rebounded off the wall and clattered into the far corner. A part of him knew their must have been a reason. If he''d been in the sub-death the whole time he''d been incapable of returning to them. Of saving them. But the part of him that had suffered, the part of him that had been forced to fight for his and Ebony''s life over and over, that part was deeply hurt. Rassa had left them, and Aegin didn''t see a reason to not be angry at him for it.

    Alive or not, the plan was still the same. He''d get out without Rassa''s help. Perhaps he''d even be better off for it.

    ***

    Aegin held the spear in his hands as he stared at the gate before him. The others shifted with a mixture of excited and nervous energy behind him. The crowd was hysterical outside, enough that he could feel the earth beneath his feet rumble. The Arena was packed more that it ever had been.

    It made no different though. A fight was a fight.

    "You good?" asked Talo as he came to stand beside Aegin, stamping his trident into the dirt at his feet.

    "I''m ready".

    Talo nodded, "You know, I''d like to say I won''t miss this place, but maybe I''ve just been here too long".

    Aegin turned to look at him, then at the others who are clearly listening despite the fact that weren''t staring at the two of them.

    Aegin sighed, "I left a place where I''d been trapped once before. I didn''t want to miss it either, but I did".

    Talo turned to look at Aegin.

    "But missing it is not the same as wishing you had remained," Aegin continued, "It just means that you acknowledge that it was once an important part of your life, that some part of it defined who you are, but you''ve moved on for one reason or another. And moving on is not something to ever be ashamed or afraid of".

    Talo smiled, "You''ve been a good friend, Aegin. I wasn''t supposed to make any of those here, none of us were. But you did a good job of it anyway".

    The gate before them began to open and the light of the wide arena filtered through the crack.

    "Let''s move on together, shall we?" asked Talo.

    Aegin smiled, "And in the process, Reap a few unsavoury souls".

    "No ifs, buts, or maybes with that," Talo grinned, then he picked up his trident and stepped out, Aegin and the others right behind him.

 Chapter 239 - The Fools Path seems bleak

    "So...and I''m only repeating this so I am absolutely certain of your answer...you want to let the Inktress try to kill us?"

    Kit looked doubtfully at Olly as they approached the entrance to the underground tunnel beneath to Star Pavilion.

    Olly nodded confidently, "In the Pavilion".

    Kit nodded, "I had hoped that there was a part I''d somehow misheard, but no. Evidently we''re not only going to let the Inktress attack and try to kill us, we''re also going to let her into the most sacred place on the Continent despite what is no doubt it''s protectors'' wishes. Just out of curiosity, is there a plan the Mist gives you that doesn''t involve risk?"

    "What do you mean?" asked Olly, quite obviously confused.

    "Well, you said you went after the Protection Charm originally because the Mist told you where it would be, though you were being chased by men who wanted to kill you, so if the charm hadn''t worked, you would have died. Next, the Mist told you to find me at the Ruin and I was fully prepared to do some damage with my shadows to anyone that trespassed. And now this," said Kit.

    "You forgot signing the blood contract and making the plan to smuggle us off Rouke Island," Olly stated.

    Kit''s jaw dropped, "The Mist told you to do those as well? I thought..."

    Olly just shrugged, "The Mist may not have spoken those times, but the paths were still there for me to take. The Mist never presents a path without an element of risk involved, otherwise it would not be impartial".

    "You always seem to choose the right one," Kit replied, resting his head on his hand in thought, "Unless you have impeccable luck".

    "I choose the option that will lead to the fulfillment of my desires. The Mist cares not for such things, only about the balance," said Olly.

    Kit decided not to argue further as they approached the gate, "Hey look, we''re here".

    "So is she," Olly said.

    "Huh?" asked Kit, turning to face Olly in surprise.

    "From the right".

    Kit instinctively pulled the shadows of the trees on either side of the path as he stood and reformed them into a solid barrier around the horses and cart. The impact of another energy, an all too violent and familiar energy, collided with his barrier and Kit braced himself with a step back before he turned to the front of the carriage.

    "Get the horses moving!"

    The driver, who had long ago tuned out Olly and Kit''s conversation, could only sit in shock as his world had turned to nothing but darkness. The horses too gave a nervous neighs at the sudden and new environment. Seeing the clear hesitation in the driver, Olly climbed over the divider and onto the driver''s seat, snatching the reigns. He spurred the horses into motion as ripples again fluttered over the shield, the Inktress trying to break Kit''s barrier.

    Kit flinched. It was not the same one sided battle as two and a half years ago. He was stronger this time, but the shadows were also more readily available. Here on this wooded path rather than the open field which she''d attacked in on Rouke.

    Kit traced the Inky energy that sought a way through his barrier, occasionally trying to force her way in. As she pulled back to strike, Kit gathered the energy from the far side of his shield, his solid barrier becoming transparent on one side as he reshaped the energy into a sharpened spike that jabbed towards the Inktress in an instant.

    He sensed the shift in the Inktress as her energy encompassed her entire body and she became one with her element. His sharp and solid shadow pierced the Ink, quickly before withdrawing once more, but the dark liquid couldn''t be pierced as something solid could. Kit gritted his teeth as the Inktress''s voice pierced his barrier.

    "You may have grown and developed the courage to attack, young Magician, but you are not my match!"

    Kit sneered right back, "I don''t need to be your match to win!"

    He broke off parts of the shadow and fashioned them like swords then shot them out rapidly at the Inktress''s fluidly moving form as it twisted and warped away from the edge of his shield. Why would she retreat when she was in that form? She''d clearly proven that he couldn''t hurt her.

    "Kit!" shouted Olly, breaking through Kit''s train of thought.

    Kit barely needed to glance over his shoulder to know that Olly was informing his just how close the entrance to the cave was. Kit could feel the numerous shadows in the tunnel beyond. Kit pulled those thick shadows from the cave and pushed the door to the tunnel open, then expanded his shield around the entrance as the Cart passed through, passing the guards there. The ripples on the shield appeared again as the Inktress tried to penetrate it. She seemed more desperate this time as she threw her power into countering Kit, but in the flickering shadows of the tunnel, Kit was more powerful.

    As a Shadow Magician, his element was not solid by nature, one could not grasp it, but the Inktress was different. Her element may have easily slipped passed unseen, but it could not penetrate something solid. It was a weakness of the Earth and Water Elements. Arguably, other elements couldn''t pass through a door or barrier should it be sealed enough, but particularly the light and shadow elements possessed a greater spiritual connection to the Mist. They could reached beyond those seals with their intangible spirits. Luckily, this now became an advantage for Kit.

    Kit threw his power into the shield as he pushed the gate closed again, sealing it tightly, then he let the magic disperse.

    He dropped down and after a moment to catch his breath, he felt Olly''s hand on his shoulder.

    "You''ve been practicing," Olly observed.

    "I''m a Shadow Magician before I''m a Craftsman, it''d be a disservice if I didn''t," Kit smiled.

    Olly nodded, "That is good. The plan relies on you".

    Kit raised his eyebrows, "What?"

    Two weeks journey from the Mines, and this was the first Kit had heard of that. He felt the overwhelming sense that he was going to regret coming with Olly.

 Chapter 240 - The Decision is Made

    Whilst he could see that beneath the surface his parents still worried for what was to come, Rassa did his best to keep the dinner they had casual and calm. He asked his father about work that day, and apologised after a scolding for missing it himself. He complimented his mother''s bread and asked if she needed him to massage her wrists again. They''d been seeming a bit weaker the last couple of months.

    Then, for what he knew would be the last time, he sat down out the front of his house with his father and stared at the stars above in companionable silence whilst his mother sat inside, patching some of their clothes with a practiced and skilled hand.

    "Are you sure you''re okay?" asked his father, and Rassa knew immediately that his father was referring to the revelation about the Kildares, "I don''t consider this an easy reality to accept".

    "It''s not," Rassa agreed, "But it will always be part of who I am. The important thing is to remember what and who I was before. The moment I forget, that I let it consume me, that''s the moment I lose sight of who I am. The past may not be pleasant, it may even be horrible and worthy of being buried and forgotten, but if I bury it completely I do a disservice to the me of that time. After all, it was the me then that got out. It was the me then that didn''t give up".

    Rassa paused, turning to look at his father, "Do you think I can do it, dad? Do you think I can stay strong enough to remember?"

    "You will always remember it, no matter your strength or will," Phillip replied, "Accepting it and living with it is where your strength will be tested".

    Rassa nodded in agreement as he turned away, then he felt his father''s hand as it clapped down on his shoulder, and he turned back.

    "But I think you can do it," Phillip smiled, "You''ve always been the type that once you find something you want, something you care for, you will go after it and protect it. Even if it means hurting yourself on the way. It drives your mother and I crazy".

    Rassa smiled back, then he pulled his father in for a hug.

    "I love you, you know that, right?" asked Rassa.

    Phillip, somewhat surprised, hugged his son back, "Of course, Rassa. I love you too".

    Rassa held his father for a moment longer, allowing himself to cling like a child for one more moment before he pulled back and stood up.

    "I''m going for a walk, but I''ll say goodnight to mum first," said Rassa.

    "A walk?" asked his father, "Don''t go too far".

    Rassa smiled, "I''m only going to the orchard and back, nothing to worry about".

    His father nodded.

    Rassa entered the house to find his mother had fallen asleep on her chair in the corner as she knitted. He smiled at her, taking in her aged face and wishing that she''d been able to live this long in reality. That his last memory of her was not her teary-eyed sadness and longing as she watched him be pulled away in a cage. He stepped over and leaned down placing a kiss on her forehead.

    "I love you, mother," Rassa whispered, "And I have not and will never hold it against you. You''re only human after all".

    Then Rassa stood straight and took one last look around the room before he stepped out, waving goodbye to his father and making his way to the Orchard.

    ***

    Surai was there this time, waiting for him on the rock as she looked out over the water. Her eyes were hard as she turned to look at him.

    "I won''t apologise for what I said last time we met here," Rassa began, "Besides the fact that you had little business meddling with my problems in the first place, I really don''t think you''re an authority on whether I''m taking the right steps on my path or not, you''re not the one walking it".

    Surai said nothing as she stared at Rassa, and he took in a breath before he walked over and sat down beside her, "That being said, I do thank you for accelerating the process. I don''t know how long I would have spent in self-loathing and pity before I finally realised what my problem was. But I am ready now. Ready to face it and walk my path properly, not half-heartedly".

    Surai looked down her nose at him before the corner of her lips twisted in a small smirk.

    "I daresay you are," said Surai, "You certainly seem a lot less conflicted. Perhaps not entirely resolved, but there are few who are, even those who live for eternity. If anything, they tend to have more problems".

    They lapsed into silence before Rassa sighed, his fear speaking out, "How long has it been since I''ve been here?"

    Surai shrugged, "No idea".

    Rassa turned to looked at her, surprise in his expression, "You don''t know?"

    Surai''s appearance then shifted ever so slightly, no longer did she appear as the young widow Rassa had always seen, but as a woman in a Southern outfit that wrapped around her body and was tied in the middle. Though the biggest changes were the two ears on her head, and the eight fox-like tails that spanned from her tail bone.

    "Time moves differently in the fairy forest," she admitted, "Well, it''d be more accurate to say we don''t have a reason to keep track of time. It is very much a life of solitude. That being said, I did synchronize your days here in the illusion with the days and nights I am experiencing in reality, so the same amount of time has passed in both".

    It wasn''t much of a relief, especially seeing as he didn''t know how long he''d been at the bottom of the ocean, but at least he had a hope that the others, the family he''d built, wouldn''t be old, or worse, long dead. As for everything else, he''d have to see for himself.

    "Seeing as I''m no longer welcome to pretend to know what your path is about, is there anything you need once this illusion is finished and you find your way out?" asked Surai.

    "Blood," said Rassa, "A lot of it, and preferably from the source".

    He turned to look at Surai, though she didn''t appear all that bothered, "Very well, there are some unwelcome guests not far away, I''ll invite them for dinner".

    Rassa raised an eyebrow, but didn''t question her on it, "How do I get out?"

    "You know the answer to that," said Surai, "You''ve always known".

    She stood, her tails flicking behind her as she hopped delicately onto the beach before turning back to look at him, "I''ll see you on the other side, Rassa Moonshadow".

    Then she promptly disappeared like dust in the wind. Rassa looked up at the sky, then turned to look back towards the village, then his eyes came to rest north, towards Greenvale Forest.

    "Sure, I''ve just got to find a cave that barely existed in reality, let alone in an illusion," said Rassa. He stood and turned away from the lake, stepping back towards the moment he''d sworn that oath to Chaos so long ago.

 Chapter 241 - The Shattering of Chains

    The fight in the Arena below was just as brutal and bloody as always. The only difference this time seemed to be that Lord Revierre had learned his lesson from last time. He had not thrown mere Guards into the Arena to challenge the Reapers, no he''d quite clearly done more than that. While Ebony could only speculate, she''d bet that he''d hired them for a good price to avenge his past humiliation.

    The challengers were skilled enough that Ebony worried for the Reapers below. Though she knew she shouldn''t have. The only challenge that those warriors faced recently was against each other.

    Ebony moved around the Master''s rooms quietly and smoothly, pouring wine into cups and providing snacks for the patrons as they shouted, jeered and laughed at the entertainment on display below them. She could not help the thought that crossed her mind. That she doubted they would be so happy should they have been the ones down there. In fact, they likely would have begged for mercy. Those who had never felt the hardship, had never had to decide between their life and the life of another likely had no idea how it felt. Ebony wasn''t even positive that she understood. She had never had to kill anybody directly, but she''d certainly been a accessory to such things on more than one occasion. She wasn''t entirely sure if it had bothered her or not.

    Ebony looked up, noticing Neva''s eyes as they glanced over her and the other girls. Ebony knew that this time if someone took an interest, she wouldn''t be able to avoid them, nor would anyone step in. The Madame, who sat beside the Master, looked the same as always. Like she was living a life of luxury where she ruled over all, a glass of wine held in her hand as she watched the bloody fight below. She gave no indication of her allegiance, nor if she was ready to go through with the plan. It made Ebony tense.

    Ebony happened to walk near the railing, glancing down to see Aegin''s situation. He was doing well, but he was fighting off three men at once, and all three seemed to be quite adept. Aegin ducked and doged as best he could, but Ebony witnessed the moment he slipped into a different style. The style he''d told her he''d never use in the Arena. The Havoi Style.

    He went from wildly defending to having the attacks pass by him like they weren''t even aimed at him to begin with. One warrior went down, then the second, and finally the third before Aegin spun and threw a dagger at one of those fighting Talo.

    Lord Revierre stood, "What is this, Slave Master?"

    The Slave Master merely smiled like he''d just earned a mountain of gold as he looked at Aegin.

    "It appears we weren''t pushing their potential nearly hard enough," the Slave Master mused, "I should thank you for doing so, Revierre".

    Ebony''s eyes narrowed at the words as she shifted to go back to serving. It would not matter in the next few minutes, at least she hoped it wouldn''t.

    Her jug ran out and she turned to go and refill it, her eyes catching a look from Lord Revierre as she did. Ebony swore under her breath. She''d managed a fortnight avoiding his attention, why now?

    She went into the serving hall as another slave exited, eyes filled with warning at what followed Ebony. Ebony took in a deep breath. She could do this. She wouldn''t break. She was not a belonging. She could not be forced. She would not freeze again.

    "You''ve hidden long enough, I think," Lord Revierre''s voice cut through the room as Ebony placed a her jug down. Her eyes spying the silverware to the side. She turned slowly to look behind her.

    "Are you lost again, my lord?" asked Ebony.

    Revierre gritted his teeth and stalked across the room, his hand raising to fist Ebony''s hair and yank her head back. Ebony felt fear crawl through her limbs at the pain, slowly freezing them. No, she didn''t want to freeze up again. She wouldn''t, she couldn''t.

    "I don''t appreciate your tone, slave. Neither do I appreciate your husband''s audacity in undermining my victory. My reputation. But fortunately he is not here right now," Revierre sneered.

    He was belittled. A mighty lord whom no one questioned nor stood against was feeling small thanks to Aegin. Thanks to the Reapers. The thought made Ebony smile. He was just a man in the end. There was no great power standing beside him, he would bleed just like she and Aegin did. Warmth slowly seeped back into her limbs as Ebony''s lips curled into the most arrogant and confident smile she could muster.

    "Fortunate you say?" she asked as Revierre''s eyes narrowed to her, "I''d say its fortunate indeed, he can do a lot more damage than I".

    Ebony raised her knee sharply, hitting his manhood before she pushed a flat palm forward into his throat, constricting his airways. Revierre stumbled back in shock. As Ebony turned slowly and picked a sharp knife from amongst the silverware.

    "But I think I can do plenty of damage on my own too".

    She stepped forward, dragging the knife under his chin before she stepped forward and stabbed it up beneath his ribs. Ebony watched the fear and shock in his eyes as he fell in a bloody lump at her feet, a roar in her ears.

    She''d done it. She hadn''t frozen when it counted. She took a deep breath, finding that the first death she''d cause directly didn''t affect her nearly as much as she thought it would.

    Then she looked up as she realised the roar wasn''t in her ears. It was coming from outside. Ebony stepped forward, pulling the bloody knife from Revierre''s body as she did and stalking outside. Patrons were running panicked before her and as she hid the knife behind her skirts, the guards came from the shadows to surround the Slave Master who was busy shouting orders as he pointed towards the Arena. Ebony followed his finger, finding the chains thrown over the wall, and the Reapers rapidly ascending the wall into the stands.

    It had begun.

 Chapter 242 - The Pavilions Divination

    Lync''s gaze darted back and forth between Olly and Kit with an expression that clearly showed how much he was exercising his restraint upon hearing their so called ''plan''.

    "You want to what?"

    Kit opened his mouth to explain but Olly beat him to it.

    "We need you to let the Inktress in so that we can lure her to the Pavilion".

    Lync sighed, "And why, by the gods, would I do that? We have explicit orders not to let her in".

    "Because if you don''t let her in we can''t kill her," Olly said. Kit''s gaze snapped to Olly, eyebrows raised.

    "We''re killing her?" asked Kit, clearly surprised, "That''s a little..."

    "She''s here to do the same to us," Olly said. Kit sighed. So it was kill or be killed. One of these days he was going to make Olly spill the entire plan before they were on the verge of carrying it out. Of course, that was if they survived this.

    "Oh? And how do you plan on killing the hybrid magician?" asked Lync, "The last I heard, whilst Kit is a brilliant Magician for his age he is not her match".

    Kit wasn''t in the least bit offended. It was true. He was also curious as to how they were going to carry this plan out now that it involved not only overpowering the Inktress, but killing her as well.

    "The Mist will help," said Olly.

    "I thought you said the Mist didn''t take sides," Kit questioned, crossing his arms in front of his chest.

    "It doesn''t," said Olly, not seeing the confusion. Kit dragged a hand down his face before he took a breath and spoke as calmly as he could. He''d gotten rather good at it the past few years, though this was one of Olly''s more outrageous plans to be sure.

    "Okay, Olly, this will not be the last time I ask this but can you please explain your plan detail by detail?" asked Kit, "If only to convince Lync here that you''re not insane".

    "This better be an extraordinary plan then," Lync muttered, though Olly didn''t seem to notice. He seemed to be in deep thought about Kit''s request before he replied.

    "If you know every detail, it might not work," Olly admitted.

    "Well, I''m not risking the lives of my knights and the sanctity of the Pavilion on your word," Lync stated adamantly.

    "But-"

    "No," Lync said firmly.

    Olly looked dejected as Lync walked away, turning to attend to his duties. Kit hesitated before he placed a hand on Olly''s arm.

    "Maybe it''s for the-"

    Olly grabbed Kit''s wrist before dragging him away, "Wait, where are we going?"

    His question was answered soon enough as Olly brought him to the Pavilion. Without an ounce of hesitation he released Kit''s wrist inside the Pavilion as he went to the centre, then began looked up and around as he had done when they''d first found the Pavilion. Kit sighed, turning to take a seat on the edge of the Pavilion before Olly spoke.

    "Rassa Moonshadow is on the verge of rising again," Olly said. Kit frowned, spinning to face Olly.

    "What?" asked Kit, "Rassa''s dead".

    Olly shook his head, "I told you he wasn''t".

    "You said it was like he didn''t even exist," said Kit.

    Olly nodded, "And now I can clearly see that he does, in fact he has a very, very long life ahead of him".

    Kit took out his tracking charm and held it tightly, willing it to activate. Sure enough, Rassa''s line was once again visible, flickering, but visible. He hadn''t died.

    Kit slowly lowered the charm as he looked to Olly, "Will he help us, is that what you saw?"

    Olly shook his head, "Not for this. But he will come to us, soon".

    "Then...how exactly do we defeat the Inktress?" asked Kit, "Lync is right, I''m not powerful enough".

    "You don''t need to be," said Olly, "You just need to strike at the right time".

    "How will I know that?" asked Kit.

    Olly reached into his pocket and took out a large clarity charm before he threw it to Kit. Kit caught it, looking at it in confusion.

    "You''ll know," Olly smiled confidently, "We should take care of the Star Stone".

    "The what?" asked Kit.

    Olly pointed down, "The Star Stone the Knights use to track those who are not residents here".

    It was the first Kit had heard of it, or anything like it, "What does it do?"

    Olly frowned, "It tracks those who are not residents here".

    "No, I mean, how did they get that type of magic?" asked Kit.

    "It was here before the Pavilion needed knights to protect it," Olly replied, "So the Oracles could see who was of Order and who was of Chaos".

    "The who?" asked Kit.

    Olly sighed, annoyed, "The Oracles...Kit is your hearing okay? You should tell me if its not, you kind of need it for this plan".

    Kit frowned, "My hearing is fine. You''re speaking in riddles again".

    Olly frowned back, "It''s not my fault everyone else has forgotten".

    Kit rolled his eyes at Olly''s reasoning before he turned back, "Is there a way we''re supposed to take care of this Star Stone?"

    "A Locking Charm should do it," said Olly.

    "Seriously?" asked Kit, "These Charms are truly ambiguous, when Mr Moonshadow comes back, we should totally ask him to specify the charms a bit more so that we can-"

    "Learn more runes?" asked Olly excitedly.

    Kit sighed, "Sure, that too. Where is this Star Stone?"

    "Underground, in a secret room. Lync probably won''t like us going there," said Olly.

    Which meant that none of the other knights would like it either.

    "Can I use my shadows?" asked Kit.

    "They can track those who are of chaos and order," Olly replied, "But if you can get a hold of one of the knight''s badges you should be fine".

    "The Knight''s badges?" asked Kit, "Please tell me this is the simplest part of the plan".

    The look in Olly''s face pretty much confirmed Kit wasn''t even close to the difficult part of the plan.

    Kit turned to go to find one of the Knights when Olly called out again, "Hey Kit, you''ve got a healing charm on you, right?"

    "Yeah, why?" asked Kit.

    "Just in case," said Olly.

    Kit didn''t think a healing charm would help. If they failed, the Inktress would likely just kill them, and a healing charm couldn''t bring anyone back from the dead.

 Chapter 243 - The Taste of Blood

    He was ready, so why couldn''t he find the damn cave? It was frustrating to no end, circling through the woods and around the meadow and coming up with no results. He''d been positive that this was exactly what Surai had meant before she promptly disappeared. He''d known where all his problems started, so it made sense that that was exactly where they were supposed end.

    Yet no matter how many times he circled, there was no cave.

    Rassa paused in the centre of the meadow, frustrated to no end. He sat down, the lay back on the grass, looking up at the dark sky above him. He was ready to leave. Ready to leave this part of himself behind. What more did he have to prove?

    There was a rustle in the grass to the side, and Rassa turned his head, spying a little white rabbit foraging on the edge of the meadow. His mind flashed back to that moment so long ago when he had waited on the edge of the meadow, waited for the right moment to run out so he could catch that same rabbit. Just a game. He''d only been a boy playing a game.

    It couldn''t be that simple, could it?

    Rassa lifted himself so that his feet were beneath him and steady to the ground as he squatted low, peering over the grass at the rabbit. He made a slow move forward, then a stick crunched beneath his boot. The rabbit''s ears perked up as it froze, it sniffed the air, turning. Rassa darted forward as soon as the rabbit moved into the tree line.

    He followed it past trees and up a small incline, only to watch it disappeared into the dark shadow that swallowed all light.

    The cave.

    Rassa refused to feel either relief or excitement though as he stared at it, he only opened his mouth to repeat what he''d said back then, "Digs? Was there always a cave here?"

    Rassa turned to the side where a mist like substance seemed to clump together, a young Diggory standing beside him as he too stared into the dark shadows of the cave.

    "Who cares, someone has to go and get that rabbit," he said.

    "We''re passed the boundary line, we should go back," Rassa fell deeper into the memory with ease, "The game is over when the rabbit passes the boundary, remember?"

    "But it''s right in there, you saw it disappear too!" Diggory grunted, "We''re barely a few metres passed the boundary, look, you can still see the edge of the meadow! Go on, I dare you to go and get the rabbit".

    "But the game is-"

    "What, are you scared?" asked Diggory.

    He''d questioned it back then, why Dig was acting so haughtily. Now he realised why. He was just as scared, of course he was, but there was something else here influencing what was said. Like Diggory was always supposed to challenge Rassa like that. Like Rassa was supposed to go into that cave.

    "Fine, Dig," Rassa spoke, sure of it this time, "I''ll get the rabbit, then we can all go back to the village together".

    Rassa didn''t wait for a reply, turning and marching towards the entrance of the cave.

    It was just as dark as he remembered, just as pitch black and haunting. He felt himself pause inside the entrance, and the mist concentrated before him again, the only thing lighting the darkness as his young self stepped forward, finding the rabbit, dead and bloody at his feet. Rassa felt the dread wash over him like it had then, only this time his eyes didn''t widen in fear. He knew what was in the cave this time. Knew it and felt it.

    A deep rumble disturbed the eerie silence of the cave, and the little Rassa shot to his feet. He turned, sprinting past Rassa towards the exit of the cave, he tripped, picked himself up in a scrambling fear, then proceeded to pound on the solid wall of the entrance, screaming for help.

    The shadows shot out from the cave past Rassa to the little figure made from mist, and proceeded to drag him through the air deep down into the cave.

    "Let me go!"

    "Oh little one...you''ve barely had a chance to be welcomed...please, come on in".

    The chuckle echoed and faded, then Rassa took a deep breath, and followed the apparitions down into the dark cave.

    It didn''t take him long to find the echoing cavern he''d been held aloft in by all those vampiric spirits. It was empty this time, the voices around him mere memories of what had happened here.

    "Such a valuable specimen..."

    "Suitable..."

    "Yes..."

    "...Make the pact".

    "...Form the Seal!"

    He''d feared them then. Feared what they''d said and the feeling they''d evoked in him. Now that they''d all taught him. Now that he''d come to know them as beings that had once existed, they did not seem so terrifying. Even the red eyes that had pierced through the darkness had a name now. Victor. Victor Lurossi, the last Patriarch of the Star Crash Coven before it had been decimated by the army of Order.

    "Boy".

    The voice that spoke above others did not frighten Rassa anymore, and there was no need to see the memories appear before him again, he''d lived them.

    "I am a boy no more," Rassa replied in to the empty cavern, "But I am trapped by my burdens, tell me how I may be free".

    "You may leave freely...but only once we have made a pact with you...one who believes himself a boy no longer".

    "My name is Rassa, I am human, what pact is it you offer me?"

    "You are trapped by our burdens, we too are trapped by ours. Our enemies grew scared of our darkness, and jealous of our favour".

    It was different to how it had gone in his memories, but Rassa himself was different, no need to repeat the old when starting anew. This would not be his eternal prison, it would be his rebirth.

    "In return for carrying on our great path, our Chaotic path, we will grant you strength enough to compare to a god.

    "I do not need a god''s strength," Rassa said, "But I am honoured you think so highly of me as to be able to control it".

    "It is why you are who we have selected. After all, we cannot entrust power to someone who could not control it or themselves".

    "I did not do so well the first time, I hope I can live up to your expectations this time, I accept your pact," said Rassa.

    The mist condensed before him, this time in the form of Victor. His silver hair and red eyes not so intimidating now that they were at eye level.

    "Chaos is not judged by the rules of Order," said Victor, "Just as Order is not judged by the rules of Chaos. You needed to learn Chaos'' rules, you still do, but you have a very long time to do so. It''s also plenty of time to correct your mistakes, though never apologise for them. It is not Chaos''s way to apologise".

    Victor then smiled arrogantly before he disappeared into the darkness once more, his voice echoing one last time, "You know the words, Rassa. Speak them and be free".

    Rassa took a deep breath, then spoke into the darkness, spreading his arms to welcome it.

    "I hereby consent to allow my being to be changed wholly. My body, my mind, my soul, all shall be rewritten. I submit to the grace of Chaos, and in turn shall relish in its darkness. Marr my body, mind and soul with your Seal, and from the time of my acceptance, let its power fill me. So shall it be, so shall I never regret".

    And he wouldn''t regret, not this time.

    Not as he felt his Life Lines rewrite themselves onto his back, not as he felt his wings burst from his flesh, nor his body strengthen, harden and change. He settled into the dark void, embracing the pain as the illusion faded away for good.

    He drifted, breathing deeply as he felt himself settle into what his body was supposed to be. What was right. No more human sluggishness. No more inadequate senses. No more solace in the light. No more being the prey.

    Rassa felt the wet stickiness on his lips, and his tongue darted out to taste it. Blood. Rich and full of sustenance and power. He would pay his price. He would be gluttonous as was his path. In exchange for what he could do with his power, what he could protect, he would more than willing to pay that price.

    His fangs extended and sunk into the source.

 Chapter 244 - The Masters Death

    Aegin leaned to the side to dodge the jab of a spear, using the momentum spin with his own spear and slice across the throat of his attacker before he spun back to the other way to do the same to another opponent. The opponent parried the blow, but didn''t expect the dagger that lodged itself into his throat in the split second he took to prepare to move forward.

    The clanking of metal on metal and the thumb as it hit the stone walls and sandy floor was easily missed in all the fighting. But the sudden shocked silence of the crowd was not. Aegin spied a chain and took two steps forward before he dug his spear into the ground and launched over a group, throwing three of his daggers down to take care of them as he landed and sprinted past Garrow.

    "Show off!" Talo called out. Aegin was ready to turn and fire back some reply when he realised that Talo had been referring to Layton.

    The young whip-user had been the closest to one of the chains and thanks to the reach of his whip was able to climb a fair way up before his attackers reached the base of the chain. The Guards in the stands had responded quickly as well however, and had come to the top of the chain to wait for him. To deal with this, Layton had used his whip to grab one of the huge beams that were incrementally placed around the inside of the arena high enough that no one on the ground could reach them, then he''d swung over to the next chain before the Guards had been able to respond. This sudden development had led to panic in the stands as Layton had begun to attack anyone who got close to him, no matter if they were one of the audience members of the guards.

    Aegin wouldn''t leave him up there alone. As he approached the chain, he took two large steps then threw his spear at one of the guards that was preparing to defend the top of the chain. Aegin didn''t glance up again to see whether or not the guard had been hit, the shouts of surprise above were enough as he scooped up two discarded short swords and put them into his belt before swinging up onto the chain. He climbed rapidly, vaguely aware that the other Reapers had already made their way towards chains or were climbing already. When he reached the top, Aegin dodged a spear and grabbed the shaft before the guard could pull back. He yanked the guard over the Arena''s wall and barely glanced down to watch him scream as he fell.

    Turning the spear, he threw it up at another oncoming guard, then pushed off the wall and used his grip on the chain to flip over. He landed quite ungracefully on top of a fleeing audience member, but sprung up just as fast, drawing the two short swords and hurriedly fending off the guards that were approaching him.

    He was still a fair distance from the Slave Master''s box. At least a quarter of the way around the Arena. He couldn''t afford more than a mere glance however as he let himself settle into the Havoi style, defending and using the guard''s strengths against them so that he was far less likely to take any cuts from those could be poisoned spears.

    Thanks to the Reaper''s rapid progress up into the stands, the audience had cleared out as quickly as they could to avoid encountering the coming slaughter. It gave the Reapers more room to move.

    Aegin quickly noticed however that despite their efforts, they may not be able to get to the Slave Master before his guards evacuated him from the premises.

    And where was Ebony?

    Aegin couldn''t see her. She was not among the cowering slaves who screamed and whimpered in the corner, trying to appear as small as possible. Nor was she one of those the other guests in the Master''s box were using as their human shields.

    Ebony always served in that box. He''d even seen her earlier. Why wasn''t she there now? What had happened to her.

    Aegin was only about a hundred metres from the box when he realised he couldn''t see Revierre either.

    Aegin''s efforts to move forward redoubled.

    He slashed and stabbed and dodged and ducked, moving through the guards as the other Reapers went through their opponents. He was so engrossed in the movement of his body that when the roar of pain cut through his concentration, he took a second to register it was from an ally and not from an enemy.

    Aegin turned, hearing Talo call out a familiar name, "Garrow!"

    The big guy had only been stabbed in the shoulder, barely a scratched to him, he''d been stabbed their plenty of times before. Only this time, the black lines that rapidly stretched from the wound made it clear that it wasn''t merely a wound of the flesh.

    "Garrow!" Aegin echoed the call worriedly.

    He almost reacted too late as a spear slashed past him. He moved to the side, the spear''s blade cutting through his sleeve. A sting, barely there, cut through Aegin''s focus now that he''d seen Garrow go down.

    No, he hadn''t gotten to Ebony yet.

    Aegin moved, taking care of the final two guards before him before he took a second to glance down, waiting for those black lines to appear. He breathed a sigh of relief when the cut hadn''t even fully broken through his skin. That had been too close.

    It was as he looked up, swords clenched in his hands, that he noticed Ebony emerge through the crowd as if she was coming from the group of slaves. Her arms were held down beside her, but Aegin was focused enough on her to not miss the bloody knife hidden in the folds of her skirt. She appeared timid, but her gait was determined as she made her way towards the slave master. Aegin realised in and instant what she was doing. He charged forward, throwing one of his short swords as the guards surrounding the Master moved to intercept him. Then Aegin ducked past and drew his last throwing knife, he couldn''t get a clean shot from this angle. He dived down feet first, sliding along the ground, then released his knife.

    He knew the second it was released that it wouldn''t reach the Master as he pulled the guard behind him in front of him. But as Aegin launched back up to his feet to deflect the blows from the spears coming his way, he realised it didn''t matter. His knife had been effective all the same.

    He watched as Ebony thrust the knife in her hand into the Slave Master''s back. The Master gasped in shock, then jolted as Ebony pulled back gripping the stumbling Slave Master by his forehead and dragging her knife across the front of his neck.

    He went down and Ebony stepped back to narrowly avoid a spear which Aegin parried. He backed up with Ebony behind him as the other Reapers made their final approach to the stands. They''d lost Eros too, who''s body was currently being carried on his brother''s back as Will defended them.

    "Is our end fulfilled?" asked Ebony.

    Aegin turned to look at the Mistress, who knelt down beside the body of the Slave Master. As she watched him bleed out, the necklace around her neck suddenly shattered. The Mistress grinned as she stood.

    "I''d dare say it is. Let us commandeer some boats, shall we?"

 Chapter 245 - The Voice of the Mist

    It had taken Kit a good three hours to steal a Knight''s Badge. He wasn''t proud of the time it had taken, and Olly had certainly been frustrated with him, but he''d had to wait for them to let their guard down. Kit didn''t usually wonder around without Olly, so he''d had to wait until shortly before meal time when he''d asked for some food for him and Olly. That excuse had been well accepted and it had been easy for Kit to take a badge when the cook wasn''t looking.

    After that, Kit had taken to hiding in the shadows, from what Olly had said, he''d appear to be in the cafeteria to those watching the stone below.

    The entrance, surprisingly, was unguarded. Mostly because it was some inconspicuous hut right next to where they stored all the wood for the fireplaces in the Fort. Kit had only spotted it because he thought it strange that such an area would be so active in summer. Once he was underground, hiding in the shadows became a lot easier. He only had to wait for the right moment to draw the locking charm on the stone, which was clearly Evanine, then escape through the shadow back to the pavilion as everyone panicked.

    "Alright, done," said Kit.

    Olly nodded, "It won''t be long now".

    Kit approached him, following Olly''s gaze as he looked up and around, the night sky revealing the stars above.

    "So what do we do?" asked Kit.

    "Turn your back to mine, then take four steps forward," said Olly.

    Kit frowned, but did as told, "Okay, what now?"

    Olly turned to look at him, "Be ready".

    Kit was about to ask ready for what when he heard a scream in one of the courtyards to the left. Alarms began to sound out, and the fortress went into a panic.

    "The Inktress, she''s entered the Fort!"

    "Ready for Battle!"

    "Protect the Pavilion!"

    Kit drew on the shadows. The shadows at night were long and deep, so much more powerful than those in the day time. They condensed around the Pavilion, a ring to protect them.

    More screams and shouts of alarm rang out around them, then suddenly, silence prevailed.

    Kit tensed, the chilling feeling of that damp dark and wrong presence so close by he could almost touch it.

    "Left!"

    At Olly''s call Kit reacted instantly, the Shadows shot out like great spikes piercing through under the arches of the Pavilion and streaming towards the forming blob of inky blackness.

    It pierced it from ten or more different directions, but only a chuckle rang out in response, the ink slipping past his spikes and forming into the threatening woman as she stepped towards him and Olly.

    "You''re not the only one you should watch for in the dark, little boy," the Inktress grinned.

    Kit threw out a swipe of his shadows, aiming to cut her in half it not stab threw her. But she moved quickly, and in and instant she was right behind Olly, wrapping him in her ink before she turned him to face Kit, a dagger of dripping darkness held near Olly''s throat.

    She grinned at Kit.

    "I''ll only offer this once, little boy," spoke the Inktress, "After all, my master can''t bring himself to care anymore if you live or die, and I''m really sick of hunting you and your pack of charm profiteers. So what will it be, will you come willingly, or show I just kill you here?"

    Kit glared at her, glancing at Olly. Olly, who looked not in the least bit phased as he stared back at Kit. That expression of absolute serenity threw him. How could he possibly be calm in this moment? Was he that confident in what the Mist had told him? What could anybody possibly say in this instance to distract someone from the threat of their life?

    There was no option here, Kit couldn''t hit her without hitting Olly as well. She would sense him and move Olly into the way of the oncoming blow. Kit released his shadows slowly, his hands coming down to his sides as the Inktress grinned in victory.

    "That''s it little boy, nobody needs to die today," said the Inktress, "Well, no Charm Craftsmen anyway".

    Kit''s eyes narrowed as his hand brushed his pocket where the clarity charm rested. He frowned, and as Illai began to approach Kit with Olly still threatened before her, Kit reached into his pocket and touched the charm, willing it to activate.

    He''d activated clarity charms before, but never with a purpose beyond clearing his mind to enhance his concentration. This time he had a question.

    What did Olly hear to calm him so?

    The world came into incredibly sharp focus, and the Mist that Kit always saw around him enhanced too, rather than waves or swirls of air they looked like ribbons of galaxies stretched through the air, around and up and down they flowed, even directions Kit didn''t have a hope of naming. And in the split second where his hand touched the clarity charm, he saw the image of a shadowy spike stabbing through Olly and into the Inktress. Then words, without gender or tone yet as vibrant and enchanting as anything he''d ever heard fluttered through his mind.

    Death is an option.

    Kit felt a tear involuntarily run down his cheek as he withdrew his finger. This was what Olly had seen? This was why he was so calm? Had Olly just accepted his death like that? Kit looked into Olly''s eyes, but there was only that goofy smile there. Kit blinked hard, then he thrust his arm forward.

    The shadowy spike shot from the column''s shadow on the ground and pierced through Olly''s stomach and right up into the Inktress''s heart.

    The Inktress jolted, her eyes reeling in shock, before the shadows withdrew and both she and Olly tumbled down. Kit shot forward to do his best to catch Olly, but the older man was heavy, and Kit was half crushed.

    "I''m sorry," said Kit, "I''m sorry. I didn''t want".

    Olly smiled up at Kit, "Death is an option".

    Kit felt the tears roll down his cheeks, "But I don''t want it to be".

    Olly just continued to smile at him, as if he was in no pain at all, "Then what do you want?"

    Kit paused, looking at Olly''s smile, then his eyes widened in realisation. He hurriedly drew the healing charm from his pocket and held it over Olly''s wound, willing it to activate.

    Olly took a deep breath as his muscles, organs, blood vessels, nerves and bones all began to knit back together. It took several minutes, but the end of which there was still a good sized scar on either side of his stomach, but by that stage Olly seemed to be in far less pain.

    Kit helped his sit up, then hurriedly took his shirt off to staunch what was left of the blood flow.

    "Well," said Olly, looking down at his belly, "Do all good stories not have a scar?"

    Kit drew back and fist and punched Olly in the face. Olly fell to the side, rubbing his jaw as he frowned at Kit.

    "Now you''ll have a bruise too," Kit snapped.

    Olly just went back to smiling. Kit couldn''t help but think he was not the genius, or the utter fool everyone believed him to be, but rather, both.

 Chapter 246 - The Kitsune

    Surai had watched with curiosity at first. She had slit the wrist of one of the invaders to her territory, invaders that had harmed the forest, and she had held the struggling man''s bloody wrist over Rassa''s mummified body''s mouth.

    She''d found it strange that he didn''t smell. A corpse rotting like that, one would expect quite the stench. the only indication that he was even alive was the slow and distinct thumps of his heartbeat every half hour or so. If Surai looked from the right angle she could even see its movement. It had been fascinating, but disconcerting. She''d spent less and less time in this corner of her little cover over the past two years, returning only to ensure that no sorry creature had come along to take a bite out of him. But it seemed that they knew to stay away.

    But at the taste of blood on his lips, it was as if he hadn''t spent the past two and a half years completely immobile. His fangs sunk into the wrist violently, and he began to drink in almighty gulps without abandon.

    It was his bones that healed first, then the nerves and muscles and fluids that surrounded them. He was still without most of his skin and organs when he drained the first body dry. Surai pushed another his way as he half sat up.

    Bony arms and hands shot out, grabbing the fleshy body and yanking it forward with surprising strength. His fangs sunk into the mans''s neck this time, through clothes as well, didn''t seem to matter so long as he had access to the blood. Those after a minute he withdrew and yanked the clothing aside as if to get closer.

    It was his organs and the fleshier muscles this time, his eyes and lips started to appear much more alive as well. He was still skinless after the second body however. He pulled himself onto his knees, the old clothing that had long ago torn and withered away with his body falling away as Surai pushed another live body towards him.

    Surai could barely concentrate on keeping the captors in their fantasy-like illusion as she watched in fascination. Though the moment they were fed on it seemed pointless to keep them in it. She could hide what they saw and heard, but she couldn''t trick a body''s internal pain receptors. And it certainly seemed painful.

    At least the first to had, the third screamed at first when Rassa plunged his fangs into him, but shortly after he just went limp. At first Surai thought that Rassa had just drained him that quickly, but it didn''t seem to be the case. Did Rassa had some kind of illusion power as well, the man''s eyes certainly looked glassy.

    When the third body dropped, Rassa seemed mostly healed, though still looked thin and weak. He took a moment to take a breath, then he stepped down from the bench he had been lying on and walked right up to the forth in a kind of lazy gait that was every bit a man simply taking what he wanted.

    Surai couldn''t help but smile at that. Now that was the Chaos in him.

    The fourth body seemed to be a more leisurely meal as his body filled out and his Life Lines took on a darker shade, a sign they were healthier and held some power. When Rassa dropped the fourth body on the ground carelessly, he turned to look over his shoulder at Surai as he grabbed the fifth and final one.

    "Got any clothes for me Surai?"

    Surai smirked, "What? You don''t want to flaunt it?"

    Rassa hesitated before sinking his fangs in, taking a moment to glance down at his body before up at Surai, a smirk on his own lips, "Haven''t you had two and a half years to ogle my body as you please, Surai?"

    Surai huffed, "Please, who wants to ogle a rotting corpse?"

    She smiled then as she stood, "And for the record, if you hadn''t been a corpse, I''m not sure I would have been able to stop at ogling. Good gracious and Chaos is generous to its followers".

    Rassa scoffed and sun his fangs into the fifth body as Surai left the room, flicking small flames of blue fire over at the four bodies which were alight in a matter of seconds, then she called over her shoulder, "Be a dear and clean yourself up afterwards? There''s a spring nearby, I''ll have those inconvenient garments for you to wear afterwards".

    By the time Rassa finished the fifth body, the flames were nearly extinguished on the other corpses, having not left them despite being surrounded by fallen leaves and branches. He threw the body on top of one and it lit that body, burning brighter again.

    Rassa was not full, not after being in the sub-death for two and a half years, but he was sufficient enough to not feel starving anymore.

    He exited the small cave before he scented the spring Surai had spoken of, relishing in his speed for the first time in a long time before he entered the water. He cleaned the dirt and muck from his body, noticing that Surai had sat on a rock nearby as he bathed. He''d also noticed that this lake was much like the one in the illusion. Perhaps it was the one in the illusion and he just hadn''t bothered to notice.

    He emerged from the water, taking the thicker cloth she offered to dry off before he dressed. Dark brown breeches with black leather boots. He took the tops and cut slits in the back of each, a deep red cotton shirt with billowing sleeves and a black leather vest. A leather coat as well, with a hood. He smiled at the hood, noticing as he placed the coat on that it was only long in the back, reaching just below the back of his knees. At the front it buttoned closed at the front around his waist like a normal jacket.

    "Well, well, you clean up nicely in fae clothing, even if you have ruined them," said Surai, her lip curling up as she spied the slits Rassa had made in the shirt, vest and coat with his claws, "Those Fae Males would be heartbroken to see someone looking better than them".

    "Are they so vain?"

    "Like you wouldn''t believe," Surai rolled her eyes.

    Silence lapsed between them as Surai sat up, then she stood and stepped up to Rassa, giving him a light kiss on the cheek.

    "It has been a pleasure, seeing this new path of Chaos open," she said, "I think you''ll do great things, Rassa".

    Rassa smiled back, "Thank you for putting up with me for it. You won''t come with me?"

    Surai shook her head, "We all have our burdens to bare on our paths. Perhaps we will meet again, though I hope not too soon, I sense you will be trouble".

    "As if you foxes aren''t trouble enough," Rassa smirked.

    Surai frowned, "Foxes?"

    "I saw another like you some time ago, she stole a totem from an auction in the Southern Isles," said Rassa.

    Surai''s eyes eased in thought, "What colour was her fur?"

    "A deeper orange than yours, almost red," said Rassa.

    Surai gave a small sad smile, and nodded, "My sister, Kali. She is very similar to me, but our path has it''s own complexities. At our core we are the same, but we draw our power from two sides of the same coin. I am Kitsune, the more passive side, she is Nogitsune, the more aggressive. Still, we pay the same price".

    Rassa smiled, "Kitsune, it has a nice ring to it".

    "Doesn''t it?" Surai smiled, then she stepped back and waved her hand impatiently, "Now be gone, young Vampire. You have long over-stayed your welcome here".

    Rassa smiled, "I shall see you again Surai".

    Then Rassa took the Tracking Charm from his pocket and summoned his wings. Surai''s eyes widened, and Rassa heard her mutter as he took off towards the West.

    "Well, now the slits make sense".

    In that little cove as Rassa disappeared into the distance, Surai felt the power within her rise. Her Life Lines thrived and expanded, and a ninth tail grew to join her other eight. She breathed deeply at this new feeling, at this rush of unimaginable power. Her eyes focused on the brilliant galaxies of Mist around her, then she paused, her eyes focusing on one point.

    "I see," she said, "So we will meet again. Pity it won''t be under better circumstances".

 Chapter 247 - The Burning Isle

    With the Madame directing them, the group made their way out of the Arena Stands and through a labyrinth of halls before they emerged onto the streets. The pure mayhem of the inhabitants of the Island made Ebony re-evaluate just how much the Master mattered to the Herguard. It by no means compensated for the evils he had committed, but the man had run a tight and organised syndicate. His seconds, if he had had any - Ebony was positive the only one that could be considered a second was the Madame - were nowhere to be found. Guards, Slaves, Pirates and the like ran around doing their best to loot, pillage, escape or an amalgamation of the the three. The Reapers proved to be the only order there was. They closed ranks around Ebony, Neva and the Madame and carved a path.

    Ebony kept thinking that she should have expected the chaos. That after all they''d done to get out, the fighting, the killing, the causing of panic, she really should have expected something to add to it. Like a fire. She really should have expected that.

    The flames caught onto anything they liked as they rampaged through the streets. Nobody was attempting to put the flames out, if anything they were adding to its fuel. The Reapers never stopped to give it a second glance however, moving through the smoke haze like they were Magicians.

    On the way there were a way few of the slaves that caught onto the Reaper''s escape attempt. The Reapers themselves were pretty recognisable figures on Herguard, so their threats and angry growls weren''t all for show. If anything it made everyone move out of the way that much faster. If they didn''t, they were either shoved aside or killed on the spot. Those few who were quick enough hurriedly joined the back of a growing procession behind them. Mostly the female ex-slaves, but some of the warriors joined as well. They were all headed the same place anyway. The docks.

    "Out of the way!"

    "Move it!"

    Talo and Will were quite the imposing figures. Layton carried on behind them, a grin on his face as he whipped whoever the two missed. Aegin likely would have joined them if he wasn''t helping Eon carry his brother''s body. Eon had been silent the whole time. Ebony hadn''t ever spoken to him before, but the way that Eon kept glancing at his brother was enough for her to know they''d been close. He looked a rightful cross between pained and angry.

    They were perhaps halfway to the docks when the oldest Reaper, Alistair, came up to Ebony''s side, his bow held ready in his hands as he walked alongside her.

    "You are not married to him, are you?" asked Alistair, his head indicating in Aegin''s direction as they walked.

    "Do you think it''s really appropriate to talk about that now?" asked Ebony as Alistair pulled up his bow and let an arrow fly before reloading in the space of a few hurried heartbeats. His tone was even as he replied to her.

    "Forgive my curiosities, I hadn''t seen you except from a distance, and never with him. I took him at his word, but seeing the two of you now...I do not believe you have been intimate enough to be considered married," said Alistair.

    Ebony couldn''t help the blush that stained her cheeks. He was right, they hadn''t been. Though it had only served to remind her of that stupid kiss she''d initiated.

    "No, we''re not married," said Ebony, "Just close".

    Alistair nodded, "Closer now with the shared experience I''d assume. At first he just seemed to want to protect you, but the way he spoke of you changed over the years. More like friends who had served or hunted together than anything else. I never asked for I knew the implications would be dire for both of you".

    Ebony sighed, "Thanks, I guess. I suppose that''s one of the reasons he respects you so much".

    Alistair gave a hard smile, "We all respect each other, just as we all trust each other. That was all it was supposed to be, but Aegin is...well, he is a young man finding his way in the world and it is quite nostalgic to watch. I could not help my curiosities just as the rest couldn''t".

    "Left at the square, it''ll take us right down to the Master''s ship".

    The Madame''s directions cut through their conversation, and the fire, smoke, snarling beasts and men alike all came rushing to the forefront of Ebony''s concentration as she moved to avoided them.

    The crowd became far more condensed as they reached the docks, the pirates fighting with the freed slaves for the ships.

    The Pirate Lord himself stood on the desk of the Master''s ship, two guards wielding spears that were clearly poisoned from the pile of bodies on the dock in front of them.

    "Alistair!" called Talo.

    Alistair took two steps forward as he drew a second arrow. Will shouted out in a booming voice.

    "Incoming!"

    The crowd parted to give Alistair a straight shot as he dropped to one knee with his bow horizontal. He took a breath as the crowd finished making way then released.

    The two guards, who were still confused over why the crowd was parting before them, dropped side by side with arrows in their chests.

    Aegin passed Eros to Eon, then ran along the dock, grabbed one of the spears, and threw it right at the Pirate Lord. The Lord''s eyes widened, but he didn''t move, a slow smile coming onto his face.

    The spear seemed to slow just ten centimetres from his chest for a split second, then a blue translucent shell-like shield seemed to burn and erode where the spear touched it. The spear continued its journey and the Pirate lord was impaled onto the main mast.

    Aegin stepped onto the dock and yanked the spear back, the Pirate Lord dropping onto the deck.

    "That''s for Jeremiah".

    Then the other Reapers followed him onto the deck and started disposing of the pirate that were on board. They made the fight that had gotten Aegin and Ebony into this mess, the one aboard the Miranda, look like an even match. The way they slaughtered the other side mercilessly before dumping the bodies overboard in the process of readying the ship to launch. Ebony could hardly believed that this had become her norm as she contemplated the contrast between the two events.

    "Get the rope on the dock!" Talo shouted, taking charge as he staked his trident into the deck beside the Wheel and started barking directions, "Anyone coming on board play nice and do the work assigned to you. You make trouble you''re going overboard with the rest of them! Now get up the ratlines and get those sails unfurled!"

    Aegin paused in his work as he looked at where Ebony was preparing to climb the rat lines.

    "You okay?" he asked.

    Ebony smirked, "After the last couple of years we''ve had, I think dealing with my fear of heights is going to be a piece of cake".

    He gave a half smile, though Ebony could tell he didn''t feel like being amused, his eyes were serious, too serious for them nearly being out.

    "I meant you didn''t get cut did you?"

    Ebony shook her head, "I''m okay...are you?"

    Aegin waved an arm, "I''ll be fine, I got lucky".

    He stepped away to help someone else as Talo shouted order at him, Ebony''s eyes followed him. Was it just her or did he seem a little pale?

    Ebony turned to look at where Eon was laying Eros''s body.

    No, if Aegin had been poisoned he would have gone down pretty quickly, Eros and Garrow had proved that as had many others that Ebony had seen. It was probably just the stress or the smoke.

    Ebony scaled up the ratlines, her fear of heights barely bothering her anymore.

 Chapter 248 - The Shadow Among The Flames

    It was a long journey. Rassa had journeyed two thirds of the way across Eldovia in under an hour before, but the Southern continent was much larger, and despite his access to the shadows, he honestly hadn''t had enough to drink before he''d set off.

    His wings burned from disuse, but it was a good kind of burn. The burn that told him he was in his elements. Even without using the shadows to jump ahead great distances, he was making great time. The wind had long blown his hood back, and his long hair had whipped around him. It was getting too long, he''d have to cut it soon.

    He flew for several hours until the day dawned, then he landed to rest and hunt in an unknown city that spoke one of the southern languages. It didn''t take him long to learn the basics just from observing from the shadows atop a tall building. After he did that, he scoured the streets for his prey. This time making sure he was nearly full before he left. He''d taken the bodies into his shadows, planning to dispose of them whilst he was over the ocean.

    He''d stopped for perhaps two hours, but he was too restless to wait until it was dark again. In the light of day, despite his power nearly fully restored, he couldn''t use the shadows as he could at night. It was frustrating, but after a quick check of his Tracking Charm he knew he was getting close.

    He''d nearly reached the western coast when he saw the smoke.

    The black and grey ash cloud dominated the sky, and Rassa could sense the panic and shock in the people on the mainland that watched the horror unfold.

    A quick check of his tracking charm told Rassa all he needed to know. He shot towards the source of the smoke with a renewed sense of purpose. Aegin and Ebony were in that. He needed to get them out.

    The smoke was so thick it chocked him. Rassa had to rip off the end of shirt and tie the long sash around his mouth and nose. It did little to help his eyes however, which burned from the acrid invasion.

    He descended through the darkness, the heat growing more and more intense until a sharp burst of orange and yellow flame rose up to greet him. Rassa wrapped his body in his wings, the shadows practically nonexistent in such a brightly lit place. He hissed through the pain, knowing that the itch of his healing skin was soon fight it. Rassa hit the ground hard in what appeared to be a side street. There wasn''t any smoke this low down, but the heat was enough to singe his hair. Perhaps he wouldn''t have to cut it. Though he hoped it wouldn''t burn off completely.

    Rassa pulled in his wings, movement on the ground easier without them, and he rushed through the streets, his skin constantly burning and healing again and again. He ignored the pain, his eyes searching for the two he knew were still alive.

    The Warrior''s Arena. The horror that had filled the nightmares of children for generations, was lit up like a massive funeral pyre, wood and stone burning all the same.

    The heat was so intense there that Rassa doubted anyone could survive it, he checked the charm again, and headed towards the docks.

    The fire had consumed much of the Island, but it had yet to reach much of the docks. From the amount of ash that was falling, Rassa assumed it wouldn''t long. There were a bunch of people there, leaving in the ships. Some all too willingly, and some being forced.

    "Oi!" called a voice behind Rassa. He spun to find a guard holding a spear at him. Rassa took a step back as he caught the scent of the blade. It was putrid. Like death and decay. He''d never heard of a poison that could smell like that. Not unless it was touched by the Mist, and a dark version of it at that.

    "Are you blind, get on the ship!" snapped the guard, jabbing the spear towards Rassa.

    Rassa frowned, side stepped it, then extended his claws to sever the nerves in the man''s wrist. He screamed, dropping the spear with a clang. He clasped as his hand, shocked as he looked at Rassa. The crowd before them spun to witness what was happening, only to reel back in shock at Rassa''s bloody claws.

    "I shall only ask once, so pray you breathe long enough to answer," Rassa spoke in an even tone as he squatted down to inspect the spear, "I am looking for a young man and woman by the name of Aegin and Ebony. They were likely brought here as slaves from what I have seen of the state of the people here. Do you know where they are?"

    Rassa turned his eyes on the guard, and the guard stumbled back trying to get away from Rassa.

    The guard had never seen eyes like those. Not even the Master had had such predatory and beastly eyes. Red they were, as red as blood.

    The guard stuttered, "I-I-I don''t know an Ebony-"

    Rassa sighed picking up the spear and snapping the wooden shaft so that he held the sharp blade at the end.

    "B-B-But I-I think Aegin was the name of that Reaper. The Bloodthorn Reaper".

    Rassa pointed the blade at the guard, "Do you know where they are, or not?"

    The Guard recoiled from the spear''s blade, "P-Please don''t kill me!"

    Rassa smirked, "Whether I kill you or not isn''t up for debate, but how you die might be. If you give me the answer I want, I''ll make it quick. If not...well I see that this poison here was made to cause quite a bit of suffering to people like you".

    Rassa didn''t even flinched when the spear impaled him from behind, he''d been expecting it, but he looked down at the blade that was covered in his blood with annoyance all the same.

    "I just ate," said Rassa, before he stood, and swiped the blade of the spear across the other guard''s neck before taking the spear out of his body and throwing it aside in disgust. The poison from the blade that had impaled him barely affected him. Once it invaded his body it was like it just recoiled before it was completely consumed by his own power. Rassa then turned back to the guard on the ground with the severed wrist, "Maybe the manner of your death isn''t up for debate after all".

    Rassa took out the Tracking Charm, checking it. They''d gotten off the Island. That was all that mattered. He hauled the man up and smiled at him as his fangs extended, "Thanks for the meal".

 Chapter 249 - The Vampires Return

    The ship crawled. It was so slow as it navigated through the rocks and reefs that surrounded Herguard that Aegin often had to question if they were moving at all. He couldn''t even see Ebony up in the crow''s nest, her calls telling him incrementally that she was in fact still up there.

    Though her calls weren''t all that common. Talo was getting more help from those who had spread out along the sides and bow of the ship, telling him if he was going to run aground or not.

    Aegin, tired and sore, rested behind Talo on the Quarter Deck with Alistair and watched Lovisson integrate into his element as if he''d never left it.

    "Do you think he''s enjoying himself?" asked Alistair, a small smile on his lips as he pointed at Talo.

    Aegin nodded, "It''s the one place he outranks the rest of us, of course he''s enjoying it".

    Talo spun around, "I heard that".

    "Rocks to port!"

    Talo spun back quickly to direct.

    "Aye, you''re quite the sailor, now keep your eyes ahead so you can prove it," said Alistair.

    Talo grumbled his annoyance but did as told. Alistair turned back to Aegin, his amused smile dropping slightly, "You okay? You look pale".

    "Just tired," said Aegin, "Ready for a long bath and an even longer nap".

    Alistair nodded, "I think that''s on many agendas once we reach the mainland".

    Alistair''s eyes strayed over to where Layton stood on the starboard end of the main master''s lower yardarm, hanging out dangerously close to the jutting rocks.

    "Layton! We ain''t in the Arena anymore, no need to risk your life boy, get down from there!"

    He stood to make sure Layton followed orders, and Aegin was left alone.

    He shifted, a sharp pain coming from the cut in his arm. He frowned, then turned to look at his arm again just as they broke through into the open ocean.

    Cheers and cries of relief and joy rose up around him as Aegin looked at the cut there. It had barely scraped the skin before. He hadn''t worried about it. But now the cut had darkened, nearly black. And it was no bruise.

    "Aegin?" asked Ebony. Aegin hurriedly covered his arm and looked up as she came up onto the Quarter Deck, "Are you sure you''re okay?"

    "Fine," Aegin smiled at her, but she didn''t look all that convinced, "Really, Eb. I''m just-"

    A thunderous boom sounded above them. And as everyone''s eyes were drawn up towards the sound, Aegin froze. He knew that sound. He''d heard it before. He''d heard is the night that a shadow had covered the moon.

    Everyone''s eyes were drawn up to see the shadow of a huge bird emerging from the clouds. The wings flapped again, and a gush of wind was directed down. Then, a figure dropped through the smoke and fog, past the sails and rigging, and landed on the deck with a solid thud.

    The figure stood to his full height, his wings seeming to fold and disappear into his back. He was simply dressed with no adornments bar a silver bracer that peeked out from under the sleeve of his long black coat. The coat itself was buttoned at the front to his waist, then opened to reveal breeches and boots. The coat also had a deep hood that was drawn up over a pale face.

    The figure was intimidating and seemed to radiate a sort of dominance that made everyone instinctively take a step back, but the way he carried himself, as his head turned to scan the faces before him, he was ethereal.

    Aegin watched, shocked, then relieved, then angry as the figure''s eyes slowly drew towards him and Ebony. He thought the same name as Ebony spoke it, "Rassa".

    The figure stepped forward, and a gust of wind blew over the people before he appeared right before them. He stopped, his deep brown eyes had a reddish tinge to them as he looked at them before he reached up and pulled his hood back.

    There was silence between them, then, his anger rose as this man, this person he had viewed as a brother but who had abandoned them, just stood there. Aegin rose to meet his eyes.

    "You''ve got some nerve showing up now of all times," Aegin spoke, his tone low.

    Ebony twisted between him and Rassa. Clearly she didn''t feel entirely the same way. Not that Aegin would drag her into this, whatever it was.

    "I''m sorry I wasn''t there," Rassa spoke slowly. It was definitely him, and that only made Aegin feel more pain. He was here. Finally. Though his next words seemed somewhat impressed. Like he hadn''t entirely believed that Aegin and Ebony could get out themselves. Like they were useless without him, "Though it appears you didn''t need me in the end".

    "Oh it appears that way, does it?" asked Aegin as he stepped forward, "Sorry you couldn''t play the hero again".

    "Aegin!" hissed Ebony, "You know that''s not how he meant it".

    "Isn''t it?" asked Aegin as he looked at Ebony, "Then where by the gods was he, Ebony? We thought he was dead! We watched his line flicker for months then fade entirely. Then, just as we''ve finally gotten a chance to escape on our own, it reappears again? People, even if they aren''t human, don''t just come back from the dead, so where by the gods were you?"

    Aegin spun a glare on Rassa who looked somewhere between sad and angry. He had no right to be angry. He wasn''t the one that got left behind.

    "Nothing I say will be an excuse enough to appease the anger I see in your eyes," Rassa replied, "Anger that is well-founded. I was a coward. I ran before I even realised what I was doing, and by the time I did it was too late to correct my mistake. I can apologise, and I will, but first, I think you need to sit down".

    "Don''t tell me what to do!" shouted Aegin, then he stumbled, his world suddenly tilting.

    "Aegin?" asked Ebony as she caught him, "What''s wrong?"

    Rassa spoke, his words like a death sentence that crossed over the ship like a wave, "You were poisoned".

    Aegin frowned, the shook his head, "I''m fine".

    But he clearly wasn''t, as the next moment he was overcome by a coughing fit. Ebony reached out to take more of his weight as his energy started to leave him rapidly, and he fell to his knees, his body crumpling despite his will to remain upright.

    "Aegin!" called Ebony, then she turned to Rassa, "I don''t understand, everyone else died within seconds, why has it taken so long for him?"

    "It was only trace amounts on his skin, it took longer to affect him," Rassa stated as he took Aegin''s weight from Ebony. Aegin wanted to push him away, he''d rather fall hard than have Rassa touch him right now. Not when he was angry. Not when he had no way to reconcile that anger, "But he is poisoned, I can smell it".

    Ebony looked up to the Madame, "The antidote, where''s the antidote?"

    The Madame looked forlorn as she spoke, "There isn''t one. The Master believed that anyone affected by the poison wasn''t worthy of living".

    Aegin caught Ebony looking at him, tears springing to her eyes. Was this it? He was just going to die like this? He could feel his heart beating erratically in his chest as he throat started to close. He felt so cold and so hot at the same time. It was exhausting and painful, his world started to turn dark.

    "Aegin? Aegin!" called Ebony, trying to keep him awake.

    Rassa''s voice came again through the darkness, "I''ll meet you on the shore".

    Ebony replied, confusion in her half-chocked words, "What do you mean?"

    Aegin vaguely felt his body being lifted up from the hard deck, and Rassa''s voice sounded right next to his ear, "I''m too selfish to ask him what he wants, and frankly I''m not sure I''d want to hear the answer now anyway".

    Aegin felt a sort of jolting rush as he felt the ground disappear from beneath his feet. But he was so weak he didn''t even bother holding on. He didn''t need to, he felt something strong and stable holding him instead.

    "I will not let you die," Rassa''s voice spoke, "You may resent me for eternity, but I will not let you die when I have just found you again. Endure it, Aegin. You are stronger than me, I know you can".

    Aegin wasn''t so sure. He''d lived through the Arena and imprisonment on Herguard, but he''d had Ebony. Rassa had lived through the darkness in the depths of Jerrica alone and treated as nothing more than an animal. Would they have survived if their situations were reversed?

    He hadn''t the time to have his question answered, for the next second he felt two long needle-like things pierce the side of his neck.

    Fangs. Rassa was drinking from him. But...couldn''t he make the pain go away? If so, why did it hurt so much? He wanted to scream but couldn''t, and as the darkness closed in around him.

    Just as he was sure he couldn''t feel anything, that his body was so weak and his soul so distant that he''d never know life again. It touched his lips. It tasted sweet, rich, and full of power.

 Chapter 250 - The Rebirth

    The villa on the cliffs belonged to a trade family that did humbly well for itself. They were kind enough people, they didn''t deal in slaves and any servants they did have were well looked after. They even used any extra food or money they had to hold events for the village on the coast just a few kilometres from them.

    That being said, when Rassa dropped into their courtyard with Aegin''s pale body in his arms, they were not as welcoming as their reputation would suggest. At least at first. A few words from the exhausted Rassa and the villa was theirs to use. Free of charge, of course.

    Rassa only stopped there long enough to lie Aegin on one of the beds before he asked the servants of any nearby prisons. Frankly, Rassa didn''t care who he drank from, though he would at least not aim to kill those who were innocent of crimes. Aegin however, would probably care quite a bit.

    Five prisoners disappeared from the city prison that night, their bodies found washed up on shore many weeks later.

    It was near morning when Ebony and many of the others arrived at the Villa. Most of those that had been on the ships coming from Herguard had decided to make their own way. It was only the Reapers, a few servant girls and the Madame that had come with Ebony.

    Despite Rassa instructing the servants not to let anyone pass, Ebony was insistent. She made her way through into the room that Aegin occupied, and Rassa lay on the day bed that overlooked the balcony. The room was open to the elements, and the breeze from the ocean was quite calming.

    Ebony rushed to enter, but paused when she noticed the five dazed looking men in manacles on the far side of the room. Her eyes shifted from them to where Rassa lay and she spoke.

    "Who are these people?"

    "They were due to be executed if you must know, I don''t actually care to ask their names seeing as they likely won''t survive another day," Rassa replied.

    Ebony''s eyes narrowed, "You seem different".

    Rassa scoffed, "You mean to say that over the past two and a half years with all you and Aegin have been through, you didn''t expect anyone else to change as well? How naive".

    Ebony''s eyes turned angry before her gaze caught Aegin''s pale body on the bed, "Is he dead?"

    "No," said Rassa, "Though he might wish he was. Honestly, he''s rather silent. The poison must have had a paralyzing affect. I screamed for what seemed like hours when I changed. I couldn''t stop thrashing and clawing at anything around me and begging for it to stop".

    "Then...you changed him?"

    Rassa just nodded, turning to look at Ebony to see how she would react.

    "So he is like you?" asked Ebony.

    "He will never be like me," said Rassa, "Nobody will. But he will be close enough".

    "What do you mean?" asked Ebony.

    "I mean that I carry the power of those who existed before me. I was changed by them, they trained me and taught me who and what I was, and then I took their power as my own. Aegin, and anyone that becomes a vampire following this, will be ordinary, at least in vampire terms," said Rassa.

    "And what is ordinary?" asked Ebony.

    "I suppose we will find out," said Rassa, then he pointed at Aegin, "He''ll be waking up soon, you might not want to be here for it".

    "Why not?" asked Ebony.

    "Because he will be hungry," said Rassa, "And I know you never particularly enjoyed watching me eat".

    Ebony hesitated, looking at Aegin, then back at Rassa, "We don''t leave each other. Not when we''re the only thing left to hold on to".

    Rassa sighed, sensing that , "Fine, but stay to the side, preferably somewhere behind me so I can stop him if he goes after you".

    "Will he?"

    "I don''t know. I haven''t turned anyone before," said Rassa, "But I will certainly be able to stop him if I need to".

    Rassa was fairly certain that his words were little reassurance to Ebony, but then, she had yet to really understand what being a Vampire meant.

    They were silent as they waited, but it was only another few minutes before Aegin roused, groaning in a deep, growling tone as he pushed himself into an upright position.

    He breathed deeply, then his eyes flickered open. He looked confused for a moment, then his eyes raised straight towards Rassa.

    "What did you do to me?"

    "You were dying," Rassa replied, "I didn''t want that to happen so I gave you an alternative".

    "What did you do to me?" Aegin repeated, his eyes narrowing.

    "I turned you into a vampire," said Rassa.

    Aegin looked shocked for a moment as he froze in thought, then looked down at himself, his hand straying over his shoulder to his back.

    "They''re your Life Lines," said Rassa, "I haven''t seen them, and most are never comfortable with having their Life Lines being ogled at or touched. It is entirely up to you though. It is your connection to the Chaos now".

    Aegin''s hand then slowly moved around his throat. Rassa stood, moving to one of the prisoners before pushing him towards Aegin.

    "Drink, you''ll feel better," said Rassa.

    "What?" asked Aegin.

    "I said, drink," said Rassa, his eyes narrowing, "I''d do it now whilst you''re still in control. It''d be a damn shame if you fought it and let your instincts take over. Who knows who you''ll drain to satiate the hunger then".

    Aegin looked disgusted as he looked at the prisoner, then back at Rassa, "How can you be okay with this? It''s blood".

    "You''re a vampire, its the only thing that will satisfy you from now on. Everything else tastes like dirt and sh*t," Rassa snapped, "It is the price to pay for our connection to chaos. You will hunger for blood, able to feel full but never fully satiated, it''s important you learn the difference, because if you''re after satiation you''re never going to get it".

    "This is wrong," said Aegin as he turned back to the prisoner.

    Rassa scoffed, "Not for you. Not anymore. But if it makes you feel any better, they''re all due to be executed anyway".

    "I have to...eat...all of them?"

    "I''m not entirely sure to be honest," said Rassa, "I only needed the equivalent of one fully grown man my first feeding, but I was only nine years old. I didn''t think it right to assume you wouldn''t need a little more".

    Aegin hesitated again, "This is still wrong, you didn''t even ask if I wanted this, Rassa".

    Rassa moved then, so quickly that Ebony couldn''t comprehend it, but Aegin did, and he recoiled as Rassa brought the prisoner right in front of him, holding out a wrist which he promptly sliced with a claw.

    "Drink, or you''ll regret it," Rassa ordered, his eyes flashing with a strange red light.

    Aegin felt the immediate compulsion to lean forward and wrap his lips around the bleeding man''s wrist. As soon as he tasted the blood, he felt the piercing pain as two of his upper eye teeth extended into sharp points that easily pierced into the man''s wrist.

    He pulled and swallowed instinctively. The taste immediately made him groan, though reluctantly, and his eyes flickered up to Rassa as he continued to drink. Rassa stepped away.

    "You can shout at me later. I promise to sit there and take it, but you should listen when I tell you to do something. I have regretted far too many things over the past decade to let you follow the same path".

    Rassa sat back down as Aegin drank, and Ebony stood quietly in the corner, watching between them both. There was something she was missing here. Something she didn''t understand. That only Aegin and Rassa would. In that moment, she felt more distant from them than she ever had, and she hated it.

 Chapter 251 - The Path Of Gluttony

    Aegin had drained three of them by the time he learned what the difference between full and satiated meant. He could have stopped shortly after prisoner 2, but it had tasted so good, been so addictive that he''d continued until he was looking at a third pale and dead body in confusion. He''d looked up at four and five, catching a glimpse of Rassa as he remembered the words he''d spoken moments before.

    Right. He understood the danger now. If he fell pray to his own hunger, there was no telling the decimation he could cause.

    He asked to be alone after that, but requested that he and Rassa talk more later. Ebony looked reluctant to leave him, but Rassa dragged her out.

    Aegin spent the day in his room getting used to his new senses. He quickly understood why Rassa always wore a hood during the day. The sunlight was near painful on his eyes. He was faster and stronger too.

    The servants drew a bath for him, though he stayed well away from them as they did so, fearful that he''d hurt them unintentionally. They all seemed rather passive though, a similar look in their eyes that the prisoners had had. Was that the compulsion or allure thing that Rassa had done to his victims previously? When he''d gotten into their heads to make them forget? What had he done this time?

    Could Aegin do that too?

    Out of curiosity, he looked the servant in the eyes and asked if he could have some new clothes. But the servant just nodded and walked off, Aegin didn''t feel anything. Did it work or not? Perhaps he should try it on someone who wasn''t already under an allure to follow orders.

    He bathed, and it was the first time he got a glimpse of his Life Lines

    He knew from seeing Rassa at Jerrica that his Life Lines covered his entire back, Aegin''s were smaller. They went across his upper back and curled over his shoulders and upper arms, but they were no where near as elaborate as Rassa''s. Aegin found he could read them, but it was mostly unclear. It was like a blank piece of paper. Aegin wasn''t sure what that meant, and looking at them made him feel a little unsettled, like he was looking at his very soul. It was intimate yet terrifying, and all around weird.

    He bathed as thoroughly as he wanted then dressed to cover them.

    It was close to evening when Rassa returned, and Aegin, having stewed in his thoughts all day waited for him on the balcony looking out over the ocean.

    "Why?" asked Aegin in the silence between them as Rassa joined him, "You disappear for over two years, during which I think you''re dead not just in that sub-death thing but actually dead. I have to survive in the Warrior''s Arena for not just my sake but so that Ebony isn''t raped by any and every client of the Master''s. Then, just as we''re about to escape, you''re suddenly alive again, and to top it all off the first thing you do when you see me and realise I''m dying is turn me into a monster? Did you seriously think that was okay? That I''d be grateful for it?"

    Rassa said nothing, but it seemed he knew that Aegin wasn''t finished.

    "I didn''t want any of this, Rassa," said Aegin, "I just wanted to be free, to have a chance to discover who I was without someone else''s influence, yet now I will never have a chance to know who that man was, not when my entire existence now evolves around the next drop of blood I can drink".

    Rassa remained silent as he watched Aegin, then Aegin stepped forward and punched Rassa right in the cheek.

    Rassa took the hit, his body healing the damage quickly enough that it enraged Aegin who moved forward and pinned Rassa, punching him again and again. Rassa didn''t fight back though, and that seemed to enrage Aegin even more. He roared in anger as he continued to hit Rassa, then a surprised scream came from behind them.

    "Aegin!" screamed Ebony, "What are you doing!"

    Aegin paused, looking over his shoulder at Ebony, who was staring at him in shock and horror. Then he turned back to Rassa.

    "See, she has never looked at me like that before. I am nothing like I was anymore," Aegin said, his voice hitching at the end as he slumped to the side. Rassa sighed, sitting up as this skin and muscles healed. He turned to look at Aegin.

    "For a long time, I believed the exact same thing," said Rassa, "It took two and a half years of living in a dream of the life I thought I wanted for me to realise that no matter what or who I was before and what and who I am now, I am still me. And I''m the only one who gets to dictate what that means. I realise that this change is sudden, and you clearly resent me for it, but I am not going to apologise. Wherever your path leads you Aegin, you should never apologise for what and who you are nor the selfish decisions you make because of it".

    Rassa stood then, offering a hand to Aegin. Aegin stared it for a moment, then knocked the hand aside and stood himself, "You apologised before".

    "I did, because you were human and humans tend to prefer such words," said Rassa, "You are not human anymore".

    "No, I''m not, because you made the decision for me," Aegin snapped, pointing an accusing finger at Rassa, "You made a decision for me when I thought you were the only one who would ever allow me to make them for myself. You taught me to question the world. To question what was right or wrong rather than blindly follow, to decide my own path, then you went and decided it for me".

    Rassa nodded, "If that is how you see it then it is unlikely anything that I say will fix whatever enmities you have against me. I sense you are not comfortable here, so go, Aegin. Make that decision for yourself. I''ll only tell you this, the hungrier you get, the more dangerous it will be, so feed regularly in small amounts. In addition, you will not have full access to your abilities for some time, the seal is there for you to grow accustomed to your new power and senses. You will know when it is time for it to fade, and when it is, you must speak the oath to Chaos and believe it. It will not fade completely until you do".

    "Wait," said Ebony as she stepped forward, "You''re just sending him away? But we just met each other together again. We can''t leave things like this. We said we''d be a family."

    Aegin didn''t look at Ebony as he spoke, only continued to glare at Rassa, "I will not remain in a family that does not take my thoughts and desires into consideration".

    Then Aegin turned and leaped onto the balcony before jumping off, Ebony''s scream following after him.

    "Aegin!" she called desperately, "Aegin, wait! Aegin!"

    But he didn''t come back. Not as she waited there, her cries dissolving into sobs as she sunk to the ground. She turned to Rassa, "You have to go and get him. You have to bring him back!"

    "I don''t," said Rassa, "I don''t have to do anything, and neither does he. It is his decision, Ebony. He is right".

    Ebony moved towards Rassa, "Please! Please bring him back!"

    Rassa sighed, then squatted down to Ebony as he took her Tracking Charm out of her pocket and put it in her hand.

    "Then tell me where he went," said Rassa.

    Ebony frowned. Didn''t Rassa have his own charm? Still, she willed it to activate, looking for the line that led to Aegin.

    Only it wasn''t there. She looked at Rassa in confusion.

    "What, but...he''s not dead, why isn''t his line here?" asked Ebony.

    "I told you that it would no longer work if the essence of one''s blood changed," said Rassa, "Even if I wanted to find him, I cannot".

    Ebony dissolved into sobs, clutching the tracking charm hard as she turned away from Rassa.

    Rassa stood and went to walk out.

    "I don''t understand," said Ebony, "I don''t understand what he''s going through, what you''re going through".

    "You''re human," replied Rassa, "You''re still unattached to either Order or Chaos".

    "So change me," said Ebony.

    Rassa frowned, turning to look at Ebony, "That is not a light decision for one to make".

    Ebony stood, eyes hard, "You changed him without permission, why not me?"

    Rassa sighed, she was right, but Aegin had been dying. She wasn''t.

    "It is painful. So painful that you will want to die," said Rassa, "And when you are reborn you will never be the same again".

    Ebony opened her mouth to reply, to confirm she was okay with that, but then closed it again. Aegin hadn''t been okay with it. What was it that changed? The drinking of blood? Somehow she knew it wasn''t quite as simple as that.

    "We''ll stay here for three days whilst I organise my plans. If after those three days, you still want it, I will change you, but if you are making the decision yourself, do not make it lightly," said Rassa.

    Then he turned and left her to her thoughts.

 Chapter 252 - The Threat Overturned

    The atmosphere was quiet and tense as Ishta directly bypassed the lower floor of the Blue Jade Restaurant and walked straight up to the private rooms of the third floor. The other patrons and the staff there avoided eye contact with him. If interaction was needed it was always respectful and polite. He may not have owned anything on Charm street, but his business was still the holder of the Golden Trade Token. He was still King on this Island and those here would respect him as such.

    He had yet to hear from Illai since her last letter. It didn''t concern him much though, she had likely already take care of business and was on her way back to report herself. Ishta smiled with confidence as the doors to the private room were opened and he breezed inside.

    Falla Startree and Iah Moonshadow were already seated at the table, quiet as they individually sipped at the tea that they''d ordered. Their silence and lack of aura buffed Ishta''s own pride as he took a seat opposite them.

    "Good afternoon, ladies, I trust you have called me to negotiate business prospects," Ishta stated, a smile on his lips as he poured his own tea.

    Falla and Iah both paused before looking at each other in silent communication, then back to Ishta.

    "Is that what you believe we called this meeting for?" asked Falla.

    "Is there another reason?" asked Ishta, "I am a businessman, one who does not particularly get along with you. I assume this is not a social call".

    "You''re right, it is not a social call," Iah confirmed as she placed her cup down, "Though I wouldn''t exactly call it business either, after all, the only thing we''ll be asking of you is for you to leave us alone".

    Ishta scoffed, followed by a chuckle, "And why, by the gods, would I do such a thing when you have a monopoly on a business never before seen in this world. A business that I would wager can still survive wonderfully without your monopoly".

    Falla put down her own cup then as she glanced at Iah, "I''m almost positive he doesn''t know".

    "I am too," Iah agreed, "Though he is an arrogant man the likes of which I have never seen before so I suppose we do need to ask to know for sure".

    Ishta sighed, "And what is it you wish to ask?"

    Falla spoke as Iah took a letter from her pocket and unfolded it, "We are aware that you sent your Inktress after our Craftsmen. That was quite low of you, you must have been getting desperate".

    "Well, whoever holds the power wins the prize," Ishta replied.

    "Are you sure?" asked Falla, "Because Iah here received a letter this morning that we thought you might want to read".

    Ishta''s eyes narrowed, "I have no idea why I would be interested in your affairs".

    "You were interested enough to send your most powerful and trusted spy and assassin after the two people that could make or break our entire business," Falla replied, "Perhaps you should just read it Iah, I''m awfully tired of looking at his arrogant expression".

    Iah sighed as she began to read the letter, "Iah, you''ll be relieved to know that Olly and I made it to the Pavilion Safely. We had a short encountered with the Inktress but I was able to hold her off long enough for us to get inside. Once inside, Olly revealed the necessities for his plan to Captain Lync, but he refused to cooperate as it would put the Pavilion in danger. Olly insisted that this was the only way however.

    "The two of us proceeded to break through the Pavilion''s defense from the inside and allow the Inktress inside. After our encounter, during which Olly was injured, we were able to kill her. The Inktress will no longer be a threat to us, and Olly is recovering well. We will return to work in a couple of weeks.

    "Olly has also said that Rassa Moonshadow is due to return soon, if he has not already by the time you have received this. Olly is eager to learn more from him. So much so that he has been even more obsessive than usual. I hope that now that the threat of the Inktress is well and truly gone, you and Miss Falla can operate on fair grounds with Ishta. Yours, Kit".

    Iah finished and folded the letter away, Looking up at the silent Ishta. Who had slowly lost his smug and arrogant expression. Falla smiled as she sipped at her tea again.

    "Well would you look at that," said Falla, "He does look so much better when he''s not looking down on everyone and everything".

    "Impossible," said Ishta, "It''s a lie".

    "Whether or not it is will surely be discovered if the Inktress returns or not," Iah stated.

    "Illai would never-"

    "So that was her name," said Falla, "We all wondered. She wasn''t very forthcoming about it. No doubt she relied heavily on her reputation as many of us do. Perhaps you can rely on that more that your prized assassin is no more".

    Then Iah and Falla stood to leave the room, "We do hope to see you at the next Trader''s Festival, Ishta. You always were quite the competitor even without a Hybrid Magician heeding your every command. No need to pay for us, I''m sure we''ll be able to cover the expense of the room and the tea on our own".

    Then the two women left the room without delay.

    As much as Ishta wanted to deny it, what they''d said was right. He wouldn''t know if it was the truth or not unless Illai showed up. But now that the thought was in his head, now that he had to consider it...

    What would be his next move if Illai was dead? He could...no he couldn''t, Illai usually took care of that, his other spies were incompetent...What about-no, he couldn''t do that either.

    The more the thought turned over in his head, the more he realised how much his underhanded tactics relied on the Inktress he''d trained. Now that she wasn''t here...

    Ishta didn''t want to consider it, but he knew he had no choice, especially with Rassa Moonshadow returning, because of the fact about Illai being dead was true, then surely there was no other lie in the letter. He''d need to consider this in his plans now, it was likely the only way he''d survive.

 Chapter 253 - The End Of The Mission

    "So, do you think he''ll back off?" asked Iah.

    "I think he''ll do what every businessman does," said Falla, "Step back to weigh his gains and losses. Then, when he realises that underhanded tactics likely won''t work anymore, revise his plans before he moves forward".

    "Is that what you''d do?" asked Iah.

    "Probably," replied Falla.

    Iah nodded as they stepped back into her office at Moonshadow Trading. They were silent for a minute before Falla asked.

    "That thing about Rassa...did you check?"

    Iah shook her head, "I didn''t want to be disappointed".

    Falla hesitated before she took out her Tracking Charm, "We should check. If he is coming back, we''ll need to make preparations".

    Iah nodded, she knew Falla was right. She had no problems with Rassa taking over Moonshadow again. It was his business to begin with after all, but there was a part of her that couldn''t help but think of whether or not he''d be happy with what they''d achieved. If he''d be impressed or disappointed. It was silly really, their growth was unprecedented. But she hadn''t known Rassa long enough to be sure of how he''d react.

    She took out her own Tracking Charm, and activated it.

    Two lines to the south-west, and...closer than they were before. He was returning.

    Wait, two lines?

    "Aegin," said Falla quietly, "Is he..."

    Aegin''s line was indeed gone, which would indicate he was dead. He''d been human after all, not an anomaly like Rassa. But then...Ebony''s line felt different now, more like Rassa''s.

    Iah sighed, "Well, I suppose we have our answer now. Any other questions will surely be answered when they return".

    Falla nodded, "Should we prepare anything in particular then?"

    Iah thought for a moment, "Knowing Rassa, he''ll probably want to review what''s happened with the business so far and then propose some ridiculous plan again that will end up coming true whether he''s here or not".

    Falla chuckled, "I thought you hadn''t known him long".

    "I hadn''t, but he doesn''t seem like the type to do things subtlety, or in small amounts," Iah admitted.

    Falla sighed, "I suppose he never has been". She stood, "Very well, I should probably get back to work if there''s nothing else".

    Iah shook her head, "I''ll see you next week then".

    "Sounds good," said Falla, then she paused in the doorway, "Don''t tell Jane".

    Iah raised an eyebrow, "Are you sure that''s wise? You kept it from her once and she didn''t seem all that happy with you for it".

    Falla sighed, "She''s been through his death twice now. I think she''s better off when she lives for herself".

    Iah nodded, "Very well. Though I don''t know how you''ll be able to hide it when he does come back in a few weeks".

    "I''ll think of something," Falla replied.

    ***

    Falla returned to Port Cresh and reported back to her duties, the tension in her office far less now that the Inktress no longer posed a threat to her business and that of Moonshadow.

    Still, the regular stress of running a business was prevalent. Layn reported in to her shortly after she arrived on a few things she still had to take care of as well as the several marriage proposals that had been sent to her, mostly from noble Eldovian families that wanted a piece of the pie.

    Falla sighed in disappointment, "They''re all the same, thinking that if I marry one of their sons they''ll all of a sudden have the right to dictate the business that I built and have invested all my time and effort in. Must I marry, Layn?"

    "I do think it best, my Lady," Layn replied, "But you are still young, I''m sure we can hold off for some time yet".

    Falla huffed in a very unladylike fashion, "Well thank the gods for that. Anything else to report?"

    "Well, Grandmaster Jane is outside asking if you are available for a meeting".

    Falla''s eyes widened, "Why didn''t you say so earlier? Let her in".

    Layn nodded and went to do just that.

    Falla stood as Jane entered with a warm smile, "Hello, what can I do for you today, Jane?"

    "Well, nothing of particular consequence," Jane replied, "I''m actually here to say goodbye".

    Falla paused, "Goodbye?"

    Jane nodded, "My Magician Team has been recalled. We''ve been instructed to return and report to the Imperial Magicians for our next assignment".

    "I see," said Falla, "Did you happen to hear about the order you wanted?"

    Jane shook her head, "Unfortunately no, but I''m sure if the order is wanted you''ll receive the request from somebody soon enough".

    Falla nodded in acknowledgement, and a silence descended between the two of them. After so long apart, they''d finally gotten used to having each other in their lives again, now they were to part ways once more for who knew how long.

    "Are you coming back to Eldovia any time soon?" asked Jane.

    "I don''t know," said Falla, "There is no immediate need to go back, but perhaps I shall visit the Pavilion some time in the following year. Iah and I received word that it was attacked by the Inktress".

    Jane''s eyes widened, "Is everyone okay? If you''re concerned I can stop on the way-"

    "That won''t be necessary, the damage was negligible and as far as I am aware there were minimal casualties. In fact, they were victorious. The Inktress will no longer be a threat to us," said Falla.

    "Oh," said Jane, "Then I suppose there truly is no cause for concern in leaving you and Iah here without Magicians nearby to help".

    Falla smiled, "We do thank you and your team for your help over the past couple of years though. You were a strong reassurance".

    "Thank you, I''d be happy to do it again if it meant keeping my loved ones safe," Jane smiled.

    Then she stood, "Well, I better go and finish preparing, we''ll be leaving with the tide tomorrow morning".

    "I see," said Falla as she too stood, "Then I wish you safe travels and luck on whatever mission you next have to endure".

    The two embraced as old friends.

    "You too, Falla," said Jane, "You too".

    They parted ways with the promise that they would see each other again one day and keep in touch with letters as they always had before.

 Chapter 254 - The Moon Voyager

    The clashing and ringing of metal around the ship was so rapid that it often sounded like one long and drawn out note. The Madame sat on the quarter deck, a fan in her hand as she lazed, occasionally rubbing her temples at the incessant noise.

    She''d protested quite ardently at first, but when it became apparent that neither of the culprits were interested in listening to her, she''d had to sit back and sulk her displeasure quietly. She was already positive that even if she didn''t remember it, one or both of them had taken a sip of her blood the night before. She''d felt woozy and looked pale that morning, only feeling slightly better a few hours after eating.

    The clanging note ended and echoed off across the sea as two figures seemed to appear on the fore deck, the smaller breathing heavily.

    "Good," said the other, looking his sword, only half of which remained as it had been sliced through cleanly, "Though we''re running out of weapons to train with".

    The Madame had been intimidated by Rassa Moonshadow the moment she''d seen him. She knew power when she saw it, she could feel it, and she knew without a doubt that he was one of the most powerful men she had ever met. She believed it the instant she was told that the business meeting Ebony had offered her was for his business. Though she hadn''t quite wrapped her head around the fact that Ebony knew the man.

    "Does that mean we''re done for the day?" asked Ebony as she stood, her hood up to shield her newly sensitive eyes from the sun. The Madame understood better than others what had happened. That Rassa had made Ebony like him. It was not quite the same as what had happened to her, but it was similar enough for her to know Chaos when she saw it.

    Rassa had recognised the Chaos in her just as easily.

    "You''ve broken your deal," Rassa had said, "You exchanged memories, dreams and freedom for what you had on that Island, now that you have stepped away from your self-imposed isolation they will return to you, but your prolonged life will shorten as they return".

    "I thought so," the Madame had said, "I think I have lived frozen for long enough anyway".

    "Eternity is not so bad when you have the world to wonder," Rassa had replied, "Though I imagine that Island would not be so accommodating".

    The Madame had shaken her head cautiously, "It was not...I''m not sure if it was her place, but Ebony told me that I would have a place in Moonshadow Trading if I desired it".

    "We''ll see if your trustworthy first," Rassa had replied.

    The other slaves from Herguard that had come to the Villa had been invited as well. Or, if they did no desire to make the journey across Whaler''s Strait, that Rassa would be happy to give them enough gold for their journey home. The female slaves had been quite receptive to the offer. They all respected Ebony, and most of them had been on Herguard for long enough that they were not even sure if their families were still waiting for them, or if indeed they would be welcomed again. The Reapers, as Rassa came to know them, were more hesitant.

    They had come because of Aegin, but now Aegin had left and they were not entirely sure of where he had gone. Eon decided to return his brother''s body to his homeland and find his own way, though admitted that he would take Rassa up on his offer of work if he found that his home was no more. Will accepted passage back to Eldovia with Rassa, and since being on board had decided to remain with Moonshadow Trading. Alistair had decided to go with Eon, which the young man seemed grateful for.

    Sel, the silent eunuch, surprised everyone by agreeing immediately to Rassa''s offer. That left Layton and Talo.

    Talo in particular was hesitant because of how close he had been with Aegin. He had remained nearby for the month that Rassa had been on the Southern Continent taking care of ''business'' and had made his decision as soon as he''d seen the ship that Rassa had had made. The Moon Voyager. Talo had agreed to come on the condition that he could Captain the ship. Rassa had been quite amused, but had agreed nonetheless. He hadn''t hired a Captain for the ship he''d built.

    Layton in the end, agreed to come along so long as he could be amused. As soon as he learned how proficient Rassa was at pretty much every martial arts and weapon he picked up, Layton became all too eager to learn. They were in all, a strange group, but the pace at which they seemed to fall into routine and a sense of companionship with one another seemed to work.

    Rassa smiled beneath his hood as he collected Ebony''s sword from her, "When I get a proficient enough forger, hopefully we won''t have this problem anymore".

    Ebony frowned, "What do you mean?"

    "Well, our strength is too much for these iron weapons. As efficient as they are for humans, they are almost useless to us as we need to control our strength every time we use them or we break them like they''re just wood," Rassa said, "If I can carve runes into it to strengthen it however, it''ll be much better".

    "You can do that?" asked Ebony.

    "You can do a great many things with runes. The Mist makes up everything, it influences everything, runes simply give access to that power," said Rassa.

    "Could it bring back the dead?" asked Ebony.

    "Dead is dead," said Rassa, "The Mists exists in this world, the dead do not".

    Ebony nodded, glancing towards the skyline, "The sun will set soon".

    "How long?" asked Rassa.

    Ebony thought for a moment, "Thirty...four minutes?"

    Rassa smiled, "Thirty-two. You''re getting good at that too".

    "It''s strange," Ebony admitted, "There is so much to learn but I never feel like I''m overloaded with information. Is that part of Gluttony as well? That we''re hungry for knowledge?"

    Rassa chuckled, "Perhaps. I suppose I''ve always taken it for granted".

    The two settled into a companionable silence as they waited for the sun to set.

    "Do you think he''ll come back?" asked Ebony.

    Rassa smiled, "Someday".

    He turned to face Ebony then, "You know I won''t be offended if you leave as well, right? I do understand the need to be alone with this".

    "No," said Ebony, "I don''t feel that need. I...as much as I want to go after him, to see him and make sure he''s okay, my instinct tells me to stay. That I will be better here...with you".

    "Ah, so you do feel it, I had to wonder after Aegin left," said Rassa.

    "Feel what?" asked Ebony.

    "It''s called a Covenant bond, it exists between Vampire and those they have sired as well as the generations following. It''s like...well I suppose family is the closest word I could use but humans don''t really have an equivalent. Perhaps...it is like a hive of bees. They follow their queen instinctively and have an innate bond with each other," Rassa explained.

    "So you''re the Queen?" asked Ebony with a smile, "And every Vampire ever made will always bow to you?"

    Rassa flipped his hood back to reveal his long chocolate hair and maroon eyes, "Well, I''m certainly pretty enough".

    Ebony giggled, "Is it strange I''m not offended by it? That I''m okay with you leading and me following?"

    Rassa shook his head, "The rules are different in the Chaos. We are no longer bound by Order".

    "But there are leaders and followers with the humans, and in Order as well".

    Rassa nodded, "Yes, and the human leaders can be overthrown by the followers. And Order will be stuck in their rigid and absolute systems until the end of time. Chaos is never so confining. There is no definition of a leader or a follower, it simply is, and it changes when it needs to".

    "So I could become Queen?"

    "Maybe one day," said Rassa, "When I''m sick of you nagging me I''ll just say, ''fine you do it, I''m going for a long nap''".

    Ebony rolled her eyes, "The sub-death doesn''t exactly sound like a nap".

    "It doesn''t feel like one either, but I imagine after a few hundred years the prospect of it will be better than listening to you nagging," said Rassa.

    He stood then, turning to walk away.

    Ebony huffed in response, "I''ll probably want a nap dealing with you".

    "Probably, but that''s half the fun".

    His fangs flashed with his red eyes and Ebony smiled back just as savagely.

 Chapter 255 - Authors Notes Volume 3

    Well, well, well, another one down...or almost.

    I have decided, that while I of course appreciate the support here on Webnovel from fans of the books, I am not gaining anything from remaining here indefinitely. It was always the goal to publish the books to begin with, but now I believe it is time to focus more on that goal.

    As such ALL content to do with The Monster Inside world will now be published on my P*atreon before it is posted anywhere else. That includes all future volumes of The First Vampire.

    I will also let you know that there is one chapter left of this volume 3 that I will not post until a date for Vol.4 is set. This is mostly because this last chapter is a bridge between Vol.3 and 4 and if I post it you''ll all be left on a rather large cliffhanger for a few months. Yes, a few months.

    Vol.4 will pick up 10 years following the end of Vol.3. While it is not confirmed, I have been thinking of the title ''The Ruin of Eldovia''.

    So I suppose you might be wondering what I shall be doing if I''m taking a break for a few months?

    Well, I have graduated from my teaching course and now about to take on a full-time role, so releases would not be able to keep up with the schedule I have been doing anyway. So future releases on P*atreon will likely be on weekends, or if their well-planned in advanced on other days. But of course you''re more interested in my writing projects, so here is a list:

    1. I will be focusing on the Short Story series for Jane and Falla prior to the events in Vol.2 (P*atreon Exclusive). These will be released with goals reached there (or if goals are reached too quickly, as soon as I possibly can release it afterwards)

    2. I will also do a solo novel for Aegin that shows his journey between Vol.3 & Vol.4, this will be titled ''The Aegis of Aegin Bloodthorn'' and will be released in 3 parts before it is released as a whole novel (It will likely be lengthy so may even turn into a duology) (P*atreon Exclusive)

    3. There will be a series of short stories that follow Rassa and Ebony and probably featuring Falla, Iah, Kit and Olly as well that will show some of what they will be up to in the 10 years between Vol.3 & 4 (P*atreon Exclusive)

    4. Editing Vol.3 to release as PDF including final unreleased Chapter (P*atreon)

    5. Writing Vol.4 (P*atreon first before Webnovel - though it is not likely to reach Webnovel until the second half of this year at the earliest)

    The about list are all things that I have confirmed to do in the following months. The following is work that I will also be doing with lower priority:

    1. Work on my novel Soul Blood which is also here on Webnovel, will likely only be 2 chapters a week though so slow releases.

    2. Probably writing another story in the Monster Inside Series that will likely be a duology, ''Kitsune'' and ''Nogitsune''. This story will show Surai and her sister Kali''s origins and will delve more into the Sloth path of Chaos. Not sure at this stage whether I will publish on Webnovel or P*atreon first but will let any followers I have on my social media (links below) know when something is happening with it.

    I am hoping that as my P*atreon fanbase expands I will be able to run better and exclusive content there and have more fan interactions. In the mean time however, I must say a temporary goodbye to this part of Webnovel.

    As a final parting gift, the following are shout-outs for Vol.3:

    (As of 18/02/20)

    Top 30 voters:

    1. SoraxKairi - 968 votes (Whoa, to put into context this person would have had to vote 3 times a day for just shy of 11 months - basically since I started this book - to get this high, totally blown away by this support, thank you very much!)

    2. Nekomino - 883 votes (Seriously, see above, thanks for support!)

    3. esmeraldo - 599 votes (Thanks a bunch!)

    4. Rabliel - 544 votes

    5. zecond - 500 votes

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    28. XRune - 156 votes

    29. Delm22 - 148 votes

    30. xKaitoP - 145 votes

    Top 15 Vol.3 Commentors:

    (Was going to do this but then lost my data and it took me like three hours to do it the first time so I''m not doing it again right now. But I do remember these names as being quite high on the list:

    I_am_Titan

    Jack02

    vickyjoh

    Chaacra

    K1ra12066099

    cheeki_breeki

    Bookworm0123

    I thank these people for their continued support, I know some of you have been with me for quite a long time)

    Thank you all so much for your continued love and support and I hope to see you again somewhere in the future whether it be here or elsewhere. Links to my social media and P*atreon accounts are below

    -Jelim

    Facebook: @TheMonsterInsideBooks

    Twitter: @Jelim38692962

    Discord: https://discord.gg/a7vf5P8

    P*atreon: https://www.pat*reon.com/jelimsnotebook (Delete Star to access link)

    (If any of the links don''t work let me know)

 Chapter 256 - The New Orders*

    *Eldovian Era 1713, 21st day of the 9th month*

    Jane had only ever set foot on the streets of the Imperial Capital of Arrslon on 2 occasions in her life. The first when she had received her appointment as part of the Imperial Magicians, and the second just a few months later when she''d received the others for her first mission. It had been nearly 3 years since then, not a very long time in terms of significant changes. In saying that, it had been long enough for something to happen.

    Jane hadn''t been able to put her finger on it at first. After all, everything still ran the same as it had before. But the closer she got to the Palace on the West side of the city, the more obvious it became. The lack of casualness. The smiles and laughs, once an accompaniment to the bustling life of the city, now faded like old paint. It remained but there was no actual joy in it. And their eyes��so wide and cautious. So full of mistrust.

    "Have we been recalled to be deployed on a battlefield?" asked Laura, her eyes catching the same differences as Jane.

    "I''ve heard no reports of wars breaking out," Rizan replied.

    The group lapsed into silence once more, still deep in thought as they observed those around them.

    Finally, they came to the southern gate of the Palace. The one that permitted entry for the Imperial Knight and Magician Contingents. It was a practical gate with no magnificent adornment of any kind except the black and gold colouring of the imperial house. Jane stopped before the guards stationed there.

    "Master Magician Jane of the Imperial Magicians, Team Caged Mist," Jane stated.

    The guard glanced at the token she presented, then waved the five of them inside the gates of the Palace.

    They made their way past the training grounds towards the Imperial Guild Hall. Upon entering, they were immediately directed up to see the Imperial Saint Magician herself, Elva Mavenhall.

    "Ah, Caged Mist, we have been expecting you for some time," Elva stated as she stood, "I''m sure you are all tired from the journey, but the Crown Prince has requested your presence as soon as you arrive".

    The group looked to each other before Rizan spoke.

    "The Crown Prince?"

    Elva nodded, ushering them towards the door again, "That''s correct".

    "But��since when did Eldovia have a Crown Prince?" asked Laura.

    They hadn''t heard of a Prince being born. Of any child being born to the royal house, for over two decades.

    "The Emperor is quite protective of him, he is not often let out in public," stated Elva, "But he is��old enough to be a Crown Prince".

    Elva seemed hesitant on answering that. Was it forbidden to speak of the Prince''s age?

    Regardless, they thought it best not to ask further questions as they were walked from the Imperial Guild Hall across the quarter to the Imperial Palaces. Elva walked them to the Black Lion Palace, the official house of the Crown Prince. It had been empty for many years, but now it was lively with servants and guards surrounding it.

    Elva walked them through the halls before she paused before the reception room. She turned back to address them.

    "Don''t try to take in his highness''s appearance. Speak only when spoken to," stated Elva, "In fact, Jane, you alone will speak".

    Jane opened her mouth to protest. She was a commoner; she may have been head of the team but speaking to the Crown Prince��

    "Imperial Saint Magician Elva and the Master Magicians of Team Caged Mist".

    "Enter".

    The voice was child-like, so the Prince couldn''t have been very old, but there was something in it that seemed older, a hint of arrogance and self-assurance perhaps? He had every right to be those things though, he was the future ruler of Eldovia.

    Elva led the group in, keeping her eyes cast down. Jane and the others copied her stance as they entered, then the group knelt in the centre of the room, heads bowed. The fluttering of a curtain allowed them to know that they were separated from the Prince, unable to see beyond it.

    "Caged Mist��you are the Magicians that were reporting on the Moonshadow business, yes?"

    Elva nodded to Jane and Jane took a breath before she spoke.

    "Yes, your highness," Jane stated.

    "I see, your reports��"

    Jane and her team waited on baited breath for the Prince to continue.

    "��were somewhat lacking in detail," the Prince admitted, "I was disappointed to not be as impressed as I was by your Graduation Mission Report. I have come to question your worth to the Imperial Guild. 3 years, and you could give me little more than what was already public knowledge".

    Jane closed her eyes to gather her words carefully before she lowered her forehead to the floor in a clear bow, "We have disappointed his highness, please, tell us how best we can redeem ourselves".

    The Prince sighed, "It would be a pain to seek out another team to replace you. Especially one that may not have the same potential��very well, I will give you another mission, one I hope you can complete with greater ability".

    "We are ready to serve, your highness," stated Jane.

    "I''m sure you have heard of the Vanguard," the Prince stated, "We had an understanding with the makers, but they seem��unwilling to continue with that understanding. I need you to convince them otherwise. Understood?"

    "We understand, your highness," Jane replied, moving back to sit upright.

    "Good," said the Prince, "And Master Magician Jane?"

    "Yes, your highness?" asked Jane, a little surprised that he knew her name.

    "You will not return with such disappointing results again. Bring me something substantial��by any means possible," stated the Prince.

    Jane bowed her head lower.

    "Understood, your highness," said Jane.

    "You are dismissed," stated the Prince.

    ***

    Kevaster Kildare watched as the Magicians left his rooms, his eyes unimpressed. That was the girl his father had played with as a child? How disappointing. She was barely passable. The Prince, who appeared around eight years old despite his 3 years of life, looked down at the beautiful maiden whose head rested across his l.a.p. Her eyes were distant as she stared at the curtain, the dried tracks of her tears a remnant of the wonderful pitch of her screams just minutes before.

    He reached forward to run a finger down along them, and she flinched at his touch. He barely noticed as his finger followed the line of her jaw to her lips, then down her neck to the partially sealed wound on her neck, still dripping blood from the places he hadn''t bothered to lick closed before he greeted his guests.

    He dragged his finger through the blood, then raised it to his lips.

    "I bet she wouldn''t taste as good as you do, darling," Kevaster smiled, leaning forward, a faint whimper escaped her lips and Kevaster delicately cupped her chin, turning her eyes to face him, "Fear not, darling, I shall love you so much that you''ll beg me to consume all of you".

    Fresh tears sprung from her eyes as Kevaster leaned forward and kissed down her cheeks to the dip of her jaw, then swiped a tongue along her bloody wound.

    He leaned back as he g.r.o.a.n.e.d at the taste.

    "I suppose one day, I shall have to find my father and thank him personally for the ability to taste something so utterly divine," Kevaster grinned as he turned back to the woman, his fangs extending, "But for now, I''ll just enjoy it how it was supposed to be enjoyed".

 Chapter 257 - Vol. 3.5 Announcement!

    Well...I guess you could say I just miss you guys and have decided to do the Aegis of Aegin Bloodthorn here as Vol.3.5 as a compromise for the long wait for Vol.4.

    This Volume will be Aegin''s story from when he leaves Rassa and Ebony behind.

    This volume will be entirely based on Aegin with a new setting and series of characters. It will not have any of the characters from the previous volumes apart from Aegin.

    The first chapter will be released June 29th at 4pm AEST

    In the mean time, I''ve posted the last chapter of Vol.3 for ya! (Warning: Contains Cliffhanger)

    Happy Reading!

    -Jelim

 Chapter 258 - A Song of Starvation

    *Eldovian Era 1713, 12th day of the 11th month*

    Before he had awoken with his body aching with weakness and his throat so dry he felt as if he had never had a drop of liquid pass through his lips, Aegin had quite enjoyed satisfying his hunger. He''d looked forward to the prospect of his next meal, and barely given it a second thought if he''d picked up a snack along the way. Better yet, if he missed a meal or two, the most he would pay was that he''d be a little hungry. His training as a Ridge Man had allowed him some insight to what it felt like to starve as a human. But he''d never realised how important those last two words were, because starving as a human was nothing like starving as a Vampire.

    Starving as a Vampire, as Aegin discovered the hard way, came in stages. At first, it was a mere urge to take more rather than stop. An urge that existed even when he was full thanks to the divine taste blood had to him now. He had fallen prey to that urge more than once, and the guilt for taking those lives existed no matter the sins that had drawn Aegin to feed from them in the first place.

    The second stage was more than a mere urge, it was a necessity. The aches began to set in and his strength and speed began to wane. He found his senses less s.e.n.s.i.t.i.v.e, and his body more s.e.n.s.i.t.i.v.e to temperature. Only a good meal could make it go away, and the longer he waited the more prevalent the consequences became.

    In the third stage he officially began to enter the sub-death. While still fully aware of his surroundings, it became increasingly hard for him to move. This stage was as far as Aegin had dared to push himself. He may have left those he called family behind, but he still took the words of the one who turned him seriously in those dark and hungering moments when he''d starved himself. As if those words had been given by his old commander, an order he couldn''t refuse.

    A part of him resented that order. The part of him that still d.e.s.i.r.ed freedom and the right to choose for himself. The other part, the part that was still new to him, was grateful. Like a student thanking a master, or a son thanking his father for some life changing advice. The amount of dedication he felt towards that figure who had given the order, it only made him feel anger and frustration.

    As for the fourth and fifth stages, he only knew of them because of his time with��well, his time when he''d been human. The fourth stage would involve a burst of desperate violence in an attempt to relieve his hunger, and the fifth, of course, was the sub-death.

    In the three months since he had left, Aegin had spent the first 2 degrading to the third stage where that subconscious order remained and he was forced to feed before falling further. In the last month, after he''d found himself on the verge of those violent tendencies with his thoughts turning to favour such frenzied behaviour, he had decided that it was best if he fed more regularly.

    One failure of his new reality, however, was that he was not ''unsealed''. Due to this, he did not sense or could not use any of the powers he???d seen used by the other like him. This inevitably meant that anyone he fed upon was aware of his feeding, and was more than capable of spreading the word if he let them live. So, he couldn''t let them live.

    Killing was nothing new to Aegin. He''d done it as a Ridge Man and he''d done it as a Warrior Slave on Herguard, but those kills were ones he had to work for. Killing as a Vampire was easy. Too easy. So easy it often scared him and made him truly think about the kind of damage he was capable of causing if he let himself get out of control. The power he wielded even as a sealed Vampire was terrifying. Not just because of what he could do, but also because more often than not he found himself enjoying it, and that was much worse.

    The Port City of Estode had been his hunting grounds for most of those three months since he''d been turned. He''d spent the first part running as far away from his ''before'' that he could. It was situated halfway down the Western coast of the Southern Continent. But the reason Aegin had decided to stay was that the sh.i.p.s coming and going from the port were very rarely from Eldovia. They were more frequently from other Southern Countries, or the Western Continent.

    Staying in Estode meant that Aegin had had plenty of time to get a sense of the local population. What he had learned was that merchant and noble, commoner and slave, were all partial to the Western Continent''s abundant Jewels. They were dressed in it every day, and without any adornments he''d stood out like a sore thumb. He''d ended up buying a small necklace just to get people to stop staring. Ironically with a bloodstone as the only gem. The truth was though that Aegin loathed the gaudy lavishness of it all. He longed for a simpler attitude and way of life that had never been afforded to him. Nothing so arrogant or self-important or political and conniving.

    Sometimes the people in Estode just made him want to �C

    No. That wasn''t right. They hadn''t done anything wrong. He would only feed from those who deserved death. It had been a decision he''d made almost immediately. The hunger deep within him always grumbled in protest at his refusal to just help himself. Because the hunger was more than just hunger for a Vampire. It was also a need to dominate and be violent and powerful and awed. A need to create��chaos.

    That was his fate now. Chaos. Not the freedom he''d dreamed of. He''d tasted that freedom for all of a few minutes before he''d been sentenced to eternity in the shadows. It certainly felt like a sentence anyway, like he was being punished. Though no part of him was going to seek out what that punishment was. Not since he''d been practically banished by that��Other.

    Because the name of the one who turned him would not be spoken now. Three months was a decent span of time. Enough for some of the anger to fade. For Aegin to begin to understand that there were likely other reasons that he hadn''t stuck around to listen to. That there was no other choice for his survival than this. But just as he''d reached a point where he''d been lucid enough to wonder if he''d left too soon, if he''d been too rash in his decision, he''d taken the Tracking Charm out for the first time in a long time and wondered why no one had come after him. Not even Ebony, whom he''d spent some of the darkest moments with in the last few years.

    The answer had been clear in the next few seconds when the Charm refused to activate. When he''d used it before he''d only felt a vague warmth, but now he could actually see the Mist as it entered and interacted with the Charm. Mist that utterly refused his will.

    He had been cut off, abandoned, and now he was lost. Whose fault was that? Was there anyone at fault? Aegin blamed that Other. But the Hunger��the Hunger blamed Aegin.

    You abandoned them. You left them behind. Traitor. Aegin the Traitor.

    Bloodthorn had become all the more fitting when he''d been turned��but in his darkest and loneliest moments, Aegin the Traitor had a nicer ring to it.

 Chapter 259 - The Legacy of Light

    Devina Lightbringer had spent much of her eighteen years of life in the Crystal Towers of Havellion. The Capital and centrepiece of the Holy Order and it''s Empire, she had been sheltered since the moment the High Priestess had passed her beggar-self attempting to create shadow puppets for money. She''d only been practicing, her affiliation with the light element still new as the white life lines on her wrists.

    She never could recall exactly how she''d gotten them. She remembered that one day she''d tried to sneak away from the other beggar children with a bit of extra bread, and been cornered by three of the older ones. She recalled when the first one had hit her, but that was it. The scar that was hidden beneath her then dirty and tangled white blonde curls was indication enough to the Priests and Priestesses at the Towers.

    The High Priestess, the great Seraphina Silver, had taken one look at her shadow puppets, projected on the wall from where the light tried to shape them, and descended from her carriage to place a warm and gentle hand on Devina''s head.

    "Come child. The Legacy of Light should not be left to play with shadows".

    Devina had never gone back to the streets. She''d been housed in the Towers. She''d been trained to be a Priestess of the Holy Order, and when she''d shown potential beyond others that were training, had been taken to the High Priestess herself for training.

    When she''d turned sixteen, in the 11th year of the Twelve Years of Unholy Reckoning, as the Order called it, the High Priestess had chosen Twelve Sparks. The Twelve Heirs whom would have the chance to become High Priest or Priestess after the current High Priestess passed. Devina, against the odds given her age, had been chosen all the same. The youngest in over two centuries. It was a great honour, but Devina had been left to wonder what it was she had done that had influenced the High Priestess to make such a decision. Yes, she was exceptional with her element, but there were few who had a residence in the Crystal Towers that weren''t, and many far older and more experienced than herself.

    So, despite the great honour, Devina had asked why.

    The High Priestess, frail in her old age but still beautiful as ever, had shifted across the room where they sat and had retrieved an old weathered book from a cabinet in the corner before bringing it back.

    "Do you know where we retrieve all our auspicious dates from, Devina?" she had asked as she had placed the book on the table.

    "The Holy Calendar?" Devina had asked with a frown.

    "And who could have possibly constructed that Holy Calendar?" asked the High Priestess as she took a seat once more.

    Devina hesitated before answering, "��the teachings say that the Six Great Gods wrote it in the stars for the Order to find when the time was right".

    The High Priestess nodded, "Aye, they did, but does it not make you wonder why then we do not train you all to read the stars for the words of the Great Gods?"

    Devina nodded, her eyes glancing to the book out of curiosity. The High Priestess placed a careful hand on the book.

    "You are not trained, because in truth none of us can read the stars. No one has been able to do so for thousands of years. But the last one who could, the Great Oracle, wrote down all he saw. This book is but a small facet of that, but it is the origin of our Holy Calendar," said the High Priestess, "It is also the Origin of the Oracle''s warnings".

    "Warnings?" asked Devina, "You mean the shadows?"

    The High Priestess, and all of her teachers, they always spoke of the shadows. Devina had always thought of it as metaphorical, as it had been made clear to her and every other student early on that they were not referring to Shadow Magicians.

    "Aye the Shadows," said the High Priestess, "They have another name in the Oracle''s Predictions though. He called it Chaos. It was said that in the final year of the Unholy Reckoning, that Chaos would begin anew, forever a path presented to this world".

    "And we know nothing of this Chaos?" asked Devina.

    "Only that the Gods themselves decreed that it should be eradicated, and that our Ancestors followed through with their Will," said the High Priestess, "The Oracle mentions nothing on what form it will take, nor what we can do to defeat it, but defeat it we must".

    Devina turned her eyes from the book back to the High Priestess, "But if we do not know what form it takes, how will we know how to defeat it? Where it even lies?"

    The High Priestess nodded, "All questions that we strive to learn answers to. And one of those answers came to me in the first year of the Unholy Reckoning when I found a newly formed Magician in the streets of our own great city mixing Shadows with her Light".

    Devina''s eyes widened, "Me? But it is only now that I learn of this Chaos".

    "Nevertheless, the Oracle was clear," said the High Priestess, "Devina Lightbringer, she who bends light around shadows, shall be the first to uncover a strand of Chaos".

    Devina opened her mouth, words of protest forming but not moving past her lips in her surprise before she looked back at the book, "The Oracle wrote of me?"

    "He did. I knew who you were the moment I saw you, and your potential shone through unconditionally," said the High Priestess, "Now that you have been named one of the Sparks, you will inevitably be given a task to prove your worth. When the new year dawns, one by one, you and the others will all be sent to find the Strand of Chaos before the end of the Unholy Reckoning. I pray you do not disappoint the Order".

    "It only says that I will be the first to uncover it, then, not what I will do, or even if I will survive it," Devina stated carefully.

    The High Priestess leaned forward, placing her hands on Devina''s cheeks, "You are Devina Lightbringer, one of the holders of the Legacy of Light and a Spark of the Holy Order. You will do your duty. You will spread light where there are shadows".

    A year later, when she was sent out at the height of summer to track down that strand of Chaos, it had been the first time she had ever left Havellion. Her entourage consisted of Six Holy Paladins. Priests and Priestesses trained in combat, and over the past year, assigned to Devina to become her bodyguards and servants.

    So, when the final month of the Twelve Years of Unholy Reckoning dawned and she was still no closer to her pre-destined goal, Devina could not help but feel a sense of absolute hopelessness. Was the Oracle wrong? Surely he had to be wrong at some point. He''d been reading things in the stars that the gods had predicted for thousands of years after his time.

    A knock sounded on the door of her rooms and Devina turned to watch as Aina, one of her Paladins, entered.

    "The Priest is asking if you would be willing to offer blessings today. Several in the city have heard of your arrival," Aina stated.

    Devina took a deep breath, looking out at the streets around the Holy Order''s Church here in Estode. Then, knowing her duty as she''d always been taught, Devina stood, "Help me into my robe would you, Aina?"

    Aina stepped forward to do just that.

 Chapter 260 - The Hardship of the Hunt

    Despite his best attempts, Aegin found himself preferring the solace of night to the liveliness of day. It was as if everything was working against him. He wanted to turn one way, but his instincts would take him another. He wanted to move among the crowds and interact with the market vendors, but instead he was drawn to the side alleys where thieves plotted their next job. It was an endless cycle of wanting one thing and being drawn towards another, so much so that Aegin began to question what he truly wanted.

    The answer really, was quite simple. Blood. Of course he wanted blood.

    Once he reached that conclusion, he found himself stuck again in the limbo that Estode was becoming. He may have been immortal now, but he still felt time. Or at least he had yet to grow used to it not being a factor anymore. He was not about to wait in this limbo for years just to grow accustomed to his new reality. But even if he was determined to leave, he had no idea where he wished to go.

    The frustration of his situation led him to become less cautious. He found himself taking larger risks, and then reprimanding himself for them. Of course, he would probably survive even if the entire population of Estode was to hunt him down �C one did not simply hunt a hunter �C but that didn''t mean that word wouldn''t spread��and he was still conflicted on whether or not he wanted to be found.

    These conflicted thoughts however were decided on a night at the beginning of what the South deemed ''the winter''. The Southern Continent only saw weather that was cold enough to produce snow on its highest peaks and at it''s most southern parts. Estode was neither. Sure it received a chilly wind from the sea, and it rained more than usual, perhaps, in the depths of winter, there would even be a frost on the grass when the sun rose, but in all, the weather was at worst consistent with Eldovia''s Autumn.

    Not that temperature seemed to bother Aegin anymore. Still, when you had little else to do, you found yourself thinking of the changes in the world that you saw less in your busy moments. Aegin had a lot of those now. He''d even stopped to consider if perhaps this was akin to what the Other had felt when locked in those mines. Why he had been so ready to hear of the changing world outside. Rather than being stuck in a cell, was more so that he himself had reserved himself to remaining unchanged? Aegin had shaken the thoughts from his head with a scoff.

    On this night, Aegin was hunting closer to the docks. He''d found it easier than in the sectors of the city where the permanent residents lived. Easier because those he hunted in the docks were less likely to actually reside in Estode. If they went missing, it wouldn''t be as much of a problem for the city itself.

    Aegin sailed over the gaps between buildings, his footsteps on the tiled rooftops far lighter than they had already been in his previous life. He was put a shadow moving over the city towards the docks, and no one bothered to take a second glance towards him. The Bloodstone around his neck thumped against his c.h.e.s.t with nearly every step, though even those were too fast for it''s staccato rhythm at times.

    With a barely legible whoosh, Aegin paused on the roof top of one of the inns just one street back from the dock yards. He perched on the peak of the roof, squatting down comfortably as he closed his eyes to focus his hearing better.

    He gave himself to the hunt with ease, sinking into it like one of the exercises he''d done to ready his muscles for a hard training session. Only this felt even more natural. After all, it had never been something he''d trained for.

    The sounds from the inn below travelled up. Those in their rooms, moving around, softly humming, sleeping...one couple was indulging in each other passionately enough that Aegin couldn''t help but spare a thought for their neighbours. He skimmed passed them to the tavern room, a few sailors still drinking, some singing a merry tune with the resident muse.

    Aegin sifted further, away from the Tavern to the nearby alleys and streets. A few who had already drunk too much. A few more who were on their way to start drowning in ale. There was a brothel a few streets over that seemed to be getting just as much if not more business than the inns and taverns.

    A few dock workers, a few business owners closing up for the day, a patrol of city guards - best to avoid there - a couple of stray dogs and cats, mice in abundance, a couple of women walking home and...oh, there was dinner.

    The Shadow on the rooftop opened it''s crimson eyes and dashed to the south, three buildings, six, ten buildings in an instant, then it paused, just above an alleyway peering down as the two young women approached the entrance from the main street.

    There, directly below, with greasy, unwashed hair and a dagger beginning to rust clutched in his hand, stood dinner. Aegin curled up a lip in disgust. Just, delectable. The hunger urged him to go after the women instead. Aegin shook it off, lowering himself from the rooftop and dropping straight down into the alley. He landed but a metre behind the man, bending his knees to absorb the impact of dropping from a four storey building, then he rose slowly, his dark brown cotton falling into place over his cotton shirt. It was the only item of clothing Aegin could buy that had a hood. Aegin stepped up slowly behind the man. The man, yet to notice Aegin, went to take a step forward just as the two women came into view.

    Aegin stepped forward with him, one hand taking the man''s shoulder to yank him back and the other slamming over the man''s mouth. The man let out a muffled shout of surprise as he was pulled back into the alley.

    The women at the end of the alley paused.

    "Did you hear something?"

    "Come on, this doesn''t feel right, let''s go".

    The two hurried away.

    Aegin turned his gaze to the man who struggled between him and the brick wall of the building, he gave a glance to the weapon that the man was attempting to move from where Aegin held his arm, then sighed.

    "Such a lack of care for the weapon you wield. You can''t hope for it to protect you if you let it rust," Aegin huffed, "Not that it would be much use against me. And it doesn''t really matter now anyway. Try not to move too much, I''ll gag enough from the scent of you, I don''t need your filth following me home".

    Then Aegin forced the man''s head to the side and opened his mouth, his fangs extending expectantly before he drove them into his meal''s neck.

 Chapter 261 - The Wailing of a Witness

    "There seems to be something wrong at the docks��my son works there you see, and��well those that return seem to feel like there is something there. Something watching, waiting. Something Ominous��"

    To anyone else, the woman''s words may have seemed like needless worrying. But to Devina, who''d woken with a sense of loss in her purpose, it had sounded like a promise.

    "Like a dark sort of shadow��"

    The term had instantly drawn interest from the young Spark. And so, that evening, when they had finished their meal, Devina and her six Paladin separated out to different parts of the dock yards in hopes of discovering that this ''shadow'' was more than met the eye.

    The sun set, the regular movements of a city day coming to an end were followed. Those finishing work and going home. Those taking rooms at inns, regulars making their way to their preferred taverns and other, arguably more pleasurable, places. But, even as the only lights left in the city were that of the moon and the lamp lights, Devina could not seem to find the shadow that the woman had spoken of.

    "Perhaps we should head back to the church, Priestess," Aina suggested as it drew later into the night. Despite Devina''s insistence that she could look after herself, her Paladins refused to leave her alone outside of her personal quarters.

    "Not yet," Devina replied, "That woman said that she could feel it. Her, with no attachment to the Mist. It must be something more obvious. Something I''m missing".

    Aina sighed, "Or it could just be the worries of a mother for their children".

    Devina ignored Aina as she continued to look out onto the street from where she leaned against one of the buildings. The White Robes that both her and Aina wore did not exactly allow them to blend in, but they were never mistaken for brothel whores on their stakeouts. Devina had heard a story of one of the other Priestesses wishing to go unnoticed only to have that mistake be thrust upon her. It was quite the awkward trial for both her and the men involved.

    "We stay. At least for a few more hours," Devina eventually spoke.

    Aina sighed, "Then please remain here, Priestess, I will inform the others quickly".

    A Shadow. She thought to herself, a feeling like a dark shadow...

    As she cast her thoughts over what it could possibly be, two young women passed by whom both nodded to her respectfully. She nodded back, smiling warmly despite her mouth and nose being hidden behind her scarf. She watched them keep walking down the street with a sigh. Then she suddenly shivered, a chill coming past her. Only it was no sea breeze. This chill came from the Mist. A Mist that was positively filled with...wrongness.

    Devina frowned, her senses suddenly sharpening on it just as she felt Aina return.

    "Priestess-"

    "Do you feel that?" asked Devina.

    Aina paused instantly, hesitating before expanding her own senses. She frowned deeply, "Why does the Mist feel so...wrong?"

    "Like a shadow," Devina spoke aloud, "The source, we need to find the source".

    Aina''s eyes widened, "Ah, yes, Priestess".

    She nodded her head, then immediately moved to focus her attention on her senses, on her connection with the Mist just as Devina did. The two stood in silence, following the trails of the wrongness in the Mist ever so delicately. As if a single touch would taint their own Holy gifts.

    The wrongness, Devina ascertained, seemed to be remaining just as still and vigilant as they were, only there was a purpose there. One that had been what made Devina shiver. She had never been on a hunting trip before, but she suddenly imagined that she felt no different to prey facing the eyes on it''s predator.

    "Conceal yourself from it," Devina ordered.

    Aina was quick to follow her lead as Devina drew on the light nearby, what little she could muster, and folded it around herself. To those around them, the air seemed to shimmer and ripple before nothing out of the ordinary seemed to occupy the space beside the building on the main street.

    Aina and Devina held their breaths as they felt the wrongness pass them by. As they felt it twist and bend with a sort of irresistible d.e.s.i.r.e. A d.e.s.i.r.e that neither of them wished to be on the opposite side of. Then, just as quickly as it had come, it sharpened to a point, then was gone. Just as Devina went to take a breath, she felt a breeze blast down from above.

    The shield around Devina dropped and she stepped out further into the street. She looked down towards where the wrongness had pointed, then at the space above her where the breeze had come from.

    "It''s on the buildings".

    Devina rushed forward in the direction it had went, Aina on her heels.

    The Paladin drew her staff in preparation, Devina hearing the distinct shik of it extending from a rod about 30 centimetres in length, to six times that. The weapon held no blade, as the Holy Order was did not train it''s Paladins so that they could kill. No, the weapon was designed so that it would compliment the Light Element they all used. Could the Paladins use a blade should they need to? Of course, but only as a last resort.

    Devina could make out the figures of the two women that had passed her earlier. She sped up, almost upon them when they paused, looking into an alley beside them. Devina paused with them, waiting for a moment as if something would happen. But nothing did, and the girls simply walked quickly away from the alley.

    Devina''s eyes focused there, her senses alerting her that that was exactly where the shadow was. Where the wrongness was congregating.

    Devina summoned light to her hand as she stepped forward, Aina ducking down to rush forward before her and confront what was in the alley way as Devina held up the light and released it.

    The wrongness recoiled. Accompanied by the sound of some sort of animalistic growl and hiss wrapped in one. Devina registered a figure, no, two figures against the wall of one of the buildings. The dark brown braid of the one facing the wall whipped to the side as the figure''s head turned. Devina registered the clash of unnatural red eyes as Aina lifted her staff and swung.

    The figure seemed to move to step back to avoid the blow, then vanished, the wind rushing from where he''d stood. Aina, right beside the source could only shield her eyes from the muck of the alley being blasted up, then the swish of her metal rod cut through the sudden silence as she straightened and looked for her opponent.

    But he was gone, as was the wrongness.

    The man who had his back against the wall whimpered, then slipped down it to sit on the ground. Devina approached, letting light come to her hand once more as her initial blast faded and the shadows of the alley began to close in.

    Aina pointed her staff at the man, "What happened?"

    "..He...he tried to eat me!" The man whimpered.

    Aina frowned, looking up at Devina, then back at the man.

    "What?"

    The man looked up at them, eyes wide in his fear before he stood, seemingly unbothered by Aina''s staff. Both of the Priestesses stepped back to give him room as he pulled his collar away from his dark and unwashed skin to reveal two identical puncture holes in his neck, both of them bleeding quite rapidly.

    "He tried to eat me!" The man wailed, "I could feel him pulling my blood from my body, he tried to eat me I tell you!"

    Aina frowned, looking at Devina as she lowered her staff. As if Devina could give some kind of explanation or guidance of the situation. The man seemed to realise that he would not get the attention he d.e.s.i.r.ed from the two of them, and moved towards the streets, "It tried to eat me! Monster! There''s a Monster here hunting for blood!"

 Chapter 262 - The Ruin of a Revenant

    A Light Magician? Seriously? And one associated with the Holy Order to boot. Or was it more than one? Admittedly the blinding light had meant that Aegin could barely see whom was actually interrupting his meal. But the fact was, they''d interrupted his meal. One interruption, and his entire Estode set up had been thrown to the dogs.

    It didn''t take long for the streets to awaken to his meal''s wailing. Nor long for the doctors to discover they couldn''t staunch the bleeding. The Light Magicians, who amounted to seven in number from what Aegin heard, had managed to stop it, but not before the man lost copious amounts of blood. Far more than what Aegin had had the chance to take, much to his chagrin.

    He''d taken so little that he''d need to go hunting again tonight. Seeing as he had to kill his victims, he''d discovered that hunting every 5-6 days was usually his limit before he was so hungry that his reasoning was affected. Last night he''d managed to get in three or four mouthfuls before the Holy Order''s Magicians had cut in. He''d perhaps be able to wait another day, but that was not nearly enough time for the interest to die down. It bothered him, even more so than his meal-gone-wrong. But on top of his list of newly found worries had to be the question he''d found himself asking as he''d ran the night before.

    How had those Light Magicians managed to find him?

    He''d been silent, swift, and had left no evidence. Yet they''d interrupted him in the middle of a meal. He hadn''t even sensed them when he''d been looking for that meal. They had to have been close by after all, they didn''t have the speed to be able to catch him unawares.

    The Holy Order, as Aegin understood it, was the key religion in the known world. They honoured the Six Great Gods, at the apex of which was the Goddess of Light and Harmony, Valessa. She was both Guardian and Guide, laying the path of order and ensuring that those on it were protected. It was why only Light Magicians were allowed to head their order and become priests and priestesses.

    The Order''s influence in Eldovia had been there, but it was minimal compared to on the Southern Continent where the Order had built it''s vast empire. The Holy Empire was even larger than the Eldovian Continent, and thousands of years older. In fact, it was the only standing nation that was known to have records of the era before. The one that was but a story to the rest of the world.

    A story that, through the Other, Aegin had learned was very much real.

    The only Priests and Priestesses Aegin had ever met were the ones in Eldovia. From his understanding, they were trained in Eldovia at the Magician Academies, but took the trip to the Holy Empire as a pilgrimage to be ordained. They had always talked of the Empire and it''s capital of Havellion like it was a dream. A dream that Aegin had never quite believed.

    But as the day wore on, and Aegin heard more and more of the priests and priestesses currently in Estode and hunting him, he was less than impressed with his knowledge. He knew little of this threat, and that posed a problem. How was he meant to avoid them in his hunt if had hadn''t a clue how they''d found him to begin with?

    The answer, after half a day of listening and observing in the streets, was simple. He had to move on. But to where?

    His first instinct was to move further south. It would take him further from the other. But then it occurred to Aegin that further south meant closer to the Holy Empire, which meant he could encounter more priests and priestesses there. That was also the case if he went East.

    But north would take him back towards where the had left the Other. And West...well, that was the Jade Sea...

    Unless...he crossed the Jade Sea. The Western Continent did have the least amount of influence from the Holy Order. It was said that the Tribes that dominated the continent had their own gods. But a trip like that would involve going on a ship. And a trip to the Western Continent took far longer than to cross Whaler''s Strait. At least twice as long. To spend nearly two months on a ship, he''d need a steady supply of blood. If he ate once a week, that would be six to eight passengers that wouldn''t survive the to see the jewel-ridden red continent...

    A slave ship perhaps? No. He''d had enough of slaves and chains. He couldn''t go on a regular merchant ship either, the crew would be too small. He''d be too easily recognisable.

    A Passenger Ship then. The bigger the better.

    In the two months he''d been in Estode, he had seen a few anchor out away from the Port. Estode was large enough for it to be a stop on the way north or south.

    Aegin made his way down to the docks, his hood up to shield his eyes from the sun as usual. The few coins he had left jingled in the small pouch attached to his belt. He hoped it would be enough for a ticket.

    It seemed, Aegin wasn''t the only one inquiring. Word of a monster spreading had drawn many people to look at ways out of the city. Still, Aegin managed to find the Dock Master who had a regular schedule for Passenger Sh.i.p.s.

    "West?" he asked as Aegin brought up where he wanted to go, "Well, yes, some of our sh.i.p.s do go that way instead of Eldovia, usually only once a month or so. The last one was scheduled for a week ago before Winter set in".

    Aegin huffed, "I see, thanks for your-"

    "You must be in luck though, because it was delayed in the South for repairs," the Dock Master continued, "Bloody Pirates had run rampant ever since Helguard when up in flames. Not that we should be complaining that that awful place is gone I suppose".

    "Then, the ship hasn''t come through yet?" asked Aegin.

    The Dock Master shook his head, "No, last I heard it was due here in three days".

    Aegin grinned, "And tickets?"

    "Well, you''ll have to inquire when they get here, as I don''t have a full guest list, but there should be a spare cabin for you somewhere. Those sh.i.p.s are large enough to haul two thousand passengers. Quite a feat if you ask me. The Yilish really know how to build sh.i.p.s," the Dock Master stated, "Anyway, I believe the usual cost to go to the West is between 20 and 30 gold coins. Enough for a bed and meals for the trip".

    Aegin''s smile dimmed. He had only 25 gold. A fortune for some, but he''d known such a long trip where he wasn''t employed on the ship would be as such. The Dock Master sensed his hesitation.

    "You don''t have enough?"

    Aegin sighed, "I do. There just won''t be much left upon my arrival is all".

    "Ah, but if you''re going to the West surely you''re going for a new start?" asked the Dock Master, "Not that I can really see the appeal. From what I''ve heard, apart from the Triad Capitals, it''s rather...barbarian over there".

    Aegin''s smile lightened somewhat, "Could be interesting, is it possible to put my name on a waiting list somewhere?"

    The Dock Master nodded, "I could do that for you. It''ll be my dock they deal with".

    "I''d appreciate it," Aegin replied.

 Chapter 263 - A Slip from a Shadow

    *Eldovian Era 1713, 14th day of the 11th month*

    Devina hadn''t been able to believe her eyes. Had she done it? Had she found the path of Chaos that she''d been destined to? The man that she''d seen had moved so quickly. She''d glimpsed a long braid down his back and squinting eyes that were unmistakably tinted red before he''d moved so swiftly away from her and Aina that he appeared to have just vanished from where he''d stood.

    It she was being entirely honest, the encounter had seemed more like a pure coincidence than anything else. Still, now that she''d found the source of the wrongness, the supposed path of Chaos, she needed to decide what she''d do about it. Surprisingly, this turned out to be not nearly as difficult as she''d thought.

    Her training as a Priestess of the Holy Order guided her instincts. They guided her in healing the man whose neck wound did not clot no matter what pressure nor cloth was held against it. She had to draw some sort of wrongness from his body before it would clot, but by that stage he''d lost enough blood that he needed to be watched over. The fuss he''d kicked up by shouting to the roof tops in the middle of the night had caused quite the stir, but it also meant that whenever Devina or her Paladins went out, everyone was even more accommodating to them than they had been before. Their cooperation was unbelievable, even without those of higher authority in the city stepping in.

    From what she and Aina had observed the night before, Devina suspected that this man, whatever and whoever he was, was not only insanely fast, but also agile. The image he painted was that of a perfect hunter, which no doubt meant that he was capable of fighting back should he d.e.s.i.r.e to. Yet he hadn''t. Why, Devina wasn''t entirely sure, but it made her more readily assume certain things. Such as the fact that he would only hunt those that were out of their homes. That he preferred no witnesses. And finally, that he was intelligent enough to assume that Devina and Aina would try to find him again.

    Hence, Devina knew that she could not limit her search to just the dock yards when the new night came about. As reluctant as Aina was to leave Devina be, there were only seven of them, and they needed to cover as much ground as possible. After a few hours of rest, they divided into different sections of the city and went about waiting for the feeling of wrongness to return.

    But they waited long into the night until the sun began to rise, and Chaos Monster made no appearance.

    "Nothing," Lukas g.r.o.a.n.e.d, "Not even a whisper of that wrongness you spoke of".

    "Me neither," Aina agreed. The other four Paladins all nodded. Devina sighed.

    "Is he lying low to throw us off or has he moved on?" she wondered aloud.

    "He didn''t seem like the type who would run so easily," Aina stated.

    Devina looked up at her, "What do you mean?"

    "I mean, sure he ran, but I think he was more concerned about witnesses, not a threat to his safety," Aina replied, "He dodged my attack with such accuracy it looked barely negligible to him".

    "That doesn''t exactly instill hope," Lukas added, "How are we meant to carry out our mission if he is far more skilled than us?"

    "His apparent speed alone would be a problem in that regard," Kelly continued.

    "It occurred to me as well last night, if he does have that kind of speed, could he not venture to nearby villages and cities to hunt anyway?" asked Jack.

    Devina nodded in agreement, "We''ll need to send messengers to see if there have been disturbances there. How many are within a day''s ride?"

    "I''d have to look at a map to be sure, but perhaps twenty," said Lukas.

    "That''s a lot of potential hunting grounds," Jill sighed.

    The group lapsed into silence at the apparent daunting task ahead of them. Besides the fact that they were still running on the assumption that he was still present somewhere close to the city. Perhaps that was the problem.

    "We''ve only been assuming things so far," Devina stated, "What do we actually know?"

    "You think we''ve perhaps missed something?" asked Aina.

    "It can''t hurt to go over the facts again," Devina replied.

    Aina nodded, "Well, we know he''s incredibly fast and agile".

    "That any mention of the ''wrongness'' that indicates his presence occurs at night," added Jack.

    "He has red eyes," said Lucas, "And brown hair braided down his back".

    "A common enough hair style among the sailors for it not to be overly distinctive," Devina sighed.

    "He drinks blood," Isaac provided, having been silent up until then.

    Devina paused, "Human blood".

    "Well, we don''t know for sure if that''s his only diet, a lot of creatures besides humans have blood as well," Kelly stated.

    Devina looked up, "Did anyone think to check the farms outside the city? The barns within it?"

    The group looked at one another before sighing in frustration.

    "I was too busy watching the taverns, apartments and inns," Lukas admitted.

    "If he''s going after animals instead, surely we''d be able to find evidence," Jill stated, "A dead animal drained of blood is pretty strange".

    "We''ll need to inquire around about it," Devina nodded.

    "We need to rest, Priestess," Lukas stated, "Especially if we''re going to be up all night again, should we delegate these inquires to-"

    "The Priests based here," Devina stated, "Tell them to spread out to cover more ground, that we want reports by dinner time".

    "Yes, Priestess," Jack bowed his head respectfully before the group filed out. Devina sighed heavily as she leaned back into her chair, turning to look out of the window. Her mind was a mess. She hadn''t thought it would be this difficult. She should have expected it would be.

    This was her duty now. She was a Spark of the Holy Order. The one that would uncover a strand of Chaos. Now, she needed to combine those two fates into one and do what she''d always been trained to do. She needed to let her light fill the shadows.

 Chapter 264 - To Hunt a Hunter

    *Eldovian Era 1713, 15th day of the 11th month*

    Aegin would have been impressed by the Priests'' resourcefulness if he wasn''t so inconvenienced by it. The first night had been easy enough. He''d just run to one of the nearby villages. Following that he didn''t actually need to hunt again for another 5 days or so. This proved to be a good thing as the following day the Priests set out to cover pretty much any possibility they could think of. This included riding to the nearby villages where Aegin''s meal was inevitably uncovered. Had he buried his meal? Of course, he wasn''t an idiot. But the Priests weren''t stupid either. New graves where re there had been no apparent deaths the day before and an individual was missing were suspicious enough to be investigated.

    They also thought to ask around about animals as well. Aegin had tried to take animal blood in the past, if only to practice leaving something alive. The Hunger hadn''t much liked it, and Aegin found that killing criminals was a compromise he could live with for now. The second night, with no need to hunt, Aegin had simply rested. But even as he''d hung out on one of the taller buildings, doing nothing to disturb anyone else, he''d felt the Priests draw close to his location.

    It had irked him. How, by the gods, were they finding him? Was it their gods perhaps? As ridiculous as it sounded to someone like Aegin who''d never been particularly religious, he could think of no other rational explanation. He could not deny that having them hunt him, the hunter, was as disturbing as it was wrong. What if, even if he made a clean get away to the West, they still managed to track him all the way there?

    The thought was not a pleasant one, and Aegin felt the need to ensure it didn''t come to pass. Which meant he needed to kill them all, or discover how they were tracking him so he could stop it. The hunger was more inclined to the first of course, but Aegin, with all his training, knew that just killing one group of Priests would perhaps solve his problem in the short term, but just create a greater problem in the long term.

    So, on the night before the ship to the West was due go arrive in the Estode Port, Aegin chose the Northern-most sector of the city as a faux hunting ground and waited in a rather large barn for an opponent to arrive. For the first hour, nothing seemed to happen, and Aegin began to grow impatient. Waiting like this was getting him no where, either that or he''d underestimated the Priests and their capabilities.

    As one hour began to tick over towards a second, Aegin began to think that perhaps it was something that he was doing. What had he been doing the two times before that he had not been doing for the past two hours?

    The answer came to him rather swiftly. He''d been hunting. Or, more specifically, observing his prey. With that thought, Aegin hesitantly began to expand his senses beyond the barn, slipping just enough into his hunting instincts to appear a predator if this was indeed what the priests had been tracking.

    It took only ten minutes before Aegin heard somebody stepping quietly and carefully towards the barn he resided in. Aegin couldn''t help but smirk. Was the Priest trying ti assassinate an assassin? How comical.

    Aegin pulled his senses back slowly as the Priest approached, drawing him closer to the doors of the barn. Perhaps the Priest had a death wish, for he kept approaching. Of course, Aegin had come inside through one of the upper Windows, so the barn doors were locked. The Priest hesitated outside of them before felt a flare from the mist, and the chains locking the barn doors clanged down to the cobblestones. The Barn doors swung open.

    Aegin observed from the hay loft above, sitting casually enough to swing his leg over the ledge as the Priest stepped in, an orb of light in his hand that was being fed by the mist, and a long silvery-clear staff similar to what the priestess had attacked him with a few nights before.

    Aegin pulled the scarf around his neck up to cover the lower half of his face before he stood.

    "And here I thought there was something to be worried about," Aegin proclaimed into the silence of the barn. The Priest swiftly turned, the ball of light launching towards Aegin. Aegin leaned to the side, "That was rude...but I''ve never been on to say no to a fight".

    Aegin dropped from the hay loft, and the Priest swung his staff forward with a flick of his wrist, "You will die tonight, Chaos Monster!"

    Aegin stepped back to avoid the blow before turning into the Priest''s guard and hitting his c.h.e.s.t hard enough to push the priests back into a pile of hay.

    "Chaos Monster?" Aegin questioned, "You really need to be taught some manners, kid".

    As the young Priests scrambled up, struggling from being winded, Aegin moved forward. He was not using his speed, where would be the fun if the fight was over too quickly? He pushed the Priest to spar with him, dodging away from the staff whenever it swung at him. There was something about it. Something familiar that made his instincts scream danger. Was the staff blessed or something? He''d heard that the High Priestess could do things like that.

    "Come on, swing with more confidence, strike like you mean it!" Aegin urged the Priest. The Priest did not seem happy with the guidance however, as he huffed in rage. He swung harder and faster. Aegin grinned, "There you go! Perhaps you''re not entirely useless".

    The Priest swung wide to force Aegin back, then brought his staff up.

    "Still, perhaps I should show you the proper way to use a weapon like yours!" Aegin stepped forward, putting his hands up to catch the staff and side stepping to dissipate the strength of the blow Ashe brought it down beside him. The Priest appeared panicked, then Aegin felt the burning pain as the staff seemed to immediately slam a wall down within him. A wall between Aegin and his connection to the mist, his connection to his life lines.

    His hands burned where they touched the staff, but the feeling of losing those instincts and capabilities he''d become so used to over the last few months was so many times worse. A chill set through him, and Aegin immediately released the staff and retreated.

    The priest stumbled forward a step in surprise as Aegin looked down at his hands, breathing heavily as he felt the wall disappear as quickly as it had appeared. The palms of his hands itched as the skin healed, then Aegin looked up at the Priest who was watching the skin heal.

    "The Great Gods that watch over the Holy Order have lent me their power and deemed you u worthy to walk upon this earth. As a Denizen of the darkness, of the Chaos, you must die!" The Priest moved forward.

    Aegin''s eyes narrowed, it was wholly unnecessary to correct the kid. His Gods had had nothing to do with it. His staff however...anthrite really was a bitch. He side stepped the Priest then his hand whipped out and he grabbed the priest''s neck before lifting him and slamming him to the ground on his back.

    "Your Great Gods hold no sway over me," Aegin, then he vanished into the night.

 Chapter 265 - A Dedication to Duty

    *Eldovian Era 1713, 16th day of the 11th month*

    "Priestess".

    The voice roused Devina from her deep slumber. She was still so tired. Three nights of staying up and alert were not something she''d ever trained for, and she and all her Paladins were exhausted by it.

    "Priestess, please".

    Aina. The call more insistent this time. Devina forced herself up.

    "Yes?"

    Aina opened the door to Devina''s room, her eyes serious and wider than usual.

    "It''s Lukas, he''s injured," said Aina.

    Devina stood quickly, a frown on her face, "How badly?"

    "He has no open wounds, but heavy bruising, and he had quite the knock to the head," said Aina, "Isaac went to find him when he didn''t report back. He was unconscious in a barn in the northern sector".

    "Is he awake now?" asked Devina.

    "Yes, I can to retrieve you when he did, he said you''d want to hear what he had to say," said Aina.

    Devina nodded as the two hurried through the halls of the residential portion of the church. It did not take them long to arrive at Lukas'' room, and they found him surrounded by the other Paladins as Kelly fussed over him.

    "I said I''m fine, would you stop it?" Lukas huffed in annoyance before his eyes strayed to Devina and Aina as they entered, "Ah, Priestess! I found it! I found the monster, and better yet, a weakness!"

    Lukas went to stand, only to have both Kelly and Isaac force him back onto the bed.

    "Stay down, you hit your head, you should rest," Kelly snapped.

    "I said I''m-"

    "You''ll do as Kelly says," Devina ordered, "You can tell me what happened just as easily from the bed as you can from anywhere else".

    Lukas reluctantly began recounting the events of the previous night. How it had started off like the previous nights before he''d suddenly felt the wrongness. How he''d followed it to a barn where the monster had been.

    He''d covered the lower half of his face, but his long brown braid and red eyes had been exactly as Devina and Aina had described. The two had fought, and Lukas arrogantly declared they had been on equal footing, but Devina and Aina knew it was unlikely. Judging from the way Lukas described certain moves that the monster had made, he was far more skilled and experienced than Lukas had been. Devina even suspected that the monster had been toying with the Paladin.

    That is, until Lukas described how his staff had repelled the monster. How it had burned it''s skin with the help of the Gods'' intervention.

    The rest of the Paladins were both thrilled and hopeful at the news. If the monster could be burned, then he could be hurt, and therefore killed as was their mission. Indeed, it was good news. News that the Order would need to hear.

    "Get some rest. I''ll be sending a report to the Order on this," Devina instructed.

    The Paladins did not protest her order despite their eagerness, they were of no use to her exhausted.

    Devina returned to her rooms with haste, taking out a pen and paper so that she could write a message directly to the High Priestess. The message detailed how they had encountered the monster, and the wrongness in the mist they had felt that had given him away. She also detailed their subsequent plans to attempt to catch him. She spoke of his apparent appetite for blood, as well as his incredible speed. She also spoke of his red eyes, and how he was very likely to be highly skilled in combat. She admitted the danger of the mission to rid him from their world, but renewed her determination now that she and her Paladins had discovered that their Blessed instruments had an affect on him. It would likely only take a few good hits.

    When she had finally finished her report, she signed it, then sealed it with the golden wax of the Holy Order before she went in search of the Priest of the Church. The Priest was more than willing to pass her message on immediately, bowing his head excessively and read to listen to her every whim.

    Devina, who had spent nearly her entire life int he Crystal Tower, was not used to such submission and clear deference. She''d silently observed this same Priest more than once ordering those beneath him, yet in her presence he seemed little more than a puppy reading to beg for a treat. She''d found it amusing how the Priests and Priestesses of the Churches she visited did that at first. Now she found it tiresome.

    She did little more than urge the Priest to send the message on swiftly before she retired back to her bed, endeavoring to rest more before she would have to rise and institute a plan of action.

    "Pardon me, Priestess, but a lower Priest has reported a sighting of a man matching the description of the monster at the docks," came the Priest''s voice from out in the hall once he''d had Devina''s attention. Devina sat bolt upright, marching to the door and throwing it open.

    "Where at the docks?"

    The Priest looked a little surprised by her sudden movements, but answered quickly, "It was said he was purchasing a ticket with one of the merchants there. He wore a travelling cloak".

    "Wake the Paladins immediately, tell them to ready themselves," said Devina.

    "Yes, Priestess".

    Devina too, readied swiftly. Sleep be damned. She was not about to let that monster escape.

    In the back of her mind, a niggling doubt emerged. Why now had he appeared in the day, and made his escape known to them as well?

    Devina shook her head as she took up her staff. Regardless, this was an opportunity that she couldn''t pass up.

 Chapter 266 - A Ticket of Turmoil

    Aegin had stayed hidden and silent in the shadows of one of the dockyards as he had waited for the dawn to rise. Still, but on the verge of impatience, he''d cast his mind again and again to the burn on his skin, and the shutting down of his very soul. It had been the first time he''d felt a chill in months.

    Since his rebirth, Aegin had never really put much thought into the black Life Lines that dominated his upper back. He''d covered them, unsettled to have them exposed, but he hadn''t really considered their importance until he''d felt as if he''d been blocked from feeling them. To feel a part of himself vanish like that, even more an instant...as reluctant as he was to think about it, his mind could not help but wonder to the boy who''d spent six years in chains made from them. How had he survived it?

    Just as quickly as the thought came, Aegin dismissed it. He didn''t want to think of the Other.

    As dawn approached, a large ship appeared on the horizon, pausing outside of the bay. It was indeed larger than any Aegin had ever seen before. The Yilish really did know how to build sh.i.p.s. It was almost a marvel that a ship that big still floated.

    Though, if the rumours were to be believed, the Yilish had long put their minds to use rather than relying on the power of Magicians. In fact, Magicians were effectively outlawed in the southern nation. They also, much to Aegin''s fortune, hated the Holy Order.

    Aegin might have known little of the Holy Order, but he knew enough to know that it was, frankly, pissed at never having any influence to a nation that was so close in proximity to it. The story went that the early Kings of the Yilish people had been offended when the Holy Order declared their inventions dark and against the will of the gods. The Yilish, rather than cower in fear, denounced the Holy Order and cast them from their borders. Of course, the Holy Order had done a great job of suppressing the nation for some time. Yilennia was a nation towards the southernmost point of the southern continent, and it''s only land border was with the Holy Empire. Hence, when they had cut ties, they had had to seek alternatives to go around the Empire. The obvious answer had been by sea.

    Yilennia had no only the best sh.i.p.s, but the most developed naval power. Even the Holy Order could not stand against them there.

    Aegin watched as the dawn broke and the docks awakened. Ferrying sh.i.p.s made their way out to the large Yilish Passenger ship and Aegin approached the merchant from the days before.

    "It is as mighty as you said," Aegin stated easily, looking out to the ship. The Merchant startled a moment as he took in Aegin, then smiled in reply.

    "Aye, it is, you''ve come early. You have no luggage?" asked the Merchant.

    "Nothing worth taking," Aegin stated.

    The Merchant nodded, "Sometimes it is good to start anew. We''ll have to wait until the ferry returns to know for sure the pricing and any available tickets".

    "Of course," Aegin replied.

    The two waited in companionable silence, the Merchant working through the paperwork and Aegin watching the docks spring to life.

    Finally, the ferry returned, Aegin relieved to hear that there were in fact spots available.

    The Merchant smiled, "You''re in luck, they are eager to move on seeing as they are behind schedule so have lower the price a little 18 gold for a shared room, 22 for one of your own".

    Aegin contemplated for a moment before he nodded, "I''ll take one of my own".

    "Wonderful, of course, all meals are included, but any other facilities on board will have to be paid for in addition," stated the Merchant.

    Aegin nodded in acceptance. He wouldn''t even need the meals, though he''d likely have to put in an appearance so that the crew didn''t get restless. He inwardly cringed for his poor tastebuds.

    Ticket in hand, Aegin was informed that the ship would be taking passengers in the afternoon, so he had several hours to wait.

    He ended up wondering the docks, contemplating going to look for another set of clothes with his last three coins. He ended up buying a full set for one of them, thinking that the two left would surely be enough for whatever he may need on the other end of his trip.

    It wasn''t like when he was hunting, this observation was more of a change he felt in the Mist. He''d realised the night before that if the Priests could track him through the change he caused in the mist, perhaps he could track them the same way. These presences he sensed were not as obvious nor glaringly bright as the other priests, but they were still present. Aegin''s eyes scoured the crowd, locking onto a group of the local church workers. They may have seemed as if they were going about a daily walk, but the way their eyes darted. Aegin had been scolded for such things on more than one occasion in his youth.

    Aegin had no intention of running away. He was just an hour or so from leaving. Still, it would do no good to tell the priests where he was headed, even indirectly.

    Looking around, Aegin spotted another, smaller passenger ship. He made his way for it without hesitation, joining a small group that were near the dock master there.

    "Where is this ship headed?" Aegin asked when he reached the front.

    "To Port Lutte, three days North," said the dock master.

    Aegin nodded, "How much is a ticket?"

    "80 silver," the dock master stated.

    A little steep for a three day journey on such a small ship, but Aegin wasn''t about to complain. He handed over a gold coin and received his change and a ticket.

    "We''ll leave with the afternoon tide in a few hours, traveler," the dock master smiled.

    He scoffed at their amateurishness. Not obvious in the slightest.

    Aegin risked letting his senses free for a moment, then headed for a nearby alley, the priests in subtle pursuit.

 Chapter 267 - A Sly Switch

    Despite their lack of sleep, Devina and her Paladins moved swiftly through the city to the docks. They''d been on this mission for five months already, they couldn''t let this opportunity to eradicate the shadows in this world slip through their fingers.

    "Are you sure you''re okay Lukas?" asked Aina, her tone cautious.

    Lukas huffed, "I''m fine, not like he can over power seven of us".

    At least they hoped. It certainly seemed unlikely.

    Kelly huffed, "I still think you should have stayed back to rest. You hit your head pretty hard".

    "Drop it, Kelly," Lukas snapped, "I know my body better than you, and I say I''m fine".

    Devina doubted that, but she didn''t protest. She could not help the feeling within her that she needed all the help she could get.

    They rounded a corner and slowed their pace somewhat as the crowd along the edge of the docks thickened with busy workers, sailors, guards and commoners, all vying for the last of the goods that had come in with the morning tide. A few food vendors were set up to the side, lines indicating that they were dealing with the lunch time rush, albeit in the end of it.

    Devina''s eyes scoured over all of them before Aina hurriedly tapped her arm and pointed a few blocks down to where a pair of priests loitered among the crowd.

    Devina and her group moved towards them swiftly, the crowd parting for them when they recognised the fluttering white robes of the Holy Order.

    Devina arrived quickly before the priests who hurriedly bowed their heads to her out of respect.

    "Where did you see him?" asked Devina, eager to get straight to the point.

    "He was purchasing a ticket on a vessel bound for Port Lutte this afternoon, Priestess," the first Priest stated.

    "And now?" asked Aina.

    "He has been back and forth through the crowd along the dock, seemingly buying time before he must leave," said the second Priest, "Right now he is among that crowd over there".

    The Priest pointed to a crowd of people around one of the dock masters they seemed to be arguing about something, though from this distance Devina couldn''t tell what about. There, on the edge of the crowd, a figure in a poncho with a deep hood stood. Clearly male, and with a long brown braid emerging from the depths of his hood to run down his front.

    Devina frowned. The wrongness, it was not around him.

    Lukas stepped forward, but Devina caught his arm as she turned back to the Priests, "Has he noticed you?"

    "We thought he had earlier, as he disappeared down an alley and appeared to be trying to lose us, but he emerged from the other side and has since circled around the docks and the vendors," said the first priest, "As I said it merely seems as if he is buying time before a trip".

    Devina nodded, then motioned to Priests to move away.

    "We out number his easily, Priestess," Lukas stated, "Why do you hesitate?"

    "Something is off," Devina admitted, "I don''t sense any of that...wrongness. Do you?"

    She looked around at her other Paladins before Lukas spoke, "Is it not possible that he can turn it on and off? After all, we do not use our influence over the Mist constantly".

    Aina nodded, "Yes, perhaps you only feel that wrongness when he is using his abilities".

    Devina sighed. Yes. She was overthinking it. Overthinking it would cause her to lose this opportunity, "Spread out and encircle him, do not move until I command it. There are too many innocents here".

    The Paladins nodded, then moved away from her to do just as she''d asked.

    Devina watched the monster carefully as he watched the proceedings, he shifted from side to side. Not out of nervousness, it was almost out of boredom. He was so relaxed. It seemed, odd.

    No, she was overthinking again. Her eyes strayed to the places her Paladins were taking. The crowd who had spotted their movements shifting nervously. They would draw attention if they were not careful. Their eagerness was too great.

    A bell rang to the side, a call shortly following it.

    "Passengers bound for the West on The Mariner! Call for Passengers bound for the West on The Mariner!"

    Other calls began to sound out after it, "Passengers bound for Holten on The Jolly Fish!"

    "Passengers bound for Oretnis!"

    "Passengers bound for Felin Deliae!"

    "Passengers bound of Lutte!"

    Devina''s eyes snapped at that. Straight to the ship in question, the quickly back to the hooded monster. He barely flinched at the call. His shoulders dropped as if in sigh as he turned his eyes to the sh.i.p.s. Devina waited for a moment, waited for him to move, towards the ship, to part from the crowd.

    She almost held her breath. The crowd passed around her, nodding respectfully. A blonde woman and what appeared to be her daughter. An elderly couple. A few sailors with rough beards. A brown haired young man with violet eyes. A young couple. A-

    Devina''s breath hitched as she turned in her spot, her eyes drifting to watch the young man with violet eyes, a sack hitched over his back as he made his way through the crowd casually towards the far dock where the first call had been made. Something about him was just so familiar...

    "Watch it!" she heard Kelly''s familiar call and her gaze snapped back around just in time to watch the hooded figure dart in the opposite direction to her.

    "Get him!" Lukas called.

    The Paladins sprung into action, and Devina too went to step forward, until she saw the hood on the disappearing figure fall back a little.

    Blonde. The man was Blonde.

    Devina froze.

    That wasn''t the monster she''d been looking for.

    She stepped forward, reaching up on her toes to look over the crowd of people that was lining up for the boats around her.

    "Last call! Last call for those bound for the West on The Mariner!"

    Devina''s eyes naturally strayed there upon hearing the loud dock master''s voice above all others. Then, frozen, she watched as the brown haired, violent-eyed boy who''d walked passed her showed some papers to the boat captain, then smiled warmly as he climbed onto the ship.

    Devina''s breath hitched. His eyes may have been a different colour, and his braid cut off, but she''d definitely seen that side profile before.

    As the boat began to pull away from the docks, Devina sprinted forward.

 Chapter 268 - The Poverty of a Priestess

    Aegin had been on the small ferry for all of four seconds before he spotted the Priestess running in the opposite direction of her companions. The man he''d paid his last gold coin to in order to get him to take his hood and cut off braid and parade it around the docks until the boats left on the afternoon tide had taken care of the others. Despite the man''s initial hesitation, his eyes had gleamed at the coin Aegin had held just a hand''s breath from his nose.

    Admittedly, he had seemed confused when Aegin had taken a dagger from his boot and sliced off his braid before offering it to the man. Aegin proceeded to pin it with the empty skewer from the man''s hand and pull up the hood. The man had then swiped the coin and walked out of the alley. Aegin had then fixed his hair in the reflection of a nearby puddle. He used to shave the sides of his head around his ears. It had grown out in the last couple of months but the hair at the top of his head was still longer. He shaved the length at the back off as best he could, though it was awkward to do himself.

    Now, as he watched the Priestess run for the dock that the ferry was pushing away from, Aegin couldn''t help but spare a thought for his lost braid. Or more for his subpar haircut. He was tempted to laugh at the determination he could see in her eyes as she rushed through the crowd. Until of course, he realised that with the speed she was managing even in the thick crowd, and the speed at which the ferry was pulling away from the dock, there was a chance she''d make it to him.

    Aegin felt a sense of panic for all of a second before he realised that her jumping into the ferry was more of a bad idea for her than it was for him. Then he did smile, just a little.

    The Dock Master who had sold Aegin his ticket looked up at the pounding footsteps of the Priestess on the wooden dock. He frowned, then his voice rose in protest as he realised she wasn''t slowing.

    "Whoa, whoa, whoa! Where do you think you''re-"

    The Priestess ignored him as she swept passed, took another three steps then pushed off with an unconstrained leap from the end of the dock.

    The people at the tail end of the ferry gasped, immediately moving out of the way as the Priestess landed right at the stern of the ship and hooked her staff between the railing to pull herself forward. She landed in a roll on the deck and sprung up, her eyes focusing in on Aegin. They narrowed and she took two long strides before a long sword was thrust at her from the side.

    "We don''t much like stowaways on our sh.i.p.s," said the Captain of the Ferry, "We like the Holy kind even less. Give me a reason as to why I shouldn''t just throw you overboard".

    The Priestess blanched, as if realising from the man''s clothing that he was in fact Yilish. And quite a bit taller and more intimidating as well. But Aegin was impressed when it only took her a second to wipe the surprise from her expression. She pointed at Aegin.

    "I have come to arrest this man, he is wanted by the Holy Order," said the Priestess.

    The Yilish man turned towards Aegin, who had taken it upon himself to look the most perplexed he possibly could as the boat continued to make it''s way out into the bay.

    "On what crimes?" asked the Yilish man.

    "He..." the Priestess trailed off, "It''s business of the Order".

    The Yilish man scoffed as he turned back to the Priestess, "What? Is he plagued by demons too? A product of dark things that should be eradicated? I''d say he''d fit right in on our ship, Priestess".

    The Priestess huffed in annoyance, "Look, this is business of the Holy Order, I am a Spark following the orders of the High Priestess herself I-"

    "Oh ho ho! The High Priestess, how fancy?" asked the Yilish man, "Well, unless you can tell me the man''s crime, I see no reason to turn in a well paying customer".

    The Priestess frowned, "I''m sure you''re aware of the monster that has plagued Estode, the one who hunts for blood. I have reason to believe that this man is that monster".

    "Monster?" asked the Yilish man, "I can''t say I have heard such a fanciful tale. What say you, sir?"

    Aegin frowned, "I think monster is a little harsh. And hunting for blood? Please, I only nipped you, and you seemed to enjoy it well enough".

    The whole crowd paused in shock for a moment, as if unsure of exactly what Aegin was implying. After all, this was a Priestess of the Holy Order. Suddenly, the Yilish man guffawed, his sword dropping as he laughed, the rest of the crew proceeded to laugh as well.

    "Sir, are you saying you managed to bed a high and mighty Priestess?" asked the Yilish man when he was done.

    Aegin sighed, a small smile blooming on his lips, "I wouldn''t say it was all that hard. She was practically begging for it".

    The Priestess opened and closed her mouth in shock as the crew laughed, the crowd joining nervously. Then the Priestess snapped, "I did no such thing!"

    Aegin was quick, "I know you only said one night and to keep it quiet, but when you come after me like this I have to question if you really meant it. I am currently not in the market for a wife, and frankly, you seem to carry a bit much baggage for my tastes".

    "Wife?" asked the Priestess in outrage, "Baggage?! Why you-"

    She made to step forward, lifting her staff threateningly, but the Yilish man lifted the sword up once more, quick as a flash, "Alright, seeing as you have no apparent reason for being here, either pay up, or you can swim back to shore".

    The Priestess frowned, "I...I have no coin on me, my aid-"

    She turned back to face the shore, which was now at least a hundred metres away and growing ever more distant.

    "No coin? Very well, swim back".

    The Yilish man moved quite quickly, moving to scoop the Priestess up. She screamed in shock.

    "Wha-! Put me down! Don''t you dare throw me overboard! I-I can''t swim!"

    The Yilish man paused just as the Priestess was halfway over the side. He frowned at her.

    "Can''t swim?"

    The Priestess, who looked genuinely fearful as she glanced over her shoulder at the waters below, nodded frantically.

    The Yilish man growled in annoyance and hauled her back on board before arresting her staff from her and pulling her to her feet, "Then it''ll be to the brig with you when we get to the main ship. We''re too far behind schedule now, we can''t head back to shore. We''ll dump you in the next port...that is if you don''t feel like paying us in other ways. I''m sure they teach you a thing or two in the Holy Order that''s useful".

    The Priestess scoffed in disgust, pulling against the Yilish man as he dragged her away. She glanced back at Aegin, glaring at him for putting her in this situation. Aegin gave a small smile and shrugged.

    Her fault for jumping.

 Chapter 269 - A Foul Path to Freedom

    Aegin''s room was more accommodating than expected. Though, he could have sworn he heard some of the staff whisper about his exploits with the Priestess as they made sure he was comfortable.

    The bed was large enough for 2, and the room still had space to walk all the way around, as well as a small bathroom, and two chairs with a table between them. Still tiny, but bigger than the room with a single cot and a sink that he''d expected. He even had a window, though he closed that fairly quickly after the staff left him alone. It had been a pain to not have his hood, and his eyes were aching.

    Immediately, not even bothering to watch the ship leave for the next port, Aegin curled up into bed and fell asleep.

    ***

    Aegin didn''t re-emerge until close to midnight. The kitchens had long since closed, but any staff that spotted him inquired as to whether or not he was hungry. Aegin politely declined, insisting that he was just too tired and that he''d eat at breakfast. He was simply getting some fresh air before he retired again to bed. He could not run freely here, which, upon a couple of l.a.p.s of the ship, he realised was going to make him feel as if he was trapped.

    He knew he was. He just didn''t particularly want the constant reminders. He also didn''t much appreciate having to spend his days in the glaring open sunlight so as to appear normal. The nocturnal habits he''d picked up over the past few months had come back to bite him in the rear.

    Aegin did another ten l.a.p.s or so of the ship, no doubt surprising the guards who were watching different areas as they saw few who were so active in the middle of the night. Then, knowing he''d only cause more trouble if he continued until dawn, Aegin again turned back to his room.

    This time he kept the curtains back from the small window, laying on his bed at the perfect angle to gaze up at the night sky. And there, just beyond the clouds, a crescent moon staring back at him. Aegin was mesmerised for a moment. Touched even, then he felt the frown settle on his face, and he rolled over to erase the emotions that were roiling within him.

    Aegin huffed. He''d made it this far. And on his own too. If that wasn''t proof that he could take care of himself, he didn''t know what was. He doubted that Other would have thought as he''d done and deceived all the Priests from the Holy Order.

    Well...nearly all of them.

    Aegin''s thoughts strayed to the Priestess. He doubted that she had a window view like his. What the Yilish Crewman had said was that they''d dump her in the next Port. And Good Riddance too, he didn''t need her here screwing things up for...

    The other Priests weren''t entirely stupid either though. When they realised where their leader had gone, they''d do everything in their power to catch up, even if that meant traversing the land between ports faster than the Yilish ship just to get there in time. There was a reason he''d deceived them. One Priest was easy enough. 7...well, Aegin was confident he''d live, but not without injuries and/or consequences. And certainly not without alerting everyone nearby to his presence and abilities.

    There would go his ticket west. His ticket anywhere really.

    Even if the Priests didn''t catch up, that Priestess knew where Aegin was going now. It wouldn''t be hard to figure out. Aegin had to give her some credit too, she was smart.

    Aegin felt the hunger roil inside him in disgust and disappointment. His hard earned freedom in the West. The question was no longer Where he would roam free, but for how long.

    After all, even the Other had been taken down before.

    Aegin, grumbling about the unfairness of it all, lay still with eyes wide open through the night. When dawn arrived he ate breakfast. The Human kind. It was foul. Tasted like dirt. Even the things he''d once loved now made him want to vomit. But he sat through it, even ate extra so he''d have an excuse not to come back until dinner time.

    He then took himself to one of the free lounges. After all, he only had a few meagre pieces of silver left on him so he couldn''t afford any other entertainment. He sat there for most of the day until nearly after the dinner hour was over, just watching the distant shoreline of the Southern Continent pass by.

    Then, with no indication nor apparent reason, Aegin stood and headed for the nearest guard.

    "I need to talk to Gelling, where is he?"

    Gelling was the Yilish Guard that had dragged away the Priestess. The guard seemed surprised for a moment before he seemed to recognise Aegin. He hesitated, then gave Aegin a few instructions.

    Aegin followed them. Down five decks into the underbelly of the ship were the staff quarters were. He found Gelling in a break room placing bets with a few other Crewmen.

    "Aegin? What do you need?" asked Gelling.

    Aegin sighed, "I need to see her".

    Gelling frowned, leaning back against the wall of the small corridor and crossing his arms, "You realise I can''t take a passenger to the brigs like this? It''s a restricted area. Technically you shouldn''t eve be here".

    "I know but I need to speak to her," said Aegin.

    "May I ask why?" asked Gelling, "You looked as if you didn''t care for her at all yesterday".

    "I don''t care for her," Aegin replied, realising he was putting himself between a rock and a hard place, "I just...she stole something from me, and I want to know who she sold it too".

    "Stole something?" asked Gelling, "This Priestess gets more and more interesting".

    "Technically, she''d not a Priestess," Aegin said.

    Gelling frowned, "She seems pretty legitimate to me".

    "She''d an Actress," said Aegin, "She likes to get into her roles".

    "And this Actress stole something from you?" asked Gelling, "During your night together, I assume?"

    Aegin nodded, "One of them, yes".

    "And you''ve only just realised it now?"

    "I only went to look for it now," said Aegin, "It''s not something I check for often, but now that I know it''s not there, I...well, she''s the only one I''ve had contact with that was close enough to get to it. At least since I''ve last seen it".

    Gelling sighed, "You are aware that this story is getting more and more unbelievable".

    "I''m aware, yes, but she''ll confirm it for you," said Aegin.

    That was definitely a bluff. But luckily, Gelling didn''t seem to notice.

    "Fine, come on".

 Chapter 270 - A Proposal in a Prison

    *Eldovian Era 1713 17th day of the 11th month*

    Despite it''s name, the brig inside the Yilish ship was a cut above the last Brig Aegin had seen. That had however been on a Pirate ship, and he had been on the other side of the bars. Still, seeing the Priestess sitting with a cup of tea with a small chair and table beside a cot in her cell seemed counter-intuitive. Was she a prisoner or a guest? The bars were the only thing that seemed to really differ from his own room.

    Gelling sighed, "I''ll give you fifteen minutes. Then you''ll have to leave".

    "Thank you, I appreciate it," said Aegin.

    Gelling nodded then turned and headed back out, into the main hall, leaving Aegin and the Priestess staring through the bars at one another. After a moment of silence, the Priestess sighed.

    "Well, this is surprising," she stated, "Even with all the blood drinking you didn''t seem like the gloating type. I suppose the white lie that got me stuck in here should have given it away".

    "Don''t blame me for your stupidity, you''re the one that jumped before you knew what you were up against," said Aegin, "And were unprepared for the consequences".

    The Priestess sighed, "Yes, thank you, I''ve had nearly two days to contemplate that particular decision. From what they tell me I have at least one more before we reach the next Port".

    "I see you''ve been made to be comfortable," said Aegin.

    "You''re not here for idle chatter, I know that much," said the Priestess, "And if you''re not here to gloat it must be something else. It may seem like I have all the time in the world but I really don''t care for the company of a monster".

    Aegin couldn''t help but chuckle at the term, "Monster? Well, I suppose I am. There are different levels of monster though. And each is subjective. I won''t pretend that I''m ever going to agree with you on it. You''re a Priestess of the Holy Order after all, you''ve literally been made to be the opposite of what I am. Have you ever thought that to me, you''re the monster? The one who hunts me when all I''m doing is trying to have a decent meal. Well, I suppose my meals are not decent in the slightest. After all, I made sure to only partake from those who had ill intentions".

    The Priestess'' eyes narrowed, "So you fully admit that it was you?"

    Aegin raised an eyebrow, "Did you not already know that? After all, as much as I want to tease you for making that foolish decision to come after me, you were following your instincts. You knew what I was and you pursued me to stop me".

    "And I will," she stated.

    Aegin smirked, "I don''t think so. You''ve got no idea what you''re up against. You, who grew up in a world where only Order existed. You know nothing of Chaos".

    "So you''re saying you''ve had encounters with the Holy Order before?" asked the Priestess.

    "No. Wannabes perhaps, but not the real deal," replied Aegin.

    "But you...weren''t you born into Chaos?" asked the Priestess.

    "Were you born as a Magician?" asked Aegin.

    "You were...you were turned into this?"

    Aegin sighed, "Not everything is in black and white as you seem so intent on making it. The lines blur more often than not".

    The Priestess sighed, "If you''re trying to talk me out of killing you, you won''t succeed. You must need to feed often. You won''t survive a journey all the way to the Western Continent without feeding on someone on this ship, and I won''t let you do that".

    Aegin raised an eyebrow, "And I don''t think you''re in a position to be threatening me".

    "It''s only a day to the next Port. Once my Paladins show up, there won''t be any way out for you," said the Priestess.

    "Oh, there''ll be a way out. It''ll just be a mighty inconvenience," said Aegin, "After all, I really don''t want the Holy Order to get their Priestess and...Paladins, was it? To get those back in coffins. Or urns as the case may be. You burn bodies, don''t you?"

    "You''re fast, but you can''t possibly stand against seven of us, not with the aid of our great gods-"

    Aegin couldn''t help but snort, "Did it look to you like the Great Gods helped your Paladin the other night? I admit, he was almost fun to play with. It got rather boring quickly though".

    The Priestess paused, "You...you were expecting him..."

    Aegin nodded, "I couldn''t work out how you were tracking me until I found it had to do with the state I settle into when I hunt.. That was enlightening".

    "That''s how you managed to evade us at the docks," said the Priestess.

    "You are clever," said Aegin, "Now, I''m interested if you can work out why I would come down here".

    The Priestess paused a moment, staring back at him through the bars, then she sighed, "Because I know where you''re going".

    "That you do," Aegin nodded, "And I''d rather start my new life without the Holy Order breathing down my neck".

    "Then you''ll have to kill us," said the Priestess.

    "That is an option, but as I said, sending you back in coffins would only provoke the Order, and I don''t want that either," said Aegin.

    The Priestess frowned, "Then how do you...you want to keep me here?"

    Aegin shrugged, "That would be ideal, but I don''t have the means to keep you imprisoned. So I''ll propose a deal instead".

    "A deal?" asked the Priestess, scoffing, "No".

    Aegin smiled, his fangs flashing as he approached the bars and leaned against them, "I think you''ll take it though. Curious?"

    "Not in the least," she turned away from him.

    Aegin continued to smile, "Well Priestess, if you take my deal. I will have you freed and you can pose as my lover for the duration of the trip to the west where we will part ways".

    She began to protest before Aegin continued.

    "Of course, I have no interest in you that way either, your blood on the other hand...well, taking a sip of that every day should stop me from taking the odd life on board," said Aegin, "Alternatively, you can be let out tomorrow and hope your Paladins have been able to keep up with the ship for three days straight. If they have, I am very capable of decimating the inhabitants of this ship before you come on board. So what''ll it be? A couple of months of your life, or a thousand innocents?"

    "If you think you''re not a monster after saying that-"

    "I never said I wasn''t a monster, Priestess," said Aegin, "Just that it''s a subjective term. I recommend you contemplate the deal and tell me before we arrive in port tomorrow".

 Chapter 271 - A Deal with a Demon

    Having not stepped foot outside of the Crystal Towers for most of her life, Devina had no idea that the accommodations she''d been given were considered pretty good for a prisoner. Of course, a prison is still a prison, and no matter if she was given meals or tea or privacy, she was still quite peeved about her current position.

    Could she get out with her abilities? It was more than likely. Even the Yilish, who hadn''t relied on Magicians for thousands of years, couldn''t build prisoners that could keep a skilled enough Magician. But the question then became should she. The answer of course, was no.

    She could attempt to get out in order to stop the Monster from hunting the passengers on the ship. But if she failed, she not only would have angered him, and likely been hurt in the process, but also the Yilish. She doubted they''d hesitate to throw her overboard then. She hadn''t been lying when she said she couldn''t swim.

    Of course, she had no d.e.s.i.r.e to be the catalyst for an international debacle. Devina had never actually been told the reason why the Holy Empire didn''t just quietly squash that little country in the south, but she could guess. The Yilish were not a people you simply ''squashed''.

    If Gelling was any indication, if they did go out, they''d go out loud and be something to remember.

    So, after the first few hours, Devina had reserved herself to wait until they either got to the next port, or she sensed that the Monster was hunting. After all, she wouldn''t be able to stand idly by if she went after another innocent.

    So imagine her surprise when the Monster came to seek her out himself.

    She''d been enjoying a cup of tea before she rested, she''d almost been relaxed. That had changed the moment they''d been left alone. It had begun even then. His Violet eyes and her dark brown ones telling each other all they needed to know.

    ''I know you''re clever. I know you''re skilled. But in the end, I will outsmart you''.

    What had surprised her was that his eyes were just as confident as her own. Arrogant even.

    She''d tried to prob him. Tried to gain more information. He had only allowed to slip what he wanted. It had frustrated her, and she''d been ready to bend the light between them in order to wipe the smug smirk off his face.

    But then his eyes had changed. They''d gone from arrogant man, to a monster playing with his food. From violet to red. And those needle-like fangs. It was unsettling enough that Devina damn near shuddered at the sight.

    She''d held it together though. Held it together long enough to hear his deal.

    A thousand lives? A part of Devina denied it being possible. But the other part, the part that had once played with shadows in the street whilst peddling for food, that part believed every word.

    Of course, he only left after informing her of the extended white lie he''d made to get into her. So it wasn''t enough that he''d marred her reputation, now he had to take away her faith as well? Devina grit her teeth, the will to deny the deal outright climbing up her throat rapidly.

    But a thousand lives, plus her Paladins...

    Devina had swallowed the protest, then kept it down with cold tea for good measure.

    She had barely slept. The part of her that was the prideful Priestess insisted that her Paladins would take care of this Monster. That they were enough. But she''d seen those eyes turn from violet to red. She''d seen the calculations behind them. The cobweb he''d woven was impossible to escape.

    At least, not without dragging down a thousand innocent lives with her. Her, whose duty was first and foremost protection.

    Devina sent word just before dawn.

    She waited in the silence of her cell right up until the evening meal. She''d heard the loud conks of the anchor as it sank. They were at the new dock. Due to leave on the morning tide.

    At the evening meal, Gelling appeared, the Monster right behind him. He was carrying a bundle of clothes with him which he handed to her and then he waited in the hall while she changed out of her Priest''s robes and into a plain cotton dress.

    Very well, she would play the little actress for him. But he would not take her faith from her.

    She exited the cell, meeting the Monster in the hallway. He appeared perfectly normal. His movements were perhaps a bit more calculated than a normal man, but that was the only real difference. He greeted her with a fangless smile.

    "Ah, dearest, so glad that we''ve swept our differences beneath the rug," said the Monster. No...this was just a man. Perhaps in his early-twenties. He was just a man greeting a lover. Greeting her.

    Though Devina did realise at this inappropriate time that she had no idea what his name was, and that he had no idea of hers.

    "Aye, I apologise for my rash behaviour," Devina smiled politely, "I was far too into character, and it was wrong of me to steal from you, but in going to the west we''ll certainly find the token".

    "I''m relieved to hear it," stated the man with violet eyes, "Come, let us retire to our room so that we may dine together".

    ''Our'' room?

    No way in seven realms was she staying with him in the same room.

    Still, she said nothing, simply smiled at Gelling and took the monster''s hand. It was cold, as if he''d washed them in cold water for a little too long. Still though, she didn''t flinch nor protest all the way up the four decks and down several halls before he stopped before a door and produced a key.

    "This is us," he said, opening it up with a smile and holding it wide for her. Devina smiled warmly and stepped inside. She walked across the room towards the window where the lights from the port could be seen in the distance. The door to the room closed and her head snapped around.

    "I am not staying in here with you".

    The Monster sighed as if exhausted, "I worked all day to earn enough to pay your fair and get you a few sets of extra clothes, the least you could do is say thank you".

    Devina blanched, with his Silver tongue, she was sure he''d just chatted his way out.

    "I..." she closed her mouth again, frowning as if in disbelief that she was actually going to thank him. Then she sighed and admitted it was only polite, "Thank you".

    The Monster sighed as he walked over and sat down in the chair at the end of the bed, "My name, is Aegin".

    Devina frowned. Aegin. It was a perfectly normal name. Perhaps more northern than she was used to, but normal all the same. Not what she expected of a monster.

    "Devina Lightbringer".

    Aegin chuckled, "Of course it is".

    "What''s that supposed to-"

    "I''m hungry," Aegin stated.

    Devina froze.

 Chapter 272 - A Seal for a Sanguine

    *Eldovian Era 1713, 18th day of the 11th month*

    Aegin almost chuckled at how the Priestess stiffened. She may have made the deal with him, but she had no idea what it actually entailed. Only that it meant he wouldn''t kill whomever he pleased. Not that he would have anyway. Slaughtering the crew and those on board would mean he wouldn''t get his trip to the West. But Devina didn''t need to know that.

    Instead, Aegin sighed and leaned forwards to give her enough details that she''d relax a little, "I''ll make it simple. I take a few mouthfuls of blood from you every day, and I don''t need to take a life once a week. You can eat as much food as you need at the buffet, have my share if you want. I don''t need it anyway. And, you can sleep as long as you need. Seeing as I prefer to sleep during the day anyway, I don''t see us using the bed at the same time often".

    Devina remained frozen for a moment before she slowly turned back to him, "That''s all you need? A few mouthfuls? Then why kill-"

    "Because humans tend to talk," said Aegin, "If I had the allure I could...nevermind, give me your wrist and let''s get this over with".

    Aegin held out his hand and Devina stepped back, taking her hands behind her back. Aegin''s hand dropped.

    "Are you going back on the deal or-"

    "Does it have to be from the wrists?" asked Devina.

    Aegin frowned, "Well, no, I just figured that was the least intimate pl-"

    "Not with me," Devina stated, "I...I suppose you''re not aware but, my Life Lines are on my wrists".

    Aegin''s eyes dropped, taking in the way she''d made sure her sleeves were tied tightly, "Ah, right, well, any place is good really. Just tell me where".

    Devina frowned, "You''re not curious?"

    Aegin raised an eyebrow, "What do you mean?"

    Devina seemed to relax somewhat in her curiosity, "Most people would ask to see my Life Lines. After all, it''s something that''s quite a topic for discussion for normal folk".

    "I think we established when you tracked me across a city that I was not exactly ''normal folk''," Aegin sighed, "You know that Life Lines are not exclusive to Order, right? Chaos has them as well".

    Devina''s eyes widened, "You have Life Lines? But they''re granted by the gods, why would you have-"

    "I''m still hungry, are you going to point me to a vein or am I going to have to go on a hunt?" asked Aegin.

    Devina took a deep breath, then she sighed and pulled her collar to the side, exposing her shoulder, "There".

    Aegin nodded to the bed, "You may want to sit down".

    Devina frowned, "Why?"

    Aegin stood, "Because my bite has the nasty habit of paralyzing it''s victims. I don''t mind catching you when you fall over, but I figured you''d be more comfortable sitting somewhere you can wait it out".

    Devina frowned, "That''s why that man collapsed wasn''t it? Why he didn''t stop bleeding?"

    Aegin nodded, "From what I''m told".

    "Told?"

    Aegin just stared back at her. No way was he going on.

    Devina sighed and took two steps before sitting on the end of the bed, she checked her collar then looked back at Aegin, a little bit of fear in her eyes.

    "If it makes it so I can''t stop bleeding, won''t that put me in danger?"

    "You''ll be fine," Aegin said, "I wouldn''t propose the deal if i knew you were going to bleed out, that would be stupid...actually, now that I think about it, it would be the second best option, but again, leaving tracks behind and all that".

    Aegin took a step forward towards her and Devina flinched a little. He paused.

    "Does it hurt?"

    "Probably," said Aegin as he sat beside her. His eyes focusing on her vein as his eyes turned red and his fangs extended.

    "Does it-Ah!"

    Aegin clapped a hand over her mouth as his fangs sank into her flesh. He willed the wound not to hurt. As much as he disliked the woman. If she was going to be his meal for two months he wasn''t inclined to make it so that she''d fear him.

    He swallowed once. Two months. That was it. He would feed from her for two months then be done with her.

    As he resolved this to himself, dragging more mouthfuls of blood in as he continued to hold Devina upright. He felt something shift in his Life Lines. A minute change, but it was there. When he knew that it was enough, he took a breath and slowly retracted his fangs, fighting the instinct to continue as he swiped his tongue over the wound.

    He lay Devina gently down as he looked down at her.

    "It''ll wear off in a minute," he said, swiping a thumb over his lips to take away the blood he could feel dripping there. He s.u.c.k.e.d his thumb into his mouth then gave Devina a small smile as he felt his hunger withdraw a little, "Much obliged, Priestess, same time tomorrow?"

    Aegin stood and headed for the door. As he reached it Devina''s voice piqued up, "Where are you going?"

    "Out for a walk. The night is still young," said Aegin, "Get some sleep".

    ***

    What he''d told her wasn''t wrong. Just a moment after he''d left, feeling had returned to all of Devina''s limbs. She rose up slowly, sighing deeply. It had hurt initially, but as he''d drunk from her, the feeling of pain had seemingly dulled.

    She''d felt a reaction from her Life Lines, no doubt protesting to what she was doing, but then he''d withdrawn, and licked the spot he''d bitten her. She''d been disgusted at first, until she''d felt her skin rapidly healing in that spot.

    With a sigh, Devina rose and headed to the small bathroom, intending to wash up before she went to bed. After all, she figured it was best to sleep whilst he wasn''t in the room.

    The tiny mirror there revealed that the bite wound had been completely erased, leaving no trace she''d ever been bitten apart from her slight drowsiness.

    Devina sighed, "So he doesn''t have to kill. He just chooses to so that there aren''t any witnesses. Arrogant Pig".

    Devina turned to her wrists, intended to wash her hands and face with the water from the sink. She undid the cords that bound her long sleeves to her wrists and forearms, then pulled the fabric up her arm.

    Devina froze.

    For a moment, her mind went utterly blank as she stared at her Life Lines, then she rapidly pulled up her other sleeve. Staring at her Life Lines in horror, Devina couldn''t help the scream building up in her throat, only for it to die in a chocked sob.

    What had he done to her?

    Her beautiful silvery white Life Lines, the emblems of her Life and Map of her very Soul, had turned a dull grey, and there, on the edges of the lines, had appeared tiny black points. Thorns. Black Thorns.

    She''d been tainted. His Shadows, his Chaos, had utterly destroyed her pure light.

 Chapter 273 - The Tolerance of Twined Fates

    Aegin had been confused most of the night. For some reason, he''d felt anger. Though for the life of him, he couldn''t work out what he was angry at. He had plenty of reasons to be angry about the what ifs, but as dawn approached and the ship left without so much as a wave from the Paladins, Aegin was pretty confident that his path to the West was set.

    So, if he was not angry over the what ifs, then why was he feeling anger? For his deal with Devina? Perhaps it was the Hunger, angry that Aegin had effectively restricted its freedom. Despite her being a representative of Order, blood was blood. It wasn''t like their connection with the Great Gods made the blood burn his throat or anything like that. If anything, it imbued him with perhaps slightly more energy than normal. So really, the Hunger didn''t really have a legitimate reason to be angry either.

    Of course, the answer to his anger came to him as he set foot back in his room and was greeted by one of the chairs flying at him. In truth, it wasn''t his anger at all that he was feeling.

    "How dare you!" shouted Devina.

    Aegin sighed. If him bringing her into his room didn''t get everyone on board talking, this certainly would.

    "You bastard!" she snapped as she took a step forward and threw her fist towards his face. Aegin caught her fist instinctively and used it to turn her around, pushing her arm into her back as he propelled her forward into one of the walls.

    "Let me go!" she snapped.

    "You will take a breath and calm down before I do anything," Aegin stated calmly, "I''m tired, so this better be worth being angry over".

    "You''ve tainted my Life Lines!" she growled, "They''re mixed with shadows because of what you di-"

    She gasped in surprised as Aegin suddenly released her and disappeared. Devina turned around in surprise as she saw the bathroom door part way open. Her eyes narrowed and she marched towards the door only to freeze as soon as she saw the reflection from the small mirror.

    Not only did Aegin have Life Lines...but they were black. Black Life Lines. The very thought of it seemed wrong. Devina turned away, knowing that he had not given her permission to see them. But then, as their colour registered to her, so did something else.

    She could not read them.

    She couldn''t help her curiosity then as she turned back to look, only to find that he had pulled his shirt back over his head to cover them. He stared out of the bathroom at her. His eyes challenging her to say something. Her jaw clamped shut.

    Aegin sighed, "It''s temporary".

    Devina frowned, "What is?"

    He took a step out of the bathroom, reaching down to pull off his boots as he stepped around her.

    "The change in your Life Lines," he replied, pulling the curtain over the window closed and dropping back onto the bed, "Think of it like a contract. You agreed to be the source of the blood I need for the two months we''re on this ship. As that time passes, the thorns on your Life Lines will fade. When the last one fades, your Life Lines will no longer hold the ''taint'' as you call it".

    Devina thought about it for a moment before she looked back at Aegin, "How do you know they''re thorns?"

    "Because that''s what my Life Lines tell me," said Aegin, "Look, this is new to me too. I apologise for making the bond without permission, but it won''t kill you and when we''re in the West you can go back to your Priestly ways and forget about it. Now please, find something else to occupy you, I''m tired and wish to sleep".

    Devina opened her mouth to protest, but then she huffed and headed for the door, slamming it closed behind her. Aegin sighed. This was going to be a long two months.

    ***

    It took a fortnight for the Mariner to complete it''s journey up the Western Coast of the Southern Continent stopping intermittently at Ports for no longer than half a day before it set off again. Finally, as it turned West into the Jade Sea, Aegin could spot Herguard on the horizon, or at least the jagged rocks and reefs that surrounded it. The Mist that had once made it a treacherous place to sail near had dissipated. Aegin had to wonder whether it was normal or if it was something that had occurred since everything on the Island had been raized.

    Aegin''s relationship with Devina fell into a routine of sorts. Through the day, he would sleep and she would do a few odd jobs around the ship to earn a few silvers. Then around dinner time she would return and the two would go down for the evening meal. Aegin ate very little, Devina ate plenty though. After that they would return to their room where Aegin would take his proper meal before Devina washed up and settled in for bed, Aegin doing a couple of jobs to earn a few more silvers as well as just generally wondering around the ship. He would then return around dawn to each breakfast with Devina before he retired to bed.

    They spoke little, except to keep up public appearances. But as they left the Southern Continent far behind, and only the open ocean spanned around them, they began to open up a little more. Devina about her days in the Crystal Towers, and Aegin a little about his own childhood. Though, Aegin was very reserved, and was always cautious about what he revealed. Still, with their more hospitable talks and Devina''s thorns on her Life Lines fading by the day, she had become far more agreeable to talk with.

    It was the first time that Devina found herself questioning what had been taught. If Chaos was so terrifying and unreasonable, why then was Aegin so...not horrible?

    Urgh, the very thought of abandoning her duty made her so incredibly torn. So, instead of dealing with it, Devina pushed the problem to the side. There must have been something better to focus on.

    Devina made some new friends on the ship too. After all, it turned out she was not the only Magician on board. There were two others, a Water and an Earth Magician that were headed to the west in search of what they called ''top secret research''. Eventually, Devina got it out of them. They were searching for evidence of Dragons.

    Devina had to snort at the thought. Everyone knew that Dragons were just myths.

 Chapter 274 - The Duty of a Devourer

    *Eldovian Era 1713 18th day of the 12th month*

    Aegin gave a huff of disappointment as he drew back the curtain from the window of his cabin. The sun had set, the moon was out, and Devina wasn''t back. They were in the middle of the Jade Sea, so odds were that her Paladin friends hadn''t caught up to her. Sure, she made a couple of Magician Friends on board, but they were researchers. They were not adept in combat.

    Of course, this was all assuming that Devina had malicious intentions in being late to go to dinner. Aegin was positive she didn''t. She''d been passive over the past month, agreeable even. It had been a stark contrast from when he''d first met her, though he was sure their bond had something to do with it.

    Deciding that he should at least endeavour to make sure she was alive, Aegin drew on that bond, following it through the halls and decks of the ship to one of the public lounges. It was largely empty at this time when everyone was eating dinner.

    Aegin was a little surprised to find Devina on one of the couches in the corner, curled up on a couch. Opposite her sat the two Magicians she''d gotten acquainted with, though they were both engrossed in their own debate.

    "Evening," Aegin greeted as he approached. They both looked up at his arrival, but Aegin''s eyes strayed to Devina. He began to pick out that even in this duller light, she appeared slightly more pale than usual, "Has she seemed unwell?"

    "She was complaining that she was a little nauseous earlier," one of the Magicians said, "We moved to a lower deck so that the ship wasn''t rocking as much seeing as we thought it was sea sickness".

    Aegin nodded, then took a step towards her and placed a hand on her shoulder. The light touch was enough to rouse her, and she met his gaze for a moment before she registered where she was.

    Devina sat up quickly, "Aegin, sorry I��"

    She paused and clutched her head for a moment as if dizzy.

    Aegin frowned, "You''re not well".

    Devina???s hand dropped, "I''m fine, just a bit of sea sickness, it''ll pass".

    She looked around, "Gosh, is it this late already".

    "I came to get you for dinner," Aegin stated, "And I really think you should eat something. Something substantial to improve your strength".

    "I said, I''m fine," Devina sighed as she stood, "But I could eat".

    She turned to the two Magicians, "Thank you, for watching over me. That was very inconsiderate of me to fall asleep".

    "Not at all, Devina. We were much to engrossed in our own work to be bothered anyway," said the one who had yet to speak. Aegin then moved to take Devina''s waist as he guided her towards the door.

    "How long have you been feeling unwell?" asked Aegin.

    "Stop worrying, I''m fine," Devina sighed as the strolled towards the dining hall, "Besides, when were you the kind to worry about me anyway. About anybody?"

    Aegin frowned, "Has it occurred to you that because of our relationship, I have to worry about your well-being?"

    Devina turned to look at him for a moment, giving him her own frown, "So I''m a burden now?"

    Aegin sighed in exasperation as he turned away, "Look, just eat over dinner, we''ll talk more when we get back to the room".

    Devina looked as if she wanted to say more, but turned away and kept walking.

    Aegin g.r.o.a.n.e.d internally. Gods almighty, was this what all women were like? Ebony was never this hard to get along with. In fact, what she had to say had usually brought him into line. Devina was just...or was it him? After all, he''d been dealing with Ebony as a human, not as a Vampire. Was it his change that was making this more difficult?

    Why was he even thinking about this? He was hungry, and he was concerned about whether his potential food source would last with the current routine they had in place. Judging by her pallor and the nausea she''d been complaining of, probably not. And then there was the dizziness and headache that she had yet to mention but showed minute signs of. And then, though he was loath to admit it, there was the fact that the bond that he shared with her was telling him that she was not in a state to be fed upon.

    Urgh, for a split second, Aegin actually agreed with his Hunger that he should end the suffering. But his Life Lines, or rather, the contract that he''d made with her unintentionally, were telling him that wasn''t an option. He had to take care of her.

    He had been taking slightly more than he should every couple of days to make sure he wouldn''t go into any stages of starving. He could afford to let her rest a recover for a couple of days.

    Resigning himself to the fact that he''d have to continue to keep up appearances yet wouldn''t be able to wash away the horrid taste with some blood, Aegin grumpily sat through dinner. When Devina was done, the two walked back to the room, and Devina sat on the bed automatically, pulling down her collar for him.

    "Not tonight," said Aegin.

    Devina looked up at him in surprise, "You promised that you wouldn''t feed on anyone else if I-"

    "You''re not well. You need time to recover," said Aegin.

    Devina frowned, "I said I''m...do you get sick if you drink the blood of someone who is sick?"

    Aegin raised an eyebrow, "No...it just tastes bad".

    Devina sighed, "Then I don''t understand why you won''t just take what you need. I''m perfectly fine".

    Aegin sighed in exasperation, "No, Devina, you''re not. And don''t argue with me on this, because I can tell you''re not through our connection. You can take a couple of days to rest and recover. It''ll do you know good if I keep taking the blood you need to help you with that".

    Devina stood, a little too quickly, "But won''t you get...hungry?"

    Aegin rolled his eyes, "I''m always hungry, Devina. I thought we''d established that".

    Aegin then turned and headed for the door, "Go the bed early, get some rest".

    The door closed before Devina could protest anything further. She hesitated before she sunk onto the bed. What should she do? She was supposed to provide him with his meals, yet she couldn''t for a couple of days? What if...what if he sought it somewhere else? He''d have to...

    But he said he''d be fine, right?

    Devina, worried for the other passengers on the ship, only fell asleep late that night from exhaustion.

 Chapter 275 - The Desperation of the Devoured

    *Eldovian Era 1713, 19th day of the 12th month*

    Devina paced back and forth in the lounge. She''d woken late in the morning. Aegin hadn''t tried to wake her up. Instead she''d found herself lying next to him on the bed. A part of her really disliked how peaceful he looked while he slept, his short brown hair, which he''d recruited her to fix a week into their journey when she''d stopped complaining about the change in her Life Lines, was ruffled and looked far too soft for such a rough personality. In fact, anything to do with his appearance seemed to be a clash with his personality.

    Devina huffed, turning to pace back the way she''d come.

    "Devina, you''re wearing a hole in the carpet," stated Issa, the water Magician she''d become acquainted with.

    "Yes, and a draught that''s disturbing our papers," Kel grumped, the earth Magician older and much gruffer than his younger companion.

    Issa sighed, barely resisting from rolling his eyes at the older Magician, "We''re happy that you''re feeling better, but at this rate, you''ll be back to square one. What''s disturbing you so much?"

    Devina waved her hand, "It doesn''t matter. It''s my problem to deal with anyway".

    "Yes, well, the fact that you''re pacing like this seems to indicate that you may be in over your head," Issa replied.

    Devina paused, somewhat offended as she turned to him. Issa caught the look quickly, "I just meant it''s okay to ask for help if you need it".

    Devina relaxed slightly, then whirled to take a seat next to Issa, "I just��" she took a deep breath, not quite knowing where to begin, then launched into the best explanation she could give under the circ.u.mstances, "What would you do if you''d signed a deal with somebody out of desperation, only to realise that you probably should have read the fine print first, but the reason you made the deal still applies, but you don''t think the deal is worth it, but you can''t go back on it, but every instinct is screaming at you that something is wrong, but you don''t want to make the wrong decision, but you really don''t want to be the reason for something bad happening either?"

    Issa and Kel paused, looked at each other, then turned back to Devina, "Sorry?"

    Devina looked back at the two of them, then hung her head, groaning in annoyance, "I just don''t know if I can trust him or not. My instinct, everything I''ve ever learned and heard says I shouldn''t, but��"

    "But your heart says you should?" asked Issa.

    "Are we talking about that strange young man you''re with who likes to roam at night?" asked Kel, "What was his name again? Aeji? Aelis?"

    "Aegin," Devina mumbled, "And no, it''s not my heart��I��I don''t know".

    Kel seemed thoughtful for a moment, "Well, he certainly seems like a unique man. I don''t think I''ve met anyone like him. And the Aura he gives off some of the time��it''s like he''s two different people. Some of the time I feel he will surely try to murder me if I approach, and others he seems like someone whom you could easily befriend and drink with".

    "Yes, from what I hear though, some find such duality charming," Issa sighed as if exhausted, "I swear, the cleaning maids the other day wouldn''t shut up about it. It''s why I come out here now rather than continue this in my room".

    Devina raised an eyebrow, "Really?"

    Issa frowned, "What do you mean ''really''? Aren''t you his lover?"

    Devina blushed, "Oh, yes, right. I��"

    "You''re not his lover, are you?" asked Kel with a frown, "You said you''d made a deal".

    "It was hypothetical," Devina stated.

    Kel shook his head, "You''re too honest, Devina. Your expressions can be read like a book".

    Devina dropped her head, disappointed in herself. The High Priestess had always said the same thing.

    "What was the deal?" asked Issa.

    "Nothing," Devina said a little two quickly. Both Magicians looked at her unconvinced.

    "Is he threatening you?" asked Kel with a frown, his gaze instantly protective. Magicians always looked after Magicians.

    Devina opened and closed her mouth. She should have just said no right away. But the part of her that was hesitant, the part of her that didn''t trust Aegin and his hunger��

    "He didn''t give me much of a choice," Devina said.

    And the story spilled out from between her lips.

    ***

    Aegin released a breath as he rolled over, stretching out his limbs as he awoke. He blinked his eyes open in the darkness of the cabin, and was instantly aware that Devina was, again, not there.

    Was she asleep in one of the lounges again or had she gone to dinner without him?

    Not that he was complaining about that. The less time he had to spend in that dining hall the better.

    Aegin sat up and moved to the bathroom. Without a meal tonight, as he''d leave it at last one more day until he even thought about feeding from Devina again, it would be prudent to get straight into his routine.

    Aegin washed his face and dressed in his just washed second outfit. He''d been trading between the two every couple of days. Gods had Devina hated that. There was no doubt in his mind that she''d led a privileged life to be able to have fresh clean clothes every single day.

    His clothes on, Aegin pulled on his boots as he headed for the door. A quick check in with Devina through his Life Lines let him know that she was in the direction of the dining hall. Deciding that it would be better if he just let her sleep, Aegin made his way to the bow of the ship.

    On the second upper-most deck sat the bridge. Aegin liked to watch the night go by on the roof of it where nobody would disturb him.

    He settled in there. Knowing he''d have to move in a couple of hours to go and earn some more coins moving crates on the lower decks. It was only a few measly bronze, but it was beginning to add up when you didn''t use it for anything else on board.

    Perhaps an hour passed as he watched the ocean around him. A pod of whales breeching to the South put a smile on his face. It was pretty calm as well. They''d been lucky on their journey so far.

    Suddenly, a chill zipped across his Life Lines, and without a second of hesitation, Aegin rolled forward to the port side of the ship. A series of Icicles embedded themselves where he''d been sitting. Aegin''s eyes narrowed as he turned to look at the source.

    There, Devina looked worried behind them, stood the two Magicians she''d befriended looking equally intrigued and cautious.

    Aegin sighed, shaking his head, "Stupid girl".

    He rose and stepped towards them.

 Chapter 276 - A Notation on Naivety

    Despite what one might think, it was not Aegin''s sudden appearance that alerted Devina to her mistake. To Issa and Kel, that was certainly the moment that they realised they were not a match for him, but Devina? She had realised it the moment she''d seen him sitting still on the roof of the bridge.

    No human sat that still.

    And the way he''d moved as the icicles Issa shot landed one after another with rapid thuds where he''d been sitting. She could sense his utter disappointment before he even laid eyes on her.

    "Stupid Girl".

    Those words, she knew in an instant that Issa and Kel would not survive.

    Kel was the first to react upon Aegin''s disappearance, on the water, he was not as strong as he was on land, but the ship was made from items that all originated from the earth, it only took a powerful enough Magician to draw upon such things. Kel was, luckily, a Saint Class Magician.

    The wooden slats of the upper most deck rattled before they rose from their fixed position, torn away as Kel splintered them and built a guard around himself.

    Using their knowledge of the Mist, they were able to tell which direction Aegin was, but his speed meant they had to react quickly. Issa drew on the ocean below and a stream of water rose up in a gush towards the space beside Kel''s growing guard.

    Aegin appeared there for a split second before he side-stepped then drew a dagger, his violet eyes bleeding to red as he dove forward towards Issa.

    Kel reacted by splitting the deck just in front of Issa. Aegin appeared again for the briefest instant as he pulled up short, and Issa solidified the water now on the deck to two points of ice that narrowly missed Aegin before he moved once more.

    "They are both skilled and powerful Magicians," Aegin admitted, "I''ll admit you know how to find your allies. But this? You really should have been more level-headed about this. If I can take care of seven Light Magicians, two is barely a challenge".

    "Three," Issa growled as he looked at Devina.

    But Devina did not move.

    Aegin chuckled, "No, just two, she can''t attack me whilst she is bound to me. After all, she made a contract to provide for me what I d.e.s.i.r.e. Though I admit she has fought the bond well to be able to spill her story to the two of you. Perhaps it is the Order in her beginning to win out, we are just a little over half-way through our contract".

    "A monster of Chaos shall not be allowed to taint this world," stated Kel.

    Aegin chuckled, "It already has, and will continue for years to come, even if I die".

    Issa looked ready to protest.

    "Not that it matters," Aegin continued with a bored sigh, "You won''t be around to see it".

    Devina gasped as she felt an arm wrap around her waist, then she was pulled of her feet for a split second before she suddenly found herself before Issa who looked fiercer than she''d ever seen him as he thrust an arm towards her, and icicle following suit. A look of horror dawned upon him before He stopped short, the icicle just barely nicking the skin of Devina''s abdomen before the two snapped their heads to the side where Aegin appeared before Kel, then dragged a blade across his throat.

    Kel''s eyes widened in shock as the wooden boards around him instantly clattered to the ground and his hands rose to cup his neck, blood flowing through the gaps between his fingers.

    Issa shouted, "NO!"

    Kel gave a gurgling gasp as he began to drop, but Aegin held him by the back of his shirt as he picked him up then disappeared. He reappeared near the deck railing before Devina even had time to register he was gone, then he through Kel''s body over the side of the ship.

    "NO!" screamed Issa.

    Devina slapped a hand over her mouth. Even if she''d known��she''d hoped it wouldn''t happen.

    Then, just as she and Issa were recovering from the shock of Aegin tossing Kel overboard, he appeared behind Issa, drew back his collar, and plunged his fangs into Issa''s throat. Issa froze almost instantly. He went to scream on impulse, but Aegin clamped a hand over his mouth.

    Devina watched as Aegin drank, slowly but surely as Issa was slowly lowered to the ground. She wanted to move forward, the help him, to do something. But the bond between her and Aegin held her back.

    She was utterly incompetent. Completely reckless and na?ve to believe she''d ever have a chance. These Magicians. They really had died from her stupidity.

    Devina felt tears rise to her eyes and she clamped a hand over her mouth as she sobbed, dropping to her knees on the broken and ruined deck. It became clear that Aegin had no intention of stopping, and Devina watched helplessly as Issa grew paler and paler, and his eyes grew duller and duller.

    Finally, when it was clear that Issa''s heart no longer beat, Aegin pulled away, not even bothering to lick the wound closed before he stood and dragged the body over to the side of the deck, tossing him over like he had Kel.

    He was silent for a moment as he watched her.

    "For the record, if you''d been listening earlier in the trip, perhaps you would have realised that I can go several days without feeding. Luckily, with that meal, I won''t need to feed from you for a week. Should give you plenty of time to not only recover, but rethink your na?ve and selfish actions," stated Aegin.

    Devina sniffed, trying to wipe her tears and nose with her sleeve in order to appear strong, but she did not feel it, so she doubted she seemed it.

    "This is not the Crystal Towers you grew up in. Here, you are not a Spark of the Holy Order, not a Priestess, you''re barely even a Magician," stated Aegin, "What you are, is food. But you are food with a choice. You can keep your mouth shut, which will result in you alone being the food, or you can blab to every other ally you can find on board and have them take your place without the option of surviving it. You''ve had one too many warnings, I think. Perhaps this will be a good lesson for you".

    Then Aegin stood and kicked one of the wooden boards aside then stepped over another, "Urgh, I''ll probably be the one asked to clean up this crap. Should have taken care of them sooner".

 Chapter 277 - The Whispers of Wayfarers

    *Eldovian Era 1713, 22nd day of the 12th month*

    "��you mean you haven''t seen them come for food in three days?"

    "I haven''t even heard them, not even a peep".

    "I knew they were very dedicated to their work but this seems a little extreme, perhaps someone should go to check on them".

    Gelling had to pause in the doorway of the crew dining hall. He frowned at the conversation he''d heard and turned to the three maid staff who were finishing their breakfast to the side.

    "Who is it?" he asked.

    The maids looked up in surprise, then the most senior among them spoke up, "Those two Magicians. The Old man and the Young man. Lina was just saying that she hasn''t seem them in the dining hall for three days".

    "They usually come at odd times," said Lina, "But I checked with a few others who were on duty and they haven''t seen them come in either".

    Gelling frowned, "Do you know what rooms they''re staying in?"

    "No, sorry," Lina replied, "I think they were on Deck 5 but I don''t know which room".

    "It''s room 28," said the third maid, "I clean those rooms, theirs is always so scattered with papers that I''m never quite sure what to do".

    Gelling nodded, "I''ll check on it. Send word if they show up".

    "Of course," the maids nodded in agreement.

    Gelling left the dining hall and made his way up towards passenger decks.

    Passengers disappearing for a few days? He''d dealt with passengers finding their way into the staff areas, getting lost, a few staying in their rooms. But the staff had always been aware at some point or another. For passengers to go missing entirely for three days? Something was wrong.

    Gelling found himself in front of the room in question ten minutes later after stopping to ask a few more staff. He raised a hand and knocked on the door.

    "Hello? My name is Gelling, I''m one of the Security Personal on the Mariner," Gelling stated, he listened as he paused but heard no movement, "I''m sorry to disturb you but the staff were concerned about your safety and just wanted to make sure you were okay".

    It remained silent on the other side of the door and Gelling frowned. He knocked again, a little louder this time.

    "Apologies, but as a security guard on this vessel, I really must insist on seeing that you are safe," Gelling stated, "If you do not open the door I will open it instead".

    Gelling waited nearly a minute, but there was no response. With a sigh, he retrieved his ring of keys and slotted the master key into the lock, "I''m coming in".

    He turned the key and pushed the door open.

    Gelling left immediately, locking the door behind him. As he turned to leave a woman with a curious and nosy gaze poked her head out, "Is everything alright, Sir?"

    Gelling paused, then gave a small smile of reassurance, "I''m sure it''s just a misunderstanding, do you happen to have seen the two Magicians staying here recently?"

    "No..." the woman seemed to think a moment then a look of recognition crossed her face, "Ah, they spent quite a bit of time in the public lounge on Deck 8. There was a woman that was with them often".

    "A woman?" asked Gelling with a raised eyebrow.

    "Yes...a young woman. She is here with her lover, I believe, though it is rare that you see the two together outside of meal times. I believe they spend much of their time doing odd jobs for the crew as well," said the woman.

    Gelling tried not to let his surprise show. There was only one couple that was doing odd jobs for the crew.

    "Thank you, for letting me know," said Gelling.

    Gelling left the woman before she could ask any more rumour mongering questions. If there were two missing passengers, it was only a matter of time before those on board knew. Keeping a secret from passengers on a long journey, even on a large ship like the Mariner, was next to impossible.

    Gelling found the woman, Devina, an hour later taking a walk along the starboard side of the ship. Her eyes widened upon seeing him, but she calmed her expression quickly and gave him an awkward smile.

    "Gelling," said Devina.

    "Devina, I hear you were in contact with the two Magicians on board, Kel and Issa I believe their names were," said Gelling, getting straight to the point.

    "Well, yes," said Devina, "They were hoping to study the existence of Dragons on the Western Continent. Quite an abstract topic".

    "Have you seen them recently?" asked Gelling.

    Devina shook her head, "No, not for a few days".

    "Where was the last place you saw them?" asked Gelling, watching her closely

    Devina frowned, seemingly in thought, "Well, we were in the public lounge when the two said they were headed back to their cabins before dinner. Seeing how much time they spend between their cabins and the lounge, I asked them to walk with me a little before dinner. They didn''t protest and we went up towards the top deck. Once up there, Issa seemed particularly interested in a pod of whales, but I had to get back so that Aegin wouldn''t worry, so I left them there. That was the last time I saw them".

    Gelling frowned, "The top deck?"

    Devina nodded, "Yes".

    "And this was three days ago?"

    Devina nodded again, "Yes. Is everything alright?"

    Gelling frowned, "Did you harm them?"

    Devina blanched, "What? Why...? How could you even ask that?"

    Gelling stared at her a long moment before he sighed, "Apologies. Please let me know if you encounter them".

    Gelling turned and walked away.

    Devina, once he was out of earshot, breathed out in relief, she turned to the railing and looked out at the ocean below. She couldn''t help feeling a little sea sick. She didn''t want to lie. But she had no choice. Aegin had been clear on what he''d do if she told anyone. And she didn''t doubt he''d do it to the whole ship if he needed to.

    Still, even if she''d promised not to say anything, he hadn''t spoken to her in three days. Done his best to avoid her in fact. Devina should have been relieved. Instead, no doubt due to the damned bond between them, she felt a sense of loss. Of sadness.

    She did her utmost to ignore the voice that told her that she felt guilt too.

 Chapter 278 - A Storm for Seekers

    *Eldovian Era 1714 9th day of the 1st month*

    Devina bit her lip awkwardly as she walked inside the cabin. Aegin stood at the far end of the room, looking out of the porthole. They had barely been able to talk amicably since the incident, not at all until a week afterwards when Aegin had stated he needed to feed.

    They''d tried to keep up appearances as best they could, but with Gelling and the rest of crew, not to mention many of the passengers, whispering about the disappearance of the two Magicians mid-journey, there had been an added pressure that had made resolving their differences all the more difficult. In the end, whenever Devina had gathered the courage to speak with him, Aegin had found a way to avoid it or had simply ignored her. It was growing increasingly frustrating.

    "Do you need to-"

    "Not tonight," said Aegin.

    Devina frowned, "I...I can sense your hunger".

    She''d realised what that feeling within her was. That part of her that trusted him. She''d found that if she tried to grab a hold of it, she could actually sense when he needed to feed. It was why she''d made her way back to the room immediately upon finishing dinner.

    Aegin sighed, "I''m always hungry, Devina".

    "Then why don''t you just-"

    Aegin turned to face her, standing straighter. She saw the challenge in his eyes. The question asking if she really wanted to go there again. Devina bit her lip again.

    Aegin turned away, picking up his jacket and moving past her towards the door, "Stay inside tonight".

    Devina''s eyes widened, "No, please, you''re not really going to-"

    Aegin paused, turning to look at her, "Don''t make me knock you out".

    Devina frowned, crossing her arms, "Well, perhaps you might have to. We made a deal, you feed off me and not the rest of the crew for this journey".

    Aegin turned fully to face Devina, his eyes narrowed at her challenge.

    "Devina, why do you always push your ideals onto me?" asked Aegin, "Why? You know that I am fundamentally different from you, don''t you? It''s part of the reason you came after me, wasn''t it?"

    Devina''s eyes widened in surprise at his questions, "Do you not even acknowledge that taking lives as you do is wrong?"

    Aegin sighed, "Devina, if you think for a moment that I enjoy taking lives, you are severely mistaken. I take them because of people like you and your Paladins, and your magician friends. People who, given the chance, would condemn me and all like me and seek to end my life simply because of the danger it poses to yours".

    "A danger you are only proving," Devina pointed out.

    "Because I don''t have a choice," Aegin stated in exasperation, "I''m not like him, I..." Aegin trailed off, turning away before he sighed and continued, "I''ve never been someone that can find alternative solutions to problems. I''m not a great thinker. What I am is a survivor. And that is all I am trying to do. Survive. Survive and hopefully find somewhere where I can live a simple and peaceful life".

    Devina could see the exhaustion in his expression. He was tired of having this argument with her. But she was tired too. Tired of trying to fight a battle that she was only just beginning to realise that she didn''t understand.

    "So when you have this peaceful life, will that mean that you stop killing?" asked Devina, "That these others you speak of, they will stop too?"

    Aegin turned away, "There is only one other...and I do not speak for him. I do not wish to even see him again after what he..." Aegin huffed, "Enough, just stay here, alright, it''s safer".

    "You''re lying," said Devina.

    Aegin frowned at her, "What?"

    "You just lied to me, I can see it in your eyes. What you just said, you don''t believe it," said Devina.

    Aegin sighed, "I believe you''ll be safer in here that you will out there".

    "You know that''s not what I''m talking about," Devina pressed.

    Aegin gritted his teeth, his violet eyes glinting red in his anger. Devina took a step back in surprise. She''d learned what that meant well enough.

    "We''re not friends, Devina. I don''t think we''re even considered allies despite our bond. We''re enemies," said Aegin, "Opposite sides of a coin. And I''m pretty sure that no matter what we learn from each other, that isn''t going to change".

    Aegin then turned a final time.

    "It definitely won''t if you don''t tell me," Devina snapped.

    Aegin huffed, "Goodnight, Devina".

    ***

    Devina''s eyes fluttered open slowly, and she g.r.o.a.n.e.d at the pain on the side of her head. Gods above, just how hard did he hit her?

    Devina shifted ever so slightly, and suddenly had the abrupt feeling of nausea. She g.r.o.a.n.e.d again, stilling as her eyes fixed on her arm where her sleeve had loosened to reveal her lifelines, and the seven black thorns that were left on her arms.

    Suddenly she felt the floor beneath her jolt up in an almighty crash before the end of the bed began to rise up. Devina sat up quickly to find purchase, realising that it wasn''t necessarily the hit on her head that had caused the nausea.

    The room tilted up before her, then she suddenly left her stomach behind her as it tilted back the other way. She registered crashing in the bathroom beside her, and an almighty boom outside. Her gaze whipped to the window, where the water, which she was usually above, was shifting dangerously as lightning flashed.

    Devina gasped. Everything falling into place. There was a storm. Aegin had wanted her to stay inside to protect her from the storm.

    After a brief moment of shock, Devina couldn''t help but turn to anger. Arrogant man. She was a Priestess of the Holy Order. A Spark beneath the High Priestess. If there was anything she was trained to be good at, it was helping others. Devina rolled over, barely holding herself as she reached into the draw in the bedside table and pulled out her staff. She then carefully stood, gaining a wobbly centre of gravity before she moved, the room tilting as she went to open the door.

    As she opened it, a gush of water poured in from the deck outside, drenching her b.a.r.e feet and the bottom of her dress. The screams of some passengers nearby reached her ears. Eyes determined, she moved towards them.

 Chapter 279 - The Dead through the Doorway

    Aegin had heard the storm well before the Mariner had seen any signs of it on the horizon. A ship like the Miranda would have stood no chance, even with her fine crew. But the Mariner did not rely on sails. It relied on what the Yilish called engines.

    Their own invention, created through years of hard work and dedication. Still, even then, the Ocean was not exactly forgiving. There were more ways that this storm could make a situation could turn dire other than the wind it generated.

    Aegin had known it would be bad. So he''d made sure that Devina would stay out of the way. His bond with her pushing him to make sure she was safe. She hadn''t reacted well. He''d seen the same panic in her eyes at the first time he''d refused to feed from her. But he hadn''t the time to explain what was going to happen, that feeding at a time like this would only make her drowsy in a time where she needed to be alert. Of course, knocking her out has essentially disregarded that thinking, but he was confident she''d wake up before the storm hit, and hopefully have the sense to then stay in her room.

    Sure enough, without waiting to see if anyone was ready or asking politely, the storm arrived an hour after sunset.

    The rain began to falling, the pour. Then the waves grew larger as the wind started to whistle. Most retreated inside then, escaping the weather, but luckily for them, few picked up on the uneasy gazes cast by the crew. Though, it only took one passenger to ask the question.

    "Is everything alright?"

    Aegin stood on the side as he watched the crew member glance at another more senior member of staff before forcing a smile back at the passenger, "I''m sure everything will be fine, but perhaps you should turn in for the night to be safe".

    Aegin couldn''t help but roll his eyes as he pushed away from the wall he was leaning against and turn down a nearby hall. At least instill some confidence in your passengers.

    Sure enough, a half hour later, when the waves had grown exponentially bigger, the passengers and crew both were in a state of panic. Aegin had no idea what the Captain was doing. But frankly he didn''t really care so long as the boat stayed a float. He was not swimming the last week to the Western Continent. He wasn''t even entirely sure that he could.

    Aegin caught himself on the railing as the ship tipped dangerously in one direction before crashing down hard into the waves, the ocean water splattering onto the deck at the end of the hall and flooding down towards him. A door was pulled open cautiously beside him. He turned to look at the young boy poking his head out.

    Aegin gritted his teeth and took hold of the handle, "Stay inside, kid!"

    The boy retreated quickly and Aegin pulled the door closed. Aegin continued his way down the hall towards the outside portion of the deck. His balance was better than most thanks to his abilities, but even he had to catch himself a couple of times as he moved so as not to face plant a wall.

    He moved outside, instantly drenched, or rather re-drenched, by the torrential downpour happening outside as well as the ocean water battering any open space it could get to. Aegin had made his way through every deck twice now. Keeping everyone inside their cabins where the crew hadn''t managed to get. There were many of them, but most of them were working on ensuring the stability of the ship. Those that were spared to take care of the passengers were missing a few in their rush.

    Aegin turned at the bow and climbed the stairs up to the next deck. The deck with the main dining hall. Opening the doors to get in, Aegin looked around at the chaos within in wonder. The crew clearly hadn''t had the time to clean up the buffet before the storm got worse. There was food and furniture strewn everywhere on nearly every surface. It would take a miracle to clean this place up in the hours before breakfast.

    Aegin''s head snapped towards it, and he moved towards the kitchen doors as the ship began to level out again. He forced open the doors turning to the side, he came face to face with a middle aged woman who was pinned to the wall with a knife straight through her stomach.

    Her eyes met Aegin''s and he could see the pain there as well as the knowing. The knowing that she wouldn''t get out of this alive.

    "My son, please," she managed, "He...a pot swung loose, he''s unconscious, I can''t reach him".

    Aegin followed her shaky hand to spy a young boy half hidden under the debris. He moved quickly, shifting the food, pots and trays out of the way to fish the boy out as the ship began to climb another wave.

    "Look out!"

    Aegin sensed it coming for him just as he scooped up the boy. He braced himself, shielding the boy.

    Something heavy hit him hard in his back. The air whooshed from him, and something stabbed right through his abdomen and into the boy.

    Aegin looked down in horror as the boy was woken in shock by the pain. The boy met his eyes, blood starting to leak from his lips. He can''t have been more than six. To die in such pain...

    Aegin didn''t even hesitate.

    As his fangs sunk into the boy''s neck, he pushed only peace and painlessness forward. He took away the pain. Took it away and drank quickly so that the boy died quickly. As he withdrew, the heavy object that had impaled him pulling away as the ship tilted again, Aegin gasped air and felt his body desperately repairing the damage to his abdomen.

    He closed his eyes as he looked down at the boy, then shifted and heaved himself over to the mother whose tears had dominated her eyes.

    Aegin held the boy up, and she took him in her arms.

    Aegin looked at her, meeting her gaze.

    "It was painless and peaceful. I made sure," he said.

    He didn''t know what it was about his words that made her believe him. But she could see in that instant that she did. His question to her was silent, and she closed her eyes in response.

    Aegin leaned forward and gave her the same end.

    He withdrew a minute later, l.i.c.k.i.n.g over the wound as he had with the boy to conceal his presence, then he turned away.

    He didn''t know how long she''d been standing there. But the horror in her eyes was plain to see right up until she met his gaze. Her words then were perhaps not as condemning as she had originally intended.

    "What...what have you done?"

 Chapter 280 - The Bowing of Burdens

    Devina followed Aegin quickly as he made his way into the Marina''s public lounge. The storm barely seemed to affect him. He was unmoved by the wildly shifting ship and the thrashing water.

    "Aegin!" she called, "Wait, Aegin!"

    She caught the door as it swung closed behind him, just as the ship pitched sideways. Her grip loosened as she was thrown back against the port side railing. She screamed as her upper body began to tip over. Her eyes wide with fear as she turned to look at the dark crashing sea below.

    Then, just as suddenly as she''d lost her balance, she found herself against the wall inside the lounge, Aegin looking down at her with a harsh gaze, "I told you to stay inside the cabin".

    Breathless for a moment, Devina swallowed to clear her clogged throat then spoke again, "What did you do to them?"

    Aegin sighed, releasing her and turning away, "I really don''t have the time or the patience to explain my every thought to you, Devina. This storm isn''t going away any time soon and the more time I waste with you the more likely someone else is going to die".

    Devina hesitated before hurrying after him as he made his way through the lounge. Most of the furniture here was fixed to the floor, so it didn''t have the problem of shifting around like the Dining Hall and Kitchen did.

    "So you weren''t just feeding because you were hungry?" asked Devina, "You didn''t seek to kill them yourself?"

    Aegin didn''t even turn back towards her as he threw another door open, "I would have thought you heard me when I told you that I don''t relish killing".

    "Then what were you doing? Killing them faster? Their wounds were pretty serious," Devina insisted as she followed him through.

    The ship pitched again and she stumbled. Aegin was there once more, placing her hand on the railing and ensuring she gripped it as he looked back at her in annoyance, "At least hold on to something".

    "You''re going too fast," Devina replied.

    "Which is why I asked you to stay in the cabin," Aegin growled back.

    Devina frowned, "I''m a Priestess of the Holy Order. I''ve been trained to help others since I was a child. I''m not going to sit back and let anyone in need die".

    "Then shut up and help me," Aegin snapped, "Because all you''re currently doing is wasting my time".

    Devina glared at him a moment before she huffed her reply, "Fine, lead the way".

    Aegin hissed in disp.l.e.a.s.u.r.e as he turned his head away, "Turn that off, would you?"

    Devina kept it where it was, "I can barely see a thing".

    "Well I see much better without it," Aegin replied.

    Devina pulled it back so it was behind him but in front of her, "I''ll keep it here then".

    Aegin turned away in a huff but didn''t argue as he continued moving.

    They didn''t speak to each other as they moved through the rooms and up the different decks. Occasionally, Aegin would pause and open a door beside them where passengers were hiding. He''d then take the time to bring them back to their rooms before continuing his search. After an hour, when the storm had begun to lesson a little and the huge ship was miraculously still floating, they reached the uppermost deck. There they found a family huddling in one of the storage houses together with a maid.

    Aegin took one look at them then turned to Devina, stand here, I''ll help them to the railing one at a time.

    "You''re a light Magician, yes?" asked the mother as she looked at Devina.

    Devina turned to her in curiosity, "Yes?"

    The mother moved slightly to the side. There, a boy no more than five lay in the arms of an older girl, unconscious and remarkably pale, "Please, you need to save him".

    Devina looked over at Aegin. Aegin gritted his teeth before he nodded at her. Devina moved forward slowly, kneeling beside the boy as she drew on the power of her Life Lines and reached her hands towards the boy.

    "What happened?" she heard Aegin ask.

    "The ship pitched too suddenly. He was thrown into the wall," the mother whimpered, "He''s been unconscious since".

    A head injury was most likely, and as Devina hovered her hand over the boy''s head, she realised with certainty that there was no way she could save him. It''d been too long since it''d happened. He was bleeding inside, and had a few broken bones on top of the affect the impact had had on his brain.

    Devina drew back, her eyes closed in sadness, "I''m sorry, it''s too late. Even if I were to heal him, he will not wake up".

    The mother sobbed into her hands at the news. Aegin catching her as the ship tipped once more. Despite the sadness in the room, Aegin knew that they had to be moved somewhere safer.

    "We need to go. Devina, take them across, I''ll carry the boy".

    Devina looked over her shoulder at Aegin, "But-"

    "We don''t have time to argue, Devina," said Aegin.

    Aegin''s gaze met hers. There was no ill-intent there. Just the same sadness reflected in hers, and a determination to save those he could.

    Devina stood and began ferrying them over, the maid included. Aegin took the boy as Devina took the mother across last. She paused in the doorway looking back at Aegin. Aegin gave her a small nod. Devina closed her eyes, her entire being telling her that when she saw the boy again, he would not be clinging to the last of the life in him. Then she turned and took the mother across.

    She began ushering the family down as she heard the door of the storage room on the opposite side of the deck. Aegin carried the boy closely as they made their way down to the family''s room.

    The mother sobbed as Aegin passed her the boy''s body and she realised that her son had passed. Still, as Devina looked at the little boy, she saw no pain, no fear, only peace.

    "Thank you," the mother said softly, "Thank you both".

    Then Aegin and Devina returned to their room as the storm made it''s last booming threats.

    "Why?" asked Devina.

    Aegin sighed as he righted one of the chairs in their room and took off his soaked jacket.

    "When I feed from you, apart from the initial bite, do you feel pain?" asked Aegin.

    Devina hesitated before she shook her head, "No, but I thought that was normal".

    Aegin shook his head, "The Paralysis is normal, after all, Prey that can''t fight back is far easier to feed from, but the pain, that would be constant if I did not take it away".

    Devina''s eyes widened, "That''s why you fed from them, not because you were hungry, but to take their pain away".

    Aegin sighed as he sat back in the chair, "It''s a little more than that. I can take the pain away, but I can also push other emotions back. Like peace, tranquility, happiness".

    Devina was silent as she sank into the other chair beside him.

    "I just figured that dying in peace was better than dying in fear and pain".

    Devina watched him for a long moment before his lavender eyes flicked up to meet hers.

    "You really don''t wish to kill, do you?"

    Aegin just stared back at her.

    "Then why...? I mean, I understand that you fear those that would give you negative attention, but-"

    "I do not fear them, they are of no consequence to me when I can defeat them so easily," Aegin corrected, "No, it is not fear that pushes me to kill".

    "Then what is it?" asked Devina.

    Aegin was silent for a long moment, so long that Devina was certain he would not reply. That he would close himself off again. But then he spoke.

    "When you draw on your power, where do you draw it from? What is it''s origin?" asked Aegin.

    Devina frowned, "It comes from within. From my own energy".

    Aegin continued, "With your Life Lines as the conduit, yes?"

    Devina nodded in agreement.

    "Well, my power is not generated from within, my power comes from what I take from others, and my Life Lines make it my own. At least, that is my understanding," said Aegin, "When you run out of energy, what happens?"

    Devina paused, "We fall unconscious and if it is not remedied, we die".

    Aegin looked back at her, "It is the same for me. If I do not take in energy, I will eventually die. Perhaps it may take far longer for me that it would for you, but it will happen. In saying that, do you think I have a chance to explain that to everyone else? To have them understand that this is not a joy, but a burden I must b.a.r.e to survive?"

    Devina''s eyes widened in realisation and Aegin nodded.

    "It is easier to kill those who will not give me a chance to speak, than it is to present myself the way I am, and ask for acceptance from a stranger that knows nothing," said Aegin.

 Chapter 281 - The Eve of Egress

    *Eldovian Era 1714, 15th day of the 1st month*

    Devina was standing on the uppermost deck, admiring the view of the sunset over the ocean''s horizon line when she saw it. There, in the distance, a shape that was not so flat as the rest of the horizon. Two months on a ship, the last six weeks of which were spent at sea, and finally she could see land once more.

    It wasn''t long before others started to call out around her, having spotted it as well. As the sun dipped below the horizon, they gradually lost sight of it, but knowing it was there lifted the spirits of everyone on board. Especially after the terrible storm they''d passed through the week before. A total of six dead. The three that Aegin had found, and another three that were missing and assumed to have been fallen overboard. It had made the atmosphere on the ship quite dreary.

    "So, I hear that we spotted land," Aegin stated as he came to stand next to Devina. She had not even heard him approach. Though this time, unlike the others, she did not flinch.

    "We did," Devina confirmed, "Though we didn''t see much, the crew confirmed that we would reach Rene on the morning tide".

    "Rene," said Aegin, "It''s one of the Triad Cities, is it not?"

    Devina nodded, "It is. Considering the Western Continent is largely a desert and has sparse natural resources apart from abundant jewels, they trade for most of their materials and technologies. In addition, they are far more spread out. There are only three major cities on the Continent, known as the Triad. Two along it''s Eastern Coastline designed specifically for Trade with Eldovia and the Southern Continent, and one further in land between the two that sits among a cl.u.s.ter of large jewel mines".

    "So Rene is the southern-most city?" asked Aegin.

    Devina nodded, "According to what I''ve studied, yes".

    The two lapsed into an awkward silence before Devina spoke again, "So...where will you go from there?"

    Aegin gave a small smirk, "Even if I knew, I would not tell you".

    Devina frowned, "And here I was thinking we were becoming amicable".

    Aegin chuckled, "You will return to the Order at your earliest opportunity, yes?"

    Devina nodded. Of course she would. It was her home and her duty.

    "And when you return and tell them that you spent two months bound to the very creature you were sent to hunt and developed an amicable relationship with it, do you think they will follow your lead?" asked Aegin.

    Devina opened her mouth to respond, then closed it again.

    "I thought not," Aegin finished.

    Devina did not speak for a long moment, conflicted as she thought about what he''d said, "You knew I was sent to kill you?"

    "After you saw what I could do I doubted you would make the decision to capture me alive," Aegin replied, "I pose too much of a threat".

    "Our magic subdues you well enough," Devina replied.

    Aegin frowned for a moment before his eyebrows relaxed in realisation, "Your light is annoying, but it cannot subdue me indefinitely".

    Devina sighed in response, "So you will not tell me where you are going because I am not a liability?"

    Aegin shrugged, "I can''t think of a stupider move than telling your enemy where you''re going to set up camp".

    "I know you''re here," Devina stated, pointing towards the continent they were not travelling alongside.

    "The Western Continent is a big place though, and pretty spread out," Aegin said, throwing her earlier description back at her, "I think I''ll be fine for at least a while".

    Devina huffed, "We could get along if you''d let us".

    "You mean if your High Priestess says it''s okay," Aegin replied, "And of course let''s not forget the thousands of Magicians serving under her and the millions of defenseless humans. No, until enough time has passed and those following this path have a stable enough ground to stand on, we''ll just keep to our shadows, and you keep to your light".

    Devina''s eyes narrowed, "Are the others here? Is that why you came?"

    Aegin leaned his forearms onto the railing, glancing up at the moon in the clear sky, "I doubt it. Not that I can really tell where they are at all anymore".

    "You were separated? Do you not have a home?" asked Devina.

    "No, that''s what we were searching for. A place to call home. But things happened," said Aegin, and he trailed off in a way that Devina was sure meant he would say no more on the matter.

    "Well, regardless of whether you''ll tell me or not-"

    "I won''t".

    Devina sighed, "Regardless...I do hope you find what you''re looking for, Aegin".

    "Who knows. Maybe it''ll be in Rene, maybe somewhere else," said Aegin.

    "I think we both know that home isn''t a place you set off on your own to find," said Devina, "Home tends to find you, usually through the people that are there. It''s why, no matter what you might say about the Holy Order, it will always be my home".

    Aegin chuckled, "It''s not your home though, Devina, not any more".

    Devina turned to face him in surprise.

    "When you return, with what you have been through, you will have two options presented to you," Aegin stated, "The first, you will tell them the truth about what happened. You will tell them the good and the bad, and in the end you will tell them that you let me go. But they are member of the Holy Order. They will not see things the same way as you and they will consider you as a lost cause after they probe you for my location. The second is that you lie and pretend that this entire journey was a waste. That you thought you found who you were after but in fact you didn''t and the Yilish brought you along for whatever reason. But in that version of your future, you will watch as they carry out missions to eradicate traces of Chaos, likely with you in tow if not in the lead, and the truth that you have uncovered will slowly eat away at you until you grow to resent them for their mindset".

    "Oh?" asked Devina, "And what truth have you uncovered?"

    Aegin sighed, "Chaos and Order are two sides of a coin. You cannot have one in this world without the other".

    He then straightened and turned to walk away, "Good night, Devina".

    Devina watched after him as he walked away at a leisurely pace. She did not want to believe what had been spoken, but she also could not dismiss it anymore. Aegin was not an absolute threat. And he could be reasoned with. Perhaps there were parts of him that he had not yet had the chance to find, but even then Devina doubted that he would truly d.e.s.i.r.e to hurt anyone without reason or cause. Yet that was exactly why the Order hunted them. Because these dark paths were thought to be too unstable, too dangerous to exist.

    But what exactly gave Order the right to determine that?

    Once the question was there, Devina could not pass over it. She spent the last night on board the Mariner sleeplessly.

 Chapter 282 - A Parting of Pilgrims

    *Eldovian Era 1714, 16th day of the 1st month*

    Aegin was practically skipping down the hallway towards the ferry. He was so ready to get off this ship that he''d packed up his belongings the day before. Of course, that had left him with nothing to do but stand around idly as the Mariner got as close to Rene as she dared and dropped anchor. Even then they still had to wait for the tides.

    Devina had looked exhausted. So much so that Aegin had worried that she''d snap at him if he came anywhere near her. So instead he''d waited until she was in the bathroom to go in and retrieve his things.

    It had almost worked as a means of goodbye too. Aegin had never been great at such things. However, just as he was finding a seat on the ferry after climbing down ladder, Devina''s scent hit him. He sighed as she too made her way down, then moved to take a seat beside him.

    "Anyone would think you were trying to run away," Devina stated as she sat down.

    Aegin huffed, "I am".

    Devina looked at him in surprise.

    Aegin shrugged, "Two months on a ship will do that to you"

    Understanding dawned in Devina''s expression as she turned away. They both lapsed into silence as the Ferry pulled away from the Mariner, headed towards the bustling Port.

    As they drew closer, the passengers on the Ferry began to make out the city itself more clearly. It became quite clear that the only buildings in the city that stood above 2 storeys and were built with something other than wood, stand stone and straw, were those in the centre. The buildings on the outer edges of the city were not nearly as tall. They also appeared more akin to shacks than anything else. Not the people seemed too displeased from a distance. The bustled around like it was any other city.

    In the centre of Rene there were several larger buildings, and one palace looking structure that possessed 3 high towers. Usually a building that tall would be for a church, but the architecture, with it''s more rounded spires that appeared like budding roses, were not consistent with the other buildings Aegin had seen. If Aegin had to guess, that was where those with power lived in the city, watching over all of those below them. It was certainly how the Kildares had liked to run things. They''d even built on the hill above the city to ensure nobody could build higher.

    Aegin sensed Devina''s nervous movements beside him and turned slightly to see her rubbing her wrists. She noticed his look almost immediately, and he turned away politely.

    "It''s gone," Devina said, "I thought I''d be relieved but...it just feels like a loss".

    Aegin knew she was talking about the thorns on her life lines. He''d felt the connection vanish the night before. He still remembered how she''d screamed at him upon first discovering them.

    "Our contract is done," Aegin replied just as the Ferry docked, "We have no obligations to each other anymore".

    He stood, hoisting his meagre sack of belongings over his shoulder before moving towards the dock. Devina caught his arm, "That''s it?"

    Aegin frowned at her, "Exactly what else were you looking for, Devina?"

    Devina released her hand suddenly as confusion dawned on her face. What had she been looking for? As Aegin had said, their obligations to one another were done.

    "I..."

    Aegin gave her a half-smile, "I would say it''s been a p.l.e.a.s.u.r.e, but it hasn''t. Not really...Get home safe".

    Then he was gone.

    Devina stumbled up onto the dock with the rest of the passengers, her head craning over the growing crowd to see a figure at the end of the dock pull up a dark hood and meld into a larger crowd.

    The sense of loss Devina had been feeling seemed to increase. Her burden was gone, her contract done. Most of the passengers had made it to the Western Continent safely, and those that hadn''t had not died due to some darkness that was spiraling out of control.

    Surely the High Priestess would know? Surely she would be able to comprehend that the shadows they''d all been taught to fear were perhaps not as terrifying as they''d once believed. That she''d once believed.

    Devina could not stay idle on the dock, but she could not follow Aegin either, not now that their connection had been severed. She would have to wait until he hunted, and even then she would have to be near him to sense his presence. Besides, it was clear that he had no d.e.s.i.r.e to keep contact with her. After forcing herself upon him like she had, the least she could do was respect that choice.

    With no where else to go, Devina went to the one place she knew she''d find solace, even here where the Six Great Gods were not so Grand.

    Indeed, the humble little church on the northern outskirts of the city was not a place she would ever imagine finding herself. It seemed quite clear from the amount of people passing it by without a second glance that her Gods were not so revered here. Still, Devina stepped up to the door and knocked.

    It took some time before someone answered the door, and beyond it she found a short, older gentleman that seemed to shuffle as he walked.

    "Yes?" he asked.

    "My name is Devina Lightbringer, I-"

    "You are a Spark of the Holy Order," he said, his tone course and gravelly with age. Devina nodded.

    "Yes...I seek food and shelter if you''ll have me," Devina spoke.

    "Of course, of course. It would be an honour to have a Spark stay here. And so soon after the beginning of our First Year of Rebirth," said the man.

    Devina paused just inside the doorway, "First...what is the day?"

    "The day? It is the Sixteenth Day of the First Month in our First year of Rebirth according to the Holy Calendar," stated the man.

    "R...right. Thank you," said Devina.

    "Come, come and sit, you have travelled far," the man insisted as he shuffled towards one of the antechambers. Devina lowered herself onto the one of the pews as she let the information sink in. Of course. Why had she not thought of it before? It was the entire reason for her mission.

    She was to locate and stop the source of the Shadows before the end of the Final Year of Unholy Reckoning. But even if she had located it as the High Priestess had said was her duty, she had not in any way stopped it. If anything she had allowed it to go free. But now that year was over.

    So, the question remained, if the year was over, and the Oracle''s warnings had not been heeded, did that mean that the world would descend into Chaos, or that the Oracle had been wrong?

    Aegin had never seemed to her like a harbinger of Chaos...

    But what of the other he spoke of?

    The man shuffled back into Devina''s eye line, shaking her from her thoughts. She looked towards him as he offered her a small gem about the size of a plum. It was plain enough, Evanine by the looks of it.

    "Take it, and will it to activate," said the man, "Your mind will clear more easily".

    Devina frowned, taking the gem hesitantly. She''d never heard of the Order having such things. Slowly, Devina turned the crystal over in her hand, and a black symbol suddenly came into view, carved into the surface of the crystal so precisely. Devina''s eyes widened as she realised that this was far more than what it seemed.

    "Clarity?" asked Devina, the name jumping to the forefront of her mind as she appraised the symbol.

    The old man nodded, "Yes, I found it down at the market place, a supplier came from the Southern Isles with many of them, all different kinds. I was quite lucky to get this, fifty gold if you''d believe, nearly drained my coffers dry. But worth it in the end. That Moonshadow is a Godsend".

    "Moonshadow?" asked Devina.

    "Oh child, do you not know?"

    Devina shook her head. The man just smiled, "We''ll be living in a new world with the genius of that company. It''s a shame I am too old to truly see it, but you, you will be lucky".

    Devina wanted to ask more questions about this new object in her hands, but the old man seemed to be lost in his imagination as he turned away once more, Devina leaned back as she stared at the crystal in her hands, then she did as he''d instructed, and willed it to activate.

 Chapter 283 - Employment for the Exiled

    Wasn''t it supposed to be Winter? And not just that, the middle of Winter. If it was this warm now, it was no wonder the majority of the continent was a desert.

    In saying that, it wasn''t like it was hot already. Perhaps lightly warm was the right term, though the Westerners still seemed to wear plenty of clothing. Aegin was pleasantly surprised to see that not everyone wore gems. He''d been afraid that he''d have to use the last of his dwindling coin to buy more gems to fit in, but they were evidently so abundant here that nobody particularly cared for them.

    Or, the more likely option, the section of the city he''d found himself in was heavily populated with the poor. Or just heavily populated. There were so many bodies densely packed into this section of the city that Aegin would never be hurting for meals. Though they were very good at hiding themselves. It was the smell that gave their presence away. Not entirely horrible, just...not exactly pleasant either.

    With a sigh, Aegin sat himself in the alcove on one of the two storey buildings, hiding from the sun as he sat to observe the street below him and the general movements of the city. It was still morning, so there was plenty to see that he hadn''t yet observed on his walk over. He placed down his sack which had his second set of clothes and a couple of knives in it. He was abysmally poor right at this moment. And d.e.s.i.r.ed nothing more than to earn some more money so that he could afford to buy himself something less worn. Two months with just two sets of clothes, plus the three months he''d already spent in one of them, was just too many. At least for somebody who was attempting to emulate freedom and write his own life for once.

    He had fifty silver on him. Most of it earned through whatever labour he''d done on the ship. Say what you would about the Yilish, they paid a whole lot more than anywhere else Aegin had worked. Still, fifty silver might get him a room at some inn for a week or so. Less if he was buying new clothes. Aegin hung his head in frustration. Immortal, with strength to match an army and speed that could take him from one town to the next in seconds, and he was so broke he''d be lucky to survive a civilized life for a week.

    He could just live like a nomad...stealing would probably be easy...

    He huffed at the part of him that refused to turn to that deceptive life style he''d left behind so long ago. He may not have been a thief, but it certainly required similar skill sets which had, much to his shame, never really gone away.

    Alright, if he was going to earn some coin, what would he do? His eyes turned to the docks, then away again as he shook his head. No way was he getting stuck in a routine like that again. Besides, it was a job that was done during the day, and he''d prefer to remain as nocturnal as he could.

    Pity most of the jobs that required a night shift were on the questionable side of the law.

    He couldn''t be a guard. He wasn''t tying himself down like that to anyone. He wanted to be able to leave at the drop of a hat. Perhaps he could help out at whatever inn he stayed at? Or a bar? The routine may bring a sense of peace...but would probably bore him to death.

    He continued to thin, watching the city beneath him go about it''s business. His eyes kept getting drawn to the towers in the centre. They were hauntingly dominating. If he was being honest, it irked him that someone was up higher than he was. That someone could have been looking down on him.

    Aegin dropped down from the alcove into an alley as the sun began to touch the horizon. He''d need to find a place to sleep for the night. It didn''t take him long. Inns were a plenty, even if they did look like they were in dire need of repair. Aegin purchased a room for three nights, giving himself that long to find some work. He was down eighteen silver though.

    He dumped his sack of clothes on the bed and glanced out of the window, small, though large enough for someone to get inside if they wanted. With a sigh, Aegin weighed his pouch of money in his hand. What could someone do around here for thirty-two silver?

    He knew he shouldn''t, but his eyes wondered down the street for an answer anyway. A brief glimpse of a whore house and he was shaking his head. The idea didn''t appeal too him. He''d spent too long worrying about the honour of one woman in particular to go around marring that of others. Even those whose honour was no doubt thrown out the window some time ago.

    He was about to turn back to his bed to wait for quiet in the night when his gaze caught on to something else. Something perhaps a little more interesting. He let his hearing tune into the building at the end of the street, and couldn''t help the small smile on his lips.

    Maybe he didn''t need to work to earn money quickly.

    Moments later, Aegin found himself in front of the building in question, the man at the door taking entry fees of thirty silver. Aegin hesitated at the price only a second before he handed it over.

    The building had a long dark hallway that ended in a stairway that spiraled down underground. From there, the hum of activity rose until the hall ahead opened up before him. Aegin smiled at the cheering crowd around. Mostly men, but some women too. All of them shouting and jeering at the two wrestling figures in the middle. One a large scarred man, the other slightly smaller, but with clearly more skill. Still, it seemed to be a relatively even fight. Aegin looked around until he spotted the man taking bets to the side of the ring. He palmed the two silver in his hand. He should watch for a bit first.

 Chapter 284 - A Coin for a Count

    Aegin was still as he watched from the sidelines, his gaze calculated. The third fight he''d seen, the scarred man, who had won against his previous two opponents, picked up his current opponent and slammed him onto the ground. When his opponent stilled, the crowd started counting.

    "1!...2!...3!...4!..."

    The opponent shifted coughing as he recovered from being winded. The scarred man advanced again as his opponent got to his feet.

    A swipe of his massive arm, and the poor guy was down again. He''d feel that shortly.

    This time, the count made it all the way to eight before the bell to the side was rung and the crowd cheered.

    The big scarred guy spread his arms in victory and circled around the inside of the wooden pit. Because it was a pit, the ring was about twenty paces across, but it was another storey and a half down from where all the spectators were seated. Well, more like squashed in like fish in a barrel. They made use of every available space possible. Whoever ran this place was certainly getting their money''s worth. Aegin could tell they''d probably get it from the bets alone from what he''d heard in passing.

    Finally, after the fifth win of the scarred man, Aegin saw just what he was looking for. The next challenger was much smaller than those before, but he also possessed a far darker shade of skin, and much to the crowd''s shock, he was blind. But Aegin could tell by the way he walked in. By the baring of his shoulders and the placement of his feet. This man was going to win.

    Most people immediately laughed, placing their bets on the sure thing that was the scarred man. Zu, if Aegin had caught his name properly. He honestly hadn''t been caring about it much though. Aegin stepped forward, weaving through the crowd until he stopped beside the man taking all the bets.

    "I''ll bet on the blind guy," said Aegin, holding out his two silver.

    A few people around him chuckled.

    "Odds are fifty to one kid," said the man who was taking the bets.

    Aegin nodded, "That''s fine".

    The man sighed, "Fine. Your funeral".

    Aegin didn''t think so.

    The bell tolled for the match to start. The scarred man approached, baring his teeth in a grin. Aegin grinned with him as he watched the blind guy shuffled a few steps back as if nervous. The scarred man roared and charged, ready to absolutely devour the poor guy.

    Even Aegin didn''t blink as he watched the blind man circle one foot back in an elegant side step before he continued to swing his leg, hitting the scarred man right in the centre of his back as he passed him. The scarred man ran head long into the wall of the pit. The crowd flinched, and seemed confused for a moment as if they couldn''t believe what had just happened.

    Aegin smiled as the blind man took three steps towards the centre of the ring. The scarred guy stood up, shaking his head to get rid of his dizziness. He''d had plenty of momentum going into that wall. Aegin was surprised he hadn''t knocked himself out.

    Still, he had no chance. The Blind guy was a Havoi Master.

    The fight dragged on and on, the crowd becoming more and more agitated as they realised they''d lost. The few among them who''d dared to take a chance barely uttering a word for fear of being mobbed.

    Finally, after what must have been at least twenty minutes the big guy just sort of swung and then collapsed.

    There was an awkward silence, then the bell tolled.

    Aegin turned back to the man taking the bets with a smile, "50 to one did you say?"

    The bets man rolled his eyes and handed over a gold coin, "Don''t go tripping over yourself on the way out".

    Aegin chuckled, then paused as he sensed someone coming from behind him. He frowned, prepared to side step before he realised that in order to do that...it wouldn''t look human. He hesitated, and in that hesitant moment took the blow. He took it easily, using the momentum to flip himself over the rail and landed on his feet in the pit below. He glared up at the man who''d hit him, who was looking pretty damn smug with himself.

    "That was rude," Aegin huffed.

    "And we have another challenger!" came the call. Aegin''s eyes widened in surprise. He opened his mouth to protest, but the crowd drowned him out. He looked around, the images of a much bigger stadium filling his mind as his eyes landed on the blind man.

    "Didn''t you just bet on me to win?" asked the man. He was confused. Aegin was more confused as to how he knew. No way he could have heard.

    "Yeah," Aegin huffed, "Funny how fate just kind of throws us into these situations".

    "Seemed like you jumped in to me," said the blind man as he stood tall and readied himself.

    "Jumped, pushed, fell, thrown," Aegin shrugged, "You still end up in the same place".

    The blind man smiled, "I don''t mind you kid, pity you''ll lose".

    Aegin huffed a laugh, "Unfortunately, I really don''t think that''s a probable option anymore".

    Aegin stepped to the plate opposite, knowing there was no easier way out of this than just to fight. The bell tolled. Neither of them moved.

    Aegin wasn''t exactly a Havoi master. But he did know that making the first move was practically the same as throwing the fight.

    The Master smiled despite his blindness, "You''re smarter than the other guy".

    Aegin huffed out a laugh, "Call it survival instincts".

    The Master took three steps forward and lashed out. Aegin automatically fell into the rhythm of the Havoi style, and after a few steps, the Master''s smile widened.

    "You know this style," he said, "Pity you''re such a novice".

    The Master moved his leg slightly to interrupt Aegin''s movement. Which probably would have laid Aegin out and left him open for an ending blow had he been human. He wasn''t though, and his pride wouldn''t allow him to throw the fight. The Master looked a little confused when Aegin caught his fist.

    "Yeah, I admit I''m not great at Havoi, but I am much stronger than I look," said Aegin.

    He punched out, and the Master coughed, winded as he stumbled back into the wall and slid down. The count sounded out, and the Master grinned, not bothering to get back up when he knew he''d lost. Aegin extended a hand and helped him up.

    "It seems I have found myself a new contender," said a new voice over the crowd. Their voices died down and Aegin turned to find himself looking up at an aristocratic looking middle-aged man with a long, thin black beard and a bald head, "You name, warrior".

    "Not interested," said Aegin. He''d just wanted more coin, he''d gotten that now. Time to leave. He wrapped an arm around the Master then, pushed off the ground, grabbing the railing at the top of the pit and climbing over easily. He spotted the guy who''d pushed him over the side, then didn''t hesitate a second before punching him in the nose. The guy crumpled.

    "Every fight won earns you fifty gold," said the man. Now that, that made Aegin pause.

    Fifty gold. It was easy money...too easy. Every match with him would be rigged.

    Unless the other showed up, but Aegin thought that unlikely.

    Aegin gritted his teeth. He was so sick of bowing to that. So sick of limiting himself and his freedoms because of his nature.

    "It wouldn''t be fair," Aegin said eventually.

    The middle-aged man''s smile flickered, "Fair? I think the price is-"

    In an instant, Aegin crossed the thirty paces between them and stood right before him. The entire crowd recoiled in surprise, "It wouldn''t be fair for everyone else".

 Chapter 285 - An Emblem of Effectiveness

    Well now he''d gone and done it. Sensing the utter stillness of a room, Aegin had a second to realise he''d just thrown his entirety of his survival instincts out of the window, and wasted plenty of silver doing it. He''d have to kill them all, then pack up and leave Rene for somewhere else. Not to mention the Priestess can''t have gone far, she''d be on his a.s.s in an instant if she thought he''d gone back on his word and was killing cause he could.

    But the second passed, and nothing happened. The room was still quiet and unmoving. Waiting. For him, they realised. They were waiting to see what he and the man he''d just threatened would do. Aegin straightened slowly giving the man space after effectively disrespecting him in his own house. The man, surprisingly, swallowed his initial shock quite quickly.

    "I see," he said, and the room seemed to release a breath at his confidence. Aegin had no idea where it came from. He was pretty positive he''d come close to flashing his fangs. Seeing no further argument to be had and wanting to get away from the prying eyes, Aegin turned back to head for the door.

    "I have an alternative proposal, if you are willing to hear it," said the man.

    Aegin sighed. No, he didn''t really want to hear it. Especially not with so many people staring at him. He''d never been one for attention. One would think that the Warrior''s Arena would have done him some good in that sense, but fighting for your life tended to mean less concern for large crowds that may be watching said fight.

    Seeing that Aegin was going to walk out, the man spoke up a little louder.

    "A hundred gold a day for what I am proposing".

    Gasps went around the room. Even Aegin paused in surprise. Not so much at the amount, but at the fact that the man wasn''t even flinching at the price he''d just proposed. Like 100 gold a day was pocket change.

    Aegin''s eyes narrowed, though he didn''t turn around.

    "500 gold per day and I''ll listen," said Aegin, moving to take another step forward under the assumption that the man wouldn''t say yes.

    "Done".

    Aegin froze. Holy cheese on bread. 500 gold a day? He was tempted to say yes immediately. But he knew better by now that to strike a deal without hearing all the terms.

    He looked over his shoulder at the man who smiled like he''d won and swept an arm towards a corridor further back, "Care to step into my office?"

    Aegin gave a side glance to the peanut gallery on either side of them. Yeah, privacy sounded good.

    The inside of the man''s office would probably be considered simple by anyone else, but Aegin had worked for the Kildares for most of his life. He could see the hidden alcoves and small testaments to wealth spread around the room. It was like the entire place was set up to say ''welcome...and remember your place''.

    Aegin immediately ignored such a sentiment and flopped down onto one of the couches, "I''m listening".

    Aegin had to commend the guy for his acting skills, he didn''t even flinch as he poured himself a drink and waved his hand for some of his subordinates to shut the door to the hall.

    "Drink?" he asked as he offered Aegin some of the amber liquid. Aegin shook his head. The man took up his own glass as he moved to take a seat in the chair opposite Aegin, "My name, is Bosca Irons".

    The name meant nothing to Aegin, but from the way the man carried himself it clearly meant something here in Rene.

    "Your name, Warrior?"

    Aegin stared back, contemplating answering before he realised this meeting was going no where if he didn''t speak. Bosca Irons was clearly named for his strength of will.

    "Aegin".

    "Aegin," Bosca tested the name, sipping his drink before his smiled, "Aegin Bloodthorn, perhaps?"

    Aegin frowned at the name.

    "Fear not," Bosca said as he put his glass down on the small table between them, "I have no intention of enslaving you. I saw you fight over a year ago at the Warrior''s Arena. Such prowess, and you only seemed to have gotten even more noteworthy if what I saw just now is any indication. I remember thinking to myself then that a man of such prowess should not be confined for mere entertainment. All of the Reapers in fact. Are they around?"

    Aegin''s lavender eyes narrowed on Bosca, "I came here because you said you had a proposal. I''m not one for flattery".

    Okay, a bit of a lie. He didn''t mind flattery. He just didn''t like it when it disguised something else so well.

    Bosca sighed, "Yes, I see you are a straightforward man so I will cut to the chase. I d.e.s.i.r.e to have you under my employment. A bodyguard of sorts. As I said, I will give you 500 gold per day for your work".

    "Do you pay all your employees so generously?" asked Aegin.

    "Generous?" asked Bosca with a smile, "You have not been in Rene long, have you, Aegin Bloodthorn?"

    Aegin shrugged, "Arrived this morning".

    Bosca continued to smile, "I see, then you must not understand much of how the city works. If that is the case, I am willing to have you shadow me as you learn, in addition to the 500 gold, of course".

    "Is that not the job of a bodyguard?" asked Aegin, "To shadow his employer".

    "Some," said Bosca.

    Aegin raised an eyebrow, "I will not do your dirty work for you, Bosca Irons. I''ve spent my life as such and I do not intend to spend the rest doing the same".

    Bosca held up his hands, "Of course, of course, you have my word. You will remain as a shadow to protect me in times of danger only".

    Aegin sat up straight leaning forward, "Then you vow to not use me for personal gain, nor the suppression of your enemies?"

    "I vow to never use the name of Aegin Bloodthorn in such a disrespectful manner," said Bosca.

    "And I may leave when I wish it?" Aegin asked.

    Bosca frowned at this, but only for a moment, "Only if you tell me what it is you d.e.s.i.r.e before you do so. I would so like your abilities to be my shadow for an extended period".

    Aegin tilted his head to the side in thought for a moment. That wouldn''t be a problem. And this way, he wouldn''t have to hide so much. Bosca clearly had power here in Rene. He wouldn''t stay forever of course. Just until he had plenty of coin saved up, or he got bored. He didn''t expect either to take long.

    Aegin held out his hand, "I will come back tomorrow morning then".

    Bosca grinned and took his hand, "I shall have a place prepared for you".

 Chapter 286 - A Haven for Hidden Things

    *Eldovian Era 1714, 19th day of the 1st month*

    Three days in, and 1500 gold richer - minus 40 gold for about five good quality outfits and a new set of throwing knives - and Aegin had come to understand a little more about Rene.

    First, he''d come to know Bosca as the equivalent of a Count or a Baron in Eldovia. His official title was ''Reishin Irons'' which essentially meant that he was the one who managed the southern sector of the city. There were 5 sectors in Rene and each had it''s own Reishin that managed it. One for each of the cardinal points, and the final one working directly under the Shin of the City. Or the Lord. The Lord of Rene, as Aegin came to understand it, rarely showed his face in public. He kept to his home in the palace in the centre of the city, directing it''s running like a puppet master.

    Aegin didn''t feel much dedication or respect towards him other than that it was where his gold came from.

    From what he could tell, Bosca spent every day in a steady cycle that was quite predictable. In the morning the security team that he was in charge of reported to him regarding anything that had happened during the night. He then met with his Administrators and Treasurer regarding any immediate or ongoing issue. This usually took until the midday meal and was essentially the time that Aegin spent sleeping seeing as there was little to nothing for him to do.

    After midday, Bosca made his way through his sector, a different part every day. At first, Aegin had assumed that he did it in order to connect with the people he was taking care of. But by the third day, it had become clear that the regular folk were terrified too approach. Like the Masters Aegin had previously served, this didn''t seem to phase Reishin Irons.

    Finally, as the sun left it''s zenith and began to descend, Bosca turned from his regular duties to those which, anywhere else, were not strictly legal. Aegin had not been allowed in to see the ledgers, so he was not completely sure on the amount or types of underground businesses that Bosca ran besides the fighting ring, but he was willing to bet his pay that it was not a small pool.

    Rene was not like the Eldovian Cities where Law enforcement was done by the Knights, or like the Southern Cities whose guard patrols were seemingly the same from city to city, at least within countries. In Rene, the city seemed to run solely based on a diet of necessity and fear. Aegin had to admit that he was somewhat disappointed, he''d been expecting more from the mysterious Westerners whose Tribal ways had always intrigued him. There did not seem to be many Tribes that existed in Rene.

    There were plenty of Westerners though. Westerners with their dark skin, and the mixed-bloods who held a lighter from the Eldovian and Southern Continents.

    When Bosca retired in the late hours of the night, Aegin returned to his own room with his pay for the day, then, not taking any chances, pretended to sleep for the night before vanishing into the darkness. He''d taken to running an hour or so outside of the city. About halfway between the coast and the massive mountain range than spanned north to south as far as the eye could see. There, there was a small but thin forest of tree with long, thin and pale trunks that soared for the skin. He took the route he''d memorized, then, upon getting to the marked tree, removed the old, browning ferns and branches that covered his hiding spot. He opened the trap door he''d constructed with the intricate key he''d bought, then unlocked it and dumped his coin down into the box before locking it tight once more.

    With a self-satisfied smile, he covered it back over, then ran back towards the city. After what he''d seen the past three days, no way was he putting his gold in the hands of Bosca Irons, or any banks in Rene. They were all owned by the Shin, and he preferred to keep his earned money his own rather than handing it right back.

    Aegin arrived back in the city in the early hours of the morning, after a short contemplation, he decided to risk hunting and get a meal. He hadn''t heard a peep about the Priestess, so surely she was either gone or keeping to herself.

    He found his prey without much trouble. About seven figures in an alleyway. Five of them were tall young men who seemed to be doing their best to intimidate the two remaining figures. One a short boy of mixed-blood who appeared no more than fourteen, and one a hulking Westerner with skin so dark he was almost like the night itself.

    "Hand it over Tigin, you''re a big boy, you''ll get more," threatened the leader of the five.

    The giant frowned, hesitating as he looked at the boy beside him. Aegin sniffed the air. Oh, not a boy. It was a young woman with cropped hair and a...well, not so endowed c.h.e.s.t, easy mistake to make if one wasn''t like Aegin couldn''t scent the difference.

    "Your little brother will be fine, nothing to worry about," said the leader with a grin.

    Like those boys. They clearly had no idea. To be fair, she pulled off the disguise far better than Ebony ever had.

    Aegin frowned at the thought. She wasn''t Ebony, and he was going to let her get robbed so that he could drop in on his meal later on. The past three days had seen him stay in the shadows thanks to the fact that he hadn''t needed to feed. He wasn''t about to announce his diet here when he had such a good thing going.

    "We could just take him off your hands, he''s a little scrawny, but I''m sure he''ll get a good price. We''ll cut you 10%," said another.

    The big guy''s frown deepened, and he squared his shoulders, "You don''t touch Rima".

    "Come on big guy, rid yourself of a burden and have enough to go around for at least a month. Slaves are always the best-"

    The guy suddenly paused mid-sentence, a light breeze flitting over the group as the guy frowned then slowly reached up and clutched at his throat as a thin line of blood appeared. He opened his mouth gasping for air but finding none. He coughed, blood dripping both from his mouth and through his fingertips as he collapsed.

    The four looked at their leader in shock, then at the big guy and his ''brother''. They looked just as shocked.

 Chapter 287 - A Name is a Nuisance

    *Eldovian Era 1714, 20th day of the 1st month*

    Rima could do nothing but stare, wide eyed, at Ziga''s body on the ground before her. His throat cut, his eyes wide in shock, dead. Seven Gods in the High Realm, she''d never even seen a blade drawn. Had not heard it clutter anywhere. She did not see who had thrown or wielded it. It was as if the Gods themselves had reached down to aid her and Tigin.

    It was about damn time too. They''d been struggling to keep that which they stole for themselves and not have it stolen from them by the various groups for the last three months. They were lucky to get a meal a day at the rate they were going. No matter what route they took, or where they hid this score, it was nearly always found and raided.

    Still, Rima''s celebration was short lived as another brush of wind blew past her, and Reni went sailing back into the shadows with a shout of surprise. Next was Harris, then Yato. Finally, shivering in shock and fear, and the acidic smell of urine filling the small back alley, Kessen turned and ran for the exit. Rima and Tigin watched him go, three metres before a figure in a black coat seemed to appear beside him, his arm outstretched with a blade that cut Kessen''s throat so quickly that his body had barely started falling when the blade was sheathed and out of sight once more.

    Then his red gaze turned to look at Rima and Tigin.

    He looked to be perhaps in his early twenties. He had short brown hair on his head, and the start of a goatee below lips. He was wearing good clothes, so he certainly was not from this part of the city. But what would a Middle Sector be doing out here so late? He wore a long sleeve, tan coloured shirt beneath a dark brown leather jacket, and a strange scarf that was large enough to fall over his shoulders and come up to nearly his chin. As he shifted, Rima noticed the hood dangling at the back. He wore not apparent adornments or jewelry though, which made his business here all the more confusing. Was he here to see the Reishin? But at this hour? And how had he just appeared like that? Was he a shadow magician?

    He tilted his head whilst he looked at Rima and Tigin before he spoke, "Little girls shouldn''t be out this late".

    Rima blanched. She''d hidden as a boy for a decade without so much as a peep from anyone. How had he known?

    "I''m..I''m not a girl," Rima huffed.

    He took a second glance at Rima, then at Tigin, "Want to tell me why I had to save you just now? Why are you out here?"

    Tigin, still frowning from the girl comment, looked down at Rima, then at the young man, "Forgive us for disturbing you, Areishin, how can we repay you?"

    The young man scoffed, taking a few steps to the side before he reached down behind a pile of old ropes and lifted up Reni. An unconscious Reni, but not dead by the way he g.r.o.a.n.e.d.

    "No need, just get home will you?" he asked.

    It was then that Rima and Tigin both noticed the chain hanging off his hip. The insignia on it. They immediately dropped to their knees, "Great Warrior Bloodthorn, we are terribly sorry to have disturbed you this night. We promise never to do so again, please, let us live!"

    The young man paused, Reni half lifted off the ground. Then he dropped Reni like a sack of potatoes.

    "What did you just call me?"

    There was no anger in the tone, only curiosity.

    Rima glanced out of the corner of her eye at Tigin who spoke up slowly for them both, "Great...Warrior...Bloodthorn".

    The man''s eyes narrowed, and his tone dropped, "Who did you hear that name from?"

    Rima and Tigin both bowed their heads closer to the cobblestones, "Your name is famous throughout the city. You have sworn loyalty to Reishin Irons. You are owed respect and status by your deeds, O Great Warrior".

    "How did you-"

    "The chain, at your hip," Rima stated, "It is the symbol of Reishin Irons'' highest and most loyal subordinates".

    Rima risked a glance up as she watched the young warrior take the chain in his hand, looking at it closely, then ripping it away from his pants. The young warrior crushed it in his palm for a moment in a barely contained anger before he released a breath, then pocketed the chain and walked over to Tigin and Rima. Rima made to move back but he was there before she could, putting a surprisingly light hand on both hers and Tigin''s shoulders.

    "I am not loyal to Reishin Irons, frankly I wouldn''t care one way or the other if he lived or died if he wasn''t paying me 500 gold a day to keep him on the living side of the equation," said the warrior, "I don''t mean to scare you, I just don''t particularly like the idea of slavery".

    Of course he didn''t. If rumour was to be believed, he was one of the reasons that Herguard Island, the place where all slaves went at one point or another, burned to the ground. Now that had been a hit to the Shin''s profits.

    As Rima risked a look up into his eyes, she watched as they seemed to dim from red to a sparkling violet. They were so much softer, more playful. Nothing like the cold-hearted warrior she''d seen barely a minute beforehand.

    "Tigin and Rima are your names, yes?" he asked.

    Rima nodded.

    He smiled, "Call me Aegin, please. I''m not overly fond of the name Bloodthorn. Now, would you like to tell me why you were out this late?"

    Rima looked at Tigin who had straightened up, then back at Aegin, "You haven''t been here long, have you?"

    Aegin raised an eyebrow, "4 days, why?"

    "The West is not like other continents, Aegin. There they have established governments and systems for law. Here, where Tribes ruled all lands up until a hundred years ago when the Triad Cities were built for Trade purposes, there is no ruler but they who are the ric.h.e.s.t, and it is rare that they become that way without a foot in both sides of what you would consider the law," explained Rima.

    Aegin sighed, "I suspected as much from what I''d seen".

    He stood, then turned and walked back over to the unconscious Reni.

    "I''m sorry to say this, Aegin, but if you are under Reishin Irons, even with your rumoured skill I doubt you will be able to leave his side any time soon," said Rima sadly, "The Reishin are not to be trifled with".

    To her surprise, Aegin chuckled darkly as he picked up Reni''s body.

    "I''d worry about yourself, Rima," said Aegin, "After all, one day someone''s going to find out your a girl, and then Tigin massive body won''t be nearly enough to make them think twice".

    Then, his eyes turned red and two of his top teeth slid forth like long needles and punctured Reni''s throat.

    Rima gasped in shock, reeling back, but Aegin did nothing but stare at the both of them as he drank. Tigin didn''t move, neither did Rima. Finally, Aegin pulled back, licked along Reni''s neck, then dropped the body. With a sigh, he used his thumb to wipe away a drop of blood from his lips, then turned towards the alley entrance, "Come on, where are you holed up, I''ll walk you back".

    Something told her that Reishin Irons had severely underestimated his sway over this warrior, and that once he took it too far, he''d pay the price for it. Rima stood, looking over at Tigin. After only a second of hesitation, the big guy stood too. They''d promised to stick together. Clearly the fact that she was female didn''t bother him in the slightest.

    "We''re just a few blocks east," Tigin stated as he walked after Aegin.

    "No problem. So what were you doing out this late..."

    The conversation was surprisingly easy. Her nerves were still jittery, but Aegin had this way about him. She could tell that he didn''t completely trust them. That he was using the conversation to fish for information. But she also figured that he seemed somewhat at ease. Like a burden had somehow been lifted from his shoulders.

    He was not overly impressed by the tiny apartment with the roof half torn open that they lived in, but he let them be. Even throwing them a gold coin each on the way out, "Don''t get into trouble".

    "Feel free to drop by," Rima said.

    She didn''t know why, only that she didn''t think she''d ever regret inviting him.

 Chapter 288 - A Tale of Taxes and Thieves

    "Aegin, why are you not wearing the chain you were gifted?"

    Because I''m not a dog you can collar? Because if someone were to give a decent effort to try and kill you, I don''t think I could be bothered stopping them? Because I''m only sticking around for another week tops? Take you pick of the answer, thought Aegin. But instead he went with the classic, "I lost it".

    "Lost..." Reishin Irons turned to his assistant, "We''ll have a new one prepared for you".

    "Terribly sorry," Aegin stated, "Owning my own things is a rather new concept".

    "Yes, I imagine it is difficult," Reishin Irons stated.

    Neither of the two sounded like they meant what they said, but that was the end of their conversation.

    Aegin sighed in boredom and stood, headed for the door.

    "Where are you going, Aegin?" asked Bosca, sounding exasperated.

    Aegin paused turning back to Bosca, then he pointed to his assistant whom Aegin hadn''t bothered to learn the name of, "Do you want me to frisk him for hidden weapons?".

    The Assistant went pale as he looked a little shocked. Bosca sighed, "Why would you do that?"

    "No? Then perhaps I should investigate him for anything he may be doing to undermine you?" asked Aegin.

    Bosca frowned, "Aegin, please get to the point".

    "You are not scheduled to leave this afternoon, you have guards out in the hall, and the only one in here is him. If he and they are no threat, exactly why am I here?" asked Aegin.

    Bosca pursed his lips in clear discontent. Yeah, Aegin wasn''t exactly thrilled with this arrangement either. He''d hang around a bit longer for the gold perhaps but that was it.

    "You were hired to be a bodyguard, and-"

    "You''re still alive, there is no immediate threat, I''d say job well done," Aegin replied, "Unless of course you want to extend the job requirements? Word of warning though, with how bored I am at the moment, I''m liable to squeeze far too hard if you ask me to hold your c.o.c.k as you piss".

    For a moment nobody said a word, Bosca looked as if he was ready to burst with anger at the disrespect Aegin had just shown, instead he took a breath a spoke.

    "Your payment will be halved for the day if you leave-"

    "Deal, I''ll see you this evening in the pits," Aegin said, then he turned around and left without another word. After all, that was still 250 gold he was getting paid for doing shit all, wasn''t like he was losing out.

    ***

    Had he intended to come back here? Not really. They were two insignificant humans. Petty thieves. And yet...they had not run from him. Perhaps that was what it all came down to, the fact that they had not run nor assumed the worst after watching him feed.

    "Aegin?" asked Rima in confusion as she opened the door to him. She was one of the shortest young women he''d ever met. Barely up to his c.h.e.s.t. And so petite that one wrong move would surely snap her in two. Yet, this girl seemed tougher than she had any right to be.

    "Afternoon," Aegin said, stepping around her to come inside their little one room apartment, "I brought lunch".

    Rima frowned, "Shouldn''t you be...?"

    "I got bored," Aegin shrugged. Tigin stood from where he was sat in the corner trying to mend a jacket. His fingers were far too big for the needle so he was struggling. Aegin nodded a greeting to him, putting the food he''d brought on their little table. Rima sighed and closed the door.

    Tigin really was a big guy. He towered over Aegin, and his body was quite broad too, if a little malnourished for someone of his size.

    "Aegin...we didn''t expect to see you so soon," said Tigin.

    Aegin suddenly realised that perhaps he''d read the invitation wrongly last night. Perhaps Rima had just said it to be polite.

    "I can leave if-"

    "No, no," said Rima, "It''s fine. We''re just still wrapping our heads around the fact that someone directly below the Reishin is speaking in such informal terms with us".

    "Someone we heard about as being part of the Nine Reapers of Herguard only a year ago," Tigin added.

    "The Reapers are so well known here?" asked Aegin.

    "Of course," Rima nodded as she took one of the buns that Aegin had brought with him. She took a big bite and talked around her food, "Ehfi un ose ah eepuss!"

    Aegin frowned, turning to Tigin, who took the food much more politely, "Everyone knows the Reapers here". He translated absentmindedly and Rima nodded as she chewed and then swallowed before taking another big bite. Aegin felt he should be grateful that she was chewing at all.

    "Why though?" asked Aegin, "I mean, I know you said that it wasn''t uncommon for the higher ups in the city to have a foot in both light and shadow, but Herguard is a six week journey across the Jade Sea at best".

    "And Rene is the city that gets all the business coming from the Southern Continent," said Rima, taking a break between bites. Though she talked quickly enough that Aegin would have missed something if he wasn''t paying attention, "Do you think jewels alone are enough to appease all those Traders? Of course not! Slaves is a massive market here".

    Aegin did have to admit that he''d seen plenty of Western Slaves over his years at Herguard.

    "Where do all the slaves come from?" asked Aegin.

    Rima looked at Tigin, then back at Aegin. They both appeared somewhat paler than a few seconds ago. Tigin swallowed his mouthful before he spoke up to answer, "Have you met Reishin Irons'' tax collectors yet?"

    Aegin raised an eyebrow, "I know his treasurer".

    "No, his Tax collectors," said Tigin.

    Aegin shook his head, "Can''t say I have".

    "Well the taxes are frankly, too much for anyone to pay lawfully if they''re not on the Reishin''s payroll or under the Reishin''s protection," said Tigin.

    Aegin connected the dots, "Those that don''t pay..."

    "They get shipped off to the Slave Auctions," Rima finished.

    Aegin sighed, "That''s why there are so many thieves in the city, right?"

    Rima nodded sheepishly.

    "How much is the tax?" asked Aegin.

    "Depends on the Tax Collector''s mood," said Rima.

    Aegin frowned, "Huh?"

    Rima shrugged as if there was no need for further explanation. Tigin spoke up to explain, "When the Tax Collectors come around, they determine if you have a business, what you''ve sold that week, the amount of mouths you have to feed, the quality of your clothing and belongings. A heap of other factors. Then they tell you the tax price you are to pay to the Reishin for his continued protection and patronage".

    "It''s usually anywhere between eighty silver and five gold for those in our Sector, but it can be higher," said Rima.

    Aegin frowned, "I heard many stories about the West. None ever spoke of this. It was always about the Desert Tribes".

    Rima and Tigin frowned, "Well the Tribes aren''t on the coast".

    Aegin raised his eyebrows in surprise, glancing at Tigin, "Really?"

    Tigin nodded, "I have tribal blood sure, that''s pretty obvious, but the Triad cities and the land this side of the Lapis Harengi aren''t considered Tribal Lands".

    "The Lapis Harengi?" asked Aegin.

    Rima sighed, "Look, the Triad cities hold the balance of power on this side of the continent. Really it''s more accurate to call it a sliver a land compared to the rest of the continent, but it is also the more fertile land. Rene here in the south is the connection to the south. In the north, Fashtin is the connection to Eldovia. You may have noticed the huge mountain range in the distance to the west?"

    Aegin nodded.

    "That''s the Lapis Harengi, the Shining Peaks," Rima continued, "It''s where all the jewel mines are located. Roughly halfway along this range is a massive valley. This is where the Third Triad City Havena is located. With the trade of the west in one city, the trade of eldovia in another, and the trade of the south in another, the Triad cities, despite their activeness in what you would consider unlawfulness, are kept in balance. After all, the West isn''t like Eldovia where we have one supreme ruler, or like the south where we are divided into different countries. The Tribes have always firmly believed that the land has always been here, and that we were blessed to be placed upon it, therefore we cannot own it so much as it owns us. There are those who decree that certain lands are their traditional lands, but that is not ownership so much as a blood claim".

    "So beyond the Lapis Harengi, lie the Tribes?" asked Aegin.

    Rima nodded, "Hundreds of them. Some well-known and well-established. Some small and barely surviving, others still are nomadic. But each Tribe has their traditions".

    Aegin sighed. No wonder he felt so underwhelmed. He''d barely scratched the surface of the West.

 Chapter 289 - A Badge of Brutality

    *Eldovian Era 1714, 24th day of the 1st month*

    To Tigin and Rima''s surprise, Aegin had shown up with lunch for the next four days. At first they''d been cautious and confused about his presence, but after the first couple of visits, it became pretty clear that Aegin was not seeking them out with ill intentions.

    He encouraged them to talk a lot about the West. About it''s cultures and its development. He even coaxed them to talk about their own lives, though it became clear fairly quickly that all three of them were particularly forth coming about their origins. A few sentences each seemed to sum up their experiences.

    "I was born to an exiled tribesman and a slave woman," Tigin had offered, "Neither of them were great parents so when I was old enough I just started looking after myself".

    "My mother ran from an arranged marriage in her tribe. She had me under unwilling circ.u.mstances but she cared for me until she passed from illness when I was seven. I''ve been here ever since," Rima explained.

    "I was born into servitude, freed myself and traveled a bit only to get forced into slavery, die, and was then reborn as a Vampire," Aegin said, "And I''ve been traveling ever since".

    That term, Vampire. It had rung a bell in Rima''s mind, "Ah, then you are a pilgrim of the Chaos God".

    "Ah, what?"

    "The Chaos God," Rima said, "Admittedly I know little about him other than the fact that there were seven paths that his pilgrims could take. Vampires were one of the more prevalent I think".

    Aegin raised an eyebrow, "There is no Chaos God".

    Rima had scoffed at this, "Of course there is! The Tribes aren''t like that cowardly Holy Order. They didn''t erase a god because it scared them".

    "There are seven gods?" asked Aegin.

    Rima had just nodded. Admittedly it wasn''t Tigin''s area of expertise. He''d known there were seven gods, and that the Holy Order only worshiped six of them. It was why most people in the West didn''t except their teachings. But the Triad cities weren''t a place where one had the luxury to concern themselves with gods. Rima''s knowledge wasn''t all that much better. She knew the basics, but could not offer more than what she''d learned in passing from her mother.

    "Then, will the Tribes know more?" asked Aegin.

    Rima nodded, "Certainly. They actively worship the Seven Great Gods".

    "Which Tribe was your mother from?" asked Aegin.

    "The Blue Suns," said Rima.

    Aegin turned to Tigin, "And yours".

    Tigin shrugged, "Part of the exile was his punishment to never speak his Tribe''s name. I have no idea where my bloodlines come from".

    Aegin didn''t appear all that disappointed though as he began to discuss with them the idea of finding the Blue Suns. Tigin didn''t really care one way or the other, but Rima...he could tell that she longed to know where her mother was from the more Aegin spoke of it.

    And he did speak of it. Often. In fact, it sounded as if he''d already made the decision for them. If it was anyone else, Tigin probably would have been annoyed, but Aegin''s whims were certainly not meant to be harmful. He genuinely seemed to like Tigin and Rima, and seemed to wish for them to travel with him.

    "Do you think we should go if he asks?" asked Tigin one night as they lay on their sleeping mats.

    Rima was silent for a moment before she replied, "I want to know, Tigin. I''m sick of being stuck here with no where to go. Like I have no place. Maybe, if I find out what she left, I''ll find a purpose other than just surviving".

    It was on the afternoon of the fifth day of Aegin''s visits that the two decided to tell him that if he went, that they wanted to come as well. Aegin, despite all his bravado and menace, smiled a genuine smile, then insisted that they''d need supplies for the journey and herded them out the door and down to the market.

    First stop, new clothes. Tigin and Rima were immediately uncomfortable with Aegin paying for it all, but he''d just shrugged and asked them what else he was supposed to spend his money on if he had no need for food. They then reluctantly admitted that just this once, they didn''t mind getting clothes that weren''t full of holes and shoes that actually fit.

    Once they had clothes, Aegin sent the two of them off to get food enough for the journey to Havena, seeing as they would need to stop there to pass through the Lapis Harengi. When they met up again, Aegin had secured two horses and a cart, upon which Rima finally caved and asked when they were actually leaving.

    "Tomorrow," Aegin had replied with a grin, "I need to get the pay from tonight first".

    Tigin and Rima found themselves a little surprised, but not unhappy. Their dingy apart was hardly something to miss, and they had no friends or family except for each other.

    It was on their way back to the apartment in question, cart in tow, that they came across the tax collectors.

    They were collecting on the street from a fruit vendor. The woman was quite distressed as she tried to hand over silver, "Please, sir. I beg you, this is all I can spare. I have four children, I need the money to-"

    She was backhanded, and the coins scattered.

    "Insolence!" the tax collector snarled, "The tax you are to pay is two gold, yet you offer me 30 silver? How is this supposed to reassure Reishin Irons that you are grateful for his protection".

    At the movement of the second man, Tigin''s eyes focused on his dark figure. He stood tall, a hood over his head, and a gold chain hanging from his hip. A rather familiar gold chain.

    "Please, sir," the woman said, then turned to the second man, "Please Great Warrior Bloodthorn, I will not disappoint you, give me three days and I will gather the coin-"

    From beside him, Tigin heard a dark growl. His and Rima''s gazes snapped to Aegin, also hooded, but with a far more menacing aura as he handed off the reins of the horses to Tigin then approached the tax collector and his companion.

    The tax collector turned at the approaching figure, "Official Business of the Reishin, this is not for you to inter-"

    Aegin grabbed him around the neck and the tax collector began chocking and scratching at Aegin''s forearm immediately.

    "Th-This is an insult against the Reishin! I shall immediately dispose of-"

    The second man, the impostor, stopped his righteous speech as a throwing dagger severed the tendons in the wrist that was about to draw a blade. He screamed bloody murder as he nursed his arm and collapsed to his knees.

    "You, you will pay!"

    Aegin snarled as he continued to chock the Tax Collector, then he promptly snapped the man''s neck and let him drop to the ground dead. He turned back to the impostor, who looked quite terrified even with his hood still up.

    "I don''t take kindly to my name being sullied so," Aegin stated, "I am no brute. And my Warrior Abilities have never been used to threaten innocents. So give me one good reason why I shouldn''t kill you too".

    "I...I...I meant no offence, Great Warrior-"

    "On second thought, I think I''ll just kill you anyway," said Aegin, "Your not innocent, after all".

    Aegin leaned down and ripped the throwing dagger from the man''s wrist then cut off his pained scream.

    Aegin huffed as he looked up at Tigin and Rima, "Get whatever you left at your apartment. I''ll meet you at the western gates".

    "What are you going to do?" asked Rima.

    Aegin wiped his knife on the clothes of the fallen impostor, then flicked a couple of gold coins at the woman who had bore witness, "I''m going to show Reishin Irons the consequences for crossing the line with the wrong person. His Shin is not the only person he should fear".

 Chapter 290 - A Tool of Torment

    "��and so, Reishin, that should mean that our monthly quota is well and truly met despite the lack of trade from Herguard," Treasurer Lune concluded.

    Bosca Irons nodded in satisfaction, "Very well, moving on, wh-"

    The doors to the chamber burst open. Those around him all flinched and looked up quickly to lay on eyes on the one who had dared to interrupt this meeting. There were mixed reactions when they gauged the identity of the intruder. Some looks of disdain, others rage, but the smart ones, Aegin decided, they looked at him with fear.

    Reishin Irons was not one of the smart ones.

    "Aegin, I am finding your antics tiresome," stated Reishin Irons as the guards by the door promptly collapsed before Aegin when he paused a few metres inside the doorway.

    "That makes two of us," Aegin replied.

    Bosca''s eyes narrowed, his usually cool and unpleasant smile was not present. From the stories Aegin had heard the last few days. When Bosca lost his smile is when he should feel like death was approaching. Aegin felt nothing of the sort.

    "I have made plenty of allowances for you, but your behaviour is outright disrespectful, you are my subordinate-"

    "I am no such thing," Aegin interrupted, "We made a deal that I would make sure you live in return for generous compensation. I never agreed to be your subordinate. I make sure you stay alive, I don''t take orders".

    Bosca slammed a hand on the table, and his retainers jumped at the sudden show of rage. He stood rapidly, "Has your years as a slave dimmed your wits? A bodyguard is a subordinate of they one he guards".

    Aegin sighed, "Perhaps you should have made me sign something then, or perhaps been more careful with your words in all aspects. After all, you were very careful when you promised not to use my ''name'' for personal gain".

    Bosca''s rage was clearly still simmering, but he did not speak as he glared across the room at Aegin. Aegin held up a fist, then released what he was holding, a gold chain dangling from it, "You know, it''s the funniest thing. I was walking down the street minding my own business when I came across a companion of your tax collectors wearing this. I know it''s not uncommon, all subordinates of the great Reishin wear one, but what surprised me was when that companion was called Great Warrior Bloodthorn".

    Aegin chuckled, turning to walk around the long table in a wide birth, "Now, I don''t know about you, but I find this rather curious. I was clearly not with the Tax Collector, and I did state I lost my chain a few days ago. So how did this stranger come upon it? And better yet, how did he manage to impersonate me? Everyone in this compound knows my face so he can''t have left here without permission. Do you not think it curious, Reishin Irons?"

    "Cut to the chase, Aegin," Bosca hissed through his teeth, "As I said, your antics have grown tiresome".

    Aegin sighed, hanging his head for a moment. One second he was standing halfway across the room, and the next he stood before Bosca, the chain held between them, "Did you give the order to impersonate me? Either directly or indirectly".

    Bosca''s eyes were hateful as he replied, "A name speaks a thousand words more than anything else. Particularly the story behind that name. A name, a story, with power��to have it stand behind you is only of benefit".

    "Answer the question," Aegin hissed.

    "Of course I did!" Bosca snapped.

    There room was silent a tomb for all of a second before Aegin started laughing, taking a few steps back from Bosca.

    "Power, huh?" asked Aegin between chuckles, "You think my name will give that to you?"

    "It already has," Bosca replied with a sneer.

    Aegin''s smile faded before he spoke, "Pity you won''t get to enjoy it".

    "This is not your Arena, Aegin, you can''t simply kill-"

    Aegin was before Bosca again, one of his daggers at the older man''s throat, "A word of advice, Bosca Irons, in your next life, don''t be so quick to make a deal with power you can''t hope to comprehend or control".

    Aegin swiped the dagger across the man''s throat, only to feel a very distinct resistance he had felt only once before, a lifetime ago it seemed. His eyes widened, and he paused in shock for a moment, long enough that Bosca began to laugh at his expense.

    "You cannot harm me, Warrior Bloodthorn, the Gods offer me protection".

    Aegin looked up to see Bosca grin, the light blue transparency of a Protection Charm fading away. Aegin drew another dagger, "You know, that might had terrified me a few years ago. After all, when I first tested that Rune, it was an incredible feat. One that would shift the balance of power in the world. I would have even been terrified a few months ago when I had nothing but my mundane abilities to keep me alive".

    Bosca frowned, "What do you mean tested the Rune?"

    Aegin scoffed, "Come on Bosca, I thought you''d done your research on me. The information isn''t all that hard to find".

    The mood in the room had been full of arrogance and justice for a few seconds, now it hung there, suspended like it was going to drop.

    "The Protection Charms," Aegin explained, "They are remarkable. But if you don''t give the Crystal enough time to recharge, they will fail".

    Bosca took a step backwards, "How do you know that?"

    Aegin chuckled, then his eyes turned dark as his gaze bore into Bosca''s, "Because I''m a founding member of the company who makes them".

    The room s.u.c.k.e.d in a breath as their fates all plunged to the darkness.

    "Moonsh-"

    Bosca barely got out the word before Aegin was on him, his blades cutting every which way and with astounding speed and accuracy. The transparent blue shield flared around Bosca for but a few seconds before it shattered like sparks from a smithy, then Aegin cut his blade across Bosca''s neck before he looked at the open doors where his subordinates were running.

    "You should learn to run faster rather than sitting on your fat arrogant asses," Aegin huffed.

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 Chapter 291 - The Uncrowned Regent of Rene

    The evening had begun ordinary, just like always. The crowd had poured in, the entry fee steadily filling the facility''s coffers. The first fighters had been presented for the night, with bets placed and the crowd ready and eager to be entertained by the spilling of blood and the cacophony of hurt. But Yolder, a guard who spent much of his night patrolling the ring to make sure there wasn''t any foul �C or at least fouler play than was necessary �C and funny business going, thought the night felt different.

    It took it a couple of fights to work out what it was. The Master of the Ring, Reishin Irons, was nowhere to be seen.

    Usually he''d stand towards the back of the crowd. His view of the room clear as he ensured everything was running smoothly. It was rare that he ever came late. Though it did happen. Usually when he was caught up in other work. Yolder figured that must be it, after all, the Reishin was a busy man.

    But a handful of missed fights turned into a full hour, then a second?????then a third. Finally, Yolder thought that perhaps he better report this to his superiors to see what was going on. He made his way around the ring to the front where he signalled to the Manager.

    "What is it? I''m busy," the manager questioned quickly.

    "Is Reishin Irons indisposed tonight?" asked Yolder.

    The Manager looked up, "Why?"

    "Because I have not seen him all night," Yolder replied.

    The Manager frowned at that, muttering to himself. Though Yolder could not hear him over the din of the fights.

    "Go down to ask the guards there," said the Manager. Yolder had no reason to not know where the Manager meant. He''d just never had the honour of going down there himself, "And tell them that the Shin has sent word of his arrival. Soon".

    Yolder''s eyes widened, then scurried off immediately. If the Shin was not pleased when he came, they would all suffer for it.

    Yolder hurried to the end of the corridor, but he passed no guards. Odd. Was the Reishin even here? But Yolder could not think of where else he would be.

    Yolder paused before the large wooden doors that were the entrance to the Reishin''s main office, then glanced back down the hallway. The smell, it was stronger here, and looking at that hallway again��his instincts screamed at him.

    Yolder pushed the door open.

    The room was dark, lit only by the already dim light from the hallway. Being underground, these offices never got any natural light so torches and lanterns were always kept lit down here. But this office, there was no light at all. It was like a black hole. Yolder took a few steps inside.

    "Forgive me for my intrusion, Reishin Irons��"

    Yolder trailed off as his boot hit something. Both soft and tough. Yolder gulped, then bent down and reached out a hand, it came into contact with some sort of material. He felt along it, a coat maybe? Then��was that hair? And-

    Yolder felt something wet and sticky. His imagination running from him, his hand started to shake in fear as he lifted his hand slowly to his nose.

    Blood. Definitely blood.

    "You know��"

    Blood. A lot of blood.

    "You''re either incredibly brave, or incredibly stupid for not coming with back up," said the voice. The ring of something bell-like tinkled through the room, followed by a soft breeze. An arm suddenly wrapped around Yolder''s shoulders, and he jumped and went to shout, only to have a hand cover his mouth.

    His eyes went wide with fear as he felt a presence beside him. Suddenly, a soft light glowed in front of him. His eyes immediately recognised it as one of those special stones. No, charms they were called. That miraculous product that had come from the Southern Isles of Eldovia. The circle inside a circle rune carved into the crystal''s surface was one he recognised as the protection charm.

    "I think your Reishin Irons was stupid," said the voice, "He decided he could control me with this little crystal there to protect him. That last all of four and a half seconds. It made me think though��was that the point that turned my life around? That made me destined to follow his whims rather than my own path. He always talked about it being something we were doing together, but I knew nothing about these things other than what he told me, which was the b.a.r.e minimum at best".

    A hiss of frustration beside his ear then the figure moved away. Yolder froze, waiting in anticipation before he heard the striking of a match, and a lantern to the side lit up, then another, then another.

    As the room slowly illuminated, Yolder''s eyes took in the horror that dwelled within. At least twenty guards scattered across the room, and at the table in the centre, the corpses of Reishin Irons and his closest council, all with their severed heads balanced precariously where they used to attach to their necks.

    A figure appeared beside Reishin Irons, looking down at him with a sort of boredom in his red eyes. Yolder had never seen the Great Warrior Bloodthorn without his hood, but now he wished he''d never had the p.l.e.a.s.u.r.e. He was so much more intimidating without it. His presence overwhelming as the only live figure in a room of corpses.

    "We promised to set out on an adventure together��yet somehow, I just ended up being a follower. Always nothing but a damn follower," Bloodthorn snapped. He held the protection charm up before Reishin Irons'' vacant eyes and looked up to meet Yolder''s gaze, "But following never got me anywhere but drawn into darkness I had no d.e.s.i.r.e to be a part of. No more".

    Bloodthorn squeeze the charm in his fist, and it flared with a brighter for an instant before it shattered like glass and fell to the table before the Reishin''s body.

    Bloodthorn then moved to the side and picked up a sack that jingled as he lifted it and tossed it over his shoulder with ease, "I''ve taken my compensation. Great Shin of Rene"

    It was then that Yolder noticed that he was not alone. He''d been too terrified of the monster before him to sense the arrival of the one behind. He spun, quickly kneeling.

    Even without meeting his eyes, Yolder could tell that the Shin of Rene was an old man. Old, powerful, and in the presence of Aegin Bloodthorn, all too human. For Bloodthorn could not have been human to have done this.

    "A word of advice, old man," Aegin stated as he came to stand beside the Shin, "Be careful of who you make deals with. You could find that the one who offers you the most protection is easily the greatest threat to you. Your Reishin did not learn that lesson".

    "You will leave," the Shin ordered, his voice clear and dominant, but with a tone that was just the slightest bit wavering.

    Aegin chuckled, "I''ll be gone once I''ve cleaned out my temporary quarters. I''m not staying in this shit hole any longer".

    Then he vanished. The Shin was silent for a moment before he looked down at Yolder.

    "What is your name?"

    Yolder choked on his voice, "Y-Yolder sir".

    "Yolder��" the Shin trailed off, "Congratulations, Yolder, you are the new Reishin of Rene''s Southern Sector. I suggest you get this place cleaned up for business. I do not wish to be disappointed a second time".

    Looking over his shoulder at his predecessor, Yolder took Aegin Bloodthorn''s warning to heart.

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 Chapter 292 - A Wandering to the West

    *Eldovian Era 1714, 1st day of the 2nd month*

    "9997��9998��9999��10,000".

    Rima paused as she placed the last gold coin in the sack. It was most amount of money she had ever laid eyes on. But when she thought about 10,000 gold coins, she''d always pictured it filling up a room easily the size of their old apartment��Not ten sacks typically meant to store flour.

    What was perhaps most astounding about these ten sacks, was that Aegin didn''t seem the least bit bothered that he''d stolen most of it from the Shin. His killing of the Reishin was another matter that Rima wasn''t all that bothered by considering how everyone feared him, but the Shin? Rima wasn''t sure if Aegin was over confident, or if she was underestimating him.

    Still, one day on the road had turned into two, then three, then a week with no signs of pursuit. Neither she nor Tigin could believe that they''d managed to get away from Rene with 10,000 gold coins.

    Still, they were halfway to Havena, and considering how Aegin had turned up with another 2500 gold coins after he''d disappeared for a few hours one night, Rima was unsure how they were going to get anywhere carrying a gold mine with them.

    "We can''t just walk into Havena carrying this on a cart," she sighed.

    "We''re not," Aegin replied, "We take only 100 gold coins with us".

    "100?" asked Tigin, looking at the sacks, "Then what do we do with the rest?"

    "I''m going to bury it for a rainy day," said Aegin.

    "They''re not seeds, they won''t grow," Rima huffed.

    Aegin laughed at that, "Do you not have that saying here?"

    Rima raised an eyebrow, "What saying?"

    "Saving something for a rainy day means you''re going to keep it safe until there is trouble and you need to use it," Aegin chuckled.

    Rima blushed, "Oh. Right��well burying it won''t help either if it''s discovered. How long are we burying it for? Where will we bury it? How will we get to it when we need it?"

    "You realise that in the time it''s taken us to get halfway, I could have run to Havena from Rene and back every night?" asked Aegin.

    "You''re that fast?" asked Tigin from the driver''s seat.

    Aegin leant back in the cart on one of the sacks of gold with a self-satisfied smirk, "Probably faster if I pushed it".

    "So, you''re going to scatter the sacks across the land?" asked Rima.

    Aegin nodded, "They won''t be close together, and won''t be in easily reached or frequently passed areas if I can help it. The odds of all of them getting raided in the time we''re gone, however long that turns out to be, will be almost none".

    Almost none was better than getting raided the closer they got to Havena.

    "Alright," said Rima, "You''re leaning on the first one, better get started".

    Aegin looked at her in surprise.

    Rima shrugged, "You''ve clearly got nothing better to do, and I''ll bet that even if we keep going, you''ll find us easily".

    Aegin took a cursory glance up at the sun high above, "I''d prefer to wait for nightfall".

    "When we''re still for a long period of time and more likely to encounter raiders that Tigin and I won''t be able to handle?" asked Rima.

    Aegin opened his mouth to oppose before he sighed, turned and picked up a sack, then stood and took a step to drop off the back of the cart, "I''ll be back in a couple of hours then".

    "Take a second, you can get two done in one hit," said Rima. Attempting to pull the heavy sack but failing. Aegin sighed and stepped back up onto the cart before he vanished, a trail of dust heading south.

    "Whoa," Tigin remarked, "He really is fast".

    Silence lapsed between the two with Aegin''s absence before Tigin spoke up, "So are you sure this is what you want?"

    Rima sighed. She''d been asked this plenty of times before over the past week. Ever since Aegin had first proposed they go and find the Blue Suns.

    "I''m sure," Rima replied.

    "From what you''ve told us though, they''re nomadic," said Tigin, "The Hava Restellan is a big place with few landmarks but for the stationary tribes. We could search for years and never find them".

    "I know," Rima sighed. The Hava Restellan, the Vast Harshlands. The desert that dominated the Western side of the Lapis Harengi. She''d never laid eyes on it before, but her mother''s stories had always made her picture it as a never-ending desert that was filled with danger, mysteries, and just the slightest touch of magic. She always felt her heart pump a little faster and her soul start to sing when she imagined it. Despite his bravado, she knew Tigin felt the same way.

    Blood didn''t lie.

    "I''m sure we''ll hear something in Havena if we ask the right people," said Tigin.

    Rima nodded in agreement, "It''s more than likely".

    ***

    *Eldovian Era 1714, 9th day of the 2nd month*

    It turned out that it wasn''t so likely.

    They''d arrived in Havena, a city nestled in the valley between two sides of the Lapis Harengi Mountain Range, and had no indication of where the Blue Suns were likely to have set up a camp. In fact, most people seemed to not even recognise the name. The few that did refused to talk about them. Like it was a subject that they could not utter a word about for fear of some kind of divine punishment.

    Aegin was inclined to hand out such divine punishment if Rima hadn''t insisted that it wasn''t necessary. Despite the repeated failures, she didn''t seem overly phased by the lack of information which surprised both Tigin and Aegin.

    "Are you not disappointed?" asked Tigin, appearing legitimately confused at her demeanor.

    "Of course, I am," Rima had replied, "But how is that going to help me find what I seek? If I reserve myself to disappointment, haven''t I already given up?"

    Aegin had huffed to the side, having recently returned from a hunt. Rima and Tigin never pitied the souls he prayed on. He''d proven more than once that they were deserving of such a fate, "Positive thinking isn''t going to get us answers".

    Rima shrugged, "Probably not, but we were aware that this quest of ours would not be easy, nor would we complete it in a short time. If those in Havena, one of the Triad cities, are unable or unwilling to talk about the Tribes, it''s not entirely surprising. To get information about the Tribes, the best source is always-"

    "The Tribes themselves," Tigin finished, realising why Rima wasn''t all that unhappy about their failure, "So what? We just go out into the Hava Restellan and start asking questions?"

    "From what you''ve told me, I have a feeling they won''t take too kindly to that," said Aegin.

    "Probably not, but we''re not necessarily trying to become friends," said Rima, "From what I know, the Tribes are temperamental when it comes to strangers. If you approach them, they''re less likely to meet your demands, but if they approach you��"

    "They will?" asked Aegin.

    "Well, it''s not a definite, but it is more likely," Rima admitted.

    Tigin nodded, "That sounds about right. My father was always like that. Preferring to be left alone unless he made the first move".

    Rima nodded, "The Tribes are prideful and self-sustaining. They interact with each other only out of necessity, and only when that necessity is born from something they cannot hope to produce or remedy themselves".

    "We have little to offer them," said Aegin.

    "We have you," Rima replied.

    Aegin raised an eyebrow, "Are you using me for your own gain?"

    "Why are you around us again?" asked Tigin.

    Aegin paused in thought, then looked away, "Wandering aimlessly it is then".

    "I wouldn''t say aimlessly, that''s a sure way to die in the Hava Restellan," Rima smiled, "Think of it more like taking a route without a final destination".

    "That''s pretty much the definition of wandering aimlessly," Aegin huffed.

    "He has a point," Tigin stated.

    Rima turned to her oldest friend, "Whose side are you on?"

    Tigin shifted his big body away from Rima''s confrontational look. Aegin couldn''t help but smile at the gentle giant, "I don''t like sides".

    Didn''t they all? That was practically why they were here.

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 Chapter 293 - The Founding of a Friendship

    *Eldovian Era 1714, 15th day of the 2nd month*

    "...Old Joe, did know,

    All the rocks, from the toads,

    By the light of the day and the night life.

    But his boat, wouldn''t float,

    O''er Old Jerry''s moat,

    So the toads croaked his sorrows to the bird life!"

    Aegin clapped twice energetically as he looked to the others, "Come on! Sing it with me!"

    Tigin smiled but didn''t attempt to sing with him as Aegin launched into the verse again. Rima dug her hand into the sack beside her and withdrew a potato, hurling it as Aegin''s head. He caught it and looked at her in surprise.

    "Would you shut up? You''ve been singing the same stupid rhyme for an hour. It doesn''t even make sense," said Rima.

    "Well, don''t blame me, I didn''t write it," Aegin huffed, dropping the potato into the sack beside him.

    "Your Eldovian jingles and songs are so simple and senseless that they sound as if a child wrote them," said Rima, "Do you not have any good songs? Surely in a whole continent somebody could come up with something better".

    Well sure, thought Aegin, but he''d heard most songs from taverns and inns. And the performers there didn''t tend to make much of an effort seeing as their audience was either drunk or on their way there.

    "Wasn''t there a place called the Singing Sands in Eldovia?" asked Tigin, "Are there good songs from there?"

    "It''s a desert in the north," said Aegin, "So no".

    "Then why is it called the Singing Sands?" asked Rima.

    "Because the wind sings as it passes through the dunes," Aegin replied, "Like whistles. If you''re sick of Eldovian songs, why don''t you sing one from here. Besides, my throat''s getting parched".

    "Like you need the water," Rima huffed from behind the scarf that hid her face and neck from the heat. Nearly a week into the Hava Rastellan and they''d brown bored from the lack of scenery. Tigin had suggested they sing a few songs to keep them occupied, Aegin had been opposed at first, but he''d quickly taken over after Tigin proved to be a terrible singer.

    Rima huffed, "Fine, my mother used to sing me a lullaby once, the original is in the Western Tongue but the translation fits the tune just as well".

    "A lullaby?" asked Aegin, "Well, if you insist, but if I fall asleep, don''t wake me up. I''m supposed to be sleeping now anyway".

    Rima rolled her eyes at him, "If I knew you were going to complain so much, I would have left you in Rene".

    Aegin scoffed, "Please, I''m currently your best bargaining chip".

    "And the only one among us capable of travelling leagues to get some fresh meat," said Tigin.

    Aegin pointed to Tigin in triumph, "Exactly".

    He crossed his arms proudly and Rima sat back, "You want me to sing or not?"

    Aegin drew his fingers across his lips in the action of locking them up and then tossed the invisible key behind him.

    "Deepest oceans, and mountains tall, valleys green, and lands of gold,

    Come one, come all, come feast this night, come silver, grey, black and white.

    From the North, West, South and East, from the new lands and the old,

    Deepest caverns, and forests tall, fields green, and lands of red,

    Before, before the paths were split, from Chaos, Order''s lamp was lit.

    Sevethen did command the scale, to not be tipped or all be dead,

    But six gods all against the one, made fear their ink, and banishment writ.

    Deepest betrayals, and tales tall, monsters green, and lines of black,

    Seven pieces makes seven paths, the balance tipped gods'' regret,

    Make anew the wrongs now passed, balance called to bring Chaos back,

    Come one, come all, come feast this night, where paths unite and sins beget".

    There was a long and heavy silence as Rima''s voice faded away. Aegin''s thoughts whirled with the words in the song. He could tell the song was old. Much older than Rima''s mother, or even her parents. This song was ancient...that is of course if what it spoke of was truthful. With a sigh, and a resolve to find out eventually even if it wasn''t now. Aegin broke the silence.

    "How did you ever fall asleep to that, it''s so depressing," said Aegin.

    Rima frowned at him, "It''s supposed to be hopeful. The Legend is that at the end of time there will be a big feast that the gods will invite everyone to, and we''ll all be welcome at their table, no matter where we come from or who we associate with. I remember always thinking that to fit everyone, the table would have to be pretty big".

    "Or you''d have to wait a long time for your turn," Tigin piped up.

    "And do you think they serve blood in goblets or-"

    Rima crossed her arms with a huff, "You two are impossible. Fine, no more singing. We can go back to playing Chain-a-Word".

    Tigin huffed, "No fair, you always win that one".

    "That''s why we''re playing it," Rima replied with a self-satisfied grin.

    ***

    *Eldovian Era 1714, 23rd day of the 2nd month*

    "Aegin," Rima piped up around a mouth half-full with desert snack meat.

    Aegin looked over at her from where he sat opposite her and Tigin, sharpening his knives and the twin short swords he''d bought in Havena.

    "Can you teach me how to hunt?" asked Rima.

    Aegin raised an eyebrow, then looked around, "Well, I would if we didn''t have to spend a few hours trying to find a trace of life every night".

    Rima swallowed the meat and looked at him expectantly, "But you do find it, don''t you?"

    Aegin looked at Tigin, who also looked pretty expectant.

    Aegin sighed, "I haven''t got a bow, so you''re going to have to learn with throwing knives, not nearly as easy as you can''t aim as accurately. When you''re done I''ll teach you how to throw them, until you''re good at that, you won''t be hunting anything".

    Two weeks since they''d left Havena, and spending so much time with the two of them had allowed not only Aegin to get to know them, but also them to know him. When there was nobody else to speak to, and little else to do, it limited one''s options of pass times. Still, even with all that they''d come up with, Aegin could tell that the two of them were bored. They weren''t like him. He could run off for a few hours and find his way back with relative accuracy through scent, they couldn''t go out of sight of their cart for fear of losing their way.

    Teaching them would give them something to do, and it might mean that if they were to encounter hostile Tribes, the two might have a better chance of defending themselves if he wasn''t present.

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 Chapter 294 - An Impatient Impaler

    *Eldovian Era 1714, 18th day of the 3rd month*

    They''d actually encountered signs the Tribes after over a month in the Hava Rastellan. Though usually from a distance. The one time they''d actually interacted with a Tribe, it had only been long enough to pay them a small fee for refilling their drinking canteens in the lake that rest beside their main camp.

    Through that month, Aegin had begun to teach both Tigin and Rima how to use his throwing knives. He also endeavoured to teach them a few self-defense moves. He''d drawn the line at his short swords though. No way was he letting them near his biggest swords until they knew how to wield something like that without hurting themselves.

    When Rima had heard that excuse she''d been offended and insisted on him teaching her. Aegin had promptly put a stick about a finger in diameter and a metre and a half tall, and told her that when she could cut clean through it with the throwing knife without moving or dislodging the base half, he''d teacher her with the swords.

    After a few tries, Rima was frustrated and needed a new stick. Aegin & Tigin didn''t have to keep chopping firewood either.

    "This is pointless!" Rima had snapped after a week without success.

    "It''s not," Aegin replied, "You need to apply enough strength, you also need to ensure the blade hits it at the right angle. Until you have enough control to do both of those, you have no business wielding a bigger blade".

    "Surely the blade should be heavier," Rima huffed, at this rate I''m more likely to split your knives that the damned sticks".

    "My knives are fine," Aegin said, leaving the rest of the sentence unspoken. Rima had muttered angrily before she''d turned back to the stick.

    Aegin flicked the knife from his wrist and it landed with a thunk in the tree stump he and Tigin been aiming at for the past hour, "It''s all in the wrist".

    "I do not think throwing knives is my profession," said Tigin.

    Aegin sighed, "Well, I certainly wouldn''t volunteer to stand in front of your target".

    Tigin smiled in self-deprecation, "I would request a new executioner if I was stuck with Rima. She wouldn''t be able to take my head off in one hit and I''d be stuck half-decapitated for a few moments while she heaved up to swing again".

    Aegin chuckled at Rima''s expense. Rima, who stood a few metres from them with her stick, spun to look at Tigin, "I cut clean through it the other night".

    "You nearly did," Aegin stated, "You knocked it a few metres away where it smacked a rock and snapped the rest of the way apart".

    "I''m still getting better," Rima said.

    Aegin g.r.o.a.n.e.d. Teaching was so exhausting. He''d probably only survived it with Ebony because he only saw her once a week, and he''d been human at the time so her improvements hadn''t seemed so minuscule. Now, watching every moment of Tigin and Rima''s progress, he was reminded of how slow and repetitive training could be, "Urgh, that''s it, I need to run".

    He stood and stepped away, "Keep practicing, I''ll be back in an hour".

    "But-"

    Aegin disappeared in the next instant.

    "I really wish he''d stop doing that," Rima said, "We can''t be that bad".

    "You saw the same demonstration I did, right?" asked Tigin as he stood and walked to the stump, working the three knives from the stump and picking up another three that had clattered to the ground, "He made it look so effortless. Every time. I''m embarrassed every time he has to demonstrate again".

    "Well, what was it he said after a week and we were getting frustrated?" asked Rima.

    "That we''re only human?" asked Tigin.

    Rima frowned, "Does he realise that the way he says it is more infuriating than reassuring?"

    She swung at the stick before her again

    "Of course not..." Tigin said, "But you''re easily infuriated so..."

    Rima swung wide as she turned back to Tigin, "That''s not fair, you-"

    Tigin just smiled back at her. Rima blushed, pouting angrily as she crossed her arms, "Shut up. We can''t all be balanced, passive, giants like you".

    "Well no," Tigin agreed, "It''d be pretty boring if we all were that way though, wouldn''t it?"

    Rima couldn''t help but smile, "Come on, the sooner we get this, the sooner he''ll start teaching us something more exciting".

    She turned back to her stick and Tigin turned back to the stump.

    Taking a breath, Rima drew back and swung the knife. But rather than hitting the stick, the ring of metal on metal rang out, and the resistance that Rima felt was suddenly pushed back at her The knife was thrown from her hand, and she spun towards the culprit in shock.

    He was not nearly as big as Tigin, but his skin was just as dark. With eyes that appeared red at first in the low glow of the fire behind her before she realised he was wearing a sort of circlet on his brow that cast a red light over his eyes from the thin rubies embedded in it. His eyes were in fact an amber shade, his jaw strong. He had long black ropes of hair that were held back from his face by the circlet, and tied stiffly down his back.

    He moved his sword beneath Rima''s chin.

    "Curious, the little game you''re place with a knife and a stick, though it doesn''t appear very useful," he said, his voice deep, but not as much as Tigin''s.

    Rima risked a glance over at Tigin, who stood with a man in similar dress on either side of him, one with short-cropped hair, the other with his hair in a plait down his back.

    "What is your purpose here?" the man threatening Rima asked. Rima snapped back towards him.

    "We''re looking for a Tribe," said Rima, figuring honesty was the best policy, "My mother''s Tribe".

    He raised an eyebrow, "You do not look like a Tribesman. More like those half-blood Triads".

    Rima frowned. He''d said it like she was dirty.

    "So what? We''re still half Tribesman," Rima replied.

    He smirked, chuckling lowly, "Tribesman are born in Tribes. They live in Tribes. You and your friend appear to be familiar with neither, or you wouldn''t have crossed through territory that is spoken for so uninhibited".

    Rima sighed. Realising that without Aegin, they really were pretty defenseless, "What do you want?"

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 Chapter 295 - An Epic of Exile

    At Rima''s question, the Tribesman raised an eyebrow in curiosity.

    "I think we should the ones asking that," he said, "You are on our territory after all".

    Rima bit her tongue in order to keep from snapping back that the Tribes technically didn''t believe in the ownership of land. What right had she to say such things? Clearly her mother''s knowledge had not alluded to everything.

    "We''re looking for a Tribe," Tigin stated from behind her.

    The Tribesman''s gaze turned to him, "And which Tribe would that be?"

    "The Blue Suns," Tigin replied.

    The Tribesman around them all seemed to recognised the name before the one before Rima dropped his sword, planting it on a rock before him and leaning on it, "Then you best turn back around, lest you want death to find you".

    Rima frowned, "They kill strangers?"

    The Tribesman huffed, "No, the Blue Suns are one of the most successful Tribes because they are far more sociable than others, or rather, were".

    At this stage, any information about the Blue Suns was welcome. Rima pressed him, "Were?"

    "The Blue Suns were supressed by the Black Sands nearly two decades ago now when they revoked on a marriage alliance. The Black Sands took man of Blue Suns'' lands and resources as compensation, any surviving remnants of Blue Suns are targeted by them as well. They keep to themselves now," said the Tribesman.

    Rima''s gaze dropped in disappointment. Her mother had caused this? It had to be. Her mother had fled an arranged marriage after all. She looked over at Tigin who also looked disappointed.

    "What''s your business with such a Tribe anyway?" asked the Tribesman.

    Tigin looked up at the question, turning to Rima. Clearly indicating that it was her decision whether to tell them or not.

    Rima sighed, turning back to the Tribesman, "The Blue Suns are my mother''s Tribe. I guess I was hoping to find some kind of purpose there".

    The Tribesman seemed to measure her for a moment with his amber gaze before his picked up his sword and sheathed it, the two others near Tigin followed suit.

    "I see you''re of no threat to my Tribe, and despite being a Triad, your quest is a noble one that I cannot find fault in," he said, "In saying that, I cannot help you, we have not heard word of the Blue Suns in well over five years. We believe they fled south to escape the Black Sands hunting parties, but we cannot be sure, and you can guarantee that there will be few Tribes willing to offer you as much information as we have".

    "Yes, that has been the general feeling. We''ve been in the Hava Rastellan for over a month and you are the first Tribe to freely offer such information," said Rima, "Thank you for that".

    The Tribesman actually smiled at her then. He''d appeared so mean and intimidating beforehand, now though, the smile seemed genuine.

    "What''s your name, boy?" asked the Tribesman.

    It occurred to Rima then that she''d been with Aegin and Tigin for so long that she???d forgotten that prior to their journey she had in fact been posing as a boy. She then frowned in the knowledge that she didn''t like being referred to as a boy now that she''d gotten so comfortable with Aegin and Tigin knowing she was a girl.

    She crossed her arms over her c.h.e.s.t, "Rima".

    The Tribesman seemed to realise his mistake with the feminine sound of her name. He cleared his throat awkwardly.

    "Right, well, it''s cold out here at the best of the times, and we aren''t the only ones out here," he said, "Surely you''d prefer a proper bed and meal for a few nights to recuperate before you go wherever you''re going".

    Rima''s frown disappeared as she glanced back at Tigin in surprise.

    "You''re offering us a place to stay?" asked Tigin.

    The Tribesman shrugged, "You''re not a threat".

    The arrogant way in which he said it indicated that he wasn''t going to give a further explanation, it also told them all they needed to know about their Tribe. Whichever Tribe that was. Was it rude to ask now that they''d gotten an invitation? That seemed like something one should know beforehand.

    "Well-"

    A familiar sigh of frustration interrupted her as a new arrival came from the far side of the fire pit.

    "I leave you two for less than half an hour, and somehow you find trouble. I left you to practice," Aegin frowned, turning to Aegin, "You didn''t accidently throw a knife at one did you?"

    Tigin shook his head, "No, I-"

    Aegin spun to Rima, "Then did you threaten them?"

    Rima''s lip curled up in annoyance, "Fortunately, that joy currently belongs to you alone".

    Aegin smirked, he folded his arms, lifting one hand up as his fingernails extended into long claws and his lavender eyes started to blend into red, "Well then, am I going to get to have a decent meal tonight-"

    "No," Rima snapped.

    Aegin paused, surprised. He cleared his throat as he looked away, his claws retracting as he cursed under his breath. When he turned back, his eyes were lavender in shade once more, "Then does somebody want to tell me who our visitors are?"

    "You''re of Chaos," observed the Tribesman behind Rima. Rima turned to looked over her shoulder at him. He seemed legitimately shocked.

    Aegin seemed surprised as well, "Ah, yes?"

    The Tribesman''s expression sobered, "Excuse my rudeness, we encounter your kind so rarely. It''s an honour".

    "My kind?" asked Aegin.

    The Tribesman nodded, "Yes, someone who walks one of the paths of Chaos. Though from what I can tell, you are no Djinn".

    Aegin tilted his head, "That��no. I''m not��What''s a Djinn?"

    The Tribesman looked legitimately confused as to why Aegin didn''t know, "The Djinn are powerful sorcerers. If you gain one as a friend, they are bound to grant you any wish you d.e.s.i.r.e".

    Aegin''s eyebrow rose, "Huh. Well I''m not so much the wish granting type, more like a, find my own path, not take orders, kind of guy".

    The Tribesman nodded, "Many paths are, though within their own individual restraints. I was just offering a place to stay for the night to Rima and��?"

    The Tribesman seemed to realise he hadn''t asked for Tigin''s name.

    "Tigin," the man in question promptly replied.

    "Right, to Rima and Tigin, you are welcome to come as well".

    Rima frowned, "I guarantee that if anyone is going to be a threat to your Tribe, it''ll be him".

    The Tribesman frowned, "Those who walk one of the paths are blessed individuals chosen by the God of Chaos himself, how could we turn them away?"

    Aegin snorted, "I don''t feel all that blessed, but sure, I''ll come along, the name''s Aegin".

    The Tribesman smiled at being offered the name and nodded his head in greeting, "I am Sevin of the Ruby Eyed Snake Tribe. Come, I''m sure there will be plenty back in the village that wish to speak with you".

    The ''you'' clearly meant Aegin. Though to Rima, Aegin didn''t seem to reciprocate the excitement.

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 Chapter 296 - A Ballad for Balance

    *Eldovian Era 1714, 19th day of the 3rd month*

    The group set off towards the Ruby Eyed Snake Tribe''s village just a few minutes after the introductions were given. Aegin had taken over the reins of the cart, letting Rima and Tigin sleep in the back. Sevis had ridden his own horse beside Aegin, which he had gone to retrieve as Aegin, Rima and Tigin packed away their things. The other two Tribesman, Jahelo and Kaedan, brought up the rear.

    There were several minutes of companionable silence before Tigin and Rima, both exhausted, fell asleep.

    "So how is it that you come to know so much about the paths of Chaos?" asked Aegin.

    Sevis looked over, surprised, "What do you mean?"

    "Well, my exposure to it has been minimal at best despite me now being a part of it. I just wondered how you and those here in the west seem to know so much more, even Rima knew more than I did," Aegin said, "It was quite disconcerting".

    "You��you are unaware?"

    "It''s not common knowledge where I come from. In fact, I didn''t even realise there was a seventh god until I came here. The Holy Order only worsh.i.p.s six," said Aegin.

    "I see, that is quite disturbing," said Sevis, "After all, the world needs balance, and to only support those gods who represent the balance of the physical and natural elements is��well it does not sound right".

    "You say natural elements, then is chaos unnatural? How can there be a God for it if it is unnatural?" asked Aegin.

    Sevis chuckled, "You misunderstand. Chaos is not something that can be touched or seen with the n.a.k.e.d eye, it can only be felt and experienced through one''s soul. It is a spiritual aspect that balances the hefty weight of the six worldly aspects".

    "We are all born with the potential for both Order and Chaos, for good and evil, physical deeds and spiritual. The goal of one''s life should be to reach a balance between the two," said Sevis.

    "I may not know much, but I know that Order is no longer welcome in my life," said Aegin, "I cannot be balanced".

    "Balance is achievable within those of us who remain human," said Sevis, "From my understanding, the purpose of those that walk either the paths of chaos, or those of order, is not one of internal balance, but external. The Paths and those that walk them are like the origins and conduits of the world''s energy. When they come into conflict, it is not in fact themselves but the world they are influencing".

    Aegin suddenly felt all too small.

    "But, as I said, I have only the barest understanding, my knowledge lies in that of a warrior for my tribe, not a spiritualist," said Sevis, clearly realising Aegin''s sudden discomfort. They were silent for a while before Sevis spoke up again, "If it is not rude of me to ask, what is your path?"

    Aegin glanced over, hesitant for all of a second before he responded.

    "I am a Vampire".

    Sevis nodded, an expression of enlightenment on his face. Not fear or caution like Aegin expected, "One of the Chaos Paths that is more prevalent, and the cost of which is far more obvious than others".

    "The cost?" asked Aegin. He only had a vague understanding of such things.

    Sevis nodded, "This world is all about balance. The Chaos paths have great power on their own, but each path comes with something that must be sacrificed to disentangle them from Order and bring them fully onto Chaos'' path. As I understand it, you must take your power from the blood of the living, yes?"

    Aegin nodded, "What about the Djinn? What do they sacrifice?"

    "No one is really sure. Some of the Chaos paths are more obscured than others. What I do know is that it''s quite rare," said Sevis, "There is only two recorded instances of our tribe encountering a Djinn, but both times it altered the entire Tribe''s path".

    "Oh?" asked Aegin, interested.

    Sevis nodded, "The first was about ten thousand years ago. At least from what the Elders say, it could be longer than that because we don''t keep many written histories like I''ve heard other peoples do. Anyway, one of the chief''s sons found the Djinn nearly dead. He didn''t know it was a Djinn, and brought it back to the village to heal it. At that time our Tribe was only just starting, and we were nomadic. We were struggling to survive, so when the Djinn awakened and told the Chief''s son that he''d grant him a wish for saving him, he wished for the Tribe''s health and security. Both were granted. Our Tribesman from those original bloodlines rarely die of disease because of it".

    Aegin raised his eyebrows. To ensure something like that for so many generations? That was some power. And such a good deed. Sure it was in return for something, was it perhaps the cost? That the Djinn could grant anything wished of it so long as something had been done to satisfy it in return? It seemed a little simple though. Sevis continued.

    "The second instance was about two thousand years later. A daughter of the Tribe was bitten by a deadly snake. Just then, a Djinn happened to be travelling nearby. He promised to save her if only she wished for it. She wished that the snake''s venom wouldn''t kill her, and so she lived. The Tribe was so honoured and grateful that they named the Tribe after the snake and colour of the Djinn''s eyes. I thought you were a Djinn at first with your red eyes, but you did not behave like a Djinn," Sevis said.

    "Oh, and how is a Djinn supposed to behave?" asked Aegin.

    "They are considered gods on the Hava Rastellan. To treat them or see behaviour less than that is not likely," Sevis spoke gravely, "After all, the Djinn are not always so gracious. I''ve heard that some Djinn are quite malicious, they''ll slaughter and ruin and destroy whatever displeases them".

    Sevis glanced at Aegin, as if unsure if Aegin would do the same. Aegin just smiled.

    "Well hey, if you don''t do anything that could harm me, I don''t have a problem with you. The last guy who did, his blood probably still coats his meeting table," Aegin said.

    Sevis paused a moment, as if to test if Aegin was kidding, then he relaxed, "If he stood against you, he probably deserved his fate".

    Aegin raised an eyebrow, "Are you saying that because I walk a path of Chaos, or because you believe in my judge of character? Because I''ve only known you a few hours".

    Sevis shrugged, "Perhaps a bit of both". He then nodded towards Tigin and Rima, "But you don''t seem to have mistreated them and you''ve been with them for over a month, yes?"

    "If word is to be believed, a month is nothing to me, I''ll live forever," said Aegin.

    "Time is relative, yes, but the fact that you question it tells me you haven''t been walking your path long," said Sevis.

    Aegin huffed and turned away, "You''re very intuitive".

    "It''s my job," said Sevis, "My father would expect nothing less".

    Aegin frowned, "Don''t you wish for something that your father doesn''t?"

    "What do you mean?" asked Sevis.

    Aegin sighed. Why had he said that? He hardly wanted to reminisce, he gave Sevis the shortest excuse he could muster, "Fatherly expectations are hard to live up to".

    Sevis opened and closed his mouth for a moment in thought before he replied, "You''re right. Perhaps I''d like to travel someday, but for now, I am happy. That is enough. Ah, there''s the village".

    Sevis pointed to the normally flat horizon where now several islands and towers of rock seemed to surround one area. As they drew closer, it was clear that that area was the Ruby Eyed Snake Tribe''s village. A large lake and a forest rested there, as well as a few small fields of what appeared to be wheat and perhaps another grain. Then, in the centre of it all, was a series of round, 1 storey structures that appeared to be made from sandstone. Various pieces of canvas billowed between them, barrels, bots and stacks of various items pressed against the sandstone walls.

    Aegin nodded, seemed like a humble enough place. It was still dark, so there did not seem to be anyone up but a few guards at the main entrance as they approached. Aegin sighed. Let''s hope the rest of the village was as welcoming to him as Sevis.

 Chapter 297 - The Visiting Vagrants

    The Ruby Eyed Snake Tribe''s village was nothing like Rima expected. It was so��sophisticated. She felt bad for not considering the fact that the Tribes could lead lives that appeared better in comparison to the one that she and Tigin had led in Rene. In fact, it was pretty insulting that she hadn''t considered it.

    Tigin too looked amazed. Despite the fact that the Tribesman perhaps led a simple life, they had everything they needed, and there was no doubt that they were happy and comfortable. Tigin, Rima and Aegin all received cautious looks at first, but upon noticing how comfortably Sevis spoke with them, they all nodded in greeting before moving on with whatever they were doing. Rima had only gotten a couple of hours sleep in the small hut that Sevis had showed them to. He said it was one that had been erected for guests, and apologised for the uncleanliness as it had been a while since it had been occupied. But Rima couldn''t find it in her to care as she collapsed onto the bed in exhaustion.

    Aegin had had to drag her out of the hut the next morning when the Chieftain of the Tribe and the Elders had requested to meet them.

    Sevis guided the three of them through the village, there appeared to be no set streets, with some huts closer to each other than others. Sevis said it was common for extended family or blood brothers to have such close bonds.

    The Tribe, he explained, had about 2,000 members. Unfortunately, the little area they called home could not accommodate many more than that, so it was traditional for many young men and women who came of age to go out and either join other Tribes or start their own. They were by no means the largest Tribe though, some, like the Black Sands, had an excess of 10,000 members, and did not encourage their members to leave, hence they only grew bigger. But the constant conflicts on the Hava Rastellan, as well as frequent droughts and other dangers, meant that death was all too common, probably why the populations of the Tribes remained stagnant.

    The Large hut in the centre of it all was the Meeting Hall. A large free area was open in front of it for gatherings and celebrations of the whole Tribe, but for the most part those that frequented the Meeting Hall were the Chieftain, his advisors, and the elders.

    "Any etiquette we should know about?" asked Tigin cautiously before they stepped in.

    Sevis had shrugged quite nonchalantly, "Just be respectful I suppose".

    Then he ducked inside without further explanation. Tigin looked quite taken aback. Aegin pushed him inside after Sevis and Rima followed them.

    The inside was just a large room, the Canvas roof easily letting in enough natural light for them to see by without candles or torches. A sunken firepit sat in the centre, though it was not burning, and around the room were various tables with stacks of food, weapons, clothing, blankets, maps and various other items. Behind the firepit was where ten figures. Four of them far older than the rest and each wearing a decorated necklace, so Rima immediately assumed these were the Elders.

    The Chieftain was a middle aged man of large stature, identified by the fact that he was the only one in the hall sitting on a chair. On his left stood a woman who looked to be of similar age, eyes warm by fierce, a strange combination that seemed to work for her as she was no doubt the Chieftain''s wife. To the Chieftain''s left stood two individuals, one a man who appeared the largest in the room, he was quite intimidating with his arms crossed over his c.h.e.s.t and a scar down the left side of his face. Then a rotund woman who was intimidating in her own way as well. The remaining two figures stood off to the left as if observers, they were younger, but had a remarkably similar appearance to Sevis.

    The reason why became clear as Sevis arrived before the Chieftain and bowed his head in greeting.

    "Father, the visitors from afar," he stood to the side and swept his arm across to each of them in turn, "Tigin, Aegin of the Chaos, and Rima, a distant daughter of the Blue Suns".

    The Chieftain nodded, "And you vouch for them?"

    Sevis nodded, "They are of no threat to our Tribe, I offered them a place to rest for a few days only".

    The Chieftain waved a hands, "Very well, stand with your brothers, Sevis".

    Sevis nodded, moving over to the two young men. Huh, so he was one of the sons of the Chief. The third by the looks of him compared to the other two.

    "You, Tigin, was it? You appear to be of Tribal Blood as well, what Tribe do you hail from?" asked the Chieftain.

    Tigin cleared his throat, "I was born in the Triad city of Rene, Sir, all I knew of my father was that he was exiled, he never spoke the name of his Birth Tribe".

    The Chieftain frowned but nodded, "I see, then, despite your appearance, you are in fact a Half-Blood, correct?"

    Tigin nodded, "I am, Sir".

    The Chieftain was silent for a moment before he spoke, "Then so long as you cause no trouble in my Tribe I have no problem with you staying here. To condemn you for the sins of your father seems excessive".

    "Thank you, Sir".

    The Chieftain then turned to Rima, "A daughter of the Blue Suns, was it? You appear half-blood as well, though".

    Rima nodded, though she was getting tired of their clear caution against those who only had one parent that was a Tribesman, "That is correct, Sir. My mother hailed from the Blue Suns, but like Tigin I was born in Rene".

    "Your mother''s name?" asked the Chieftain.

    Rima hesitated, she''d been able to hide the fact that her mother was likely the woman who had escaped the marriage that had condemned her Tribe from Sevis, but she doubted she''d be able to hide it from the Chieftain. She contemplated lying, but then figured it was better that she show this Tribe the respect they deserved after offering her such hospitality, "Elva, Sir".

    The Chieftain raised an eyebrow at the name, and whispers broke out amongst the elders on either side.

    One of the Elders, a woman, spoke up, "You are the daughter of Elva of Blue Suns?"

    "Were you aware of your mother''s crimes?" asked the same Elder.

    Rima frowned, "I was aware that she ran from a marriage that had been arranged without her consent. As for the events following her departure, she was quite unaware, and as such so was I until Sevis informed me last night when we met".

    "Your mother is responsible for the devestation of a Great Tr-"

    "And we have decided that putting the crimes of the parents on the shoulders of their children is too cruel, yes?" asked the Chieftain, instantly drawing the command of the room.

    "Sir, if the Black Suns are to learn of her existence-"

    "Then it is imperative that the information of Rima''s origin not leave this hall, correct?" asked the Chieftain.

    The Elder levelled him with her gaze before she turned away with a sigh. The Chieftain turned back to Rima, "Is that understood?"

    "It is, Sir," said Rima, "I would wish no harm to come upon any Tribe, let alone one that has so graciously offered us sanctuary, even for a short time".

    The Chieftain nodded, "You certainly have the same kind heart as your mother, though she was always a bit of a free spirit. Marriage to Gryffyn of Black Sands did not suit her".

    "Agreed," his wife spoke up from beside him. Rima turned to her as she smiled, "You have the same beauty as your mother did. Is she well?"

    Rima opened her mouth then closed it again.

    "I see," said the chieftain''s wife, "I am sorry for your loss, child. Was it a good death?"

    Rima sighed, "The Triad Cities are cruel to those who cannot earn enough gold to speak for them. My mother grew sick from over-work, and succ.u.mbed to it a decade ago".

    A moment of silence drew out for the loss of a Tribesman, even one not their own, then the Chieftain sighed, "We are sorry to hear that. The Tribes never held fondness for the Triad cities. The initial intention to trade with far-off lands was a noble and great endeavour, but the more we interact with the cities, we more we come to know how far astray they have been led. The places we may have once called brothers are now nothing like their ancestors, and they grow further from us with each passing year. Which makes it all the more strange that one of those from a distant land would come here, and of a Path of Chaos too if my son is to be believed".

 Chapter 298 - A Canon of Chaos (I)

    The room turned to look at Aegin, who, to his credit, did not shrink back from the gazes.

    "I am a Vampire looking for my way in the world," said Aegin simply, "I got into some trouble with the Holy Order where I was, and decided to come to a place where their influence was not so deeply felt. Since coming here, I have only learned more about myself and my path''s origins. More than I ever thought was possible. If you will allow me, I do wish to know as much as you can tell me of the Chaos God and his paths".

    "You do not know already?" asked another female elder, looking somewhat confused. She looked to her fellow elders, silent communication passing between them before she turned back to him, "Then if knowledge is what you d.e.s.i.r.e, Aegin of the Chaos, I will gladly tell you what I have come to know. But your understanding will be vastly different from my own," said the Elder.

    "You do not fear the fact that I am a Vampire?" asked Aegin.

    The Elder shook her head seriously, "No, the cost you pay may be inescapable on your path, but it does not define your character".

    Aegin was silent, and Rima turned to look at him, surprised that he was not speaking up. He was still, more so than Rima had ever seen him. She turned to the Elder, "Perhaps later this evening, Aegin is used to sleeping during the day, after all".

    The Elder smiled warmly, "Of course. My name is Cara, you may seek me out at my home near the fields. It is the Bein with the red canvas".

    Rima nodded in thanks, her hand reaching out to touch Aegin to offer him some form of comfort. Surprisingly, he flinched.

    "Right," he said suddenly, "Excuse me for my rudeness".

    Then he vanished in a blast of wind.

    Rima looked and Tigin, but he looked just as shocked, he turned back to the chieftain apologetically.

    The Chieftain shook his head, "No need for apologies. None of us are on the paths, we cannot understand his burden, but I''m sure he will seek Cara out in his own time. Please, the Visitor Bein is yours to stay in for as long as you need it. I would be honoured if you joined us for the evening meal tonight".

    Rima nodded, "Thank you".

    ***

    Aegin huffed in disappointment. Not at the Elder''s words, but at himself. Of course he had known that what Cara had said was right before she had said it, but somehow he''d found himself on a downwards spiral of referring to himself as a monster, as something to fear. Even when Rima and Tigin had accepted him, he''d refused to feed in front of them besides the original incident when he''d thought to terrify them.

    Because that was what the Hunger had wanted. Terrified victims to chase.

    But the Hunger wasn''t him. It wasn''t his d.e.s.i.r.es or values as an individual, it never would be. And yet, he had let it define him all the same. He was just like��just like the Other.

    Aegin clenched his teeth in frustration. No, this was not how his journey was self-discovery was supposed to go. He was not supposed to sympathise with those that had left him to this fate and abandoned him.

    You abandoned them.

    I DID NOT!

    Aegin punched out at the solid rock beside him. It gave a thunderous crack at the impact and shattered, dust and debris filling the air around him. Aegin sat down in place, holding his head in his hands.

    He needed more information. Maybe knowing more would lead him to another path. One that didn''t involve the Other. One that was better.

    ***

    Cara was humming to herself and mixing a herbal soup in a pot over a fire when Aegin finally found the will to look for her and not rampage at her words.

    "I apologise for earlier," said Aegin.

    Cara just smiled and pointed to the seat opposite her, "As out Chieftain stated after your departure. We cannot understand what you are facing, better to take a moment to yourself than take an alternate path you are more than capable of taking".

    She sipped the herbal soup, the smell��it wasn''t entirely unpleasant. Aegin wondered what she''d put in it to make it so. She took a ladle and spooned some into a bowl, passing it over to him.

    "Come, drink-"

    "I don''t-"

    Cara chuckled, "Yes, I am aware, I assure you, this will not taste like dirt to your unique palate".

    Aegin eyed her for a moment before he took the bowl, then took an experimental sip. He paused for a moment as his fangs ached in the tops of his gums and his tastebuds sang. Just like he was drinking��

    "It is mountain goat blood mixed with some fresh herbs," said Cara as she took a sip of the stuff herself, "Quite nutritious for the skin and my old heart".

    Aegin gave a small smile before taking another drink, "Thank you, I did not realise I could drink it like this".

    Cara shrugged, "Cold blood or blood from the dead is often not nutritious at all, no, but Litria, a herb we grow here, is quite helpful is preventing it from congealing into goop as it cools. The fresher the blood the better, but heating it and adding Litria helps too".

    "Quite the appetite," said Cara, "I always did wonder how much was necessary".

    Aegin paused a moment before he replied, "The Hunger never leaves. I had to learn the difference between it be satiated and me being full. The truth is it will never be satiated. But I was full about three bowls ago".

    "Ah, I see," said Cara, "I imagine that is why they call your path that of Gluttony, no?"

    Aegin nodded.

    Cara sighed, "Well, if you d.e.s.i.r.e to know more of Chaos, I can tell you, but perhaps it would be best if you tell me what you do know first".

 Chapter 299 - A Canon of Chaos (II)

    Aegin shook his head, "Though I cannot be certain, where I come from, Chaos is all but a myth, scarcely even remembered, let alone spoken of. The Holy Order has ensured its remnants are non-existent. My��this path was one that was introduced to me through unconventional means, and which was thrust upon me unwillingly. I know there is no way back, so I journey to find a way to accept this��darkness".

    The Elder raised an eyebrow, "It is not darkness, it is Chaos. Darkness and Shadow is the realm of one of the Gods of Order. Perhaps the Chaos may present as a shadow to you, but it is only presenting as such because it is what you perceive".

    Aegin frowned, "The��other like me��he could control shadows, he drew power from them".

    Cara shook her head, "Perhaps that is what he views Chaos as. But he is not drawing power from the shadows themselves, but rather, the power of what is unknown that lies within shadow. Chaos is a Spiritual concept after all. It can manifest in an infinite number of forms, all dependant on the wielder and how they perceive chaos".

    Aegin thought for a moment.

    "The Djinn, Sevis said that they have appeared here before, what can you tell me of them?" asked Aegin.

    Cara thought for a moment, "The Djinn''s path is that of Envy. While no one is truly certain of the cost the Djinn pay, I believe it has something to do with their wish granting ability. Perhaps the cost of having such an all-powerful ability is the fact that it may only be used on others, never on their own d.e.s.i.r.es".

    It seemed plausible, but Aegin was not so convinced.

    "What of the other paths?" asked Aegin.

    "Well, I know Dragons walk the path of Greed, their cost is similar to your Gluttony, but rather than blood, they hunger more tangible things, riches, territory, power. They have all but faded into myth though, as not one has been seen in many thousands of years. Come believe they flew up to the realm of the gods to join them, but I find that doubtful," Cara stated, "Then there are the Werewolves, who walk the path of Wrath. They are not common here, in fact I have never heard stories of them here, so I do not know much other than they take the form of both wolf and man. Of the remaining three paths, not much is known. They are elusive and tend to keep to themselves. The S.u.c.c.u.b.u.s follow l.u.s.t, said to feed on the emotions and d.e.s.i.r.es of their victims. The Kitsune and Nogitsune, better known as the Foxes, walk the path of Sloth. They are sly and clever, but they keep to themselves so nobody truly knows much about them. And the final path, that of Pride, so little is known about it that we do not even know what form it takes. Only that it is the closest path to the God of Chaos himself".

    Aegin swallowed. Cara, the Tribes, they knew so much more than he''d thought possible.

    "I hope this is not rude of me, but may I know where it was you began your path?" asked Cara, "After all, if you know so little clearly it is not like here".

    Aegin shook his head, "No, it is not��my human life ended quite abruptly. I was a slave in the Warrior''s Arena for over two years, waiting for a rescue that came too late. In my attempts to escape, I was poisoned by��well, I don''t know exactly what it was, only that it was dark and caused death in its victims almost instantly. The only reason I survived longer is before my body absorbed it through my skin. Still, when the rescue did come as we escaped, he insisted that this was the only why I could have survived. That I would have spent an eternity in some kind of darkness otherwise. I don''t see how this fate was any different".

    Cara thought for a moment before she spoke, "Did you say the Warrior''s arena?"

    Aegin looked up, "You know of it?"

    Cara nodded slowly, "It is on Herguard Island, yes?"

    Aegin nodded in confirmation.

    "Such a strange place, Herguard, shrouded constantly in mist and treacherous to all but it''s owner and subordinates," said Cara, "It sounds almost like the work of a Djinn".

    Aegin''s eyes widened, "A Djinn?"

    Cara nodded, "Such circ.u.mstances, kept up so close to the border of a massive continent, with hoards of pirates and pillages and slave-traders. I would wager that only a Djinn''s wish-granting power could accomplish such a feat for a long time, especially the extended life of Herguard''s Master. The centuries he lived is quite unnatural for a human. But for a human that wishes for it?"

    Aegin frowned, "I thought the Djinn only grant one wish per deed done for them".

    Cara shook her head, "No, the Djinn grant wishes for a price. Sometimes it is something done for them, but other times the Djinn take something in return. A memory, a life of someone close to you, an item of sentimental value. It depends on the wish".

    The prospect made Aegin think. Why was it the Madame had been so intent to escape? Ebony had said that she and the Master had kept wishing. That they''d wished and wished and wished until they''d realised how much they had lost.

    "The Djinn��" Aegin asked cautiously, "Where do they store the things they take?"

    Cara shrugged, "I do not know, that would be a question for a Djinn".

    "Is it��" Aegin hesitated, "Is it possible that because they are the path of Envy, they take the things that they d.e.s.i.r.e for themselves? That they take the things they envy in others?"

    Cara thought for a moment, "It is certainly a high possibility, but that does not explain why they would return the favour with a wish. After all, you do not have to return anything to your meals, no?"

    Aegin sighed, "No".

    Cara frowned, "Perhaps the cost of a path is directly related to the power on possesses. After all, it cannot be easy to maintain enough energy to grant whatever wish one d.e.s.i.r.es".

    Aegin nodded. This was a fair possibility. But it also meant that his path, his cost, was far easier than some of the other paths.

    Perhaps, despite all he had suffered, he''d gotten off easily by taking this path of Chaos.

 Chapter 300 - Not a (sorry)

    Hello all!

    Author of the Monster Inside Chronicles, Jelim here!

    First of all, I''d like to thank everyone for their dedication and support in following and reading this novel. Your comments and continued support are always appreciated and serves as great motivation for me.

    So much motivation in fact that I''ve spent the last week planning the wider world of The Monster Inside, including several other stories apart from those in The First Vampire that you''ve read here so far.

    And Woo, is it big!

    Thanks to that though, I''ve gotten carried away and haven''t really spared time to write for Aegis of Aegin in the past week... (I got excited, it happens...)

    As such, I''m going to have to go on break for Aegis of Aegin for a week. I''ll be back on September 6th at the normal time.

    BTW, September 7th is totally Rassa''s birthday...Was totally wondering what I could give fans of the books to celebrate this occasion, these were some of things I came up with but were knocked back for various reasons:

    I considered trying to design some merch to sell via my *******. Decided against that in the end because I''m not an artist and employing someone to do it within a week seems a bit late - maybe next year.

    I thought (comically) about donating blood (still makes me laugh) - I can''t though because I''m partially aneamic and I''m Coeliac so I don''t think I''m allowed. It seems rude of me to ask my fans to join me in this initiative if I can''t do it myself (though to anyone that does do this/chooses to do this to celebrate, I''m sure your efforts would be much appreciated by many people and I''d love to hear about it if you do!)

    I also contemplated donating to some kind of food-based charity (A. we''re in a pandemic and a lot of people less fortunate are struggling, and B. I figured gluttony=food). Down side is I couldn''t find many that were global and I know many of my readers probably don''t have the means to donate so this seems a bit much. - Still, maybe something to revisit another time.

    In the end, I''ve decided that something that I can give everyone freely is a glimpse into my current plans for Monster Inside: The First Vampire. Namely, my plans to publish the books and other proposed ideas for The Monster Inside Chronicles.

    Of course, this will start with a redrafting of the first vampire series as there are many parts I believe I can write better now that it''s 18 months since I started. So, on my *******, Discord, Facebook Page and Twitter on Rassa''s Birthday, I''ll be showing you the current books that are proposed for The Monster Inside, as well as my plans for when I rewrite The Birth of a Monster later this year (sorry, but this rewriting will likely push back Book 4 plans, but it was going to do that anyway if I was planning on getting the first book published).

    In the meantime, for those looking for other content. I''ve promised a double release of The Moonshadow Trading Company Short Stories (Rassa & Ebony''s story that runs alongside Aegin''s) on my ******* before the end of August. I was a little ambitious with that date but it will definitely occur this week, just need a few days to finish them and edit.

    I hope you''re all staying safe and healthy, and I hope that giving you this news hasn''t left you all too disapointed. If you want to celebrate Rassa''s birthday too, I''d love to hear about what you''ve done! My ******* has links to my social media accounts if you''re willing to share!

    As always, Happy Reading!

    -Jelim

 Chapter 300 - A Sonata of Sand Devils

    *Eldovian Era 1713, 2nd day of the 4th month*

    Whilst the original intention of staying with the Red Eyed Snake Tribe was to rest and recuperate for a few days, two weeks went by with ease. Tigin and Rima found themselves naturally integrating into the Tribe''s way of life. Helping where they could and learning more about the Tribal side of them.

    Aegin was not exactly idle either. Thanks to the Tribe''s understanding of his path, he spent the days sleeping, and the nights he spent either talking with Cara or patrolling the territory. Often both. Where the Tribe had originally been somewhat hesitant in the new arrivals even if their demeanours were friendly, now the group found that there were fewer and fewer times when their differences were brought to light.

    The dynamics of the Tribe were quite simple to understand once you''d lived among the tribe for long enough. The Chieftain Family were life Royalty, the next leader always chosen from the children of the previous one. More often than not they were male, but occasionally there were female leaders that proved to be just as adept if not more than their male counterparts. The Chieftain, in addition to his wife, had two advisors. One for the Warriors, and one for the Agriculture of the Village. The Elders comprised of both previous chieftains and previous advisors, as well as the spiritual leader of the village. It was also common for Tribe members that contributed a significant amount to the Village to be elected by the Tribe to sit on the Elder''s Council.

    The Elders were, by nature, far more cautious and closed-minded than the Chieftain. All except Cara, the Spiritual Leader, who by all rights seemed to live life to the fullest no matter her age or health status. It caused quite a bit of stress in the lives of her daughters, but they never dared to speak to Aegin about his near nightly visits to speak with her.

    Of course, Aegin believed that that was mostly because he did not go to Cara for any kind of Spiritual need. By the very nature if their belief, Aegin was more spiritually connected that anyone in the village thanks to his status on one of the paths of Chaos. What he went to Cara for was knowledge. The more he could learn about Chaos, perhaps the more he could come to understand what being on this path meant.

    He found out fairly quickly though that Cara''s knowledge was limited, and knowing more about other paths was not helping his own progress. So, they instead spent the time drinking the spiced blood and debating about what certain parts of their knowledge of Chaos meant.

    If someone had told Aegin a year ago that he''d be here, content to debate about the intricate and delicate balances of the world with a seventy-year-old woman, he would have probably scoffed in amus.e.m.e.nt.

    "Do you think they watch us?" asked Aegin from where he lay looking up at the stars.

    "Hmm?" Cara hummed in question from her seat on the opposite side of the entrance to her Bein, the Tribal word for their homes.

    "The Gods," said Aegin, "Do you think they watch us?"

    "Our world is as much the core of their power and existence as it ours," said Cara, "I would imagine that they have little choice but to know us and watch us".

    Aegin scrunched his nose, unsure how he felt about that, "That''s��unsettling".

    "They are gods. Just as you''re different from humans, they are different from you," said Cara, "There would no doubt come a point when the amount of power you have makes you somewhat indifferent or arrogant enough to surpass such mundane feelings like embarrassment or humiliation".

    "Or guilt".

    Cara tilted her head in thought, "Indeed, or guilt".

    Aegin''s mind could not help but wonder to that conversation he had had so long ago with the Other when he had been filled with anger at his new state.

    ''I realise that this change is sudden, and you clearly resent me for it, but I am not going to apologise. Wherever your path leads you Aegin, you should never have to apologise for what or who you are and the selfish decisions you make because of it''.

    "Do you think Gods ever apologise?" asked Aegin as he turned to look at Cara.

    Cara shook her head, "No, if they are incapable of guilt, then they are incapable of apologising".

    "If the paths lead to divinity, then there is a certain point in time when they become gods right? When they are incapable of apologising as well," Aegin frowned.

    Cara turned to the frowning Aegin and gave a small smile, "I think you are confusing incapability with refusal".

    Aegin turned looked at her, "I-"

    "From what you have told me, your Sire refused to apologise for bringing you onto his path. I cannot say for certain his reasons, but I guarantee they were not made without him preparing to b.a.r.e the weight of the consequences. His refusal to apologise was indication of him not only baring those consequences, but determining the path to step beyond them. That is not the mindset of a God, it is the mindset of someone truly powerful and sure of his path," said Cara.

    Aegin huffed in annoyance. The more he spoke with Cara, the more condemned he felt for being angry at the Other. Still, being told was not enough to make that anger dissipate.

    "I''m going to look for Sevis so I can hopefully hit something," said Aegin as he stood up.

    Cara chuckled, "Go ahead, kid. I should turn in soon anyway".

    Aegin did not wait for her to speak any more.

    ***

    Sevis, accompanied by Jahelo and Kaedan as usual, rode on horseback through the dark desert night. Up ahead were the dunes that marked the North-Western Border of their territory, the hard packed and often cracked land that their horses'' hooves clopped on were just as incapable of supporting any sustainable life. There were a few trees here and there, though every day was a struggle for them to live.

    "It sure cooled down fast tonight," Jahelo commented, "Usually by this time of year the heat draws up from the earth long into the night".

    He wasn''t wrong. It was unusually cold despite how hot the day had been.

    "I should''ve brought my furs," Kaedan complained as he rubbed his arms.

    "Don''t be such a w.h.i.n.er," Jahelo scoffed.

    Sevis smirked back at the two of them as they began to argue.

    "You''re the one that mentioned the cold-"

    A long growling yowl echoed over the dunes towards then, and the horses paused, shifting and snorting with nervousness.

    "What was that?" asked Kaedan.

    "It''s gotta be the wind," Jahelo said.

    "The wind whistles," said Sevis, "It doesn''t sound like that".

    The three of them paused in silence for a moment, waiting for something to appear on the dunes by the moonlight.

    They did not have to wait long. At first, it really did look like the wind. Like the window had kicked up the loose sand and was spinning it together into one clump, but the eyes??they were like little blue stars, but far more menacing.

    It wasn''t alone either, another appeared beside it, then another as they lined up at the top of the dune on the border of the territory.

    "Sand Devils," Jahelo whispered.

    Sevis clenched his teeth in fear, pulling on the reins of his horse, "Go!"

    The growling yowls and vicious barks chased them across the dry plain.

 Chapter 301 - The Wailing in the Wastelands

    When Aegin smelled blood, he knew something was wrong. The scent carried on the wind for a great distance, disturbing the otherwise quiet and peaceful night. He had no idea how long it had been since they had been injured, but from the distance the scent had travelled, he had to assume that it had been at least an hour.

    He rushed to Sevis and his Tribesman, the dust kicking up as he came to stand by the sight of the attack. Because it had clearly been an attack.

    The Horses were dead, claw and tooth marks scattering their bodies, as well as the occasional half dismembered limb. They had died in a truly terrifying way. Sevis, Jahelo and Kaelan were alive, but barely.

    They two were riddled with bite marks and great scratches that tore through muscle to bone. Aegin stepped forward to help them when the hunger within him reared up at the shear amount of blood on display.

    Red eyes glowing and his fangs extending, Aegin turned his back on the wounded Tribesman.

    This was not the time or the place. These people who had let him stay with them and had not condemned him for his nature��they had done nothing to warrant him taking the last of their lives. They''d done the opposite.

    The Hunger reared up again at a blast of wind but Aegin shoved it back down. He would hunt later. Probably more than he should. Now he needed to take these men back and get them help.

    Red eyes still glowing with his barely contained hunger, Aegin went to Sevis and heaved him up.

    It took him only a few minutes to ferry Sevis back, and he made a lot of commotion there when he did, insisting on the healers attending to Sevis and preparing to receive the others.

    Each time he carried another with blood dripping from their open wounds, his hunger dulled, and Aegin was able to take in more from the scene of the attack.

    Their weapons were drawn, but no blood coated them, with the exceptions of a few spatters of their own. There were no footprints. Not even a scent.

    It smelled only of the desert and the blood of the victims. Aegin found himself frustrated, long after he''d left the scene behind for the last time. If he could not determine who had attacked, he could not hunt them down.

    "Aegin," Cara pulled him aside in the hour just before dawn as the healers finally stabilised the three warriors. Not all of them were completely out of the woods though, "What happened?"

    Aegin turned to the side, noticing that the Chieftain and his two suns stood waiting, along with the large man from the original meeting he had with the Chieftain, no doubt the leader of his warriors.

    "I found them out on the North-Western Border, bloody, beaten and their horses already dead," Aegin said, "They had drawn their weapons, but the only blood on those were spatters of their own. There were no tracks, no remnant of a foreign scent��it was like whoever or whatever did it appeared and disappeared just as quickly".

    The Chieftain frowned.

    "Sounds like Sand Devils," Cara said solemnly.

    Aegin frowned, "Sand Devils?"

    He''d never heard the term before.

    Cara looked at the Chieftain who nodded his permission. She turned back to Aegin to explain, "It''s an old story among the Northern Tribes. A tale told to stop young children from wondering out from the village too far. Though, those of us with a bit more experience can claim to have heard word of their real-life horrors. We are not entirely sure what they are, because so few live from the attacks. But those few who do describe creatures who resemble some kind of dog and cat hybrid. A creature made from the sand of the desert with eyes like blue stars. They tend to foreshadow harsh times for a Tribe. The more terrible the attack, the worse the event to come".

    Aegin sighed, "No wonder I couldn''t smell them. If they were made from sound I wouldn''t have been able to track them in a desert".

    "Indeed," said the Chieftain, "Though I would not wish even you to meet with one of their number anyway".

    Aegin raised an eyebrow.

    The Chieftain shrugged, "You cannot fight the Sand Devils. They are made of sand, so being cut with a blade or smashed with a boulder or any attempt to harm their bodies will be futile. The only time they ever seem solid is in the split second they attack, and even then, it is only their teeth and claws".

    "So, we can do nothing?" Aegin frowned.

    The Chieftain sighed, "We can prepare. Whatever their reason for attacking, it will surely be followed by something worse soon enough".

    ***

    *Eldovian Era 1713, 7th day of the 4th month*

    The following night, Aegin again encountered a group of Tribesman that had been slaughtered. But this group were long dead, their corpses already beginning to rot and dry out in the heat of the days. On the third day he expanded his search, and found two more groups. He returned on the fourth day to find that his absence had cost a group of Red-Eyed Snake Tribesman their lives.

    "If this is happening everywhere in the north��" Rima speculated as Aegin told her and Tigin what he had found, "Does that not mean that whatever is being foretold is far worse than the Tribesman are comprehending?"

    "They won''t be prepared enough," Tigin concluded, "For whatever is coming".

    "But what is coming?" asked Aegin, "I can''t find any indication of that. It is as if it''s just some skilled assassins causing cha-"

    Aegin paused, then he frowned. Chaos. It was Chaos.

    Rima''s eyes bore into him, "What did you just figure out?"

    Aegin''s frown relaxed, "Nothing, don''t know what you''re on about".

    Rima pointed at him, "Don''t lie. And don''t go off and try to handle everything on your own".

    Aegin sighed, "I really don''t-"

    There was a knock on the door. Aegin jumped at the opportunity to open it, only to pause upon seeing the wounded Sevis in the doorway, still bandaged.

    Rima stood quickly to chastise him, "Sevis! You should be resting!"

    "Not you too," Sevis huffed as he came in, "I was hoping outsiders would have less sympathy for me and try to look at the bigger picture".

    Sevis turned to look at Aegin, "I heard from Cara, you found more groups".

    Aegin nodded, "Six others. Scattered around the edges of the dunes".

    Sevis frowned, "That''s suspicious".

    Aegin awkwardly turned away.

    "I''ve got an idea," said Sevis, "But we can''t tell my father".

    Tigin sighed, "I''m not sure I''m comfortable with-"

    "What''s the plan?" asked Aegin.

    Sevis grinned.

 Chapter 302 - The Devils in the Dunes (I)

    *Eldovian Era 1713, 10th day of the 4th month*

    Rima looked out over the sand dunes beyond the border of the Tribe''s territory with trepidation. Tigin''s hesitation had probably been right. It usually was. It was how the two of them had survived so long in the city. But Aegin and Sevis had been so sure.

    Still, as she looked across at the two of them, one on a horse and other standing beside him, she couldn''t help but think that they should have at least left a note.

    She gave a heavy sigh to catch the others'' attention, "This is a stupid plan".

    "It''s a good plan, you''re just nervous because you''re the bait," Aegin stated helpfully.

    "Those things, whatever they are, have torn up at least twenty people in the last week, and that''s just those you found," said Rima, "I have every right to be nervous". She gave a side glance at Sevis, who, despite his wounds, sat tall on his horse with a relaxed readiness that made her think he was either overly brave, or overly stupid. Probably both considering he was trying to get a second encounter with these Sand Devils out of this plan.

    "I just-"

    "Alright, I''ll be nearby, have fun camping," said Aegin.

    Then he vanished in a cloud of dust, and the darkness of the desert night seemed to close in just that tiny bit more with his absence.

    Sevis flicked the reins of his horse and horse trotted forward into the sand dunes.

    Tigin looked at Rima, "If we die, I''m blaming you. You know that, right?"

    Rima frowned, "It''s not my stupid plan".

    "It was your plan to come here in the first place, granted, it wasn''t stupid at the time, but it''s got us here, so stupid nonetheless," Tigin argued.

    Rima pouted, "That''s the first complaint I''ve heard from you about it, so I guess I can take it as you blaming Aegin and Sevis but not wanting to say it to their faces because of them can beat you up?"

    Tigin turned away, refusing to say anything. Rima nodded in silent confirmation of her accusations.

    They continued into the dunes for about half an hour, until the flatlands were hard to make out in the distance with the moon high above them. With nothing to cast shadows but the dunes, and themselves, it was a lot easier to see at night.

    Sevis paused and dismounted, "Here will do".

    Rima released a breath of relief. She really didn''t want to go any further out of the imaginary safe zone. At least she thought it may be a safe zone. The Sand Devils were only attacking those on the edge of the wastelands, so perhaps it could be them trying to claim territory. If they were intelligent at least, she was sure that was what they would try to do.

    Tigin set to work with lying out a couple of sleeping mats and setting out a fire bit, Rima helping him as Sevis dealt with the horses. He seemed quite sad in doing so, but they had expected that the horses would be casualties even if they were spooked and ran.

    Aegin''s priority would be them after all.

    When everything was set, the three of them sat in an awkward silence that was testament to the fact that none of them actually wanted to try and get some sleep lest they be slaughtered before seeing daylight again.

    Finally, Sevis broke the silence with a simple question, "So, have you made progress with your throwing knives?"

    Tigin looked surprised at moment, then sighed, "A little, Daeton is helping".

    Daeton was one of the Warriors at the Tribe. He''d taken one look at Tigin''s technique and started making adjustments to help him out. It became clear to both Rima and Tigin after they started getting help from the Tribe that Aegin''s style of teaching was��questionable. The Tribesman had admitted that his methods were not wrong, they just relied on those training being highly focused and determined on the goal. And, something which had at first disturbed them, though had not exactly surprised them, Aegin''s methods of training were similar to those of young children training to be assassins.

    That past that Aegin rarely spoke about suddenly made a whole lot more sense.

    Sevis nodded, in acknowledgement, then turned to Rima, "From what I hear, you manage to wield a sword pretty well for your first time the other day. Perhaps the Vampire''s methods were not all terrible".

    Rima felt just the smallest swell of pride within her thanks to that compliment from one of the Tribe''s best Warriors.

    "Do you think Aegin is right?" asked Rima in the silence.

    The two young men turned to her.

    "Do you think it''s the work of a Djinn?" asked Rima.

    Silence greeted her for a moment before Sevis pulled out a large dagger from his belt and rested it by his head, "If it is, it can''t be good".

    Tigin and Rima turned to him for further explanation.

    "Where there is a Djinn, there is always someone making wishes," said Sevis, "And for someone to wish for this��we won''t live in peace for long if that is the case".

    "The peace is already gone," said Rima, "It was gone for moment you were attached on your own land, wasn''t it?"

    Sevis met her gaze a moment, then nodded reluctantly, "Whoever is behind it will pay dearly".

    "Does anyone even know how to kill a Djinn?" asked Tigin.

    Sevis looked up in surprise, "I��No��we don''t kill those on a path of Chaos, it��it throws the world off balance".

    "From what Aegin has said, the world is already off balance, it has been for a long time," Rima said, "Maybe by killing one bad Djinn, we''ll throw it into balance once more".

    "Or it could get worse," said Sevis. He shook his head, "Only those chosen should fight each other. We should not get involved, lest we harm the world, or ourselves".

    "Then we either wait for Aegin to kill it, that''s assuming he can, or we just have to live with whatever the Djinn throws our way?" asked Tigin.

    "The Hava Rastellan is not a place where life can be lived in ease, there are endings and beginnings, cruelty and kindness, such is the life of those who live here. If you are to treat this as your new home, I suggest you get used to that," said Sevis.

    Rima frowned, "I thought your Tribesman didn''t like us Half-Bloods, even if our Tribesman Half is from a Tribe like the Blue Suns".

    Sevis sighed, "What can I say, you''ve grown on us".

    Sevis clenched his knife, "Get up, they''re close".

    Rima turned to scan the horizon behind them. Then her eyes landed on the huge, beast-like outlines that seemed to shift in the night, and the glowing blue star eyes.

    Aegin, if you''re late I''ll kill you myself, she thought, balance of the world be damned!

 Chapter 303 - The Devils in the Dunes (II)

    Aegin sighed, kicking up the dust beside him from where he paced back and forth, his ears listening for changes. He knew so little about the Sand Devils, but it they were the work of a Djinn has he suspected, he had no idea of their abilities, nor how he should handle them.

    What he did know was that most animals in wolf form had good hearing and a sense of smell that far outmatched humans, so being with Sevis, Tigin and Rima, if they could sense what he was, may deter them.

    Of course, that was relying on the assumption that he could fight them and beat them. Aegin had yet to actually encounter them, so he himself was unsure on this point.

    ''Then we either wait for Aegin to kill it, that''s assuming he can, or we just have to live with whatever the Djinn throws our way?''

    Tigin''s voice carried through the air, weighing on Aegin''s mind. Rima was right, this plan was stupid. He should have gone alone to hunt those things.

    ''The Hava Rastellan is not a place where life can be lived in ease, there are endings and beginnings, cruelty and kindness, such is the life of those who live here. If you are to treat this as your new home, I suggest you get used to that''.

    Sevis this time, his confidence in his way of life and his faith as strongly held as always, even if he was only half as affective as a warrior in his current state. Aegin had tried to make him stay back, but the look Sevis gave him in response made even Aegin stop protesting. Admittedly, Aegin had only seen the young warrior spar, but he was damn good at it.

    ''I thought your Tribesman didn''t like us Half-Bloods, even if our Tribesman Half is from a Tribe like the Blue Suns''.

    Rima had a point. Though Tribesman of the Red-Eyed Snake Tribe had seemed to take the lost souls easily. Was it because they were not a threat and seemed sincere? Or because they had been accompanied by Aegin? It was hard to say for certain.

    Sevis replied, and Aegin could imagine him leaning back on his hands in a relaxed manner, ''What can I say, you''ve grown on us''.

    A howl punctured the silence, and Aegin immediately stopped his pacing, turning towards the sound as he felt his hunting instinct kick in. No��it was more than that. It felt like those instincts he''d held as a Ridge Man. As a Warrior in the Arena. The instinct of preparing for a fight that may actually mean death.

    All at once, Aegin felt a sense of dread for those he''d sent out into the dunes. He stepped forward in a rush.

    Sevis spoke, his voice like a whisper as Aegin cut through air to get to his companions in time, "Get up, they''re close".

    He could smell them, they were close, so close. He hit the dunes, and felt his path instantly slowed by the sand. He dared not look down at his feet, pushing himself harder as he peeked over the first dune and descended once more. He peeked at the second one.

    There, he saw them, just another eight dunes away. But just two dunes from them, staring with a hunger that Aegin felt in his bones, were six beasts that seemed to be ever shifting from the wind and sand. Forming and reforming, the only constant their shining, star-like blue eyes that he could see even from this distance. The lunged forward as Aegin dipped down the second dune.

    He peeked the third, but couldn''t see them. Had they passed that second dune already or were they were he couldn''t see them. He didn''t have the time to stop and wait to see.

    He dipped down again, then peeked up at the fourth. Nothing. No, wait. Just as he dipped down he saw them begin to peek that second dune. The next dune they crossed, they would meet the tense and terrified Sevis, Rima and Tigin.

    Aegin wasn''t going to make it.

    Eyes wide with terror in what he had condemned them to, Aegin pushed himself faster, drawing his short swords as he moved.

    The closer Aegin got, the more terrified he became, he knew instinctually that his swords would do little good. Those bodies, they did not look in the least bit solid.

    Still, Aegin roared as his arm reared back. The creatures leapt towards their targets. Rima and Tigin shrunk back, Sevis holding his weapon before him.

    Aegin barrelled through them, slashing his sword as he did. The sand, for an instant, dispersed, like it was somewhat shocked at his arrival.

    "It''s not done!" Sevis cried out as he grabbed Rima''s hand and pulled her behind him, making a run for it. The horses had long bolted, leaving them to their fate. Not that the horses could be blamed, surely they were the smart ones here. Indeed, as Aegin turned back and took in the six, beastly, wolf-like creatures that seemed to form from the wind aligning the sand, he could not help but shudder as those starry blue eyes turned on him.

    It felt like a face-off between two apex predators. Aegin could not help the instincts that made his eyes shine red and his fangs extended in a threatening display. His growled deeply.

    The Sand Devils growled back, their growls half taken by the wind that kept their bodies somewhat whole. They snapped their jaws at him, then three of them leaped for him, while the other three went after Sevis, Tigin and Rima.

    Aegin shifted to intercept them, "Your fight is with me!"

    He slashed his sword, though it was as Sevis'' reports, the blade when right through them. As he began to chase them he felt the undeniable pain of claws scraping at the back of his legs. He hissed at the pain. But as his wound closed over, he suddenly understood.

    He could not fight these creatures, not as they were. Nobody could unless they had power matching the Master. Because these Sand Devils, they were puppets on strings. They could not be destroyed by physical force, only by a natural or magical one. As he was now, Aegin had neither of these things.

    He decided using brute force would be his best bet.

    He discarded his swords, choosing to punch, kick, barrel and pummel his way through the mini-roaring sandstorms continuously. He could not destroy them, but he could slow them down. His movements were reckless, and he earned far more injuries than he ever had in a fight. Though this was perhaps one of the most unfair fights he had ever experienced. He had absolutely no way to fight back effectively.

    Eventually, the frustration of his inner self being so disadvantages roared out.

    "These puppets are a coward''s tools! Only a coward fights without showing his face! Show your face Djinn! Show your face to this Vampire if you dare!"

    Incredibly, the creatures stopped. Aegin hesitated, staring at them with an expression somewhere between his earlier frustration, and his shock at the stupid provocation having worked.

    Seriously? Plenty of brave men fought without showing their faces all the time. In fact, there wasn''t a brave man out there that wasn''t a coward on the inside. Cowardice was what kept them alive. Blind bravery was for the stupid. It was one of the first lessons he''d ever learned as a Ridge Man.

    The Sand Devils stared at him with their blue eyes, more dead and eerie now that Aegin had become accustomed to their star-like quality. Then, without a word or further movement, they simply vanished.

    Aegin breathed heavily for a moment, waiting for them to mount a surprise attack, then, when his fighting instincts began to ebb, he gave a heavy sigh and sat down on the sand dune. His wounds itched near painfully as they closed. He was hungry now. Hungry, tired, sore, and had sand in places it had no business to be.

    This had been a stupid plan. But at least he knew that the Sand Devils had a master somewhere pulling their strings.

 Chapter 304 - A Paragon of Price

    The young man who sat cross-legged on the balcony of the High Tower looked no older than fifteen or sixteen. Yet there was something about him. Some sense that he was far more than just a skinny boy of child-like appearance. The boy appeared relaxed though. Totally engrossed in his meditation.

    He took a deep breath in, held it, then released it, his back straightening pridefully before his eyes snapped open. Anyone who were to look into such eyes would gasp in wonder.

    Such a beautiful, boundless blue. The colour seemed to glow, shining with reverence and by far the boys most noticeable feature. With his dark skin and hair, anyone would have mistaken him for a young Tribesman had it not been for his eyes. Just like starlight, he''d been told on countless occasions.

    Those who looked closer would know better.

    His eyes, now wide open, did not focus on the railing before him, nor the night sky, nor the city beyond. His eyes were instead focused on a place far from where he sat. At the very least far enough away that anyone whom he told of what he saw would think him a madman.

    Everyone perhaps, except for his Master, who knew better than to question the abilities at his disposal. For a price, of course, he had never been one for charity.

    His eyes cast over the Sand Dunes, he had sensed something here. Something that should not be in his Master''s Domain. In the Desert night, he caught sight a small fire pit with three figures around it, they seemed to notice him in the same instance, and stood up in fear.

    Yes, it was good to fear him. Fear him and his power. They were wise to do so. Though not wise enough to avoid his Master''s Domain.

    ''In exchange for my memories of playing Kickball as a child, I wish for all unwelcome individuals in my domain to be dealt with accordingly''.

    The boy had breathed in upon hearing his Master''s wish, taking in the memories, abundant they were, and filled with joy and excitement and frustration and pain and exertion and countless other feelings, both emotional and physical, that swelled and filled the boy''s soul. He had spoken simply as he came down from the high, the Master looking at him expectantly.

    "Your wish is my command, Master".

    And so, carry out that command he would. His Master never missing that which he had lost for he could not remember it''s feeling nor presence. That was the thing about the wishes his Masters had made over the years. They never remembered the prices they had paid. Only the rare few would suddenly realise the gaps in their memories. The strangeness of lost emotions they could no longer feel. The never-healing injuries that they couldn''t remember receiving. It was amusing to watch, especially the greedy ones. Especially those who already had everything they would ever want or need, yet wished for more just because they could. The boy was always overjoyed to watch as his envy over their content lives was sated bit by bit.

    Of course, that came with a cost too, the more wishes he granted, the less envious he became, and the more he would envy others and d.e.s.i.r.e to grant their wishes instead. Always focusing on what he could gain, and never able to see what he had.

    Such was the path of a Djinn.

    The Djinn''s lips twitched in amus.e.m.e.nt over the party before him, a pretty and small girl and two young men. How he should love to swell with their prices. How he should love to bathe in their emotions and memories. But alas, it would not be.

    He pushed forward towards them, leaping upon them to punish them as his master had commanded. Only to feel his power suddenly dissipate.

    The boy frowned, his eyes suddenly focusing once more on the sandstone railing before him, and the dim lights of the city below. What had just happened?

    He took another breath, closing his eyes to draw on his power and launch his consciousness far across the desert as he exhaled. His eyes snapped open once more. He saw the three originals running away, but he turned his head to the side to look for the threat.

    Another young man, wielding two short swords of fine craftsmanship, a long short brown poncho with a hood over his western-style pants and boots. His hair, short and brown, with small braids along the right side of his head. It was his eyes though, that caught the boy''s attention. Red. Glowing Red.

    For a moment, the boy was sure he had found the one who had long been lost to him. But then the young man opened his mouth, and two long incisors protruded from his top jaw, and he growled like an animal.

    Not another Djinn then��a Vampire? He''d heard stories, but never had he thought they were true.

    Still, he needed to carry out his Master''s command, whether or not this being was on another path of Chaos. The boy s.u.c.k.e.d in another breath, then exhaled, his consciousness split in two, one diving after the three who were retreating, and the other going for the Vampire. He did not make it far before the Vampire attempted to dissipate half of his consciousness away again. The boy frowned in frustration. Fine. The Vampire was technically an unwelcome guest as well, he would take care of him first.

    At first the boy was cautious and unsure of what the Vampire was capable of. He had heard stories, and did not wish to tempt fate. But the Vampire he faced now did not seem as formidable as he had thought. He was violent and vicious, but of no threat to the boy.

    He healed quickly despite his pain, and he was fast enough to warrant a more intense concentration from the boy to keep up. But the boy would win eventually, he was certain. So, it came as somewhat of a surprise when the Vampire''s words got to him.

    Coward��

    A coward? He was no more a coward than the Vampire was.

    Still, as the Vampire stared back into his star-like eyes, the boy could not help but realise.

    This Vampire was smart. He did not see wonder, nor stars. He saw what hid behind the child-like mask. He saw the true Monster, and he, a Monster himself, stared right back.

    The boy withdrew, taking his consciousness right back into the body it had been bestowed. He turned, standing up and heading inside his high-tower room. He changed his clothes, wrapped a bundle of insignificant belongings and one of spices. Then he threw on a jacket and took them all down to the chamber where his Master smoked, surrounded by favoured members of his Harem.

    The boy did not speak until his Master acknowledged him.

    "Yashi��you looked awfully dressed up for somebody that keeps to his tower," uttered his Master in amus.e.m.e.nt.

    Yashi nodded, "I only leave to fulfil your wish, Master. Once it is done, I shall return".

    His Master g.r.o.a.n.e.d in p.l.e.a.s.u.r.e as a member of his Harem attended to his manhood, his hand travelling from the medallion around his neck and across his c.h.e.s.t to fist her hair.

    "Of course, you will, Yashi," said his Master. Then he shoved the woman forward, his manhood disappearing well past her lips

    The woman must have unintentionally used her teeth because his master pulled her back even more forcefully and flung her to the side, "Ah! Bitch!"

    He growled in disdain and the woman curled up in fear.

    Yashi showed no reaction to the event as his master stood, his silk robe open to reveal his n.a.k.e.d form and glanced over at Yashi, "Perhaps you can bring back a wife that actually knows what she is doing, yes?"

    "Some have it, and some don''t, Master".

    Yashi then bowed respectfully before he vanished into thin air. His amus.e.m.e.nt clear. Aye, it still amazed him even now, how the prices his Masters paid were undeniably his. They would wear off eventually if he did not keep remembering them, or keep using them. But for the time being, Kickball was Yashi''s to enjoy, and in exchange, his Master would enjoy a Territory free of uninvited guests.

 Chapter 305 - The Salute of a Stranger

    *Eldovian Era 1713, 11th day of the 4th month*

    "It truly baffles me how impossibly stupid the lot of you have evidently become!"

    Even Aegin felt a tiny, almost imperceptible flinch at the rage of the Red-Eye''s Chieftain. He''d never admit to it though, and anyone who dared bring it up was tempting death.

    "You tried to face the Sand Devils! Alone! Without any clue as to how to beat them!" the Chieftain continued.

    "Well, Aegin-"

    The Chieftain''s eyes swung at Sevis, and his son''s mouth snapped shut before he continued to look at the ground in guilt.

    "I do not care for the advantages you thought you possessed due to Aegin''s path. The fact is that you did not know for sure he could do anything to help, and the fact that he has returned with meat enough to feed the village in a grand feast lasting three nights tells me that there was nothing he could do short of distracting them long enough for you to get away!"

    Aegin bit his tongue in order to hold back a protest. This encounter had deeply wounded his pride as a Warrior and as a Vampire. He didn''t need somebody to rub it in his face like this.

    "Rima!"

    Rima''s head snapped up in response, eyes expectant though fearful.

    "Surely you were against this? Surely you should have talked them out of it. You seemed like a sensible child, and have been nothing but obedient and kind in your time here with us. You too Tigin!"

    Tigin glanced up in acknowledgement, then back down again, "Sorry, Sir, I-"

    "Apologies are not what I want!" snapped the Chieftain.

    Tigin and Rima flinched back, but quickly regained their posture. Aegin huffed, then looked up, "We get it already".

    The Chieftain turned on Aegin, "Do you? Because I would have thought you would at least be cautious after all you have been through".

    Aegin frowned, then caught Cara''s look to the side. The woman had a loose tongue clearly. The Betrayal wounded him more than he expected.

    "My past has both nothing and everything to do with why I insisted on carrying out this plan," Aegin snapped back.

    The Chieftain clearly did not wish to be talked back to at such a time, but Aegin stepped forward anyway, shaking off Sevis'' attempt to stop him.

    "For the past week, I''ve found more than twenty bodies mutilated up and down the border of the Sand Dunes. Unlike the night I found your son and his companions, it was too later for them. Still, behaviour like that made me wonder if it was truly the work of animals or spirits, or something more. It turns out I was right to be curious about such a thing," Aegin said.

    He looked over the eyes of the elders, "Someone North-West of your Territory has a Djinn at their command, and they are using it to eradicate trespassers, soon, I have no doubt they may see it''s effectiveness and wish to expand. That is the threat you face. A Djinn".

    "North-West," Cara uttered, "That is Black Sands Territory".

    Rima froze, and the rest of the room stilled with her as a mark of unease swept through them.

    After a moment, the Chieftain, in a tone that was grave rather than angry, turned to Aegin, "You are sure?"

    "Positive," Aegin said, "The Sand Devils were puppets, that is why they cannot be killed. As for my suspicion that it is a Djinn��from what Cara has told me, it seems unlikely to be anything else".

    The room seemed to weigh his words, then unanimously turn to the Chieftain for his decision.

    The Chieftain sighed, "Your discovery has no doubt given us some amount of warning, so we can at least be grateful for that. However, it does not excuse the danger you put yourselves in to get it. You need to be smarter".

    No, Aegin thought. He needed to be stronger.

    ***

    The Chieftain had sent messengers to the nearby tribes, warning them of his suspicion and to not send parties towards the Sand Dunes that border the Black Sands'' lands. It seemed however, that some had interpreted this early warning as an invitation.

    There were several wondering groups, some Tribes and some not, that had come to the Red-Eyed Snake Tribe seeking shelter, information or protection, some all three.

    Aegin could not offer them, not as he was. So, despite his anger at her sharing his stories with the Chieftain, Aegin found himself sitting with Cara once more one evening.

    "I told you those things in confidence-"

    "And it is my obligation to tell my Chieftain information that could prevent catastrophe or save his people. You may be welcomed here, Aegin, but that does not make us forget that you quite capable of killing us. You are a stranger, and strangers need to be known to no longer be strangers," said Cara.

    Aegin, grumbling because he could not find fault in her reasoning, found himself glancing over at the latest party of refugees that had arrived.

    "Will he take them all in?" asked Aegin.

    Cara glanced over, "The Chieftain is kind, but he is also realistic. If he takes them all in, he will be seen as amassing a force comparable to Black Sands, and with a Djinn at their backs, the last thing we need to be seen as is a threat".

    Aegin sighed, his gaze landing a teenage boy who sat off to the side, warming his hands by a fire. He seemed alone despite the fact that he had arrived with a group. And he was doing too little to help the others. Were there many who wondered alone in the Hava Rastellan? From what Aegin had heard he didn''t think so.

    He was about to turn to Cara and ask when the boy''s gaze moved up to meet his own. Aegin sat up straight, his red eyes meeting eerie blue.

    The boy grinned.

 Chapter 306 - A Dream before Death (I)

    Double right slash, parry, jump left, block, kick, thrust right, twist, roll and slash.

    The routine flowed through Aegin like water. He left the sparring block and joined the second line, waiting behind his fellow training partners. Their dark uniform was so familiar, yet felt so out of place now. A part of his past he''d left behind.

    He turned to the right where he knew he''d find the instructor watching over them all. As soon as Aegin laid eyes on him, he knew it was his father. The stance familiar, the posture strict and strong. A loyal and capable follower, just as all Ridge Men should be. He appeared smaller than Aegin remembered him though.

    No...not smaller, Aegin was just bigger, older. He was no longer the boy who''d been exiled as a failed prodigy. He didn''t feel like someone who had failed either. Just then, the instructor turned to glance at Aegin, and Aegin froze at the unfamiliar eyes that he met. Still his father''s stern face, but the eyes. Eerie and blue.

    Aegin immediately recalled the refugees at the Tribe. The boy with those eyes. No, the Djinn. He''d gone to confront him then...

    He couldn''t remember, where was he? Aegin looked around, noticing more now that he was really looking. A dream. How was he in a dream? How had he even fallen asleep in such a situation? Unless.

    Aegin met those eerie blue eyes with a glare, and a grin stretched across his father''s face.

    Aegin took a step towards him, the figures in the line fading away.

    "Well that''s a scary look, Aegin" said the Djinn, still wearing his father''s image. Then the Djinn looked contemplative, "Or..."

    The scene suddenly changed, dramatically, instead of the dark training room they were in the Warrior''s Arena, Aegin holding his spear as he stared across at his opponent, the blue eyes now coming from Talo who spun his trident, "...is it Aegin Bloodthorn?"

    The crowd chanted the name around him and Aegin cast his glare towards them, "What is this?"

    "You don''t seem stupid, I was sure you''d already worked that out," said the Djinn, stabbing the trident into the ground so he could lean against it.

    Aegin pointed his spear at the Djinn threateningly, "If it''s a dream, how are you manipulating it?"

    The Djinn sighed, "Admittedly, it''s not really my forte, but you do have one thing wrong. The only thing I did was enter the dream you were having. I may have pushed it in one direction or another, but I''m not forcing you to be here. That''s more of the Fox''s area of expertise".

    Aegin''s eyes narrowed, "You''re the Djinn, yes? The one that''s serving Black Sands? The one creating the Sand Devils?"

    "Is that what they''re calling them these days?" asked the Djinn, "I suppose it''s not a terrible name. Deadly Howlers was a bit of a drag".

    Aegin shifted forward, the blade of the spear cutting into the Djinn''s cheek. Though he still had Talo''s image covering him except for his eyes. Those blue eyes chuckled then looked at Aegin, "We''re in a dream. You can''t hurt me here. You''re really letting down my expectations too. I was under the impression that Vampires were more powerful than this. Were you exiled because you are so weak?" asked the Djinn, his head tilting in genuine curiosity.

    Aegin gritted his teeth and refused to answer, "Why are you here?"

    The Djinn shrugged, stepping forward as he flicked the spear away. Aegin stumbled in surprise and the Djinn chuckled, "I thought you''d be somewhat of a challenge, but this is just pathetic".

    Aegin huffed, then spun the spear''s tip towards the Djinn.

    His determined expression faltered when the Djinn effortlessly caught the spear''s blade between his fingers, "I''m here, Vampire, because my master wished to keep those who are unwelcome out of his territory. You hurt my chances of that when you went after those ''Sand Devils''. And now this gathering of refugees, tribes and wanderers among the Red-Eyed Snakes��how my Master will be thrilled to know".

    The Djinn pushed Aegin back, then stepped back, that eerie blue light from his eyes seeming to sparkle and take shape in the air as he did so, "Well, this has been boring, Aegin Bloodthorn. But perhaps this trip is not a complete loss, I''m sure somebody here will dream about something useful. I should not return to my Master empty-handed".

    The Djinn vanished, and Aegin suddenly felt his consciousness snap back into the dream. He frowned. No, he had to wake up. If the Djinn was wandering about in dreams, where everyone felt safe and inadvertently revealed their darkest secrets, the Tribe would surely loose much. Aegin couldn''t let that happen. Besides, it clearly wasn''t the Djinn''s body that had just visited Aegin, so surely his physical form was somewhere in reality, vulnerable.

    "Bloodthorn!"

    "Bloodthorn!"

    "Bloodthorn!"

    Aegin''s eyes widened in shock.

    ***

    Tigin knew he must have been dreaming the moment he saw his father. His old man had never really been the loving kind. In fact, Tigin was more familiar with pain under his father than he was anything else. His father was not a nice man. Probably not suited to be a father in any way. Shouldered with the responsibility anyway, he''d taken it exactly the same way he would a decent punch on occasion �C with a bloody grin that promised a whole lot of unfortunate feelings.

    But the thing that confirmed that seeing his father was a dream and not some messed up reality, was that Tigin could for once see a smile on his father''s face that wasn''t full of discontent.

    "Did something good happen?" asked Tigin. Crossing his arms over his c.h.e.s.t as he placed the firewood on the ground. Where had he gotten it from? Never mind, it was a dream, details didn''t tend to matter here.

    "The Tribe��the Tribe! They''ve welcomed me back!"

    Tigin raised an eyebrow at the joy in his father''s expression.

    "Really? I-"

    "And it''s all thanks to you, son!" his father grinned, gripping Tigin''s upper arms. The pure joy on his father''s face stunned Tigin. Enough that he didn''t move when his father drew him into a hug.

    A hug? Tigin''s father never hugged��but this felt different. A��kind of nice different. Tigin found himself winding his own arms around his father.

    His father pulled away all too soon, "Ah, I can''t believe it! My son! A Tribesman through and through!"

    "Me?" asked Tigin.

    "Yes, of course! Brave, Resourceful and Protective. It is no wonder the Black Sands took us back!" said his father.

    Tigin frowned, "The who?"

    His father turned, "The Black Sands! Only the most powerful Tribe in the Northern Hava Rastellan!"

    "Right," said Tigin, hesitantly. This was a dream, right? He didn''t think his father had ever mentioned the name of his Tribe. And if he was part of the Black Sands then��no, that wasn''t possible. This was definitely a dream��definitely.

 Chapter 307 - The Dream before Death (II)

    Ebony? Only��it didn''t look like the Ebony he remembered.

    This Ebony wore an outfit entirely in black. Breeches and knee-high boots, with a long sleeve shirt and a leather vest. Her straw-blonde hair was long, but was tied in a single braid that hung down her back. And in her hand��she held a long sword.

    He''d never seen her wield a weapon. She didn''t even know how to. This can''t have been Ebony.

    But when he met her eyes, they were the same green he remembered, not eerie blue.

    Perhaps because this was a dream��

    But his instincts told him otherwise. They insisted that this was her.

    "Ebony?" he asked.

    She paused a few steps from him, her sword held out to the side in a ready position. The crowd around them roared. Aegin ignored them as he stared at her, "I will not fight you. Not you".

    Ebony''s eyes narrowed, then she stepped forward, and her body blurred.

    "You can''t be!" snapped Aegin as he turned on her, "You can''t have made that choice! He turned you, didn''t he! He made you this monster".

    Ebony''s eyes flashed a shade of red before she launched forward at him fiercely. He met her every blow. She was far more skilled than when he had taught her, but still no match for him. He attempted to disarm her, and found her fist in his face. He rolled back in shock, and she thrust towards him again.

    "Ebony, no!" he shouted over the roaring crowd, "This isn''t you!"

    She ignored him as she continued to fight him, the rage turning her eyes crimson.

    "You''re not this!" Aegin insisted, "The woman I knew was not a monster, she was strong, and smart and kind. She was not this! She was not a bloodthirsty, conscienceless Vampire!"

    "Aegin, stop!"

    Aegin''s eyes widened, and he spun around to take in the other figure standing there, dark eyes and hair, pale skin��no. He couldn''t be here, it was just a dream.

    "Just a dream��" Aegin whispered.

    The Other''s eyes narrowed, "You say any more in this so-called dream, and you will regret it".

    Aegin gritted his teeth as rage burned through him, "DON''T YOU DARE! YOU DON''T GET TO SPEAK HERE! YOU-"

    Aegin instantly shifted, but was just an instant too late to escape the blow entirely. Ebony''s blade cut his arm before he managed to parry it. She rolled away, then paused.

    Aegin watched her as she kneeled on the ground with her back to him, her weight on the sword before her.

    "Ebony?"

    Her shoulders shuddered, and Aegin heard her choke back a sob.

    Aegin took a step forward, and Ebony sent a glare at him over her shoulder, the track of a tear on the corner of her eye, "I thought I was just a monster? A bloodthirsty, conscienceless Vampire?"

    "I-"

    She turned away before she stood. She took a deep breath, then turned and stabbed her blade into the ground between them, dragging it in a line along the ground.

    Then she stepped back and met his gaze, "You''re the one that made me draw this line, Aegin. You''re the one that left. You''re a hypocritical ass��" she trailed off, more tears coming to her eyes as she bit her lip. She glanced at Rassa, then back at him, "And I really hope that one day you''ll come back to me".

    Then she turned around and faded as she walked away.

    Aegin watched her fade, not realising that he''d shed his own tears until he felt them on his neck. He swallowed back his emotions, refusing to turn and look at the Other.

    "She thinks this is a normal dream. She''ll wake and go on with her life," said the Other, "But we both know this isn''t a normal dream, or Ebony and I wouldn''t be here".

    Aegin, turned to glare at the Other, "It''s not your business".

    The Other narrowed his eyes, "I''m not declaring that it is. In fact, I''m not sticking around either. But take it from someone who knows; running from your problems doesn''t solve them, it just gives them power over you".

    "I don''t want your advi-"

    "Glad you''re alive, Aegin. For her sake, stay that way," he said, then he turned and stepped to the side and vanished.

    Aegin held his breath for a moment, expecting them to reappear, when they didn''t, he exhaled, shaking his head. He paused for a moment, then with a roar he threw the spear to the side.

    It embedded into the sandstone wall of the Arena, and a crack formed. Slowly, the Arena around him crumbled and gave way to darkness.

    "Time to wake up now, Aegin," he said to himself.

    ***

    Sevis watched as his brothers sparred, their father overlooking the match and giving pointers. He clung to his mother''s billowing skirt, his fingers nervously in his mouth. His mother, sensing his unease, place a warm and gentle hand on his head.

    "It''s okay, Sevis, they won''t hurt each other, not too badly anyway," said his mother.

    "Is everyone so fierce when they fight?" asked Sevis as he looked up at his mother.

    His mother chuckled, "Not always, your brothers seem to be particularly passionate. But they''ve got something worth protecting".

    "What?" asked Sevis.

    His mother looked down at him, then knelt down to his level, "Well, you''ll have to ask them, just as you''ll have to find something that you wish to protect".

    Sevis frowned, "Well I bet Kay will protect the Tribe, and Logos will protect Kay. But I��I''m not strong enough to protect either".

    "You will be, if you want to be," said his mother, "It just takes time".

    "But what if the things I want to protect don''t need protecting?" asked Sevis.

    His mother placed a hand over his heart, "You''ll find something worth protecting. One day".

    "You''re not bad," he grinned.

    Aegin shrugged, "We can''t all be Tribesman, but that doesn''t mean we can''t all be fighters of some description".

    "What do you fight for?" asked Sevis.

    Aegin chuckled, "At the moment? Mostly myself. I''ll find something eventually though that''s worth more than that".

    "How are you so sure?" asked Sevis.

    "I''ve got a long time to search," Aegin replied.

    Sevis rolled his eyes, "Right, of course��"

    "I also made a promise to myself to do just that," said Aegin, "So, if it takes a few years or a few hundred years, I''ll find it".

    They settled into a stance opposite each other, "Why do you ask?"

    Sevis sighed, relaxing a little, "I just��I love my home, but I''ve never really felt��I don''t know��like I have a place here, I guess".

    Aegin shrugged, "So look somewhere else".

    "I''ve never left the Tribe," Sevis frowned.

    "Doesn''t mean you can''t," said Aegin, "Besides, the Tribe will still be here, you''ve leaving it in capable hands, aren''t you?"

    Sevis gave a small smile, "I hope so. I don''t think I''m Chieftain material".

    Aegin shrugged, "Neither to I".

    Sevis scoffed, then he grinned and lunged forward.

 Chapter 308 - The Dream before Death (III)

    Aegin felt like he was pulling himself up out of the depths of the ocean, but was having to drag an enormous weight with him. Gods above, whatever that Djinn had done made him feel like he''d just been beaten within an inch of his life. Aegin blinked his eyes open, taking in the stars far above him. Was this it? Was he awake?

    He twisted to get up, and g.r.o.a.n.e.d at the weight of his limbs. He must be awake, movement had been seamlessly easy in the dream, and he''d felt no pain there either.

    Now��now he could feel everything, most of it unpleasant.

    He was on the ground next to the fire he''d been sitting at with Cara.

    Cara!

    His eyes sought the old woman out. She lay sleeping on the ground like he''d been. She appeared unharmed though.

    Aegin pushed himself to his feet, then moved to her side. As he heard her heartbeat, a burst of hunger assaulted him and he slapped a hand over his mouth.

    Nope. Not the time.

    His instincts practically burned to feed. Suddenly, the heaviness in his limbs and the aches made a whole lot of sense. Whatever he had done to get out of that dream the Djinn had invaded, it had cost him a lot of energy.

    Still, he couldn''t feed on Cara.

    Swallowing back his hunger, Aegin put his arms under her and lifted her body, moving her inside her Bein. After he''d laid her on her bed, Aegin straightened and stepped back out into the night, his eyes immediately tracking towards where he''d last seen the Djinn.

    Not there. Though all of the other refugees were, and they were all asleep on the ground.

    Aegin frowned, if the Djinn was able to walk into all of their dreams then��he needed to find the Djinn before it discovered anything it shouldn''t know.

    But the only thing Aegin remembered about his appearance was that it was a boy, and that it''s eyes were that eerie blue.

    Aegin gritted his teeth, if the Djinn was asleep like everyone else, then it would be harder to find him. Aegin scented the air, then immediately stopped, his hunting instincts on the verge of pushing him to feed on all the defenceless humans who lay sleeping around him.

    He couldn''t hunt the Djinn either then. Aegin frowned, standing here wasn''t going to do anything.

    Aegin rapidly moved forward, moving through the Refugees and checking them one by one for any signs of the Djinn he''d seen. There must have been a few hundred of them, and it took even him several minutes to do so. As he was approaching the last of them, he spotted a familiar figure on the edge of the group.

    Sevis lay on the ground beside a couple of Red-Eye Tribesman, and there, behind them, was Tigin. Aegin moved to them quickly, leaving the unchecked Refugees untouched as he came to Tigin''s side and tried to shake the big guy awake.

    "Tigin!"

    There was no response. Aegin frowned, if trying to wake them the normal way wouldn''t work then��

    Aegin''s gaze travelled to the vein in Tigin''s wrist. He clenched his jaw as he felt his fangs extend.

    "Sorry buddy, but this is going to hurt," Aegin said, "Just a sip. Just enough to wake you up".

    Aegin, knowing that indecision was not something he could afford right now, lifted Tigin''s wrist and plunged his fangs into the vein. He paused, pushing for pain. Pain would wake Tigin. He felt Tigin flinch as he gulped a mouthful of blood, his hunger rearing it''s head to take more. Aegin pushed pain into Tigin again.

    Tigin''s eyes snapped open and Aegin took another mouthful before he gathered his will power and pulled away, l.i.c.k.i.n.g the wound closed. He looked at Tigin.

    "Sorry buddy, but you needed to wake up, we''ve got a Djinn here to find before it causes more damage," said Aegin, then, as the paralytic in Tigin''s system wore off, Aegin moved to Sevis'' side and did the same.

    "It��It was a dream right?" asked Tigin as Sevis wakened and Aegin stood.

    Aegin looked over his shoulder at Tigin''s confused expression.

    "Yeah," said Aegin, "But apparently the Djinn can walk into your dream and make subtle influences. If it''s walking through everyone''s dreams, it''s only a matter of time before it finds out something it shouldn''t know. Where''s Rima?"

    Sevis struggled to his feet, breathing hard, "I��I don''t know, we''ve got to get to my father".

    "Right," said Aegin, "Where will he be?"

    Sevis and Tigin, clearly still shaking off their lethargy, started walking shakily.

    "In the Meeting Hall, we have to wake them up," Sevis insisted.

    "I''ll get there faster," Aegin replied, "The Djinn is just a teenage boy, I saw him just before we all fell asleep. I assume that was his doing too. Keep an eye out for him".

    Sevis nodded, "Go".

    Aegin turned and ran towards the Meeting Hall.

    ***

    "��then, all the paths that followed the Gods joined together in celebration of the balance they had created, and feasted together with the Gods they had so long been separated from," Elva stated warmly as she combed Rima''s hair. The long, dark locks feeling smoother and smoother against her shoulders the more her mother combed.

    "Alright, little blue sun of mine, I think it''s time we head to bed," Elva insisted.

    "Oh, but mother I��mother, can''t you just stay a bit longer?" asked Rima. She knew this was a dream. Had realised it just as she''d realised the length of her hair. Her hair had not been so long since she was a child. Still, it was rare she dreamed about her mother as anything other than sick and dying.

    "I''ll be right outside, Rima. You need to go to bed, it''s late," said Elva with a warm smile.

    Rima sighed as she watched her mother''s elegant movements as she stood. One could see the beauty there. She had been very pretty in the past. Though now she was a bit too thin from lack of food, and her hair a bit dry at the ends.

    Rima sighed, "It would have been different, wouldn''t it?"

    Elva smiled, "What would have?"

    "If you had stayed with the Blue Suns," said Rima, "You''d be healthier. And you would not have died so young".

    Elva tilted her head, "But I wouldn''t have had you then, would I? And you''re my little blue sun. My light guiding the way even in the night".

    "Then you''ll guide mine, yes? Even though you''re not here?" asked Rima.

    "I''ll always be here, Rima. Always��"

    Suddenly, her mother''s eyes turned from a deep warm brown to a cooling, vast blue. Rima sensed that something wasn''t right immediate.

    "Mother?"

    "You��you''re the Djinn!" Rima said, "What did you do to my mother?"

    The Djinn said nothing as it looked to the side and into a mirror that was placed on the wall, then his gaze flicked to Rima, "You''re the daughter of Elva of the Blue Sun Tribe".

    Rima''s eyes widened.

    "I��"

    The Djinn chuckled, "Well, isn''t this interesting, no wonder I couldn''t grant my Master''s first wish��though I suppose now I could give him a close second best��I truly did want what he offered".

    Rima stepped back as the Djinn stepped forward, "No, no, I''m not going with you to Black Sands��I��I''ll offer you more! Double!"

    The Djinn chuckled, "Tempting, little girl, but only my Master can offer a price and be granted a wish in return, and you are not my Master".

 Chapter 309 - A Legend of Loss

    Sevis rushed into the Meeting Hall just as Aegin was wakening the last of the Elders. His father looked up at him, "Sevis? What''s going on?"

    "The Djinn, the Djinn is here," said Sevis as he rushed forward, "Aegin said he''s dream walking".

    The Chieftain frowned before turning to Aegin, "Did you discover where it is?"

    Aegin pulled back closing the wound on the last Elder before he stepped away, "I was too weak when I woke up, I wasn''t confident enough that I could hunt it without committing a slaughter on the way".

    "Then you don''t know what it knows? Who it was with?" asked the Chieftain.

    "Anyone you remember in your dreams with bright blue eyes?" asked Sevis.

    Tigin flinched, "Mine, he was in my dream".

    Everyone turned towards him.

    "He took the form of a dog, so it doesn''t have to be a person," said Tigin, "I��I don''t think there was anything I revealed".

    "We''ll need to know for sure, what was happening in your dream??? asked the Chieftain.

    Tigin''s eyes widened. Aegin and Sevis both saw the anxiousness in his gaze. Sevis quickly spoke up.

    "Did you mention anything to do with this Tribe? Or the Refugees?"

    Tigin shook his head, turned to Sevis gratefully, "No, not at all".

    Sevis nodded, "He may have been in mine two, I remember a servant with those eyes".

    The room instantly turned to him.

    "I dreamt of my brothers sparring, and asking mother about my role," said Sevis, "I may have unintentionally revealed the line of succession for the Tribe, but surely Black Sands knew that already".

    The Chieftain frowned, "Find Kay and Logos, just to be safe".

    Aegin nodded, "I''ll go and wake them".

    "Aegin," the Chieftain called out.

    Aegin turned back to the Chieftain expectantly.

    "I assume he was in your dreams as well?"

    Aegin paused, his gaze revealing his answer just before he turned away, "I did not reveal anything of consequence".

    Then he left, exiting the Meeting Hall in search of the Chieftain''s other two sons. He rounded a corner, only to pause in the street as he saw a lone figure exiting Rima''s Bein. Rima carried on his shoulder.

    Aegin''s eyes widened, "Rima!"

    The boy turned to face him, eerie blue eyes dancing with surprise, then amus.e.m.e.nt.

    Aegin scooped up a rope near the Bein beside him and spun it launching it towards the Djinn.

    The Djinn clicked his tongue in dissatisfaction.

    "You''re such a weakling, Vampire".

    The rope froze in mid-air, then dropped to the ground uselessly. Aegin''s body blurred as he moved forward, but rather than cut through the air, a wall of dust, sand and dirt rose between himself and the Djinn, carried by the wind.

    Aegin bounced back from it, catching his feet.

    "Release her!" called Aegin, withdrawing daggers from the inside of his coat.

    The wall dropped, "I don''t think you quite get the situation you''re in, Vampire".

    The Djinn stepped forward, the wind around them began to whistle as it rushed to form a circle, a funnel that carried the sand and dirt with it. As it began to whip at Aegin''s own clothes, he registered the wind picking up cloth, the rope he''d thrown, bits of wood and tools, sacks and grain. Aegin stumbled and raised an arm to cover his eyes as the sand stabbed at him like millions of tiny blades. He shifted in towards the Djinn, anything to get away from the high winds.

    "Urgh!" Aegin struggled, then he heard an almighty crack, and looked in time to see a part of one of the Beins ripping away from the rest of the building. His eyes widened, "Stop! You''ll destroy the village".

    "So?" the Djinn sighed, "They''re human. They''re tenacious pests. They''ll rebuild and procreate and in a couple of years it''ll be like nothing happened here. How do you not get that? You''re on a path of Chaos".

    The wind whipped up, lifting Aegin''s feet off the ground. The Djinn handled it easily, he began to walk on air, the whirling tornado of winds moving with him out of the village as Aegin turned his body to claw against the ground for a purchase. But soon enough, the wind became even more powerful the closer he came to it, and he roared as the sand began to shear the skin from his hands, then arms, then face.

    The pain was unlike anything he had ever experienced before, he imagined that it was even worse than being skinned with a blade. At least a blade was precise.

    He lost his grip, and with it he began whipping around in the tornado. He could faintly hear the Djinn chuckling as he lost himself in the pain of his body being torn to pieces. Of his Life Lines being shredded just as easily. That was what really hurt. It was it''s own kind of torture, feeling your soul be ripped to shreds by a sand-filled wind that cut like a blade through butter.

    How was he supposed to fight this with blades? His blades were useless when they could not meet with anything solid.

    Suddenly, the wind died, and Aegin fell, hitting the ground hard among all the other rubble that had been shredded just like he had.

    As he struggled to look up, he could feel the tingling of his skin as it knitted itself back together. The burning of his Life Lines on his shoulders and back made him curl up, barely biting back a whimper of pain.

    "Ah," said the Djinn, much closer than Aegin expected. But he couldn''t move, not now. The healing was taking up too much of what little energy he''d managed to acc.u.mulate through waking the members of the Tribe, "I see. No wonder you are so weak��you are brand new".

    Aegin coughed, wheezing as he spoke, struggling to get his hands and feet under him, "You''re��you''re one to talk��you''re just using��your power��where is your pride as a��man?" asked Aegin.

    The Djinn watched him rise with an amused smirk, "Still clinging to humanity, I see. It''s quite amusing to watch. I''ve never met a Fledgling Vampire before. The Vampires always kept them so well protected��which leads me to question why you''re alone��did your Sire abandon you?"

    Aegin turned to look at the Djinn, standing on his feet weakly as he tried to stand straight.

    The Djinn, still holding Rima on his shoulder, covered his mouth in mock surprise, "No, that''s not right. You abandoned your Sire��how childish".

    The Djinn''s expression turned to a grin, his eyes still mocking as he laughed, "He turns you to save your life, and you throw all your rage and regrets on him to blame him. Truly, truly childish".

    Aegin clenched his jaw, "You have no right to judge me, you who have just cause such destruction".

    The Djinn''s laughed slowly died down as he met Aegin''s angered gaze, "Such anger��no wonder your Life Lines read as incomplete. Your story ready to start, but your anger and humanity holding you back. It will always hold you back. It will always make you weak".

    The Djinn c.o.c.ked his head to the side, staring blankly at Aegin, "I use my powers because they are a part of me. There is no shame in that. I, Yashi, have won against you in every way, Aegin Bloodthorn��no, just Aegin. You b.a.r.e no resplendent last name in your state. Not when your life is nothing to be proud of. Not when you''re nothing but a lost little boy, running from his past. I''m sure your Sire regrets creating the disappointment you''ve become. Just like the girl will regret ever trusting you when she wakes up".

    Then the Djinn, Yashi, turned and walked away.

    Aegin, weak from merely holding himself up, collapsed on his knees, then to the ground among the rubble. Weak��he was so weak and utterly useless.

 Chapter 310 - The Woe of a Wastrel

    Sevis wasn''t sure if it was minutes or hours that had gone by when the howling of the wind finally died away. What he was sure of though, as he stood with wide and disbelieving eyes at the place that was his home, was that the wish that had granted his Tribe safety and prosperity so long ago was no more.

    If the Red-Eyed Snake Tribe managed to survive this decimation intact, he would count that as miracle enough.

    "��S��Sevis!" Sevis turned to see Tigin stumbling towards him, navigating between the rubble that used to be the Beins of their village. So many homes ripped to shreds, and while he had yet to check, he had to conclude that those that had been within had not fared any better.

    "Here!" Sevis called, the dust still settling around them and making it more difficult to see.

    Tigin came to his side, coughing at the dust and waving his hand before him. He had a cut on his arm.

    "You okay?" asked Sevis.

    Tigin nodded, "Fine, I''ve got to find Rima".

    Sevis caught his arm, "Aegin would find her faster".

    Tigin frowned then pointed to the devastation before them, "Knowing Aegin, he would have been in the middle of that, he probably still is!"

    Sevis frowned, "We should go help him".

    Tigin sighed, "Did you miss the part where their fight levelled your entire village? How exactly do you intend to fight among that?"

    Sevis turned, looking around before he spotted a sword among the rubble. He picked it up, then stepped forward, "Did you miss the part where he barely scr.a.p.ed by with the Sand Devils?"

    Tigin sighed, "We''re checking Rima''s Bein first".

    Sevis didn''t argue as the two began walking forward through the rubble, checking on anyone they found. Most, despite Sevis'' false hope, were dead. There were a few that were still alive, though barely conscious given the circ.u.mstances. It took them longer than they''d hoped to get to Rima''s Bein.

    Not that one would call it a Bein anymore.

    The only part of it left were the stumps of the wooden frame and a few sandstone bricks The rest was gone, no Rima in sight. Sevis clapped a hand on Tigin''s tense shoulder.

    "We''ll find her," said Sevis.

    Tigin closed his eyes, taking a deep breath as he nodded, "If we get to Aegin it''ll be faster".

    So, they followed the trail of destruction through the village, then beyond the little valley that the Tribe called home and out into the desert beyond. It wasn''t hard to see where the fight had gone, trails of debris on either side of a smoothed ground led several kilometres out. Finally, the debris seemed to lessen, then stop all together.

    Sevis eyed the horizon, but he saw no signs of life out there.

    "Aegin?" asked Tigin in surprise.

    Sevis''s head snapped to Tigin, then followed his gaze. There, among the debris, lay a n.a.k.e.d man with brown hair. He was curled up, his back facing them, dark, black lines of his upper back and shoulders contrasting greatly with his pale skin. Sevis had never seen those lines of Aegin, but as he thought about it, he realised he''d never actually seen Aegin without a shirt on either.

    "Aegin!" called Tigin, sure as he moved forward.

    "No!" the warning came out as a growl, and Tigin and Sevis both paused, "Don''t come any closer��I��I don''t want to hurt you".

    Tigin looked back at Sevis, and Sevis frowned with him, "Aegin, what''s wrong?"

    There was no reply for a long moment, then Aegin seemed to choke on his words, "Hungry��I��I''m so hungry".

    Sevis''s eyes widened, "He''s too weak. He needs blood".

    Tigin sighed, "Can you hold back or not?"

    "If he can barely move, he''s on the verge of starving, he''ll likely need to drain whatever he feeds on," said Sevis, "I''ll head back to the village and see what I can find".

    Sevis turned and ran back down the trail of destruction. Tigin approached slowly, sitting down on a larger piece of rubble a few metres from Aegin, "Come on, Aegin, you gotta pull through this. Rima??s still missing, we''ve got to find her".

    Aegin didn''t reply again for a long moment before his shoulders shook, and Tigin tensed, ready to move away should Aegin lose control, "I��I''m sorry, Tigin. I couldn''t stop him��I''m too weak".

    "Aegin��we don''t blame you. It''s not like you can fight against sand and wind, I-"

    "He took Rima".

    Tigin stilled, his gaze focusing on Aegin''s back, "What?"

    "He��he took Rima. And I couldn''t do anything to stop him".

    ***

    *Eldovian Era 1714, 15th day of the 4th month*

    Sevis approached where Tigin sat a hundred metres or so from where they''d brought Aegin in the early hours of the morning. They''d allowed him to feed on those who were dying because of that they''d been through. He''d refused at first, but the scent of their blood had been too much. The bodies of the five he''d fed from had long been removed, but Aegin hadn''t moved an inch except to dress in their shirt and pants handed to him. Considering how he''d pulled it tightly around his shoulders to cover the black marks there, Sevis was sure he would have stayed n.a.k.e.d otherwise.

    "Hasn''t moved yet, then?" asked Sevis.

    Tigin sighed, "Not even when Cara came by".

    Sevis frowned, "This has got to stop".

    He stalked passed Tigin and Tigin rose quickly, catching his arm, "I really don''t think that''s a good-"

    Sevis shook off Tigin''s hold and kept moving, pausing just a metre in front of Aegin.

    "Get up".

    Aegin didn''t even acknowledge him. Sevis gritted his teeth before he reached out and grabbed Aegin''s collar, pulling him up. Aegin grabbed his hand as the collar peeled back, throwing Sevis off.

    "Don''t touch me".

    "Don''t touch you?" asked Sevis. Then he stepped forward and shoved at Aegin''s shoulders, "What? The big bad Vampire doesn''t like being pushed around?"

    Aegin''s lip curled back at his eyes flashed red.

    "Sevis, I really don''t think-"

    "Then don''t think, Tigin," Sevis snapped, crossing his arms over his c.h.e.s.t as his eyes met Aegin''s gaze, "If you don''t like being pushed around, Aegin, then do something about it!"

    "So that''s it, you''re just going to leave?"

    Aegin paused, "I''m not good for anything else, clearly".

    "Is that so? And what about Rima? Are you just going to leave her to the mercy of the Black Sands?" asked Sevis.

    Aegin turned back at him, "In case you hadn''t noticed, Sevis, I stand no chance against the Djinn that guards her, exactly what do you think I can accomplish if I go after her? Huh? And even if by some miracle I happen to get her back, how am I going to keep her safe, I was no use for your entire Tribe!"

    "We didn''t ask you to protect our Tribe, Aegin," Sevis stated with narrowed eyes.

    "Perhaps not explicitly, but it was damn well implied!"

    "It was not!" Sevis snapped, "You are a guest here, just like Tigin and Rima are guests here!"

    "I saw the way your father looked at me, Sevis, it''s the same way people have been looking at me my entire life, vampire or not!" snapped Aegin, "Just a tool to be used. Evidently, he''s just another in a long line of masters I''ve had to disappoint".

    "So, did you think that was what I wanted from you? A protector?"

    Aegin turned away, "Better I leave before I disappoint you too".

    Sevis scoffed, "Go ahead then! Get an answer you don''t like and run from it!"

    Aegin called back over his shoulder, "Seems to be all I''m good at!"

    Then he vanished, Sevis huffed and turned away.

    "Wasn''t that a little harsh?" asked Tigin.

    Sevis paused and turned to Tigin, "If he''s going to be a dead weight as we try to survive against Black Sands, because surviving will be the best we can pull off in the current circ.u.mstances, then he can run away as much as he damn well pleases. Besides, you were just waiting for him to perk back up so he could go save Rima, weren''t you? Sorry to say it, Tigin, but we''ll probably have to do that ourselves".

 Chapter 311 - A Matter for the Master

    Rima had never been much of a drinker. Alcohol of any kind was a luxury she''d never been able to afford. But as she tried groggily to awaken, she imagined that this was what it was like the morning after a particularly heavy night of drinking. How did all those people down at the inns and bars do it day after day? She felt like her head was going to explode.

    Still, as she became more and more aware of her surroundings, she realised that she was hanging upside down, and something was digging uncomfortably into her stomach.

    She g.r.o.a.n.e.d.

    "Oh," said an unfamiliar voice, "Just in time".

    "What-"

    Rima registered the sound of a door opening and then she shifted suddenly, plunging towards the floor. Rima hit it hard, the air rushing from her lungs with the unexpected jolt. Rima coughed, then, when she managed to get a little more air in her lungs, turned to look up at who had been holding her.

    He appeared to be a teenage boy. Perhaps only a head or so taller than her short self. He was dressed in traditional Tribal garb, but with no adornments on his upper arms. Instead, he wore cuffs that went from his wrists to just shy of his elbow. They appeared to be made from quite expensive material as well. It made her wonder where he''d gotten them from. He did not look at her, instead looking at whatever was in front of him.

    Rima twisted to look over her shoulder as she sat up.

    What she found was a middle-aged man in a black silk robe with his hair pulled back and twisted in cords down his back. A few necklaces hung in the gap of his robe against a b.a.r.e c.h.e.s.t. Rima frowned and took in the room around her, it seemed like a formal meeting room, why was this guy n.a.k.e.d beneath his robe? His dark eyes looked from the boy to her, then back to the boy.

    Those eyes unsettled her. She didn''t like them.

    "Well, would you look at that, Yashi actually listened and brought me back a woman without me having to make a wish," he said.

    The boy beside her smiled, "Not exactly, Master. I found her rather interesting, so I brought her to see if I could make up for my first and only failure".

    The man''s eyes snapped back to the girl, interest in them as he looked at her for a moment. Then they widened as he stood.

    "Who are you, girl?"

    Rima frowned. She really didn''t like this guy. She was still dreaming, right? Though that didn''t explain the pain. Nor this strange place she''d never seen before.

    "What''s your name!" snapped the man.

    Rima flinched, "Rima".

    The boy beside her side, his stance relaxing, clearly he was not in the least intimidated by the man''s display, "She''s Elva''s daughter, Master".

    "Elva''s daughter?" asked the man, he then stalked towards Rima, she went to move away but he caught her arm, pulling her towards him and grasping her chin. He stared at her features, seeming to drink them in, "How old are you, Rima?"

    Rima struggled against him before he jolted her back to look at him, "Cooperate, girl, how old are you?"

    "I''ll be nineteen at the beginning of winter," said Rima.

    The man grinned. Rima didn''t like his smile. It was too��evil.

    He released her, "Get her cleaned up and put her in a room".

    "Then, she does count as a replacement?" asked the boy beside her, Yashi.

    Rima gasped and shuffled back, the Djinn.

    The room was silent for a moment before the man sighed, "Where did you find her?"

    "She was among the Red-Eyed Snakes. Though considering her lack of Tribal adornments I assume she was only a guest there," Yashi said.

    "Is that true, girl? You were a guest?" asked the man.

    Rima sensed impending danger for the Tribe. She had yet to know this man''s name, but she could see the threat of violence in his eyes, "Yes, just a guest".

    "Did they know who your mother was?" asked the man.

    "No. I told them only that my mother had run from her tribe to Rene," said Rima.

    The man stared at her with narrowed eyes for a long moment before he spoke again, "Rene? Then why did you come to the Hava Rastellan?"

    "To search for my mother''s tribe," said Rima.

    The man chuckled, "Well, you''ve found it, Rima".

    Rima raised an eyebrow, "But��I heard from travellers that the Blue Suns were gone".

    "In a way, yes, they were assimilated into Black Sands. After all, how could I decimate my Bride''s Tribe? Who was your father?"

    Rima shook my head, "I don''t know. My mother only said he was a traveller from the Southern Continent".

    The man nodded, "Then you will be my daughter from now on as you should have been, you will be of the Black Sands, and you will do as you are told while you are here".

    "I-"

    "Then the wish is fulfilled?" asked Yashi.

    "Patience, Yashi," said the man without turning to blink at the Djinn, "Your mother, what happened to her?"

    Rima frowned, "She died over a decade ago, she got sick and never got better".

    The man actually looked sad for a moment, his eyes showing something other than the greed and malicious intentions she had perceived so far. But it was gone just as quickly.

    The man turned to look at Yashi, "Yes, I see this wish fulfilled, Djinn. You may take your payment".

    Rima watched as the Djinn grinned and took a deep breath. As he did, she could see the man still for a moment, then as Yashi breathed out, and the man moved once more.

    What had just happened?

    "I''ll be up in my quarters as always if you have need of me, Master," said Yashi, then he turned and walked out.

    Rima turned back to the man, "Who are you?"

    The man grinned, "Me? I am Gryffyn Blacksand, Chieftain of the Black Sands Tribe, and now, your adoptive father".

    Rima frowned, adoptive father her a.s.s.

 Chapter 312 - A Battle on Borders

    *Eldovian Era 1715, 17th day of the 6th month*

    When in the middle of a battle, it was hard not to lose yourself to the Sensory Overload of it. The spraying of blood, the scuffle of feet, the war cries, the sound of flash meeting flesh, metal, meeting metal, the quick shik of a blade as it cut down what was in its way.

    And the smell. Even after a year of it, Tigin had yet to not feel his stomach protest on the battlefield. Though he had got substantially better at keeping his insides where they belonged, in more ways than one.

    Tigin swung the battle axe in a downwards arc, the blade cutting down between his enemy''s shoulder and head, only to pause halfway through his torso. Tigin sighed and gave the axe a yank, separating it from his victim''s body, which promptly dropped down. He turned, just in time to see a spear cut into his line of sight and block a sword headed right for his back. He watched as the enemy wielding the sword took three steps back, turning his attention to the spear wielder.

    Sevis didn''t give him time to ponder a counter attack, twisting word as he held the spear close, the blade cutting the enemy''s throat before Sevis paused, holding the spear facing down at his back, he look at Tigin.

    "You still have to work on watching your back," said Sevis.

    Tigin heard another battle cry coming from the left, and he turned to take care of it as Sevis took care of two others.

    "Yeah, but considering I would never have pictured myself here a year ago, I think I''m doing pretty well," said Tigin.

    "Pretty well, does not lead to survival on the battlefield," Sevis replied, then he raised his voice as he called out, "Warriors! Ava Foe!"

    "Foe Na!" Tigin called out with the remaining survivors within earshot. The call resounded along the battlefield as the Warriors quickly finished their immediate fights and turned to spiral around the dwindling number of Black Sands Warriors.

    Tigin could see there were about forty of the Black Sands members left. Looking at the numbers on his own Tribe, they clearly had at least double that, but both sides had started out with two hundred warriors.

    A battle won for them. But Tigin was beginning to question whether the losses they were sustaining would be worth it to win this war.

    ***

    "How many casualties?" asked Sevis.

    The Warrior hesitated before replying, "124 Casualties, 38 injured".

    The head warriors sitting around the campfire all sighed in disappointment. Was this the best effort that twelve Tribes in the north could put forward against Black Sands? The answer seemed to be getting worse and worse as the border wars dragged on.

    "And the prisoners?" asked Sevis.

    "Sixteen surrendered," said the Warrior, "The rest, by your order, were beheaded and placed on spears at the border".

    Sevis nodded, "Start preparing to go back to Red-Eye. We''ve lost too many and can''t afford to get into another skirmish".

    The Warrior nodded, but hesitated in leaving. Sevis looked up.

    "Is there something else?"

    "One of the Prisoners, sir��he claims to be of the Blue Suns, not Black Sands," said the Warrior.

    Tigin looked up, then stepped forward, "Blue Suns?"

    The warrior glanced at Tigin, nodding. Tigin turned to Sevis. Sevis sighed, then nodded, "Take us to him".

    ***

    The warrior appeared pretty well beaten. Though none of his injuries seemed life threatening either.

    "Your name," Sevis said.

    "Alred, greets the War Master," said the man.

    War Master. A ranking title for the leaders of Tribal War Bands. Sevis had been given commend of five hundred men a year ago. That number was barely dwindling at fifty now. Still, he''d proven himself a capable leader despite his losses. He needed to be. One never knew whether they were going to come up against a Black Sands War Band or the Djinn. Fortunately, they''d been hearing the Djinn''s interference less and less recently. Not that it boded well for the future.

    "Alred, my name is Sevis. You''ve told my Warrior here you are of the Blue Suns Tribe. Why is that?" asked Sevis.

    "Because it is true, War Master," said Alred, "The Blue Suns are prisoners of Black Sands, they have been for many years. So long that many of us have forgotten another way".

    "How many?" asked Sevis.

    Alred thought a moment, "Perhaps a third of those currently inhabiting the Black Sands'' city are of Blue Suns descent. Though we have long be stripped of such names and forbidden from calling ourselves anything but Black Sands".

    Sevis frowned, "So when Black Sands hunted the Blue Suns, they did not destroy them, but assimilated them?"

    "Yes, War Master," said Alred.

    "It is interesting, but why do you use this now? Is it to beg for your life?" asked Sevis.

    Alred shook his head, "I dare not. Indeed many of us started this war as Black Sands, but when word began to travel that a member of our Chieftain''s family remained, we sought out further information"

    Sevis frowned, "Rima".

    Alred looked up in surprise, "Yes, War Master, you know her?"

    Sevis looked at Tigin, who nodded.

    "I consider her a friend, what can you tell us about her?"

    "Gryffyn took her in as his long-lost daughter. But he keeps her in his Estate, far from prying eyes. Only those within the Estate see her. The Rumour is that following several escape attempts, the Djinn who obeys Gryffyn now guards her," said Alred.

    Tigin cursed turning away.

    "A long-lost daughter?" asked Sevis, "But Gryffyn never ever met Elva. She ran before he could".

    Alred nodded, "Aye, there are rumours swirling about that too. Gryffyn has been growing more and more hungry for power over the years, he would not have even thought of starting a war with so many tribes a decade ago. But recently��some say he is going mad".

    Sevis nodded, then turned to Tigin who looked at him expectantly, "You heard him, she''s alive".

    "And guarded by the Djinn," Tigin scoffed, "How are we supposed to get her back if she''s guarded by the Djinn?"

    "If I may?" Alred asked. Tigin and Sevis turned back to him expectantly, "While no one is sure what it is, there is a rumour that the only reason the Djinn obeys Gryffyn is because Gryffyn holds something valuable to it".

    Tigin frowned, "You''re giving away an awful lot of information".

    "This war has been led along by a mad man for long enough," said Alred, "And if you can do anything to save our rightful Chieftain, if would surely mean that our victory is two fold given Gryffyn''s apparent affection for her".

    "The man has a point," Sevis sighed. He seemed to pause in thought for a moment before he nodded and turned to walk away.

    Tigin frowned, "Sevis, where are you going?"

    "The only place we can get help," replied Sevis without turning around.

    Tigin frowned, "What place?"

    "You''ll see".

 Chapter 313 - A Cacophony in a Cave

    "A cave?" asked Tigin. When Sevis had told him they were going to get help, he didn''t expend to ride for half a day to a cave in the middle of nowhere.

    "Stop being so cynical," said Sevis. He dismounted.

    Tigin pointed back in the direction they''d come from, "We could have been halfway to the Black Sands City by now".

    "Yes," Sevis admitted, "And either captured or dead. Possibly both".

    Tigin sighed, then dismounted and followed Sevis towards the entrance of the cave, "So what''s in the cave that''s going to help us?"

    "The only thing that can," said Sevis, he paused just before the entrance, turning back to Tigin with a strange look on his face, like Tigin should have figured this out by now.

    Tigin frowned, looked at the cave, then back at Sevis. Understanding suddenly dawned in his expression, "You have got to be kidding me".

    Sevis shrugged, "He''s the only one who can help Rima".

    "He hasn''t helped in over a year, exactly what do you expect from him now?" Tigin scoffed.

    Sevis rolled his eyes and turned to walk into the cave, "If you think he''s been gone all that time, you''re sorely mistaken".

    Tigin hesitated, then followed Sevis into the cave.

    It was strange, at first Tigin thought it was a trick of his eyes, but the further he walked into the cave, the more he could make out something shining in the back of the cave. When Sevis paused in front of it, Tigin realised it was a mirror. He scoffed, "I never took Aegin for the vain type".

    Sevis just smiled, then he moved the mirror ever so slightly to the right.

    As soon as the light caught it, it reflected to a tunnel to the left that Tigin had failed to see in the shadows. That tunnel promptly lit up for a few metres, then veered deeper into the cliff-face once more.

    Sevis followed the tunnel, Tigin still surprised by the mirrors. He''d never seen them used like this.

    Around that second corner, the light was much brighter, filling the cavernous room beyond. The room was filled with several mirrors on the walls and roof, all reflecting off of each other to amplify the light. There were several mirrors around the room that were turned away though, as if the room could be brighter if it needed to be.

    Around the room were several pieces of handmade furniture and cloth. There was also a rack of weapons. There was another tunnel off to the side as well, from which came several scraping noises. Like stone on metal.

    Sevis promptly went down that tunnel, Tigin trailing behind as he looked around. This place��it had been lived in for several months. Tigin ducked down the secondary tunnel. Usually in places like this it got cooler the further away from fresh air you went, but there was heat here. Due to the desert heat outside, Tigin hadn''t really noticed it at first, but this felt different, and it seemed to only be getting hotter.

    Tigin frowned, walking behind Sevis. He could see a light glowing at the end of the tunnel, not like the mirror''s reflected light though. This looked more like the glow from a fire.

    The heat was becoming unbearable. Tigin gasped, "What is this place?"

    "You''ll see," said Sevis, though his voice appeared strained too.

    They came out into another large cavern, this one far larger than the previous one, but about twenty metres from where they tunnel was, the ground dropped, and the orange glow came from whatever was at the bottom.

    "What do you want, Sevis?" asked a familiar voice.

    Tigin turned to see Aegin sitting on the side, several buckets, tools and equipment lay around him, as well as a rack of what appeared to be weapons. And a big dome looking structure about as tall as Tigin with two openings in the front.

    Tigin frowned. It was a forge.

    This is what he''d been doing for a year? Learning how to forge weapons? What good would weapons do without the men to wield them? Besides, Aegin had already resolved himself to not fighting with the weapons. Could he have had second thoughts? That didn''t explain his idleness though.

    "You brought guests, I see," said Aegin, "Only you''d be stupid enough to walk casually into the home of a Vampire, next thing you know, Tigin will be following your lead".

    "How long have you been back?" asked Tigin. He couldn''t help himself.

    "I only left for three months," said Aegin, then he ducked his head and continued sharpening the blade that rest on the anvil before him.

    Tigin frowned as he gazed at it. It wasn''t metal. It��it looked more like crystal.

    "Are you happy with your finished product yet?" asked Sevis.

    Aegin paused again, then gave a deep sigh and put the rock he was using to sharpen the blade down, "What do you want, Sevis? I won''t ask again".

    "Rima''s alive," Sevis replied, "At Gryffyn Blacksands'' estate, guarded by the Djinn".

    Aegin''s eyes softened, "What do you think I can do about that?"

    "I know you''re the best chance we''ve got of getting her back," said Sevis.

    Aegin sighed and turned away, "I couldn''t save her the first time, Sevis, what makes you think I''ll be any better this time around?"

    "Maybe you could be, if you actually tried to walk the path you''ve been put on," said Sevis.

    Aegin didn''t turn back around, but Tigin could see him tense.

    "You may not be running, Aegin, but you are hiding," said Tigin, "That''s worse".

    Aegin turned to look over his shoulder at Tigin, "Haven''t seen me in over a year, and that''s all you''ve got to say?"

    Tigin crossed his arms over his c.h.e.s.t, "If I had something better to say, I would. But from what I''ve learned over the last year, the hierarchy of the paths of Chaos is always changing. That Djinn may have won the first time, but that''s not to say that it won''t be different this time, or the time after that. You shouldn''t give up-"

    "Tigin". Sevis'' tone was like a warning, and Tigin immediately turned to look at him. Sevis shook his head slowly, then turned to look at Aegin, who had turned away once more, "Look, we know Gryffyn has something that he holds that means he can control the Djinn. If we can get it, then maybe we can cause a big enough distraction for Rima to get away. We''ll probably lose our lives in the process, but it''s not like that girl wouldn''t do the same for us given the chance. Tigin and I are going to Black Sands to get her back, and while I know it''s unlikely, we want you to come. Because you''re the best chance we have of actually succeeding".

    There was silence before Sevis turned and left, Tigin reluctantly following.

 Chapter 314 - A Staccato of Stealth

    Aegin could hear it as they left. Could hear it as they walked out of his cave and made their way back the way they''d come. He stood for a long time, just listening to them, then he looked over his shoulder at the blade he''d been trying to make. He''d had the idea some time ago but had never been sure it would work. He''d never exactly been motivated enough to actually try it either though.

    Those months alone had been an eye opener. It had all started when he''d met a group of survivors in the south of the Blue Suns Tribe.

    Like the Red-Eyed Snake Tribe, they''d been quite welcoming. It wasn''t until he''d been in their company for a fortnight though that Aegin had met their elusive blacksmith. He''d been on a trip to the Triad cities, and had come back with objects that Aegin would have rather never seen again.

    He came with an assortment of Charms.

    Still, even if he had not wanted to be there, the blacksmith had offhandedly commented that if charms such as their could be used for defence, why not offence? That perhaps the one who had made them was holding back.

    Aegin knew he was, but he mentioned nothing of it. In fact, the comment had made him think of something else entirely.

    An ordinary blade, no matter it''s origin, could not harm the Djinn, but what about a blade that had runes carved into it? He''d seen the Vanguard defeat the Other, surely a Charmed Blade would have a similar if not more proficient result?

    Aegin had learned what he could of black smithing, but it appeared metal was easy.

    The Evanine was easy to come by in the West where crystal veins were high in quantity and quality. But few had paid attention to the Evanine ones. Aegin was able to buy several crates worth of Evanine for a low price. He''d brought smelting equipment and tools, but it became clear that the Evanine would not cooperate as metal did. It took a very high temperature to come even close to melting it, a temperature that ordinary forges had no hope of achieving. Aegin had been ready to give up his idea as a lost cause.

    Then he''d found the cave. It hadn''t been as big or wide as it was not, and in all honesty he''d just been passing by to see how Tigin and the Red-Eyed Snake tribe were doing. He''d had no intention of sticking around. But the cave released an unusual heat, and it became clear as soon as Aegin investigated. In the depths of that cave, far below, was a river of fire, so hot that Aegin was positive that if he fell in, he would die even with his healing abilities.

    Hot enough to kill him, and maybe just hot enough to forge the blade he''d imagined.

    He''d been thrilled to melt the Evanine for the first time, but simply melting it was not enough. He had to learn to cast it and mould it, and sharpen it. He had to learn about how it worked and what would break it. After all, if the blade shattered easily, there was little point in making it.

    He''d been so engrossed, he hadn''t realised that weeks had passed until Sevis found his cave while out on patrol. He??d been shocked to say the least, and Aegin hadn''t exactly been desiring guests, but once it happened, and once Sevis got what Aegin was trying to achieve, he let him be.

    Still, the blade he''d imagined seemed like a far off dream considering how many times Aegin had tried to forge it. The blade he had here��they''d all been reforged themselves at least a dozen times. Aegin could never get the blade thick enough not to shatter, but still manoeuvrable enough to swing. He needed something strong to reinforce the crystal, but that would compromise the purpose of the blade; to be inscribed with runes.

    Aegin looked down at the blade he''d been sharpening and sighed. This one��it was technically the closest he''d come to a completed blade. But he was pretty sure that it would shatter too easily, that it wouldn''t help him in the fight against Yashi.

    Aegin clenched his fist, then picked up the rock he''d been using the sharpen the blade. Just because he''d failed the first time, doesn''t mean he would always fail. Everything he''d done would be a failure if he didn''t even try to test it.

    ***

    Black Sands City was one of the largest outposts in the Hava Rastellan. You could easily fit ten Red-Eye villages into the city. That wasn''t all either, Black Sands built up. They''d taken to building houses that were more modernised than the Beins that most Tribes built. Resembling boxes of Sandstone, sometimes towers of it, rather than the usual round huts.

    Honestly, after taking it all in from a distance, Sevis wasn''t nearly as confident as he''d felt during the whole trip.

    He turned to Tigin who squatted beside him, "You sure you want to try this? I don''t think it''s likely that we''ll get out of there alive".

    Tigin frowned, "We need to try at least. From what we''ve seen, the Chieftain''s estate is that massive building on the far side".

    "Yeah, problem is that the patrols are much more frequent on that side of the city, so our only way in is through one of the other main entrances," Sevis sighed, "Which means we''ve got to get through an entire city unnoticed before we can even think of looking for the Chieftain, or Rima".

    "But it''s a pretty safe bet that they''re likely close to one another, correct? I don''t think the Chieftain would make the Djinn her guard if it meant that Rima was living so far away," said Tigin.

    "Agreed," said Sevis, "Come on, it isn''t going to get much darker than this, and if we don''t go now, the Djinn is probably going to catch wind of us".

    "What makes you think he hasn''t already?" asked Tigin.

    "No Sand Devils," Sevis replied, "Though I find that just as unsettling as actually seeing them for some reason".

    "Me too," Tigin agreed, "Come on".

    The two stood, making their way closer to the city walls step by step until they were in line with an oncoming patrol.

    "Alright, quick and silent," Sevis said.

    Tigin nodded, and the two waited with baited breath as the patrol drew closer��and closer��and��

    "Now!" Sevis hissed.

    Tigin and Sevis both leaped up and dragged the surprised pair of patrolling warriors down to the ground. One of them let out a surprised shout, but Tigin quickly muffled him before squeezing his neck to stop his breathing.

    "Oi! Everything okay out there?" asked a warrior that was at the wall about fifty metres off.

    Tigin and Sevis froze, looking at each other as they continued to strangle the patrolmen. When there was no immediate reply, the warrior began to step forward.

    A deep voice rumbled from behind Tigin and Sevis, "Fine! Damn snake jumped out of nowhere!"

    The Warrior hesitated before he huffed and turned back to take his spot.

    The young man squatted down and nodded towards the warrior Tigin was still strangling. Though now, he was most definitely passed out if not dead. Tigin released him.

    "You''ve gotten better at fighting, but your stealth skills are terrible," said Aegin.

 Chapter 315 - The Riddling of Ridge Men

    "What are you doing here?" Tigin hissed.

    Aegin raised an eyebrow, "Evidently, deduction is not your forte either".

    Sevis smirked, but quickly hid it as he turned towards the gates, "Let''s get into these uniforms and-"

    Aegin put a hand on Sevis'' shoulder, "No need. Wait here for now, I''ll go scope it out".

    Sevis frowned, "We''re supposed to do this together. The Djinn doesn''t-"

    "Yashi most certainly does know you''re here. He likely knows I am too," said Aegin, "If he hasn''t attacked you yet, he''s done so intentionally, which likely points to a trap".

    Sevis shook off Aegin''s hand, "That may be the case, but I hardly think that you should be going in alone".

    "Like you said, I''ve got more of a chance than the two of you do. Besides, unless there is a Gods given opportunity, I don''t plan to rescue Rima quite yet," said Aegin.

    "Wha-"

    Sevis slapped a hand over Tigin''s mouth to muffled his outcry, glaring at him. The three of them waited, listening to the night before Aegin continued speaking.

    "They haven''t tried to kill her yet, she''s only under guard. Besides, you said that Yashi''s Master keeps some kind of Token or Vessel on his body, right? Shouldn''t our priority be finding that?" asked Aegin, "That way, it won''t be nearly as hard to get Rima out of there".

    Sevis'' hand dropped from Tigin''s mouth as he sighed, "I get it".

    "But-"

    "What he says makes sense, Tigin," said Sevis. He turned to Aegin, "But in and out, and no engaging unless you have to, right?"

    Aegin smiled, "Haven''t used these skills in a while".

    He vanished.

    Tigin looked down at the two guards, "What do we do with these guys?"

    Sevis followed his gaze, "Come on, let''s get further away from the gate".

    ***

    The old rhyme he''d been taught as a child echoed through his mind as he made his way through the dark streets of the city. Down alleys, across rooftops, over balconies and ledges. Aegin was in the assassin''s element as if he''d never left it.

    Ridge Men are Silent.

    Ridge Men are Loyal.

    As their enemies recoil.

    Ridge Men are Quick.

    Ridge Men are Clean.

    Beware the Ridge Men,

    For their deeds are unseen.

    Ridge Men. How long had it been since he''d dared to think of himself in that way? He''d long rid himself of the title, of course. Unwilling to be associated with those who were so blindly loyal to a family of entitled, rich pricks like the Kildares''. Still, he couldn''t deny that their training was more than useful, only enhanced by his Vampiric senses and abilities.

    As Aegin drew closer to the compound of the Black Sands Chieftain, quite easy to pick out amongst the other building, he could feel eyes on him. Dark eyes, amused eyes.

    Yashi knew they were there, alright. Though considering the lack of response from all the guards, either he''d yet to inform his Master, or the Black Sands Chieftain was so utterly confident in Yashi''s victory that he saw no reason to be on guard.

    Aegin didn''t plan on sticking around long enough to find out which one it was.

    As he reached the highest floor apart from the tower on the far side, the eyes on him became alarming to his senses. He glanced up, at the balcony at the top of the tower. Yashi was there, he knew it. Yet he did not sense the Djinn making any moves.

    Aegin scented the air, wrinkling his nose and the smell of s.e.x wafting out of the open doors a couple of rooms up. The scent of s.e.x and various perfumes.

    So, the Chieftain had a Harem? How benevolent of him.

    It was not exactly an uncommon practice, and Aegin had never really had an opinion on it as a Ridge Man. Now that he''d had other experiences though, he could not help but think that power and wealth were not good enough reasons to acc.u.mulate women like possessions. Not that all Harems were that way, but the majority that he knew of certainly were. Screwing up his nose in distaste, but knowing he had no other option seeing as he was short on time. Aegin found himself standing in the shadows of the balcony door and laying eyes upon the orgy that was occurring inside the vast room.

    There was no other way to describe it. His first thought, as his lip curled up in disgust, was that clearly the Chieftain overestimated his capabilities if the women had to take care of themselves or each other. His next thought, as his eyes caught Gryffyn mid-thrust. Was that the man must not have the time to carry much with him, so the item that Aegin was looking for was either hidden somewhere close or was small enough not to bother the man in his trysts.

    Aegin tilted his head in thought, then Gryffyn paused and clasped his hand at something around his neck before flinging that something over his shoulder.

    Two pendants fell into the prove of his spine as the man''s muscles flexed. One a black feather that was locked in placed with two obsidian beads, and the other-

    "Didn''t take you for someone who would enjoy this kind of show, Aegin".

    Aegin didn''t even bother glancing at Yashi, he simply turned and ran.

    Of course, Yashi didn''t so much as flinch.

    Aegin felt the wind beneath his feet even as he dropped to the ground. He realised right away what a mistake it was to leave himself airborne like that. He cursed as the wind spiralled around him and began carrying him up again, past the busy Harem and towards the tower.

    Aegin hissed at the cutting wind. He just hoped that Sevis and Tigin stayed put.

 Chapter 316 - The Failings of Fledgings

    "Urrgh!" Aegin hit the floor of the stone balcony hard enough to knock what little air the wind hadn''t already stolen from his lungs. He coughed violently as the winds around him died, turned to look at a grinning Yashi who sat on the balcony railing looking quite self-satisfied.

    "Hey Ya-Yashi��fancy��seeing you��here," Aegin said, nearly every word punctuated by a cough.

    Yashi tilted his head in amus.e.m.e.nt, "Quite the coincidence indeed. Though I cannot for the life of me determine why you wanted to stare at my Master''s nightly activities over rescuing your friend".

    Aegin managed to sit up, "Call it friendly concern".

    Yashi''s eyes dawned, "Ah, were you attempting to ensure that dear Rima had not joined in?"

    Aegin turned away. To be honest, he had considered that a possibility up until Sevis had said that Yashi was guarding her. If she was being separately guarded, then she had to be more important to Gryffyn than a mere member of his Harem.

    "Not to worry, she''s kept herself fairly busy reacquainting herself with her ex-tribe members and their traditions. Mostly without the Master''s permission, but he wished for her not to leave the city," said Yashi.

    "Being less careful with his words then," said Aegin as he stood and turned to face the Djinn.

    The Djinn looked at him a moment before he smiled, "You are quite observant. It''s one of the very few things I like about you, though evidently, not so observant about yourself. You have made no progress whatsoever in the last year, you are just as weak and tortured as you were when you faced me last time. I can''t help but feel both disappointed in your progress, and obligated to eradicate such a dysfunctional cog in the wheel".

    "And here I thought you liked me," Aegin rolled his eyes.

    "In another life, perhaps I would have. But my Master wishes that I take care of uninvited guests, and considering my Master''s tastes, you are very much uninvited," Yashi said.

    "That''s a very sad existence, the obligation to constantly grant the wishes of your Master. Even if I am aligned with Chaos, I cannot imagine your plight," said Aegin.

    Yashi frowned, "I imagine the impulse is quite similar when you feed on blood. You crave the substance which gives you power, but detest how it makes you a monster. In the end, it''s all about perspective. If you let the Monster overtake your moral compass, you find life amongst Chaos a whole lot easier to live".

    "I''ve always been a monster, even before Chaos," said Aegin.

    "Yes, and that monster was the only one you were ever willing to embrace, and only when it suited your purposes. The Chaos is significantly more difficult, especially without guidance," said Yashi, "Chopped off your own head there, didn''t you. No Sire to show you the way and you stagnate".

    "He''s the one who-"

    "Saved you," said Yashi with a smile.

    Aegin frowned, "No, he didn''t ask-"

    "He didn''t need to," Yashi said, "You showed him time and again that you would be by his side. Yet a few years apart shook your resolve? A few years are nothing in the life of an immortal. Though, I digress, from the perspective of a human, it must have been painful for you. But you haven''t been a human for two years. You''ve had plenty of time to turn back��and you haven''t. And now, you will die because of that stubbornness".

    Aegin felt the wind around him picked up as he glared over at Yashi.

    "Don''t worry though, this time, I''ll make sure your friends suffer the same fate so you won''t feel betrayed," said Yashi.

    Yashi raised an arm, his blue eyes flashing like lightning. Aegin gritted his teeth as he ducked forward, moving towards the Djinn. He reached inside of his coat for the inner pocket. Yashi threw his hands forward at the same time as Aegin.

    Aegin''s finger brushed over the charm, and he felt the Evanine Activate.

    Aegin''s mind instantly washed away all unnecessary thought. His only objective was to get free of Yashi. To escape from the Djinn''s hold and report his findings. His link to the Chaos allowed him to glimpse the intricacies of the Mist and how it connected with Yashi. How Yashi controlled it and bent it to his will. And in turn how Aegin could exploit it.

    He tilted the blade ever so slightly and jabbed forward.

    Yashi exhaled and the wind rushed away just as quickly as it had come. He stumbled into the railing of the balcony, with Aegin still holding the blade that was embedded in the Djinn''s side.

    Yashi seemed shocked for a moment, then he looked down at the blade with legitimate confusion.

    "Impossible. A Named Blade?"

    Yashi held up a hand and Aegin was blown back into the wall of the tower. He watched as Yashi stood straighter, taking the blade from his waist. Aegin''s eyes widened. There was no blood, just a very dull blue light. And as the blade left the Djinn, the wound seemed to close itself as if it had never been there at all.

    Aegin did not stick around to find out what happened next, his question had been thoroughly answered. Yashi could never be beaten with a blade, no matter it''s composition.

    Yashi, his mind travelling back thousands of years, stared at the blade in wonder for a moment before a frown settled upon his face.

    "Just a crude imitation," Yashi dismissed. He gathered the mist in his palm and in seconds, the blade was nothing but sparkling dust carried away by the wind.

    His eyes travelled in the direction Aegin had vanished, to fast for the Djinn to follow.

    "Though you have just presented a new possibility I had not considered," Yashi muttered.

    ***

    Aegin breathed heavily as he came to a stop in his cave. He had run so fast, the fear consuming him. Yashi was too powerful. Without a blade��

    Aegin slid down to sit in the centre of the main chamber, cradling his head. All that work for over a year. All for nought. Nobody could stop the Djinn. Nobody. Certainly not the Tribes, nor Aegin, nor��

    No, The Other could have stopped him. He always had a solution, no matter how painful the cost.

    Aegin felt a frown fall upon his face as he reached into one of his inner pockets and pulled out the charm that had long ago lost its function. The symbols on it stared back at him, their intention the same as it had been back then.

    "You knew I''d leave," Aegin breathed, "You knew, but you did it anyway. You turned me��no, you saved me, didn''t you? You saved me knowing you would lose me in the process. Why?"

 Chapter 317 - The Atonement of an Absconder

    *Eldovian Era 1715, 20th day of the 6th month*

    "Why?"

    The question echoed in the cave around him, and Aegin followed it''s sound up, coming face-to-face with his own reflection in the mirrors above.

    Had he ever seen himself look so lost? So defeated? So��so true.

    ''Wherever your path leads you Aegin, you should never have to apologise for what or who you are and the selfish decisions you make because of it''

    "You forgave me even before I ran, too," Aegin sighed, "Didn''t you? You weren''t just casting off the blame. You were giving me the freedom to choose��and I threw it in your face for two years".

    Aegin felt an overwhelming sense of guilt, and he threw himself back onto the ground, staring up at the mirrors at his less-than strong looking reflection. He was torn between two worlds, between two mindsets, between his past and his future, and being torn had only made him weak.

    Just as weak, he now realised, as the Other had looked on that ship as they sailed south.

    "Gods above," Aegin g.r.o.a.n.e.d, "I''m such a hypocrite. Condemning you while I was doing exactly the same. You just wanted an escape didn''t you? You wanted a way out that nobody could reliably give, not even Ebony and I. You did not want to hurt us, just as I didn''t want to hurt anyone, but it is in our nature now, isn''t it? To hurt��it''s just that the Monster tends to make more calculated choices than the human who is too morally bound to think there is no choice to begin with. That is the key to Chaos, isn''t it? To enable the freedom of choice at an equally weighed cost".

    Something clicked then, deep within him. He felt the sizzling energy within his Life Lines, and he closed his eyes to follow it.

    There was only darkness at first, then a single light came into sight. High above. It came into focus slowly, along with the clouds in the sky that surrounded it. The moon. It was the moon.

    Suddenly, Aegin felt himself turn involuntarily towards the west, he spotted mountains and a forest in the distance. He felt his lips curl ever-so-slightly into a proud smile.

    "About time you take what is yours".

    Rassa?

    But Aegin could not speak the words allowed as he was thrust back into the darkness. He felt it then, the power that seemed to be just behind that sealed shell within him. The power that was just waiting for the right moment. Just waiting for the right words. Those words came to him as if he had always known them.

    "I hereby consent to allow my being to be changed wholly. My body, my mind, my soul, all shall be rewritten. I submit to the grace of Chaos, and in turn shall relish in its darkness. Marr my body, mind and soul with your Seal, and from the time of my acceptance, let its power fill me. So shall it be, so shall I never regret".

    The seal broke.

    Aegin''s eyes shot open as he felt the power thrum through his body, his Life Lines burned, twisting, changing, extending until they were like a broad collar that went from the base of his collar bone on his c.h.e.s.t, over both of his shoulders, and met again between his shoulder blades. His fangs and claws extended in a silent shout as his body arched from the floor. He felt the black wings that he''d been denied shift, grow, then he flipped to his front just in time for them to burst from his back.

    He rested his forehead on the ground for a moment as he breathed hard, the power still circulating and permeating his body.

    He took a breath and sat up, taking a side glance at his wings as they flexed and responded to his commands.

    Aegin grinned, then he felt himself chuckle. What a rush of power. Gods above, Yashi had been right. He''d been such a weakling before now.

    The thrill of the changed calmed somewhat, and he found himself looking at his reflection again in the mirror.

    His wings had shredded the clothes over his torso when they''d burst forth. They hovered behind him now, half unfurled. Pitch black but for the clawed tips that were a crimson red. Aegin had to chuckle at that.

    ??Bloodthorn," he muttered, "Not a bad name I guess".

    Now he could take on Yashi, he was sure of it. He may not have been accustomed to his new abilities, but he''d always been more of the learn-as-you-go type. Besides, giving that Djinn more time at this point would not be wise. Now of course, Aegin was also certain that he''d likely have to save three individuals instead of just two.

    Okay, he''d pick up a meal on the way.

    He turned towards the draws that were his wardrobe, picking up another top and cloak which he struggled with for about ten seconds before learning how to summon and banish his wings without having them tear through what he was wearing.

    Aegin then turned and looked at the weapons to the side, then glanced down at the claws on his hands. No need for those either.

    He turned towards the cave exit, then paused, looking up at the mirrors.

    "I know you said that I shouldn''t apologise, but just this once, I think it''s necessary," said Aegin, "I''m sorry, Rassa. Maybe one day, we''ll be able to meet again as the friends, no, the brothers we once were".

    Then Aegin left the cave. He stood in the entrance for a moment, looking at the dark desert on the verge of a new dawn. He thought for a moment, then summoned his wings.

    "Do not embarrass yourself by making your entrance not nearly as cool as his was," said Aegin.

    He pulled up his wings, then jumped into the air as he brought them down with a thunderous clap.

 Chapter 318 - A Plan for all Parties

    The first week of her incarceration, Rima had been angry. Angry at Gryffyn and Yashi. Angry at Black Sands, then angry at Aegin, Sevis, Tigin and the rest of the Red-Eye tribe that had failed to protect her. Then, finally, she was angry at herself. Gods above, could she have been any more useless? Even the maids assigned to look after her seemed far more adept at any sort of combat than herself. She''d tried escaping enough times to know. She''d only managed to get past them a couple of times, and the guards had caught her then.

    Three months after her incarceration in Black Sands, she''d actually managed to get outside of the Estate Gates. The city was surprisingly a lot like Rene, but the Tribal influences and elements were clearer here.

    Yashi had been waiting for her in the market.

    "Nice try," he''d told her, "But you won''t ever get out of the city with me here".

    The wishes of that perverted asshole Gryffyn were the foil to her every plan, and Yashi the sword he wielded to exert his dominance.

    Yashi, despite the clear subversion that he was treated with, didn''t seem to mind in the slightest.

    After six months, and no sign of rescue, Rima had grown tired of waiting. She''d spent any time she could manage in the city. Yashi didn''t bother her so long as she didn''t attempt to leave. Sometimes he even accompanied her, though it was less likely anyone would approach her with him keeping a watchful eye over her shoulder.

    To her surprise, he even tended to spark somewhat normal conversations with her. He almost felt like a friend. If not for the reminders that punctuated nearly every conversation that she was a prisoner and he had to report back to his Master soon.

    Now, after over a year of similar routines, including the dreaded meals she had to share with Gryffyn whilst members of his Harem fawned over him, Rima was pretty sure she knew enough about her environment to understand how to escape. All she lacked was an opportunity.

    First, she knew that for every wish Gryffyn made, he had to sacrifice something to Yashi. It was clear to her that these things were what Yashi craved. Aegin had mentioned in passing that the path the Djinn followed was Envy. The question that Rima had found herself asking after routine had significantly decreased the fear she felt in Black Sands was simply, what did Yashi envy?

    She''d spent the better part of a year trying to figure that out, only to come to the conclusion that perhaps there wasn''t something in particular that Yashi envied. He seemed to take anything that Gryffyn offered for his wishes. Whether memories, skills, knowledge or the like. She did not witness Gryffyn wishing for something often, but the more she heard from the servants who had witnessed it, the more she realised that Gryffyn was not simply sharing something he knew or had experienced, he was letting Yashi take that thing entirely and make it his own.

    That was when something else occurred to Rima, the more Gryffyn lost, the more single-minded he became. It was not a mere coincidence.

    Second, there were hundreds, thousands of people in Black Sands, yet no matter how little Gryffyn had left to give, Yashi still stuck by his side and abided by his orders. As such, it must have been more than an envy for Gryffyn and his experiences that kept Yashi close, and more importantly, obedient. It had been clear through her time spent with him that Yashi was not obedient to his Master by choice. In fact, he often took advantage of those wishes he had to grant that were worded loosely.

    When the Blue Suns Elders that she''d found had informed her of the existence of Djinn Vessels, the answer to Yashi''s obedience became clear. Gryffyn was in possession of Yashi''s Vessel. He could not grant the wishes of anyone else unless the Vessel changed hands.

    So, Rima had started observing Gryffyn, looking for the Vessel.

    After months of doing that anyway, just waiting for him to snap and have her killed, it didn''t take her long to find it.

    Gryffyn wore 3 necklaces��but he only touched one of them. Like an absent-minded tick, or a thought-provoking gesture, he would occasionally sit back and his hand would drift to the bronze medallion on his c.h.e.s.t, worn with age, and the inscription barely discernible.

    She was just waiting for an opportunity.

    "Get up".

    Yashi roused her rather rudely, yanking back her bed covers with a blast of wind. He was clearly in a foul mood this morning. It barely counted as morning though, it was still at least another hour before sunrise.

    Knowing that he could not hurt her without his Master''s order, Rima took her time.

    "What now?" asked Rima.

    "Your Vampire came and went today, I thought it prudent I tell the Master," said Yashi.

    Aegin had come? Yashi was prompt in dashing the hope in her eyes.

    "He took not even a step close to your room, though no doubt he could sense where you were situated," continued Yashi.

    Rima tried not to think about how much that hurt as she gritted her teeth, "Then why, by the gods, are you getting me up in order to go and tell Gryffyn? I was clearly not to blame here".

    Yashi glared right back, "I''m not taking risks. You stick by my side from now on".

    Rima glared back into those blue eyes for a long moment. As always, she was the first to break eye contact. Yashi may have taken on a young form, but he was intimidating, and his eyes spoke volumes of his power and lack of compassion.

    Rima rose up in order to dress.

    ***

    "It''s nearly dawn," Tigin sighed, "We''ve missed an opportunity and were sitting ducks out here".

    "Just give him a few more minutes," said Sevis.

    "He can cross the f.u.c.k.i.n.g Hava Rastellan in a few minutes, Sevis, face it, he''s either gone, or dead," said Tigin.

    Sevis opened his mouth to reply when a loud clap rang out, like thunder, only much, much closer. Sevis and Tigin both turned away and braced themselves as a gust of wind beat down on them.

    There was a short beat of near silence as the sound of footsteps just a few metres from them reached them. The young warriors both drew their blades quickly as they turned, only to see Aegin standing there.

    Only, it wasn''t exactly Aegin. He folded enormous wings behind his back before they seemed to shrink and vanish, then looked at them both with a smile that appeared far more calm than how the two of them were feeling.

    "If we''re being technical, it takes me more like a few hours, probably closer to a day or two to cross the entire Hava Rastellan. I haven''t actually tried it so I can''t know for sure," said Aegin.

    Sevis, coughed lightly to clear his throat and straightened slowly. Tigin followed, though was not nearly as smooth in covering his shock.

    "You have wings".

    Aegin grinned, "Yeah, cool huh? How was my entrance?"

    "Have you always had wings?" asked Tigin.

    "I-"

    "Okay, wings and entrances aside, what do we know about Rima?" Sevis prompted.

    Tigin and Aegin paused, then thought better of it, though Aegin in particular looked rather disappointed in their lack of response, "Didn''t see her, but I think I may have found the Vessel. I''m ready to go in now. I think I can get it".

    "You think?" asked Sevis with a raised eyebrow.

    "I know," Aegin replied, "I''m unsealed now. Nothing holding me back, and way more power at my disposal. My next fight with Yashi won''t be so one sided".

    Sevis took a long look at Aegin before he sighed, "Congratulations, but you still need us".

    Aegin frowned, "What?"

    "With all due respect, you are one individual, and newly unsealed. Have you had any practice with your new abilities in the last, I don''t know, hours? Minutes?"

    Aegin opened his mouth, then closed it again, then responded, "I can do it-"

    "Shut it, we''re helping," said Tigin, "I''m not going to be left here again. She''s my best friend, my sister in all but blood".

    Aegin took a long look at Tigin, then at Sevis. Was this what Rassa had felt like? Knowing how weak he and Ebony were yet forced to bring them along at their insistence? He suddenly had a new understanding of how much of a burden and a liability they''d been to him. But Rassa had kept them with him anyway. Even seemed happy about it at times.

    Eternity. That''s right. He''d told them once that he had eternity and insisted on them choosing their destination. Eternity was an awfully long time to live alone. No doubt it was worth the burden of humans. No doubt it was worth it to risk losses that may only last a couple of years.

    Aegin found himself smiling, "Fine, you can come, but wait until dawn to come into the city so I can clear a path. I''ll keep Yashi distracted and try to get to the Vessel. You go and find Rima and get her out".

    Sevis looked at Tigin who nodded, then Sevis turned back to Aegin and held out his hand, "We all come out together, agreed?"

    Aegin took the young Tribesman???s hand, "Of course, tribe, brothers, sister, friends, family, whatever you want to call it, we go in and come out as one".

 Chapter 319 - A Broken Silence in Blinding Sunlight

    Personally, Aegin had thought his entrance was pretty good. He''d clearly struck terror into the hearts of Sevis and Tigin��or at least enough for them to draw blades. It was perhaps not the run-for-the-hills variety, but Sevis in particular was a tough nut to crack. If they all got out of this, which they would, he''d surely make it a life goal. Of course, right now, grand entrances were not going to play in his favour, especially when he had to clear a path in less than an hour. A feat that would be much harder if he was fighting Yashi.

    Thankfully, after Aegin drained the first four guards he''d come into contact with �C no time to be picky �C the shadows were more responsive.

    It took a couple of tries, luckily his failures allowed him to trial the allure instead. An ability that he found he had without a doubt failed to use in this first attempt just after being turned. The allure was also far more complex than he imagined. It required eye contact first and foremost, which wasn''t much of a problem once Aegin had established it as the ability forced his target to keep eye contact like a moth to a flame.

    Following the initial contact, Aegin had two choices, either he could forcefully push an order or thought upon them, supported if he uttered the words himself, or he could erase a memory. Both however, required Aegin to actually take a step into the individual''s brain, and that was not an easy task. The first time he''d tried, the experience had been so jarring that Aegin had snapped his eyes shut to break the connection. Poor guy didn''t even have the time to get past his confusion before Aegin''s claws sunk into his throat.

    The second time was mildly more successful, Aegin managed to withstand the onslaught on information, but it took him several wasted minutes to figure out what was next. Even worse, every mind he stepped into was different, so it was almost like learning all over again every time.

    After the tenth time, Aegin seemed to get a handle on it. He discovered that the initial onslaught of information was actually the most helpful part of the entire process if he learned to read through some of the information. It would tell him not only the memories he sought, but also what to say or do that would meet with the least resistance. Because there was resistance from his targets. The more power he pushed at them, the more likely they were to comply, but that just made him hungry.

    Twenty times practicing his allure, and Aegin needed to drain a few more bodies.

    Shadow Magic was helpful in his stealth, but because of what he knew about chaos, about how it was a spiritual force and not an elemental one, Aegin found it hard to connect with them as shadows. The best he could manage during the time before the sun rose, was to cloak himself in an existing shadow. Not overly helpful to a fight that was no doubt going to occur during the day.

    Still, his wings were pretty cool, even if he couldn''t use them at the moment for the sake of his stealth. Wings probably wouldn??t help him in his fight with Yashi though. Especially against a wind that could likely cut through them. That was sure to be more of a hindrance than a help.

    Aegin took another mouthful from the groaning Tribesman he''d caught unawares on his patrol. He held the blood in his mouth, dropping the body on the ground before he spat the blood out onto his hand. Now coated in the stuff, he dragged his hand across the sandstone wall at the edge of the alley, before painting an arrow head on the end of it. He stepped back to admire his artwork with a smile.

    The Tribesman at his feet g.r.o.a.n.e.d again.

    "I know I''m not an artist, mate, but I think the path is pretty clear now," Aegin sighed, "Now, I feel it''s really unfair to leave you like this, so think of it as your bad luck. Your boss has got my friend, and I may be holding a bit of a grudge against that Djinn he''s holding in his back pocket. So, sorry, but you were just in the wrong place at the wrong time".

    Aegin finished his meal, then headed north to the other side of the city as dawn rapidly started to break in the East.

    ***

    In the hour that he made them wait, Rima would have appreciated it if Gryffyn had bothered to dress properly. But it seemed that even during urgent matters, the Chieftain of Black Sands was far more concerned about the speed at which he could be n.a.k.e.d than the threat to his life. Judging by the hurried mumbling and pacing that Yashi had been doing, and the added glare he now didn''t even bother to hide, the Djinn was also less than impressed.

    "This better be good, Yashi," Gryffyn huffed.

    "The Vampire came into the city last night, Master," said Yashi, "He escaped".

    Gryffyn glanced at Rima, "He clearly did not succeed, thought I am still disappointed in your lack of ability".

    Yashi''s glare did not diminish, "He was not after Rima, he was after you, Master. Or rather, something close to you".

    "If he is still a threat, he should be eliminated," said Gryffyn, "Why didn''t you take care of him?"

    Yashi sighed, "He will surely be back, Master-"

    "Why didn''t you take care of him, Yashi?"

    Yashi gritted his teeth before he spoke, "He caught me by surprise-"

    Gryffyn chuckled. Yashi did not share his amus.e.m.e.nt. Gryffyn''s chuckle died, "I told you to take care of uninvited visitors. The Vampire is not welcome here. Do as you have been told, Djinn".

    Yashi opened his mouth to protest, then he paused, and looked towards the north, out of the window of the room they were meeting in.

    "What is it?" asked Gryffyn.

    A slow smile appeared on Yashi''s face, "Very well, Master, I will go to take care of the Vampire. I advise you to stay here with the Little Blue Princess, it could get messy".

    Rima''s eyes widened as she too looked north. At first, she saw nothing, but then she noticed something out of the ordinary, the smoke, dark, thick and rising quickly. A fire had started in the dawn light.

 Chapter 320 - The Verses of Victory (I)

    Aegin probably could have gotten away with just scaring a few people, so if anyone later told him the fire was probably a bit much, he wouldn''t argue. But the showman in him figured it was a dramatic flare that couldn''t be missed. He smiled to himself as he watched the fire rapidly take the building he''d set alight. One that was unoccupied. He of course gave everyone the chance to run from the hay storage. As it roared up to take the entire building it was housed in, peeling back the roof and jumping unperturbed to the neighbouring buildings.

    He smiled to himself. So perhaps the bloodl.u.s.t had hit him a little hard, he still could not help but enjoy himself. Creating Chaos like this��it had never really occurred to him before why his instincts drove him to hard to escalate a situation, but as the fire spread, and more and more of the Black Sands Tribesman poured out onto the streets to save themselves from the flames, he realised that his instincts had always been pretty darn spot on. Generating Chaos meant that there were more opportunities for him to regenerate the power he would need in the upcoming fight.

    Though he was uneasy in the knowledge that Yashi would likely be in the same situation.

    Aegin descended from the rooftop of the building he''d been resting on as the heat from below grew more intense. He landed on the street below. Those who had been brave enough to try and ferry buckets of water to the fire now stepped back in horror. The flames were far too high now, too intense. They ran, carrying nothing for Aegin as he whistled to himself, taking himself step by step towards the estate.

    It did not take very long for Yashi to appear. The wind around him diminished somewhat as the Djinn landed in the middle of the street about twenty metres in front of Aegin. The Djinn beheld the flames around Aegin.

    "I suppose my Master''s next wish will likely be to restore the city to it''s former state," the Djinn sighed, though his volume just shy of a shout thanks to the roaring of the flames.

    Aegin gave a small smile in reply, a fang peaking out from within, "Can you always predict their next wishes?"

    The Djinn frowned, "Of course not. Predicting future events is left to the Star Mapping Priests, though I''m not entirely sure they exist anymore".

    "I''ve never heard of them," Aegin replied.

    The Djinn sighed, "Order really did a number on the world, didn''t they?"

    Aegin tilted his head, "So there was a war, was there?"

    "I heard there was," Yashi replied.

    Aegin frowned, "I thought you were alive back then".

    "I was," said Yashi, "But Djinn are not nearly as free to do as they wish as you seem to assume. The last Master I served before Gryffyn was stupid enough to encounter a rather powerful Earth Magician. She was fairly adamant in ensuring that the Djinn never see the light of day again. It worked for a good eight and a half thousand years in my case".

    "So, you know nothing of the rest of the world?" asked Aegin, "How the other paths of Chaos faired?"

    Yashi shrugged his shoulders, "Whispers in the wind told me only that they had either vanished, fled, or had been decimated, along with any of their businesses, affiliates, cities and products. All of them either confiscated or burned. They were oh so proud of themselves, they didn''t even realise that they''d burned the same technology that could ensure them the passage back to their Holy Land. Righteous Idiots".

    "If you condemn them so much, why are you so adamant in fighting me?" asked Aegin, "Surely you''re aware that as those on paths of Chaos we are of a limited and endangered bunch".

    Yashi sighed, "Did you not here me when I said that Djinn are not free to do as they wish?"

    "So, you would leave me be if it were not for your Master''s wish?" asked Aegin.

    Yashi smiled, "You seemed relatively useless at first��now, perhaps you could have been an acquaintance".

    "Not a friend?" asked Aegin.

    "Djinn are solitary beings," said Yashi, "There isn''t much room for friends when your happiness lies in desiring what everyone else has".

    "I suppose there isn''t much else to it then, is there?" asked Aegin, "One of us will get out of this, the other one will be ashes, is that right?"

    Yashi grinned, "I don''t think it''s a question of which of us will live. I think it''s a question of when you''ll be the ashes you''ve readily proposed".

    Aegin grinned, extending his claws as he crouched slightly and hissed at the Djinn, "You don''t bleed, Djinn, but let''s see if you''ll burn".

    Aegin lunged forward.

    Sevis watched the gate with Tigin. The Guards��they were still as statues. They had been for several minutes, even with the smoke to the North becoming darker and thicker as a fire spread.

    Sevis looked over at Tigin in question. Tigin looked back at him in confusion.

    Sevis looked back at the gate. Then he stood, in plain sight of the guards.

    "Are you crazy-"

    Sevis stepped forward as Tigin lunged towards him.

    "Sevis-"

    Tigin watched as Sevis approached the guards, fearing for his friend''s life for a tense moment before he realised that the guards weren''t reacting at all. They didn''t even blink let alone move.

    Tigin stood slowly as Sevis stepped in front of one, waving a hand in front of his face. Nothing. Tigin approached slowly just as Sevis poked the guard with his long sword. The poor guy toppled over. Tigin stood beside Sevis as they both looked down at the still statue-like guard.

    "Well, he did say he''d clear a path," Tigin stated.

    "I don''t even know what this is," said Sevis, "Could be the Djinn''s work for all we know".

    "Why would the Djinn incapacitate the guards for the Tribe he''s supposed to be protecting?" asked Tigin.

    Sevis sighed, "Good point".

    Tigin pointed at the wall just inside the gate, "Look".

    It was a hastily drawn sketch, smeared in blood by the looks of the pale and dead body beneath it. Tigin curled his lip in disgust, "I don''t know how I feel about this".

    Sevis sighed, "Come on, faster we get through this place, the faster we can get to Rima and get out".

    The two followed the arrow three blocks up, then turned down an alley to find the next sketch, all guards and other individuals they may have come across either incapacitated in some form, or dead.

 Chapter 321 - The Verses of Victory (II)

    Gryffyn was pacing. Back and forth, back and forth along the stone floors. Likely polishing them with his silken robe better than the maids ever could. Rima didn''t dare comment though.

    She''d never seen Gryffyn pace before. Usually he was either the one ensuring he stood above everyone else, or the one sat higher than anyone else. He was one of the most arrogant and lecherous men she''d ever met �C though thankfully never with her. And she''d thought growing up on the streets of Rene was as bad as it could get. Oh how she would have wished for her and Tigin''s half collapsed apartment now.

    Still, as Rima leant against a column on the opposite side of the hall to Gryffyn, it was not his nervous pacing that drew the most concern. She could not help staring past him and out of the window to glimpse the dark cloud of smoke that now filled the sky. The fire was intense, and didn''t seem to be slowing in the least. Rima wondered what Aegin had thought to achieve by setting it. If the destruction of Black Sands City was on his list, he was well on his way to achieving it.

    A boom echoed and several buildings collapsed in the distance, the dust and ash that had collected rising to join the smoke. The rate at which they collapsed though, Rima didn''t think that was the fire''s efforts. Gryffyn clearly didn''t think so either as he paused long enough to glance nervously towards the fire before he continued pacing, his hand rising to play with the pendant that hung around his neck.

    She knew it was a long shot, but the fire was out of control, and the entire city was quite closely built, even the estate. If they didn''t start evacuating it would be too late for many of the Tribesman. She''d been among them long enough to know that not all of them were like Gryffyn Blacksand. Many of them, especially since the Blue Suns had been unwillingly assimilated, did not even support Gryffyn as Chieftain. Taking the opportunity to correct the situation now would likely undermine him and make him angry. But Rima knew that their were nearly thirty thousand Tribesman in this city, she could not abandon them to the flames even if they were a mercy to Gryffyn''s rule.

    Rima pushed away from the column and straightened, rolling her shoulders back in determination, she opened her mouth to begin her plea, "Lord Gryf-"

    The doors burst open. Rima and Gryffyn both froze and spun towards the disturbance. A Black Sands Tribesman rushed in. He ignored Rima completely, running to Gryffyn and stumbling to kowtow to his Chieftain, "My Lord".

    Gryffyn stared down at the Tribesman, clearly angry at being disturbed, and snapped, "What?"

    The Tribesman bowed his head far enough that it touched the stone floor Gryffyn had been polishing unwittingly, "The Tribe, Sir, they are begging you to send resources to help them fight the blaze," said the Tribesman, "It is far too dangerous for them to get close, and with your Djinn and the stranger fighting in the middle of it, I''m afraid that-"

    "Well, this is curious," Gryffyn interrupted. Rima stilled at the casual tone, eyes widening in both pity and fear for the Tribesman who''d come to report as Gryffyn continued, "I really do not believe my ears".

    The Tribesman frowned, risking a short glance up, then he quickly repeated himself, misunderstanding Gryffyn''s calm rage for confusion, "Sir. You must send resources to prevent the spread of the blaze-"

    Gryffyn''s eyes narrowed, "I could have sworn one of my Tribesman was slandering their leader".

    "Sir?"

    Gryffyn took a step forward towards this throne. To it''s side, sat the broadsword that Gryffyn favoured, though Rima had never actually seen him swing it. He usually had Yashi or other Tribesman nearby to make the executions a whole lot less straining for him.

    The Tribesman watched the move as well.

    "Please, Chieftain, I meant no offence!" he said, attempting to placate Gryffyn in his panic, "I am merely an instrument Sir, an instrument of your great and powerful Tribe! A willing instrument! A proud instrument! I am honoured to even be in your presence, Chieftain!"

    The ring of metal pulling from it''s sheath rung out over the desperate pleas of the Tribesman. It only served to increase the man''s woes. True fear filled his expression as he glanced over at Rima, seeking help from the only other individual in the room.

    Rima had seen that look many times before. But it had never been directed at her. Not at the weak little Blue Suns Princess that the Chieftain was intent on calling his daughter. Not the brat who cause enough trouble for the Tribe that she had to be watched by a Djinn just to keep her still. Not the half-blood girl.

    Gryffyn raised the sword up.

    The Tribesman bowed down, desperately pleading for his life.

    Rima''s lips moved before she even registered the words, "Father!"

    Gryffyn paused mid-swing, the broadsword swaying in his unsteady arms as his eyes snapped to Rima.

    "You called me father," Gryffyn said.

    She had, as much as it disgusted her. As much as she knew it wasn''t true. As much as she thought it would be enough to shock the crazed man into compliance.

    Rima nodded, "Father, the smoke, it comes from nearly a third of the grand city you have built. It has been but an hour since it begun. Surely, in your wisdom, you can see that such a disaster is a threat to the safety of your Tribe? After all, a Tribe without a home in the Hava Rastellen��they will be no better than the Blue Suns".

    Gryffyn''s sword slowly lowered as he stared at Rima, then his eyes turned to the smoke, "Yashi will stop it. He will stop it and repair the city when he has taken care of the Vampire".

    Rima''s eyes flicked to the Tribesman on the floor who was staring desperately back at her.

    "You��you are not wrong, father, the Djinn''s powers are enough of course unmatched, but even they cannot bring back the dead, surely we could at least attempt to control the edges of the blaze,?? Rima reasoned.

    Rima saw in an instant that it was the wrong thing to say as Gryffyn''s crazed gaze turned to her, "Oh, and you would know all about not bringing back the dead, wouldn''t you?" He stepped towards Rima, who unconsciously backed away, "My Elva��My Bride��That cowardly B*tch!"

    Rima backed into one of the columns, the sudden stop frightening her. Gryffyn was upon her before she could move. The Black Sands Chieftain raised his sword by the blade, and swung the hilt down towards her.

 Chapter 322 - The Verses of Victory (III)

    "Do you think it was the Djinn that convinced him to have this rigid monstrosity of an Eastern Mansion, or do you think it was all him?" asked Sevis.

    Tigin looked up towards the third-floor balcony where a guard they were currently trying to avoid the scrutiny of paced, "I think it was all him. Do you see any Bein here?".

    "Do all Easterners live this way?" asked Sevis as he peaked inside, turning his nose up at whatever he found there, "It''s so dark and ugly. Surely the vermin are rampant".

    Tigin sighed, "As much as I admire your architectural taste, we have bigger priorities here".

    A boom of another building falling echoed in the distance.

    Sevis glanced in the direction of the dust cloud, "They''ll level the city at this rate".

    The Guard turned towards the noise too, "Best we get out before then, yes?"

    Sevis nodded, moving forward with Tigin inside one of the side entrances and into a main hallway.

    A main hallway crowded with servants and guards. Tigin''s first instinct was to freeze and turn around, but Sevis pushed him forward through the throng. It took a moment for Tigin to realise that these Tribesman weren''t in the least bit concerned with what Tigin and Sevis were doing, they were too panicked in their own jobs to do much else.

    "Buckets! We need more buckets headed for the lake!"

    "Towels and clothes to be soaked head for the river!"

    "Lady Aberlea is asking for Guards to help with her silks!"

    "Guards to the West Sector to help contain the Tribesman!"

    Orders were shouted left and right. Never from the same person. The mansion was far more chaotic inside that it appeared on the outside. Though, Sevis and Tigin had taken a path that Aegin had ''cleared''.

    Sevis and Tigin found a staircase to the second floor fairly quickly. From the tower image that Aegin had drawn, they were pretty sure they''d have to climb the floors higher to reach Rima.

    "Oi Big Man!" called an older woman. Sevis and Tigin paid her no mind. But the old woman was faster than she appeared, she caught up with them in and instant and spun Tigin around, dumping a basket of towels into his arms, "Help me take this to the river already".

    "Come on, quickly!"

    The old woman turned back towards him and saw the hesitation on their faces, "Hold on, do I know you?"

    Tigin realised his mistake and opened his mouth to reply before the woman''s eyes narrowed on bands on Sevis'' bicep.

    "Red-Eyed Snake��"

    She appeared shocked for a moment, then conflicted. Then, right as Sevis shifted forward to prevent her from calling out, she stepped forward and took the basket off of Tigin. She nodded in the opposite direction to where Sevis and Tigin had been heading, "The Princess is that way, in the reception hall with Gryffyn. I''d get a move on if I were you".

    Then she spun and headed off.

    Tigin glanced at Sevis, then both of them jogged down the corridor that the old woman had indicated.

    ***

    Snap.

    Aegin huffed as he reached up to rub his neck where the vertebrae had just snapped back into place. The tingling of his healing on his bones, muscles and limbs had been persistent for a while now. He''d had to duck into the shadows more than once to await a stray and take a few extra gulps from his prey. He wasn''t all that adept at mid-battle snacking, and frankly by now he''d hoped that he would have worn Yashi down at least a little bit.

    But the Djinn didn''t even seem tired.

    Aegin extracted himself from another collapsed building, stalking out onto the street where Yashi waited. The Djinn looked almost bored.

    "What''s that? The sixth building I thrown you through? You really are quite durable," Yashi huffed, "And you feel pain, that is quite the down side for you. Surely even you can now see whose victory this will be. You''re wasting your breath".

    "You''re wasting yours by talking," Aegin huffed.

    He raced forward once more, going in low and swiping his claws up towards Yashi''s jugular. The Djinn managed a partial step back, but Aegin''s claws went through the skin and the strange nothingness beyond it.

    Strange was really the only way to describe it. Aegin had never felt anything like it. The fact that Yashi appeared to possess rapid healing abilities that barely scratched the surface of his stored energy, as well as a distinct lack of any internal organs, veins, muscles or bones was a unique phenomenon. One that Aegin couldn''t for the life of him work out how to beat. It appeared absolutely nothing solid could damage him.

    So Aegin had tried throwing the Djinn in the fire.

    But that didn''t work either. The Fire barely seemed to even both Yashi as he stepped through it.

    Still, his aim was to kill time, not necessarily to kill the Djinn. So Aegin kept attacking, and as a result, kept getting thrown into buildings when he took a wrong step.

    "Surely you???re exhausted by now," Yashi commented as he twisted to the side, narrowly avoiding Aegin''s claws. The Djinn could avoid him if he was concentrating hard. Yashi had been fighting Aegin for over an hour, and the new and distinctive attack patterns were beginning to fall into a pattern, "I know you''ve been snacking, the blood on your chin isn''t all that subtle, but you''re brand new, you should be starving thanks to your untrained new abilities".

    Aegin only replied with a hiss as he twisted behind Yashi and stabbed the Djinn through the back with his long claws.

    Nothing, the bastard was still standing.

    Yashi sighed and turned to face Aegin, his blue eyes flashing with amus.e.m.e.nt, "Really, I''m saying this out of concern, aren''t you tired, Aegin?"

    Aegin knew that blue flash, and he instinctively let his Allure take over in that moment between being awake and being pushed into a dream he''d have to fight his way out of.

    Yashi froze, then ripped his gaze away from Aegin.

    "Urgh!" Yashi growled in frustration, "That was rude of you. No one comes into my head, I go into theirs!"

    Yashi pushed the wind, and Aegin sailed back into another building.

 Chapter 323 - The Verses of Victory (IV)

    "Aahhh!"

    Rima hit the ground with a smack, the stone floor jarring her arms where she managed to catch herself. Her face throbbed where Gryffyn had hit her with the hilt of his sword, and she could taste the metallic tang of blood in her mouth.

    She took a breath, not daring to move as Gryffyn stood above her.

    "You are an echo of what could have been, a foul replacement for the heirs I could have had," Gryffyn condemned, "And you''re not even good at that. Perhaps I should have done just as Yashi probably thought I would. Perhaps I should have just taken you to my bed, that way at least a part of you would be useful. Your w.o.m.b if nothing else".

    Rima''s jaw clenched. No way in the God''s Lands was she stepping even a metre closer to this despicable man''s chambers. Threat of a beating or not.

    Rima''s gaze flicked up, and she caught the gaze of the Tribesman nearby, who was still nearly low so as not to insight Gryffyn''s wrath. He stared back at her, saw her rage, and his terrified gaze turned to shock.

    Rima inhaled, then spat the blood in her mouth onto the ground before she turned to look up at Gryffyn, "You did not deserve my mother. She knew it, her father knew, the entire Blue Suns Tribe knew it, as well as all the Tribes surrounding, and now, as you stand in nothing but your robe while your city burns to the ground, you only see fit to prove them all right. I am not the useless one, I''d bet all I had that if someone got a chance to castrate you, nobody in your Tribe would mourn your so-called manhood".

    The room was utterly still for a beat of silence. Two beats.

    Gryffyn seethed, gripped his sword and lofting it over his head. Rima shifted, hooking her leg behind his and pulling with all her might. Gryffyn''s roar of rage was cut off mid-shout. He toppled forward. It would have been almost comedic if not for the fact that Rima was terrified.

    Rima untangled herself from Gryffyn and launched onto her feet to backtrack towards Gryffyn''s throne. Gryffyn scrambled to his feet, grabbing the sword as he did so and turning to pursue Rima in an instant.

    Rima readied herself. But Gryffyn was a large man, at least three times her petite size, his sword was size of one of her legs. Her eyes registered the swinging pendant around his neck, and she could not help internally cursing at what this situation asked of her. Gryffyn swung, and Rima jumped backwards. But backwards wouldn''t get her closer to the Pendant.

    Gritting her teeth and working up her nerve, Rima continued to dodge Gryffyn powerful but sloppy blows. As if he''d once been trained in this, but didn''t have it in him to persist after years spent doing not much more than tumble behind the curtains with his harem.

    Rima registered this, wondering if she could perhaps wear him out. Maybe it wouldn''t take her dodging within his guard for her to achieve her goal. But just as the thought registered, Gryffyn lunged forward, stabbing his sword straight towards Rima''s waist. Rima gasped, twisting as she breathed in to let the blade pass her by. Shocked by the closeness of the blow, she wasn''t able to dodge out of Gryffyn''s strong-arm grip.

    "Get off me you c.o.c.kless bastard!" Rima screeched, trying to throw herself forward out of his arms. Gryffyn jolted as he yanked his sword from where it had stabbed into a column, then turned, throwing Rima across the floor as he did so.

    The Tribesman who''d been observing the fight from his kneeling position, barely registered the tumbling Rima in time to catch her. They both sprawled onto the ground, Rima with her back to the Tribesman''s c.h.e.s.t as the air wooshed out of him.

    Gryffyn approached with a powerful stalk, lifting his sword up above his head with both hands. Rima clenched her left hand, reaching across with her right to draw the sword from the Tribesman''s waist as Gryffyn''s sword started to come down.

    The Tribesman beneath her registered the danger as she did. His survival instinct kicked in, and knowing that the girl on top of him was far too weak to defend against the blow coming their way, he grabbed her hand to support her wrist and placed his other hand beneath the flat of his blade as he lifted it up. Even with them working together though, the broadsword was heavy and Gryffyn''s swing was powerful. Their arms bent and strained before the Tribesman g.r.o.a.n.e.d and tilted his blade so that Gryffyn''s Broadsword would slide to the left and onto the ground.

    Gryffyn growled, "You Traitorous Dog!"

    He began to step forward, and the doors to the room burst open.

    Everyone turned towards the new arrivals, and Rima could not help the shock that entered her system as she registered Sevis not even pausing as he crossed the distance between himself and Gryffyn, drawing his own sword.

    "Rima!" called Tigin.

    Rima grinned, her left hand clenching tightly around the pendant she''d ripped from Gryffyn''s neck in their encounter. This was it, she could do it.

    Tigin skidded to Rima''s side, "Are you okay, are you hurt?"

    Sevis was clearly the more skilled fighter. More practiced and younger. Gryffyn knew it too. He retreated quickly, reaching up to clutch the pendant around his neck.

    "Yash-"

    His voice cut off, an expression of horror forming as he clasped at empty air. His broadsword clanged to the ground as he looked down at his necklaces, his hands raking at empty air in his panic. His eyes darted around the room.

    "Hey, Gryffyn!" snapped Rima.

    She raised her left hand, releasing the object she''d clasped close so that it dangled from his snapped cord.

    "I think you''re missing something if you want to call your Djinn, no?"

 Chapter 324 - The Verses of Victory (V)

    Aegin gripped his left wrist and snapped it back into place for healing, then reached up to adjust his jaw the same way. Such a one-sided fight was becoming tedious. Had it always been like this for the Chaos races? Did they just exchange blows until both of them got bored? He and Yashi must have been nearly there by now. They''d destroyed half a city.

    "So, Vampire, do you think I burn now?" asked Yashi as he landed on the rubble just above Aegin''s head.

    "I haven''t decided yet, your wind is too good at blowing out this little candle flame," Aegin said as his hand swept over the burning contents of the building they were in.

    Yashi chuckled, "Candle flame? You say that as if it''s not affecting your own flesh".

    Aegin huffed, turning to look back as Yashi as he brushed a stray ember from his shoulder and tapped at the smouldering hold it had made in his cloak, "I''ve been through worse".

    "I doubt-"

    Yashi''s amused expression suddenly froze, and he turned towards the Estate with shocked eyes. Seeing he was distracted, Aegin lunged forward. His claws passed through Yashi. Only this time, it didn''t heal.

    Ha! This was it! He''d finally worn the Djinn out!

    But even as Aegin celebrated, he realised that something else was going on. Yashi wasn''t even paying attention to him. The wind generated by the fire around them passed by them, and Yashi seemed to disintegrate like dust with it, vanishing before Aegin''s eyes.

    Aegin frowned. What had happened?

    Aegin pushed his way out of the crumbling building and onto the street, seeking answers from the Mist as he tried to track Yashi''s location. He moved rapidly from the burning zone towards the as yet unburned part of the city. Then, as the air before him began to clear of smoke and ash, Aegin sensed it. His eyes turned towards the Estate.

    Yashi had gone back to his Master. Or rather, he''d been recalled.

    Someone new had taken up the Djinn''s Vessel.

    Aegin ran forward.

    ***

    The room was still for a moment before Gryffyn''s expression morphed from shock to rage and he thundered across the room towards Rima.

    Sevis and Tigin reacted a heartbeat later. Tigin dragging Rima behind him, and Sevis propelling himself forward to intercept Gryffyn.

    "Oh no you don''t!" said Sevis as he raised his sword at Gryffyn.

    "Give it back little girl!" snapped Gryffyn as he tried to dodge around Sevis, "You have no idea the power you''re messing with. Only I can control the Djinn!"

    Sevis frowned, "Come now, Gryffyn, I hardly think you look the part to be claiming that".

    Rima opened her mouth to speak out too.

    "Rima��"

    The air whispered and Rima felt it pass over her skin. She shivered, taking an involuntary step back. She frowned. That��that felt weird.

    "Rima��"

    Louder this time, and clearer. Like someone was speaking close by. She turned, seeking out the voice.

    "Rima Bluesun��"

    "Bluesun?" Rima muttered, confusion in her tone. Her eyes found nothing as she vaguely registered Tigin turning to ask if she was okay. But her eyes were immediately drawn to the pendant hanging from her fingers.

    "Rima Bluesun��is that not the name you wish for?"

    The voice was right there, right before her, on that old pendant that held the image of a circle. Inside the circle was a series of lines, increasing in length from base to top, forming an upside-down triangle shape. It was the first time she''d been able to see the design there, and it intrigued her. She drew the pendant closer, and realised that it seemed to be covered in a layer of dust.

    "Rima Bluesun��do you not wish to hold the name of your mother more than anything else?"

    "My mother?" asked Rima, "Her name��but my mother ran away".

    "A new name then. A new name for a new Rima��"

    The voice seemed to pause a moment.

    "All the good you have done for this Tribe who has been all but abandoned by it''s Chieftain��Bluesand. Rima Bluesand," said the voice, it''s tone so hypnotic, "A name and a title with it. No longer a Princess, but a Chieftain. A leader of two great Tribes. Such a great responsibility. But you will do it".

    "Two great tribes��" Rima frowned, then she gasped, "The fire, the fire will kill them all".

    "Just say the word and all will be fixed. Just say the word and the fire will destroy no more," the voice promised.

    "What word?" asked Rima.

    "You must wish for it, and promise something in return. Every great leader must sacrifice something," said the voice.

    "Wish?" Rima frowned, recognition penetrating her hazy mind, "Ya��Yashi?"

    "What do you say, Rima Bluesand? You do not have to sacrifice too much. Perhaps you should give away your street smarts from Rene. After all, you have no need for them anymore. Or perhaps your skills with a sword, you appear to have little talent in that. Or, maybe that memory of your mother, the one where she combs your hair and tells you stories. That should be more than enough to save your Tribes��"

    "My mother��why would you take memories of my mother?" asked Rima.

    "It won''t hurt. And once they are gone, you won''t even remember they were there. It is hard to miss something you don''t even remember," said Yashi. For Rima was certain it was the Djinn now.

    "Rima".

    The sound was muffled, but she knew it was her name and she turned towards it.

    "Decide, Rima Bluesand," Yashi''s voice cut back into her concentration, drawing her eye back to the pendant.

    "Rima".

    Loud this time, more distinct.

    She stared at the Pendant long and hard, unable to help it as her thumb swiped over the dusty surface to reveal a clear, crystal like surface beneath it.

    "If I don''t remember the what I paid to make a wish, how long until the sacrifices out number what I have left?" asked Rima.

    Yashi seemed to hesitate. There was no physical reference that Rima had, but she could somehow sense that the question had surprised him. As if no one had asked that before.

    "When you can have everything you ever d.e.s.i.r.e, does it really matter?" asked Yashi.

    "I can''t have my mother," said Rima, "Dead is dead. My memories are all I have left of her".

    "Then you can pay with something el-"

    "Rima!"

    Rima''s eyes snapped up, and she met Tigin''s worried gaze.

 Chapter 325 - The Verse of Victory (VI)

    "Rima? Are you okay?"

    Wha��when had Tigin gotten so close to her? She hadn''t even seen him turn around. Rima frowned, confused, then felt the hum of the pendant in her hand. Her eyes were immediately drawn to it.

    Tigin grabbed her chin, "Rima, answer me".

    Rima felt the haze around her mind begin to fall away, and fear immediately crept in to replace it. Yashi. Yashi had tried and nearly succeeded in tempting her to wish. Rima dropped the vessel like it had burned her, and the haze vanished. She gasped looking at Tigin as he turned to look at the vessel as it dropped to the ground.

    "Why did you-"

    "Don''t touch it!" Rima snapped, stopping Tigin from bending down to pick it up. Tigin looked at her in surprise at her tone, clearly confused as to why she was shouting at him.

    "Okay��why?"

    "The draw��it''s so powerful, if you hadn''t brought me out of it��" Rima hesitated, "I would have wished for something".

    Tigin''s eyes widened as he looked down at the pendant, "You mean the Djinn is in it?"

    "I don''t-"

    "Ha! You are not worthy to control the power of the Djinn!" Gryffyn called out, "Only I deserve that honour! Only I can wield the power!"

    Rima sighed, turning to look at Sevis, "You haven''t managed to take care of him yet?"

    Sevis rolled his eyes, "Nice to see you''re well too, Rima. Not like I wasn''t worried about your state of mind or anything. Oh no, treated like a damn princess you were-"

    With a roar, Gryffyn launched up and knocked the distracted Sevis out of the way. He charged towards where Tigin and Rima were, and Tigin raised his blade as he stepped in front of Rima.

    "Don''t let him get the Vessel!" shouted Sevis.

    Rima gasped and looked down at the floor where the Vessel gleamed.

    "I don''t think-whoa!"

    Tigin, who had been preparing to meet a charging Gryffyn, was not expecting the desperate dive that the Chieftain performed. Tigin rapidly side-stepped so that Gryffyn didn''t knock his legs out from under him.

    Rima drew back her leg to kick the Vessel away from Gryffyn''s outstretched hand. Tigin grabbed her collar and yanked her out of his way.

    "No, Tigin!"

    Her kick missed, and Gryffyn''s fist enclosed around the Vessel.

    A burst of powerful wind spiralled up from the Vessel and filled the room, knocking Sevis, Tigin and Rima and the still present Tribesman of their feet.

    "Ha Ha!" Gryffyn proclaimed loudly as Yashi seemed to form from the air, the wind dying down at the Djinn opened his eerie blue eyes. Yashi looked down at Gryffyn as the Chieftain scrambled to his feet. He did not look overly impressed, "They''re trying to kill me, Yashi!"

    Yashi smirked, "And what would you like me to do about that, Master?"

    "Kill them!" Gryffyn snapped.

    Yashi shook his head, "That''s not how it works, you wished that I take care of uninvited guests in your territory. You said nothing about threats to your life".

    "They are uninvited!" snapped Gryffyn.

    "Not exactly, I did warn you they were coming," Yashi replied.

    "About the Vampire-"

    "Oh, how opportune for someone to proclaim my entrance".

    Those in the room swung around to the balcony where Aegin stood, using one of the curtains to wipe his chin, "Apologies, I don''t advice meals when you''re moving, awfully messy business. Oh, hello Rima, good to see you''re well".

    Rima rolled her eyes, "I''d say better late than never, but I really don''t want to make tardiness a habit on your part".

    "I thought you said you''d keep the Djinn busy!" Sevis called out as he struggled to his feet.

    "Yes well, that''s difficult when he doesn''t tend to bleed, or spill his guts, or burn," said Aegin.

    Yashi grinned.

    "Of course he doesn''t," Rima sighed, "He''s a spiritual being, his life is tied to the state of his Vessel".

    The room paused, Yashi''s grin vanishing in an instant. Aegin turned to look at the pendant in Gryffyn''s hands, a smile growing on his own lips.

    "You mean that Vessel?"

    "No," Yashi whispered, his skin taking on a pale colour.

    "That would be it," said Rima.

    "You shouldn''t touch it though," said Tigin, "Rima went all weird before-"

    Aegin started to stalk forward. Yashi spun towards Gryffyn, "Do something, you perverted old man!"

    Gryffyn glared over at Yashi, "In exchange for my memories of Elva Bluesun, I wish for you to kill all those in this room except for me, now".

    Yashi grinned breathing in.

    Aegin''s eyes widened, "No, don''t!"

    But Yashi had already summoned the wind, aiming right for Rima.

    Aegin moved towards Yashi in an instant.

    His claws extended, though he knew such a thing was futile, but then instinct pushed him to cut himself rather than Yashi. He followed it. The slash in his right wrist caused blood to run, and the pulled of his Life Lines was enough for him to understand. The blood formed rapidly into a solid red blade which he grasped with both hands as he slashed it across Yashi''s form.

    Yashi stilled, shocked.

    Gryffyn looked down at the pendant in his hand in shock, "No!"

    Yashi glanced up at Aegin, his eyes so desperate and pleading before he seemed to form into air which was s.u.c.k.e.d back into the pendant. The Pendant, with a crack inside it''s structure, stopped glowing.

    "Djinn! Djinn come back and grant my wish! Yashi!"

    Aegin snatched up the Pendant, clasping it in his own hand as he looked down at Gryffyn. Gryffyn stared back, then opened his mouth to speak.

    Aegin drew his blood sword across the man''s neck with ease. The cut so clean that Gryffyn''s body was still for a moment before it slumped forward, the head rolling from it with a wet splat.

    Aegin sighed, then released the magic of his sword. His blood returned to his body, and the cut on his wrist sealed shut. He looked up at the others in the room who all stared back at him.

    "No one had any protests to that, right?"

 Chapter 326 - The Bruised, Battered, Black & Blue (I)

    Rima stood several kilometres from Black Sands city, yet she could still see it. The column of blackened smoke rose too high to miss in the vast blue sky of the desert. Aegin had, for all intents and purposes, burned the place to the ground. Despite Rima''s request for him to help control the blaze to at least save half of the city, he''d been adamant in reporting that he hadn''t the power nor the will to do so.

    "You don''t even sound guilty," Rima had huffed, "They may have had a shitty leader, but not all of them were bad people, and these are their homes".

    "The Blue Suns never called this place home. This was a prison to them," Aegin replied, "As for the Black Sands, the majority that didn''t blindly follow Gryffyn have long wanted to return to more traditional Tribal ways. Or am I wrong about that?"

    Rima had had little to say about that. After all, he wasn''t wrong.

    "Homes can be rebuilt," Sevis had said as he''d passed them holding a sack full of whatever they managed to raid from Gryffyn''s vault before they left, "And hopefully look better than this rigid monstrosity".

    Rima had been reluctant to admit they were right. After all, this was an entire city they were talking about, and not all the people that lived there wanted a new start. It occurred to her as she walked away, turning a blind eye to those who started fires of their own at the Estate to ensure it was razed to the ground, that this was what a leader would feel like. Making decisions like this with the knowledge that she could not please them all. It was a lot to take in, and she wasn''t exactly groomed for such a position.

    But it was her they followed from that city. It was her they came to with enquires and troubles in the hours following. Had she really made that much of an impression? Were they not just projecting their hope that because she was technically the Heir of Blue Suns, that she would be a good leader? She feared the backlash should she make a wrong decision, but after she''d turned away several of the enquirers, Mira, the old maid who''d looked after most of the Estate''s needs, had approached her.

    "Just give them your opinion," said Mira, "That''s all they''re asking for".

    "And if my opinion is wrong?" asked Rima, "I don''t want to ruin their lives because of something I said".

    "Do you think every Chieftain that ever was and ever will be is expected to never make mistakes?" asked Mira, "Why do you think they have a council of Elders in the first place? Chieftains are individuals too; they just tend to have more concern over the Tribe as a whole than their own welfare".

    "I''m not a Chieftain," said Rima.

    "You''ve been a Chieftain ever since your mother died," Mira replied, "You just haven''t had a Tribe to care for".

    "I''m not cut out for-"

    "You are," Mira interrupted, "You showed that you were perfectly capable during your stay in that city. You''re intelligent, strong-willed, and kind to those who would be construed as beneath you. All qualities of a good Chieftain".

    Rima was silent before Mira sighed, "Just answer them. They''ll be grateful for your time and to hear your concern any way".

    So, reluctantly, Rima did as Mira said. The first few times she was unsure. Hesitant to say anything that could be misinterpreted or that could be wrong. But then she would turn to see Tigin or Sevis, or even Mira, and they would look back at her encouragingly. After a few hours, it had become easier to reply.

    Aegin had been strangely absent, a comment about needing a bath and a good meal had been made, but none of them were really paying attention. To be entirely honest, while Aegin''s journey may have brought them together, it had been months since they''d turned to Aegin for any kind of aid or advice. The only reason he''d been involved this time around was because of Yashi. It was not that they were ungrateful for his help. It was that, despite Aegin''s powerful and intimidating presence, it had long been clear to them that Aegin was not the same as them.

    Aegin had his own path. His own calling. And they were not entirely sure if it should be theirs as well. If Yashi was any example, Chaos was not kind nor easy to those on one of its paths.

    Now, after his display in Gryffyn''s throne room, it was safe to say that Aegin was even further away from them than he''d ever been. Rima could not help but find herself wondering if a friendship was even possible any more. Even if that was what she wanted, she wasn''t sure she could forgive him for his actions over the past eighteen months. Was it right to judge his actions in the past on the man, or rather, vampire, that he was now? She was positive, even from their short encounters, that the two individuals were not the same.

    "You look like your head is going to burst with all those thoughts running through it," Tigin remarked as he came to sit beside her on the side of the dune. Below them, at least 15,000 Tribesman set up camps in the evening light and made an effort to distribute rations to everyone. Tigin handed Rima a few slices of bread with some dried meat.

    "Someone''s got to think around here," Rima sighed.

    Tigin smiled, "I missed you".

    Rima turned to look at him, a small smile on her own face, "I missed you".

    Tigin wrapped an arm around her shoulders and pulled her into a hug, "It must have been hard, I''m sorry that I couldn''t come sooner".

    "It''s okay," said Rima, "Clearly it was at least a bit worth it". She pulled away, smacking his biceps that were now much bigger and more prominent than they had been in the past.

    Tigin huffed a laugh, "Yeah, well, I figured if the Vampire wasn''t going to save you, somebody had to".

    Rima''s smile faded slightly as she turned back towards the black smoke, "Was it really his job to begin with?"

    Tigin frowned, "What do you mean?"

    Rima sighed, "Aegin wasn''t born here, Tigin. This is not his land. He came here just as lost and confused as we were. As much as it pains me to know he did not play an active part in trying to get me back until last night, I��I can''t really blame him for it".

 Chapter 327 - The Bruised, Battered, Black & Blue (II)

    It was silent for a moment as Rima''s confession hung between them, then Tigin sighed, turning away from her to look out over the camp, "That''s not entirely true".

    "What isn''t?" asked Rima.

    "Him not trying to get you back��" Tigin admitted, "He tried to get you back from Yashi when you were taken��I don''t know exactly what happened, he''s never talked about it. But when Sevis and I found him��he didn''t talk for hours. I''d never seen him look so terrified before. I guess��I guess that because I was so worried about you his actions appeared selfish and cowardly. But now, after watching him today, I don''t think he was either of those things. It never really occurred to me that he, who had before appeared untouchable, could be afraid of something".

    "Aegin, afraid?" Rima remarked. She frowned when she tried to recall a moment where she had seen him act that way, but came up blank, "I''ve never seen him fear something".

    "He does though," said Tigin, "When he thought he was going to lose us today". Rima turned to look at Tigin, realised he was right, "I think that was what changed for him last night. What made him more powerful. He realised that even with all his power, he could only go so far alone".

    "So, this is where you two were," Sevis said as he climbed the dune and came to sit beside Rima, "Trying to escape your new responsibilities, Chieftain?"

    Rima huffed, "I''m not a chieftain".

    "Could have fooled me," Sevis grinned. Rima blushed in the fading light of the day, hiding her face behind her folded arms as she stared out over the camp.

    "I''m just answering questions," Rima said, "Giving my opinion. Like Mira said I should".

    "Sounds like a Chieftain taking advice from an Elder if you ask me," Sevis replied.

    Rima sighed, "I can''t be a Chieftain, I''m only half a Tribesman to begin with, no matter what bloodline that half might come from".

    "I don''t know, I think you and Tigin have done a fair job over the past year of proving that a Tribesman does not have to be born in the Hava Rastellan to two Tribesman parents in order to be a Tribesman themselves," said Sevis, "You two found your way back here somehow, and I don''t think you''ve done too badly here since. The Hava Rastellan is certainly not a place for the faint of heart".

    "You sure it''s not because of some traditional initiation?" Tigin huffed, "Survive your first psychotic Djinn and you can stay as long as you like?"

    "Hopefully, Yashi will be the only psychotic Djinn any of us ever encounter," Sevis admitted, "Djinn aren''t all that common to begin with, and usually their masters are more��well, they''re not Gryffyn Blacksand".

    "So, it was just bad timing?" asked Rima with a raised eyebrow, "I''ll be sure to consult the gods next time I want to take a trip somewhere then. Better safe than sorry".

    "I''m not sure the gods will answer," said Sevis, "They haven''t in a long time".

    "Then how do we know there are gods at all?" asked Tigin.

    "The stories tell us so, so we must believe them," Sevis replied, "Because none of us have the power to truly know for sure".

    Rima had to agree with that. Even Yashi, despite his power, never seemed interested in gods. Or maybe that was why he wasn''t interested. She found herself wanting to ask, but such a thing was futile now.

    The dust kicked up beside them and a wind past over them, "Oh good, you''re all in one spot".

    Rima, Tigin and Sevis all looked up to see Aegin as he arrived to join them. He was wearing different clothes, appearing like he hadn''t been in a life or death battle that morning. Rima was jealous. She wanted new clothes and bath after spending the day hiking in the desert.

    "Where have you been?" she grumbled.

    Aegin fished out a series of small scrolls from inside his coat, "I took a few detours. Figure it would be good to let everyone know that the Djinn and Gryffyn were no longer a problem. Also told them about the displaced tribes of Black Sand and Blue Suns. Most of them were pretty shocked Blue Suns still existed. Still, seeing the number of them, they''ll have to split up amongst the other Tribes to be sustained for the immediate future. Keeping them all together will be difficult unless they agree to do so under a new Tribal Leader. Then the other Tribes will be willing to negotiate Trade to help them while the recover and rebuild. Though that did take some convincing seeing as they''ll without a doubt be the largest Tribe in the Northern Hava Rastellan".

    Rima took the scrolls in surprise as she listened to Aegin, "You��you did all this negotiating in a day?"

    Aegin shrugged, "Well after a I was clean and fed, this seemed to be a better use of my time than anything else".

    Rima looked at the number of scrolls. At least twenty. That meant somewhere around eight hundred per group if they were to split up. Small for this Tribe, but no doubt a formidable number for the other, much smaller Tribes around them. But this Tribe didn''t have a leader. As much as they turned to Rima, she did not want this.

    "I know what you''re thinking," Sevis said.

    Rima turned to him, "Don''t try to convince me".

    "You should do it, but agree only on the condition that once they get themselves back to working order, that they choose someone else," said Sevis.

    "I��" Rima looked down at the large camp in the valley, "Will they even agree to that?"

    "You only need to ask them".

    ***

    "��so those are the options that are before us," said Rima to the gathered Elders, "I realise that we had no right to negotiate for you, but-"

    "You have every right, Rima," said Mira, "As did your companions. You all contributed more to ridding us of Gryffyn Blacksand and his Djinn than anyone else".

    "More importantly, when you spent your time among us, you made no distinction between our groups. You treated us equally, both Blue Suns and Black Sands," Draven, one of the warrior elders from Black Sands stated, "That left a good impression in all of us. I don''t believe there would be any protest if you were to step forward as out Chieftain. Especially after what you have done today".

    "I did nothing but answer questions," said Rima, "And in the streets, I only treated people as they should be treated".

    "If you continue making excuses," Aegin sighed, "They''ll think you don''t like them".

    Rima turned to glare at the Vampire, who only grinned in amus.e.m.e.nt in return. She sighed, turning to the Elders once more, "This isn''t a life I want for myself. I��if I''m entirely honest, I don''t quite know what life I want for myself. But I do know that even knowing my mother was of the Blue Suns has done little for me to feel connected with the Tribe. And the Black Sands, I mean no offence but your Tribe to me was a prison more than anything else. I don''t want to lead, but I certainly will not lead two vastly different Tribes with such a bloody past. But a new Tribe, a Tribe formed with the hope of two peoples to start anew. That is a Tribe that I would be proud to be a part of".

    The Elders looked to one another, then Mira stepped forward, "Then, if it would mean that you agree to be Chieftain, we would name this new Tribe Bluesand for our ancestors, and bestow upon you and your descendants the Tribal name".

    Rima Bluesand. Rima could not help but feel shocked. Perhaps Yashi was not all that psychotic at all. And perhaps, even with all his power, all he could do was accelerated a possibility of someone''s future. They were not wishes so much as goals that, should an individual work hard enough and long enough, would be achieved anyway.

    It would explain his inability to bring back the dead.

    Rima looked over at Sevis and Tigin, then at Aegin before she turned to the Elder, "I am honoured by your choice, and will do my best to not let you down, but if there comes a time in the future where I wish to leave the Tribe to somebody who is not my descendant, I hope you would agree to let me, and advise me in the interim".

    "Of course, Chieftain," Mira smiled, bowing her head respectfully.

 Chapter 328 - A Proclamation of Peace

    *Eldovian Era 1715, 4th day of the 7th month*

    It had been two weeks since the Blue Sands Tribe was formed with Rima Bluesand as it''s Chieftain. There had surprisingly been few who questioned it despite Rima''s fears. Rima wasn''t stupid though. She knew that both the Elders, and Aegin''s near constant presence had meant that anybody who wanted to speak out always thought better of it. She''d preferred that at first. It had made her feel more confident. But it soon became clear that Aegin''s presence beside her was not that different to Yashi''s beside Gryffyn''s.

    She''d sent Aegin away and kept Tigin by her side instead, his huge frame often intimidating enough in itself.

    Sevis had returned back to Red-Eye as soon as he could. His father had been quite upset with both him and Tigin for leaving without making any proper preparations. But the war was over and peace had been settled, so the Chieftain couldn''t really stay angry at his son for that long. Instead, he sent Sevis to organise a celebration to put an official end to the year long war.

    Clearly, Sevis had some of the leadership qualities as well. The huge array of colourful tents in the dunes had no doubt taken days to construct, not to mention the amount of resources that would have had to be brought in. Aegin had done much of that though. He''d been training with new abilities, including storing things in shadows.

    Sevis and Tigin found it fascinating if not cool that the Vampire could now form blades from his own blood. Rima, if she was being honest, found it a little creepy.

    "Lighten up, oh fearless leader, you''re ruining the mood," Aegin stated as he appeared beside her holding a cup of wine out for her to drink.

    Rima took it as she breathed out, "I''ve never heard of so many Tribes gathering together. I guess the thought of such powerful and ancient people has made me nervous".

    Aegin smirked as he took a sip of Cora''s spiced blood soup from his own cup, "Has it occurred to you that you??re not a part of those powerful and ancient people".

    Rima rolled her eyes, "I don''t feel all that powerful, or ancient. I''m just��"

    "Just you," Aegin finished for her.

    Rima nodded, "Just me".

    "There''s nothing wrong with that," Aegin said, "Despite what you may think, I''ve spent most of my life serving somebody else. Always a part of someone else''s shadow. Being here��it''s a relief to be just me. A relief to make decisions for myself".

    Rima looked at him for a long moment, "Tigin said you were afraid though".

    Aegin raised an eyebrow.

    Rima''s eyes widened, "I mean��sorry, that was rude of me to bring up".

    Aegin tilted his head, "Just because I may seem more powerful, doesn''t mean I don''t feel fear. Everyone fears something��mine just happens to be fearing that I cannot protect what I cherish the most".

    Rima could see from his far-off expression that he wasn''t just talking about those here on the Hava Rastellan.

    "I suppose you''ve never really spoken about it, but I can tell you left someone behind before you came here," said Rima, "You fear for them, don''t you?"

    Aegin sighed, "Of course I do��at first I feared I could not protect her from others. Then that I could not protect her from myself. Now��now I fear that she never wants to see me again after I left the way I did".

    Rima gave a small smile, "Wow".

    Aegin frowned, "What?"

    "You almost seemed��normal then," said Rima, "Just a young man in love".

    Though it was hard to tell from just the light of the torches and bonfires, Rima was sure Aegin blushed, "I don''t love her".

    Rima grinned, then downed her wine before she took a deep breath, her eyes finding Sevis in the crowd among his warrior brethren as they drunk and spoke, "If you insist, oh great Vampire. Remember to have some fun, yes?"

    Aegin frowned, "I believe I came over here to tell you that".

    Rima shrugged as she began to walk towards Sevis, "Then take your own advice".

    The music had started up to the side, and Aegin watched as Rima crossed past the bonfire and the growing line of Tribesman preparing to dance, stopping before Sevis. She held out her hand to him. He grinned at her before taking her hand and pulling her towards the line to join in. Aegin sat back as he watched to Tribesman begin to dance, Tigin joining in with another Tribeswoman. So many began joining that Aegin had to move back out of the way.

    He spotted Cora over by her own bonfire.

    "Not joining in, old woman?" asked Aegin.

    "Not as much skip in my step any more, child," Cora remarked, "Would you like another cup?"

    Aegin gave her back the cup he''d been drinking the blood out of, "You treat me far too well, Cora".

    "Nonsense," Cora huffed, "Besides, even if I did, no one would dare say a thing against it".

    "Aye, you''re too terrifying when provoked," Aegin replied with a grin.

    "And don''t you forget it," Cora warned as she passed the cup back to him.

    The only thing missing was those he''d left behind.

    Feeling the wetness on his cheek, Aegin reached up and swiped it away quickly passing his cup to Cora as he stood, "I''m going for a run".

    "Aegin," Cora called.

    Aegin turned back to her, "Be back before sunrise, I''ve been told the Elders wish to see you".

    Aegin nodded, "Sure thing".

    He turned to wove his way through the crowd of Tribesman, his pale skin for once not feeling alien amongst all the dark featured Tribesman.

 Chapter 329 - Penance in a Pendant

    Aegin sat on the edge of the underground cliff that looked down into the flowing river of fire. It was hot in here, hot enough that it bothered even him. But he''d grown used to the excessive heat over the past year. His forge sat behind him, quiet and cool for once. He''d worked for months to get those Evanine weapons to work, only to have it shatter to easily. Then, much to his surprise, it turned out that the weapon he really needed to at the very least harm Yashi, was the one that he''d been denying was honourable all along.

    Honourable? It seemed like such a stupid concept now. Chaos was not supposed to be honourable. It was supposed to oppose honourable.

    Aegin sighed, reaching into his internal jacket pocket and withdrawing the cracked evanine pendant. The runes on it were symbol enough to read. The circle on it''s own would usually mean protection, but with the symbol of Djinn in the centre, it came to mean seal, prison, or vessel, though Aegin supposed it was probably all three.

    Aegin looked at it a moment, then dangled it out over the river of fire, "I know you don''t burn, Yashi, but if I melt your Vessel, what happens to you? I''m suddenly curious".

    The Djinn, still weak but his eyes somewhat wide in desperation, appeared beside Aegin, "I haven''t done anything for two weeks, why are you threatening me now?"

    Aegin sighed, taking the Vessel back in his hand. He turned towards Yashi, who was still nursing the wound on his abdomen, "Do you need a bandage or something for that?"

    "The wound will remain until the Vessel is repaired," Yashi gritted out.

    Aegin looked at the pendant again, "I see. So, you cannot be harmed with normal attacks, but you can with magic attacks. Your Vessel on the other hand, can be harmed by both, I assume?"

    "Is there a point to this?" asked Yashi.

    "I plan on keeping your Vessel for quite a long time, Yashi, I suggest you cooperate if you want to get out every now and then," Aegin replied.

    Yashi huffed and turned away, "I lasted eight thousand years in my Vessel without company, I can last you".

    "I can last eight thousand years too," said Aegin, "A damn shame your Master is no longer human, huh?"

    "Master?" Yashi scoffed, "You have no intention of ever making a wish. You''re my Keeper, my Warden. You''re no Master".

    "And as your Warden, I can seal you within your Vessel permanently," said Aegin, "Would you rather that?"

    Yashi glared at Aegin before he looked away, "What do you want, Vampire?"

    "The charmed blade that I made," Aegin said, "You seemed terrified of it, you even called it��what was it?"

    Yashi hesitated for a moment before he replied reluctantly, "A Named Blade. I was wrong. But I suppose you should be acknowledged for making even a crude imitation of such a formidable weapon".

    "What is a Named Blade?" asked Aegin.

    Yashi didn''t answer. Aegin hung his Vessel out over the river once more. Yashi sighed in frustration.

    "They''re some of the most powerful weapons in the world. A blade made from a combination of Evanine and Anthrite, making them strong and durable, then marked with a rune or combination of runes to give the blade purpose. A Named Blade. Chaos and Order alike feared such blades, but there was only one weaponsmith that had ever perfected the art of forging them," said Yashi.

    "Who?" asked Aegin.

    "Ridgeland Redscales," said Yashi, "The Dragon Lord Blacksmith. To receive a weapon from him was like receiving a weapon from a god. As far as I''m aware, he forged ninety-seven named blades before he retired".

    "Only Ninety-Seven?" asked Aegin.

    "What do you mean only?" asked Yashi, "That number took him nearly then ten thousand years to reach".

    Aegin frowned, "Why?"

    "Anthrite is called the Metal of Justice. This is because when it senses an individual that has stolen power from something else, it cuts off that individual''s access to the stolen power. It''s why it''s so deadly to the Chaos Races who must take power from something or someone else in order to survive. In comparison, Evanine a vessel for external mist, in other words, it''s very nature it to take power that was not originally its own. Two opposing forces like that cannot exist together to any productive function. Ridgeland found a way around it though. He found that if one applies enough heat to the two together, they are forced to interact with each other in order to prevent themselves from being fully extinguished".

    "You make it sound like they''re living," Aegin stated.

    "Everything that the Mist touches is living in some way," said Yashi.

    "So, he found a hot enough flame?" Aegin asked.

    Yashi nodded, "Dragon Flame. A Dragon Flame that was stored and stoked in a Dragon''s belly for a thousand years. Ridgeland stored every flame himself. And no other Dragon could match his self-control".

    "So, you''re saying it would be impossible to Forge a Named Blade without a Dragon''s Flame that''s been stored for a thousand years?" asked Aegin.

    Yashi shrugged, "It''s the only method I''ve heard of. But all Blacksmiths have trade secrets. I''m sure Ridgeland was hiding something else".

    Aegin sighed. Pocketing Yashi''s Vessel, "How did you become a Djinn, Yashi?"

    Yashi frowned, "I assume I wished for it".

    "You assume?" asked Aegin.

    Yashi shrugged, looking somewhat uncomfortable, "The only way to become a Djinn is to wish for it��but the price is always your life. You give up your body, your personality, your memories, and in return you become an all-powerful Djinn. The old Djinn in turn takes your place as a human".

    "So, you don''t remember what you were like before?" asked Aegin.

    Yashi shook his head, "I never will either. Though I''d like to think that if this is what I wished for, it was worth it".

    Aegin nodded, "I''ll keep your Vessel safe, Yashi, you have my word. I might even repair it if I can find a way��but in return you''ll answer any questions I ask and do as I say".

    Yashi sighed, "Do you know what the downside is to have a Master who''s not Human?"

    Aegin raised an eyebrow.

    "I''m never envious of them, just like you don''t thirst for my blood".

    Yashi disappeared back into his Vessel.

 Chapter 330 - The Aegis of Aegin Bloodthorn

    *Eldovian Era 1715, 5th day of the 7th month*

    It was only an hour or so before dawn when Aegin arrived back at the festival. The Tribesman, at least those that could hold their liquor, were still celebrating. Aegin walked by them, greeting them as they greeted him. Finally, he arrived at the Elder''s tent in the centre.

    It was the largest there. Considering that there were around thirty Tribes here, that meant nearly 200 elders were present. As Aegin approached the tent, it became clear that all of them were in attendance at this meeting. It occurred to him as he nodded to the guards standing outside the tent that he probably shouldn''t have kept them waiting.

    When Aegin entered though, there was no hostility. He nodded his head in respect to them, moving forward to where Rima and Tigin were both sitting near the centre of the tent.

    "Now that we''re all here, we should begin," Cora stated as she stood, giving Aegin a look that was halfway between grateful he was there and annoyed he took so long.

    Aegin just smiled in return.

    "18 months ago, the three of you entered the Hava Rastellan in search of something," Cora stated, "The reasons were different for all of you, but here you find yourselves after all that time. Two half-blood Tribesman from the Triad Cities and a Foreigner from the East who walks the Gluttonous Path of Chaos".

    No one dared interrupt Cora as she spoke, stopping before where Rima and Tigin kneeled respectfully. Aegin supposed that was where he should be as well, but he hadn''t moved to kneel, and nobody had said a thing about him standing behind the two.

    "You find yourselves here, among the Northern Tribes of the Hava Rastellan, having not been asked, nor coerced, yet having made some of the largest contributions in the continuation of our people and culture," Cora stated. Tigin and Rima looked up in surprise at Cora''s gentle and proud tone. Cora met their gazes for a moment before she looked around at the gathered Elders.

    "As Tribesman, we take pride in our identities. In our culture. We have stayed true to the old ways, not allowing Order''s influence to rewrite our histories and our way of life," said Cora, "The Hava Rastellan is old. It is harsh. But it is also, as we all believe, where the strongest are born".

    Cora turned back to face Tigin, Rima and Aegin, "Or, as we should learn to acknowledge and accept, where they are reborn".

    The Elders, all at once, lifted their hands and then brought them down onto their t.h.i.g.hs in a ringing slap that echoed thrice in the tent, "The Balance restored, the peace returned, strongest are the Tribesman, whose places are earned".

    Cora lifted her arms and spread them wide, "If you will accept it, the Northern Tribes have all agreed that you shall be offered places among our Tribes. You have all proven that you are one of us, regardless of your bloodlines, and we see fit to acknowledge that by our deepest and oldest traditions".

    Cora turned to Tigin, "Tigin, Son of None, your allegiances it seems are now torn. Whilst you have served the Red Eyed Snake Tribe dutifully, the pursuit of your hard work now has a Tribe of her own. If you accept a place, you may wear the totems of both Tribes, but one must have your allegiance".

    Tigin turned to look at Rima for a moment, then he turned back to Cora.

    "Thank you, for this honour. As a half-blood, while I trained with the Tribes and fought with them, I was sure that I would never truly call myself a part of any Tribe. Now, to even be given a choice��The Red Eyed Snake Tribe will always have my gratitude and my friendship, but I should stick by the woman who has been my own Tribe since we were children. I will join her if she allows it".

    Rima smiled, nodding.

    "Tigin, Son of None, shall join the Blue Sands Tribe, but shall b.a.r.e the proof of his friendship with the Red Eyed Snake Tribe among his totems," Cora proclaimed.

    "The Elders accept Tigin, Son of None," the Elders proclaimed in unison.

    Cora turned to Rima, "Rima Bluesand, you have already accepted the role of Chieftain for the newly formed Blue Sands Tribe, and now you may b.a.r.e that proof with the rightful totems. Your time spent among the Red Eyed Snake Tribe was much shorter, but do you wish to b.a.r.e your friendship with them as well?"

    Rima hesitated before she shook her head, "No, the Totems are a sacred thing, and I spent far too little and contributed far less than Tigin ever did to the Red-Eyed Snake Tribe. Whilst I will always have their friendship in mind, I do not feel that it is right for me to b.a.r.e it among the totems you have honoured me with".

    Cora gave a small smile, then nodded, "Rima Bluesand, First Chieftain of the Blue Sand Tribe, shall b.a.r.e her position and heritage among her totems".

    "The Elders accept Rima Bluesand, First Chieftain of the Blue Sand Tribe".

    Finally, Cora turned to Aegin, a smile upon her lips, "As Tribesman, we believe that those who walk paths, be they Chaos or Order, should not hold allegiance to the Tribes or Peoples who are born and remain unaligned. I also know as your friend, that you will place your allegiance with nobody but yourself even if we were to ask. Still, your efforts, however selfish or selfless they may be, we will not speculate which, did directly contribute to our continued survival".

    The room seemed to hold it''s breath as everyone looked at Aegin for a reaction of some kind before Cora continued, "If you will allow it, Lord of Gluttony, we would name you an Elder of Tribesman".

    Aegin smirked, "Lord of Gluttony, how pretentious. I''m not much for such things. I am more than happy with a place to rest and a decent meal with friends. But these are both things I have not had in quite some time. There are even times I''ve questioned if I''ve ever truly had them".

    Aegin looked around at the Elders, then at Rima and Tigin before turning back to Cora.

    "Here, in the Hava Rastellan, this is where I was truly reborn," said Aegin, "This is where I realised the mistakes I had made, and came to be at peace with my regrets. This is where, for the first time in a long time, I could be among those who treated me as an individual, and not a means to an end. I am honoured to have met you and known you, and it would give me no greater p.l.e.a.s.u.r.e than to know that wherever my journey may take me in my very long life, that I can return here and feel as if I am home among the people".

    Cora gave him a warm smile, then turned as Mira approached her from behind with a desert fox skin pouch in her hands. Cora unwrapped it carefully, then took out leather strap that held several wooden beads carved with different symbols. The Elder''s Totem. She stepped forward and presented it to Aegin, who, for the first time and much to everybody''s surprise, knelt before the old woman.

    "Around my neck," Aegin stated, "Where it will be closest to my Life Lines".

    Cora was surprised, as were the Elders. They were all aware of how sacred Life Lines were. For Aegin to request such a thing was unheard of, but also an unprecedented honour for them. Cora did as asked, then she turned as Aegin stood and retrieved the second item, a traditional dagger, the hilt of which was also carved with symbols and totems of the Hava Rastellan.

    Aegin smiled as he received it from her.

    "I name thee, Aegin Bloodthorn, walker of the Path of Gluttony, and Elder of Tribesman," stated Cora.

    Aegin chuckled at the name, but there it was, carved on the blade of the dagger. Bloodthorn. Aegin recalled his dagger of blood that he''d used to ''kill'' Yashi, and realised where the name had originated from.

    "Is the name not to your liking?" asked Cora, confused as to why he''d laughed.

    Aegin just shook his head, "Names��I was named Bloodthorn before, a long time ago. I did not like it then. But now��now I cannot help but think that names have a way of finding us if they are meant to be".

    "The Balance works in mysterious ways," Cora stated, "Perhaps the name was always meant for you".

 Chapter 331 - Reclamation of the Returning (I)

    *Eldovian Era 1722, 1st day of the 12th month*

    The blades were perhaps the most beautiful Aegin had ever made. Twin blades, each the length of a man''s arm, with single edge that was curved so that it was wider about a hand''s length from the hilt before it curved to a point at the end. The silver, glass-like blade caught the light magnificently, shining like ornamental crystal, yet with a deadly spark that made even Aegin feel a chill when he''d first witnessed it.

    Sitting in the cave he''d called home for these long years in the Hava Rastellan, Aegin could not help but stare at them. Admire them. He honestly could not believe he''d managed to pull it off. He''d barely been able to believe it when he''d forged his daggers.

    The ''Daggers of Truth''. Rima had dubbed them. Six daggers made from the same composition of Evanine and Anthrite, melted and bonded together in the river of fire below. A river of fire, Aegin had found after he''d grown curious, that originated from the maw of a Dragon''s skeleton.

    The fire burning there had been doing so for who knew how long, but it had been enough for Aegin to work with.

    When he''d managed to forge the daggers, he''d been stumped at first at what rune to draw on them. He only knew a few. He''d tried Clarity against Yashi, and while it had been affective for a moment, it had always felt incomplete to Aegin. Like it didn''t quite fit.

    It had taken him many nights before Aegin finally settled on Truth. It was a promise as much as it was a resolution. The belief in that rune when he carved it made the daggers so much more powerful and effective.

    Even Yashi, for once, had been impressed.

    It had been several years since then, and Aegin hadn''t attempted to forge any more of the Named Blades. He''d seen how powerful and affective his own were, he was not just going to give that power to anyone who asked.

    But there was one person whom Aegin knew deserved such blades. And who, more than anyone else, Aegin wanted to give such power to.

    Aegin was sure he''d never need them. He was also sure that as runes went, there were likely better ones that the creator himself could come up with. But Aegin had forged the blades anyway, and now he sat with his own Light Element Tool in hand, ready to carve the two runes he''d settled on.

    He''d sat like this many times for the last year.

    Was he truly ready? Was he truly deserving? Would they take him back and welcome him after he''d been gone for so long? He''d always questioned himself out of it. Had always ended up putting down the tool, closing the boxes he''d hand carved for the swords, and going off to find something to distract himself.

    But this time would be different, he was sure. Unlike every other time, Aegin hadn''t purposely pushed himself to sit down and finish the task. This time, it had happened quite organically. Aegin hadn''t felt forced at all.

    He recalled the conversation now that he''d had with Rima after she, Tigin and Sevis had come to pay him a visit on their way back to their respective Tribes after they''d been travelling south.

    "So, have you finished them yet?"

    "I haven''t".

    "It''s been over a year, Aegin, surely you''ve settled on a Rune by now, there are only so many," said Rima.

    Aegin had shaken his head, "No, I decided on what Runes to use a while ago. I just��it hasn''t felt like the right time to carve them".

    Rima had raised an eyebrow at that, "Moonshadow pumps those things out like a well-oiled machine. I don''t think you need to wait for the right time".

    Aegin sighed, "That''s not��nevermind".

    "No, go on, I know it''s important to you. Remember, we talked about sharing, didn''t we?" asked Rima.

    Aegin rolled his eyes, glancing at the young woman who flashed her fledgling fangs in amus.e.m.e.nt.

    Yes, Aegin had turned her. She''d done the same for Tigin and Sevis. Rima had served her time at Blue Sands, passing over the reigns to another as soon as she could. When she was done, she''d brought Tigin back to Red Eyes for a visit with Sevis, and the three of them had just ended up in Aegin''s cave not long after that.

    They''d found, after years of being friends, that though the Tribes held a place in their hearts and always would, something else was out there. They''d asked Aegin about it, and he''d been just about as helpful as he usually was.

    Unhelpfulness aside, Aegin had felt compelled to tell them about how he''d met Rassa. About how they travelled together. About the struggles he was sure Rassa had gone through, yet had never spoken of.

    "Then��are you going to share your burden with anyone?" Rima had asked him.

    Aegin had confessed that he''d never really thought about it.

    "Then share it with us," Sevis had said.

    Aegin had been hesitant and about to protest when he''d seen the looks in their eyes. They were serious. They understood it too. The Tribesman were not like those in Eldovia. They understood that those who walked the Paths of Chaos had to pay a price. They understood more than any other peoples. And, as Aegin had learned, they were more accepting of it too.

    Of course, Aegin hiding away in his cave with impromptu visits to other parts of the Western Continent when he was bored was not a life style they were accustomed to, seeing as they were grounded in their Tribes. Aegin could feel that if they were to become unsealed, they would have to break away from what they knew. He''d hinted as much, and the group had travelled south. But they''d returned three days before, still sealed.

    "Rassa, when he spoke to me before I left, he was so sure. So unapologetic," Aegin stated, "So powerful��I ran from that. From becoming that".

    "You didn''t run from becoming that," Rima huffed, "Don''t be ridiculous. You''re your own person, Aegin. Stop trying to fit into someone else''s shadow when yours in just the right size and shape".

    Aegin smiled remembering Rima''s words. She was always one to council him. To council all of them really. She''d always been good at it too. She''d said just the right thing for him to stop questioning himself.

    He was ready now. Ready to go back and not feel the need to fit into the space he had left there. Ready to go back as his own man.

 Chapter 332 - Reclamation of the Returning (II)

    *Eldovian Era 1723, 14th day of the 2nd month*

    Aegin stood by the shoreline, observing the bay in it''s busy hubbub. In all honesty, he could probably fly if he wanted to, but he had no idea how long that would take. If it''d take him two months to sail here last time, how much less time would it take to fly back. Could he fly back? Or would he need to stop for a meal somewhere? Where would he stop?

    No, the gap was two large, and he wasn''t versed in any stopover points. Better to sail, even if it was on one of the last sh.i.p.s before the Typhoon season really started.

    "��I need it to communicate with a partner in Rene. Rene! Not a southern district here in Fashtin!"

    "Sir, you''ll need to use the Com Stations for a distance that large. I can apply for a chain communication if you want-"

    "Chain communication? I''m not sharing private information with other people!"

    Aegin raised a brow. Lord Moonshadow, as they were calling him now, certainly had been busy. There were many more products available for purchase, and new technologies with them. Aegin finally understood what Rassa had meant when he''d spoken of how influential the influx of Charms in the world could be. Aegin had even heard tales of a self-propelling carriage that turned a month-long journey into a matter of hours in Eldovia.

    Try as he might though, Aegin had not been able to find a Moonshadow store here in the West. Something the locals seemed quite peeved about seeing as they had to buy charms second-hand at exorbitant prices from traders who''d brought them in bulk for this exact purpose. From what Aegin had heard, Rassa had already expanded significantly onto the southern continent. Why not the West?

    Aegin couldn''t help but think that it was perhaps because of him. Because Rassa had known that Aegin was here.

    After all, he could feel where those he''d sired were if he concentrated hard enough, it wasn''t a stretch to assume Rassa could do the same.

    Speaking of those he''d sired��

    "Were you just going to leave without us then?" asked Rima as she came to stand beside Aegin, Sevis and Tigin joining the two of them.

    "You lot were weeping so much I feared I''d have to sail another Ocean before I even got to the shore," Aegin replied.

    Rima pursed her lips, "Anyone would think you didn''t care".

    Aegin raised a brow, "Cora was one of my closest friends. As such I know that she''d want me to move on as soon as possible. The old bag didn''t like tears. Besides, death is just another part of life. She''s probably already started giving lectures to the Gods about their lack of a presence here".

    A smile pulled at Sevis'' lips, "Probably".

    "See, Sevis agrees," said Aegin.

    Rima rolled her eyes, "Whatever, where are we going, anyway?"

    "I probably won''t be back for a while," said Aegin, "You don''t have to come with me".

    "We''re coming," Tigin replied, "Can''t get rid of us if you tried".

    "I think I could," Aegin grinned, "But really, it might be decades before I come back".

    The three were silent before they all seemed to come to a silent agreement, "We can''t stay in the Hava Rastellan forever. Besides, we''re not supposed to interfere in Tribal affairs. Cora''s passing, natural as it was, has only highlighted to us how attached we are to Tribal life. If we are to live forever, we can''t spend every spare moment mourning those who have raised us, or in turn, whom we have raised. Neither can we turn them all as a Balance must be kept".

    Sevis finished then turned to Aegin, "So, we should go to where there are others like us. If only to learn how they cope with the reality and detachment of forever".

    Aegin nodded, "Very well then, I suppose I can''t get rid of you".

    "Not even if you paid us," Tigin said.

    "I don''t know, I''ve got an awful lot of gold stocked up," Aegin smirked.

    Tigin and Rima froze, then turned to Aegin.

    Aegin smirked and shrugged, "What? I wasn''t leaving it to sit and rust underground for a few decades".

    "What?" asked Sevis.

    "You''re unbelievable, I thought you would have spent it all by now with all your forging," Rima sighed.

    Aegin shook his head, "Anthrite is surprisingly cheap when you buy it from the source". Aegin flinched, "Though I don''t recommend walking into that mine, it''s quite unsettling".

    The others looked away, back towards the sh.i.p.s. Tigin nodded to the Yilish ship out in the bay, "Are we travelling in style?"

    "I''ve never seen that rune before," Rima said as she looked at it.

    "I wouldn''t think you had," replied Aegin. He extended a claw, piercing his thump and swiping a drop of his blood over the charm.

    The charm gave a dull red glow as it absorbed the blue, then returned to it''s crystalline blue colour.

    "What was that?" asked Sevis.

    "It''s a Tracking Charm," said Aegin, "It''s purpose is to track the locations of others in its sequence. But one can only activate it if the charm is programmed to their blood".

    Aegin activated the charm, and the lines that had once haunted him appeared. There were more this time. Rassa had added more to the sequence. Though is surprised him, Aegin did not feel hostile towards the newcomers. Afterall, if Rassa had given them these charms, it was because he trusted them.

    Several of the lines appeared almost straight ahead, though a little to the north, though faded from the distance.

    "We''re headed to northern Eldovia," said Aegin as he pocketed the charm and turned to Tigin, "So sure, we can travel in style for at least part of the way".

    ***

    "Lord Moonshadow?" asked a familiar voice. Rassa rolled his eyes.

    "Rassa, Mathius, please, just call me Rassa".

    "Lord Moonshadow," Mathius repeated with a serious and unrelenting gaze.

    Rassa sighed as he swung his legs over toe face Mathius, "Yes?"

    "Isiah reports that the second way station is almost complete. The Railway to Eldovia should be completed by the end of the week," Mathius stated, "As for the��other project��Olly and Kit have reported promising results from R&D".

    "You sound sceptical, Mathius," Rassa smiled.

    "Forgive me, My Lord, but I see little point with the Railway project so successful," Mathius stated.

    "That may be the case but-"

    Rassa''s head whipped towards the west as a feeling of familiarity washed over him. After a moment, he smiled.

    "My Lord?" asked Mathius.

    Rassa chuckled, seeming genuinely happy, "Well would you look at that, homeward bound it would seem. It''s about time��"

 Chapter 333 - Authors Note 23/10/2020

    Another ending and another new beginning!

    From the moment Aegin decided to join Rassa on his journey, I knew that there would have to come a point when he would need to go on his own journey and truly start making his own decisions. He''s been controlled all his life in one way or another, and seeing him break free of those restraints, no matter how messy it was, has been a privilege. Now that he has reached a point where he can truly choose to stand beside Rassa, and not just see it as his only path, it feels great to have gotten him there, and I''m happy to see that everyone is on board with that. To see you all jump onto the Aegin bandwagon despite him being a "side character" is really rewarding for me, and makes the world I have created feel all the more real and accessible from points other than Rassa''s.

    I love Rassa, he was the one who started this for me so I''ll always love him and his story, but the more I delve into this world, the more curious and eager I get to explore other parts of it. To find out what makes each character tick. What they''ve been through. How they react to current events, and best of all, where they''re going and how they''re going to weave their paths in this world.

    Thank you so much for loving Aegin as much as I do, and supporting me in writing his journey!

    Of course, you''re probably reading this because you''re interested in what''s next...but some shout outs first!

    Top 10 Voters (23.10.2020):

    SoraxKairi - 1694 (Holding strong I see! Thanks for your tremendous efforts and dedication!)

    Nekomino - 1602 (Naw, I''m blushing from the love you''ve shown this story, thanks so much!)

    zecond - 710 (I mean, to catch Rassa or Aegin blushing is a rare sight, but I swear I...nevermind, they just got back from a hunt...)

    Nourah1999 - 686 (Olly''s just gone to find me a truth charm...I don''t believe this is happening)

    Rabliel - 668 (Well, okay, now that I''ve seen that it is real, I''ll just get sore cheeks from smiling too much)

    Oskulos - 642 (My cheeks seriously are sore, just had to pause typing to massage them)

    I_am_Titan - 641 (Well, hello there, just gotta say, love the picture/icon you''ve got. Very memorable)

    DVDD - 626 - (Sup? Been a while since I''ve seen you comment but your votes mean just as much, thank you!)

    esmeraldo - 615 - (Tree of life - celtic style, right? - thanks so much for your votes!)

    JaxShadow - 511 (Thank you for your support!)

    Thanks so much for all the votes, comments and reviews! You have no idea how much it means to me, and how much it encourages me to continue writing this story and others!

    First, I suppose I should get the disappointing news out of the way; Vol.4 The Ruin of Eldovia, will not be coming this year. In fact, depending on the plans below, I''m not sure that it will come to Webovel or RoyalRoad ever.

    The Primary reason for this is the support I have received for this story. Really, I started this story 18 months ago, and have gotten nearly 2 million engagements from it. I am blown away from this support, and it has given me the reassurance I needed to pursue formal publishing.

    From next month, I will be rewriting Vol.1 of The First Vampire in order to prepare for publishing. The story as a whole will not change, but there will be alterations to certain parts of it that I''ve decided to improve, scrap or redo to build the overall quality of the story. Once it has been rewritten, the manuscript will be sent off to begin the editing and self-publishing process, with the hopes that it can be published some time next year.

    I will keep my patrons and those on my social media and discord updated about this process, but for those not following me on these platforms, the indication that Publishing is imminent will be when the chapters of this story disappear from this site and RoyalRoad. I may keep a few of the first chapters as a sample, but nothing beyond that.

    Following the publishing of the second book, I will work to rewrite and publish the others, with The Ruin of Eldovia being written and published somewhere down the line.

    I am sorry to those who enjoy the ''free'' aspect of this, but writing is something I plan on doing for life, and as such, I would love to make money from it some day. Hopefully, through this process, that day will come sooner rather than later.

    Of course, I won''t leave you totally hanging in the interim months while going through the publishing process.

    As many of you know, I''ve been posting The Moonshadow Trading Company Short Stories on my P*atreon, which is essentially Rassa & Ebony''s story between Volumes 3 & 4. As of November 4th, I''ll be gradually publishing each short story in 4 parts, with each story published over the course of a month. This should keep your curiosity fed until the end of June next year.

    For those of you who are looking for something with faster releases, I''ll be continuing on with my book Soul Blood which I have let sleep for quite a while now. I love the main characters in that story just as much as I do Rassa and those here, so I can''t very well leave them forever, and I think now is a great opportunity to pick up where I left off. I''ll be rewriting the earlier chapters, with the new chapters scheduled to begin releasing from November 16th at 10pm AEST. Probably looking at 4 chapters a week for that, but yet to be confirmed.

    To have your support on this site has been an honour and a privilege. I can''t believe that this story has grown as much as it has even without the marketing support of , but in a way, I''m so much happier that it has. Knowing that this story can build a following organically like this is like a dream, and knowing that I have the time and drive to make it so much bigger is really a thrilling thought. After all, I''m just a 23-year-old girl from country Australia, I''ve got a lot of life left to live.

    Though I have yet to meet any of you, I hope one day I can thank you in person for your support.

    If it does happen in that dream-like future, and you happen to see me on the street, or come to a book signing, please tell me that you found the book here. That you were there from the beginning. I''m positive that my gratitude will show through so much more - there may even be tears, just don''t tell Aegin, he''d never let me live it down.

    Hoping you''re all well and working on living your own best lives,

    Jelim

 Chapter 334 - The Moonshadow Trading Company Short Stories: 1 - The Return to Rouke Island (I)

    *Eldovian Era 1713, 29th day of the 9th month*

    The Crow had woken early. Early enough that it was still dark when it went to fetch it''s meal. The dark had never bothered it before though. In fact, the short times of the day when the moon gave way to the sun or vice versa were the best for hunting it''s prey. Perhaps it could still catch a few crickets before they all settled in again. The Crow liked crickets. Crunchy on the outside and juicy on the inside.

    The Crow spread its beautiful black wings. It was proud of its feathers. It pruned and cleaned them every day to shed itself of any unwanted grime and to shed the heaviness of the old oil that coated it''s pitch-like plumage. But it would eat first. It would eat, then it would settle somewhere high to watch the life below it as it cleaned and pruned.

    Flapping and soaring over hills and past a small village, the Crow eventually came upon the farm that it had found to have the most crickets. It was large and extended to at least a quarter of the Island they were on, so there were plenty of crickets to go around. There were a few other farms on the surrounding Islands, but with such abundance the Crow had little reason to visit them apart from leisure, which it of course had little time for in its busy schedule of pruning and cleaning and of course ensuring that plenty of shiny things found their way into its nest.

    The Crow alighted onto a tree branch, c.o.c.king its head to the side to observe the crops below. There was some movement, though mostly from those small meaty animals that liked to hide in their burrows. The Crow always left those to the creatures that hunted on the ground, it had an easier time if it settled for it''s crickets. Some of the other Crows were not so patient. They had met a much worse fate than the burrow creatures they tried to hunt.

    As the Crow''s eyes scanned their way across the crops, it noticed something out of the ordinary. Had the Farmer come out early? The Crow turned to get a better look at the dark figure standing among the rows of tomato vines. No, it didn''t look like the Farmer, it was too still. The Farmer moved too much when he was standing in the crops.

    Just as the Crow was about the write off the figure as some tool of some sort that the Farmer had left behind, it suddenly thought of that human full of straw it had found with a few of its friends a few weeks ago. The group of them had been terrified of coming to the farm with the figure constantly on guard. But after one of them got brave and decided to sneak close enough to catch a particularly juicy looking lizard, they had discovered that the figure was in fact not guarding the crops at all. Just a bag of straw that looked to be in the shape of a man. Was that what this figure was?

    The Crow puffed its feathers proudly for having worked it out. That Farmer couldn''t trick him again. The Crow cawed in triumph as it flew over and landed on the shoulder of the still figure. It shifted, noticing that perhaps the figure was slightly more solid than the straw and wood it had landed on previously, then reared back to peck a hole in the cloth so it could pull out the straw.

    Behind the Crow, right where it wouldn''t think to look, a thin rope of shadow rose up from the ground, it reared back slowly, swaying languidly. Then, quick as a flash of lightning, the shadow whipped forward, snapping right upon contact with the Crow.

    The Crow cawed in surprise and pain, flapping its wings but unable to right itself as it tumbled down into one of the tomato plants, it''s beautiful ebony feathers flowing in every which direction. As the pain from the shadowy whip burned on its behind, the Crow noticed that it was perhaps a little breezy on its rear end.

    It turned��only to find most of its tail feathers littered on the ground around the figure. The Crow looked up in outrage, only to have its always proud caw freeze in its throat.

    Red eyes stared back at it through the darkness, amused, yet not in the way one is when joking. Amused as if a god was staring down at a mere slave as if to say, ''What? I did nothing, and I dare you to say otherwise''.

    The Crow considered itself pretty smart. So instead of meeting the challenge, it hopped over to the free ground then took off, a little wobbly, but at least it was headed far from this strange figure.

    Rassa''s red eyes followed the Crow as it flew towards the orange horizon in the east. Dawn was mere minutes away, and Rassa had yet to hear about the success or failure of Ebony''s solo hunt. He''d always hunted with her when he had trained her on the Southern continent, and during the trip across Whaler''s Strait they hadn''t had to hunt, feeding from the other passengers of The Moon Voyager as necessary.

    As they''d come close to the Southern Isles the previous evening, Rassa had instructed Talo to make for Port Leis then taken Ebony towards one of the smaller Islands. Even if she had yet to have access to the allure ability, there were plenty of alternatives. Feeding on animals was one, though he particularly disliked it despite his initial years. Human blood had just become so much more appealing.

    The ever so slight morning breeze alerted his senses to the smell of that less-than-delectable alternative and he turned away from the dawning sun. His shadows shrinking and curling back now that no threats, nor petty annoyances, bothered their master.

    Ebony appeared at the end of the crop row, she had drops of blood smeared a little on her chin and neck, as well as a bit of goat fur. Rassa''s upper lip twitched in distaste. She was remarkably better at keeping clean in her feedings than when she''d first fed. That had been, for all intents and purposes, a bloody disaster.

    "Full?" asked Rassa, his tone low as he appraised her, offering her a handkerchief from his pocket. She looked somewhat sheepish as she took it from him and cleaned herself up.

    "And the Goat sufficiently mauled to make it look like a wolf or a fox did it," said Ebony.

    Rassa raised an eyebrow, "Was it a baby goat?"

    Ebony frowned as if offended by the insinuation, "No".

    Rassa stepped past her, "Then it must have been a very skilled fox to take down an animal at least twice it''s size �C there aren''t any wolves in the Southern Isles after all".

    "I��I''ll do better next time," Ebony sighed in defeat.

    Rassa looked over his shoulder at her, "Don''t look so put out. You had enough intelligence to at least attempt to disguise the kill when it happened. You weren''t expecting it after all, were you?"

    Ebony jogged to walk next to Rassa as they made their way away from the farm, "How did you know?"

    "I know because you kept asking me how I stop so easily on the way here," Rassa replied, "It''s normal to not want to, you know. If I don''t have to I don''t. Luckily for Talo and the others, I consider them useful".

    Ebony sighed, "Still, you make it seem so easy".

    "Yes, you mentioned that once or twice," Rassa said, "Our path is that of Gluttony, by denying that path we deny what and who we are. To kill is not a bad thing. Not for us".

    Ebony paused. She had heard this plenty of times since Rassa had turned her. But it had never overwritten her human morals. She''d taken her first life as a human, but that had been self-defense. Either her or them. This wasn''t. This was practically a boot stepping on an ant. She had all the power, all the time. She didn''t need things like self-defense anymore. At least against anyone except Rassa and Aegin, but she was pretty confident they would never hurt her.

    "I get it," Ebony said, a little sullen, "I will get it".

    Rassa wasn''t so sure, though he didn''t voice his opinion. He had a feeling that just like himself, Ebony would need to fall to understand just how high she could climb��and the price of climbing always had to be paid.

    "Let''s go. Talo should be close to Port Leis by now," said Rassa.

    ***

    The Moon Voyager was quite the sight amongst the docks of Port Leis. It was obvious the ship was still relatively new from the shine of its timbers, but it wasn''t the ship itself that drew attention. No, what drew attention was the deep red sails, and the white symbol on the main sail that everyone on the Island of Rouke would be able to name in a heartbeat.

    The Crescent Moon inside a Full Moon. The symbol of the renowned Moonshadow Trading Company. But Moonshadow didn''t have its own fleet of sh.i.p.s��did it? It certainly must have been rich enough by now. Anyone could see the success of that business plainly, and not just those at Moonshadow, but anyone along Charm Street.

    Word of the ship had travelled rapidly through the Port, so quickly in fact that by the time Iah heard word of it at breakfast, it had barely been docked.

    "There''s a ship with the Moonshadow symbol on it''s main sail?" asked Iah as she looked over at Mathius, the man whom she had hired several months ago to be her assistant. He had shown a lot of promise, and was more than capable of living up to her expectations. The staff adored him as he always took their needs into account, and their clients were quite accommodating whenever Mathius served them tea or addressed them with the manners he would a high noble. He was an older man in his fifties, but he still had the energy of one in his twenties.

    "Aye, Lady Moonshadow," Mathius nodded, "That is what I''ve heard. I sent someone to investigate right away. We can''t have someone parading as the Moonshadow Trading Company".

    Iah frowned, "No��"

    She reached into her pocket, clutching the Tracking Charm in her hand. It had been over a fortnight since she''d last held it, but the lines leading to Ebony and Rassa were now far brighter that even Falla''s. They had to be in the Port, likely on that very ship if the southern direction of the line was any indication.

    "I''d hold off on any hostilities, Mathius," Iah smiled, "What is the progress on the Moonshadow Apartments?"

    "Three of the five buildings have been fully completed and occupied, my Lady. The fourth still has half of its apartments without tenants and the fifth is just a few days from completion," stated Mathius proudly, "Though I have not yet advertised it as you requested".

    "Good, have the key on my desk momentarily, I''ll shall be needing it later today," stated Iah.

    "Later today��My lady, your schedule is still fully booked with appointments for the day," stated Mathius. Iah just waved him off as she rose up, "If it''s important, reschedule, if not, put in an apology. I have other matters to attend to today".

    "My lady, you had a dinner appointment with the other business owners of Charm Street at the Willow''s Bend Restaurant," stated Mathius.

    "Oh," stated Iah, pausing in thought, "Add two more seats then".

    "Are Lady Startree and Mr Trevor joining you?" asked Mathius.

    "No, no," Iah replied, "Just add the two seats, the rest will be explained later".

    "Ah, yes, my lady," replied Mathius, clearly confused as to who these two extra guests would be.

    Iah crossed briskly to her study, throwing open the door and bee-lining her way to the safe where she kept the business reports that she had dedicated herself to compiling under lock and key.

    Iah retrieved them and placed them neatly on the desk before she gave a relieved smile.

    Finally, she could show Rassa all she had done in his absence, all she had achieved without his help. She spared a small thought for her sister who had not been so confident in her own abilities, then she paused. Was this it?

    After everything she''d done for nearly three years, was this all that would become of her? To pass over the business like a good little servant? It felt so underwhelming. So, insulting to all of her efforts. She''d always known that Rassa was the true owner, but his absence, and supposed death, had meant that nearly all of the staff at Moonshadow believed that she was the owner. Mathius included. How would they take the shift in leadership? Because surely Rassa wouldn''t just let her continue in the role she had been doing.

    Suddenly unsure of her purpose, Iah sat back in her chair behind the desk and stared at the reports before her.

 Chapter 335 - The Moonshadow Trading Company Short Stories: 1 - The Return to Rouke Island (II)

    Rassa stood on the quarter deck of The Moon Voyager, his deep hood drawn up over his head as he leaned against the railing that overlooked the main deck. The hold had been opened, the crew working to begin unloading their cargo. The warehouses that stood at the end on the shore looked abandoned and barely standing. Rassa had never mentioned them to Iah, Sharli or Falla so he hadn''t exactly expected them to be well kept. He''d bought it when it was half-collapsed anyway. Almost everyone steered clear from this part of the port, believing it unused, or more likely haunted from the state of it. It was on the very edge of Port Leis, quite out of the way just as the Ruin had once been. Though from the whispers Rassa had heard the Ruin was a ruin no more.

    Rassa watched as a portly man hurried down the jetty towards where The Moon Voyager had docked. He had not been expecting any sh.i.p.s to come in. The only time this jetty was used was when all of the other docks were full, usually that only happened during the Trader''s Festival, and they were still a year away from that.

    The man paused on the dock and called out, "I say, you can''t dock here! Not without a permit!"

    Talo, who stood giving orders on the deck, looked over his shoulder, his blue eyes sparking with annoyance. The portly man had the good sense to gulp upon meeting the large man''s stare.

    "This is where I was told to dock," said Talo, "So you better make sure one of those warehouses is decently secured so that we can get our cargo unloaded, Dock Master��?"

    "Greyson, Dock Master Greyson," said the portly man, "And I really must insist you go elsewhere, without a permit I cannot allow you to-"

    Rassa rolled his eyes. The man was doing as he''d instructed of course. Anyone who wished to use the dock had to apply to the Trader''s Council to prove that they couldn''t dock elsewhere, at which time they would pay rent to Greyson for using the dock and likely the warehouses. Rassa hoped the warehouses looked better up close than they did from here, though the smell assaulting his nose indicated otherwise. Had the man done anything in terms of upkeep? Rassa''s fangs tingled at the thought of him having done otherwise.

    Rassa straightened, Sel coming to attention behind him. The eunuch had taken it upon himself to shadow Rassa when he was acting human. The man didn''t talk much, but the two had come to a silent understanding that he would act like Rassa''s bodyguard when Rassa was doing business. Layton, the whip-wielding teenager, had followed along, though he was far more prone to wondering off and doing as he pleased. The boy now stood with Sel, though far more casual in his stance. Rassa barely turned to face them as he spoke to them.

    "Stay here and help Talo".

    Sel and Layton both nodded at the order and Rassa proceeded to walk down the stairs to the main deck, crossing to where Talo was currently arguing with Greyson.

    "��I really must insist, Sir, you cannot unload her-Mr Moonshadow?"

    Rassa strolled past Greyson and down onto the jetty, turning towards the shore, "Start unloading, Captain Talo. Greyson, those warehouses better not look as bad as they smell".

    "Ah��Sir��"

    Greyson scurried after Rassa towards the warehouses.

    "Sir��I wasn''t sure you were returning, thought you were dead in fact," Greyson stated. Rassa could hear his heartbeat, smell the sweat as he filled with nervous energy.

    "Oh?" asked Rassa, "How strange. I did say I''d return".

    "So you did, Sir," Greyson replied, "About the warehouses��"

    "Did you lack funds to repair them? I would have thought the rent and the starting money I gave you was more than enough to provide upkeep," stated Rassa as he opened the door that Greyson had stepped out of. He immediately paused, another scent in the room catching his attention and causing his eyes to turn towards the loft apartment he''d given Greyson to stay in. Two figures passed by the window. Rassa''s eyes flicked back to the very nervous looking Greyson.

    "What is all that money being spent on if it''s not being put into the upkeep of my warehouses and docks, Greyson?"

    Greyson twitched nervously, "Well, you see sir��I��I��it gets rather lonely on these docks you see, so��so I ensured that I could be in the optimal condition to carry out my duties as Dock Master, Sir".

    Rassa stood still and stoic as he took in Greyson''s excuse, then he raised an eyebrow.

    "Lonely?"

    "Aye, Sir, lonely, and a tad chilly if I''m honest".

    Greyson gave a humorous laugh at his own joke, to which Rassa did not show any amus.e.m.e.nt. Greyson''s laugh faded away before he gulped, "I apologise profusely, Mr Moonshadow I-"

    In a rush of air and between the blinking of his eyes, Rassa vanished before portly dock master.

    "Mr Moonshadow?"

    Greyson turned to look around, only to hear screams from the whores he''d hired the night before in his loft above. His gaze cut to the loft and his eyes widened when the screams suddenly cut off. The door to the loft wide open, Greyson heard Rassa''s voice echo from within.

    "Would you come and join us, Greyson?"

    Greyson really didn''t want to, but he sensed he didn''t have a choice in the matter as he slowly, shakily, climbed up to the loft. He entered the apartment and found both of the whores, still n.a.k.e.d bar from the sheets they clutched to their bodies, kneeling in the centre of the room. Across from them, on a chair at the dining table which he had turned to face the door, sat Rassa. His eyes were focused on where his fingers drummed the wood of the dining table, though Greyson had no doubt that Rassa was very aware of Greyson''s presence in the room. Greyson''s gaze flicked down to the drumming fingers on the desk, only to find the inch-long claws protruding from Rassa''s fingers rather than fingernails.

    "Take a seat, Greyson".

    Greyson couldn''t even take his eyes from the claws, let alone move. After a moment, the drumming claws froze, and Greyson glanced at Rassa''s eyes. The eyes that he met were not that dark brown of before, but a predatory blood red. As the lips beneath those eyes moved, two needle-like teeth extended down slowly.

    "I really don''t like repeating myself".

    Greyson shivered in fear. It was a predator he was looking at, plain and simple. Greyson knew immediately that he had severely underestimated his worth to this predator. He knew from one look of those eyes that he was going to die. He felt the damp warmth of piss in his pants as his bladder emptied out.

    Rassa scrunched his nose in disgust, though some part of him was pleased by the fear he could induce.

    "What were my instructions to you when I told you to look after my docks, Greyson?"

    Greyson fell to his knees, his head banging on the floor in a bow, "Please, Mr Moonshadow, Sir, don''t kill me! I''m sorry, I''m sorry, please!"

    Rassa heaved a sigh, then shifted. Greyson was yanked from the floor, his head pulled back so that he met Rassa''s eyes.

    "Stop blubbering and answer my questions!"

    "Now, what did I instruct you to do when I left?" asked Rassa.

    "Maintain the docks. Collect rent from any sh.i.p.s that wished to dock and businesses that wished to store their cargo," stated Greyson.

    "And what did you do with my money and that which was collected from the rent instead?"

    "I hoarded the money for myself. Spent it on wine and whores and gambling. I saw Charm Street doing so well and thought that I should be treated the same too, but they never even glanced at me. The bitch in charge called me a vulgar pig and cast me out. So, I hoarded all of the profits for myself," said Greyson, entranced by the pull of the allure.

    "How much money? Besides the initial 200 gold I gave you," Rassa asked.

    "The rent collected exceeded 2700 gold over the past three years. Only 300 gold remains in a c.h.e.s.t under the bed," Greyson pointed and Rassa felt a deep rumbling growl roll through his c.h.e.s.t.

    That was 2600 gold he''d lost on this pig.

    Greyson may have been under the allure, but he still felt fear, unable to ''blubber'' thanks to the allure''s order, Greyson''s body shook with the emotion.

    "How do you suggest you make up for the losses you have caused me, Greyson?" asked Rassa.

    "I��I��the whores, you can have the whores".

    Rassa sighed, taking a cursory glance over at the two of them, "I''ll admit they''re pretty. But they''re not that pretty. Not worth enough to be 1300 gold each. Think harder, Greyson".

    "I��please don''t kill me��please��"

    Rassa turned to Greyson, "Frankly Greyson, I don''t think you''re worth that much either. You''d have to taste positively euphoric for me to just drain you and be done. Though I am more than tempted. I have an alternative, one that you won''t have a choice but to accept, and you will get to keep your life".

    "Of course, Sir. Of course".

    Rassa turned to look at his left hand as he took his pointer finger and pierced the tip of his thumb with the claw. His eyes glowed as he pulled the blood from his body, the shadows lifting a piece of disposed parchment from the ground. The three were forced to sit still and watch under the allure as Rassa used the blood to write on the parchment. When he was done, the wound on his finger closed over and he turned the paper to face Greyson.

    "This is called a blood contract, to put it simply, once you sign it, to break it is to die a very painful death," said Rassa, "You will work under Talo on The Moon Voyager until you have paid off your debt to me. The cost of your meals, clothing and any other necessities will be deducted from your pay. You will not earn a coin until your debt is repaid. If you happen to die before that, the debt will be passed to your descendants or blood relatives, is that clear?"

    Greyson despaired, but nodded his head.

    Rassa produced a blade from inside his cloak, "Sign it in blood, then report to Talo for orders".

    "Yes, Mr Moonshadow".

    Rassa stared down at the two whores.

    "I''ll be entirely honest, I don''t care about your lives. I care even less about your modesty," Rassa stated, "The only way I would enjoy you was if I was drinking from you, and frankly you don''t smell all that pleasant after the amount of men who have had you. That being said, I can''t just let you go. I may be a Vampire, but having it broadcast won''t be great for business just yet".

    He met their eyes and pulled on the power of the allure, "You had your fun with Mr Greyson, you woke to find him being punished by Rassa Moonshadow for stealing from him. He was given justice, and Mr Moonshadow sent you on your way with a silver coin each for your troubles".

    The girls nodded.

    "Get dressed and out," Rassa stated, fl.i.c.k.i.n.g a silver coin to each of them. They caught them, gathering their clothes before scurrying out of the loft. Rassa sat back in the dining table chair, feeling the rush of wind as Ebony joined him.

    "It stinks like s.e.x in here," she stated.

    "No doubt," said Rassa, "Greyson enjoyed my coin to the fullest. I''ll need to source a new dock master, and staff to rebuild and manage the whole place��I should ask if Will wants the position, he has been competent enough and works well with Talo".

    Ebony nodded in agreement before she changed the subject, "Was it blood magic that you used?"

    "Yes," Rassa replied, "Now come, I''m sure the others can handle the unloading, it is time we go home".

    "Actually, that''s what I came to get you for, it seems that home came to us," smiled Ebony.

    "Oh?"

    "I think the red sails stood out a bit much," Ebony commented as Rassa rose to leave the loft.

    Rassa scoffed, "Nonsense, they were just right. The perfect mix of boastful and intimidating".

    Ebony rolled her eyes.

    ***

    Iah couldn''t boast at having spent much time over at the old docks. But then, nobody did as far as she was aware. They''d been out of use for near a decade when the past 3 owners had been ruined one after the other. The superstitious believed the place to be cursed, haunted or both. Having sailors as the main workers had led to the place being abandoned. There were rumours a while back that somebody had bought it, and certainly those that had to dock there during the festival paid rent to somebody, but nobody had ever been sure who. Considering sh.i.p.s never went there regularly most just dismissed it.

    About a year and a half ago, a vulgar man had shown up propositioning Iah for a share of the profits. Had even mentioned that Moonshadow had been the company that bought it, but Iah had no record of the transaction, and frankly was thrilled to see him kicked out and banned from Charm Street.

    After all, when you were kicked out of the Moonshadow Company, you had little to no luck anywhere else on the street.

    The carriage pulled up just short of where sailors were busy unloading cargo from the ship. Mathias immediately got to work finding the captain as Iah stepped out, taking in the ship for herself.

    The Moon Voyager. It was a beautiful ship. The flag that flapped lazily in the breeze displayed the Moonshadow company''s symbol, the deep red sails rolled up tight now that the ship was docked.

    "I say, do you have any idea of the symbol that you are advertising?" Iah heard Mathias stating as he approached a group of individuals who were standing to the side of the workers. There were several women and a couple of men, all well dressed and holding some kind of authority and power in the way they stood. Iah felt especially intimidated by the woman wearing the fur shawl. She looked rich beyond measure, and she held it brilliantly.

    "I believe it is the Moonshadow Company''s Symbol, yes?" asked the woman.

    "The Moonshadow Company has no sh.i.p.s, we rely on the sh.i.p.s of Apple Star Trading��"

    Mathias proceeded on his rant, his audience listening raptly. Iah watched from beside the carriage for a moment before she felt a vaguely familiar presence beside her accompanied by a short breeze.

    "It''s about time we change that, don''t you think?" a deep voice stated from beside her, for her ears only, "I think we''ve had enough of relying on others".

    Iah turned slowly to take in the hooded figure beside her.

    He was dressed in all black. Leather pants and boots as well as a long coat that held a deep hood which hid his face from the sunlight. A red vest covered the black cotton shirt he wore, and Iah could only just see the outline of a bracer on his left arm with some kind of stone inlaid. A moonstone she would bet.

    He turned to look at her, the deep brown of his eyes not quite the same. They were tinged with red now, a more lethal quality to them. Was this a result of his supposed ''death''? Iah had no doubt she would find out eventually as he gave her a small smile.

    "It''s good to see you well, Iah".

    Iah couldn''t help the relief that lifted from her shoulders, and the emotions that clogged her throat. He really was back. He really was alive. Iah shifted forward and wrapped her arms around him. Rassa stood solid despite her throwing her weight into him.

    "You''re alive".

    A snort of amus.e.m.e.nt, "Yes, I never really died��just got lost in a dream that could never be. I''m back now though, if you''ll have me".

    Iah stepped back, wiping her eyes, "You mean I have a choice?"

    "From what I hear, Iah, you''ve run the place pretty damn well. Certainly beyond my expectations. What? Did you think I would cast you aside when you''re clearly worthy of the position?" asked Rassa.

    "I��" Iah hesitated, "Well, I didn''t now for sure. We didn''t know each other long before you left and it has been a long time. For all I knew you''d come back different".

    "Oh, I''m certainly different," Rassa smiled as he turned back to Mathias, "But different isn''t a bad thing from where I''m standing��who is the old man?"

    "Mathias," Iah said, "My assistant".

    "I see," Rassa stated, "Is he aware that you''re not the owner?"

    Iah blushed. Mathias had been pointing her out over his shoulder for the past several minutes.

    "Most aren''t. Considering your struggle between life and death according to the Tracking Charms I thought it better not to advertise your existence," Iah replied, "Though I have never outright claimed to be the owner of Moonshadow either".

    "I see," Rassa smiled, "This should be interesting then".

    He crossed his arms before him as another individual strode from the warehouse. This figure wore a deep-set hood as well. Though she wore it attached to a half-jacket over a white cotton shirt and a corset. Rather than a skirt however, she wore breeches that were so tight the outline of her h.i.p.s and t.h.i.g.hs looked practically scandalous. Iah frowned at the newcomer as she stopped in front of Mathias and the group of strangers.

    "Who is-"

    "Come, I believe it will be a good opportunity to find lodgings now, having arrived so early in the morning," stated the woman, and Iah''s eyes widened immediately.

    "Ebony?"

    The woman turned to look over at Iah and smiled from beneath her hood, "Lovely to see you again, Iah, you''re looking well".

    "Likewise-"

    "That will not be how you address the head of the Moonshadow Trading Company, she is the Lady Moonshadow, not-"

    Ebony stepped forward, right into Mathias'' space. Mathias stepped back in surprise, "I think you''ll find that the head is standing to Iah''s right. My advice would be to stop your tongue wagging before you get yourself fired for insubordination".

    Mathias frowned, then turned to look at Iah. Iah stepped forward, Rassa following by her side.

    "Mathias, I''d like you to meet Rassa Moonshadow, Founder and Head of the Moonshadow Trading Company. This is Ebony, also a founding member, would you mind calling another couple of carriages for all of our guests and having them and their luggage taken to the fifth building?" asked Iah.

    "R��Rassa Moonshadow?" Mathias asked.

    Rassa gave a smile, and Iah couldn''t help but notice that it looked a whole lot more predatory than she remembered, "P.l.e.a.s.u.r.e to make your acquaintance, Mathias".

 Chapter 336 - The Moonshadow Trading Company Short Stories: 1 - The Return to Rouke Island (III)

    The carriage was pleasant. Of course, Rassa could have gotten to the Ruin a whole lot faster on his own but sitting in the carriage with Iah, Mathias and Ebony was a whole lot more entertaining. Mainly because Mathias was still treading lightly after his embarrassing mistake at the docks.

    He had recovered as quickly as he could from his blunder, and as Rassa had appointed Will as the new Dock Master, a role the ex-Knight-turned-Warrior had taken on happily, Mathius had called the carriages as asked.

    "When did you buy the docks?" asked Iah, breaking the silence in the carriage as they turned away from the docks and into the city.

    "Before I left," Rassa replied.

    Iah raised an eyebrow, "You mean to say we''ve had our own docks this entire time and no one mentioned it?"

    "We had no sh.i.p.s, I didn''t see the point in mentioning it," replied Rassa, "Besides, they need repairs now that that...what did he say you called him? Oh yes, that ''Vulgar Pig'' Greyson, has been punished for swindling my money".

    "So, he really was telling the truth?" asked Iah, "Wait, he swindled your money?"

    Rassa nodded, "He''s now under a blood contract to provide labour on The Moon Voyager until he earns back what he owes me, a total of 2600 gold coins".

    "Blood contract?" Mathias asked cautiously.

    Rassa''s eyes swung to the assistant, "I''ll make this plainly clear, Mathias, I am not human, I am a Vampire. Among the many powers and abilities Chaos affords me, I can create contracts through blood. It ensures the contract is adhered to on pain of death if it is broken".

    Mathias turned to look at Iah for confirmation, but Iah was looking at Ebony, "You''re different".

    Ebony grinned, "I''m not human anymore either".

    Iah''s eyes widened before she turned to look at Rassa, "I didn''t know you could��create others like yourself".

    Rassa shrugged, "I can. Never felt inclined to before Aegin nearly died".

    "Nearly died?" asked Iah, "You mean to say he''s still alive? Where is he?"

    "He didn''t appreciate my solution to him not dying a very painful death," Rassa replied, "He left".

    "His death was still painful," said Ebony, turning away with an expression somewhere between physical pain and sadness.

    Rassa rolled his eyes, "Better than what he would have gone through".

    "That''s a shame," Iah sighed.

    "Oh yes, what happened to Sharli?" asked Rassa.

    Iah''s eyes widened a moment before she sighed, "She��well we struggled for several months after you left. We had no way of operating safely because the Ruin was so isolated and Ishta''s Inktress was rather persistent in getting to Kit. It wasn''t until we managed to smuggle Kit and Olly over to Falla''s Evanine Mine that we saw any progress towards our current state. Even then though, Sharli did not have much faith in Falla''s abilities. She thought we needed you back in order to deal with the threat the Inktress posed so she went to Ishta for help in locating you. I can''t say for sure what happened but if I had to guess, you supposedly died before she could find you, and seeing as she was useless to him, Ishta had her killed".

    Rassa''s eyes narrowed, "I see, and where are Ishta and the Inktress now?"

    "Ishta stays mainly in Port Cresh to run his business, though rumour has it he is preparing to go back south to tour around his companies there. He hasn''t been a problem since Olly and Kit managed to kill the Inktress at the Star Pavilion in Eldovia a few months ago, though," Iah replied.

    "Who is Olly?" asked Ebony.

    "Oh, right, he is the one that signed the blood contract with Falla to learn the Runes," Iah replied, "Not a Magician, but his ability to see the Mist is unparalleled as far as we can tell. He actually appears to have conversations with it at times, even predict the future. It is quite remarkable. He showed immediate interest in the runes and pestered us until Kit took him to Falla to sign the contract. I personally don''t think Falla will get anything out of him after the five years though, he doesn''t seem at all interested in leaving".

    Rassa''s eyes narrowed, "Predict the future?"

    Iah nodded, "It sounds quite outlandish but some of the things he says��there simply isn''t another explanation for it".

    "Interesting," Rassa stated, "I didn''t think it was possible for an Oracle to appear anymore".

    "An Oracle?" asked Iah.

    Rassa nodded, "Yes, Oracles are remnants of a very long time ago, when Chaos was more prevalent than it is now. Perhaps their reappearance is an indication of times to come��I should like to meet him. He could prove useful in more ways than just being a charm craftsman".

    "Well Kit and Olly are both at the mine in Eldovia. They rarely leave considering their worth to our entire operation," Iah stated.

    Rassa nodded, "We shall have to procure more craftsman, placing the entire workload on the two of them is not possible in the long term, especially if we plan to expand-"

    "We''re expanding?" asked Iah, surprise in her tone.

    "Of course, we cannot continue as we are, no doubt from what I''ve heard you''ve already felt the strain, not being able to meet with demand," said Rassa, "And the supply line running through Apple Star is not a feasible long-term plan either".

    Iah''s eyes narrowed, "You mean to say that we will not continue to rely on Falla?"

    "Of course not, the contract she signed was 5 years, it has been nearly three. We have two years to not only expand our business, but to procure our own mine and base of operations as well as a transportation division," said Rassa, "There is much to do".

    "I get offers frequently from those with Evanine Mines, but they are mainly business contracts, not sales pitches," Iah stated, as she looked out of the window, "Oh, we''re coming up on Charm Street".

    "Moonshadow owns about 60% of the buildings in the Cermine District. We are in the process of renovating the buildings then, when finished, we rent them out to business owners. Apple Star owns about 10%, and the remaining 30% is divided among various others. We''ll be having a dinner meeting with the business owners this evening at this restaurant here, Willow''s Bend," Iah explained, pointing it out as they passed by.

    Rassa smiled at the bustling street, "Well, well, you''ve truly gone beyond my expectations, Iah. Thank you for your efforts these past few years, it can''t have been easy".

    Iah smiled, "It would not have been possible without you allowing a beggar like me to play a part in your vision. I am thankful to you as well".

    "You''ll need to get Ebony and I caught up this afternoon if we are to be presented to those business owners tonight. Though I can''t say I''ll be inclined to eat anything," Rassa replied.

    Iah sighed, "Of course, sorry, I didn''t even think".

    "It''s okay," Ebony smiled, "I don''t particularly appreciate an audience to my dinner habits anyway".

    "Dinner habits?" asked Mathias.

    Ebony, Rassa and Iah were all amused by his question before Ebony turned to him, flashing her fangs.

    "We said we weren''t human," she said, "We drink blood, usually of the human variety, though animals do suffice".

    Mathias paled, "B��Blood?"

    "Don''t worry," Rassa stated, "We won''t partake of yours��if you continue to prove useful that is".

    ***

    Rassa paced back and forth through the office as Iah updated him on the expansion of the business and the everyday schedules and profits. She truly had done extraordinarily well. Not only did she have an incredible reputation among the staff, but also with her clients. She had developed well given her circ.u.mstances, the only thing Rassa was unhappy with was her reliance on Falla.

    Whilst he trusted that Falla would not do anything purposely to interfere with the business, she was not a part of Moonshadow. She had her own business to take care of. Thankfully, Iah had seemed to realise that on her own at the last Trader''s Festival, and had been doing her best to split from Falla.

    "��unfortunately the reliance on Apple Star for Transport at least through the Star Pavilion is unavoidable at this moment as Falla still wishes to keep the Mine''s location a secret," stated Iah.

    "That wasn''t in the deal," Rassa stated.

    "Sorry?" asked Iah.

    "We are not obligated to keep her Mine''s location a secret. The fact is that she can now afford to hire security for it anyway," Rassa stated.

    "Well, we do have a vested interest in keeping the place a secret thanks to Olly and Kit''s presence there," Iah stated.

    "They won''t remain there," Rassa replied, "How much of the staff at the Mine are Moonshadow employees?"

    "Apart from Olly and Kit��they are all Apple Star''s employees," stated Iah.

    Rassa frowned at that, "We''re too heavily reliant on Apple Star. If we are to be our own business we must establish our own production spaces and transportation routes".

    "That will require a massive recruitment of staff," stated Iah, "Security, Artisans, Managers and plenty more".

    "Yes, it will," said Rassa, "And more Charm Crafters of course".

    "It will not be easy to hire magicians," Iah admitted.

    "Don''t worry too much about that," stated Rassa, "Ebony?"

    "Yes?" asked Ebony from where she read through a bunch of employee files.

    "I need you to work with Iah to compile a list of required staff and numbers as well as how much it would take to employ them. We don''t want to exceed our profits," stated Rassa, "I''ll need to go to and scout locations for our warehouses as well as check in on Olly and Kit".

    Ebony nodded, "Of course".

    "We''ll have the lists ready by the time you get back in a couple of months then," stated Iah.

    "A couple of months?" asked Ebony.

    Iah paused, "Well, yes, it is a 6 week round journey, besides the time he will spend searching for a location for our new base".

    Ebony chuckled, "Not for Rassa".

    Rassa smiled, "I''ll be back by the end of this month, Iah".

    "That''s��that''s only two weeks away," said Iah.

    Rassa nodded, then frowned, "But that 6-week trip must be quite inconvenient for communication".

    "Yes, quite, but it is not as if we can help it," Iah replied.

    "Actually," Rassa smiled, "We can".

    "We can?" asked Iah.

    Rassa nodded, "Before I get back, I need you to have a space cleared, preferably one of the offices on the second floor. And clear out another room opposite the vault".

    "Oh?" and what will you be using these rooms for?" asked Iah, an eyebrow raised in curiosity.

    "The one opposite the vault will be a Protection Charm large enough to protect the building," stated Rassa, "The other��I''ll make that a surprise, but I promise you''ll like it".

    Iah''s eyes widened, "You want to shield the building?"

    Rassa shrugged, "I have to protect what is mine. Also, I need you to train those I brought back whilst I am gone, particularly Elsbeth".

    "I still can''t get over using her name," Ebony rolled her eyes.

    "But it is her name we should use that rather than Madame, she left that behind for a reason," Rassa stated.

    "Who is Elsbeth?" asked Iah.

    "The woman you saw with the fur shawl," stated Ebony, "She��well, she will be a great asset that is joining us. She has many connections on the Southern Continent so once she is trained she will be going over there to establish branches of Moonshadow".

    "Southern�� We''re expanding to the Southern Continent?" asked Iah.

    "Of course," said Rassa, "Why are you so surprised by that?"

    "Well, I expected Eldovia, not the Southern Continent," stated Iah.

    "We''ll be establishing our first production house in Eldovia," Rassa stated, "Probably a few stores in the major cities as well. But we do hold a product that is in demand worldwide and will only continue to be so, don''t you think we should be expanding worldwide?"

    "World��" Iah sighed, closing her eyes and rubbing her temples, "And I thought the current business was becoming difficult to manage. It was why I hired an assistant".

    Ebony smiled, "You''ve been doing great, Iah. I''m sure that will continue to be the case".

    Rassa nodded, "Well, if that''s all, I''ll meet you at dinner".

    Iah stood, "You don''t want me to show you your apartments?"

    Rassa smiled, "Show Ebony, she can take me back after our hunt tonight, for now, I have a few old friends to greet".

 Chapter 337 - The Moonshadow Trading Company Short Stories: 1 - The Return to Rouke Island (IV)

    Falla rubbed the non-existent spot on the teacup in front of her, her nerves getting the better of her as she sat in the Fire Falls Restaurant. She''d needed the relaxation of the waterfalls the restaurant was so famous for, but had only become more stressed when she''d arrived and heard the whispers about the ship with red sails that had docked in Port Leis. The Ship with the Moonshadow Symbol.

    A quick check of her Tracking Charm had told her all she needed to know. Rassa and Ebony were back. She''d been preparing for it for the past couple of months, but hadn''t put any thought towards how she was going to talk with him again. She was grateful that Jane had left. She didn''t know how she would have handled that. She was loath to admit that Iah had been right, it was stupid to keep Rassa''s arrival from Jane.

    "You know, I would have been happy to meet you in your office". It had been years since she''d heard it, but his voice was still so familiar to her. Falla turned quickly to take in Rassa''s hooded self in the doorway. He continued as a hand swept from side to side to indicate the space they were in, "You didn''t have to book out a whole room".

    Falla opened her mouth to reply, then closed it again. She hadn''t booked it for him.

    "How did you��?"

    Rassa took out his Tracking Charm and Falla rolled her eyes.

    "Of course," Falla sighed. She''d known he was on Rouke Island the same way.

    Rassa walked across the room and sat down across from Falla.

    "You okay?" he asked when her silence continued.

    "Shouldn''t I be asking that of you?" asked Falla, "You''re the one that appeared dead for over two years".

    A quirk of amus.e.m.e.nt to his lips, "Yes, sorry about that. I had a few things to sort out".

    "You made us think you were dead on purpose?" asked Falla, her gaze accusatory.

    "No," Rassa replied, "Well��it''s a long story that will frankly sound more complicated that it is. It involves a Kitsune, a long-standing wish of mine and a whole lot of childish stupidity. In short, you''ll be angry with me regardless of how I tell it so just be angry".

    Falla raised an eyebrow, "I can''t be angry if I don''t��What''s a Kitsune?"

    Rassa waved a hand dismissively, "Never mind that. Important thing is that I''m back".

    Falla sighed, "I suppose. Even if I am supposed to be angry at you, I''m glad to see you again. And alive".

    "You too," Rassa smiled.

    "You seem��different," said Falla, "Like, more different than you were the last time I saw you".

    "You should see Ebony and Aegin," Rassa sighed.

    "Aegin?" asked Falla.

    "Well, you can''t see him now, he went off on his own, but-"

    "Aegin''s alive?" asked Falla, sitting up straighter. She hadn''t known the ex-assassin well, but he''d clearly been close with Rassa and Ebony.

    Rassa nodded, "Yes, long story short, I saved him from dying by turning him into a Vampire, he wasn''t all that appreciative of it and went off on his own. Ebony asked me to turn her as well, now, here we are two months later, back with a ship full of new allies and ready to make our mark on the world".

    Falla didn''t quite know what to say to that.

    "You��turned Ebony and Aegin so that they''re like you?" asked Falla, "The whole, feeding on blood, hunting in the night thing?"

    "Yep," replied Rassa.

    "Can you turn anyone?" asked Falla.

    "Are you asking?" asked Rassa, his tone much more serious, "Because eternity like this is not exactly a light decision".

    Falla sighed, "No, I can''t think of anything I''d want less".

    Rassa raised an eyebrow, "To each their own".

    Falla dragged a hand across her face, "It is good to see you again Rassa, can I expect a business meeting soon?"

    "Probably," Rassa replied, "I came to inform you that I will only be staying on Rouke for only a short while before I go to see Kit and Olly".

    "So, you''ll need a map there then?" asked Falla.

    Rassa shook his head, "Charm was enough to find you. I''ll find them the same way".

    Falla frowned. She wasn''t overly happy that her Mine would be exposed so easily, even if it was to Rassa.

    "Then I suppose I should warn my people of your impending arrival," said Falla.

    "They won''t get the message in time," Rassa replied, "By the way, I''m also informing you that within the next couple of months I hope to move production to another location that is owned by my company and have the work done by Moonshadow employees".

    Falla''s eyes widened, "But-"

    "I''m quite capable of protecting it, if that is what you''re worried about. Your employees will of course be offered the work first, but their contracts will not be through Apple Star. Moonshadow will instead provide compensation to you for the loss of labour," stated Rassa.

    "You can''t do that!" Falla snapped.

    Rassa raised an eyebrow, "You know I can. What? Did you think that my company would be reliant on you forever?"

    Falla opened her mouth to protest, the closed it again. He was right, of course.

    Rassa sighed, "It is no reflection on you, or your business, Falla. You have helped Moonshadow excellently over the past couple of years, but the simple fact is that we are no longer the same useless, defenceless start-up company we once were".

    "No thanks to you," Falla grumbled.

    Rassa chuckled, "Yes, I probably deserve that. But it is my company. The contract we signed will remain the same until it runs out. But after that��I do believe that we will need to renegotiate".

    Falla sighed, "You''re an asshole, springing this on me as soon as you''ve returned".

    "No time like the present," Rassa smiled, "I''m not lying though, it is nice to see you again. I hear Jane was here".

    Falla''s eyes widened as she turned to Rassa.

    "I��she left, back to the Imperial Guild to receive new orders," said Falla.

    Rassa nodded, "She must be doing well then".

    "Well enough��though she still believes you are dead," Falla stated.

    Rassa sighed, "Probably for the best. She''s got her own life now. If we happen to encounter each other then so be it, but until then, we''ll live our own lives".

    "You don''t miss her?" asked Falla.

    Rassa frowned, "I��she''ll always be my childhood best friend, Falla. But I think you should know best that neither of us are the same anymore. I hope, that if we do meet again, we can be amicable. But I accepted long ago that it will never be the same as it was".

    "I''m not sure she would feel the same," said Falla.

    "Well as cruel as it sounds, that isn''t my problem," Rassa replied, "I truly wish her all the best, as I do you and Diggory and everyone else from Cordon��but I''m also absolutely positive that after I slaughtered a whole contingent of knights then got dragged off in a cage, they''ll never look at me the same way again. I''ve accepted that. It''s their problem if they haven''t".

    Falla sighed, "Fine, Rassa. I suppose I will prepare to alert my staff to the change in things".

    "Iah and Ebony are compiling a list of required staff, I suggest you present a list of the staff currently being used to craft charms. The Miners are all yours," said Rassa.

    Falla nodded, "I don''t much appreciate you springing this on me".

    Rassa shrugged, "Wouldn''t you have done the same if you had your own plans?"

    Falla sighed, picking up her tea and flinching when she realised it had turned cold, "If you''re this troublesome for the rest of our business deals, I shall have to seek alternative deals".

    "This deal is the best thing that has happened to your business," Rassa said confidently, "I very much doubt you will discard it easily".

    "Maybe I should, just to spite you," Falla glared at him.

    ***

    Rassa flipped through a book he''d taken off the nearby shelf. Something about southern dress codes. He was positive the only reason it was on the shelf was to make the office''s owner appear above everyone else that entered his office. Rassa, frankly, found it a boring read.

    He glanced up at the setting sun. He hoped the owner of the office would be back soon, he had promised he would be at dinner.

    Right on cue, the door behind him opened.

    "��and make sure that order from Danfore is here before noon tomorrow, I don''t want another complaint about late goods from-who are you?"

    Rassa turned to look over his shoulder at Ishta.

    "How did you get in here?"

    Rassa smiled, "What, don''t recognise an old friend, Ishta? I suppose I will have to excuse you, we only met face to face once before your Inktress tried to drown me".

    "Inktress��" Ishta''s eyes narrowed, "Rassa Moonshadow, I take it?"

    Rassa turned and walked over to Ishta before dropping down in the chair beside him, "Nice to make your acquaintance, Ishta".

    "What are you doing in my office?" asked Ishta, turning to glare at his secretary who stood shocked in the doorway.

    "Don''t blame her, I came through the window," said Rassa.

    "This is the fifth floor," Ishta frowned.

    "It was wide open, an invitation if ever I saw one," Rassa smiled.

    Ishta stared down at Rassa before he waved his secretary out, "What do you want, Moonshadow? To kill me?"

    "I certainly wouldn''t mourn your death, Ishta, from what I hear you made things difficult for the people I care about," said Rassa, "But I think you lost enough with Illai".

    Ishta looked the slightest bit pained before he masked the emotion.

    "So, if not to kill me, why are you here?"

    Rassa leaned forward, "I was going to offer you a business proposal".

    Ishta raised an eyebrow, "You were?"

    "Well, I have spent the last couple of months on the Southern Continent, and I find myself quite awed by the influence you carry there. Not to mention the amount of Evanine Mines in your possession there," stated Rassa.

    Ishta gave a sarcastic smile, "Even with your wealth, you don''t have enough to buy the mines".

    Rassa chuckled, "I don''t want the mines, just the Evanine".

    Ishta sat down behind his desk, "You want me to provide Evanine for your Charms?"

    Rassa nodded, "I will be establishing the Moonshadow Company on the Southern Continent in the coming years. The current mine I have access to��it will take too long to transport any completed Charms and orders to the Southern Continent, not to mention the sh.i.p.s that carry completed Charms will be quite the treasure to pirates and other merchants alike. So, instead, I will establish a crafting house on the Southern Continent to supply the stores I establish there. All you need to do is provide the Evanine".

    "And what kind of deal would I get for this?" asked Ishta.

    "I will buy the Evanine at 60% of the market price," Rassa stated, "In return, Golden Sands may have a 20% discount on any orders from Moonshadow".

    Ishta frowned, clearly considering the offer, "50% discount".

    Rassa smirked, "I am feeling generous, not desperate, Ishta".

    Ishta sighed, "Then, how about 30% discount and�� 10,000 large charms of my choice every year?"

    Rassa scoffed, "If you want a 30% discount and an annual tribute, you''re dreaming".

    Ishta gritted his teeth.

    Rassa stood, "I''ll tell you what, I''ll give you a 10% discount on purchases, and 10,000 small charms of your choice at every trader''s festival".

    Ishta raised an eyebrow, "10,000 or the equivalent?"

    Rassa thought for a moment, "So long as I have a right to refuse".

    Ishta sighed, but then stuck out his hand, "So be it".

    Rassa took Ishta''s hand, then pulled the man close. Ishta frowned in surprise before his eyes widened at Rassa''s red eyes.

    "Cross me, Ishta, and you will regret it," stated Rassa. His red gaze held Ishta for a moment before he stepped back towards the balcony, "I''ll inform you when I am ready to send resources over to the south and set up shop. It won''t be for another six months if not more, plenty of time to prepare".

    Rassa stepped up onto the railing, "If you''ll excuse me, I''m late for a dinner appointment".

    ***

    "Well, who would have thought that the head of Moonshadow was such a handsome young man?" asked one of the boutique owners.

    Rassa chuckled, "You flatter me, Mrs Harding".

    "Oh no, it would be an honour to tailor for such a well-polished young man," she insisted.

    "Yes, you must look good in anything," one of the men stated, another tailor, "Do you have colours you prefer?"

    "Red and Black, though I will try anything," stated Rassa.

    "And such a lovely young wife you have," said another.

    Ebony blanched, "Oh, I''m not��"

    "Oh, I thought Miss Iah was your sister, I didn''t realise��"

    Iah blushed, "I��"

    Rassa laughed, "No, no. I am quite unattached. Iah and Ebony are both lovely, but I see them as sisters".

    "But��you share the same last name?" asked one of the men.

    Rassa gave a warm smile, "We do".

    "How��peculiar".

    "Family does not have to be related by blood," Rassa stated, "Or marriage. Family can be chosen as well. I share my last name with them because I chose to. Frankly, I believe the family one chooses is all the more important than the one someone is born into".

    The twenty odd business owners around the room all listened attentively, taking in Rassa''s clear affection for the two young women like it was the word of a god. Ebony smiled and raised a glass of wine.

    "To family, both old and new, far and wide," Ebony stated.

    "To Moonshadow!" called one of the men.

    "Aye, to Moonshadow!"

    The room agreed, raising their glasses and drinking heartily, Ebony sipped from her glass, trying not to cringe as Rassa downed his. She raised an eyebrow at him.

    Rassa smiled through his disgust, "Mingle".

    "I''m hungry," she grumbled as conversation was struck up again among their guests.

    Rassa sighed, "You''ll have to learn to fend for yourself, I''ll be leaving for two weeks. No one to hand you a napkin".

    "I''m getting better," Ebony turned her nose up.

    "Prove it," Rassa challenged her.

    Ebony smiled arrogantly, "What do I get if I succeed?"

    "The satisfaction of knowing you won''t look like a murderess when you eat," said Rassa.

    Ebony pouted as one of the young boutique owners approached Rassa. She grinned, and he greeted her back warmly and they talked about the writing implements that she sold. Ebony raised an eyebrow at him. He wasn''t usually so overly warm towards women. Not openly at least. And the young woman was eating it up. Rassa had no idea how handsome he was.

    When they finally left to hunt that night, she couldn''t help but hear the whispered promise he gave the young woman, who blushed and wondered off.

    "I thought you didn''t like women," said Ebony.

    "Whatever gave you that idea?" asked Rassa.

    "You''ve never taken an interest before," Ebony replied.

    "Yes well, before I was still getting over the fact that a high-class whore had violated and r.a.p.ed me in a prison cell," said Rassa. Ebony''s jaw dropped in shock at how casually he said it, then he shrugged, "Two years stuck in an illusion of what could have been made me realise how ridiculous it is to keep myself stuck in the past. Better to embrace life and live it how I wish to".

    "You were��"

    Rassa turned to look at Ebony, "It''s in the past. Now go and show me you can hunt without spilling like a child".

    Ebony frowned, "You aren''t hunting?"

    Rassa grinned, "My prey is currently in a bath tub ensuring she''s clean for when I arrive".

    Ebony scrunched her nose in disgust, "Are you going to hunt like that every night?"

    Rassa shrugged, "Not every night. I don''t like whores".

    "Just boutique owners with loose morals?" asked Ebony.

    "Technically her father owns the store," smiled Rassa, "But he''s away visiting his sister".

    "How convenient for you," Ebony huffed.

    Rassa grinned, "Eternity is a long time, Ebony. No use spending it with your legs closed".

    "Or your candle undipped apparently," Ebony sighed.

    "Candle undipped?" Rassa chuckled.

    Ebony blushed, "Urgh, I''m done with this conversation. Keep your escapades to yourself".

    Rassa continued to laugh as Ebony moved off to hunt.

 Chapter 338 - The Moonshadow Trading Company Short Stories: 2 - The Remnants of Old (I)

    *Eldovian Era, 1713 30th day of the 9th month*

    Helena had heard the rumours of course. The rumours that Iah Moonshadow had not always been the face of the Moonshadow Trading Company. That once, when the company had first appeared at the Trader''s Festival in 1710, it had been represented by another woman and a young man. But they hadn''t been seen since, so she''d been like everyone else in dismissing the rumours.

    But then that grand ship had sailed into Port Leis with red sails and the Moonshadow Symbol displayed gloriously in white. Nobody had talked of anything else all day. Any whisper of new information making it''s rounds up and down Charm Street like the wind.

    "I heard Miss Iah brought two cloaked individuals up to her office, one a man, the other a scandalously dressed woman".

    "The old abandoned dock actually belongs to Moonshadow! There were two whores who came back this morning and proclaimed that the dock master had attempted to steal from the owner, a Mr Moonshadow".

    "Mr Moonshadow?"

    The more information she heard, and the more she thought about it, the fewer reasons Helena could come up with to dispute that the actual owner of Moonshadow was someone other than Miss Iah.

    Helena had slipped into one of her better gowns, one without ink stains from her quills and pens, and made her way to the Willow''s Bend that evening.

    The woman whom had arrived with Iah was gorgeous. Golden hair like straw and eyes a mysterious green that practically shone in the night. She was however, wearing a style of dressed that would cause many to talk. The skirt of her dress was still long enough to skim the floor as she walked, but it did not flare out as all fashionable dresses did these days. Instead, it seemed shaped over her h.i.p.s and fell delicately down to her ankles, scandalously revealing a hidden slit up to her t.h.i.g.hs when she walked. She wore thin breeches underneath to hide her b.a.r.e skin but they only seemed to accentuate her shapely legs. Her bodice was rather similar to the dresses Helena was used to, and when one woman, one of the tailors, was bold enough to ask after the woman, Ebony''s, fashion sense, the woman stated quite simply.

    "Well I do find your dresses beautiful, but they are awfully hard to move around in, are they not?"

    Any scandalous thoughts were instantly dismissed. This woman had chosen a way of dressing that allowed her practicality. Helena could only respect her for it.

    They were all at least two drinks in when the elusive Mr Moonshadow had arrived. He wore a black suit with a red vest and scarf, and he wore it magnificently. Helena was sure she had never seen a man so handsome. And young too.

    This was the man behind the great Moonshadow Company? It seemed quite unbelievable, but the more he talked and animatedly worked the room, showing interest in all of the businesses and commanding attention and respect everywhere he went, Helena knew it couldn''t be false. So, seeing as her father had left her to represent the company at this dinner whilst he left to visit her ill aunt, Helena had found herself in the seat beside Mr Moonshadow four glasses of wine into the night.

    Was she tipsy? Of course, but she doubted she would have had the courage to approach such a handsome man otherwise.

    His skin pale but so smooth, his jawline strong and masculine. He was lean but tall, holding himself with a strength that Helena simply didn''t see in businessmen. He stood more like a soldier, but with a casualness that would have made military commanders simmer with rage. The combination was so strange she couldn''t put a name to it, but it looked so elegant and ethereal that she couldn''t find it in herself to care. His dark hair, almost black, fell down to masterfully frame his face and eyes. It would have been sloppy on anyone else, but on him, with hair so soft it surely would feel like silk, it only added to his beauty. And his eyes. Helena could just melt in them. A strange maroon colour that looked equal parts mysterious, playful and menacing.

    He listened attentively as she spouted about her father''s business. Even asked questions about the calligraphy she did. He had picked up so easily that she was passionate about it, few men did when she conversed with them. She had such fun conversing with him that by the end of the night, and two more glasses of wine, she leaned in as she said goodbye and released the most sultry whisper she could hope to give.

    "I could show you my private collection, if you like��I''ll leave the door unlocked".

    Oh, if her father were here, he''d surely lock her away for fear she''d gone mad! For sure, she had. She hurried home, half full of anticipation, the other half embarrassment.

    She''d entered her apartments above the boutique, jittery with nerves as she lit the lanterns around her apartment and filled the bath for her to wash up. Would he come? Wouldn''t he? Should she really go through with this? Would she be able to face him if he didn''t come?

    Good gods she''d never be able to live it down if he spoke of it.

    But something told her he wouldn''t. The interest in his eyes had been legitimate. His questions more than just small talk. He''d even smiled, his gorgeous eyes filled with promise after she''d whispered in his ear.

    So, Helena decided that if she was really going to do this, then she was going to do it without regrets.

    She washed, dressed in her nicest nightwear, brewed a cup of tea, then set up her calligraphy set. She was on the second work when she felt his presence. She looked up, finding him leaning in the doorway.

    He had disposed of his jacket and scarf, his vest unbuttoned as he watched her work. He looked all too comfortable and at home in a place he''d never even stepped foot before. This was clearly a man of confidence.

    "You know, you really shouldn''t leave the door unlocked as a woman on your own, who knows what sort of monster may wonder in?" he mused. She could have sworn his eyes flashed a mysterious red before she placed her calligraphy brush down. He was too confident, calm, and had she mentioned handsome? He had to have done this before. Had to. Still, even with that thought, she couldn''t help being honest with him.

    "I wasn''t sure you''d come".

    He circled around her calligraphy desk, so low she sat on the ground to work at it. It didn''t seem to bother him as he sat beside her, one long leg partially bent behind her as he reached out and dragged a finger down her face, then her neck, fl.i.c.k.i.n.g her long brown locks aside.

    "Well, it would be rude to refuse a woman who knows what she wants now, wouldn''t it?" he asked.

    Helena stared back at him, entranced by him, her tongue darting out to lick her lips in anticipation as he leaned closer. His hand left her as she did, only for something soft and wet to delicately touch the back of her hand seconds later.

    She glanced down, noticing he held her ink brush.

    "What is it you want, Helena? Tell me where the brush should go," he whispered to her.

    She''d turned to look at him, surprised by his suggestion, but finding it so personal. That touch, clearly made thanks to their earlier conversations, made her bolder. She slumped out of her covering and reached her b.a.r.e arm up to rest on his shoulder.

    "Down my arm," Helena had said, "Though I''d prefer you to draw with your tongue, I did just wash up".

    He had grinned in response, then done exactly as she''d instructed.

    Good gods on a mountain top it had felt divine. Whatever he''d done to her. A kiss, a c.a.r.e.s.s��more.

    She''d never felt so good in her life, and was sure that he''d felt just as good considering how he had filled her with his manhood, something no other man had done. And right over her calligraphy table too, then in her bed. She''d been thoroughly and passionately rid of her v.i.r.g.i.n.i.t.y, and mightily satisfied by it.

    So, she couldn''t help the wave of disappointment that hit her when she woke to find him gone. She felt pitifully weak when she moved, perhaps a little sick. Probably all the wine combined with her adventurous night. She could not find him, but what she did find, on the bed beside her, was a picture of herself sleeping nude. It was drawn with her calligraphy ink and paper, and on it she lay with her back exposed to the elements, the sheets dr.a.p.ed precariously over her behind before her legs were exposed to the night air. She looked positively scandalous. In the top corner of the picture, outside of the window, was a crescent moon.

    Attached was a simple note; Thank you for a beautiful night, Rassa Moonshadow.

    A part of her wanted to feel heartbroken that he''d left, but another part, the part that had dared to invite him the night before, reassured her that even if this was behind them, they would be able to meet amicably as friends in the future.

    Helena smiled at the note, then tucked the picture away safely where nobody else would find it and turned to get on with her day.

    ***

    "I thought you said you couldn''t sleep with human women,??? Ebony stated.

    Frankly, it was about time. It had been uncomfortably silent in the office for several hours, ever since Rassa had reappeared with dishevelled clothes and hair and smelling of s.e.x.

    Rassa sighed, hanging his head. He had been playful about it the night before, but now he thought it would be best that if he ever did such a thing again, he would be quiet about it. He didn''t want to combine his prey with p.l.e.a.s.u.r.e often if he didn''t have to. It was both convenient and euphoric at the time, but when it was over, it only served to remind him of his impending eternity of loneliness when he had to erase or alter the poor girl''s memories.

    "Shadow magic comes in useful," Rassa stated as way of explanation.

    "What?" asked Ebony.

    Rassa sighed, dropping the papers he was reading to look across the room at her, "If I use the shadows to sheath my manhood then no future problems will arise from the encounter.

    Ebony blushed profusely at the image he provoked, "Oh��"

    She turned awkwardly back to the papers in front of her. The door opened promptly to bring fresh air back to the stifling silence, and Rassa turned to watch Iah enter with Elsbeth in tow.

    "And this is our head office, afternoon Rassa, Ebony," Iah greeted.

    "Afternoon," Ebony greeted all too willingly.

    Rassa sighed, "I think I''ll be leaving for the mines this evening".

    Iah paused, "I thought you said you''d be here for a few more days?"

    "That was when I thought I needed to handle immediate problems, but you and Mathias have everything in hand, clearly. At least, it is nothing that Ebony cannot take on board," said Rassa, "I''ll be withdrawing funds from the bank so I can purchase that land for the workshops. Probably a store or two as well".

    "Oh, well of course," Iah stated, "How much will you be taking? Just for my own records".

    Rassa thought for a moment, "You said there is roughly 50 million gold in the bank, yes?"

    Iah nodded, "When I take away staff payments, maintenance and other production costs out, yes".

    "I see��I''ll take 20 million with me," said Rassa.

    "20 mil��how big of a piece of land are you buying?" asked Ebony.

    "Actually, 20 million is an acceptable amount," stated Elsbeth, "I have not been around for some time, but usually land close to any city is a considerable amount, particularly if you want to buy it and not rent it. Near a town or village will be cheaper, but you will likely not have the amenities for your staff nor the appropriate transportation routes".

    Iah and Ebony turned to Elsbeth before Iah raised an eyebrow, "I can see why you''re to run our Southern Branch".

    Rassa smiled, "I''ll be back hopefully in a couple of weeks, and remember to have those rooms cleared for me".

    "Stay safe," Iah replied, fully accepting that there was no stopping him once he''d made up his mind.

    "Wait, Rassa!" called Ebony as she ran after him. Rassa paused in the hallway, "What about me?"

    Rassa frowned, "What about you?"

    He didn''t mean it in a rude way, but Ebony frowned back regardless, "I can barely feed properly, can''t I come with you?"

    "Ebony, you feed fine. You handled last night wonderfully, barely a drop of blood split. I was quite impressed," Rassa stated, then turned to leave. Ebony caught his arm.

    "You were there, watching over me," Ebony replied, "I��I don''t know if I can do it on my own".

    Rassa sighed, then pulled her hands into his, "Ebony, we both literally have eternity. I am not going to spend mine making sure you eat your meals right, and I''m sure you don''t want me there all the time either. This will be a good opportunity for you. Besides, you''ll be fine. I have faith in you".

    Ebony sighed, bowing her head in defeat when she realised she wouldn''t convince him to stay nor to take her with him.

    Rassa leaned forward and kissed her forehead, "I''ll be back before you know it. You won''t even know I was gone".

    He smiled and waved to her before he turned and descended the stairs. Ebony watched him leave, hugging herself before she turned to the staff meeting room entrance where Mathias stood. He cleared his throat awkwardly.

    "Forgive me, Miss Ebony, I had a report to deliver to Miss Iah but didn''t want to interrupt," Mathias stated.

    Ebony waved him through, "Go ahead, Mathias, she''s inside with Elsbeth".

    Mathias passed her, Ebony too stuck in her own worry to take the report from him herself.

    ***

    The bank manager had been a pain. He fawned over Rassa like a cat to catnip. It was exhausting for Rassa to even pretend to enjoy it. He''d been so relieved when the funds had arrived, he hadn''t even bothered to hide the fact that he was storing the money in his shadows. After all, he could hardly be expected to carry all those c.h.e.s.ts of gold with him. Erasing the memory of it from the manager had been easy enough as he left.

    Rassa then made his way to the dock to make sure Talo, Will, Sel and Layton were all okay. Will had taken to his new post as Dock Master quickly, ensuring that he communicated with builders to get the required materials to rebuild the docks so that they were in working order once more. He''d taken the time to plan out a boat building yard while he was at it. Sel and Layton supervised construction, whilst Talo got busy preparing to retrieve any other materials from other islands. Satisfied with their progress, Rassa informed them that if they encountered any troubles over the next few weeks they were free to seek out Iah and Ebony at the Charm Shop, then he summoned his wings and shot up into the sky, climbing as fast as he could so that he could be high enough to appear like a bird rather than the man he was. Once he was satisfied with his altitude, he checked the direction from the Tracking Charm, turned North, and set off.

    ***

    Ebony watched out of the window of Iah''s apartment on the 3rd floor of the Ruin as the sun went down. She and Rassa had had no problems with Iah staying there. She was the only one that was going to be a constant in the shop, besides that fact that she''d treated it like her home for years anyway.

    Ebony was staying at one of the many buildings that Iah had renovated and turned into apartments for rent from both business owners and those looking for a home. Rassa had a place there too, in the top floor apartment. Only the best for the head of the Moonshadow Trading Company. Though, he hadn''t actually stayed there the night before. He''d played with his dinner at her place.

    Ebony chewed on her lip as she thought about it. Would she have to do that one day? Be intimate with somebody whilst feeding from them? Rassa had alluded to the fact that it wasn''t a requirement, but Ebony couldn''t help but be curious. She had forever now, what was one night to go a little wild?

    Besides, with the allure, she''d be able to erase her partner''s memories of the encounter and her social status would never take a turn for the worse.

    It''d certainly be much more convenient when the power within her fully awakened. She''d asked Rassa plenty of times when that would be after she''d realised she couldn''t do many of the things that he could, Rassa had just shrugged in that increasingly annoying nonchalant manner, "It could be months, could be years. It''ll happen when you''re ready".

    That vague answer had only served to frustrate her. Even more so now, as she watched the lamplighters stroll down Charm Street, putting flames in the street lamps for the night hours. If she couldn''t erase memories, she''d have to drain her victims lest they talk of their attacks. She''d also have to be careful about how she left the bodies, and where. If she hunted animals it would be better as they couldn''t talk, but she''d always had trouble stopping, and Rouke Island only had a limited animal population given the five port cities that bordered it. Unnecessary deaths would be noticed.

    Gods almighty, why had Rassa left her on her own? She was so not ready. His faith in her unfounded. She wouldn''t be able to do as good a job as he did. Never.

    "Ebony?" Iah''s voice cut through Ebony''s panicked thoughts and her head spun around to look at where Iah had walked into her apartment, "Is there anything you need?"

    Ebony smiled, though was positive it didn''t reach her eyes, "No, no, just enjoying the view".

    Iah smiled back, clearly not knowing Ebony well enough to tell when she was lying. Either that or Ebony had improved in at least that skill set.

    "It is very pretty isn''t?" Iah said, "I like to watch the lamplighters as well. I''m sure it''s harder than it looks to do their job".

    "There does seem to be an art to it," Ebony replied, "How is Elsbeth doing?"

    "Marvellously," said Iah, "Considering she does not need to learn how to read, she spent much of the afternoon familiarising herself with the business on paper, though I did recommend she speak with the staff and learn in the shop itself over the coming months. If she is to open a Charm Shop on the Southern Continent, I''m sure Rassa would still prefer it to be run like our own here".

    "I''m sure," Ebony agreed, "But I''m also sure Rassa tends to pull things out of his hat last minute so you never know".

    Iah chuckled, "That''s true".

    Ebony stood, fl.i.c.k.i.n.g back her hood as the last of the sun''s rays disappeared, her eyes feeling the relief of the darkness.

    "You won''t stay for dinner?" asked Iah.

    Ebony smiled, knowing she was asking only to be polite, "No, I better go. I''ll see you tomorrow morning, the meeting to sort out that list is first thing, yes?"

    "If you can manage it," Iah replied.

    "Of course, see you then," Ebony smiled, waving goodbye as she made her way out of the apartment and down the stairs.

    She passed by Mathius on the way.

    "Going out, Miss Ebony?" asked Mathius.

    "Yes, I''ll see you in the morning, Mathius," Ebony replied.

    She was warming up to the old man, despite his initial confusion and hostility, he''d taken to the new regime like a champion, adapting quickly and ensuring he attended to her needs as well. He was intelligent and kind, but firm with the staff. Iah had made a good choice in making him her assistant.

    "Have a good night, Miss Ebony".

    "You too," Ebony waved as she left the Charm Shop and made her way down the street at a leisurely pace. She''d go to the apartments first. Perhaps if she dressed more appropriately for a hunt she''d be able to channel the strength needed to do what Rassa was so confident that she could do.

    Yes, that would help.

    The Apartment block that Iah had bought and renovated for her, Rassa and other higher ranking members of the company, was located two streets east of Charm Street, the several blocks further away from the Port. The building was quite magnificent, resting on the top of a hill, it was six stories tall and overlooked much of the Cermine District if not Port Leis itself. From Ebony''s apartment, she could easily see the Port, the Ruin and the Market Square.

    Her apartment rested on the fifth floor, and after some rushed purchasing and moving of furniture, had been completed before she returned from dinner the night before. It took up the southern half of the floor, with two bedrooms, a glorious bathroom, a kitchen - which she doubted she''d ever use - a study and a sitting area. All in all, she was thrilled to have an apartment she called her own when Mathius had given her the key in an envelope the night before. She stopped before the door to her apartment now, 5A painted on the mahogany doors in gold leaf paint. She smiled as she pulled her key from her purse, placing it in the lock and turning it. She turned to look over her shoulder as she stepped inside, the identical doors across from hers, 5B, remained still and silent. She and Rassa had agreed that it would be kept for Aegin, to give to him upon his return. Though at this stage Ebony had to wonder if he would ever return.

    She closed her door, pushing the thought aside as she swept through the foyer, hanging up her coat and stepping through the sitting room to the master bedroom she''d claimed as her own the night before. It hadn''t taken her long to unpack, given her meagre belongings, and as she took up her black half-jacket and breeches, she couldn''t help but remind herself that she needed to take a trip to a seamstress to have more clothes made. After all, she certainly had the coin to do so now. She also had the coin to hire somebody to wash her clothing for her, though it made her feel somewhat uncomfortable. Considering much of her wardrobe got stained with blood one way or another, it was better for her to just wash her own clothes.

    Ebony changed, doffing her skirt and corset to allow for easier movement. She tied her long blonde hair up into a neat knot on top of her head, then appraised herself in the mirror. Green eyes, brighter than they''d been when she was human, stared back at her. She could see the fear in them. Unable to hide it from herself.

    Ebony s.u.c.k.e.d in a breath, "You can do this. Rassa thinks you can, so you should too".

    Ebony nodded, then turned and headed for the balcony. She stepped out into the cooling night air, letting her senses roam as she scented the air for her prey. So many choices. So many deaths she could cause if she took it a step too far. If she couldn''t stop.

    Ebony took a step back from the railing.

    She berated herself. Of course they''d die. She was drinking the very thing that kept them alive. That kept her alive. If she didn''t feed��

    "If you don''t feed, you''ll starve".

    "But they''ll die".

    "Yes, they will. They are mortal. They will die with or without your help".

    Rassa. He''d told her that the first time he''d taken her hunting. She''d fed after waking up because she''d watched Aegin do it, she knew she was supposed to. She hadn''t stopped like he had though. She''d just kept going. If not for Rassa, telling her to check whether or not she was full, not whether she was satisfied, she would have gone after the human residents of that villa. It had just tasted so good. Human blood always did. Animal blood was a poor substitute, but it did make her feel somewhat better about the deaths. She could ignore the animals because she hadn''t sympathised with them before as human. Humans were much, much harder.

    She felt their fear when she fed. Rassa had taught her how she could change it, but that had always felt wrong in some way to her. To lie to them about their mortality like that. Rassa had told her the ability was a mercy. Ebony didn''t think so. She''d seen enough of the cruelties in this world to know she would never appreciate the cotton wool being dragged over her eyes. When her death came, she would want to see it for what it was.

    Convenient? Yes. That was what Vampiric abilities were. But ''convenient'' had seemed more and more like a synonym for ''cruel'' as she learned and dealt with her new reality.

    Rassa seemed to think killing one or two humans along the way wasn''t a problem. In fact, he''d seemed adamant that hundreds wouldn''t make a difference. Ebony couldn''t bring herself to understand it. After all, she had only killed a few, and every death had had an impact on her. How long until it didn''t? How long until she stopped caring?

    "If you don''t feed, you''ll starve".

    But starving wouldn''t happen for some time. Would it? She''d starved as a human before and survived it. Ebony looked out into the night, then placed a hand on her stomach, sensing it was close to full.

    "I don''t need to go every night," Ebony breathed out in relief, "Just when I''m hungry".

    She turned and walked back into her apartment, determined to catch up on some much-needed rest.

 Chapter 339 - The Moonshadow Trading Company Short Stories: 2 - The Remnants of Old (II)

    *Eldovian Era, 1713 1st day of the 10th month*

    Kit was dreaming about Rose again. The Innkeeper''s daughter who lived in Elendale. The little town that rested on the cliffs between the southern edge of Eldovia and Shadow''s Break Canyon was the closest thing that those at the mines came to civilisation. It''s proximity to the cliffs meant it wasn''t much sought after considering it was foggy almost year-round. Now, a month into Autumn, they were just coming out of their few months of sun. That, and of course the fact that the Canyon was heavily infested with unsavoury characters. The village was allowed to live in peace simply because they had nothing to give.

    Of course, all of this was irrelevant in Kit''s dream. The sun shone in Rose''s bronze locks, she''d always looked adorable, her bronze ringlets the envy of the village girls, but Kit had just thought it was pretty until now. Now, as she smiled at him in her dream, a little taller than the last time he''d seen her and more like a young lady than a girl in other areas, Kit couldn''t help but think her bronze locks framed her chubby cheeks like a little chipmunk, but without the buck teeth.

    It looked absolutely adorable as she walked over to his table.

    "Would you like something to drink, Kit?"

    Kit grinned confidently. So much more confident than he had been a week ago.

    "I''ll have your finest ale, served by the loveliest lady in Evendale!" he declared.

    She giggled at his remark, her chubby cheeks tinging red.

    "You''ve grown up then, Kit?" she asked.

    "So have you," he grinned back.

    Something changed in her eyes, something that was still Rose, but not as he had seen her before.

    "Would you like to see just how much I''ve changed?"

    Kit felt warmth fill his body at the prospect, and he sat straighter in the booth.

    "And what would I have to do to see that?" Old habits died hard. When he''d been nothing but a beggar, nothing came to him for free.

    "Well, you just have to get up, and follow me," her voice was somehow much deeper as she smiled enchantingly, holding out a hand to him. He reached out to take it and when she grabbed his hand, she yanked him forward so hard that he fell straight out of the booth and face-planted onto the inn floor.

    Kit g.r.o.a.n.e.d, pain smiting on his face as he shook off the daze from his dream. His covers half strewn on top of him and half still on the bed, he shifted until he could see a very familiar set of feet, then flopped onto his back, still holding his nose as he looked up at Olly.

    "What?"

    "You just have to get up and follow me," Olly repeated. Rose''s deep voice in the dream suddenly making sense.

    Kit dragged a hand down his face, his body thoroughly cooled as he settled into reality again. He sat up.

    "You could have just shaken me awake," Kit grumbled, untangling himself from his covers and setting them back onto the bed as he stood.

    "You reached out to me," Olly frowned, "Now come on, it''s urgent".

    "What''s urgent, Olly?" asked Kit as he took the time to glance towards the window, his eyes widening. He spun on Olly thrusting his hand towards the barely risen sun, "It''s barely dawn! I thought we talked about this? Work doesn''t start until the second bell!"

    Olly''s face fell, almost pouting like a puppy, "I thought you said you wanted to be the first one to meet Rassa Moonshadow when he arrived".

    Kit''s anger fizzled out in an instant, "Rassa is here?"

    Olly nodded, "Arrived not long after you went to bed yesterday, though seemed to be just fine waiting to see everyone until morning".

    Kit picked up the tracking charm from beneath his pillow and activated it, sure enough, the line to Rassa was nearly as bright as it had been the very first time he''d activated it, when he and Rassa had stood in the same room.

    Kit rushed to put on clean clothes, stumbling with his pants half-way up in his rush before he pulled on his boots, pocketed the charm and rushed downstairs.

    The worker''s quarters sat 2 floors high in an L shape to the south of the warehouses, the Mess hall between them. None of the buildings had existed before Olly and Kit got there, so they were all pretty new, and there, standing right in the middle of them in a long black coat, stood Rassa Moonshadow.

    He was shorter than Kit remembered. No. Kit was just taller.

    "Rassa!" called Kit as he ran over to him.

    Rassa turned as his name was called, giving a small smile as he saw Kit running towards him. He glanced towards the east as the first rays of sunlight began to peak from the horizon, and he reached up to pull the hood of his coat over his head.

    Kit couldn''t help the elation as he wrapped his arms around Rassa, the man solid as a rock wall. Kit was nearly winded by the force of the action, he probably would have been had Rassa not taken the curtesy to take a few steps back to redirect the force.

    "Well, haven''t you grown up?" asked Rassa, "You used to barely reach my c.h.e.s.t, now you''re at my shoulders".

    Kit pulled away, grinning, "It''s been nearly 3 years, did you really think we''d all be the same?"

    Rassa gave a small smile, "I suppose it''s not really something I concern myself with, and nobody else has changed much anyway. Just prettier dresses".

    "So, Iah is well?" asked Kit, "You were only there yesterday, weren''t you? How did you get here so fast?"

    "He does not concern himself with the laws of Order," Olly piped up from behind Kit, "His path is too embroiled in Chaos for that".

    Kit frowned, not exactly how he wanted to two of them to be introduced.

    Kit opened his mouth to do just that, but Rassa beat him to it, "Olly, I take it? The Oracle".

    Olly seemed somewhat surprised, a rare expression on his face. Very little surprised Olly. Still, it quickly morphed into a smile, "I haven''t been called that before by anyone but the Mist".

    "But it is what you are," Rassa said as he stepped forward, "Though certainly not expected. Others like you only existed before the Chaos War ended".

    Olly shrugged, his eyes darting to the side, "The Mist says times are changing. Paths are being reopened. Neutrality is necessary when two sides exist".

    Rassa smiled, "Agree to Disagree. After all, you are here, and you were instrumental in killing the Inktress, you took a side, did you not?"

    Olly''s expression saddened, and he looked away as if embarrassed before he looked up at Kit, a kind of determination in his eyes.

    "Family protects Family," said Olly, "The Mist doesn''t have family. It couldn''t understand".

    Rassa raised an eyebrow, "Well, I''m tired, I''ve barely slept in two days, so give me a quick tour then I''ll turn in and talk to everyone once the sun goes down".

    He seemed to glare at the rising celestial body, his maroon eyes squinting terribly.

    "Sure," Kit said, "Let''s go then".

    ***

    Rassa rose an hour before the sun went down. He''d needed the sleep. Despite spending the last three weeks on a boat across the ocean, during which he''d had plenty of time to rest, he hadn''t much enjoyed the swinging back and forth between which hours he was awake, during the night, or during the day.

    He preferred the night of course. It was so much more agreeable for him. But unfortunately, the humans preferred to interact with him in the daylight hours. This of course included his business partners.

    Could he have flown across the Strait to the Isles much faster than the 3-week journey it had taken him? Of course he could have. But everyone else couldn''t. He''d found that he didn''t much like catering to everybody else, and longed for the day, that vision he had of the future, where everyone else would be forced to cater to his habits. Those sun stones had been useful in those ancient cities. Shielding the Coven Cities from daylight and putting them into a twilight-like existence. So much easier on the eyes.

    Washing his face and dressing, Rassa made his way down to the main offices that Kit had shown him that morning. It had been too early to meet the other staff, but he could sense the whispers and nervousness that floated through the mine site. Clearly, word had spread of his presence over the day.

    He entered the office, and was greeted by the sight of Kit, a rotund, middle-aged woman with warm and gentle but serious eyes, and a scruffy looking man with ''blacksmith'' incorporating every fibre of his being, from his well-formed muscles, to his rough skin, singed eyebrows �C for they seemed to be the only hair left on him �C and his work leathers.

    "Rassa," Kit greeted as Rassa closed the office door behind him. Rassa nodded, his eyes surveying the room. He''d only had a brief glance before, just enough for him to know how to navigate the Mine complex.

    "Kit, I''m assuming this is Kei, the Head Blacksmith and Wilma, the Order Manager," stated Rassa.

    "It i-"

    "It''s an honour to meet you, Mr Moonshadow," said Wilma, offering her hands as she stepped forward with a warm smile before Kei could claim the first greeting, "We''ve heard so much about you. The stories do not do you justice".

    Rassa raised an eyebrow, "Makes me question the reliability of the stories".

    "So, there is no truthful claim to the fact that you were miraculously raised from the dead?" asked the Blacksmith as he stepped forward to shake Rassa''s hand. He was much larger than Rassa, but somehow, Rassa didn''t seem to lose out. He was not dwarfed by the man in any way despite their contrast in size. In fact, Rassa seemed to appear in a world of his own. Both there and not.

    "Well, I''m sure you''ve discovered how ambiguous the charms can be," stated Rassa, "I was lost, but, now I am found".

    "Just so," Wilma smiled, "Can I get you anything Mr Moonshadow?"

    Rassa immediately sensed how much Wilma mothered those on the site. He hoped her hand was firm when it needed to be.

    "I am well enough, I''d prefer to get straight down to business," Rassa stated as he took a seat at the table. The others followed suit, "Now, the reason for my visit is threefold. First, I aim to teach the Craftsman a new set of runes".

    Wilma and Kei looked shocked, "A new set? But from what I hear Mr Moonshadow, you could become one of the ric.h.e.s.t men on the continent if you continued to sell your current charms for the rest of your life".

    "Perhaps," stated Rassa, "But while profits are certainly a benefit, the vision I have of the world I can create through the Rune Language is a boundless one. The current charms are barely a drop in the ocean of possibilities they create, which brings me to my other reasons for coming".

    Wilma and Kei still seemed to be struggling with the prospect of Rassa''s Rune Language. Kit on the other hand, had suspected that Rassa''s arrival would at least in-part coincide with learning more Runes. Rassa had promised when he''d first started teaching Kit.

    "My second reason, is that I plan to expand Moonshadow into Eldovia, including creating a Charm production Warehouse that is exclusively Moonshadow''s. The company will no longer rely on Apple Star. Which, of course, brings me to my third reason for coming," Rassa paused before he continued, letting his second point sink in, "Because the Charm Production will be under Moonshadow, you will of course no longer be required to work here. If you d.e.s.i.r.e to continue working with the change in leadership, you will be the first I offer the roles to, but you will owe your allegiance to Moonshadow just as your coin will come from Moonshadow".

    There was a silence before Wilma spoke up, her eyes a little less warm, and her tone less motherly. Rassa found himself feeling pleased that she was not just warmth and smiles, "Does Lady Startree know?"

    Rassa nodded, "I informed her of the change yesterday, she is readying herself to make preparations, including working with those in Moonshadow to compile a list of staff here who will be on the recruitment lists for Moonshadow''s new base".

    "What of the mining staff?" asked Kei. The Head Miner, John from what Kit had told Rassa, tended to keep to his own office in the mine itself.

    "They will remain a part of Apple Star, as will the mine," Rassa stated, "Apple Star will continue to provide the Evanine, it just won''t have the production rights or methods".

    Kei nodded thoughtfully, "And you planned on telling the staff here?"

    Rassa nodded, "It will take��ideally two months, for the new base to be built, then another month for the new staff to be trained, so this base will be needed until then".

    "Three months?" asked Wilma, "That is awfully quick, it will take some time before the proper paper work can make its way between Lady Startree and I".

    "The paperwork, yes, the discussions? No, that should be done in under a month," Rassa stated.

    "But-"

    Rassa looked over at Kit, "Did you bring what I asked?"

    Kit nodded, taking two small crystals from his bag and a light element tool, as well as a pair of dark protective glasses before placing them on the table.

    Rassa took the items, putting on the glasses and sitting comfortably as he took up the evanine and the tool and started drawing. Wilma and Kei, who had never witnessed the process of the Evanine being carved, were shocked at Rassa''s apparent lack of worry that they could both see him. The two were both worried enough to turn their backs on the process, but also curious enough that they wanted to watch, only to find the light too bright to look at.

    After a moment, the light in the room dulled significantly, and Rassa tossed one of the charms to Kit.

    Kit looked at the runes on the charm before back at Rassa, "Does this do what I think it does?"

    Rassa gave a knowing smile, "Why don''t you head outside and find out?"

    Kit jumped up, running outside, Kei and Wilma looking between Rassa and Kit in confusion.

    Rassa held up a hand, "Wait a moment, it''ll become clear".

    Kei and Wilma did as told, waiting in silence for a moment before suddenly, the charm in Rassa''s hand began to flash periodically. Rassa touched the charm, and it gave a dull glow.

    "Are they serving dinner yet?" asked Rassa.

    "Oh my gods it works!" Kit''s voice appeared in the room, originating from the charm.

    "This is��" Kei trailed off, shocked as he took a seat.

    "Incredible," Wilma finished.

    The stone spoke again with Kit''s voice, "Oh, the mess hall is filling up for dinner by the way".

    Kei gave a shocked laugh before he looked up at Rassa, "How far?"

    "It will depend on the size of the Charm, a set this size could cover a distance of��perhaps a city the size of Lovolon for about ten minutes before they would need to be recharged. A medium charm would cover a distance that would take about 3 days travel for the same amount of time. A large charm about a week''s travel," stated Rassa.

    "Then you would need a sequence?" asked Kei, "To reach Rouke Island I mean".

    Rassa shook his head, "Just a large enough charm, though of course, for sales reasons, I would probably make such charms custom orders to be done at the discretion of the company for the immediate future".

    "You''re talking about instantaneous communication across continents!" stated Wilma in shock.

    Rassa nodded, a small smile on his face, "And it only takes 2 runes. Imagine what I can do with an entire Language".

    Wilma sat back in her chair, her eyes wide with the possibilities, "They really are boundless".

    "Barely a drop in the ocean," Kei nodded in agreement.

    "Come back in, Kit," Rassa stated, then dropped the charm carelessly on the table. Anyone else would treat such a thing with utter reverence. But Rassa Moonshadow, with all his knowledge and ability, could afford to treat the charms so carelessly, "Better head off to dinner, I''ll be back in three days to teach Kit and Olly a few runes. Please pass the word along about the changes to the staff here so that they can make the decision for themselves on whether they wish to transfer to Moonshadow or remain with Apple Star".

    Rassa stood as Kit walked in, hand pointing to the other charm on the table as he passed him, "You and Olly practice with those, I''ll leave a set of runes in the warehouse for you to learn too. I''ll be back in a few days".

    Kit opened his mouth to reply, but in a blast of air like a sudden wind, he turned to find Rassa gone. Kit huffed. Nearly three years, and he''d barely spoken to Rassa for an hour before he left again.

    Olly probably wouldn''t care. He''d gotten his new runes.

    ***

    Rassa had said three days, but really he wasn''t positive how long it would take him to find the perfect place for Moonshadow''s new headquarters. His requirements were quite contradictory. He needed a place that was out of the way so prying eyes could be easily spotted and weeded out. He also needed a place that wasn''t far from main trade routes, as his future plans needed a ready access to them. He needed somewhere that was not heavily populated, but could also have the basic needs of his staff supplied readily. After all, if he was going to hire these people, he needed to make sure they were comfortable wherever he placed them.

    He used the night to scour the south-eastern corner of the continent, at one point he even spotted Varkevia in the distance. He''d last been there as a child. On the night he''d first realised he hadn''t needed to kill to feed. It was stupid now that he thought of it. Why had the idea not occurred to him sooner? He had been a child though, too overwhelmed and suffering in his reality to think of solutions.

    Rassa sighed, bringing himself back to the task at hand. He descended on a larger town not far from Varkevia to feed, deciding as he did so that anywhere within three days of Varkevia was too close to the city. He moved closer to the west.

    He could have gone further east from Falla''s Evanine Mines, but the coastline wasn''t safe for trade, and to send everyone to Lovolon would take nearly three weeks. It already took just over two. Perhaps it would be better it he was further West, closer to the Seisin Mountain Range.

    Being closer to the mountains brought thoughts of Jerrica to his mind. It had been over three years now since he''d buried the mines. He hadn''t heard much about it, but then, he''d spent part of those three years running away and retreating into his own mind. Still, as he saw the mountains in the distance, he couldn''t help but want to see it with his own eyes.

    It was perhaps only a few minutes later thanks to his powerful wings that he appeared above the wide plateau that Jerrica had once rested at the southern end of. He descended onto the gates, noticing their abandoned appearance. Overgrown and half-torn down thanks to neglect. Rassa''s eyes were cast on the crumbled remnants of the Mines themselves.

    It was clearly abandoned, there was no warmth in this place, like a prison of ghosts that he''d had his fair share of adding to. Rassa sighed as he appraised it. So, this was the passage of time? Just three years, and it was already forgotten. He was certainly not the same either, but if three years could do this, what could 30 years do? Or 300? Or 3000? He had eternity. How many cities would he see rise and fall only to have something else take it''s place? When he had achieved the vision he had set his mind to, because there was no doubt that he would achieve it eventually given that time was not a factor, where would he go then? What would he do? Would he be happy with what he had done?

    Rassa suddenly understood completely why some of the Old Vampires had chosen to go into the sub-death willingly for years on end. When you had achieved what you wanted, and had everything you d.e.s.i.r.ed, and were left to simply watch life rise and fall around you, the weight of time would surely become unbearable. A rest, an escape, would be more the welcome, even if it meant suffering a while.

    Rassa cast his gaze west, towards Fountain Ridge. His so-called ''grandfather'' was probably becoming old by now. As would his remaining children. Likely too old to have children of their own even if the Kildare line wasn''t cursed. He had little understanding of Order, but a curse of that scale would have needed to be paid in equal. It would not have just been that elf that died that night. Likely several of his lineage had, if not all of them. Would it be worth it? When the Empire of Eldovia crumbled in the next few decades, who would replace it?

    Rassa had no interest in one Empire. At least not one that was so thoroughly established already. He would make no move to take it, though he certainly had the ability to. A thought occurred to Rassa then, one he hadn''t thought of in a while.

    If that offspring of his had survived, no doubt the Kildares were putting their hope on him as he was the youngest of their bloodline. If he had survived though, then the Empire was going to crumble violently. It was likely that Rassa would have to get involved, if only to dispose of the Dhampir. Though first, it would have to reveal itself. Rassa wasn''t much bothered about looking for it before it went mad, that would only put a target on his back that he didn''t need.

    Would he survive the Kildares coming after him again? Most certainly. He was no longer a na?ve little boy who thought that suppressing his true nature was the better option. But his business��that Rassa could not say with certainty would survive the weight of the Kildares and all their influence. Especially if Rassa wanted to set up shop in Eldovida. It was better to focus on his own influence first, to make it reach a point where the Kildares posed no threat to it.

    Taking one last look at the crumbling ruins of Jerrica, Rassa summoned his wings once more and flew towards the Southern End of the Seisin Mountain Range.

    Here, the mountains were overtaken by the Phobin Forest which stretched halfway up the western border of the mountains, then down to the southern coast of the continent. It was about half the size of Greenvale, but still vast, the land within it mostly untouched. Still, the main Trade Route between Lovolon and Varkevia passed through it, and it was also frequented by hunters. Several villages surrounded it''s borders for this reason, though none rested within. On the western side there was the River Hayn, the northern end of which overflowed into Lake Starcross, the Lake that sat within the same Canyon as the Star Pavillion.

    Going to the Western side of the forest though would put him within a few days ride of Lovolon. He had no d.e.s.i.r.e to be so close to the Port City. No, it seemed that his best location, at least in the South-Eastern corner of Eldovia, was along the Eastern edge of the Phobin Forest. Perhaps he could find a place that had a port of its own along the southern coastline, or at least had the potential to have one.

    Sensing the oncoming sun, Rassa descended towards one of the larger villages, waking one of the innkeepers with a generous 20 silvers for a room with curtains. He then washed and slept the day away.

 Chapter 340 - The Moonshadow Trading Company Short Stories: 2 - The Remnants of Old (III)

    *Eldovian Era, 1713 3rd day of the 10th month*

    Ebony placed a hand on her stomach beneath the table. Trying to focus on the lists before her and failing. It was the third day of going over the proposed staffing and recruitment lists with Falla, Iah and Mathius. Falla had provided the current numbers of staff at the mines and the positions they held, then Iah and Mathius had estimated the number of staff they would need in addition to that. Ebony was responsible for estimating the number of Charm Craftsman. She was the only one among them that had even a vague understanding of what it took to carve them. Rassa had attempted to teach her, but she had quite honestly been awful at it. The complexities of the Rune language went far beyond her understanding of language. She understood them because she could read the Mist. But comprehending the complexities of their meaning and the layers and insinuations that those layers proposed was another matter entirely that she couldn''t for the life of her understand. Still, she was the only one among those Rassa had left that had an understanding of the process, so it had been her responsibility.

    It was also the third day since Ebony had last fed. Her hunger was beginning to become more obvious. It no longer felt like she needed a snack. It was more like she''d missed a meal.

    "��Does that sound right, Ebony?"

    Ebony''s head snapped up to look at Iah in question, her hand stilling on her stomach as she forced her mind back to the current meeting and away from her hunger.

    "Sorry?"

    Iah frowned, "Are you okay, Ebony? You look a little pale��as in, more so than usual".

    Ebony smiled, giving her stomach a quick rub before she leaned forward to look at the list Mathius had put in front of her. She gave him a grateful look before she looked down at the numbers.

    "I''m fine, and this looks fine, from my estimation, I would say we need to hire an additional 12 Charm Craftsman in the immediate time, and another fifteen to twenty over the course of the next year if we''re expanding to the south as well," Ebony stated.

    "Only ten?" asked Iah.

    Ebony nodded, "From what I can see, Olly and Kit have kept up producing between eight hundred and a thousand charms every week, we''ve only been providing for those that come to Rouke but we could support six more locations with an additional twelve craftsman, that''s enough to supply all the major cities of Eldovia".

    "Olly and Kit only get four days off a month though, and they work long hours, surely not everybody would be willing to work those hours?" asked Falla.

    Ebony frowned, she hadn''t thought of that.

    "Right��well, if that''s the case I''d probably double that estimation," said Ebony, "About 25 would be needed immediately and forty to fifty for the Southern Continent, it is far larger after all".

    "That''s a lot of craftsman," Iah commented, then turned to Falla, "Will the mines be able to keep up?"

    "With the Eldovia Orders? For a while, yes. From the reports I''ve received they''ve barely made a dent in the larger antechambers. But if we were to supply the Southern Continent as well��we would dry up the mine in less than a decade," Falla stated honestly.

    Iah looked thoughtful for a moment, "No doubt this is one of the reasons that we are making moves to not be so reliant on Apple Star. Rassa foresaw that his expansion plans would do to his supply chain. He likely has a plan in mind already so it''s best that we do not worry about that for now. He will explain it when it becomes prevalent".

    "And this is information you should be sharing with me?" asked Falla.

    Ebony raised an eyebrow at Iah across the table before Mathius spoke, "Even if you know, you cannot do anything to stop it. Even if you were to consider leaking the information, it would likely be a double-edged sword that took you down with it. Hence, we are fairly confident you will comply with our new plans".

    Ebony turned to Mathius in surprise. He had surmised it so easily. Iah had made a good choice in making him an assistant. He was intelligent enough to follow Rassa''s plans with the limited information he''d been given. Even if he''d seemed to disapprove of Rassa in the beginning, he had adapted swiftly to the new order.

    Falla did not look very impressed by how Mathius had surmised her current situation, but she said nothing further on the matter as she sat back, "I''ll send out recruitment for more miners in order to keep up with the demand".

    "Very well, we have the numbers we need, now we just need to prepare for recruitment," Iah stated as she looked across the table at Ebony, her eyes narrowed, "Are you sure you''re alright?"

    Ebony rolled her eyes, as she stood from her seat, "I''m fine nothing a night on the town can''t fix".

    Iah sighed, "Right, well, we''ll see you tomorrow then, we''ll need to start going over equipment and tools required as well as the buildings".

    Ebony waved over her shoulder, "I???ll be there".

    Ebony stepped out of the office, and Iah watched after her with concern as Falla too stood to leave.

    "With what she is now, I doubt she''ll even get sick," Falla commented, "Rassa never did".

    Iah turned to Falla, realisation in her eyes, "That''s right, you knew him before he��well before he became what he is".

    Falla nodded, "I did. But I see very little of that boy anymore. The Intelligence, the vision and the resolve, that is all Rassa. The rest��whatever being a Vampire means, it is certainly not the same as being human. It changes them, and I have yet to decide whether it is for better or worse".

    "You''ve known Rassa since he was a child though," Iah reason, "That''s plenty of time to make a decision".

    Falla sighed, "And during that time he has done both great and terrible things in near equal amounts. If I were to weigh his exploits on a set of scales I don''t think at this stage they would tip one way or the other".

    "I''ve not heard of Ebony doing anything terrible," stated Iah.

    "Not yet," Falla replied as she moved to leave, "But Rassa''s scale was awfully positive before he turned".

    Iah frowned, "Are you saying it''s only a matter of time for Ebony?"

    Falla shrugged, "She is only the second Vampire I have encountered, but time will tell if it is a pattern, or if Rassa was an exception. Good evening".

    Falla left the office, and Iah leaned back against the meeting table with a sigh.

    "You are worried for her," Mathius stated.

    "Of course I am," Iah stated, "I may not know her that well but��In the time I have known her, she has been nothing but a friend, a sister even. I can''t deny she''s different since she returned here, at least different from the brief time I knew her before, but she''s never struck me as the violent type. Determined to forge her own path perhaps, but not violent or aggressive. I always thought of her as a kindred spirit in that sense".

    "Then, if it is not too bold of me, shall I keep an eye on her?" asked Mathius, "Just to make sure she is alright?"

    Iah hesitated. She didn''t want to put Ebony under surveillance like that. It didn''t feel right. But if Falla''s speculation turned out to be true��

    "Just��just check-in to make sure she''s alright," said Iah, "That''s all".

    "It shall be done," Mathius bowed his head in acknowledgement before he left.

    "And Mathius?" Iah called.

    Mathius paused and looked over his shoulder.

    "Don''t underestimate her," Iah stated, "Don''t underestimate any of the Vampires".

    Mathius nodded in reply before leaving.

    Iah felt a dark feeling settling in her stomach, and hoped to whatever gods would listen that she''d made the right decision.

    *Eldovian Era, 1713 5th day of the 10th month*

    "You bought land at the base of Shigeni Mountain?" asked Kit with a raised eyebrow as he looked at the land deed. Quite a large land deed too. Shigeni Mountain was the southern-most Mountain of the Seisin Mountain Range. It''s western side was covered in forests, whilst its eastern side was covered in grass land. Many people had thought of it as a great farming land in the past, but bandits from the mountains combined with creatures from the Forest had made the entire area nearby uninhabitable for centuries. It was practically untouched, but with good reason.

    "It''s perfect for our purposes," said Rassa, "Far enough away from trade routes to avoid prying eyes, but close enough that it could become a bustling centre should the need arise".

    "Prying eyes?" asked Kit with a raised eyebrow, "You are aware the area is thwart with bandits".

    Rassa smirked, "You are aware of who you''re talking to?"

    Kit rolled his eyes, "Right, of course".

    "Of course," Rassa agreed as he stood, taking the scroll from Kit and rolling it up again before he dropped it. Kit''s eyes widened, ready to reach out and catch it, only to see it drop into Rassa''s shadow on the floor.

    He looked at the shadow at the moment, then up at Rassa, "How did you do that?"

    "Shadow Magic," Rassa replied.

    "Shadow��you mean I can do that?" asked Kit.

    Rassa frowned, "Sorry, I''ll be more specific, Chaotic Shadow Magic".

    "What''s the difference?" asked Kit.

    "The difference is that Order''s Shadow Magic, the thing that makes you a Magician, has rules. Rules that tend to be enforced when it comes to things like space or weight," said Rassa, "Chaotic Magic is more abstract. It takes the shape of what it''s wielder imagines more easily, even if it defies logic".

    "That��hardly seems fair," said Kit, "Besides, I can use my shadows to lift heavy things I wouldn''t normally be able to".

    "Yes, because the shadows that lift those things are not just composed of your own shadow," said Rassa, "I''ve heard you built many of the building here, when you built them, were the shadows you used drawn from other people? The shadow of the mines? The trees? Or all of the above? I imagine all of those combined can take quite a bit of weight".

    Kit sighed, "So I can''t use my shadows as a storage space".

    "You probably couldn''t use it as a vessel for instantaneous movement either," said Rassa.

    "You can do that?" asked Kit, his eyes widened in surprise.

    "How do you think I covered the entire south eastern corner of the continent over one night?" asked Rassa.

    "You were gone two days though," Kit said.

    "I spent the second night locating the presiding lord and making my purchase," Rassa dismissed.

    Kit sighed, "You really do defy logic".

    Rassa shrugged, "How did the new runes come along?"

    Kit pointed over his shoulder at where Olly was seated in the warehouse, surrounded by piles of paper, "He took to it more eagerly. I think he''s got the first three down. If you know the whole language, why not just teach us that? Why six at a time?"

    "It''s too risky," Rassa stated.

    "Because we could betray you?" asked Kit.

    Rassa shook his head, "No, I know you wouldn''t, and that he definitely wouldn''t. I don''t teach you the language for two reasons. First, because the runes are instilled with energy, and if you absorb too much at a time you will, inevitably, explode. Second, because we haven''t got the resources for you to experiment with them at the moment as you will no doubt want to do".

    "E��Explode?" asked Kit. Rassa had said it so casually. Even now, he just nodded as he walked over to Olly and picked up a few of his sketches.

    Olly barely glimpsed over.

    "You''ve got the Communication Runes pretty easily. Speak and Listen. You also got the Memory Rune. That''s good, it''s complex," Rassa stated. He turned to some of the others, "You seem to be having trouble with Illusion".

    "I see truth," said Olly as he sketched, "Illusions cannot deceive me with the Mist whispering truth always".

    Rassa turned to look at Kit who had approached, "You''ll need to master the Illusion Rune then".

    Kit took the piece of paper that Rassa offered with a frown, "Because I can be deceived?"

    "Yes," Rassa replied.

    Kit huffed, "He''ll master it eventually anyway".

    "Not as an Oracle he won''t," said Rassa, "He may be able to understand the runes because of his connection to the Mist, but it is also because of his connection that he will fail to draw any Rune that the Mist can easily dissipate, like the Illusion Rune".

    "As an Oracle?" asked Kit, "You say it like he''ll become something else".

    "If he chooses a side he will," said Rassa, "But that''s his choice, isn''t it, Olly?"

    Olly huffed, "My choice could be the wrong choice".

    "Was it the wrong choice when you saved Kit?" asked Rassa.

    Olly''s eyes snapped up, "That was different".

    Rassa shook his head, "No it wasn''t. Choices are not a bad thing. The Mist has infinite choices and takes all of them because it is the Mist. You have infinite choices, but you''re only allowed to take one because you are not the Mist".

    Olly frowned, looking away, "I won''t always choose the right choice".

    "Some people live their whole life making wrong choices, that does not mean their life was a failure," said Rassa, "If anything, their so-called ''wrong'' choices probably made their life a lot more worth living".

    Olly paused in his sketching, sitting back. He paused then reached his hand back, drawing out two other pieces of paper to hold up to Rassa.

    Rassa just smiled, "Your Cleanse and Repair Runes are done well".

    Cleanse, Repair, Illusion, Speak, Listen and Memory. Six more Runes to add to Moonshadow''s Repertoire.

    Rassa had had to force himself not to teach them more. There really was a danger in learning too many at once for those who did not have the power of a mind like his. His Vampiric abilities combined with his immortality had given him a mind capable of holding copious amounts of knowledge. He had the knowledge of those old ones he had consumed upon his awakening as well as their power. He''d barely scratched the surface of what he could do with all that knowledge, and it tested his patience to know he had so much time to see his visions through. When he told others of his patience, half of the time he was simply reminding himself of the fact.

    Rassa sighed, "I''ll need to go away again".

    Kit looked up, "You just got back".

    "Yes, and now that I''ve got the land to build upon, I need to not only gather the supplies needed but also purchase land in the major cities for Moonshadow''s Charm shops," said Rassa.

    Kit huffed.

    Rassa smiled as he went over to the boy Magician who was just starting to become a man, "Miss me, do you?"

    Kit looked away as Rassa''s teasing, an ever so slight blush on his cheeks, "No".

    Rassa straightened, "Well in that case, I suppose I''ll stay another day or so to work on my projects then be out of your hair, no use inviting you along".

    "I can come too?" asked Kit, his eyes lighting up as he turned back to Rassa. He seemed to realise his change in attitude was too sudden and his smile faded as he cleared his throat, "I mean��I should like to see where the new shops will be. It''ll be good to have a second pair of eyes".

    "Can a third pair help?" asked Olly from the side.

    Kit turned back to look at him, "I thought you''d be too eager to start on the new charms".

    Olly frowned, "If you''re going, I''m going too".

    Rassa sighed, "I''ve got a couple of projects to work on tonight, we''ll leave tomorrow afternoon. Tell Wilma you''re approved for an extended break in preparation for having to teach the new Charm Crafters".

    "We???ll have to teach them?" asked Kit.

    "That seems like a waste of time if we could be making runes," Olly stated from the side.

    "Ah, but in the long run, wouldn''t you rather free up your own time making these small-scale runes so you could focus on more complex projects?" asked Rassa.

    Kit hid a smile. Rassa had found Olly''s weakness all too easily.

    "More Complex Projects?" asked Olly, "Like those projects you''re working on tonight?"

    Rassa nodded, "I''m only creating protection runes with a specific purpose and long-distance communication runes for the Moonshadow Business".

    "The Projects can''t be that complex then," Olly replied.

    Rassa smiled, "Well I suppose if you haven''t the free time, you''ll never know. I''m going to go seek out a larger crystal from the miners, I''ll see you at the first bell after the lunch hour tomorrow if you''re coming".

    ***

    Ebony stared out of the window from her apartment as the lights of the Port City dominated the landscape.

    Her limbs were beginning to ache. As if the energy was slowly being siphoned out of them. It probably was. But as she had begun to notice those aches, she realised that she''d made a fatal mistake.

    She should have fed that first night, and every night since. Her fear had cornered her now, until she was left with the option that had been what she feared in the first place.

    When she fed this time, she would have no choice but to kill her meal. There would be no stopping it. Animal or human. She needed blood, and lots of it.

    Even worse, she knew Iah had started to notice something was wrong. She''d set Mathius on her like a wolf on entrails. Ebony had been so focused on her hunger she hadn''t noticed at first. She''d just thought that he''d been warming up to her. But then she''d sensed him watching her as she walked home.

    Mathius could do nothing to her, and neither could Iah. But Ebony could do a lot to them if they got too close. Especially now.

    Ebony hugged her legs close to her c.h.e.s.t as she stared out at the moon, her eyes watering at her failure.

    "Rassa," she mumbled, "I''m sorry I didn''t listen. I need help��I don''t want to kill them".

    The Moon only stared back, no pity or remorse in its gentle silver light. Just an aura of knowing, as if it was saying, You chose this, exactly what did you expect?

    "I''m sorry," Ebony sobbed, "I''m so sorry".

    She said it so many times but by the time she fell asleep from exhaustion, she didn''t quite know who she was apologising to. Rassa, those she was going to kill, the moon, or herself.

    ***

    *Eldovian Era, 1713 6th day of the 10th month*

    As the bell Rassa had designated rang out, Kit looked around for the hooded figure. The sun was still up, so it would be the hood he saw and not Rassa''s dark locks and pale skin. Olly stood just a few metres away beside the Mess Hall wall, his foot scuffing the ground in a demure gesture that demonstrated his d.e.s.i.r.e to come along just as much as his d.e.s.i.r.e to not admit that he''d been drawn in by the prospect of experimenting with more complex runes. Kit couldn''t help the amused smile on his face.

    "Good, you''re both here," said Rassa, practically appearing beside them as a short breeze followed him, "Where to first, north or south?"

    Kit was surprised, "You''re letting us pick?"

    Rassa shrugged, "I''ll have to cover all the major cities anyway, may as well just let the guests pick. It won''t make a difference to me".

    Kit accepted this answer before he thought about it, his and Olly''s suitcases both disappearing into Rassa''s shadows. Kit turned to ask Olly, but the young man just shrugged, indicating he didn''t care where they went first either.

    "Then��Varkevia. I heard the night market is one of a kind," Kit grinned.

    "Varkevia it is," Rassa said.

    Then a large crate, about two thirds of Olly''s height, rose from one of the shadows, long chains attached to the sides.

    Kit frowned, "What''s this?"

    Rassa swept his hand towards it, "Hop in".

    Kit looked from Rassa to Olly then to the box, "Seriously?"

    Rassa smirked, "As much as I like you kid, I''ll not have you riding on my back for the flight there. I''ll hoist the box, though take-off might be a bit rough, so hop in if you''re coming".

    Olly strolled over without delay. Kit paused another moment, making sure Rassa wasn''t playing some kind of joke, then followed after Olly.

    The two watched as Rassa grabbed the chains, lifting them easily as two huge, bat-like black wings seemed to emerge from his back, streaks of red along the edges. Kit marvelled, they had to be at least 3 metres long each.

    Rassa nodded towards the box, "Hold on tight and try to be sick over the side if you need to, the ascension up will be rough".

    Kit''s eyes widened as he realised what Rassa meant, and he and Olly barely had time to grab the ropes inside as handholds before Rassa''s wings lifted and he pushed into the air as he brought his wings down. The box jolted up violently, and Kit gasped in shock. There was a pause, during which they seemed to start falling and he felt weightless as his insides flipped within him. Then the jolt came again. This happened several more times before the box tilted slightly and the ride became much smoother.

    Kit didn''t want to open his eyes, but a tap on his knee from Olly had him opening them up to see Olly grinning.

    Kit didn''t like that grin, but before he could chastise anyone, he caught a glimpse of the clouds above looking a whole lot closer than before. He stood slowly, his eyes slowly turning to look down at the huge expanse of land beneath them.

    "Wow!" he exclaimed, "The Mine looks like an ant hill from up here! Is that the ocean?! Ah! I think I see the Seisin mountains over there in the distance! This is amazing!"

    A chuckle came from above him, "Glad you enjoy it. We''ll be able to go faster at night with the shadows but for now our progress will be somewhat slow. We should arrive in Varkevia around dusk though".

    Dusk was only a few hours away. A journey that should have taken at least two weeks, would take just a few hours. Kit''s eyes strayed up to Rassa.

    "Will this be what all travelling is like in your vision?" asked Kit.

    Rassa gave him a small smile, "We''ll see".

    Kit grinned as he turned back to the view, and caught Olly looking just as excited beside him.

 Chapter 341 - The Moonshadow Trading Company Short Stories: 2 - The Remnants of Old (IV)

    Iah stared across her office at the empty desk Ebony had taken to working at. She hadn''t been in all day. Iah didn''t want to impose, but she could tell that something was wrong even without asking for a report from Mathius.

    Iah massaged her temples as she looked down at the numbers in front of her. In all honesty, the girl had been more of a hindrance than a help ever since Rassa had left. Iah never thought she''d see the day when she was better at this whole business thing than Ebony.

    A knock sounded on the door and Iah sighed.

    "Come in," Iah called.

    Mathius entered, closing the door behind him again, "The orders scheduled for pick-up have all been collected and payments have been done in full".

    Iah nodded, taking the report from Mathius tiredly, her eyes straying to the empty desk again.

    "Elsbeth is doing well, she handled some of the clients and though surprised upon seeing a new face, none of them seemed unhappy when they left," Mathius stated.

    Iah nodded again. After a short pause, "Ebony?"

    "I''m pretty sure she hasn''t left her apartment today," Mathius admitted.

    "At all?" asked Iah, turning to look at Mathius

    Mathius nodded.

    That was unlike her. Ebony had always been one who had to be doing something.

    Iah stood, her decision made, "I should check on her-"

    "Miss Iah, you have a dinner with Miracle Lasvorn," Mathius stated.

    Iah''s head dropped in realisation. The head of the Rouke Island Magician''s Guild. She''d completely forgotten, but it was something she couldn''t miss.

    "Right," said Iah, her eyes not leaving the empty desk.

    "I can check on her," said Mathius.

    Iah turned to look at Mathius.

    "Are you sure?" asked Iah.

    Mathius nodded, "I may not have known her long, but I know something is bothering the poor girl. Maybe she just needs someone to talk to".

    "And you think she will talk to you?" asked Iah.

    Mathius gave a warm smile, "I''m told I have a gift for such things".

    Iah sighed, "Thank you, Mathius. But if something is wrong please send someone to fetch me right away. Miracle Lasvorn may be an important client but Ebony is a friend".

    Mathius nodded, "Of course, Miss Iah".

    Iah nodded, then listened as Mathius gave the rest of his daily report before he bid her good luck for the dinner and ventured off as the sun began to descend.

    Iah sighed. She hoped Ebony was okay. Iah knew that Rassa would likely have something to say on the matter, but the way she was now, Ebony wasn''t helping Moonshadow. Iah would have to cut her off from the business if this continued.

    ***

    Varkevia was everything Kit had dreamed of and more. It was so different to the port cities on the Islands and Port Lovolon, Varkevia rested on the side of a small mountain that on the east side flowed down towards a wide river at the bottom of a valley that flowed towards a large bay. On the west side there was a great intersection of roads leading in every direction, and villages spotted over the grasslands between.

    The spires and grand houses of the rich and powerful looked down on the more humble lives of those beneath, but no matter their origin, everything seemed to congregate in the grand square just short of the base of the mountain. It seemed to come alive as the sun set, with business booming for all those that were there.

    "Is this the Night Market?" asked Kit as he looked around at the vastness of what was available.

    "It is," Rassa nodded, "I''ll go and get us a room at the Pig''s Pint Inn. It''s about 3 blocks up the mountain, you can''t miss it".

    "You''re not taking us with you?" asked Kit.

    Rassa smiled, "Enjoy yourselves. You go shopping for whatever takes your fancy. I''ll go shopping for a building".

    Kit was about to protest, only to realise that he probably wouldn''t be of much help anyway when it came to looking for a shop-front for Moonshadow. It begged the question why Rassa had brought them along in the first place, but before Kit could ask, Olly was already dragging him through the crowd, not even bothering to wave goodbye to Rassa.

    Rassa watched them disappear into the crowd before his eyes strayed up the street. If he was looking for the best spot for a storefront in Varkevia. It would have to be somewhere close to this square, but it was highly unlikely that he''d find anywhere near here. Besides, Moonshadow was not like any other company.

    Rassa began walking up the hill towards the inn he''d mentioned, his eyes scanning the streets and buildings. It wasn''t long before he saw the inn, paying for the rooms like he''s said he would and placing Kit and Olly''s belongings in them. It was when he took a glance out of the window of the inn that he saw it.

    Just outside the city limits, in a more heavily wooded part of the city, stood a building four stories tall and as large as one of the mansions in the upper parts of the city. The building was dark, and appeared abandoned.

    Rassa immediately asked about it from the Inn Keeper.

    "Ah, the old Bennett House? It''s been abandoned ever since the line died out a decade ago," the Inn Keeper explained, "No one wants to buy it because the Bennetts'' were pretty fond of the elves, let them stay in the house whenever they visited. Rumour has it that the daughter of Lord Bennett went and had a son with one of them. Though, since they all mysteriously died most people just view it as an eyesore. A family trying to be noble by building a mansion, but not having the dignity to build it higher".

    That explained it then, why no one currently wanted to associate with it. Rassa would make bets that that would change as soon as people knew it was a Charm shop.

    It only took one more question to get the name of the one who held the deed.

    Hence, an hour later, Rassa sat opposite the man who held the deed as the man came to the revelation of who Rassa was.

    "Moonshadow��I heard tales of a company called Moonshadow in the Isles that possessed a fascinating and unique product," he said, "It would not happen to be the same Moonshadow, would it?"

    Rassa smirked then reached into his pocket and drew a protection charm from the shadows, "You mean this fascinating and unique product? I admit they have a certain charm to them".

    The man looked positively greedy as he eyed the charm, "What would one who shares the name of that company be doing on my doorstep I wonder?"

    Rassa placed the charm on the table in front of him, "Well, with business doing so well, I''m looking to expand. Varkevia is the most successful Trade city in Eldovida, it simply makes sense. But I find that there are few buildings that meet my requirements for a storefront. I understand that you hold the land deed to the Bennett mansion".

    The man looked up at Rassa in surprise.

    "You wish to purchase the Bennett House?" asked the man.

    Rassa smiled, "If it is possible".

    The man seemed hesitant, "Well��"

    One of the claws on Rassa hand extended inconspicuously and he tapped the protection charm.

    "I would be grateful if you could sell it to me," Rassa smiled.

    The man looked at the charm, then at Rassa, then back at the Charm before he huffed and turned to a servant in the corner, "Retrieve the Bennett House''s Deed for Mr Moonshadow".

    The servant nodded and left the room. The man turned back to Rassa, "I''m sure we can come to an agreement Mr Moonshadow. The Bennett house is worth at least four million gold, but I could sell it to you at��perhaps three million?"

    The man''s eyes flicked down to the charm.

    Rassa smirked, his claw fl.i.c.k.i.n.g the protection charm across the table to where the man stopped it and held it greedily.

    "Three million it is, take that as my gift for your cooperation," said Rassa. The shadows around him revealed the crates of gold bars, and the man''s eyes widened in shock as he met Rassa''s gaze.

    Rassa delved into his memories, using the allure to capture the man completely. Why had he hesitated? Why hadn''t he wanted to sell until the greed got the better of him?

    Ah, so that was it. The land wasn''t his to sell in the first place. The Bennetts were not completely dead.

    "You will take a pen and paper and write to the young Bennett Heir. Tell him what you did, and that you are willing to give up two thirds of your payout to him. Then, tell him the new owner is willing to pass all possessions within the house to him if he wants them, but he must show up within three years of today," said Rassa, "Is that clear?"

    The man nodded, "It is clear".

    "And forget my oddities whilst you''re at it, I am but a man with a powerful vision," said Rassa.

    "I thank you for your business, but I really must be off, I''ve work up quite the appetite," Rassa stated.

    ***

    "Miss Ebony?"

    Ebony flinched at the sound. She''d been wallowing in her own fear all day. She hadn''t expected to hear from anyone. Not until Rassa got back. She wouldn''t risk it until Rassa got back.

    The weakness was more prominent today. The aching of her limbs making it hard to move without flinching. But she could still move. From what she''d heard of Rassa, she still had another week at least before the Sub-death would take over. Another week. Rassa would surely be back within that time.

    "Miss Ebony?"

    "Go away," Ebony g.r.o.a.n.e.d.

    "Miss Ebony? Is everything alright?"

    Ebony huffed, "You can go tell Iah I''m fine".

    There was hesitation before Mathius spoke again.

    "Miss Ebony, I have no intention of passing anything to Miss Iah that you don''t want passed on, I''m only here to enquire if you are okay or not. You were absent today and many of us grew concerned," Mathius stated.

    Ebony sighed, "I said, I''m fine".

    "With all due respect, Miss Ebony, you do not sound fine. May I come in?" asked Mathius.

    Ebony''s eyes widened. Probably not the best idea. She hadn''t let the room for a reason.

    "Ah, I really don''t think that''s-"

    She heard the click of the door unlocking and spun in her seat to find Mathius entering. Ebony''s eyes narrowed, "I thought mine was the only key?"

    Mathius sighed, "Moonshadow possesses all master keys of it''s buildings in case of emergencies, I deemed this one".

    Ebony huffed, "You should leave. No good will come of you being in here".

    Ebony went to turn away, only to have her eyes catch the blue of the veins on his neck.

    Mathius, oblivious to the predator having locked onto him, smiled, "I find I am quite the listener, Miss Ebony, perhaps I could lend you my ears and we could talk of what is bothering you. A pair of shoulders as delicate as yours should not be wracked with burdens".

    He approached, and Ebony couldn''t help but chuckle. Did the man have a death wish? Because that''s exactly what Ebony''s hunting instincts were plotting. With how he seemed so unphased by her he was practically asking her to do as her instincts were screaming for.

    "Burdens?" asked Ebony, "It shouldn''t be a burden if it was something I asked for but I suppose it is".

    Mathius came to sit on the couch near Ebony, looking legitimately interested, "Something you asked for?"

    Ebony appraised him for a moment, "You really aren''t going to leave when I tell you to".

    Mathius gave a small smile, "I may be old, Miss Ebony, but I know where I am needed, and you need me right now, if only you would tell me what for".

    Ebony looked to the roof of her apartment. Ebony could feel her fear slipping away as instinct took over. It needed food, and here it had been presented to her. Instinct did not fear what Ebony did. The instinct within her only knew hunger, and how to remedy it.

    "You will probably regret that," said Ebony, then her eyes move to meet Mathius'' as she felt her hunger overtake her, "But I''ve warned you three times now, so it''s hardly my fault you didn''t listen".

    Mathius opened his mouth to speak, only to register a hand over his mouth as Ebony appeared before him, settling herself onto his l.a.p in a matter of milliseconds. His eyes widened in surprise, then he stared at her in question as her mouth opened in a smile. A smile that Mathius watched with growing fear as her fangs extended.

    "You want to hear my problem, Mathius?" asked Ebony as she grabbed the side of his collar and ripped it away from his throat, "My problem is that I''m hungry, and being rather new at this I often fail to keep my prey alive after I feed from them. Rassa''s always been there to stop me before, but not right now. I found myself in a rather large moral dilemma because of it. But now? Now I''ve decided it''d just be rude for me to refuse you after you offered yourself up so willingly��I''ll try not to make it hurt".

    Mathius s.u.c.k.e.d in a breath as Ebony leaned in and sunk her fangs deep into his neck.

    She pulled and s.u.c.k.e.d and gulped. M.o.a.ning as the taste of blood hit her taste buds and she swallowed.

    So good. Why did she ever think of stopping? Why did she ever think it was okay to forego this p.l.e.a.s.u.r.e?

    Ebony revelled in her meal, s.u.c.k.i.n.g and swallowing all she could get, moving as close as possible to his veins in hopes of more. The aches disappeared. Her weaknesses with it. Until Ebony registered the wetness on her cheeks, and she knew without checking that she was full. That she didn''t have to take a drop more. But it was as she began to pull away that instinct hit her hard. She should just finish the job. She was so close anyway. So close.

    Too close. He''d not survive it anyway if she stopped.

    Ebony jerked back in her shock, looking down at Mathius in horror. Oh gods, what had she done?

    "Mathius?" asked Ebony.

    Her barely seemed present as he looked up at her, his eyes so faded and his skin so pale that Ebony felt her throat close in despair. She grabbed his arms and shook him.

    "No, Mathius? Please? I''m sorry, I didn''t mean it," said Ebony, "I''m sorry, please don''t die. Please. I take it back. I take it back!"

    Ebony paused, her eyes widening in realisation. Yes. Yes, she could give it back. Ebony didn''t even hesitate, she cut open her wrist with her fang and pushed the bleeding wound up against Mathius''s lips. She shifted, cradling him and enticing him to drink. It didn''t take him long. A Vampire''s lifeblood tasted like heaven to the dying.

    Ebony let him drink from her. Let the weakness take over again until he reared back, screaming as the change took hold of him. Ebony moved away. Standing to watch as the wound on her wrist slowly closed over.

    Oh gods. Mathius would live. But��she''d just sentenced him to the same hungering fate as her. What had she been thinking? No, she wasn''t thinking. She was an absolute mess. She needed Rassa. She needed��she needed Aegin.

    Ebony squatted back down as Mathius screamed in agony on the floor of her apartment. Ebony hugged her legs close to her c.h.e.s.t.

    She needed her friend. Her confidant. The one she had been through the darkness with and plunged after when he''d fallen further. He''d left her behind. She needed him and he''d left her behind. Ebony felt the tears fall relentlessly as she sobbed. Rassa had left her too. But Rassa was no longer just a friend, Rassa was her Sire. The one who had stood by her and trained her and had faith that she''d be fine on her own. He hadn''t let her down by leaving, she''d let him down.

    Ebony sniffed and looked back up at Mathius who was breathing hard, far stiller and more silent as he gasped for air.

    Rassa would be disappointed in her mistake��but he''d be even more disappointed if she didn''t take responsibility for her actions.

    Ebony could feel the Sire bond now as it formed with Mathius. Just like her bond with Rassa, only in reverse. Ebony felt the responsibility weigh on her shoulders, and knew she had no other choice. She couldn''t turn everyone she nearly killed. That just wasn''t an option. Ebony stood on shaky legs, then dragged Mathius up onto the couch. He''d be out for a few more hours while the change took over. Enough time for Ebony to get what they both needed.

    Blood.

    She dressed in her hunting gear and walked out onto the balcony in the night. There was no hesitation in her eyes this time. No fear. Just a deep acceptance for her actions, and for what had to come next.

    ***

    *Eldovian Era, 1713 7th day of the 10th month*

    Rassa followed the bonds, both old and new, all the way back to Rouke Island. He''d had no other choice when he''d felt the new bond form.

    Now, as he looked into Ebony''s apartment where she stood to the side of the room, the prisoners shivering in fear as they watched the new Vampire consume their cell mates and drop the bodies down without regret, he understood without a doubt that she had at least learned the lesson he''d wanted to teach her.

    Rassa came to stand beside her, but did not offer her any form of consolation as they both watched their new Coven Member have his first feed.

    "You will need to tell him when to stop," said Rassa.

    Ebony flinched, then risked a glance at Rassa, "You��you''re not angry?"

    Rassa glanced back at her, but said nothing.

    Ebony frowned, "You wanted me to make a mistake".

    Rassa turned back to the old man. Not his first choice to share his eternity with, but there was hardly anything short of killing him that Rassa would do now.

    "You wanted me to make a mistake?" Ebony repeated, clearly wanting an answer.

    "Chaos does not listen easily. You have to learn your hardest lessons yourself," said Rassa.

    "You left me when I wasn''t ready?" asked Ebony.

    "You are ready now," said Rassa, "You did not hesitate when you brought them here, did you?"

    Ebony turned to the prisoners that Rassa had indicated.

    "They''re due for execution anyway, I-"

    "You''re a vampire. A kill is a kill. You should not be so concerned about whether or not that kill is justified by binds of order such as morality. But that is another lesson," Rassa said, he pushed away from the wall, "I''ll inform Iah that you and Mathius will be indisposed today. You can both come with me to Eldovia tomorrow. I still have shops to purchase, hiring to be done and buildings to erect. You might want to stop him soon".

    Ebony''s eyes turned to Mathius as Rassa disappeared from the room, and despite her anger at him, she found herself understanding Rassa''s words. Ebony stepped forward towards Mathius.

    "Enough, you are full," she said.

    Mathius looked at her in surprise.

    "I know you want to keep going, but the hunger will always tell you that. You need to learn to control it��"

 Chapter 342 - The Moonshadow Trading Company Short Stories: 3 - The Expansion of Moonshadow (I)

    *Eldovian Era 1713, 7th Day of the 10th Month*

    His world had changed so rapidly. First it had been all the usual colours, if a little blurred thanks to the newly returned Moonshadow Lord, but he''d come and left like the sea breeze. Pleasant to both the eyes and the mind, but blowing away before you could have the chance to truly enjoy it.

    He''d left something behind as well. The beautiful woman he called sister but was apparently not of the same blood, just like Iah. Except unlike Iah, this Ebony was of the same blood, just not in a way Mathius had been able to understand.

    Not until he''d tasted the nectar of the gods for himself.

    Her blood was, in short, divine. It tasted so rich and decadent that he feared growing sick of it, but he hadn''t been able to stop. Just like with all decadent desserts however, his body had begun to fight back against the very nature of the blood.

    It''s nature, it''s very essence and reason for being was to devour. And devour it had, Mathius could sense no weariness in his old bones anymore. Now his muscles felt young again, his skin and bones harder than stone, and the fiery burning lines that had burned themselves into his waist, curling around from his spine to his belly button, they felt��like a manifestation of his soul.

    Still, none of it compared to the hunger. It had ripped its way through his entire being without mercy or warning. He''d barely registered the man being shoved at him until his hands, fingertips ending in lethal looking claws, extended to catch the stranger with ease. Then the two needle-like teeth he''d felt form in his upper jaw had extended and plunged into the nearest exposed vein.

    He''d drunk greedily as soon as blood had hit his tongue, unwilling to part with this newfound p.l.e.a.s.u.r.e. He''d heard stories before of masses of people becoming addicted to a substance, but never had he thought that substance would be blood. It sung to him as he swallowed it, his body humming in melodic response.

    Yes, this was all he would ever d.e.s.i.r.e. Nothing else could possibly matter.

    "Enough, you are full".

    Or perhaps something did matter. The lines that felt like his very soul responded to the voice. It felt like an order. His fangs retreated as he looked up for the source, finding the sound familiar.

    His eyes focused as they pinpointed Ebony Moonshadow.

    She was dressed differently, no longer in the sheer gown and night-coat she''d worn when he''d entered the room. She looked far stronger now. Not like the sulking child he''d come to comfort, but like a young woman with a weight on her shoulders. A weight she bore beautifully as she stepped forward, pushing away from the wall.

    Her signature skirt, without volume and with slits up either side of her legs, swayed when she walked, the dark brown corset covering a clean, white cotton top that scandalously exposed her clavicle and shoulders.

    "I know you want to keep going, but the hunger will always tell you that. You need to learn to control it��" her lips moved and Mathius heard the words, the lines at his waist urging him to listen, but he was reluctant to leave the meal in his hands. He bent over to partake again.

    "Enough".

    An order this time. One his lines responded to enough to cause a hot warning in his being. His eyes darted back up to her, assessing her not as a feeble woman anymore, but as a threat to his delicious meal. She did not look strong. She certainly hadn''t last night, but something told him he shouldn''t underestimate her because of how she looked.

    "Why should I stop?" asked Mathius. His voice sounded different. He frowned at the sound, until he worked out why he sounded so different. He no longer sounded so submissive, so��tame.

    "I''m sorry I did this to you, Mathius," Ebony stated. And she did appear to have remorse somewhere hidden behind that serious look in her eyes, "It is my mistake, and I can offer you no excuse that could possibly be worthy of forgiveness. But, seeing as it is my mistake, it is my responsibility to teach you. My first lesson is simple. Learn the difference between when you are satiated and when you are full, and, most importantly, learn to stop at full".

    Mathius'' eyes narrowed. Stop at full? But why? Why shouldn''t he indulge?

    "Why?" asked Mathius.

    Ebony raised an eyebrow, "If you cannot control your hunger, you will not last long in this life. The Chaos within you with consume you with it".

    Mathius assumed so, and pushed the body off of his l.a.p. It was then he seemed to grasp that it was a body. The fearful, dead eyes of the man he could not name stared back at him, and Mathius felt reality slam into him with full force. He looked down at his hand, where claws retracted, and he felt his fangs do the same as he closed his mouth. He looked around, spotting a mirror to the side, and he hurried to it, so quickly he almost smashed into it. He''d never moved that quickly before.

    As if making sure that it was possible, he looked back over at the bed where he''d been sitting, then came to the conclusion that it was not physically possible for him to cross here in an instant. He glanced at Ebony as if to confirm his thoughts, then turned to his reflection.

    His clothes were soiled with blood, his skin paler than it had been before. Though, his eyes shone with a life that hadn''t been there before. His features��where once they had been that of a man growing old, now they looked to be of a man in his prime. At the latter end of his prime perhaps, with crow''s feet on the edges of his eyes and wrinkles around his mouth and forehead, but there was just a part of his appearance that seemed, younger.

    "You��what happened?" asked Mathius, reaching up to touch his face.

    Ebony sighed, "Like I said, I don''t expect to be forgiven��I was hungry, stupidly believing that I could handle it. When you came in and practically refused to leave, I couldn''t help it. The instincts took over and I indulged. When I realised I''d drunk far more than I should have I��I panicked. Then I turned you".

    "Turned��you mean you made me like you? Like Mr Moonshadow?" asked Mathius, turning to face Ebony in disbelief.

    Ebony nodded.

    Mathius didn''t know whether to feel angry or not. This certainly wasn''t a life he expected for himself, but he felt incredible. Far better than his aging human body had been. Surely if he was like this he''d be able to help Moonshadow far more efficiently. In saying that, he knew barely anything about what he was.

    "The bathroom is through that door. I retrieved some clothes for you that are on the bench in there. Wash up first, then I''ll answer what I can," said Ebony.

    "And what you can''t?" asked Mathius.

    "Rassa is back," said Ebony. It surprised Mathius. It had been less than a week, surely he hadn''t gone to the mines and found land and properties as he''d set out to do in that time. Iah had mentioned him being back within a fortnight but Mathius had not believed it.

    "He is?" asked Mathius.

    Ebony nodded, "He��He sensed it when I turned you. He is the First of us, the most powerful and most knowledgeable. I''m not fully done with my own training and have yet to fully awaken, so despite it being my responsibility as your Sire, I cannot teach you everything".

    "Sire?" asked Mathius.

    "The one who turned you," said Ebony, "Rassa is mine and Aegin''s Sire. I am your Sire, but because Rassa turned me-"

    "He can sense who you turn as well," Mathius concluded, his eyes thoughtful, "When he said you were family, I sensed he meant it through blood, but didn''t quite understand. I get it now. I can feel my bond with you. It pushes me to listen and obey".

    Ebony nodded, "Yes, it will, but only if I will it too. Of course, you have your own free will".

    "And if that free will does not wish to listen?" asked Mathius, his eyes straying to the bodies around the bed.

    Ebony''s eyes narrowed, "What if your next victim was Iah?"

    Mathius''s gaze snapped to Ebony. The thought had not occurred to him. He had only been concerned about the divine taste of the blood. Indeed, the thought of more blood was intriguing no matter who it came from, but that was what finally pulled him from his hungering spiral. He may have known Iah for less than six months, but that didn''t change the fact that he greatly admired the young woman. She''d cared for him, respected him, and given him a position when many others had turned him away. If she ended up like the bodies on the floor before him��

    Mathius''s gaze dropped in shame, "I��I understand".

    Ebony nodded, "Wash up. I''ll take care of the bodies".

    ***

    Iah startled as she entered her office, not expecting the figure that was relaxing casually at her desk. Hand on her heart as she took a deep breath, Rassa turned to look at her.

    "Morning," said Rassa.

    "I thought you were in Eldovia," Iah said.

    Rassa nodded, "I was. I came back last night".

    Iah sighed, "Well, not that it''s not good to see you again, but I thought you said your business would take a few weeks. It''s barely been one".

    Rassa nodded, "Yes, Ebony��well, I suppose there is no way to break this to you easily so I''m just going to come right out and say it; Ebony was being irresponsible with her eating habits and happened to make a meal out of Mathius when you sent him to look in on her last night".

    Iah''s eyes widened, "Ebony��ate, Mathius?"

    "Well, she drank his blood," said Rassa as he stood, "Quite a lot of it actually, to the point where there was no way he would have survived, and then in her guilt she turned him".

    "Turned��so he is like you now?" asked Iah.

    Rassa raised an eyebrow, "You''re taking this surprisingly well".

    "I''m really not," said Iah as she grabbed the arm of the nearby couch and pulled herself into it to sit down, "This is not a problem I can deal with this early in the morning".

    Rassa sighed, "Well, he''s not your problem at the moment he''s Ebony''s. Seeing as she turned him it''s her responsibility to teach him".

    "The one who wasn''t m.a.t.u.r.e enough to work out when was the appropriate time to feed is now teaching someone she turned when she didn''t have full control of her faculties?" Iah ground out.

    Rassa walked over to Iah, "We all know that Ebony made a mistake, but I can sense that she is not the one you are angry with right now. It was not your fault for sending him, Iah".

    Iah turned away, "I��I was the one that brought him into this company, that put him in harm''s way, how can I not-"

    "Iah, becoming a Vampire is hardly something I''d ask you to consider when employing new staff," Rassa stated, "The whole concept is rather new to this world, so regardless of whether it is within the company or outside of it, once people find out there will be those who are against us. We will make mistakes, but our path is one of Chaos, and if we choose to punish ourselves for those mistakes we will not be able to accept ourselves. We are not human, and I will not see my people condemning themselves with human logic. In saying that, I apologise to you for the grief it may cause you, and of course Ebony will be punished in her own way for letting her hunger get the best of her. She will be punished because she is now forced to become a role-model and a teacher to Mathius".

    Iah sighed. She understood that Vampires were not the same as her, but their logic made little sense, "I cannot promise I will not be angry at her".

    "At least reserve your judgement for a few weeks, then you can speak again with Mathius and hopefully this can be resolved," said Rassa. Find authorized novels in , faster updates, better experience, Please click <a href="/book/the-monster-inside-the-first-vampire_13120324005761605/the-moonshadow-trading-company-short-stories-3---the-expansion-of-moonshadow-(i)_50626122584487063">/book/the-monster-inside-the-first-vampire_13120324005761605/the-moonshadow-trading-company-short-stories-3---the-expansion-of-moonshadow-(i)_50626122584487063</a> for visiting.

    "A few weeks? You want me to wait a few weeks to see Mathius?" asked Iah.

    Rassa nodded, "My business has not concluded in Eldovia, I left Kit and Olly in Varkevia after purchasing land and a building there".

    "Varkevia? I thought you wanted to set up the warehouses somewhere remote," Iah stated.

    "I do, I purchased land at the southern end of the Seisin Mountains for that," said Rassa, "Before I leave tonight I''ll review the staff recruitment lists you''ve prepared and set up those gifts for you".

    He was moving too quickly away from the issue, his lack of remorse for Ebony turning Mathius was clear. Like he''d fully expected it to be a possibility. She''d always trusted Rassa, but seeing him so��uncaring. It threw her off course and made her begin to question a lot of things.

    "I��I don''t understand you," she admitted.

    Rassa paused, looking down at Iah, "I don''t expect you to. Even if I answer all the questions swirling in your mind you will likely still not understand. We are not alike, Iah. At least not yet".

    "Not yet?" asked Iah, meeting his crimson gaze.

    "I will not offer it now as you will likely reject me given the circ.u.mstances. But you have done much for this company in my absence Iah. I could not ask for a better friend and servant. I would be loath to see you grow old and leave me. To leave Moonshadow. So, I would offer to turn you, but only if you want it, and only when you are ready," said Rassa, "I will be cruel though, and tell you that becoming like us is likely the only way you will ever understand our ways".

    She stared up at Rassa, shocked. Yes. She would reject him now. Absolutely. After what had just happened to Mathius? It seemed illogical for her to put anyone else in the same danger Ebony had put them in. The very thought of being a vampire was repulsive. Right up until Iah met Rassa''s gaze.

    She considered his words. Being human, she would grow old. She would not remain with these people forever as Rassa and Ebony and now Mathius would remain. It would surely be strange, twenty years, or even ten years in the future, to look at the others and her own reflection and know that the gap between them was only bound to grow. Their agelessness would become something she could not escape. Her fate as a human was absolute. She would die someday. And Rassa looked genuinely sad at the thought.

    They were different, that much was clear. But they didn''t have to be.

    "I need��to be alone," Iah stated, turning away from Rassa''s sad, yet knowing eyes.

    "I''ll come back this afternoon then to see the lists. I''ll be down in the bas.e.m.e.nt, then in the room you''ve cleared out on the second floor, if you need me. Mathius and Ebony will likely be out most of the day," Rassa stated.

    Then, with a breeze that stirred the loose papers in the office, he was gone. Iah sighed, putting a hand on her head as if to catch it from falling from sheer weight.

    She really should have listened when she''d told herself never to expect the normal with Rassa. Yet, hear she was feeling sad and sorry for herself after not taking her own advice. Would she learn this time? Or would she have to be shocked then wallow in her own self-pity again? Was there a point where she''d just become immune to it?

    Iah knew the answer to that. But it was too early in the morning to deal with the death and rebirth of a friend and trusted colleague, let alone the prospect of eternity, so instead she called one of the workers to bring her some tea and set to work on the lists Rassa had said he wanted to discuss.

    Work. Work would help. Work and Tea.

 Chapter 343 - The Moonshadow Trading Company Short Stories: 3 - The Expansion of Moonshadow (II)

    Using the shadows to excavate a big enough space for the Ruin''s Protection Charm had been simple enough in the darkness of the bas.e.m.e.nt. Easy even. Rassa had finished setting it into the earth beneath the Ruin and ensuring it worked properly within a half hour. He''d essentially written that it''s job was to protect the building of and those within it from ill-intent, which could include something as simple as robbery to an all-out attack. The size of the crystal was far bigger than anything Rassa had dealt with before. At least as tall as him when stood upright and three times as wide.

    He''d decided to place Runes on it that essentially meant that once activated, it could work on its own and would not need time to recharge. This worked by the Crystal reading the Mist in its area of detection, something that didn''t require the use of the Mist itself. When it detected something related to its job, then it would activate. It essentially meant that the time it spent ''reading'' was also ''recharging'' time. In addition, the only one who could deactivate it was himself.

    Once it was on, those within the Ruin could have sworn they felt a strange altering in the air. Like something was watching them. But they quickly grew used to it, thinking it was just the presence of their Big Boss putting them on edge.

    Unfortunately, the Communication Charm that Rassa had prepared for the Ruin was not quite so easy to install. Luckily, he''d thought ahead of time, planning for the fact that he wouldn''t be able to implant it into the floor like he had the Protection Charm in the Bas.e.m.e.nt, lest it go through to the first level.

    The room Iah had cleared out was on the second floor; an empty office opposite the staircase and alongside the records room that dominated the back of the second floor. It was a medium sized room, about four metres wide and six metres long, but it would have to do for now.

    Rassa pulled the Communication Crystal from his Shadow, and situated it at the far end of the room in the iron stand he''d hastily worked on with Kei.

    The Old Blacksmith has been impressed by Rassa''s precise techniques, but in all honesty Rassa had been hasty, and hadn''t really been fashioning the stand with any purpose in mind other than for it to be strong enough to hold the crystal. Kei had been more concerned with the design in terms of whether or not it was pleasing to the eye. After Rassa had cut and welded it together, Kei had spent nearly all night making it look far more spectacular that it actually was.

    Setting the Communication Crystal down in the room, Rassa spent the remainder of the morning constructing a table to go around it, and several chairs, as well as a few book shelves and boards on the walls that would be used to display things during future meetings. Then, on one board he pinned a map of Eldovia, and put pins into the parts of the continent that possessed a Moonshadow Base.

    He''d have to get someone who was an expert Cartographer in at some point to draw him a proper map.

    Then, as he was appraising the Map, Iah knocked and entered.

    "I heard you��" her gaze fell on the giant crystal in the centre of the tables, it was about half the size of the Protection Charm in the Bas.e.m.e.nt that she''d wondered down to look at earlier, "It looks impressive, but what exactly is the point of it?"

    She knew it wasn''t a protection charm from the runes on it''s surface, but having no connection to the Mist, she was unable to discern it''s true purpose for herself.

    Rassa smirked, "Have someone check on it every hour or so after I leave. If it''s flashing, activate it, you''ll be in for a nice surprise".

    Iah frowned, but decided from Rassa''s smug look that he wasn''t going to explain further. She sighed and handed the file in her hands over.

    "The lists you asked for".

    Rassa took them from her politely, knowing she was still on edge after what she''d learned this morning.

    "Anything I should be paying close attention to?" asked Rassa.

    Iah raised an eyebrow, as if wondering if he did indeed want her opinion, then sighed as she relented, "The numbers are hasty, and only really for the base. If you''re opening up other shops, that''ll be another list. And the number of Magicians��we weren''t a hundred percent sure of it. The last number we received from Ebony was when she was��well, not entirely concentrated".

    Rassa nodded, "Let me worry about them".

    Rassa then reached into his shadow on the table beside them and polled out several rolls of paper before he rolled them out, "These are the plans I''ve got for the main base at Shigeni Mountain. I can handle the construction fairly well on my own, but I need tools and materials. If you could arrange for as many as possible to be in Lovolon in two weeks-time, I''ll pick them up myself and begin construction. I also want you to have recruitment notices prepared so that we may start in a month. I''ll have them posted in every main city in Eldovia and conduct the interviews when I finish construction".

    Iah glanced at Rassa, "That is a tight time frame".

    "You cannot do it?" asked Rassa.

    "Well the travel time alone would-"

    Rassa smiled, "There is no need to worry about that. Not anymore".

    Iah gave a long stare towards Rassa. She disliked his indifference. No, not indifference, she realised. He was not indifferent to her pain. He simply did not feel the same way. Was it truly right of her to condemn him for that? It was not his mistake after all. Iah sighed.

    "I can do it".

    "I''d like you to be on the interview panel," Rassa stated.

    Iah''s eyes widened, "Me?"

    Rassa nodded, "You''ve run this business all this time, Iah. I want you to be a part of it for a long time to come. If I haven''t made that clear by now, I apologise".

    Iah huffed. He had made it clear. She just had a hard time believing it given that she wasn''t used to taking orders. She decided to clear the air by changing the subject.

    "Talo and Will requested your presence at the docks before you leave. Something about expanding the fleet," Iah paused, the corner of her lips lifted in amus.e.m.e.nt, "They''ve got one ship, it''s hardly a fleet".

    Rassa smiled, "Thank you, Iah. I will go to them now. Do you still want me to return with Mathius and Ebony before we leave tonight?"

    Iah frowned, but nodded.

    Rassa decided against having that argument again, "We''ll be back just before the sun sets then".

    ***

    He smiled, impressed by the work of his new Dock Master. Will had outshined Greyson within a week of his appointment. Not that it was hard to do so.

    Rassa spotted Will at the end of the main dock where the Moon Voyager was, busily talking with Talo. He made his way over, curious looks from the workers as he went.

    "Talo, all I''m asking is that you divide your crew so that when the new ship is ready it can be used by tried and trusted employees," Will pleaded, sounding exhausted.

    Talo crossed his arms, standing tall and proud, "A ship''s crew is her blood, I ain''t draining Moon Voyager!"

    "Then you''ll have to spare some time to interview and test out new crew for the other ship," Will decreed.

    "I''m busy, Will. You do it," Talo huffed.

    Will threw his hands up in annoyance, "Oh, and of course I have nothing to do! I''m just building this entire dock yard from the ground up!"

    Will turned to walk away, pausing mid step and his eyes going wide as he spotted Rassa.

    "Mr Moonshadow��what an unexpected surprise," said Will.

    Rassa chuckled, "Relax, Will. I''ve got no bad things to say to you. From what I can see you''ve taken on the role I gave you marvellously".

    Sel and Layton appeared quickly, the Eunuch silently, the kid with an excited grin on this face that most would have backed away from given his many piercings and icy eyes.

    "Master," Sel nodded respectfully.

    Rassa acknowledged him, his gaze gliding over the kid to rest on Talo, "Will is right, we''re going to need a new crew for the other ship and I have no one else who is quite so experienced in these matters as you".

    Talo sighed, "If I''m spending my days going to other Islands to retrieve supplies, I''ve hardly got the time to train or interview an entirely new crew".

    "Would you have the time if I sent you to Port Lovolon instead?" asked Rassa.

    Talo paused, "Lovolon?"

    "We''ll be establishing a proper and exclusive Moonshadow Warehouse on the Eldovian Mainland. I need you to head over to Lovolon and acquire a warehouse, you''ll need to ferry some supplies there for construction as well. Communicate with Iah for the details. I''ll meet you in Lovolon in two weeks," Rassa explained.

    "Two weeks?" asked Talo, "That''ll only be enough time for two trips��and that''s if the winds are favourable".

    "I can wait if I need to," Rassa replied, "Besides, if you''re going to be selecting and training a new crew, I''d be more inclined to let you take your time".

    Talo frowned in thought, "I suppose the extra days at sea does give me time to get to know any newcomers better. But the ship will be overcrowded".

    "It was overcrowded for three weeks on the journey from the south," Rassa said, "You''ll make do".

    Talo rolled his eyes, "Yes boss, I''m assuming I''ll be seeing Iah for the details?"

    "Go tomorrow morning, she''s��well, just give her the rest of the day off," said Rassa, "I''ll be going to Eldovia again. I''m taking Mathius and Ebony with me this time".

    Rassa''s gaze went over Layton, who appeared somewhat deflated after being ignored, and Sel, who continued to await orders once more. Rassa hesitated only a moment before he nodded, "You two can come with me as well if Talo doesn''t need you?"

    Talo shook his head, "Take ''em".

    Rassa nodded, "Then be at the Charm Shop at sundown".

    Sel nodded, and Layton grinned with a savage excitement.

    "Sel, let Elsbeth know she''ll need to be on the second trip to Lovolon with Talo. Get her to pick seven others whom she trusts. At least 3 of them need to be capable of making decisions on their own and need to be fast learners. Understood?" Rassa instructed.

    Sel nodded, "It will be done, Master".

    "Good," said Rassa, then Sel disappeared, Layton turning to go and grab his things from below decks. Rassa sighed. He barely knew these men, but they were willing to follow him so explicitly because he was a friend of Aegin.

    "Something wrong, Mr Moonshadow?" asked Will.

    "I am no longer human, Will," said Rassa, "I haven''t been in a long time. But sometimes I remember vaguely what it was like to be ordered around with no tangible benefits. I am not doing that to you, am I?"

    Will snorted in amus.e.m.e.nt, "We lived for many years in a place where there were no tangible benefits. Perhaps we are just used to it. At least with you as our Master, we are able to go where we wish and are free to earn our own coin and live our own lives. I don''t think any of us could d.e.s.i.r.e anything more".

    Rassa frowned, "It feels strange, you calling me Master. I know you fought for your freedom yet you choose to call me as such".

    "Better to serve the Master we have chosen, than the one we have not," Will replied.

    Rassa glanced at Will, seeing the steady and calm resolve on his face, "Then you''ll let me know, won''t you? If I am no longer a Master you choose".

    "You''ll be the first, Mr Moonshadow," said Will.

    Rassa flashed a fang from beneath his dark hood, "Then I promise not to drain you where you stand for telling me".

    Rassa disappeared at Will''s pale face and Talo chuckled behind him.

    "He''s a good master, sure," Talo said, "But his sense of humour is an acquired taste".

    "I imagine blood is as well," Will said as he relaxed, "Want me to put out a call for new crew?"

    Talo nodded, "Twenty will do. More and I won''t know what to do with them all".

    Will turned and walked back down towards the Warehouse.

    ***

    Ebony knew that Iah would not welcome her. She''d known it since she''d awoken from her hunger and looked down at Mathius'' corpse-like body. Still, the cold detachedness with which Iah greeted her hurt.

    "Ebony".

    Ebony just nodded as Iah had already turned to look at Mathius, her eyes widening from the change in him. To anyone who had not met him before perhaps the change would not be so obvious. But the way he moved and carried himself, the way he appeared just slightly younger than before, that was all very different. Find authorized novels in , faster updates, better experience, Please click <a href="/book/the-monster-inside-the-first-vampire_13120324005761605/the-moonshadow-trading-company-short-stories-3---the-expansion-of-moonshadow-(ii)_50850279343575561">/book/the-monster-inside-the-first-vampire_13120324005761605/the-moonshadow-trading-company-short-stories-3---the-expansion-of-moonshadow-(ii)_50850279343575561</a> for visiting.

    "Mathius��are you��okay?"

    Mathius looked at Iah, then gave an ever-so-slightly nervous glance at Ebony. Ever since Ebony had managed to shake him from his hunger that morning, he''d avoided the subject of Iah. Ebony didn''t exactly know what he felt, only that Iah was somebody he didn''t wish to hurt. His rebirth had made him powerful, but it had also filled him with a hunger that could never be satiated. One that he could very well lose himself to if he wasn''t careful.

    A calming breeze brushed the curtains, and Ebony turned to acknowledge Rassa as he stepped into the Office via the balcony, his hood shielding his face from view. Ebony felt the slightest sense of relief settle on her shoulders at his presence.

    "I''m okay," Mathius said to Iah, "Don''t worry about me. I was stupid for walking in there without permission anyway. At least half of the blame should rest on my shoulders".

    Iah gave a glance over at Ebony, then Rassa, then back to Mathius, "Forgive me if I don''t agree, but there is nothing I can do but accept it as reality now".

    Iah stepped forward, but Mathius took a step back. Iah looked surprised.

    "Sorry, I''m just��not ready. Next time we meet, I promise I''ll greet you properly," said Mathius.

    "Ah, right," said Iah.

    The atmosphere drifted into the awkward before there was a knock on the door and Iah turned to it, "Come in".

    Sel and Layton stepped in, both carrying small bags with their belongings.

    "Everyone''s here, then," said Rassa, "Good, we should be able to meet up with Kit and Olly without much delay. Mathius, Ebony, you can hunt when we reach the Mainland. There should be ample land for you to stretch your legs".

    Rassa took a few steps forward to Iah, then, much to everyone''s surprise, wrapped her in a hug. Iah froze momentarily, but when Rassa didn''t seem to react, Iah relaxed and returned the hug. She understood that despite his apparent lack of sympathy for her current emotions and mindset, he still wished to offer her some form of the human emotion.

    "Thank you for holding down the fort, Iah Moonshadow. Now and always," said Rassa.

    Iah huffed out a laugh, shocked to feel her emotions clog in the throat. She closed her eyes, hugging him tighter for a moment before she stepped away, "Safe travels".

    Rassa gave her a warm smile, "We''ll talk soon, remember to keep an eye on that charm".

    Iah sighed, "As you instruct, Mr Moonshadow".

    Rassa looked somewhat amused at her address before he turned and nodded towards the door, "Let''s go".

    Iah watched them from the third-floor window as they marched up the street towards the centre of the Island, the Lamp Lighters passing them by as the sun dipped below the horizon. Coming and going like the wind. Iah couldn''t help but wonder if Rassa would ever feel content enough to settle down in one place.

 Chapter 344 - The Moonshadow Trading Company Short Stories: 3 - The Expansion of Moonshadow (III)

    "You want us to get in that?" asked Ebony.

    Rassa sighed, "You and Mathius can hold on to the sides, Sel and Layton will have to climb in though. I apologise that it''s not larger. It is not as if I planned nor d.e.s.i.r.ed to carry so many".

    Ebony decided not to question him further. From his tone it was clear that Rassa felt this was not a valid use of his time, but he still had to do it because the rest of them didn''t have wings.

    Sel did not question it, and after a dubious look from Layton, the kid climbed in. Ebony grabbed hold of the ropes on the side and Mathius moved forward to grab one on the other side. The looked fairly awkward in such a position in the middle of a field on Rouke as the sky continued to turn dark.

    Rassa took hold of the ends of the ropes that Mathius and Ebony clung to, then his wings snapped out from his back.

    "Alright, I mean it when I say hold tight. It''d be better if those in the basket crouched down until we''re stable," Rassa replied.

    He waited only a few seconds before he brought his wings up and leaped into the air, his wings giving a thunderous beat down. Once, twice, three times. With each wing beat the basket jostled and jerked. Ebony clung tightly to the rope as the ground beneath shrunk dizzyingly. Finally, though it was probably less than a minute after their sudden take off, the jerkiness of the trip calmed somewhat as Rassa glided out over the open water. The Islands beneath dark except for the glimpses of lights from settlements and the occasional lantern from a ship on the water.

    "Well, if the jerking violence could be curbed, this wouldn''t be such a bad way to travel," said Layton. Ebony noticed that he''d stood and was leaning over the side of the basket to glimpse what was below.

    "It''s certainly faster," said Mathius from his side of the basket, "We''re already nearly at the northern edge of the islands, that''d take a ship at least half a morning to accomplish".

    "Such lengthy transportation routes are a pain," said Rassa, "If it was for leisure, I would not have a problem, but when something needs to be done I have not the patience to wait so long".

    Ebony looked up at him, "So you have a plan beyond this basket I assume?" asked Ebony.

    Rassa smirked down at her, "Perhaps".

    The rest of the trip across the water was largely silent. When the ocean resembled the sky, reflecting the stars, it was hard to comment on anything else, hence, conversation died quickly.

    Eventually, Sel, who had been silent the entire trip, perked up after an hour or so, "The Mainland is ahead".

    "I see it," Rassa replied, "I''ll be gliding down closer to the cliffs. Ebony and Mathius, you''ll have to jump when we''re close".

    "Jump?" asked Ebony, bewildered.

    "The fall won''t kill you if that''s what you''re worried about," said Rassa, "And any injuries you incur will heal quite rapidly. Head for Varkevia. Hunt something on the way. We''ll be in the lone mansion on the Northern side of the City. I''ll see you both around dawn if not sooner".

    Ebony could hardly protest. Rassa was making them go together for two reasons. First, so that Ebony could teach Mathius how to properly hunt. And second, because he felt it useless to carry them if they could make good time on their own anyway.

    Ebony sighed, "We''ll see you then".

    Rassa dipped towards the Mainland, and Ebony''s stomach flipped inside her for a moment before they stabilised again and Ebony realised that Rassa wasn''t going to lower the basket any further. They were still several hundred metres above the cliffs.

    Ebony gritted her teeth as they passed over the edge of the Continent, then stepped back into open air and let gravity take her down. She plummeted towards the ground, the wind screeching in her ears as she stabilised her body in a position that was parallel to the ground, finding she had slightly more control of her descent in that position. She could see Mathius not far from her following her actions himself. There was slight fear in his eyes, but also a thrill of sorts.

    Ebony had to admit that after the initial shock, the fall was quite exciting. Especially knowing that she would not die upon impact. Ah, what a far cry she was from that child who feared climbing to the top of a ship''s mast. It made her excited at the prospect of her own wings. Rassa had told her that she would earn them eventually. She still did not know exactly what that meant, but knowing Rassa, she was not supposed to know until the time was right.

    Ebony spotted a group of large trees and streamlined her body as she made her way towards it. Now that it was approaching so rapidly, she realised that this would likely hurt regardless of how she wanted to control it.

    As the tree came closer and closer, Ebony extended her arms out, catching on one of the thicker, outlying branches and swinging herself around it to slow her descent. The tree creaked and w.h.i.n.ed dangerously before Ebony flung herself forward into the open clearing before it. Her legs jarred as she landed, and she gasped at the pain in them before she rolled forward, her graceful landing become decidedly not so as she rolled for several metres before she slowed to a stop.

    She g.r.o.a.n.e.d as she rolled over, spying Rassa''s dark shape with the basket high above. She cursed him as she heard a similar crash to her own nearby. She sat up slowly, her skin itching as it healed and the bones, muscles and ligaments in her legs and spine repaired themselves rapidly.

    She paused for a few second before she pushed herself back into a standing position, stretching her limps out and dusting herself off before she turned her attention to where Mathius had crash landed.

    She hurried over, finding him in a similar situation to herself, only he''d used the trees to quite literally break his fall. Ebony couldn''t help but spare a thought for the mangled and crushed silhouettes behind her that has stood tall and proud just moments before.

    "You okay?" asked Ebony.

    Mathius huffed as he slowly stood, several cuts on his face and neck healing, "He did not mention the pain".

    Ebony sighed, "Yes, no doubt so that we''d jump more readily. We might be a lot harder to damage, and heal far more rapidly than the humans we once were, but that does not mean we do not feel pain".

    Mathius sighed, "I do not wish to travel that way again if it means I must jump like that every time".

    Ebony turned to watch Rassa''s figure disappear into the distance, "Something tells me that despite our intention, we may not be able to avoid it forever. Come, let us run".

    "Run?" asked Mathius, "I have never found any p.l.e.a.s.u.r.e in the activity".

    Ebony chuckled, "You will now".

    Then she turned and stepped forward, pushing her energy into her legs as she sped off towards the rough location of Varkevia. She''d never been before, but she knew where it was.

    It took a few moments, but she sensed Mathius in pursuit soon enough. She slowed slightly to allow him to catch up.

    "Perhaps there are perks to this Vampire thing," Mathius admitted.

    Ebony smiled, "Just a few".

    She sped up.

    ***

    Understandably. Kit had been peeved when he had returned from a shopping spree with Olly the night before to find that Rassa had effectively abandoned them. Olly, with his foresight, had not reflected his anger. In fact, Olly''s reassurance that Rassa would be back had only served to peeve Kit off more.

    If he was going to treat them like this, why, by the gods, had he brought them along in the first place?

    Kit pushed the carrots around on his plate as Olly ate heartily opposite him, a smile on his face as he took in the atmosphere that surrounded them.

    "Does it not bother you that he just left like that?" asked Kit, "At all?"

    Olly paused, eyes wide and round, "He''s coming back".

    Kit sighed, "You say that, but he still abandoned us".

    "He''s coming back," Olly repeated.

    "Yes, but he abandoned us. He left without warning nor reason," said Kit, "That''s the definition of abandonment".

    "But he''s-"

    "Coming back? Yes, you mentioned that once or twice," Kit grumbled, leaning back in his chair and crossing his arms as his fork clanged onto the plate unceremoniously.

    Olly frowned, "Are you angry at me, Kit?"

    Kit turned to look at Olly, the young man''s eyes pleading like a kicked puppy.

    Kit sighed, "No. I''m not angry at you. I just don''t understand you sometimes, Olly".

    Olly nodded, "Most people don''t��but Rassa does".

    Kit raised an eyebrow, "How are you so sure?"

    "Because he knew I was an Oracle," said Olly.

    Kit frowned, "How did he know that? He also mentioned there hadn''t been an Oracle in centuries. Millennia even".

    "He knows the same way he knows about the charms. About Chaos," said Olly, "He learned from something��someone��from a time very long ago. A time when Oracles and Vampires and Chaos were commonplace".

    "If such a time existed, why do we not know about it?" asked Kit, "Doesn''t it bother you that we don''t know?"

    "But I do know," said Olly, "At least I know what the Mist will tell me".

    Kit sighed, "Not what I meant".

    "I know," Olly replied, shovelling the last mouthful of his food into his mouth, "Nobody knows because eventually, the coin had to finish flipping and land with one side up. When you only take one side, you become limited in the potential you can bring out into the world".

    "You''re not making any sense," said Kit.

    "I don''t think I''m allowed to��not yet anyway," said Olly, then he pointed at Kit''s plate, "You should eat. Rassa will be back soon".

    Kit huffed in annoyance. That conversation had been practically useless. Still, he leaned forward to finish his meal.

    When they were finished, they ventured back to the night market, looking at stalls that they hadn''t had the chance to the night before and generally trying to waste time before Olly dragged Kit from the market square and up towards the Pig''s Pint Inn.

    "We don''t have a room," said Kit, "Rassa only paid for one night".

    "We''re not going there," said Olly, turning right when they reached the Inn to walk towards the north.

    The streets grew far quieter the further they ventured from the main street, until the only sound that they could hear was their own feet as they travelled by the light of the lamps past quiet houses and lesser-known storefronts until even those faded away. They were left on an overgrown path that was quickly overwhelmed by the trees that hung over it, the light from the widely spaced lamps barely seen. Kit and Olly only knew they were still on the path from the sound of the cobblestones beneath their boots.

    Eventually, they came to a cast iron gate that stood in the centre of a solid stone wall. An old insignia hung above the gate, the name ''Bennett'' half worn off by time.

    "What are we doing here?" asked Kit, "This place is clearly abandoned".

    "Not for much longer," said Olly.

    Right as he finished speaking. A familiar sound registered. A deep and repetitive thump from above.

    Kit raised his gaze up, struggling to make out anything in the darkness as the sound got louder the closer it came.

    "That''s-"

    A thunderous beat echoed in front of them, beyond the gates in the courtyard, and Kit and Olly barely made out the shape of the basket that had carried them to Varkevia as it landed, and Rassa''s huge dark wings as the held him aloft before disappearing entirely. Rassa dropped into the courtyard, turning to face Kit and Olly.

    "Sorry about leaving without saying anything. I had an emergency to take care of back on Rouke". The shadows rose from the ground around the gate. Slicing at the undergrowth before they pulled the gates back. Olly stepped through without delay and Kit followed behind, noticed the two figures emerge from the basket.

    He paused, they were unfamiliar to him.

    The first to climb from the basket had an eager but deadly grin on his face. He was a boy perhaps a year or two older than Kit. Still, despite the closeness of their age, the uneasy feeling Kit felt upon meeting the boy''s gaze made him think it was unlikely the two would see eye-to-eye. The older boy''s skin was deeply tanned, and his eyes an icy blue whilst his honey blonde hair was chopped relatively short. His left eyebrow, nose, and both bottom and top lips as well as both of his ears were heavily pierced with metal ornaments such as balls and rods. It made him look even more scary. He stepped in a way that reminded Kit of Aegin a little, but even more precise and silent.

    An Assassin.

    The other figure appeared older than Rassa by nearly a decade, but the deference he showed was clear to see. He was bald, and his clothing looked similar to what Kit had seen Ishta wear. Clearly styles from the South.

    "This is Layton and Sel, they came with Ebony and I from the South," Rassa stated as he indicated to the boy and the bald man in turn, "Layton, Sel, this is Kit and Olly, the Charm Crafters of Moonshadow".

    Sel and Layton''s gazes both eased from hostility as they registered the role that Kit and Olly played for Rassa''s company. Sel even gave a slight bow of acknowledgement, "It is an honour to meet such skilled craftsman, I had no idea you were both so young".

    Olly tilted his head to the side as he appraised the two, "You d.e.s.i.r.e to protect a man who frankly, doesn''t need your protection, what is your use?"

    Layton''s gaze sharpened to a deadly point, but Olly didn''t so much as flinch. Kit sighed, "You''ll have to forgive him, he''s rather frank and has no filter, a side-effect on his constant communication with the Mist".

    Olly looked at Kit, somewhat offended, "I do have a filter, it was an honest question".

    "Then in answer," Sel stated, "Among my people, when we choose a master, our lives are bound to them. We would do anything for them and to protect them, even if it meant sacrificing our own lives, and even if our masters were far more capable than ourselves".

    Olly thought for a moment, then nodded, then turned to Rassa as he acknowledged that Layton was not inclined to speak for himself, "You have bought this manor?"

    Rassa nodded, then flicked the key over the Kit, "This will be Moonshadow''s Varkevia base. Do not damage the furniture within as it has an owner, but make yourselves comfortable. I will be back shortly, I need to hunt".

    With that, Rassa disappeared with a swift breeze. Kit turned towards where he knew the front door was thanks to his shadows, but the enclosed space of trees and the darkness of the night only afforded so much light to see by.

    "Let us find some candles," said Sel, "And perhaps set about clearing some of the overgrowth".

    Kit nodded and strolled for the door.

    ***

    *Eldovian Era 1713, 8th Day of the 10th Month*

    Sure that Mathius was still weary of his hunger, Ebony had taught him how to hunt when they passed a herd of deer. As she had expected, he picked it up rather quickly, though had expressed how boring the taste of animal blood was compared to human blood. Ebony had agreed, then had spent the rest of the run to Varkevia explaining how it was more efficient to hunt animals considering they could not talk if they were left alive.

    Mathius expressed interest in the full abilities he would come into, and Ebony explained what she knew of them, as well as stopping occasionally to show him those abilities that he did have. Mathius seemed particularly impressed by the prospect of the allure, though Ebony could not fully explain it herself having never experienced using it.

    Finally, they spied Varkevia on the horizon and made their way towards it, the streets lulled into silence in the early morning hours, it was not difficult to find the mansion that Rassa had spoken of, and the man himself waited leisurely in the front courtyard for them.

    "I trust the run was refreshing?" asked Rassa.

    "In a manner of speaking," Ebony replied, "Though please drop lower next time".

    Rassa chuckled, "Well, seeing as you asked so nicely, I''ll consider it".

    In other words, ''not likely''.

    Mathius looked around at the manor, "You have purchased this place as the Charm Shop for Varkevia?"

    Rassa nodded. The Manor was designed in an L shape, with the main house directly opposite the gate on the north side and the West wing overlooking the courtyard and the forest that rolled down the mountain. Rassa pointed to the Western Wing, "That part of the manor shall be the storefront, arranged similarly to the Ruin, but with a two-floor shop instead of one. The third floor shall be for private consultations. As for the main manor, the first floor shall be storage houses and record rooms, the second floor shall be offices and meeting rooms, and the third and fourth floors shall be dedicated to the staff''s living quarters".

    "The Manor will require some renovations then, considering it is likely not equipped as you imagine it," Mathius stated.

    "Most definitely," Rassa replied, "The property shall have to be cleared as well, especially on the eastern side. I have plans for that space that requires ample room".

    "Plans?" asked Ebony with a raised eyebrow.

    Rassa just smiled, "Aye, though not of priority right this instant. Perhaps in the next few years though".

    "And who will oversee all these renovations?" asked Mathius.

    "Well, I have asked that Elsbeth select 7 others that she trusts, no doubt in consultation with Iah. They will be paired and spread to 4 of the five Eldovian locations to run them. But considering your exceptional ability, Mathius, I thought you might like to pick one location as well," stated Rassa.

    Mathius''s eyes widened, "You want me to run one of the branches?"

    Rassa nodded, "With help from Ebony at first whilst you adjust to your Vampiric lifestyle, but eventually on your own. So, which city of Eldovia would you like to remain in?"

    Mathius frowned in thought for a moment, looking around at the manor before looking at Rassa, "Would it be okay to survey the other locations before I decide?"

    Rassa smiled, "If you think that will impact your decision, feel free to follow me around the continent for the next fortnight. For now, I need to rest, as do you both. We will stay another night after this, laying down initial plans, then leave for Toulle the following day".

    Rassa turned for the house as the sky began to lighten from the coming dawn, "Choose any room in the house to rest, but please do not damage any of the furniture, it does not belong to us".

 Chapter 345 - The Moonshadow Trading Company Short Stories: 3 - The Expansion of Moonshadow (IV)

    *Eldovian Era 1713, 10th day of the 10th month*

    Toulle was almost exactly how Rassa remembered it. With its great walls carved with the stories of the city, the Northern Mountain Range that separated Eldovia from the Desolate Lands looming behind it. The great Endless Lake like it''s very own path through to the unknown.

    Rassa had rested the day he''d arrived back in Varkevia, then spent all of the night working to lay out plans for the Manor. Moving furniture and clearing the overgrowth with the help of the others. They''d then rested another day before they''d travelled to Toulle. Sel had volunteered to stay behind to look after the Manor in Rassa''s absence and continue to work on it.

    He''d landed in Toulle, booked rooms at an Inn, then rested for much of the day before he''d begun to look around the city for an appropriate storefront.

    It was how he''d ended up in front of an all too familiar warehouse beside a not as familiar house.

    "What is it?" asked Ebony when Rassa had paused there, staring over at it as his mind was cast back in memory.

    "This is the place where I grew to understand that humans, no matter how much they d.e.s.i.r.e to understand us, will always fear us," said Rassa, "It is the fate of a predator and their prey".

    Ebony looked over at the warehouse, a frown on her brow, "You have been here before?"

    "This was where I was brought before I was kidnapped and taken to Jerrica," Rassa replied.

    Ebony''s eyes widened in recognition, "Who lives here?"

    "If it is still the same individual��a Light Magician called Arita," said Rassa.

    He stepped forward onto the property, and Ebony followed with a frown, unsure what Rassa planned to do.

    "Gods be damned!" she cursed, "That''s the tenth one this week! I know the Evanine is more durable than that, I know it!"

    She was clearly not aware of their presence, but both Ebony and Rassa frowned at her words. Evanine, what was she doing working with Evanine?

    After a moment though, Rassa''s expression turned to one that Ebony knew all too well. That smug smile that spoke of plans that were all but assured.

    "I should have known that you''d figure it out, Arita," Rassa said, loudly enough for the woman to hear.

    She froze, then turned to looked at Ebony and Rassa who both stood with their hoods up to shield their eyes from the afternoon light.

    "I''m sorry, do I know you?" asked Arita.

    "You did, a long time ago," Rassa stated as he stepped over to her, "But I was a boy then, so I won''t take offence if you do not recognise me right away".

    Arita''s eyes narrowed as Rassa approached, then when he got within a few metres of her, her eyes widened in recognition.

    "Rassa?"

    Rassa pulled his hood back a little, "Hello Arita, I see you got rid of the goats".

    Arita barely responded as she stared at him, then she stuttered, "I��I��sorry I��I thought you were dead".

    "Not quite," said Rassa, "I certainly came close enough times though".

    "Your father came here looking for you, did he-"

    "I found him, though he passed away shortly after," said Rassa.

    Arita''s eyes turned sad, "I''m so sorry".

    Rassa shrugged, "Human life is fleeting, it has to end someday".

    Arita sighed, "Right��I��what are you doing here? You''re��you''re not here to-"

    "No," said Rassa, "You may have held me chained in your warehouse for a few months but you never did anything to hurt me. Just did your best to understand. No, I''m not in Toulle specifically to see you. I came looking to purchase a storefront, or a block of land to build one on. I found myself here as I was venturing around the city".

    "You own a business?" asked Arita, "Then you were treated well after you-"

    "No. Not in the slightest, but I buried that place under a mountain and any others still left alive will be gone from this world soon enough with or without my interference," Rassa stated, "My Business is something I''m sure you would be interested in in light of your current experiments".

    "My current experiments��?" asked Arita, glancing at the warehouse, "Not even the Guild knows I''m working on this, how could you?"

    "It''s not hard to work out," said Rassa, "Though as I said earlier, you are quite close to figuring out the secret of how to create the charms. Enough that you would likely advance to Saint level. Congratulations on your advancement to Miracle Magician, by the way".

    Arita frowned, "Saint level? I only advanced to Miracle a year ago after much work".

    "And little help from the Guild no doubt, you were never one to get along with them, so unconventional," said Rassa, "Though, being unconventional is the only way to advance further than a Grandmaster".

    "You know a lot for someone who is not a Magician," stated Arita.

    Rassa shrugged, "I learned a lot over the years".

    Arita looked over Rassa''s shoulder at Ebony, then back at Rassa.

    "So, if what you are saying is true, you are involved in the Moonshadow Charm Business?" asked Arita.

    Rassa chuckled, "I suppose you could say that. I happen to be scouting out Magicians to teach the art of making the charms��you would be a perfect candidate if you were interested".

    Arita''s eyes widened, "To teach��you know how to carve them?"

    Ebony scoffed, "He''s the one that invented the method".

    Arita looked at Ebony in shock, then at Rassa, "Just what, by the gods, are you to know such things?"

    Rassa shrugged, "At the moment? A Businessman interested in acquiring your services. Of course, if you choose to learn about the charms you will be required to break ties to the Magician''s Guild. I won''t have my business secrets leaked to them".

    Arita hesitated, "Break��But the Guild is where ever Magician belongs".

    Rassa raised an eyebrow, "If you really believed that Arita, would you be experimenting out here without the Guild knowing?"

    Rassa pulled his hood back over his eyes then turned to leave, "I''ll be staying at the Prancing Pony Inn for the next three nights. If you do not show up, I will assume you are unwilling".

    Then Rassa moved swiftly away.

    ***

    Arita, with her years of being ostracised for her unconventional way of using the light element, only took a day to make her decision. She appeared at the Prancing Pony and upon having the blood contract explained to her, signed it immediately. Rassa then offered her a million gold for her land, which she happily accepted, then instructed her to make her way to the southern end of the Seisin Mountain Range where she would be provided quarters and trained to carve the charms with others like her. Rassa took another day to deal with the guild, whom apart from the old Guild Master wasn''t all that bothered by Arita''s departure. The Guild Master took one look at Rassa and simply nodded, the experienced Magician knowing that he was no match for Rassa.

    This time, it was Kit who elected to stay behind temporarily, and with him Olly. Apparently, he found Arita''s warehouse fascinating.

    Over the next week, they travelled to Barday, then Fountain Ridge. In Barday, they stayed for four days before finding an appropriate building where the owner of the once grand hotel was going out of business thanks to his location on the outskirts of the city. For this one, Mathius elected for it to be his base of operations and Ebony stayed with him.

    Left only with Layton for company, Rassa travelled to Fountain Ridge where he spent the entire two days he was there avoiding anywhere on the West side of the town. He eventually chose a place in the Eastern Slum district, a part of him hoping it''s location would keep those people who overlooked the city like they were gods from deigning to visit, or at least degrade their dignity mightily when they did.

    He left Layton there, knowing the boy would entertain himself with the underground fights every night.

    Finally, Rassa arrived in Lovolon a few days early. He''d purposely avoided the Capital. He''d been able to sense what was there, and d.e.s.i.r.ed nothing to do with it. If there was any part of him that was still human, perhaps he would have felt some form of guilt. But, he did not. Instead, he felt only the responsibility to kill it when it started getting out of hand as he knew it eventually would.

    ***

    *Eldovian Era 1713, 24th day of the 10th month*

    Sixteen days following his second departure from Rouke, Rassa greeted Talo and Elspeth at the small dockyard they had procured in the village just east of Lovolon. Lovolon itself had had no warehouses that weren''t in use, let alone dockyards, but the little village of Circle Quay was perfect, just under a day''s travel from Lovolon situated on the Western shore of where Carmine Bay met the Crossed River. The Sh.i.p.s may have had to travel past Lovolon to get there, but the village had an abundance of room and potential for growth, so Rassa ended up purchasing land there to build his fifth and final Charm shop rather than in Lovolon itself.

    "You have been busy," Elsbeth stated as she looked at the pins on the maps that Rassa had placed.

    "It will be worth it in the end," Rassa replied.

    "Perhaps, but it will take months to move the merchandise from the base at Shigeni all the way to Toulle," said Elsbeth.

    Rassa smiled, "A problem we will have to deal with for now, but it will be resolved in the next couple of years".

    "Resolved?" asked Elsbeth.

    Rassa nodded.

    Elsbeth sighed, "Fine, keep your secrets, where should I be travelling?"

    "Which of you is the most��shall we say straightforward? Resolved?" asked Rassa.

    "Just say it plainly, we have likely heard it all before," Elsbeth insisted.

    Rassa smiled, "The land I have bought in Fountain Ridge is located in a rather unsavoury part of the city".

    Those gathered looked around at each other before a middle-aged man stepped forward, "I am Logan. I will volunteer to take care of it, if it pleases Mr Moonshadow".

    Rassa raised an eyebrow at Elsbeth. She nodded to his unasked question.

    "Very well, and your vice?" asked Rassa, looking at the others.

    There was hesitated before a young woman, small enough to be mistaken for a child of Kit''s age stepped forward, "I will go. I am Taya".

    Rassa looked at Taya''s hard gaze and smirked, "I question who will be the vice and who the head when looking at such a resolved gaze".

    There were small chuckles all around before Rassa turned back to the others, "I will need another pairing for here, one for Toulle, and another for Varkevia. Mathius and Ebony will be taking care of Barday for now".

    Josephine and Sarah elected to travel to Toulle. Rassa promising to meet them on the way once construction was finished so that their travel time could be cut short. Neva, Elsbeth''s second, and Holin elected to stay in Lovolon, whilst Elsbeth wished to travel to Varkevia with the youngest among them, Georgiana. Rassa then sent Talo to begin procuring any other building supplies they might need, and took Elsbeth and Georgiana half way to Varkevia, sending them off on horses when they reached the base of Shigeni Mountain.

    "So, you will not need any help to build this base?" asked Elsbeth, "Forgive me if I find that hard to believe".

    "You just travelled a third of the way across the Eldovian continent in a few hours," Rassa replied, "I think the time for beliefs and disbeliefs has passed".

    "Touche," Elsbeth replied, "Then we will leave you to it".

    Rassa nodded waved them off, then elected to rest for the next day or so before he began his work.

    ***

    *Eldovian Era 1713, 7th day of the 11th month*

    "Thank you for your purchase," Iah smiled warmly as she waved off the last customer of the day. Taking a deep breath, she turned and nodded to the staff to lock up and clean the shop, "Begin storing away the products and put the signs in the windows".

    "Yes, Miss Moonshadow," the staff stated, moving to bring the signs forward that indicated the charm shop would be closed for a month in preparation for uncovering new wares.

    As Iah directed a few stragglers, Lucy, one of those who had replaced Mathius''s role, rushed in, "Miss Moonshadow!"

    Iah frowned, "What is it, Lucy?"

    "The Charm, The Charm on the second floor is flashing," said Lucy.

    Iah''s eyes widened and she thanked Lucy before hurrying up to the room that had been dark and silent for the past month. It was indeed flashing as she stepped inside, and she closed the door behind her to prevent any curious eyes. She hesitated only a moment before she touched it.

    The flashing stopped, fading to a small glow before a familiar voice emerged from it.

    "Hello, Iah? I trust you are well".

    Iah jumped in surprised, a hand over her heart before she leaned forward in shock, "Rassa?"

    "Yes, it''s me".

    "Where��where are you?" asked Iah.

    "At Moonshadow Base, ready to welcome crafters and workers alike," Rassa replied, amus.e.m.e.nt in his tone. Iah couldn''t help but grinning in shock at what was happening.

    "Truly? You''re on the Eldovian Continent?" asked Iah.

    She imagined Rassa smirking as he spoke with her, "How do you like the gift? I imagine it will come in useful, yes?"

    "This is incredible," said Iah, "Is it��is it one of the new charms?"

    "One of them, yes. Though we will not be selling ones of this size nor capacity. The ones we sell will at most be capable of communication across a distance that takes a week of travel time".

    "And this charm? How far can it communicate?" asked Iah.

    "At least across a distance that would take nearly a year".

    Iah was shocked to silence for a moment, "You mean we can communicate across continents?"

    "Easily," stated Rassa.

    "This is��"

    "Incredible? Unbelievable? A stroke of Genius?" Rassa suggested playfully.

    Iah couldn''t help but scoff, "Very well, I will admit to thinking it is all of the above".

    Rassa chuckled back, then was quiet for a moment before he spoke, "Mathius is doing well, he has taken over the business in Barday with Ebony".

    "Yes, Talo mentioned it," Iah replied, "And he is��adjusted?"

    "No problems we haven''t been able to handle," said Rassa, "I imagine his work will be even more efficient than before".

    "His work wasn''t exactly what I was worried about," Iah admitted.

    "I know," said Rassa, "Anyway, these communication crystals all hold the Moonshadow symbol, and I''ve placed one in every location. You need only think of the location to communicate with them. Remember though, the longer the distance the shorter the conversation. The Charms will need at least half a day to recharge once they have been used. Repeated use will mean a longer recharging time as well".

    "I will not take this gift for granted, then," Iah replied, "Thank you, Rassa".

    "My p.l.e.a.s.u.r.e, Iah," Rassa replied, "I must go now, I''ve got to test that it works with the other bases, then prepare for the arrival of the workers. I trust the hand over procedures were going according to plan at the mines?"

    "Last I heard, but you are closer than myself now," said Iah.

    "That is true. I may stop by to confirm later," replied Rassa.

    "Will you ever settle down somewhere?" asked Iah.

    Rassa chuckled, "I have all the time in the world to settle down. For now, I''m too busy building the world I wish to settle down in".

    Iah chuckled, "I shall hear from you soon then?"

    "Of course. Good day, Iah".

    "Good day, Rassa".

    The light from the Communication Charm faded until it was once again inactive. The grin however, did not leave Iah''s face. The thought of the possibilities that the Charms could achieve��Iah could feel that Rassa had barely scratched the surface with this.

    He was right though, he would spend years building up the world he wished to live in, and for the first time, Iah had to question if she would be around to see it all.

    That thought was perhaps more painful than she had ever expected and cemented another thought in her mind.

    Next time she saw him in person, she would ask. She would ask to join him and the others in Eternity.

 Chapter 346 - The Moonshadow Trading Company Short Stories: 4 - The Dominant (I)

    *Eldovian Era 1714, 1st day of the 12th month*

    They came from every known corner of the world. Sh.i.p.s from Empires, Kingdoms, Republics and Merchant Fleets, all clamouring for a spot in the harbours of Rouke Island. Still, even with the hundreds upon thousands of sh.i.p.s that had come over the past several weeks, none had stood out more, nor drawn more attention than those with the deep red sails and the Moonshadow Crescent.

    It had been a year now since Moonshadow''s expansion to Eldovia, and of course their introduction of the new range of charms.

    The Communication Charms especially had unlocked a new era, with ''relay houses'' popping up all over the world that were set up specifically for those in possession of the charms to relay messages across vast distances. It had meant an incomprehensible shift in power. It was clear to any who could see it that whomever possessed a Moonshadow Charm wielded more power than their opponents.

    Of course, rumour had it that Moonshadow always kept the best for themselves. The rumour was not unfounded.

    There were some things, Ishta thought to himself, that Moonshadow had been able to do that would have been impossible before the introduction of their charms. Well, that and their none-too-ordinary founder. Setting up five new locations and a production house in under a year was one thing, but having a head known for frequenting all of them. One had to question whether or not he had a charm that could not just transfer his voice, but his body as well. Ishta was only partially convinced. He''d had a taste of Rassa Moonshadow''s presence before, and Ishta couldn''t help but think that the man was capable of making those trips in a night that should have taken a month without the aid of one of his miraculous charms.

    Ishta stood from his desk, stretching his arms up and to the side. Much preparation had gone into preparing for this Trader''s Festival. The Gold Token had been his for four years now, he was ready to make it six. He smiled out at Port Cresh, assured of his victory despite it only being the first day of the festival. Moonshadow may have been renowned and formidable, but they were still an infant. One continent was nothing compared to Ishta''s Golden Sands Trading Empire.

    "You seem deeply contemplative, Ishta".

    Ishta froze in surprise. He had not even heard the other man arrive. He turned his head ever so slightly to see the head of Moonshadow himself running his fingers across the bookshelf to the side.

    "This is the second time that you''ve come into my office uninvited," Ishta grumbled.

    Rassa gave a small smirk of amus.e.m.e.nt as he turned back to Ishta, "Relax, I''m not here to threaten or coerce. If anything, it''s just to offer my greetings".

    "We''re businessman, Mr Moonshadow," Ishta replied, "Even greetings have a purpose".

    Rassa chuckled as he walked over to Ishta, turning to glance out the window, "Then, formalities aside, how willing are you to talk about the deal we discussed a year ago?"

    Ishta raised an eyebrow, "Expanding too quickly will have devastating consequences for new companies".

    "Are you giving me advice?" asked Rassa.

    "Just an observation from experience," replied Ishta.

    Rassa nodded in acknowledgement, "I don''t share your concerns. I believe Moonshadow has already proven itself to be beyond the norm, no?"

    "You''ll have to forgive me then," Ishta replied as he sat down in his seat, "For I''ve become far more cautious since��well, our last meeting".

    Rassa stared at Ishta a long moment, a half-smile on his face that looked every bit a King looking down on an ignorant Peasant. For once, Ishta didn''t feel offended. He knew instinctively that Rassa was not wearing a fa?ade. But the same could not be said for his company.

    "Then, should I provide the proof you seek?" asked Rassa.

    "Then, I would be open to discussions," said Ishta.

    Rassa smiled, stepping around the desk towards the window, "Then I''ll be sure to return with proof".

    A slight breeze blew in and the hulking shadow that had seemed to cover the room disappeared. Ishta released a long breath. He had never felt as weighed down by another''s presence as he did when he was with Rassa Moonshadow. A sinking reality began to settle over his head like a storm cloud. Ishta may be able to keep his Golden Token for now, but it was only a matter of time before Rassa Moonshadow took his place. Ishta no longer felt like the King of Trade. He felt like a puppet sitting on a throne in the place of the Shadow King behind the curtain.

    In Rouke''s Southern Port of Leis, on the famed Charm Street, on the second floor of the building that had started it all, a single room emitted a low light even after all the staff had been dismissed for the day.

    Within the room, sat on one of the eight chairs surrounding the massive crystal in the centre, was the Lady of the Ruin herself, Iah Moonshadow.

    Her olive toned skin was clear and without blemish, her honey coloured eyes tinged with just the slightest hint of red. Her brown locks pulled up into an elegant bun on top of her head. She wore an elegant blue dress that was also a fashion statement started by Moonshadow. The elegant dress that rather than flare out, fell straight down to the ankles, slits on either side of the skirt up to the mid-t.h.i.g.h allowing for easier movement. Her neck and ears were adorned with matching jewellery, small sapphires that spoke of her wealth and status.

    Those that appeared in the other seats around the table appeared just as wealthy despite the fact that they were but images. Their likenesses transferred hundreds of kilometres so that they could converse on this special night. The fourth anniversary of Moonshadow''s Founding.

    Mathius Silvermoon, the head of the Barday branch, sat on Iah''s left. To be deceived by his elderly look was the downfall of many a customer. Mathius had proven a ruthless businessman, a quality often needed in a central location such as Barday.

    Beside him was Neva Goldmen, the ex-slave from the south whom had proven herself a worthy leader of the Circle Quay branch of Moonshadow. Her dark skin had been an oddity amongst a population that was largely pale, but she had never let it impact on her business dealings. She''d taken the same last name as her past mistress, Elsbeth Goldmen, the head of the Varkevia branch who sat three seats from her.

    Between them were also ex-slaves from the south, Logan Lythal, a overbearingly large man who''d taken the name of his birth village as his surname, and Josephine James, who''d taken the name of her late brother who''d died in the Warrior''s Arena.

    Following Elsbeth, with her always regal and m.a.t.u.r.e bearing, was Ebony Moonshadow, Iah''s sister for all intents and purposes, with her golden hair and green eyes. For a while, Iah had been at odds with her thanks to Ebony''s unplanned turning of Mathius who had always been a dear friend to Iah. But once Iah had been turned herself following the beginning of the new year, she''d found it impossible to keep up the grudge. She had come to understand impassively just how much of a burden the hunger could be, and had even struggled with it herself. Ebony had helped her, just as she had helped Mathius, and they had grown closer in their roles. Iah as head of the Rouke Island branch, and Ebony as Rassa''s second and head of the Moonshadow Base at Shigeni Mountain.

    The chair between them, which Rassa was supposed to be occupying, remained empty. Iah glared at it with the same annoyance as Ebony before she leaned forward to address the others.

    "I believe our esteemed leader would offer congratulations and of course a heartfelt thanks for our work," stated Iah.

    Ebony pursed her lips, "He left late last night, he should be there by now, Iah".

    "Oh, both of you stop it," Elsbeth sighed, "We all know what he''s like, flitting from here to there. He''s barely taken a breath the past year thanks to the Expansion, and now he''s to spend two weeks in the one spot for the Trader''s Festival".

    "Aye, he''s likely out keeping himself occupied," Mathius agreed, "Something that is well-earned".

    Iah and Ebony both looked at each other before they calmed, "Very well, Ebony, Mathius, your rooms are prepared for your arrival in a few days. Hopefully by then our fearless leader will have deigns to show up for the festivities".

    "You three remember to stop and enjoy yourself to," Elsbeth smiled warmly, as she looked at the three Vampires in turn, "The Moonshadow Empire will not be worth building if you do not enjoy it".

    Iah returned the smile, "Thank you for the reminder, Elsbeth. And all of you, take a break for this anniversary. Enjoy yourselves".

    A chorus of agreement rose up as Iah leaned forward and touched the Communication charm, it''s glow, and the images in the seats surrounding it vanishing until the room was dark once more. Iah sighed, pushing back her chair and standing as she turned to walk out. Only to pause at the figure in the doorway who watched her with a warm smile.

    His crimson gaze and dark hair all too familiar to her. Unlike the rest of them, Rassa Moonshadow could be mistaken for a commoner with the way he dressed. His only adornment the moonstone cuff that had been given to him by a business partner and childhood friend, Falla Startree.

    Iah froze for a moment as she took him in.

    "Did you miss me?" asked Rassa with a smug smirk.

    Iah''s gaze turned to a glare, "You could at least have the decency to show up on time for these meetings". Iah shoved passed him and out into the hall, "Really, I don''t know why you organise them if you''re just going to miss them anyway".

    "Have you ever seen the Moon from the top of the Volcano?" asked Rassa as he followed her, "It was very pretty".

    Iah paused, huffing a laugh as she looked over her shoulder at Rassa, "For a man who leads such a world-renowned and integral business chain, you''re incredibly��"

    "Charming?" Rassa suggested.

    "Free-spirited," Iah rolled her eyes.

    "That wouldn''t be so bad if you didn''t say it like it was an insult," Rassa sighed.

    "I''m just saying," Iah replied, "Maybe you should try and take your business meetings more seriously. Seeing as it is your business".

    Rassa sighed as they entered Iah''s office, plopping down on one of the couches, "But what''s the point of running this business for eternity? It will get incredibly boring. Surely, I can just push it in the direction I want and let everyone else take care of the details".

    "And if those details are handled in a way they shouldn''t be?" asked Iah.

    Rassa huffed haughtily, his eyes flashing red, "As if any of them would dare".

    Iah sat down on the couch opposite him, "You say that��but it has been quite some time since you last had to threaten anyone. They follow you now because you took those measures before, but with how you act now, people could take that as you loosening the leash so to speak".

    "So, you''re saying I should threaten a few people to remind them to keep in line?" asked Rassa.

    Iah sighed, "No��I''m saying you should take your job more seriously so they do as well".

    Rassa leaned back, "It sounds like too much hard work".

    Iah rolled her eyes, as she stood, whispering under her breath, "Lazy Blood Blister".

    "What was that?" Rassa chuckled.

    "Yes, O Fearless Leader. Whatever you say, goes," Iah replied.

    Rassa chuckled once more before he looked out at the dark sky, "Up for a hunt?"

    "I ate earlier," Iah replied.

    Rassa''s smile faded, "Oh. I guess I''ll just go on my own then".

    Iah gave a small smile, "I left a gift for you in your Pent House. Pretty bows and all".

    Rassa sat up quickly as he looked at Iah in surprise, "Seriously?"

    Iah shrugged, "Think of it as an anniversary gift��and as motivation to take this Festival seriously".

    Rassa relaxed somewhat, a smile on his face as he stood and approached Iah, leaning forward to give her a brotherly kiss on the temple, "You didn''t have to".

    "I know. Call it a whim. Ebony thought you were a little down lately so she suggested it," Iah replied.

    Rassa turned to look away, "I can''t sneak anything past you girls".

    Iah tilted her head to the side in curiosity, "Are you okay?"

    Rassa gave a small smile, "I''ll be fine. Always am. Thanks for the gift".

    Then Rassa vanished without providing a further answer. Iah''s eyes narrowed. Over the past year, she''d come to realise there were two sides to Rassa Moonshadow. There was the side who wanted something and would work to achieve it as quickly and efficiently as possible with an air about him that was dark and dominant. Then there was the side of him that at first seemed content, only for him to miss appointments and disappear without a word for sometimes weeks on end before he''d reappear. It was that side that worried her and Ebony. The side that seemed to be shrouded in a loneliness that they barely had a chance to help with.

    After discussing it at length, Ebony and Iah had come to the conclusion that Rassa was missing somebody. By their guess, it was most likely Aegin Bloodthorn.

    ***

    *Eldovian Era 1714, 2nd day of the 12th month*

    Rassa woke late the next morning with three sets of lips c.a.r.e.s.sing various parts of his n.a.k.e.d body. He was not in the least bit inclined to stop them. The young women had been more than generous the night before, and having the three of them meant that they barely missed the blood he''d taken from them. Of course, he''d erased that part of their encounter.

    Rassa had been positive that they''d been hired at first, but he''d been mistaken. He had no idea what Iah and Ebony had said or did to convince these women to offer themselves up for no-strings-attached s.e.x when giving up their maidenhood, but that was exactly what had happened. Still, he appreciated the distraction �C and of course the pleasurable free meal.

    Another two hours later, and Rassa allured them to wash up and dress before they left. Their ''bows'' lay strewn across his bedroom, and Rassa took a moment to appreciate the beautiful chaos of it all before he instructed his shadows to clean up. He stepped towards his wardrobe, raising his voice slightly as he did.

    "Sel!"

    The Eunuch dropped down from the roof onto the balcony attached to Rassa''s bedroom.

    "Master?" Sel asked.

    Rassa raised an eyebrow at the Eunuch, "How did Iah get them to cooperate?"

    Sel gave a rare smirk, "I believe it was they who approached her, Master. Rumours of the handsome but mysterious head of Moonshadow are quite abundant these days".

    Rassa huffed a laugh, "Though both are true, I would appreciate a warning next time, which I hope there will not be".

    Sel raised an eyebrow, "You sounded happy enough to me, Master".

    Rassa raised an eyebrow back, "And you would know".

    Sel rolled his eyes at the Eunuch joke, "I''m just saying, Master-"

    "I know," said Rassa as he picked out his clothes and moved to walk to the bathroom, "But Eternity is an awfully long time to become stuck in a routine".

    Sel bowed his head, "Now that, I certainly wouldn''t know, Master".

    Rassa gave a small smile, looking over his shoulder, "Anything to report?"

    "Ishta Alamone sailed into Port Cresh this morning. Apparently he was delayed by Pirates on the trip from the South," stated Sel.

    Rassa chuckled, "Very well, thank you Sel. Inform Iah I''ll be at the Moonshadow Dinner tonight. It should appease her for now considering both she and Ebony would have my head if I didn''t go".

    "Yes, Master," Sel stated before he turned and leapt over the balcony rail.

    Rassa sighed. Sel had proven himself loyal and trustworthy over the past year. He''d taken to staying outside Rassa''s room when he was on Rouke Island. Layton, the youthful a.s.s, had taken up residence with the Crafters at the base. He''d taken an interest when Rassa had suggested to Kei that there could be a method to combine the Evanine with the metal of weaponry if they could get a furnace burning hot enough. A job now made easier with the handful of Fire Magicians now in employ at the Moonshadow Base as Charm Craftsman.

    The Recruitment had been another thing that had gone surprisingly easily. Magicians had flocked to join Moonshadow. Far more than he had expected, and had been none-too-surprised nor unhappy to find that the requirement for employment at Moonshadow involved breaking from the Guilds. Some had been unhappy at the prospect of the blood contract though. It had been almost amusing to see how many had backed out of the deal upon realising what the blood contract would do. There were one or two that had tried to test it or find a way around it. The blood within them had warmed painfully as a reminder of how bad of an idea that was, and Rassa had visited them soon after.

    The Blood Contract had been a good choice. His Crafters were guaranteed to never reveal his method, even after their term of service ended. Their terms were anywhere between two and ten years, whichever they had felt comfortable with. Upon hearing the other terms of the contract, most had chosen longer ones.

    Dressed in a simple white cotton shirt and black breeches with a leather jacket, Rassa pulled on his boots, flipped his hood up and descended from this apartment and out onto the street, electing to walk in the afternoon sun towards the Ruin.

    The streets were busy here, and dressed so simply, the only thing that made people take a second glance at him was his deep hood that shielded his face. Charm Street was just as busy as ever. The foot traffic seeming to congest around the Charm Shop itself. Rassa stepped into the shadows of a nearby caf��, watching for a moment as customers came and went before he stepped into an alley and climbed easily up onto the roof of one of the buildings. He stepped over onto the roof of the Ruin, then slipped down onto the balcony of Iah''s office.

    Iah''s voice echoed from within, "Good afternoon, I trust you were well looked after".

    Rassa sighed, leaning against the door as the sea breeze came up from the port, "Whilst I appreciate the sentiment behind it, and the easy meal, please don''t do it again".

    Iah stood, moving across her office to stand by him, "I apologise, but we have all sensed that something is wrong, Ebony and I only wished to do something to fix it".

    Rassa turned to looked at Iah, stepping forward to put a gentle hand on her cheek as he looked at her.

    "It is not your job to fix it," Rassa replied, "Though I do apologise for my lack of involvement over the past few months. I found myself pushing for a world that does not understand the power and advancements I can give it. There is so much I d.e.s.i.r.e to achieve, yet pushing too far, too fast��I fear that will only end in disaster".

    Rassa dropped his hand, and stepped inside Iah''s office.

    "Will it help if you speak of it?" asked Iah, "You say you have plans, yet you rarely endeavour to share them with any of us until you see fit to implement them". Find authorized novels in , faster updates, better experience, Please click <a href="#%!d(string=13120324005761605)/the-moonshadow-trading-company-short-stories-4---the-dominant-(i)_%!d(string=51482483513950114)">#%!d(string=13120324005761605)/the-moonshadow-trading-company-short-stories-4---the-dominant-(i)_%!d(string=51482483513950114)</a> for visiting.

    Rassa sighed, "You are too young".

    Iah frowned, "I am older than you".

    Rassa chuckled, "In years lived, perhaps, but that is not what I am talking about. You may have gained immortality a year ago, but with it comes the cost, and you must learn to accept it and be it''s master before I can diverge more burdens upon you. Or any of the others for that matter".

    "I think we have accepted it," Iah replied, crossing her arms over her c.h.e.s.t.

    "Not in its entirety," Rassa replied, "You''ll know when you''re ready".

    Iah huffed, "Alright, enough with the cryptic answers about your future plans. We know there is something more to it anyway��you miss Aegin, don''t you?"

    Rassa turned to look over his shoulder at Iah with a sad smile, "Of course I do. But he made his choice. Just as he will have to make the choice to return on his own".

    "Then you haven''t been searching for him? That time when you were gone?" asked Iah with a frown.

    Rassa shook his head, "No".

    "Then where have you been?" asked Iah.

    Rassa shrugged, "Everywhere and nowhere".

    Iah sighed, "Fine, stick with the cryptic answers routine, we''ll talk about business instead. What are our plans after the festival?"

    Rassa sunk onto one of the couches as Iah stepped over to join him, "Our Eldovian stores seem to be going well".

    "Profit hasn''t slowed since opening," said Iah, "If anything it increases the longer we are open and the more uses for the charms that are discovered".

    Rassa nodded, "Then perhaps we will hold off on more new products for now. What of the staff?"

    "Including the Base at Shigeni, we have a workforce of just over a thousand, including those we employ for transport," Iah stated.

    "And they are loyal?" asked Rassa.

    "Well those at Shigeni most definitely, nobody enters there without having signed a blood contract. Even the Transporters are only allowed in the outer courtyard," Iah replied, "As for the rest of the staff, I would say about 80% are loyal, the remining 20% are either new or have questionable behaviours that we have taken note of".

    Rassa nodded, it was understandable to have spies amongst his staff. But as Iah had mentioned, none were allowed into Shigeni without having signed a Blood Contract.

    "Then, how long would it take to triple the workforce?" asked Rassa.

    Iah''s gaze snapped up, "T...Triple?"

    Rassa nodded, "The south is comparatively larger".

    Iah''s eyes widened, "You want to expand to the southern continent?"

    Rassa shrugged, "It certainly seems like there is a demand there. I saw six southern merchants make large purchases just within the last few hours".

    Iah nodded, "I cannot deny that. Interest from foreign parties has increased since our expansion. I often get inquiries as to our plans to expand South".

    "Being located in a Key Trade Port between the continents you would," stated Rassa.

    "Still, I thought we discussed with Falla that there would be a supply problem if her Mine was to support the southern continent as well," Iah supplied.

    "Yes, that was why I was going to make alternative arrangements," said Rassa, "I started on that a while ago, now it seems I should enquire whether or not the leading party is still interested".

    Iah''s eyes narrowed, "The leading party? You mean the one with the biggest supply of Evanine on the Southern Continent? Is that not Ishta Alamone?"

    Rassa gave a small smile, "He arrived in Port Cresh ahead of his flagship last night".

    Iah frowned, "You can''t be serious? You''re going to attempt to make a deal with Ishta Alamone?"

    Rassa put a finger to his lips, "The deal was proposed when I first came back Iah, he had favourable thoughts of it then. I can''t imagine, with all the success Moonshadow has had, that he would be any less sincere now. If anything, I may be able to demand more".

    "But he-"

    "Is an asshole?" asked Rassa, "Yes, you''ll find most businessmen are in one way or another. The key is knowing how to control them. Ishta bows to profits. You, out of everyone, should be the last to deny how much profit Moonshadow can make".

    Iah sighed, conflicted.

    Rassa nodded, "You concentrate on the workforce. I''ll handle Ishta and our source of Evanine in the South".

    "It''ll take at least half a year to train them all, not to mention that we''ll need to expand the fleet," Iah replied.

    Rassa stood and headed back towards the window, "I''m sure Talo will be thrilled".

    Iah stood quickly, "Don''t forget the dinner this evening!"

    "Yes, yes, I''ll be there," Rassa waved her off then jumped back up onto the roof.

    Iah huffed, "It''s like talking to a wizened old tree. One minute they''re giving you all the wisdom of the world, the next they''re so caught up in the spring breeze you can''t capture their attention to save a life".

 Chapter 347 - The Moonshadow Trading Company Short Stories: 4 - The Dominant (II)

    The cool breeze that filled Ishta''s sitting room that afternoon just after he''d dismissed the servants was becoming annoyingly familiar.

    "Mr Moonshadow," Ishta huffed as he put down the teacup that he''d lifted to his lips, "One of these days I really must insist that you learn to use the door��and knock before being invited in".

    Rassa chuckled as he came before Ishta, flopping down rather elegantly into the couch opposite, "But that would be so very boring��and orderly".

    Ishta sighed, "Two visits in as many days after not hearing from you in over a year, you really must be confident".

    "Well, you can interpret it that way if it makes you feel better," Rassa replied, his eyes not leaving the ornately decorated roof high above them, "How did you get that painting up there? It looks to be done there rather than placed, what an awkward position to work in".

    "The Artist was well compensated for his work," Ishita replied, "And for the record, it does not make me feel better. To what do I owe the inconvenience of your visit today?"

    Rassa sighed, "Remind me what it was we agreed upon last time Ishta��"

    Ishita could not resist the opportunity, "I would sell my Evanine to you at 80% of the Market price and in return, my company would receive a 10% discount on Moonshadow orders, plus 10,000 charms or the equivalent every year".

    Rassa burst out laughing as he sat up, leaning over as he gathered himself, looking up at Ishta with the amus.e.m.e.nt of a father who knew his child was lying but was willing to play along and entertain him. Ishta found himself preferring the look of a King from the night before.

    "How old are you Ishta? You don''t appear old enough for your memory to be failing you but perhaps the Head of Golden Sands has access to a particularly miraculous cosmetic," Rassa stated.

    Ishta gritted his teeth, "I am old enough to have several bastard children, a Golden Token Trading Company, and to know to take an opportunity when it presents itself," stated Ishta.

    Rassa nodded, "Fair enough, I will admit fault, I should have stated my memory of the event first if I d.e.s.i.r.ed the upper hand. As I recall it, we agreed that I would buy your Evanine at 60% of the market Price, and your company would receive a 10% discount plus 10,000 small charms or equivalent every Trader''s Festival��My, I was in a generous mood upon my return, wasn''t I?"

    Ishita smiled, refusing to be intimidated despite the fact that he felt the dark presence of Rassa filling the room before him, "Without my Evanine Supply, you will fail to establish a decent foothold with your company in the south, even with such a commodity as the charms".

    The two stared each other down for a moment before Rassa sighed and sat back, "Perhaps, but if I am providing you with 10,000 charms for free biannually, I should expect that what you give me will far exceed that".

    "You wish to impose a quota?" asked Ishta, "The mines can extract a minimum of 100,000 of your small charms a day. I highly doubt you can meet that".

    "Ah, but I believe the market is still very much of the mind that Evanine on its own is useless. It may have taken them some time to work it out, but surely you would not be so stupid as to believe, like the others, that you can hope to make the Charms without Moonshadow''s expertise," Rassa stated.

    Ishita sighed, "Then I will take a gold coin for every kilogram of Evanine".

    Rassa chuckled, "Oh no, you will take 50 silver".

    "Don''t be absurd, that''s daylight robbery," stated Ishta.

    Rassa put a hand to his heart in mock surprise, "Ishta, I am offended by the insinuation. We agreed on 60% of the market price. The Market price on average for a kilogram of Evanine is currently at 80 silver coins. After all, we still have those who believe that the Evanine is useful in anyone''s else''s hands but Moonshadow''s, leading to it being more expensive than it was prior to the appearance of the Vanguard. At 60% market price that is roughly 50 silver coins. Of course, I am being generous considering our previous dealings".

    Ishita huffed, snatching up his teacup and taking a sip, "This feels more like coercion than a business discussion".

    Rassa smiled, "You are getting something out of it are you not? After all, if you decide to sign the deal with me, you can make your first request for charms at this Trader''s Festival. I''ll even throw in a bonus Protection Charm for free".

    "You think your old trinkets have any weight anymore?" asked Ishta.

    "They do if they are designed to protect an entire building��or ship��or whatever other structure you d.e.s.i.r.e. Free installation, of course," Rassa stated.

    Ishta tsked in disgust, "So Moonshadow really is keeping the best for themselves".

    Rassa smiled in a way that could only be described as smug, "If I do not create something to aspire too, my Empire will only last so long. It''s changes to this world will only be skin deep".

    "You are perhaps the most ambitious man I have ever met," Ishta scoffed, "And that is coming from me".

    Rassa stood, "I am not ambitious, I am bored".

    Ishta frowned.

    Rassa caught his confusion and smiled enough that two needle-like fangs protruded from beneath his upper jaw, glinting from the afternoon sunlight that streamed in through the windows, "It is not ambition if it is already yours".

    Rassa flipped up his hood, which up until that point Ishta had barely realised wasn''t up considering how dark Rassa''s hair and eyes were, then he walked back towards the window.

    "I''ll have your answer before the end of the Festival, Ishta," said Rassa.

    Ishta couldn''t help but watch as Rassa seemed to simply vanish between one step and the next. Clearly not shadow magic considering the shadows did not move nor bend as they had around Illai. The younger man, or whatever he was, did not need to wait for his answer. He already had it.

    ***

    Iah tried not to grit her teeth in annoyance as she greeted another guest for the night''s celebration. This night was not just about Moonshadow employees, but also those companies that Moonshadow had invested in over the years. The vast ball room that Iah stood in the entrance of was a part of a hotel that Moonshadow had finished building just 8 months before in Port Leis. A hotel that was already booked out 6 months in advance. It was anyone''s right to feel jealous and envious of the success that Moonshadow had. But the company also commanded much respect, especially from those that resided on Rouke Island. And the man who had begun it all? The one who garnered such respect and envy from those both in attendance tonight and not?

    Nowhere to be seen.

    "Mr Penworth, and Miss Penworth," Iah smiled warmly at the two guests from the Calligraphy Store on Charm Street, "Such a p.l.e.a.s.u.r.e to have you with us tonight".

    "The p.l.e.a.s.u.r.e is all ours, Lady Moonshadow," Mr Penworth bowed his head as he took Iah''s outstretched hand and planted a light kiss to her knuckles. The Miss Penworth, Helena, whom Rassa had bed and fed from the night of his return from the south, curtsied gracefully. There was no shamefulness in her eyes, no girlish wonder. She appeared m.a.t.u.r.e and dignified. Though Iah could not help but wonder if it was a result of Rassa''s Allure.

    Rassa seemed to be good at attracting untouched women who knew better than to latch onto the one who would be their first. The three women whom had approached her seeking a night with the Moonshadow Patriarch were a prime example. Iah had been suspicious and thought it strange at first, but upon consulting with Ebony, both had decided that whatever they planned, Rassa would be able to handle it with ease.

    It had seemed, since Iah had yet to hear a word from any of them of their night, and Rassa had not been particularly angered or annoyed, that they had approached from pure curiosity and been satisfied of it. Or at the very least, Rassa had led them to believe they were.

    "Please," Iah insisted with a sweep of her arm, "Enjoy yourselves".

    She turned to another guest and greeted them. When Rassa arrived, he''d certainly face her wrath for being late.

    As if summoned by her anger, Rassa Moonshadow himself swept inside, waving and smiling handsomely at the line of guests before pausing to kiss Iah on the cheek.

    "Welcome, welcome all!" he called out as he continued passed Iah and into the ballroom to mingle. Iah barely had a chance to glare at him for his inappropriate entrance.

    As he began to mingle with the crowd however, his red overcoat with silver buttons standing out splendidly amongst everybody else, Iah could not help but let her earlier anger dissipate.

    ***

    Rassa stepped up onto the stage, taking with him a goblet of what appeared to be red wine. Really it was horse blood. Not as good as the human stuff but at least not as unpalatable as actual red wine was.

    The room turned their attention to him, a hush falling over the crowd with the unspoken command his presence on the stage was.

    "Once again, welcome. As head of the Moonshadow Family, I welcome you and thank you for your presence here this night," Rassa began, noticing Iah coming to stand slightly behind him on the stage, "When I began Moonshadow four years ago, I merely had the idea for something ground-breaking. Never could I have imagined that my family would grow so exponentially, that my name would take on the meaning that it has. Yet, here we stand. Here and now we celebrate four years of prosperity. Four years of astounding growth and expansion. And of course, we come together to in the consensus that this is only a beginning. That we may continue in our prosperity, and create something even more miraculous and life-changing. So now, I ask that you, as honoured guests, both of the Moonshadow Family and our closest friends, raise your goblets with pride and celebration. To Moonshadow".

    "To Moonshadow!"

    Rassa tipped back his goblet, swallowing despite the bland flavour, then turning to Iah who shook her head. Rassa had said all that needed to be said.

    "Let us celebrate!" Rassa called. The room cheered and he took Iah''s hand in his. Both of them descending from the platform, apologising to those that began to swarm them as they temporarily stepped away for a respite.

    "You were late," Iah huffed as they stepped into the hallway behind the ballroom under the pretence of resting a moment.

    "I am always late," Rassa replied, "But I have never let you down in the end, have I?"

    Iah rolled her eyes, "One of these days, Rassa, being late will be something you regret".

    "What happens will happen," said Rassa, "There is no guarantee that my arriving on time will change events, and therefore no use pondering it any further".

    Iah sighed, taking her hand from Rassa''s before she took his goblet, "I''ll be back in an hour, I find myself hungry due to the stress your antics cause me".

    Rassa gave a small smile, "Then I shall hold the fort in your absence".

    "You''d better," Iah nailed him with a glare before she turned and continued down the hall at a leisurely pace.

    Rassa smiled after her, then frowned at the other presence he sensed in the hall.

    It felt so strange to him. Like it was supposed to be wrong but was somehow not. He turned to find the source, and found himself looking at a young woman in a white gown with a scarf over her head and the lower half of her face. Dark blue eyes looked directly at him with a knowledge that Rassa found somewhat unsettling.

    "You are unfamiliar to me, are you with a guest from the event?" asked Rassa, disliking her stare enough to want to end it.

    "I come to you at this hour, Lord of Night, to show my subservience," the woman stated as she pushed away from the wall, "I am not a guest of your event, but I have used tonight to meet with you. After all, you are a hard man to find. Or rather, a hard Vampire".

    Rassa raised an eyebrow, turning to fully face the woman, "You are rather bold for somebody who knows what I am".

    "You are not the first I have met," she admitted as she stepped forward, "And frankly, I could not be absolutely sure that you were whom I sought had you not confirmed it for me now".

    Rassa gave a small smile, "No? So, you were not aware after those three you sent returned to you?"

    She frowned, clearly confused as to why she was being caught off guard and not him.

    "You have the same scent as they do. Pure, uncorrupted, light. Though admittedly yours is far stronger. No doubt due to the fact that you are a Light Magician and not merely dealing in the presence of such magic. If I had to guess, I would say you come from the Holy Order, no?" asked Rassa.

    She tilted her head a fraction before she sighed, "You are indeed far more formidable than I expected. Had I come straight here rather than meeting the other you sired first, I likely would have been killed".

    Rassa frowned, "You have seen Aegin".

    She nodded, pulling her scarf down to reveal her lips, "My name is Devina Lightbringer. I am a Priestess of the Holy Order, and one of the twelve in line to become Head of the Holy Order. My mission, when I left the Holy Empire over a year ago, was to find the Lord of Night and kill him before his shadows could spread".

    Rassa''s lips quirked in amus.e.m.e.nt, "And here I thought the Holy Order was ignorant to the war of their ancestors��I sense it is no longer your mission".

    Devina shook her head, "No. It has become clear to me that the Holy Order has been suppressing the shadows for thousands of years. But that suppressing them may not have been the best course of action".

    "And what would you do now? Heir to the throne of the Holy Empire? What could a remnant of Chaos possibly have that a fully established Paladin of Light could be interested in?" asked Rassa.

    Devina seemed to hesitate a moment as she stared up at Rassa, then a resolve seemed to enter her eyes, "A path forward. This world has stagnated too long. It needs to move forward, or it will resolve itself to one way of life for all eternity and that was not what it was designed for".

    "And Aegin showed you this?" asked Rassa.

    Devina nodded, "Not intentionally, but as a Priestess I am trained to see that which others do not".

    "And what would you ask of me, to come all this way?" asked Rassa.

    Devina hesitated, then lifted up her wrist, exposing it to him, "I wish to understand the path you walk on. The path I have determined can lead us forward. But I cannot do that in the state I am now".

    Rassa raised an eyebrow, "I think for that, little Priestess, you are far too ignorant of what you ask for".

    Rassa turned and walked back towards the party.

    "Please I-"

    Rassa ignored her, entering the ballroom once more without so much as a glance back.

    ***

    *Eldovian Era 1714, 7th day of the 12th month*

    "Rassa, she''s come every day since the night of the ball. Don''t you think it''s even a little bit concerning that she knows what you are? What we are?" asked Iah. She was pacing back and forth in Rassa''s apartment as the Head of Moonshadow flipped through the book he was reading.

    "I think we have better things to focus on," Rassa replied.

    "She''s a Priestess of the Holy Order, Rassa. Probably the most literal threat we face as those on the path of Chaos. She even admitted that her initial mission was to kill you," said Iah.

    "Yes, and now she asks that I turn her. A Priestess of the Holy Order. What, does she think I''m stupid? Not only would that be practically suicidal, but it would also be asking the Holy Order to come knocking, I don''t particularly feel like going up against an army of Light Magicians on my own. You know, seeing as my Sired have yet to be unsealed," Rassa proclaimed.

    "Well sorry for being so utterly useless!" snapped Iah.

    Rassa scoffed, "Don''t try to argue with me, Iah, just ignore her. If Aegin happens to drop back in, I''d love to chat to him about why he thought it was a great idea to trust her with all this".

    "Aegin would not betray us," came a new voice from the balcony. Rassa huffed as he turned to face Ebony and Mathius, who had clearly just arrived after their journey, "And you know it".

    Ebony moved forward and leaned down to kiss Rassa''s forehead lightly before taking a step back with a bowed head.

    Rassa sighed, glancing at Mathius, the only one among them who hadn''t met Aegin. There was something about him that seemed different to the last time Rassa had seen him. Rassa glanced back at Ebony, but there was no obvious change in her.

    Rassa closed his book, "Just leave her be. She will not say anything unnecessary if we do not provoke anything. How was your journey?"

    "Boring without a view from above," Ebony smiled, "But now that we''re here, what do you say that we go to the Trader''s Ball to stir up some trouble? I have a bone to pick with a certain Southern Trader".

    Rassa stood, "You''ll leave Ishta alone, he''s an important business partner".

    Ebony froze, turning to Rassa in surprise, "We''re in business with Ishta Alamone? The one who sent pirates after us and sold Aegin and I to the Slave Master? The one who ordered Kit and Olly killed? You''ve got to be kidding".

    Mathius seemed shocked too, though remained silent as his gaze flickered to Iah, the only one among the three not surprised. Though her expression was begrudging.

    "Ishta owns 80% of the Evanine Mines in the South. Seeing as we decided that Falla was not going to be able to supply us with Evanine for the Southern Continent as well, I went to the next best option," said Rassa.

    "The next best option?" asked Ebony in shock, "Who owns the other 20% to say that Ishta is the next best option?"

    Rassa''s eyes narrowed, "Ebony, do not mix your emotions with business. He is a bastard, but he''s also a businessman. More often than not they are bastards. I am on the verge of having this deal signed, don''t ruin it for me".

    Ebony pouted in annoyance, "This is a bad idea".

    "If you can come up with an alternative that could offer us the same or better growth potential than the cheap deal that I have with Ishta, please, propose it, otherwise, you''ll just have to deal. Besides, Ishta will only be around another couple of decades anyway. The earlier we get in, the earlier we''re able to influence the situation," Rassa replied.

    Ebony''s expression softened somewhat. Eternity was hard to come to terms with when you had yet to really see its effects. The only reason that Rassa was better at it than the others was thanks to his experiences with the old Vampires during his training.

    "Fine. But I will not smile at him, and if he makes a jab, I reserve the right to threaten him with my fangs," Ebony bargained.

    "So long as there''s no biting," Rassa replied with an amused smile, "Now, go get ready, I need to bathe and change".

    Mathius and Iah turned to leave immediately, but Ebony hesitated, "Can I��talk to you for a minute?"

    Rassa nodded, and Mathius and Iah took that as their dismissal. After a moment when she was satisfied that Mathius and Iah were out of hearing range, Ebony followed Rassa into his room.

    "What is it?" asked Rassa.

    "It''s Mathius��he��"

    "Ah, so you felt it too," Rassa nodded, "I was unsure whether you would".

    "What is it?" asked Ebony.

    "As you know, when a Vampire is turned, the majority of their abilities are sealed until they''ve proven themselves m.a.t.u.r.e enough," said Rassa, "It takes longer for a child because their physical bodies have to fully m.a.t.u.r.e before they can be unsealed as well, but as an a.d.u.l.t the time frame depends less on age and more on one''s mental capacity".

    "So, Mathius is ready to be unsealed?" asked Ebony, "He has only been a Vampire for a little over a year".

    "As I said, age and time have little impact on unsealing if you''re being turned as an a.d.u.l.t," said Rassa.

    "But��I am his Sire, and I am not unsealed," said Ebony.

    "No," said Rassa, "It is somewhat strange, but your situation to begin with was not exactly normal either".

    Ebony sighed, "So what does he have that Iah and I do not?"

    Rassa chuckled, "It is not simply something you can get. To become unsealed you must accept the burden, fully and irreversibly. That change does not happen overnight".

    "Apparently it doesn''t happen over fifteen months either, exactly what is putting him so far ahead of us?" asked Ebony.

    Rassa sighed as he turned to look at Ebony, "Mathius has been around for far longer than you and Iah. He, over his years as a human, learned to adapt to situations quite quickly in order to survive them. In addition, he has quite a strong will for leadership".

    "Iah and I have proven on multiple occasions that we can adapt, and we have leadership skills," stated Ebony.

    "Yes, but both you and Iah are more timid," stated Rassa. Ebony looked somewhat offended, "It''s not a bad thing. You both have kind and forgiving souls. That is something to be celebrated, but over the past year I''m sure you''ve become aware of how opposite your personalities are to the Hunger within yourselves. It will take longer for you to reach an equilibrium because of it".

    Ebony huffed, "So I just have to become more ruthless?"

    Rassa rolled his eyes, "No��look, the process of becoming unsealed is unique for everyone. I can tell you what is required, but the path to reach it must be your own. Mathius just happens to have a shorter path".

    Ebony sighed, looking away in defeat, "I just��it feels wrong that he should reach that point before me. I feel��"

    "Responsible for him?" asked Rassa, "Yes, it''s likely the same feeling that I have for all of you. But just because he is unsealed sooner doesn''t mean you will cease to be his sire. Besides, if you are to live for eternity you can''t say that relationship will be the only one you rely on to interact with one another".

    Ebony nodded, and silence lapsed between them before she looked away, "Is Aegin��Is he unsealed?"

    Rassa hesitated a moment as he looked at Ebony, then he shook his head, "No��not yet anyway".

    "Iah said that priestess came from the west��that she was with Aegin," said Ebony.

    Rassa paused, then came to stand before Ebony, placing his hands on her shoulders, "If you want to go after him, I will make no protest against it. But if you do, make sure you are going for you, not for him. You will not try and influence his decision to remain away. It was his choice, he must be the one to choose to come back��if he ever does".

    Ebony closed her eyes painfully at the words, "I miss him".

    "I know��I do too," Rassa admitted, pulling Ebony in for a hug.

 Chapter 348 - The Moonshadow Trading Company Short Stories: 4 - The Dominant (III)

    Ishta almost walked out of the hall when the Moonshadow party arrived. They immediately captured everyone''s attention. There was just something about them. Not just their beauty, but it was like there was this aura around them that drew everyone in. And draw them it did, like bees to pollen.

    Rassa Moonshadow must have been the biggest and best flower around, because everyone within the immediate vicinity gravitated towards him in particular. Ishta found it almost comical as they tripped over themselves to get his attention, only to remember that it''d been him in that position not so long ago.

    The two women at his back, Iah and Ebony Moonshadow, diverted some of the parties away from Rassa, Mathius Silvermoon taking those who approached from behind. It was like they''d prepared in advance as they spread through the room, talking animatedly with the other guests and networking like they''d been in business for decades rather than just a few years. They achieved quite a lot through the short half hour before they were due to go into the grand performance hall.

    Unable to help himself, Ishta sent a messenger after Rassa, and Rassa appeared in Ishta''s private box moments later, unaccompanied by his entourage.

    "Ishta, a p.l.e.a.s.u.r.e," Rassa greeted, "Thank you for the invite".

    "I figured you were in enough pain to wear such grand attire, you need not mix with the peasants as well," stated Ishta.

    Rassa raised an eyebrow as he sat down, "You should have invited the others up, they network far better and more often than I ever will".

    "Admitting your faults?" asked Ishta.

    "Sometimes, knowing more about yourself is the best way to improve," stated Rassa.

    "I''ve always found businessman to be the type to hide their faults awfully well," said Ishta.

    "Well, I am still new, Ishta," stated Rassa.

    "Yes, you are," Ishta replied.

    The performance below began and they watched in silence for a few minutes before Ishta spoke, "So, I have an area in mind for receiving your gift that can be ready in a few days," stated Ishta.

    Rassa glanced at him before turning back to the stage, "Just send a messenger with the time and place, I''ll bring the contracts, shall I?"

    "Please do, along with a list of your products," stated Ishta.

    "I''m sure you''ve already got one of those," stated Rassa, "You probably already have your 10,000 or equivalent charms picked out".

    "I was just curious as to whether there would be any new products any time soon," stated Ishta.

    "I think it should be prudent to expand first, then we shall put more thought into new products," Rassa admitted.

    "The Runes are curious things, makes me wonder how you even came up with them," stated Ishta.

    "You and just about everyone else," Rassa replied, "But I am no closer to revealing that secret outside of my warehouses than I was when I began".

    "Oh?" asked Ishta, "So do you plan to take the secret to your grave?"

    Rassa smiled, "No. Those intelligent enough will figure it out. But they''ll only be able to carve those they have seen before. I am quite confident that I am the only one who can carve new runes".

    "How insightful," stated Ishta, "I suppose it is a good thing that I enter into this arrangement then".

    "You certainly aren''t incurring a loss, Ishta," stated Rassa.

    Ishta couldn''t help but give a quiet chuckle, "I should hope not".

    ***

    Ebony huffed as she crossed her arms over her c.h.e.s.t, leaning back in her seat as the performance was ongoing. Still, her eyes were trained on the private viewing box to the side of the stage where Rassa sat beside Ishta Alamone. Their enemy. The man who''d had them hunted down and attempted to kill them, not to mention pulled just about every dirty trick in the book to take down Moonshadow.

    "I don''t like it".

    Iah glanced away from the performance towards the box, then patted Ebony''s knee gently as she whispered, "Sit up straighter, you look like a petulant child".

    Ebony gave a small side glare before doing as told, resuming the posture of a young woman, "You can''t say that you don''t like it".

    "No, I don''t. But he hasn''t steered us wrong before," Iah replied.

    Ebony sighed bitterly before she turned to Mathius on her other side, "Tell me you at least see this is nothing more than a farce too".

    Mathius glanced at the box as Iah had done, then to Ebony, "I think it is a mistake to trust Ishta yes, but I cannot deny his business assets".

    "Yes," Ebony replied, "His assets. The Mines. Perhaps some of his Southern connections. All of which we could just as easily take".

    Iah wacked Ebony''s knee hard enough for her to flinch, and a few of those nearby turned to look over. The three lapsed into a stony silence as their eyes diverted to the play. After a moment, when curious eyes turned back, Ebony turned her head to glare at Iah.

    "What was that for?"

    "You''re being an idiot," said Iah.

    "What? It''s a valid point, I can''t help but question why we don''t take things more often," said Ebony, "We should not be held within the confines of Order. He taught us that".

    "He also taught us to carefully weigh the consequences of our actions," snapped Iah, "Exactly what do you see happening if we were to ''take'' Ishta''s assets as you say? Do you think everyone will just roll over and let us? That they won''t question it? We''re already a business growing at unprecedented rates, we don''t need the extra attention that will come with taking what we want in obvious ways. Besides that, who is it that rules the Southern Continent by far?"

    Ebony pursed her lips in thought as she turned back to the performance.

    Mathius sighed, "He is still Rassa Moonshadow. He should not have to wait for what he d.e.s.i.r.es".

    Iah and Ebony both turned to Mathius, protest dying on their lips as they weighed his statement. After all, they both felt the same dedication to him.

    Iah sighed, "We will do as our Sire commands. He is doing what is best for us all".

    The three lapsed into silence once more, turning their attention back to the performance.

    ***

    Rassa retracted his fangs from the supple neck of the young woman who''d thought to corner him and licked along her wound to close it. Her eyes were dazed from when Rassa had first used his allure on her, and now he held her chin to face him again.

    "You were feeling unwell and went to the bathroom. You did not see nor hear me".

    Rassa stepped back and the woman walked past him in that daze, disappearing around the far corner that led to the bathroom.

    Rassa sighed, "What is it, Mathius?"

    Mathius stepped from the shadows to the side, "Forgive me, Mr Moonshadow".

    "A meal is a meal, Mathius, there are few I can enjoy uninterrupted," said Rassa, "Something is bothering you".

    "It is bothering all of us, Sir," Mathius replied, "We just do not understand the benefit of partnering with a man like Ishta Alamone when you could take what you d.e.s.i.r.e so easily".

    Rassa turned to look at Mathius, his eyes revealing nothing as he looked at the young Vampire on the verge of becoming unsealed, "You''ve shown great loyalty, Mathius. Even when leadership of Moonshadow changed with my return, and when you were turned, and of course let us not forget your work in Barday. Loyalty is something I value, not just as a businessman, but as the head of a burgeoning Coven".

    Mathius remained silent as Rassa stepped forward, placing a hand on Mathius'' shoulder, "Your loyalty is valued, but when you question me so, I can''t help but think that loyalty is conditional".

    Mathius'' eyes widened in surprise as he turned to look at Rassa.

    "Never, Mr Moonshadow," Mathius insisted.

    Rassa raised an eyebrow, "I hope not".

    Then Rassa moved away, back towards the theatre. Mathius stood for a moment in surprise. He had not felt such an aura from Rassa in a long time. The aura of something that could swallow him whole without a second thought.

    Mathius released a breath and turned away as he thought about Rassa''s words. Only, Rassa had never answered his question. Why not? Rassa always answered his questions. He answered every question. But now��

    Could it be that Rassa himself was unsure of the answer?

    Mathius frowned. In such a situation, being unsure was not the best course of action. It could jeopardise them all. Mathius gritted his teeth in indecision before he stood tall and resolute.

    If their leader was unsure, it was the job of those below him to push him towards the right path. To a firmer path.

    ***

    "Sel".

    The communication charm in Rassa''s hand glowed for seconds before there was a response.

    "Master".

    "Where abouts are you?" asked Rassa

    "At the docks with Talo and Will, Master, do you need me?" asked Sel.

    Rassa turned towards the dock yards and proceeded their swiftly, moving up onto the loft apartment of the main warehouse where Will, Sel and Talo were all busy playing a card game with two guests that looked vaguely familiar. They stood upon his entrance, and Sel placed his communication charm away.

    "What is the game tonight?" asked Rassa.

    Talo huffed, "As if you don''t have enough wins under your belt, you want to take more of our wages from us?"

    Rassa grinned as he sat, "Why else would I continue to come, Talo? You make such a good Captain I fear if I pay you too well, you''ll flit off somewhere with one of my sh.i.p.s and never come back".

    "Your sh.i.p.s?" Talo bristled.

    "Is the symbol on the sail not indication enough?" asked Rassa.

    Will snorted. Rassa turned to the two other men at the table, one an older gentleman who looked to be in his forties, and another a young man around Talo''s age.

    "And who do we have here? You look familiar," Rassa admitted.

    "This is Alistair and Eon, they fought with us and Aegin in the Warrior''s Arena," stated Will.

    "Ah, returned from the South," said Rassa, "I hope your brother''s burial went as planned".

    Eon nodded gratefully, "Thank you for your well wishes, Mr Moonshadow".

    "Please, call me Rassa, I left Mr Moonshadow behind in that boring Theatre," Rassa replied.

    "That''s a shame, they did come here to enquire after jobs," said Will.

    "Jobs you say? I did promise that you would have them if you came didn''t I," Rassa sighed.

    "Well, there''s no need to bother with it now, we-"

    "Nonsense, from memory, you were a bowman, weren''t you Alistair?" asked Rassa.

    "A hunter, yes," Alistair replied, his earlier protest falling silent.

    "Good with your eyes then, perhaps you would do well to watch our transports on the Eldovian Mainland," stated Rassa, "Or you can guard the main Crafting House. I''m sure Layton is chomping at the bit to get out these days".

    "Layton? On guard duty?" scoffed Eon, "How did you pull that off?"

    Rassa extended his fangs, "I flashed a smile and asked nicely".

    Eon''s eyes widened and the table lapsed into a sudden silence before Talo, Rassa and Will all burst into laughter.

    Eon relaxed slightly as he sighed, "As long as its affective I suppose".

    Rassa grinned, his fangs retracting as he looked across at Eon, "There is plenty to do. You can go with Alistair, or if you''re the stealthier kind you can follow Sel. If you want to look at management you can follow Will, or I can ask Iah or Ebony to take you in. Considering where you came from though, I assumed you would want a more hands-on job. Talo is always looking for apprentices or crew as well, be warned though, I hear he bites worse than I do".

    Eon gave a small smile at that, "Actually��Sel was telling me about how he went with you across Eldovia last year. And about the crafting houses you have��if any of your crafters are taking in apprentices, I should like to try my hand at that".

    "Ah," Rassa stated, "A visionary in the making. It''s rare I meet one of those. They are all so eager to see what I come up with next that they don''t dare propose much to me. If that is what you d.e.s.i.r.e to do, I shall support it so long as you promise to use your imagination. To dare to think of what more the Charms could achieve".

    "I am not a Magician though, and rumour has it that a magician is required to carve the charms," Eon replied.

    "The rumours are not wrong, but they are not entirely right either. After all, I am not a Magician," said Rassa, "You need only the ability to see the Mist. That can be accomplished easily should you d.e.s.i.r.e what I can give".

    They all looked over at Rassa in surprise. Rassa shrugged, "You are, all of you, even Layton, loyal without fault, strong-willed and highly disciplined. It is likely why Aegin valued you so. It seems wrong of me not to offer. It seems even greater of a disservice to let you grow old and turn to dust with the passage of time".

    "There will be others like us," Will interjected.

    Rassa smiled, "Perhaps. Eventually. But even with eternity there are times I grow impatient. The offer is there. Now, as Talo so elegantly proposed, I should like to take back some of your wages. So, deal out the cards. Perhaps with Alistair and Eon you may fair better".

    Talo scoffed, "I fair just fine".

    "That''s not what your wages say," Sel sighed, "Or should I say lack thereof?"

    "Are you sure you want to bring to the table what we lack?" Talo jabbed at the Eunuch.

    Sel raised an eyebrow, "Straight to the Eunuch jokes tonight? How tactful of you".

    The group played long into the night, even after Talo lost his wages.

    ***

    *Eldovian Era 1714, 8th day of the 12th month*

    Mathius watched from the upper branches of one of the great pine trees on the edge of the estate. There was frankly nothing else you could call Ishta''s home on the Island. Situated on the outskirts of Port Cresh, it was not frequented by anyone but the Golden Sands Progenitor and his immediate staff. Mathius had watched him arrive home late in the night, his arms around two young women who looked more than thrilled to attend to his every want and need. They had indeed, enough that Mathius had let him be just so he could have one last enjoyment.

    Mathius looked down at the contract scroll he''d had written up, clutching it tightly. This was it, this was the thing that would sway Rassa and make him the strong-willed, visionary leader he''d always been once more. Mathius was sure of it, and he was more than willing to do what it took to ensure it.

    Consequences? They were Vampires. Those who walked a path of Chaos, what need did they have to adhere to Order''s rules? To not seek revenge nor take what they d.e.s.i.r.ed? It was ridiculous to even contemplate otherwise. This was what they were, what they would always be.

    Mathius s.u.c.k.e.d in a breath suddenly as he felt something click deep within him. For a second he felt nothing, then in the next, he could feel an entire world just beyond a final barrier, just waiting for him to do the right thing. No, to speak the right words.

    They came to him now like the answer to all of his problems, "I hereby consent to allow my being to be changed wholly. My body, my mind, my soul, all shall be rewritten. I submit to the grace of Chaos, and in turn shall relish in its darkness. Marr my body, mind and soul with your Seal, and from the time of my acceptance, let its power fill me. So shall it be, so shall I never regret".

    The barrier broke like a dam and power thrummed through Mathius, along his Life Lines and through his body, circulating with a thrumming power as his fangs extended. His claws followed suit, and Mathius caught the tree branch beside him to catch himself as he felt the muscles beneath the skin of his back shift and grow before power filled them, and two huge wings burst forth, through his skin, shirt and jacket, tearing them to shreds.

    Mathius g.r.o.a.n.e.d, somewhere between an initial thrill and pain, then the itching of his skin as it stitched itself back together.

    Mathius looked towards the East where the sun was on the verge of rising as he began to straighten. He looked out before him towards the manor, breathing deeply as he came down from the initial high of his abilities, then he dropped from the trees, the shadows shifting beneath him before they swallowed him whole.

    The shadows were just as blood thirsty as he, just as chaotic and aggressive. Mathius was thrilled at it, and he pushed them to take him where he wanted to go. It was strange, but the way he called and it responded felt so right. So normal.

    Mathius emerged from the shadows in a lavish bedchamber. Ishta Alamone lay sprawled, n.a.k.e.d on the huge bed, his arms around two equally n.a.k.e.d women. Mathius reached his shadows for the door, blocking out the sound. He had no d.e.s.i.r.e to be disturbed here. He had a job to do.

    Mathius approached the bed, his claws dragging along the mahogany surface of a dresser and drumming along it before they flicked a glass vase. The tinkling sound caused the humans in the bed to stir, and one of the women let out a low m.o.a.n of protest as she opened her eyes. They scanned the room before they settled on Mathius, first in confusion, before it quickly flitted to terror as she opened her mouth to scream. Mathius felt the power within him as he lifted a finger to his lips.

    "Sshh".

    She froze, her hand rising to her throat as if realising she could not make a sound. Her frantic actions quickly woke Ishta.

    "Urgh, leave if you''re not going to be useful," he g.r.o.a.n.e.d as he began to roll over. His movement woke the other girl, who upon noticing the first woman''s terrified miming, turned to Mathius and received the same treatment.

    "Get out of the bed," Mathius uttered. The women moved, responding to the Allure immediately as Ishta sat up in surprise upon hearing the other man''s voice in his bedroom.

    Ishta turned to Mathius, his eyes narrowing as he looked between the women and Mathius, then slowly his expression morphed to fear as he took in Mathius'' appearance.

    "What do you want?" asked Ishta, "I have already made a deal with Rassa, I-"

    "Yes, a deal," said Mathius, "But Rassa Moonshadow should not have to make deals with lowly humans such as yourself. He has grown hesitant over time, and that is never a quality one of his calibre should have".

    "I don''t understand what-"

    Mathius threw the scroll onto Ishta''s bed, "I''m here to correct that".

    Ishta looked at Mathius, then turned to the scroll, he lifted it as he sat back, barely bothering to cover himself as he began to read the scroll. Mathius knew he was barely halfway through it before he scoffed and chucked it aside, "This is ridiculous, I''m not signing this. Moonshadow hasn''t the right nor the means to overtake Golden Sands".

    Mathius spread his arms, "Yet here we are".

    Ishta scoffed, "I''d like to speak with Rassa-"

    Mathius moved forward, and was before Ishta in an instant, "That is Mr Moonshadow, to you. And you do not request for his presence, if you are lucky, he deigns to request yours".

    Ishta hesitated, his eyes hardening as he spoke, "Rassa Moonshadow is powerful, but he is no King".

    Mathius grinned, "It would have been easier if you''d agreed, but oh so boring".

    Ishta frowned, "Wha-"

 Chapter 349 - The Moonshadow Trading Company Short Stories: 4 - The Dominant (IV)

    Rassa sighed. He''d been woken by Mathius'' Unsealing only an hour after he''d gone to sleep, and at dawn no less. He would much rather be in his bed, that was for sure. But Mathius was the first apart from himself to become a fully-fledged Vampire. It was something to celebrate, and Rassa intended to be the first to do so.

    "Rassa, did you sense-"

    Ebony appeared on the balcony beside Rassa and Rassa just nodded in reply.

    "I will go, you stay here and get some rest. We''ll celebrate this evening, once he has had some time to adjust," Rassa smiled.

    Ebony nodded, a small smile on her lips, "I��I can''t believe he actually did it. I mean, I can but-"

    "I know," Rassa replied, "It seems almost impossible to me as well. Finally. Finally, there are others who share in my burden".

    Ebony raised an eyebrow and Rassa chuckled, "I am not saying you are not sharing in it, but��you will understand when you come to be unsealed as well".

    Ebony sighed, "If you say so. I''m happy for you as well as him. I don''t think I''ve seen you smile so genuinely since Iah asked you to turn her".

    Rassa felt himself grin and accepted Ebony''s hug, "I don''t know why I ever sought to walk this path alone. It just��it feels so much better when there is someone walking it with me".

    Ebony nodded, "Then I long for the day where I can join you both".

    Rassa kissed the crown of Ebony''s head, "Aye, me too. Go back to bed. I''ll see you this evening".

    Ebony pulled away and headed back to the edge of the balcony so that she could drop back down onto her own, "Send him my congratulations".

    Rassa nodded and watched as Ebony dropped out of sight.

    He turned to look over the city which had begun to be enveloped in the golden rays of the morning, then opened his mind and soul and sought the connection he had with Mathius.

    He slowly turned to the north, then jumped from his balcony.

    He was in no apparent hurry despite his speed. He felt nothing but calmness of resolution from Mathius, a clear sign that he was in no apparent danger, nor that he was on a rampage like Rassa had been.

    Still, as Rassa crossed the Island and approached Port Cresh, he couldn''t help but think it was strange. Mathius could have been on a hunt, but why all the way over here? Was he attempting to spread out any deaths that occurred so that they wouldn''t be traced back to Moonshadow?

    Rassa paused on the edge of Ishta''s estate.

    His smile faded. He continued to feel only calmness and resolution, but a sense of dread settled in Rassa''s stomach. He moved, following the pull right to Ishta''s bedchamber. He could feel it now, the shadows blocking him out.

    Rassa''s jaw locked in disappointment. He was not positive on what he would find on the other side of the door, but he was sure that he would not like it.

    He closed his eyes, then took a breath before his own shadows reared up and splintered the door to pieces.

    To the side, two n.a.k.e.d young women knelt and watched on, their eyes puffy with tears and wide with panic. The room as a whole was dishevelled, and blood was splattered across much of the furniture. And there, in the centre of the room, n.a.k.e.d and staring across at the door with a dead vacancy, lay the scarred and bloody body of Ishta Alamone.

    Mathius sat on a chair beside the body, his boots resting on the body like it was a foot stool as he leaned back, relaxed. His bloodied claws looked over a scroll that sat laid out on the table.

    Rassa felt himself freeze as he looked down at Ishta. Ishta''s eyes could barely focus on him. Even if Rassa was to heal the wounds, Ishta would not survive this. He''d lost too much blood.

    "Rassa!" said Mathius excitedly, "I have it, the answer to our problems. It is done and you should worry no more!"

    Mathius stood, kicking Ishta so that he rolled over, exposing his c.h.e.s.t, where the Moonshadow symbol had been carved. Rassa felt an unbridled rage fill him, and even the shadows seemed to retreat. Mathius paused, his smile fading ever-so-slightly.

    "Surely you cannot be angry at me, Rassa?" asked Mathius, looking legitimately confused.

    Rassa closed his eyes, releasing a breath. The shadows calmed around him and Mathius too relaxed.

    "I know I may have been a little excessive, but look, I got-"

    Mathius chocked on his next word as Rassa flicked his hand and the shadows shot forward, locking around Mathius''s neck, torso, wrists and ankles and dragging him to the ground. Mathius seemed legitimately shocked as he failed to say anything more, and Rassa took two quiet and elegant steps forward before he kneeled down before Ishta.

    "I''m sorry that this was your end," said Rassa, "Nobody deserves this".

    Rassa slowly leaned forward and touched a light finger to Ishta''s lips. As he drew his finger away, the blood on Ishta''s lips came with it, followed closely by the blood on the rest of his body, and within his body. The blood in the room lifted up into the air as well, and Rassa licked two of his fingers on his other hand as he began sealing wounds on Ishta''s body. Not all of them, but enough. He then took the blood that was hovering in the air, and replaced it on the ground in a puddle beneath Ishta''s body.

    Rassa sighed, then stood, turning to the two women to the side, "You will dress and leave. When you are asked of what happened here, you will say a masked assailant woke you and Ishta from your slumber, and as he tried to fight him off, he was killed. The Assailant left without touching either of you through the window".

    The women did as told, dressing and leaving in a rush, then Rassa finally turned to look at Mathius and the scroll that sat beside him. The shadow stretched out, carefully taking the scroll to Rassa''s hands. Rassa read over the contents, then gave a light smirk.

    "For a man who has been in business for so long, you are so incredibly stupid," Rassa breathed out. He stepped towards the fireplace, throwing the scroll inside and taking a match from the box on the mantle, striking it and throwing it onto the scroll. It burned away to nothing quickly enough.

    Mathius looked on in surprise and horror before they both heard a disturbance out in the hall. Rassa huffed, "We are done here".

    ***

    A knock resounded on Rassa''s apartment doors.

    "Come in," Rassa called from where he sat, looking down in disappointment at where Mathius was restrained by shadows on the floor.

    The door opened and Ebony entered, stretching her hands up above her head as she yawned, "What happened? I thought you said we weren''t celebrating until-"

    Ebony paused as she spotted Mathius on the floor. Iah paused behind her, both women standing in shocked as they looked from him to Rassa.

    "What happened?" asked Ebony.

    "Close the door, would you?" asked Rassa with a soft calmness that seemed more frightening than it was reassuring, "And take a seat, both of you, beside me if you please".

    The girls hesitated, looking at each other, but then followed instructions, Iah sitting on his left and Ebony on his right. Now in a small circle, Rassa influenced the shadows to bring Mathius to sit in an upright position, and of course removed the shadowy gag that had been preventing Mathius from talking.

    "We''re going to have a trial," said Rassa, "Of course, I will decide upon the sentence, but so that the two of you understand the seriousness of this situation, I will allow you to have your say. As we are the only ones in the Coven, it will not run exactly the same as in the time of Chaos, but it shall suffice for now".

    Rassa held out his hands to each of the girls, and influenced the shadows to pull Mathius'' hands up.

    "What I am going to do is merge our minds. You will see the crime Mathius committed through his eyes, and you will see how I dealt with the situation through mine. When it is over, you will be free to state your opinions before he is sentenced".

    Neither Iah or Ebony protested. They could tell from Rassa''s still seriousness that he was very angry, and would not put up with any questioning. The two girls glanced at each other, then took Rassa and Mathius''s hands as instructed.

    Together, they experienced the crime as Mathius had committed it, then they experienced Rassa''s memory of the event. When it was done, Rassa''s power withdrew from them and they released his hands before they looked from Mathius to Rassa and back.

    "Speak your piece," Rassa instructed.

    The two women were silent for a long minute before Ebony took a breath and spoke.

    "I agree that his methods were excessive," she stated, "But I cannot disagree with his reasoning".

    Rassa''s gaze turned slowly to Iah, "And you, Iah?"

    Iah looked across at Ebony for a long moment before she sighed, "Ishta Alamone was an obstacle, Mathius took care of it".

    Rassa s.u.c.k.e.d in a loud breath before he stood, the two women flinching as he took a few steps away, "Rassa, please-"

    Rassa whipped around, "Do not beg me for anything right now, Ebony, I am the farthest from a benevolent mood that I have ever been".

    Ebony''s mouth snapped shut as she turned away. It was moments like this that they were reminded just how far they were from Rassa. He may have turned them, but they were still far below him, becoming Vampires had only allowed them to understand that that was where they should be.

    Rassa laughed condemningly as he began to pace, "Unbelievable, you are immortal, one of you even unsealed, and still, you fail to comprehend the bigger picture".

    Ebony s.u.c.k.e.d in a breath before she stood, "Perhaps we''d understand if you just explained it to us!"

    "I have!" snapped Rassa, "Countless times! It was one of the damn things I asked you to accept before I changed you!"

    "Those Cryptic hints? Are you talking about those?" snapped Ebony, "Rassa, we''re not f.u.c.k.i.n.g mind readers! We do the best we damn well can with what you give us, but sometimes even that isn''t enough for us to understand your logic!"

    Rassa huffed as he stared Ebony down, "Fine".

    He stepped back towards his seat, then held out his hands again, "I will give you all probably the best and most concise explanation I possibly can. When you wake up from it, and I drag Mathius away to undertake the punishment he damn well deserves, I hope your childish, human stupidity will cease once and for all".

    Ebony hesitated, and upon meeting Rassa''s glare sat back down in a huff, taking his hand and Mathius''s again. Iah did so too, hesitantly.

    Rassa dug deep, then thrust some of the memories from his lessons into their minds.

    Hours later, deep into the night when the three of them began to stir once more, Rassa slipped on a thick smelting glove and reached deep into his shadows. From it he withdrew a thick, silvery clear Anthrite chain.

    Rassa moved forward and clamped the chains around Mathius''s wrists, ankles and finally his neck. Mathius hissed at the pain, looking up at Rassa, half in horror, and half pleading.

    Rassa stared back, unmoved, "You made the choice. You must live with the consequences. Now you should know how lenient I am being to what you could have caused".

    Mathius let his head roll forward, "I''m��I''m sorry".

    Rassa stood, summoning his wings as Ebony and Iah stood, tears in their eyes.

    "Why��why didn''t you ever say?" asked Ebony.

    Rassa sighed, then turned back to Ebony, "If you could spare someone you cared for from the pain of knowing, would you do it?"

    Ebony''s hands went to her waist, as if to hold herself together, "That was��terrifying. Even if Order is weakened as it is now, could they do that to us?"

    "There are four of us, Ebony," said Rassa, "Five if you include Aegin. Perhaps a few more if you include the other paths. But there is a reason Chaos has been silent for so long. They were arrogant before. Loud and Proud. There is nothing wrong with that. I d.e.s.i.r.e nothing more than to be the same way. But one day, Order will decide that there is something wrong with us. They will condemn our ways. They will condemn our paths, and then they will seek to destroy us in the name of their Gods. I play by their rules when in the light, and my own in the shadows. It is unfair. Of course it is. But we have not the power nor the numbers to fight as our forefathers did, and they fought too little too late. As much as it sickens me to do so. I will play the part they wish to see so that I may protect the future of my Coven. I am patient when I need to be, and I will wait them out until I can tip the scales back to a balance".

    Ebony looked over at Iah, who stepped forward and placed a careful hand on Rassa''s arm, "We are sorry for questioning your intentions. We should not have".

    Rassa sighed, then turned away, "Golden Sands will be in turmoil now. Contact Elsbeth and Talo and tell them to prepare to go south. We should attempt to secure some of the mines if we can".

    "Of course," Iah stated as she stepped back.

    "Ebony?" asked Rassa.

    Ebony looked up at him.

    "You go with them," Rassa stated.

    Ebony looked a little surprised, "Really?"

    Rassa nodded, "I need to remain here to finish plans for the expansion, including overseeing training and appointing a new head for Barday. You''ll do well enough on your own".

    Ebony blushed, "After everything, you still trust me to do this on my own?"

    Rassa sighed, "I think you''ve made enough mistakes. Time to start forging a few victories, don''t you think?"

    Ebony nodded, "I''ll do my best".

    "That''s all I''ll ever ask".

    Then Rassa moved to the balcony, dragged Mathius in the Anthrite chains with him.

    "One year in confinement," Rassa stated, "Fed only once a month. That should be enough for you to think on your actions".

    Mathius had nothing to say in reply, but Rassa could feel both his fear and his remorse.

 Chapter 350 - The Moonshadow Trading Company Short Stories: 5 - The Birth of Moonshadow Coven (I)

    *Eldovian Era 1715, 3rd day of the 8th month*

    The snow that fell lightly across the mountain top barely looked as if it made a dent in the thick white powder that already covered the peak of Shigeni Mountain. It was blisteringly cold up here, more so than far below where the lights of Moonshadow Trading Company dominated the side of the Mountain. Even with such colossal structures far below, no one would dare to suspect there was anything so high up.

    And yet, a dark shadow reached up and seemed to delicately brush a layer of snow off the side, revealing the glass surface beneath. It did the same thing a few more times, revealing the cave below that had been furnished and made hospitable, the skylight above revealing the sky. On a clear night, the moonlight would shine down to light the entire room, but now, when the snow fell, the skies were covered in thick clouds that one would have to surpass to see the night sky. Winter in Eldovia rarely saw a clear day.

    Directly below the skylight, lying on a stone bench in a relaxed position, his short, dark hair ruffled as if he had just woken up, Rassa watched the snowflakes fall, pulling his shadows back.

    He''d spent much of the past two years building this place. His sanctuary. A place where he could look out over what he had built as well as dream of the night sky and moon high above that he so loved to admire. It had always been a place he could escape to.

    Until two months ago when Ebony had discovered it.

    She''d made it a point to check here first whenever he disappeared from his duties for too long. He detested the thought, but also knew that she could do a lot worse. Since she''d awakened, she''d become a formidable force. While she''d never win in a fight against him, Rassa never relished having arguments with her. Or with Iah for that matter.

    He heard the flap of her wings now, even over the sound of the winds at this altitude. He sighed, his eyes straying to the cave entrance just as the door opened and she strolled in, closing the door behind her to shield the room from the onslaught of high winds and bone chilling snow.

    "Thought I''d find you here," she said.

    Rassa rolled his eyes and turned away, "I usually come here so that I''m not disturbed. You seem to have become a frequent unwanted visitor".

    "Oh, boo hoo," she replied without a hint of remorse, "I thought you might like to know that they''ve all arrived".

    Rassa sighed, "Alistair, Eon and Wil are not among them, yes?"

    "You are correct," Ebony replied, "But it was their choice".

    Rassa sat up, "I''m well aware, I just loath to see them grow old".

    "It will happen," Ebony sighed, "We cannot prevent it if that is what they wish. And it is their wish".

    Rassa turned to look at Ebony, "And Neva?"

    Ebony nodded, "She is here. I am thankful for it considering you were only asking the Reapers beforehand".

    Rassa rolled his eyes, "You could ask others too you know. So could Iah".

    "I could, but I think it will be a few more years before we think of it considering how my first attempt ended so badly," Ebony stated.

    Rassa stepped down from the stone slate he''d lain on and stepped over to Ebony, "He''s got four months left on his sentence, from the contact I have had, I know he regrets it. Whether or not he will do something similar again is yet to be seen, but he won''t try for at least another decade or two".

    They were talking of Mathius of course, who was locked in the depths of the Mountain, only allowed to feed once a month when Rassa brought him a meal, and otherwise locked in Anthrite Chains. The punishment was one that Rassa knew from experience was quite unpleasant, and his hope that Mathius would learn from the experience was looking to be fulfilled.

    "Still, it feels strange to have so many come to join us and to have him not present," said Ebony.

    "That was his choice to make," Rassa stated as he walked towards the door, summoning his wings, "Come, I''ll leave this place behind for now seeing as I likely won''t get any peace and quiet for some time. Is everything prepared?"

    Ebony followed him out, her own black-red wings sprouting as she joined him amongst the whistling wind. Her long thick braid whipping away, "It is".

    "Then lead the way," Rassa stated. Ebony grinned and stepped to the ledge before she leant forward, and dropped spreading her wings a little to control her fall. Rassa smiled as she dove down, just a metre from the cliff-face before she spread her wings wide and levelling out a little. She''d been so terrified of heights before. Now, with her wings, she was the most daring out of them.

    Rassa gave a half-hearted jump out from the ledge and plummeted down after her.

    The Moonshadow Base he had built had become known as a Village to those who lived there. They simply referred to it as Moonshadow. It was not a village in the traditional sense however. Rassa would be the first to admit that he had taken some influence from the Jerrica Mines and carved Moonshadow into the side of Shigeni Mountain. Upon their first arrival, many of the new crafters and workers had deemed it far too large to accommodate just them, but it became clear in the months to follow that they had not been able to picture the scale of Moonshadow''s operation, and of Rassa''s vision.

    From the outside, Moonshadow appeared almost like a castle, with spires carved nearly a third of the way up the colossal mountain side. There were three spires that rose above the bulk of Moonshadow, each with a different purpose. The Eastern-most Spire was the Administration Tower. Staff Records, Orders, as well as offices for those of higher authority were all placed here.

    The Central Spire was primarily for meetings. It was also where the main communication Charm was located. At the top of this tower was also Ebony''s personal quarters. Technically, it had originally been Rassa''s. But since Rassa had taken up residence at the mountain peak, he''d happily handed his rooms to Ebony. She hadn''t been one to complain.

    The final tower, located on the Western Side, was built for Research and Development. It was where Kit and Olly spent most of their time. In fact, Rassa had had to build their quarters there considering they often ended up sleeping there overnight because it was too far to go to the actual staff quarters.

    Below the Towers sat the main buildings. These were built further back into the mountain, so despite them appearing quite small on the outside, they were many times larger than they appeared. It was an average of six floors high, though it differed based on the Towers above it. The Eastern Wing tended to be where storage was for all materials as well as the main Vault for funds. Each Staff member had their own account here that they could deposit and withdraw from. Far easier than making their own way to other banks. Beneath the central Spire was the largest area. This was also the area that had earned Moonshadow it''s Village status. The large opening at the entrance was twice as wide as a city gate, and down either side of the long, cavernous hallway beyond it was a stretch of supply stores and accommodations that were arranged to look like a traditional village or city street. Those under the employ of Moonshadow had been able to bring their families, and this space was large enough to accommodate them all. Only those under contract with Moonshadow were allowed to go beyond Moonshadow Village though, and security was very tight.

    In the Western Wing was where most of the Crafting took place. Separate warehouses for different types of crafting, whether metal work, leather work or the charms themselves, but all of them were well respected and valued at Moonshadow.

    All in all, since Moonshadow''s inception, it had grown to become quite the busy place, and had drawn attention from outside parties as well. Of course, Ebony had allowed outside parties to visit. But they had to have a Transport, Trading or Visitors pass, and they were heavily monitored once inside. It was not an exaggeration to say that Moonshadow was the most secure place in Eldovia.

    Ebony broke her fall by spreading her wings wide, the thump of them catching the wind resounded enough for Rassa to hear high above her, and he did the same. He glided down after her, both of them circling towards the main balcony just below the top of the central tower.

    Iah waited there for them. A warm smile on her face as always. Even after she''d been Unsealed just a few months before, she''d managed to keep her warmth. Or, more accurately, learned to balance it with her darker impulses. Rassa had never been around her for longer than a month at a time, but he''d been around long enough to know that she was perhaps the scariest among them because her anger was always calm. She did not shout or scream. She expressed her disappointment, then acted before protests could be heard.

    Iah approached Rassa as he landed and drew in his wings. She nodded her head in greeting.

    "It''s nice to see you again, Iah, I trust the journey was not too taxing?" asked Rassa.

    Iah shook her head, "The brief flight allowed me to clear my head. That Priestess is getting rather bold".

    Rassa sighed. Ever since he''d denied any meetings with Devina Lightbringer, the young Priestess had been intent on earning the trust of both himself and his coven. She''d brought together a group of followers whom she trained. For what exactly, Rassa wasn''t entirely sure, but he knew it was not malicious in nature.

    Still, there were times he had to question her sanity, and he often left Iah to deal with it seeing as the Priestess and her following were based on Rouke. Iah, frankly, was sick of them.

    "Perhaps it''s time I deal with her then, but not now. We have things to celebrate for now," Rassa stated.

    "Agreed," Iah stated.

    "Is everything prepared?"

    Iah nodded as they stepped inside, "Fifty Prisoners gathered from various places across the continent. All under the Allure".

    Rassa nodded, "Good".

    He entered the main room. It was the largest meeting room they had. Usually there were several tables inside, but they''d all been removed for the time being. Instead, all that remained in the room almost the size of a city''s plaza, was a plain but imposing chair on the far wall that was where Rassa''s table was usually situated. He''d been somewhat annoyed when Ebony had insisted on such a design, especially seeing as the room''s floor was designed with the Moonshadow symbol in mind. A crescent moon shape around the outside, at the widest part of which was where Rassa''s table usually was, and the rest of the floor sunken down two steps. This lower part of the room was where Sel, Neva, Talo and Layton waited. All, even Sel, appearing somewhat nervous.

    Rassa entered from where wide windows were spread along the top of the moon shape, the main entrance of the room situated opposite Rassa''s chair. This was mainly why he hated the room. He disliked it''s ''throne room'' air. Rassa had no need for such things.

    Rassa ignored the chair and smiled at his guests, "Welcome".

    The four bowed their heads in greeting as Rassa approached, Ebony and Iah flanking him.

    "You have come here on this night because you have been invited to join the Moonshadow Coven. A process that will inevitably involve you joining the Gluttony Path of Chaos. You have all been made aware of this, and would not have accepted the invitation if you hadn''t known the risks, still, I feel I must stress the gravity of this choice one final time".

    Rassa paced along the line as he stared back and forth between them, "On this path, you will receive many abilities that are unachievable in the paths of Order. Great Strength and Speed, Incredible Regeneration, Heightened Senses, stronger physical forms, and, upon the maturation and acceptance of your path, the mind-bending Allure, wings for flight, and varying degrees of control over Shadow and Blood Magic. These abilities are abundant, but they come at a cost".

    Rassa paused once more, "Until the end of time, you will hunger for blood. This hunger will be insatiable. Over time you may learn to control it, to know when it is the hunger you feel and when you are truly starving. But this will take time, and you will come to be known by many as a Monster for mistakes that you will inevitably make. This path is one of Chaos, but like all things in this world, balance is essential to your survival".

    "It will be painful, excruciatingly so, and you will need to resolve your will more than once in the span of forever," Rassa stated, "So, in knowing all this, do you still wish to take this path?"

    There was no hesitation in Sel''s eyes as he stepped forward, "I do".

    After a moment, Talo stepped forward to join him, "I wouldn''t have come had I wanted otherwise".

    Layton grinned as he stepped up beside Sel, "A little Chaos never seemed so bad to me".

    Neva stepped forward last, "I am more than willing to accept this offer from you, Lord Moonshadow".

    Rassa smirked at the term. People rarely called him such to his face, but it was growing more common. As if his existence had gone beyond a mere innovative businessman. Perhaps it was why Ebony had insisted on the ''throne room''.

    "Very well," Rassa stated, "The process is quite taxing, so I may only turn one of you per night as I need time to recover, as will you. Ebony and Iah will aid you when I cannot. Are there any volunteers to go first?"

    Sel went to step forward, but Neva placed a hand on his arm. He turned to her, then, upon meeting her gaze, nodded and stepped back.

    "I will volunteer," she said.

    Rassa nodded, holding out his hand, "Then come".

    "They have taken to naming you Goldmen in Lovolon, have they not?" asked Rassa.

    Neva blushed, "They have".

    Rassa smiled, "It is nothing to be embarrassed of. Names are powerful things, and I see no shame in yours".

    Neva nodded, "Thank you for saying so".

    Rassa''s eyes took on a Crimson shade as she met his gaze, "Whatever happens, Neva Goldmen, you must endure it. You have indicated your will and resolve, now, you must show me".

    Neva''s gaze seemed terrified for a split second before she nodded, "I''m ready".

    Rassa tilted her head to the side and swept her braid away, exposing her neck, "So be it".

    Rassa opened his mouth, and sunk his fangs deep.

    Rassa drank slowly, taking in each mouthful with care as Neva stilled and lost feeling in her body. He heard her screams plain as day, allowing her to release them as he drained her. It pained him that he could not relieve what he knew to be excruciating, but to do so would interfere with the change.

    He lowered her to the ground with him, cradling her as he drank. Her screams became cries, then whimpers as she lost strength. Eventually, Rassa felt the instinct drawing him to finish her off. To take the last sip. He withdrew, l.i.c.k.i.n.g her neck then turning to bite his own wrist which he placed at her mouth. He allowed his own blood to drip down her throat, and after a moment, a slow, painful swallow came from Neva.

    "That''s it, keep going".

    He encouraged her, and she took a few more tentative swallows before he heard her m.o.a.n, and her arms sprung up to clutch his wrist to her mouth. She began to drink more gluttonously, and she appeared to become more desperate with every swallow until she suddenly pulled away.

    Her mouth filled with blood and her lips and chin smeared with it, she looked at him in shock for a moment before her eyes rolled back into her head and she screamed once more.

    She thrashed violently, rolling away from his l.a.p. Rassa watched on, a small smile on his lips as she endured the pain of her Life Lines burning into her skin. Of her body changing and evolving. He felt it too. He felt the connection between them snap into place as her wings burst from her back, tearing her skin and dress to shreds and leaving a bloody mess in the centre of the hall as she finally stilled. Her screams died, and she breathed heavily for a moment as her wings drooped, then her consciousness faded, and her wings vanished.

    Rassa stood, removing his coat and walking over to her. He tore the rest of the dress away from her, there was not much left of it anyway, then dr.a.p.ed his coat over her and picked her up in his arms. She was much taller than Iah and Ebony who were both quite petite in stature, but she still appeared so fragile in his arms. Rassa equated her to a newborn babe as he crossed the room taking the stairs down to the room that she''d been given by Ebony. Ebony waited there now, ten of the Allured Prisoners kneeling silently in the corner. Ebony smiled as he walked in, helping him to pull back the covers on the bed and lie Neva down.

    Rassa then stepped back with a sigh, "She won''t wake until tomorrow afternoon at the earliest, probably in the evening. I shall be resting".

    Ebony nodded, then pointed to the Allured Prisoners, "Half are for you".

    Rassa nodded, his eyes flashing at them. Five of them stood and plodded after Rassa.

 Chapter 351 - The Moonshadow Trading Company Short Stories: 5 - The Birth of Moonshadow Coven (II)

    *Eldovian Era 1715 14th day of the 8th month*

    "Come on Talo, don''t be such a mood killer like Sel over there," Layton pleaded, "Race me!"

    Talo huffed, standing up from the side of the river where he was washing his hands of blood and turning to the bouncing ball of energy that was Layton. Now immortal ball of energy. Three days in and even Iah had begged to starve him just so he''d lie still for a while. Rassa was pretty positive that even that wouldn''t stop him.

    The ''Mood Killer'' stood beside Rassa, even more of a shadow now that he possessed the ability to keep up with Rassa, at least most of the time anyway. Sel''s discipline impressed even Rassa. He''d mastered hunting impeccably quickly.

    Neva sat with Ebony and Iah on his other side, Layton''s antics drawing the attention of the three of them.

    "Kid, you''re starting to get on my nerves," Talo huffed.

    "Well, you''ll have to catch me to stop me, come on!" said Layton with an evil grin, "Race me, race me, race me!"

    Talo''s fist jabbed out in a flash and Layton chuckled as he ducked to the side and backed up, "Come on, race me!"

    Rassa rolled his eyes and leaned back onto the boulder he was resting on as he looked up at the moon. Layton had been the last one he''d turned. He was almost thankful for it considering he was the only one that had any chance of reigning Layton in without pulverising him. When their youngest was feeling more agreeable, he''d listen to Iah, but there was no chance of Ebony tolerating his antics. Even now she scoffed at his behaviour and turned away.

    "A message came," Iah perked up, handing Rassa an envelope she produced from the pocket of her hunting coat, "Alistair brought it from Varkevia".

    Rassa raised an eyebrow as he took the letter. If it was someone from Moonshadow she would have just told him as it would have been sent via the crystals during a meeting. A letter would have to be from someone outside the company. He glanced at the wax seal, a faint wave of recognition passing over him as he cracked it then read the contents.

    After a moment, he folded the letter again and handed it back to Iah, "Where are the sh.i.p.s?"

    "Most of them will still be in Port Leis," Iah replied.

    "Tell the Moon Rider to come to Varkevia. We''ll meet it there, tell the rest of the fleet that we''ll meet them near Levron in two weeks for the journey south," said Rassa.

    "All of us?" asked Iah.

    Rassa nodded to the still playing Layton and the frustrated Talo, "I''m not leaving them here".

    "And Mathius?" asked Ebony.

    Rassa turned to look at her, "I suppose that depends on whether or not you wish to stay behind".

    Ebony hesitated for a long moment, "I don''t think I want to go south yet".

    Rassa nodded, "That''s your choice. You''ll keep things in working order for me here, I know you will".

    Ebony nodded, a weight seemingly falling from her shoulders at his trust and approval. It may not have been the original plan, but the job she was given was no less weighty.

    "So, what is in Varkevia?" asked Ebony.

    "I made a promise when I brought the property for the base there, it has come time to deliver it," said Rassa as he stood. He reached out and caught Layton by his arm as he went to run past, then swung him around so that Talo would miss him.

    "Come, we''ll get our things, then we can all run to Varkevia," Rassa stated.

    "Varkevia?" asked Talo, looking towards the north-east, "Can we really run all the way there? It''s a month-long journey on foot��how fast can we do it?"

    "Us? It''d take half the night. The whole night if we have to stop and hunt, but we''ll get there pretty quickly," said Rassa, "Pack your things and be ready to leave at sunset tomorrow".

    "Neva too?" asked Layton, Rassa releasing him as he jumped up in excitement at the prospect of being let loose.

    Rassa nodded, "Yep, all four of you".

    "You shouldn''t have turned him," Talo huffed.

    Rassa chuckled, "I needed somebody to balance out Sel, looking at his stony face for the rest of eternity would drive anyone mad".

    "Apologies, Master," Sel bowed his head respectfully, a small smile at the joke on the corner of his stoic lips.

    Talo rolled his eyes, "I think you may have over-compensated".

    "Perhaps," Rassa grinned, "Come".

    ***

    Rassa sighed, putting down the light element tool in his hands and looking up at where Ebony stood in the doorway. Iah had left an hour ago to head to Port Leis and inform the fleet, and the other four were learning from a particularly energetic Olly about how the Mist worked to carve the runes. Rassa didn''t exactly expect them to take it up, they were warriors, not charm craftsman, but he knew that the understanding of the mist would be beneficial for when they were unsealed.

    "What is it, Ebony? You''ve darkened that doorway for eight minutes now," said Rassa.

    "Sorry, I didn''t wish to disturb you," said Ebony.

    Rassa put down the half-finished charm in his hand and spun to look at her from his spot on the stairs beneath his ''throne''. He barely ever sat on that throne. He thought the thing was ridiculous.

    Ebony stepped further into the room, "You have a guest, or rather guests".

    Rassa raised an eyebrow, "At this hour?"

    "She''s quite insistent".

    Rassa scented the air, his lip curling in annoyance, "And persistent. I hoped she''d stay in Port Leis, clearly the network she''s been able to develop stretches further than I anticipated. I''ll have to talk with our own networks to ensure nothing else has been breached".

    "Surely our location is not a secret," Ebony raised an eyebrow, "Moonshadow is so heavily watched".

    "I know, I meant cut out the tongue of the one who told her how to get in," said Rassa.

    Ebony gave a small grin, "I can handle that while you''re gone".

    Rassa rose and walked to her, planting a kiss on her temple, "Thank you. Tell them they can come in".

    "You don''t want me here?" asked Ebony.

    "This won''t take long," said Rassa.

    Ebony nodded, then left the room. Rassa had almost forgotten how slowly humans walked. Kit and Olly were some of the few humans allowed in this room, and they rarely came here, as did Moonshadow''s department heads who usually met in the crystal room for discussions. A minute later, Devina Lightbringer, in the company of eight other individuals, five of whom were also women and the remaining three young men, walked into the large audience hall.

    "Devina Lightbringer, Spark of the Holy Order, to what does this dweller in darkness owe the p.l.e.a.s.u.r.e of your presence?" asked Rassa, lying back onto the granite floor. He wanted to be as dismissive as possible with these people.

    "This is quite the headquarters, Rassa Moonshadow, planning on expanding?"

    He knew she meant his Coven, though she had no word for it.

    "Not with you," Rassa replied, "I do believe I told you that some time ago, yet now you bring a contingent as what? Offerings? I may be arrogant, but I don''t believe myself a god in need of worshipping".

    "Could have fooled me, Vampire," Devina replied, looking around at the grandeur of the room.

    Rassa sighed, pushing off the ground. His clothing was simple, homey. Like he was preparing for bed. He wore no shoes, and his unkept look would have looked sloppy on anybody else. Rassa made it look ethereal as he crossed the room to stand before Devina, his maroon eyes taking on a brighter red sheen as his voice turned into a threat, "Then get on your knees, little priestess".

    Devina met his gaze and held it for a moment. A deep rumbled came from Rassa''s throat, a warning, plain and clear at the challenge. The Priestess looked away.

    "Is that why you will not turn me? Because I am of the Holy Order?"

    Rassa watched her a moment longer before he moved away towards the wide glass windows that looked out over the lands beyond, "That''s exactly why I won''t turn you. My Coven is very small, Devina. And new. If I were to turn a Priestess of the most ancient Order based organisation in the world, it would be seen as a desecration of their twisted faith and a declaration of war. My people may be powerful individually, but they cannot hope to defend a position against hundreds of thousands if not millions".

    Devina was silent at the admission.

    "Besides, turning you would be near suicidal. The Order you have lived with since your youth and the Chaos I introduce will clash within you to such an extent that it would be as if you were being torn apart. Though the chances are slim, if I have any chances of turning a Magician it will have to be one of Shadow, your opposite," said Rassa.

    Devina looked away.

    "Is this all you have come for?" asked Rassa.

    "Your sh.i.p.s��you''re preparing for an extended journey, south, I assume? And soon," said Devina.

    "Yes," Rassa admitted, "It is time Moonshadow expanded".

    "Even if it falls right into the Holy Order''s territory?" asked Devina.

    Rassa chuckled, "The Holy Order are a bunch of fools who can''t see past the end of their own noses, or they would have detected the remnants of Chaos in their own backyard a long time ago".

    "Remnants?" asked Devina.

    Rassa waved his hand dismissively at her question, "Is that your only concern?"

    Devina sighed, "I can help you".

    Rassa smiled, "I doubt that, but perhaps you can amuse me one last time before I dismiss you. How do you plan to offer help?"

    "I can get the deeds to Ishta Alamone''s Evanine Mines," said Devina.

    Rassa''s smile stilled, "That''s not a light claim to make. Such things are left in the broken hands of his company that has been struggling to hold itself together since his untimely demise".

    "And you were planning to scrounge them up and buy them, were you not?" asked Devina.

    Rassa tilted his head, "You''ve intrigued me, but that doesn''t explain why you want to help. You are a Light Magician, aiding me should be repulsive to you by instinct".

    Devina''s gaze faltered slightly as she turned away, "I��I''m doing it for Aegin, we were only together a short time but��how he spoke of the balance he-"

    Rassa caught her chin, turning her to face him, "Stay still, do not fight what I do or it will hurt".

    Rassa did not wait before he delved into her mind, past her conscious thoughts and deep into her memory. There, he found what he was looking for. He closed his eyes and released her, an amused smile on his lips.

    "Well, that is unexpected," said Rassa.

    Devina breathed deeply, taken aback by the sudden invasion and then just as sudden disappearance of another, overwhelming presence in her mind.

    "He made you a Sanguine," said Rassa, "Unintentionally, but still, I''d be proud if I wasn''t so pissed that he continued to think so low of me".

    "What''s a��Sanguine?" asked Devina.

    "It is the term for the humans that bond with Vampires as their dedicated feeders. The Sanguine can sense when the Vampire is hungry and feels obligated to feed them just as they are obedient in doing what is asked. At least for the most part, your Magician abilities likely fought against the bond. In return for ready access to blood, the Vampire provides sustenance to the human and protection from harm for the period of the contract. Yours with Aegin was two months. Your journey on the Mariner," said Rassa.

    Devina frowned, "So? Like you said, it''s over now".

    "And when he refused to let you go with him, you came after his Sire. Perhaps it was in part because of what you learned, but the reason you''re so insistent on having someone sink their fangs into you is because you were irrevocably changed from the experience. You liked it, even despite the Chaos it let in. And in your mission to seek it out, you even recruited more for the same purpose".

    Rassa waved his hand at those behind her. Devina looked away in shame.

    "There is no need to be embarrassed. A long time ago it was an honour to serve as a Sanguine for a Coven. But it is a life of servitude, not one for a priestess, no matter where her allegiance lies," said Rassa.

    Devina clearly looked upset at being laid open like that. But Rassa seemed non-committal as he looked at the others.

    "If you truly seek this fate, then I''m sure when I return from the South that I will be willing to consider it, but not now. I have not the time nor the patience for it, those of you who will consider such a life of servitude, you may take residence in the town below for now so long as you are useful, the rest of you, you may stay the night only," said Rassa, "Now leave me".

    Devina turned to Rassa, "And my offer to help with acquiring the Deeds?"

    Rassa looked over his shoulder at her in contemplation, "How confident are you?"

    Devina did not look away from his gaze this time, "90%".

    Rassa raised an eyebrow, "Very well then, if you can join the Moonshadow fleet in Levron before the fortnight is out you may come. But if you prove useless, you will receive no benefits nor sympathy from me, nor my company. Understood?"

    Devina looked annoyed for a moment before she nodded, "Understood".

    Rassa waved a hand to dismiss them and he listened to the group''s footsteps fade. He sighed as he looked down at the half-finished rune stone he''d been working on. He''d let a moth into his coven of spiders. This was sure to go well.

    ***

    *Eldovian Era 1715, 15th day of the 8th month*

    Layton''s competitive spirit was tiring for some, but on a run such as this, where the four newly turned Vampires had their first opportunity to really let loose, it was contagious.

    Even Neva, who had at first simply been trying to keep pace, raced with them as she tried to stay one step ahead.

    Rassa watched from the side as they raced across the rolling fields. He''d told them to just keep going no matter if Rassa paused or not. It would not be a great difficulty for Rassa to catch up to them. Still, after the third time Rassa had stopped and let them pass by, Sel had grown curious.

    "What are you doing?" asked Sel.

    Rassa''s eyes seemed to carve a path through the landscape before he took a runestone from his pocket and threw it to Sel. Sel caught it, eyes widening as he saw the symbol.

    "A new rune?"

    Rassa nodded, "Waiting weeks for things to be transported between our stores is a pain, but I would not put the burden on any of our shoulders to carry stock back and forth. That would be a pain too, so, a happy medium must be reached".

    Sel read the rune carefully, his eyes still a little untrained.

    "Acceleration? No��Speed?"

    Rassa nodded again, "Good. The idea is that a rune like this that is attached to some form of transport will make that machinery move faster than before".

    "I can''t imagine a horse drawn carriage will be useful here," said Sel, "Unless one were to use it on the horses".

    Rassa chuckled, "No, not on the horses, and I''m not thinking of using carriages. At such high speeds, it will be dangerous to attempt to attached any animal to it, and it will be dangerous to attempt to drive it on uneven or sharply curving terrain".

    "So, it can only be used on flat lands?" asked Sel.

    "Or, perhaps with the right touch, the carriage could be placed on a specially made road or track," said Rassa.

    Sel looked to only have half of Rassa''s idea mapped out in his head. Rassa pointed along the landscape, "Imagine a long metal track that was specially designed to carve through the landscape. Along this track would come the specially designed carriages built for transportation of goods, perhaps even people. The carriages themselves accelerating by the power of these runes alone".

    "How fast would they go?" asked Sel.

    Rassa sighed, "I suppose one would have to find an appropriate speed, perhaps place a limit on the charms so that they did not exceed a safe and sustainable pace. After all, if you reached a high speed, you''d only have short bursts of power before the charm would need to be charged, and there would be no guarantee of the safety of those within. Humans weren''t built to reach those kinds of speeds so precautions would have to be put in place. Perhaps the tracks could pass through a few villages along the way, stops so that passengers could rest and that the crystal could recharge. In all though, I think I could efficiently make a month long journey into one that took anywhere from 3 days to a week depending on the amount of cargo the initial car was pulling".

    Sel frowned, "Sounds like a complex undertaking".

    He passed the charm back to Rassa who just shrugged, "Nothing about Moonshadow is simple. Having the will to make something new, to reach new heights and improve quality of life should be one of it''s primary goals. Otherwise, the business will eventually stagnate, and it''s commodity will cease to be. Other companies can copy our runes, they probably are not far off finding out the secret by now. But it will be quite a surprise if any of them are able to create a new rune".

    "The Master is wise and has dedicated much thought to the longevity of his people," said Sel, "Thank you".

    Rassa smiled, "Well, doesn''t something that lasts as long as we will seem so much more exciting, Sel?"

    "Perhaps ask me in a few years, Master," Sel nodded respectfully.

    Rassa nodded, "Fair enough, come on, Layton looks to be starting a fight with Talo again".

 Chapter 352 - The Moonshadow Trading Company Short Stories: 5 - The Birth of Moonshadow Coven (III)

    *Eldovian Era 1715, 16th day of the 8th month*

    Carnaby Palei had been the man whom Elsbeth had appointed as head of the Varkevia Branch of Moonshadow before she''d departed to the southern continent six months before. He''d proven himself quite intelligent beforehand as one of her seconds, and had only continued to grow and impress since her departure. He was young, only in his thirties. Elsbeth had taken him in because he''d been cast out from his family. A Noble family in Varkevia.

    The Palei Family had looked down on Moonshadow for the first few months it had been established, especially when they''d learned that it was where Carnaby had found a place. But the draw of the Charms and their abilities proved too much for even the most prideful nobles.

    Carnaby spent most of his time these days avoiding any of his family members. They''d attempted to try to slot themselves in with Moonshadow in the first few weeks of Carnaby''s appointment as it''s Varkevia branch head. Carnaby had been quite annoyed at their antics, but hadn''t the manpower to dismiss them. Ebony had shown up when she''d heard word, and paid them a visit just a few days after her unsealing. The Palei family never dared to mention themselves in the same sentence as Moonshadow again.

    Carnaby had been very grateful for Ebony''s help, but in all his time at Moonshadow, he had yet to catch more than a glimpse of the Lord Moonshadow whom all those employed within the Moonshadow Company were eager to meet and show gratitude to. After all, they were treated and respected at Moonshadow on a scale that they were nowhere else. He was well aware of the Master''s��peculiarities. But Elsbeth had always been strict about how she spoke of it. Carnaby knew that it wasn''t exactly a secret, but it wasn''t something that was discussed outright either.

    "Mr Palei, are you positive that Mr Moonshadow will be arriving so late?" asked Katie, his personal assistant. It was after midnight, and the air was quite cold in the main courtyard of Moonshadow. They wore thick winter coats, the two braziers on either side of them lighting much of the large courtyard.

    "I''m sure, that is what Miss Moonshadow informed me earlier this evening," replied Carnaby, "Is the Young Master Bennett comfortable?"

    Katie nodded, "Yes, he retired not long ago after spending much of the day in the garden. He complimented the landscaping quite genuinely".

    When the young man had shown up at the Bennett house a month before with a written letter signed by Rassa Moonshadow himself, Carnaby had been quite taken aback. Considering the aging of the letter, he hadn''t known whether or not it was something he should trust. Hence, he''s asked the Young Master to send a letter the traditional way to the Lord Moonshadow requesting that the bargain they had unofficially made be met.

    It was because it was so unofficial that Carnaby was so reluctant to see the reaction of the Lord Moonshadow. It had been nearly two years since the original letter was written, surely, he would be annoyed that the original owner of this Estate had appeared so late.

    The wind stirred in the Courtyard, and a dark figure suddenly appeared just inside the gate, followed by a second, then a third. The fourth seemed to appear at the top of the gate''s arch, balancing on the stone.

    "That was not fair, you tripped me," said the figure on top of the arch. A young man from the sounds of it as he dropped down to the ground. That was a two storey drop. Carnaby''s eyes widened as the young man appeared completely casual and uninjured. The figure who had appeared second threw back his hood, revealing blonde and brown knotted hair stained by days under the sun. He grinned at the younger man, "Anything goes, that''s what you said".

    The younger man huffed, "It''s still not fair".

    "You''re such a sore loser," the sun-kissed man stated with a roll of his eyes.

    "I-"

    "Enough," stated a fifth figure who walked through the gates at a leisurely pace, "You''ve had your fun, time for a little business".

    The man did not wear his hood up like the others, but from his dark leather coat, red vest, short brown hair and maroon eyes all contained in the figure of a man in his early twenties, Carnaby knew in an instant that this was the infamous Lord Rassa Moonshadow.

    Carnaby bowed his head respectfully, "Welcome, Lord Moonshadow, I trust your journey was smooth?"

    Rassa paused before him, his eyes intimidating and calculating for a moment before they softened, "It was just fine, Mr Palei," he said. "How is the Varkevian Branch?"

    Rassa stepped forward towards the doors, Carnaby falling into step beside him, "Business is good, my Lord, though at least once a month we struggle to keep up with orders. Miss Moonshadow insists that it is an issue that will be resolved with expansion".

    Rassa smiled, "You worry that the expansion is not fast enough for demand though".

    "I would not dare, my Lord," Carnaby stated.

    Rassa''s smile dropped as he frowned and paused, turning to Carnaby, "I would make it clear to you, Mr Palei, that I would prefer it if you did dare when it came to the business. It may be mine, but that does not mean I will not be grateful for your input and ingenuity, or anybody''s for that matter. We cannot grow without it. I had hoped that Ebony and Elsbeth had made that clear".

    "They have, my Lord," Carnaby stated nervously, "But admittedly��you are quite the legend among the staff. Perhaps I have let my imagination wonder in their speculation of you. Apologies".

    Rassa chuckled at that, the smile returning as he continued his walk, "I trust the Young Master Bennett is suitably accommodated?"

    "Of course, sir, he likes the gardens," said Carnaby.

    "Pity they are no longer his gardens," Rassa replied, "Will you arrange someone to show my companions to some rooms. I''ll be out for most of the night so do get some rest. I''m sure waiting so late for my arrival was taxing. I will meet with Young Master Bennett at dinner tomorrow evening, for now, I had some things to attend to".

    "Of course, Lord Moonsha-"

    But as Carnaby looked up from his respectful nod, the man had simply vanished. Carnaby turned awkwardly to the other four before he nodded to Katie who quickly took over, showing Lord Moonshadow''s companions to some spare rooms.

    Elsbeth had not been wrong. Rassa Moonshadow certainly had some peculiarities about him. He was just as quick-spoken and sure-footed as the stories claimed. There and gone in an instant, but leaving behind such a profound presence. Carnaby was not sure if he would be able to rest comfortably from all the excitement.

    ***

    Leiv did not recognise those that Rassa Moonshadow had brought with him. He expected to see a somewhat familiar face in Iah or Ebony. Or perhaps even those two Charm Crafters he''d seen from a distance on Rouke Island, Kit and Olly. But the four that were there were not people Leiv had encountered before.

    What he was certain of though, was that they were not human. The Earth told him so. It had shocked him at first. The vibrations they sent into the Earth at their phenomenal pace were certainly not human, nor were they that of a Magician or other creature. But what Leiv was certain of was that the Mist did not cower from them, it simply reacted differently than it did to any other Leiv had known.

    So, as he sat in the dining hall, making conversation with Carnaby and awaiting the arrival of the distinguished guests and owners of his mother''s family''s land, Leiv was not entirely sure what to expect.

    Jane, whenever she''d spoken of Rassa, had always spoken of a kind and caring boy who had been wrongly treated and imprisoned. Even if Leiv had yet to meet him, he was not entirely sure that Jane''s image of the boy was one that had survived the test of time.

    Even as he''d swept into the room and taken a seat, his party of four entering with various forms of elegance. The young woman was the most delicate, but her height and slightly darker skin tone hinted at somebody who originated from the south, not Eldovia. In fact, the others held features that were not consistent with Eldovia''s either. They all sat down, though made no move to take any drink from the wine, in fact a couple of them pushed the un-filled plates away.

    Rassa sat at the head, looking down the length of the table at Leiv.

    "So, you are the young master Bennett?"

    It was spoken like a businessman. To the point. Leiv raised an eyebrow.

    "I don''t tend to take my mother''s name, but yes, this estate was owned by her family and as the only descendant I claim rights to it," said Leiv.

    Rassa chuckled, "No, you don''t claim any rights to it. I brought it two years ago".

    "From a man who had no right to sell it in the first place," Leiv stated with narrowed eyes.

    "That may be the case," Rassa admitted, "But it is not I that got cheated in that deal. That falls on your shoulders alone. I believe you would have read what I offered, it is more than enough for you to purchase a home of your own and fully furnish it. You may even staff it as you wish. It was my understanding that most Magicians prefer the company of their Guilds. Though, I will admit you are an exception to most Magicians".

    Leiv''s eyes narrowed at the reference to his half-blood nature. Most of the time it was malicious, but that did not seem to be the case when Rassa Moonshadow said it, "Then you will not give me the land that is mine by birthright?"

    The floor boards below them seemed to shudder, but while Carnaby and Katie seemed shocked, Rassa looked completely unbothered. Amused even.

    "Little Magician, you may have the blood of elves in you to drive your power just that little bit higher than your peers, but I can guarantee that you will lose if you pick a fight with me," Rassa warned. His eyes flashed a crimson red, and he let Leiv see for just the slightest second, the power that dwelled within him. Leiv held his gaze for a moment before he turned away with an annoyed scoff.

    "Jane was wrong about you," he said, "You are not kind nor caring. You are arrogant and greedy".

    Rassa laughed, "It''s been a decade since I''ve seen her. Nobody remains the same in that time, least of all those who have been through a dramatic change. I am kind and caring to those I call my own. I am arrogant because I have earned every right to be. As for greed, I think you have misunderstood my impulses. I am not greedy, Little Magician, I am gluttonous. And if you so bait me, I will be more than willing to consume you and all you hold dear".

    The table was tense for a moment before Rassa stood, "Ensure Leiv gets what I promised him, Carnaby, and have more maps sent to my office".

    Carnaby stood quickly, gulping before he bowed his head respectfully, "Yes, Lord Moonshadow".

    Leiv watched the five of them stand and leave, not having touched anything on their plates.

    Ever since his Magician Team had returned from their mission, they had heard everywhere of the changes that Moonshadow had induced in Eldovia''s everyday life, and they were thoroughly impressed. Right up until they heard the name Rassa Moonshadow.

    Jane had been shocked, and then she had seemed to retreat within herself. The friend she had thought was dead for a second time, was in fact, still alive. And thriving better than any of those from her childhood ever would. The Team, without Jane to hold them together, had applied for some time off and returned to their homes for a long overdue holiday. Leiv had not expected to find Moonshadow having set up shop on the land he''d been sure his mother had promised to him.

    He''d wanted to show Jane that Rassa was not all she had pictured him to be. That he may have been alive, but he was still just as normal as the rest of them. But that was far from reality.

    Now, he wondered whether or not he should tell Jane about meeting Rassa at all.

    ***

    *Eldovian Era 1715, 21st day of the 8th month*

    Having to wait ten days in Varkevia for the Moon Voyager to arrive gave Rassa plenty of days to plan for his new endeavour in Eldovia. He''d proposed it to the other branch heads, who had all agreed readily that it was a revolutionary idea that would help immensely in keeping production up with demand.

    Rassa planned not just the route from Varkevia to Moonshadow, but also Routes between the cities and towns that were the best locations for stops. Moonshadow had no problem building it, or purchasing the land to build the stations on, it was the land in between that would be cause for concern. This was still Eldovia, still an Empire ruled over by an Emperor, and Rassa was loath to ever speak with the Imperial Family. In fact, he wanted as little to do with the governing of the Empire as possible. Having the perspective of knowing that the line was bound to die out some time within the next 30 years meant that Eldovia was on a sure route to civil war. Ensuring that his business and plans would not become a victim of that war was paramount.

    Still, Rassa did not wish to explain this to anybody else. The only one that knew was Aegin, and he��well, there was no chance of him returning anytime soon if he was still feeling so resentful even after two years.

    "Rassa, if you don''t get permission from the Emperor to build something of this scale, you''re going to end up becoming a victim to his wrath," Ebony huffed through the communication crystal, her transparent form standing unhappily behind her seat, "I thought your plan was to not draw attention to yourself? You can pretty much guarantee that this will mean the exact opposite".

    "I''m not entering that snake''s den willingly," Rassa frowned like a petulant child.

    Iah sighed, "Rassa, I have to agree with Ebony on this, it''s not something you can ask through correspondence. You''re talking about Empire-wide infrastructure that could mean a new age for trade and industry. It needs to be discussed and negotiated in person".

    "This will propel the entire Empire forward generations in development," Rassa huffed, "He can''t say no".

    "He can if it means that one company unaffiliated with the crown controls the entire network," said Iah.

    "That''s why I suggested investments, that and the station control crystals," said Rassa.

    "I don''t get why you would give the man the ability to cut off your own supply network," Ebony pointed out, "From what you''re saying, those control crystals will essentially make any track cart within three days ride of the cities inert".

    "And the way I have the lines set up, it won''t matter if he chooses to make the Capital go dark. He''d be an idiot to do so, really," Rassa replied, "He''d cut himself off from the network with no feasible way to request for immediate back-up and no way to reactivate, it''d be suicide".

    Rassa chuckled at the thought, then realised the rest of the meeting room was quiet. He raised an eyebrow, "What?"

    "Are you telling the Emperor this?" asked Iah.

    "Ah, no?" Rassa said. The room looked divided. To undermine the Emperor like that��

    Rassa stood, "Look, I''m not giving that man absolute control over these transport routes. In three years, they could be a predominant way of transport on the continent, and giving him control over it is essentially giving him the power to suppress his people. But if I tell him that''s a possibility and hand over the means for him to use it on his own city, then if he does end up using it, whatever befalls him afterwards is his own stupid fault".

    "You''ve really got some double standards there," Ebony frowned, "Because who will actually have the power to cripple the entire system?"

    "No one," said Rassa.

    Ebony''s eyes widened in surprise, "You''re not keeping such a crystal to yourself?"

    Rassa rolled his eyes, "Ebony, there are better and less crippling ways to deal with insubordination than destroying my own supply routes".

    Rassa caught Iah hiding a smile out of the corner of his eye and Ebony just glared at him, "You''ve still got to talk to him to get this whole plan of yours underway before we leave for the South in five days".

    Rassa sighed, "I''m not talking to him. I''ll have a letter sent. That''s final".

    Ebony turned away from his glare before Rassa waved his hand, "We''ll reconvene tomorrow, meeting dismissed".

 Chapter 353 - The Moonshadow Trading Company Short Stories: 5 - The Birth of Moonshadow Coven (IV)

    If there was one thing that Leiv was absolutely certain of, it was that his mother would never approve of eavesdropping. But he was bored, and when the earth and all its spoils tended to bend to your will, it wasn''t all that hard to coax the wood grains into revealing what was going on in that mysterious room on the other side of the estate.

    In fact, it was so easy for him to get a grasp of what was happening in there that even he felt it was a little unfair. Still, had he not done it, he would not have known just how much Moonshadow was holding back from the rest of the world.

    And, reluctantly, Leiv agreed with Rassa. To offer to build something of that scale and then give a tyrannical bloodline such power over it was just plain stupid. But Leiv would never admit that he agreed with the man he was intent on never speaking to again.

    Except now he had something over the powerful man. Something he could use to bargain for Jane''s safety.

    So as the man in question emerged for some fresh air that evening, Leiv didn''t hesitate in the slightest when pushing his will into the earth.

    The ground rumbled beneath Rassa for a short moment and he stilled before he moved to the left three steps, the ground lifted as his feet stepped away, and then Rassa spun to avoid the oncoming slab of earth shooting out towards him.

    His eyes found Leiv Bennett, and he gave a small, amused smile.

    Rassa stilled the attack subsiding now that Leiv had his attention. But before Leiv could open his mouth, four figures appeared alongside Rassa, their eyes all on Leiv.

    "First one to take him down can get a second helping tonight," said Rassa.

    Leiv didn''t have to be a Magician to sense the sudden change in the air. He reacted instinctually, erecting earthen walls on either side of himself and pushing them outwards before he set his footing and began drawing on his deepest reserves of energy. He knew he would need it for this unexpected battle.

    The three beings that came at him were not human. Their speed and agility were unlike anything Leiv had ever encountered. So much so that where before he had handled such confrontation with ease, now he struggled. His only saving grace was his reactive instincts, which moved to call the earth before Leiv so much as turned in that direction.

    One of the oncoming figures, a larger man, released a rush of air in an almighty ''whoosh'' as the earthen boulder Leiv had sent at him impacted his side. The younger, more arrogant man, managed to dodge the boulders before Leiv went for a different approach and pushed his power into the grass and the surrounding vines. They whipped out, at first tearing, but eventually their number slowed the threatening man and he was yanked back towards a tree for safe keeping. The third figure, a woman, was less aggressive. She had paused upon seeing her brethren incapacitated, and now waited on the side for an opportunity, Leiv half turned to face her.

    "I wasn''t asking for a-"

    "You were," Rassa stated. Leiv spun to look at him, but he hadn''t moved, along with the fourth figure, an old man who stood silently on his flank, "I''m sure you''ve noticed just from this short display that we are not human. You attacked us, so you''d better be prepared for the consequences".

    Leiv''s eyes narrowed, "Getting your minions to do your dirty work, Rassa? I admit they''re tough opponents, but they''re no match for me. You won''t be either".

    Rassa smirked, "Really?"

    Leiv suddenly felt that intense dark aura directly behind him, but before he could react, a set of sharp claws sat poised on his jugular.

    Rassa smirked, "If one of us underestimated the other, it certainly wasn''t me".

    Rassa then stepped forward, appearing before Leiv an instant later, his eyes red as two fangs extended from his top gums, "As I said, we are not human, we''re likely unlike anything you have encountered before. Even against those of our kind just two weeks old, you are nothing but a meal".

    Rassa leaned away, his fangs retracting, "Do not test my patience, Leiv Bennet, our business concluded days ago, why are you still here?"

    The claws around Leiv''s through vanished. Being able to breathe again without the deadly claws poised against his jugular, Leiv looked over his shoulder at the young woman responsible. How had she evaded his instincts so precisely? Still, that was not the question to ask now. The winner was the one that got to ask the questions.

    "I heard you," said Leiv, "You want to build a type of transport that will put the empire, if not the world, generations ahead. But you can''t do it without the emperor''s approval. An Emperor you refuse to see��an Emperor you''re intent on deceiving".

    "Oh ho?" asked Rassa, a small smile on his lips, "Blackmail is it? How original".

    Leiv''s eyes narrowed, "If you don''t want me to speak, you had best meet my demands".

    "You''re surrounded by five vampires, and that''s the best you can come up with?" asked the man who''d eaten a face full of earth for a few moments before.

    "As far as I can tell," Leiv stated, turning to look at the ''Vampire'' in question, "Only three of them are actually any threat".

    The man''s lips curled up over fangs in warning, a low growl emerging from his throat. Leiv frowned in concern.

    "Talo," Rassa spoke, "At least let the man have his moment before you kill him".

    "I thought it was my kill," the woman stated, "I won after all".

    "My mistake," Rassa nodded, "Neva, would you shut Talo up for a moment".

    The woman turned to glance at the growling man, her eyes narrowing. Talo looked at her a moment, not seeming to want or need to back down, then his growl lessened, and he took a couple of steps back, "Whatever".

    Rassa sighed, "Please, do continue, the least you could do is entertain us before you''re to die".

    "You can''t kill me," said Leiv, "Jane will come looking".

    Rassa''s amused smile vanished fairly quickly, "Do not test my patience".

    Leiv frowned, "I''ll deliver your message to the Emperor. I''ll even put forth my best arguments to convince him. In return, you won''t make contact with Jane, in person or otherwise. If she tries to talk to you, you will act like you do not know her".

    "And how will I know that you''re not going to spill everything to the Emperor?" asked Rassa, "This is a rather flimsy deal. I don''t tend to make those".

    "Then what do you suggest?" asked Leiv.

    He wished now that he had not asked. Rassa immediately smiled and seemed to reach into his coat, pulling out a scroll of parchment. One of his nails extended, and he pricked a finger on the opposing hand before the blood flowed out onto the unrolled parchment.

    Rassa''s aura shifted, and Leiv found himself watching the Vampire use some unknown magic to bend and twist and control the blood like it was ink on the tip of a pen. Just a minute later, the words of a contract were written upon the parchment.

    "This is a Blood Contract," stated Rassa, "You may read it, and if you agree with the deal, sign it. Though, be aware that since you now know my plans, I can''t technically let you off lightly. Oh, be careful. If you do sign it, breaking the contract will severely cripple if not kill you".

    Leiv took the contract, reading over the contents, then paused near the bottom, "You want me to help build it?"

    "Carve the path and lay the tracks. Your mastery over earth is hard to ignore. I use what I can," Rassa shrugged.

    "Do you have a pen?" asked Leiv.

    Rassa smiled, then nodded to the man who''d stayed silent and stoic beside him. The man pulled a dagger from his coat and handed it to leiv.

    "Just prick a finger and drop your blood onto the bottom of the page. The contract will be sealed like that".

    Leiv shrugged and did as told. As soon as his blood dropped onto the page, he felt a kind of shackle take shape around his neck.

    He had the foreboding feeling that despite his dislike of Rassa Moonshadow, this was only the beginning of their dealings.

    Rassa took a letter from the inside of his jacket and handed it to Leiv.

    "Do hurry, I want construction well underway by the time I''m back from the south in a few months".

    ***

    *Eldovian Era 1715, 21st day of the 9th month*

    "Rassa, darling, I trust the trip was not too taxing?" asked Elsbeth as she swept across the main hall of Moonshadow''s brand new Southern Headquarters. So new in fact that some of the workers were still putting the finishing touches up on either side.

    Rassa gave a small smile as he looked around. Elsbeth had done a fantastic job.

    "Not as taxing as the last few months have been for you, no doubt," Rassa stated as he received Elsbeth''s warm hug. The woman was beginning to look older. The crow''s feet around her eyes when she smiled and the tightness of her skin. Rassa spoke nothing of it though as Elsbeth led him across the hall, "Come, to the office".

    "I''ve brought thirty trained Craftsman with me," Rassa stated, "As well as the artisans you asked for. It should be enough to get you started".

    "Yes, thank you, Renae will see to it that they are all accommodated after the journey," said Elsbeth, motioning to the younger woman who had been quiet up until this point. The woman curtsied in acknowledgment, glancing briefly at Rassa before she went to go about her job.

    Elsbeth took Rassa up to the fourth floor of the building. The Moonshadow Headquarters here was arranged more like a large estate. The main building dominated the front of the landscape, but the warehouses at the back were clearly for production purposes. Finally, at the rear, was the living quarters for staff. All of this on just a day''s ride from the city of Keltronis, one of those that dominated the northern coast of the southern continent, the location chosen because of it''s access to the nearby river system that allowed for access to the ocean.

    "So, how are things proceeding?" asked Rassa as Elsbeth closed them both into the meeting room.

    He stepped forward to where the stand had already been erected, pulling the communication crystal from his shadows as Elsbeth began to speak.

    "Everything at the Estate has proceeded as planned. Construction is well underway, in fact we are perhaps a fortnight away from being operational. As for the mines��I have been less successful," said Elsbeth.

    Rassa sighed, "They are refusing to sell?"

    "Some are," Elsbeth stated, "Mostly because they, like many others, believe that Moonshadow is the most likely culprit behind their Master''s death".

    Rassa placed the crystal down in the erected stand and stepped back to admire his handy work before turning to Elsbeth.

    "You have contacted all of them?" asked Rassa.

    Elsbeth nodded, "Though two never deigned to reply. I sent messengers directly, but they were not received".

    Rassa nodded, "Ask those who are talking to you to meet here in ten days. Tell them that I will attend the meeting myself".

    "10 days?" asked Elsbeth.

    "Some are not close by, then?"

    Elsbeth nodded.

    Rassa sighed, "Contact them anyway, ask them if they are willing to meet with me. If they are, let me now their locations, I''ll retrieve them".

    "Retrieve��do I want to know?"

    Rassa gave a cruel smile, "They seem so intent on believing I am a monster. I feel inclined to show them that I certainly can be if they refuse my goodwill".

    "And you are sure that is the appropriate tactic, here? Where you are not stationed indefinitely?" asked Elsbeth.

    "They will not cause you trouble," said Rassa.

    Elsbeth raised an eyebrow, "They are signing your blood contracts then?"

    "They will be, yes," said Rassa.

    Elsbeth sighed, "Forgive me, Rassa, but are you not giving out too many of those?"

    "Perhaps, but it is currently the only way I can be absolutely sure of what I am getting," said Rassa, "Another few years, and perhaps I will not need to use so many".

    Elsbeth turned away, "Very well, what of the two that are not speaking to me?"

    "I''ve been informed by a��well, best refer to her as a nuisance at this stage��but she has at least promised that she can deliver them. It is time she lived up to that," said Rassa.

    ***

    *Eldovian Era 1715, 1st day of the 10th month*

    Rassa looked around at the six men of varying ages and backgrounds. Men that held the deeds to the mines he wished to procure. Only two of them had the sense to appear terrified, the other four looked to be at varying levels of rage after Rassa had unceremoniously plucked them from where they were and transported them all to the one place through the stomach-churning shadows of night.

    Devina stood to the side, dressed for once in her white robes. She had managed to avoid the rest of the Holy Order Priests so far. But Rassa could sense them closing in. They would come for her soon. He did not care what her method had been in convincing the other two to come, but they were not in the least bit happy about it either way.

    Rassa drew on his shadows, pulling out six pre-prepared contracts, three with blue ribbons around them and three with red ribbons. He looked at the men around him.

    "This would have been so much easier had you dealt with Elsbeth, but instead you insisted on insulting her good will and spreading vicious rumours as to Moonshadow''s involvement in Ishta Alamone''s unfortunate passing. I wish to tell you here and now that I had no quarrel with Ishta Alamone that wasn''t resolved with the passing of his Inktress," said Rassa, "In fact, Ishta and I were in talks about the very same thing Elsbeth has been in with you for some time now".

    The men around the table did not appear convinced.

    "I came to the South to expand my business. I do not plan on leaving empty handed. So, you will each sign a contract before you leave. Three of you may sign a contract similar in nature to that which I discussed with Ishta. In short, you will supply Moonshadow with Evanine in exchange for a 10% discount for your company purchases at Moonshadow and a selection of 1,000 small charms or the equivalent biannually," Rassa indicated to the contracts with the blue ribbon, "Or, you can sell your mines for 5,000 gold per square metre. I am not willing to only buy a partial mine however".

    "We d.e.s.i.r.e neither of these deals from an insidious cur such as yourself," said one of the owners, looking quite pompous.

    Rassa gave a small smile, "I''m sorry, perhaps I was not clear enough". Rassa met the man''s eyes, his own turning a bright red, "You will sign one of these contracts, or I will take your mine by force. I could have very well done that with Ishta, but I chose not to. I am a reasonable monster, if ever there was one. But I am not one to put up with insult or mockery".

    The man''s eyes widened in raged as he slammed a hand on the table, "I will not be intimidated or coerced into signing this!"

    Rassa''s smile dimmed, "Very well".

    His chair rocked as he left it, rounding the table in the blink of an eye to flank the man, grabbing his hair and yanking his head backwards. Rassa looked down at the man, "Though I would not say this was the smart choice when dealing with a monster".

    Rassa leaned down and sunk his fangs into the man''s throat. The man froze as the venom got to work, and the others all shifted back, crying out in shock as they stepped away. Rassa drank for a couple of minutes peacefully before the man seemed to change his mind. Rassa drew his fangs back, l.i.c.k.i.n.g over the wound and shifting to look at the man''s eyes.

    "Change of heart?"

    The man, still struggling from the paralysis, managed to nod slowly through teary eyes.

    Rassa released him, and man collapsed forward.

    "That is the smarter choice, though you really should have made it sooner, you''ll need bedrest for at least a week before you feel any better with the blood loss you just had," said Rassa, "Red or Blue?"

    The man reached for the red ribbon shakily. Rassa waved his hand and the shadows picked it up, letting the ribbon fall as it floated forward.

    Rassa held a dagger to the man, "A drop of blood on the dotted line and you are free to go. Though someone will probably need to send you back. I''m happy to do so once my business is done here".

    The already pale man looked up weakly. Rassa sighed, "You are right, that is perhaps a little cruel to ask you to do it yourself. Ah!"

    Rassa unsheathed the dagger, placing the blade at the man''s throat. The man froze, eyes wide as Rassa ran the blade carefully over the man''s skin. A drop of blood from the bite came away, and Rassa let the drop fall onto the parchment.

    "Shame to waste good blood," Rassa said, sheathing the dagger once more. He licked his fingers and rubbed his saliva across his fang marks on the man''s neck. The man shivered in disgust but Rassa ignored him as he looked up at the rest of the table, "Your thoughts, gentlemen?"

    The others could not reach the other contracts fast enough, wise enough not to question why Rassa would not give them all one type of deal.

    They each signed in turn then Rassa gave them all a copy, "Thank you for your business gentlemen. I shall return you home promptly. Oh, and one last thing. Do not attempt to break the contract, nor speak of our meeting tonight. You will find yourself severely crippled if not dead in the following moment. If somebody asks, simply say you signed a contract with Rassa Moonshadow".

    Rassa looked up with a satisfied expression. His eyes meeting Devina''s. She did not appear so sure of herself now.

 Chapter 354 - The Moonshadow Trading Company Short Stories: 6 - The Bronze Token (I)

    *Eldovian Era 1716, 14th day of the 12th month*

    Rassa Moonshadow, dressed in formal maroon attire and for once showing off his Moon Stone cuff rather than hiding it beneath his sleeve, appraised the massive ball room before him with a smiling ease. Beside him, Ebony, in her silver ball gown, smiled with a genuine appeal as she spoke with a silk trader from the south.

    A wine trader from Varkevia nodded to Rassa respectfully and Rassa returned it with a smile that he hoped was warm. He was never sure these days. Most people''s reactions were to shiver in fear rather than smile back. It was not as if he could blame them. He''d brought it on himself for the most part. It was not as if that fear had stemmed from nothing.

    Fear of his tactics.

    Fear of his products.

    Fear of his ambition.

    Fear of his exponentially growing influence and power.

    Fear of something that most couldn''t quite put their fingers on.

    Rassa tended to operate in shadows, but that did not mean that he actively tried to erase himself from the light. Even less so now that his Coven had grown to seven members aside from himself, all of whom were fully unsealed Vampires.

    Ebony was in charge of Moonshadow''s Eldovia Headquarters, as she had been for the past three years. Iah had yet to hand over her position as head of the Rouke Island Branch, though she had been grooming a successor for a few months now by the name of Tahli.

    Talo had become head of Moonshadow''s Fleet of Merchant sh.i.p.s. He had quite the hands-on approach, spending most of his time on one of the sh.i.p.s. As such, he had been the first of the Moonshadow Coven to take on Sanguine. He currently had 2 under contract. Though they made themselves useful as his deputies as well. Talo was not one to allow them to sit idly by as ready-made meals. Not on his sh.i.p.s.

    Rassa had stopped trying to correct him some time ago that the sh.i.p.s were in fact Rassa''s. Talo still went where ordered after all.

    Neva had resumed her position as head of the Lovolon Branch, though she too had begun to groom possible successors. The name of Neva Goldmen was quite famous in the Port City. So much so that there were few things that happened there that Neva didn''t know about. Her influence in the city was astonishing.

    In fact, the influence of every Moonshadow Branch office was nothing to turn one''s nose up at. Especially after the implementation of the Rail Carriageway, or Railway.

    The months of construction at the end of the previous year has been quite something. Nobody had been sure of whether or not this endeavour of Moonshadow''s was about to be of benefit or would finally be something that the young owner was too ambitious for and fail.

    When the Railway''s construction was complete though, and the first carriages left Moonshadow headed for the various stations, everyone had simply stood back and watched in shocked amazement.

    After a fortnight, the first requests had come in to Rassa for cooperation. Rassa had had Mathius take control as soon as he had emerged from his punishment, instructing him to create deals lasting three-months.

    Three months of transportation via the railway, for a price of course. All varying depending on how often the businesses needed a spot and how large their cargo was. After the first three months saw those businesses double their profits now that they need not wait so long for supplies, even more businesses approached, and Rassa found himself not only having to increase the power output of the crystals and adding more carriages, but also adding two passenger carriages to every second transport. The public were shocked by the development, and cautious at first, but within a week tickets were being bought rapidly. Why? Because Rassa had made the tickets affordable to the public. Just 8 silver coins per person, per station they passed through. To have such tickets at the same price as leather belt or a nice shirt��the public praised him for such benevolence.

    In truth, Rassa had been earning so much money from both his endeavours in the south and his new transportation routes, that he''d told Mathius that the Railway would be the one part of Moonshadow that would always be affordable to everybody. Yes, everybody, even those that transported their goods were impressed by the low prices. 5 silver per cubic metre of space per station.

    With 100 passengers per carriage, or 450 spaces for cargo per carriage, when you added the stations, routes and the 6 scheduled carriages all together for a day''s profits, the projected number for city to city transport was just under 12,000 gold per day.

    The only people that were unhappy were those that were jealous of Rassa''s knowledge and ingenuity. That, however, was typical and expected for Moonshadow''s business.

    "You''re looking positively regal, I see," Falla stated as she appeared through the crowd wearing a royal blue dress, Linc at her elbow as always.

    "I do believe you aim to fit that bill, Miss Startree, I just dress in whatever Iah insists on for special occasions," said Rassa.

    Falla rolled her eyes, "Then I suppose I should be praising Iah''s tastes then, not yours?"

    Rassa flashed her a more genuine smile, "Well, giving credit where credit is due��"

    "Speaking of credit, at the rate my mine is digging up crystals, we''ll run the mine dry in under just six years," said Falla.

    "Are you telling me to pace myself?" asked Rassa.

    "I''m saying that if you have any more rapid expansion plans, you best keep in mind that the Startree mine will struggle to keep up," said Falla.

    "Ah, but you will earn your money''s worth, will you not?"

    Falla sighed, "You''re going to need to start transporting from the south soon".

    "That was not even up for question," Rassa stated.

    Falla raised an eyebrow at him.

    "Eldovia is not a place rich in crystal mines, let alone Evanine. We will need to go elsewhere for a continued supply," said Rassa.

    "Then you will make inroads to the West?" asked Falla.

    Rassa''s smile turned somewhat sad before he sighed, "One day, perhaps".

    "Is Rassa Moonshadow hesitating?" asked Falla with a raised eyebrow upon seeing his expression.

    Rassa huffed at her question, "He is exploring other options".

    Falla chuckled, "Exploring other options? How terrifying".

    Before Rassa could respond, a figure appeared on the stage, the head of the Rouke Island Trader''s Association, Finnic Willow.

    The older man spread an arm wide over the crowd, "Welcome, esteemed guests! Tonight, we celebrate another successful end to the Trader''s Festival. Over the past several years we have come far in our ventures, even the past several months have seen many grand and exciting achievements, but only a few can truly set themselves apart from the rest and claim their positions on the Trader''s Association''s Business Ranking, and only a few of those can claim the esteemed Tokens. Without further ado, let us reveal the Rankings��"

    The tenth position was revealed, the Riven Merchant''s Association from the South. Cheers and applause rose up from the left where their representatives were gathered. Falla and Rassa giving a polite clap each.

    Ninth position, the Kildare Trading Company. They had been dropping the last few years, a polite clap rose up from the crowd, Rassa unable to help the satisfied smirk on his face.

    In Seventh, Lirauda Trading Company.

    In Sixth, the Yilish Trade Association.

    In Fifth, the Igrado Merchant Group from the West.

    In Fourth, Anvil Trade. A Blacksmithing company. This was a surprise. They had been fighting with Token Trading Company for the Bronze spot before, but they''d been above Token for the past two festivals.

    It was at this point that the crowd paused, anticipation spreading as to who the top three were. Now that the previous winner, Golden Sands, had been inundated with losses that they would take years to recover from since their leader was no more, the top three spots were heavily debated.

    Of course, Token Trading Company had to be there. They had not left the top ten in decades, and they had had considerable profits over the past two years, or at least nothing short of their usual. If Anvil Trade was in fourth, surely that meant Token had taken back their spot in third.

    Then there was the Elenius Trading Company. Like Token, they were rarely out of the top ten. Their products and trade routes were too influential to ignore. That just left the final group. The wild card that everyone was wondering about.

    Rassa felt the gazes on him as he watched Finnic light the match for the Bronze Fireworks that would reveal the third place.

    Everyone watched with baited breath as the fireworks shot up into the sky, then exploded above Rouke Island. The reddish-brown colour revealing a circular symbol, with a crescent moon.

    "Moonshadow! The Bronze Token is hereby awarded to Moonshadow Trading Company! The Company that has without a doubt made this achievement in the shortest amount of time, just seven years since the inception of the company!" Finnic waved Rassa over.

    Rassa moved forward to the stage, nodding elegantly to Finnic in recognition as he received the Bronze Token Plaque.

    Finnic gestured to the crowd. Rassa bit back a retort. He was not one for speeches.

    "Thank you for this acknowledgement," Rassa stated, "I''m forever grateful to my family, my employees, and my business partners for trusting in my endeavours. I fully believe that the path forward will be in the unknown, and I will strive to take that path in the many years to come. Thank you".

    Rassa then nodded once more to Finnic as he descended the stage and headed back towards Ebony who was now standing beside Falla.

    She grinned as he arrived, "I have the perfect spot for it".

    "If you put it behind that gaudy chair, I will throw it from the balcony," Rassa warned.

    Ebony smirked, "You will not".

    It sounded more like an order than an observation, because Ebony knew he very well would throw it.

    The silver fireworks lit up the sky. Token this time. Rassa watched as Gabriel Token got up to receive the award. Rassa bowed his head in silence for Jeremiah''s loss. He''d been a great man. Rassa had not been there at his death, but from what he had heard from Ebony, it had not been anything resembling grand or peaceful.

    Rassa smiled as he turned to Falla, the formal part of the celebrations ending for the night.

    "It seems I have some good news to deliver to my employees," Rassa said.

    "Some year-end bonuses as well?" asked Ebony with a raised eyebrow.

    Rassa sighed, "Sure, why not, just don''t go overboard".

    Falla looked between Rassa and Ebony, "Sometimes I wonder Rassa who the real head of your company is".

    Rassa just smiled, "When it''s something ambitious and ground-breaking, me. Everything else? Ebony or Iah can take the credit for that".

    Falla shook her head as she sighed in disbelief, "You are advancing quickly in the world, Rassa. Are you prepared for what that means?"

    Rassa raised an eyebrow, "If I am not, I will pay the price for it, but if I am, it will be everyone against me that suffers for it. Good thing I''ve always thought of you as being an ally, Falla".

    Falla hummed in agreement, "Good Night, Lord Moonshadow".

    Rassa, sick of correcting others by this stage, just took Falla''s outstretched hand and planted a light kiss upon it, "And to you, Lady Startree".

    ***

    *Eldovian Era 1716, 15th day of the 12th month*

    Rassa smiled as those in the meeting shared their joy and success with one another, talking animatedly via the communication crystal. Mathius stood silently to the side, seemingly looking over whatever papers were before him. Rassa sat down beside him with a sigh.

    "Well don''t you look like you''re celebrating too hard," Rassa smiled in amus.e.m.e.nt.

    Mathius sighed, "The new timetable for the next three months is due to come out in a little over a week, and given this, I''m going to assume that there will be even more individuals clamouring for the service. I was just trying to figure out if we can afford to add two more trains a day on each route".

    "You mean have 8 a day rather than 6?" asked Rassa.

    Mathius nodded.

    Rassa thought for a moment, "At the moment that would be stretching it. The crystals need at least 4 hours to recharge once they stop at a station, which was why we had them leaving every 4 hours. They would overlap if you have them leave every 3 hours instead. More than one at a station��we would either need to increase the capacity of the station or increase the size of the charm".

    "The charms are already quite large," Mathius sighed, "If only we could somehow lessen the time it takes to recharge them��"

    "It has to recharge so often because it is not only pushing an object faster, but the added weight puts strain on the charm as well," said Rassa, "It may be that we need to introduce another charm to the mix. One to b.a.r.e the weight and another to control the speed".

    Mathius turned to look at him, "That''s possible?"

    Rassa shrugged, "In theory, but if the carriages are made too light then they could affect the safety of the cargo or passengers within. I will need to think on this more. For now, keep it at six, if anyone complains tell them that we are currently looking into it".

    "I doubt they will complain, this is a one-of-a-kind service," Mathius stated.

    Rassa nodded, "Yes, but this celebration is one-of-a-kind as well, hence why you should be celebrating".

    Mathius frowned, "With the rate the business is developing, we should be able to surpass all others by the next festival. We will have a celebration like this again".

    "Aye, we will surpass them," Rassa nodded in agreement, "But a celebration for the Bronze Token will only come around once".

    Mathius sighed in agreement, a small smile on his lips, "I see, I shall endeavour to celebrate as you instruct then, Lord Moonshadow".

    Rassa frowned, "Who even thought up such a ridiculous title? What exactly am I Lord of? My business? That seems silly. I''m already the owner, I don''t need a title to go with it. Besides, Lords have so many more responsibilities. I''m far more content with the life I currently live".

    "A life where you spend most of your time with only yourself for company, and the rest of the time either spending fraudulently or proposing some overly-ambitious plan?" asked Mathius.

    Rassa nodded, "Exactly".

    Mathius rolled his eyes, "It is a good thing that you have so many who are willing to follow you, Lord Moonshadow. I doubt you could tie your own shoes without them".

    Rassa frowned, "Now, now, I admit I would certainly miss sleep if they were not present, but what do you think I do in those months on my own? Lie down like a statue and watch the world pass until I can''t stand the smell of my own body rotting?"

    Mathius raised an eyebrow expectantly.

    Rassa sighed, crossing his arms as he turned away, "The point is that I''m capable of looking after myself. Besides, ever since Sel and Layton insisted on becoming my Bodyguards I''ve barely had a minute alone".

    "A state which the rest of us are grateful for seeing as you can now be contacted without so much effort," said Mathius.

    Rassa''s eyes narrowed, "Mathius, you are a cruel and judgemental old man".

    Mathius raised an eyebrow, "I am as spritely as a spring chicken. Besides, if we only count our years of rebirth, I believe you are the old man between us".

    Rassa turned away, "You are always so damn exhausting to argue with. I''m going to go out and get a bite to eat".

    "Happy Hunting on this Festive Occasion, Lord Moonshadow," Mathius smiled.

    Rassa turned away from the meeting, waving to Iah on his way out who paused before she smiled and turned back to the image of Neva she was conversing with. Rassa left the room, Layton and Sel appearing in the hall before him.

    "You can go and celebrate yourselves if you want," said Rassa.

    "It would do no good for us to leave our posts on such an occasion, Master," Sel nodded his head respectfully.

    Rassa sighed, then turned as he heard the door open behind him. Ebony, Iah and Mathius all emerged, looking at him expectantly. Well, Ebony and Iah expectantly, Mathius somewhat reluctantly. No doubt the women had pulled him away from his work as they closed down the meeting.

    Rassa rolled his eyes, "Go and get Talo then, we''ll wait at the peak".

    Layton grinned and vanished with a blast of wind. Rassa rolled his eyes as the papers pinned to the wall fluttered violently, some falling to the floor.

    "Tell him to clean up after himself, Sel," Rassa stated.

    "Of course, Master".

    Rassa then left the Ruin, Ebony, Iah, Mathius and Sel in tow as they made their way over the late-night celebrations towards the top of the mountain at the centre of Rouke Island.

    Standing at the forested top that dipped down into a long, dark drop to the base of the mountain, Rassa could not help but think of what he had learned from Victor all those years ago. If this truly was a volcano as he''d said, if it ever erupted it would be devastating for the Island, likely for the Islands surrounding it as well.

    "I hear we''re going Hunting," Talo said as he appeared with Layton. Rassa turned from the dizzying drop to look at his Coven, bar the missing members, they all looked back at him expectantly.

    Rassa raised an eyebrow, "I think it should be a challenge tonight. You always find my other suggestions far too easily".

    "You make it easy," Layton scoffed, "Pick pockets? I could toss a coin and have one snatch it out of the air before me. Those inflicting violence? Any bar or inn is bound to have one. Murderers? Slightly more challenging in villages, but not in cities or Islands like this where the population is abundant. As for Rapists-"

    "You seem to enjoy that one a little too much," Ebony cut in, looking at Rassa with a raised eyebrow.

    Rassa just smiled back, "What can I say? They deserve it".

    Nobody argued with him.

    "But this time, this time I think we''ll play the long game," said Rassa.

    "Can''t be too long, Sunrise is in just under four hours," Talo said, looking to the east.

    "So, we will play with them first?" asked Layton with a tilt of his head.

    "In a manner of speaking," Rassa said with a smile, "Your hunt will not end until your prey comes to you".

    Iah frowned, "Are you suggesting seduction?"

    Rassa shrugged, "That is one method, probably the easiest too. Though you are not allowed to use the allure until after you have fed".

    "Well, Sel''s last place then," Layton grinned. Talo chuckled with him. The Eunuch showed no reactions.

    "I''m not comfortable with this," Iah stated.

    "I will not force you to take part," said Rassa, "And I''m not suggesting you actually sleep with them either, though by all means��"

    He left the rest of the sentence unspoken.

    "The location?" asked Ebony. Rassa raised an eyebrow at her, surprised. He''d expected her to be as reserved as Iah was.

    "The Apartment Building," said Rassa.

    "Just the entrance?" asked Talo.

    Rassa nodded, "I''ll get a message to Rida to note the order. We''ll inquire as to the winner tomorrow evening".

    "So, we must get them into the building without the allure?" asked Talo.

    Rassa nodded, "And your Sanguine don''t count as usual".

    Talo rolled his eyes, "I''m no cheat".

    Rassa looked over the eyes of his coven, all looking back at him with anticipation, "Let the hunt begin".

    The Coven vanished from the mountain top.

 Chapter 355 - The Moonshadow Trading Company Short Stories: 6 - The Bronze Token (II)

    Layton was not really what you would call a ''connoisseur'' of the opposite s.e.x. He''d dabbled here and there, but he much preferred the company of his weapons, and a sweat worked up from sparring, than he did an evening of s.e.x.u.a.l p.l.e.a.s.u.r.e.

    It made Rassa''s criteria for tonight''s hunt all the more annoying. Challenging? Of course, to those not adept. Layton was not much for conversation with those he was not comfortable with, and his metal piercings through his lip, eyebrow, ears, tongue and nose were all a certain kind of terrifying to most respectable women. He usually had to pay for a particularly brave whore if he wanted to release himself. Sel and Rassa had both told him that it was probably the generally chaotic aura he gave off as well. That, unfortunately, wasn''t entirely on purpose.

    Growing up where he had, amongst thieves, murderers and the worst of the human rot, he''d learned early how to survive. He''d learned early that if he was better at it, if he enjoyed it more than they did, then all of a sudden it was them who were fearful of him. He''d still had a weakness back then though. He''d still had his mother, wasted as she was. He''d gotten too comfortable in her presence, and one night, those men who had come to fear his potential had taken him and sold him off to the slavers. He''d let his rage at this weakness bleed out through his enemies on the hard-packed sand of the Warrior''s Arena floor.

    The other Reapers had been his only solace. Souls that were perhaps not as tortured, but certainly as vengeful. But Aegin��Aegin had been like a light in the dark. He had spent two years protecting a woman they only let him see once a week. At first, Layton hadn''t been able to figure him out, but he''d seen it when he''d been able to watch Aegin, unshackled, in the Arena. Aegin had grown up just like him.

    When Layton had met Rassa, he''d seen nothing but shadows at first. But then he''d seen the confidence, the dominating aura. And the others had too. This was not a kindred spirit like Aegin had been. But without a doubt he was somebody that they could trust. That they could put their lives on the line for. Because Rassa Moonshadow would do exactly the same for them.

    Layton had wanted nothing more than to stand in that shadow, to feel it''s warmth, protection, and its power. He had yet to be disappointed by it. In fact, standing within that shadow he felt the most powerful and the most at home that he''d ever felt.

    Hunting with Rassa Moonshadow was not a game to the Coven. It was a privilege. It was their Lord and Master standing at the head of the table and telling them, the lowly peasants, to join him. Even a hundred or a thousand years from now, Layton knew he would still feel the same joy when in his Master''s Shadow. It did not matter what demand Rassa made of him. It was worth it to feel as content and alive as he did.

    Layton, leaning against a lamppost in the square as he watched the dancing of the night''s festivities, sensed a curious gaze from the side. He smiled, biting his lip ring in anticipation as he put his hands into his pockets.

    He may not be appealing to any woman who laid eyes upon him as Rassa was, but the more daring would occasionally pluck up the courage to approach him. In Layton''s opinion that was better, the more daring ones often were more fun.

    ***

    Iah paced at a leisurely stroll through the streets, her heels cl.i.c.k.i.n.g on the cobblestones. The others had all gone towards the more heavily populated areas, but Iah had decided to go where they''d usually hunt. To back alleys and side streets.

    She had not lied in saying that she was uncomfortable with seduction. She firmly believed that one should wait until marriage. She had no prospects, and with eternity in front of her she hadn''t the pressing weight of time to affect her reasoning. So instead she paced leisurely, walking in circles along the streets near the apartment complex, her heels cl.i.c.k.i.n.g on cobblestones, and her purse jingling with coins in her hand.

    She would hunt, just as they all would when the opportunity to hunt with their Lord and Master came. But she would hunt on her terms. Knowing Rassa, he would simply sit back and smile in approval when he learned of her methods.

    "You''re looking especially lovely tonight, Miss, but you look a little lost. Is there something wrong?"

    Iah smiled, "I find myself in a minor dilemma, seeing as you are so kind as to concern yourself with me, would you mind sparing a few moments of your time?"

    The prey looked hesitant. Iah held up her purse and shook it, the coins jingling inside.

    "For a price, of course".

    The hesitance vanished, "What would you like me to do, Miss?"

    ***

    Mathius sat in the quiet tea house, his tea steaming in front of him as he gazed out of the window beside him.

    One year and one week since his release, and he still felt the hunger eating away at his insides. He still felt it as his flesh festered and died. As his mind retreated into the darkness and he was left standing at the edge of nothingness.

    He had learned his lesson. He had learned to reign in the hunger. He had learned to not let it control him. But most of all, he had learned to never cross Rassa Moonshadow��at least, not unless you were confident of victory.

    He''d had his small victories since his release. He''d learned that his power was but a fraction of his Master''s, so instead he''d used his mind. His mind had never failed him before. When Rassa had suggested implementing the Railway on the Southern Continent, Mathius had protested. At first it had fallen on deaf ears, but he''d gone and done his research and come back with a full report of what needed to be achieved before Rassa could even think of implementing the system elsewhere. Rassa had, shockingly, conceded. Then praised him.

    Mathius had learned in that moment that while Rassa Moonshadow was one of the most, if not the most powerful being in the known world, he was not without reason.

    Besides, Mathius had known businessmen a long time before he''d met Rassa. They may be enraged by lies coming from their subordinates, but a little white lie managed to slip under the radar every now and then.

    Mathius had learned that his Vampiric abilities would not help him achieve more in the world. But his abilities as a businessman certainly would.

    "Is the tea not to your liking, Sir?" asked the widower who owned the tea shop.

    Mathius turned to her with a small smile, "Forgive me, it may be strange but I prefer the scent over the taste. It reminds me of my late wife".

    "Oh, I see, I''m sorry for your loss," said the Widower.

    Mathius shook his head, "Don''t be, it was many years ago. Besides, I remember her more as a dear friend than anything else".

    The Widower smile warmly, "Aye, my Francis was like that too".

    Mathius looked to her, knowing the bait had been set. A hunt such as this where words were more useful than his Vampiric abilities? It was a sure win for him.

    "Oh? Did your Francis spend his days determined to ensure that you smelled the roses before you picked them to bring home to him as a gift?"

    The Widower looked surprised before she chuckled and sat down with ease in the seat opposite Mathius, "No, but he did always insist on me tasting his attempts at cooking. It still makes me shocked that he would leave this earth before I".

    At her laugh, Mathius chuckled with her, knowing that within an hour, he would be tasting her blood.

    ***

    Talo grinned at the man opposite him who looked nervously over to the man on his right. He was about to lose the ten silver he''d bet with. Talo could smell it. He looked over at the one they were all waiting for to play his hand. He was more thoughtful and composed this one, but Talo could smell that he was one bad judgement away from losing too. The man looked back at Talo''s confidence, self-assured grin, then sighed.

    "I''ll raise two silver," he said, throwing the coins into the centre of the table.

    Talo sat up straighter and took two of his own coins, "Call".

    The nervous man bit his lip, then picked up two of his coins. Compulsive gambler, who was quite inept at keeping his expression calm, "Call".

    The table and onlookers turned once more to the other man. He looked at Talo, then sighed and revealed his hand. Two pairs.

    Talo nodded with an impressed expression, then looked across the table at the nervous man who looked surprised for a minute, looking between his money and his cards before he looked at Talo.

    The other man clicked his teeth in annoyance as Talo smiled across the table.

    The man, unable to avoid his fate, carefully put down his cards. A single pair.

    Talo smiled, "Well, I think I''m done for the day, thanks for the game, gentleme-"

    Talo had the sense to move his arm as a rather busty and voluptuous young woman with a daring amount of cleavage landed in his l.a.p, "So soon, Mister? Surely you can do that again, you look like you''re pretty good at this!"

    She pouted.

    Talo caught the smirk of his more confident opponent that was quickly hidden as he turned away. Much to the woman''s surprise, Talo leaned forward, caging her between himself at the table, "Mighty bold of you sitting in my l.a.p like that, are you usually this..." Talo took the opportunity to stare down her cleavage. He was positive he could bury himself between her generous swells and die a happy man "��forward, or am I just a lucky bastard tonight?"

    The woman was good, she collected herself mighty quickly as she leaned up to him and whispered into his ear, "Win another game and I''ll gladly celebrate any way you want".

    Talo smiled as he turned to her, "What? Without even a prior promise? I might be going home to someone right now, I hardly think-"

    He was cut off as she took the opportunity to tangle her fingers in his hair and plant her mouth on his, her tongue diving in.

    Oh yeah, she was an experienced one for sure. Not that Talo was complaining. He kissed her back, whistles of appreciation floating around the bar before she pulled back with a satisfied smile, clearly impressed by his return of the kiss, "That promise enough?"

    Talo put his hands on her h.i.p.s, lifting her slightly to reposition her on his knee as he looked over to the dealer, "One more round couldn''t hurt".

    The woman wrapped an arm around his shoulders, leaning down to nibble on his ear lobe. Oh, she was playing a dangerous game there.

    Talo took his cards, then, like the sound of a fan, he clicked through them. The other two, both holding their hands and sorting them, looked at him in surprise. Talo took his newly rearranged winnings and pushed them out, "All in".

    The entire room went silent. Stupefied. The young woman paused, "Ah��are you sure?"

    Talo turned to her, a smile on his lips, "Why wouldn''t I be?"

    "You barely glimpsed at your card-"

    Talo turned to the man opposite him, indicating that it was his turn.

    The man looked at Talo''s mound of winnings, then his own, cards before he gave a determined huff and pushed his earnings forward.

    Then they both turned to the calm man. He was not looking so calm now. Now he looked genuinely confused, and a little rattled. He glanced at the woman in Talo''s l.a.p. Talo didn''t even need to look at her to know that she had no response to his silent question. Then the man released a breath with a sigh before he gathered himself and pushed his earnings forward as well. Talo put down his cards. Five of a Kind.

    Talo turned to look at the woman in his l.a.p who looked just a little bit impressed beyond her shock.

    "I''m headed off now, care to follow through on that promise of yours?"

    The woman looked at him, then gave a barely perceptible glance away to somebody else before she smiled and leaned in close, "By the warmth beneath my skirts, I''m positive I''m quite impressed and willing, Mister".

    Talo smirked, bagging up his winnings as she climbed off his l.a.p and clung to his arms.

    Talo grinned as he left the bar, wondering if he got a bonus for bringing home monetary winnings as well.

 Chapter 356 - The Moonshadow Trading Company Short Stories: 6 - The Bronze Token (III)

    Ebony watched over the festivities below with a sad expression. It was times like this, alone and in silence, that she felt the hollow space beside her. Even after three years, she still longed to see him. At this point, she was sure she''d be happy he was there even if he was arguing with her. She didn''t need him to hold her, or apologise for leaving. She just��needed him to be here.

    Ebony seemed to cycle through her feelings on the topic the longer Aegin was away. At first, she''d been worried. Worried that he was on his own. That he had to find out everything she''d learned from Rassa on his own. Worried that he was sealed and vulnerable. Worried that��worried that he wasn''t coming back because he didn''t want to see her. But that thought just made her angry.

    What had she done to deserve his spite? Why did he even deserve her worry if he was just going to stay gone like this? How dare he leave without saying a thing to her? If he came back now, she was liable to chain him in Anthrite and throw him into the depths of Shigeni Mountain just the keep him there.

    Then she was just��sad.

    Worry, then anger, then sadness. Repeat.

    It was no wonder she spent most of her time trying to find something to keep her mind off of things. But now��the hunt proposed by Rassa had been like opening the box. At the suggestion of seduction, she''d been initially opposed. But her coven members had seemed unsurprised, eager even, and it had occurred to her that those months Aegin had spent with the Priestess on the Ship��sharing a room��he''d been away three years now. Surely if he wasn''t coming back, he had to be looking elsewhere. He wasn''t going to wait for her, so why should she wait for him? The thought had made her determined. If he''d moved on, she could too.

    Now though, now she stood on the rooftop of one of the buildings and beside the main square of Port Leis, looking down at all the festivities below as the sunrise grew ever closer, and she could feel the hollowness beside her like nothing else.

    The door behind her opened and she turned in surprise. A young man was struggling to drag and easel and a bucket of supplies through the door. He was tall and lanky, with large glasses, but still dressed relatively nicely. She watched him struggle, frowning at it. He dropped his canvas and swore quietly in the night.

    "Crackers and Ham!"

    Ebony couldn''t help the short giggle that escaped her lips. What kind of profanity was that?

    He looked up in surprise to realise he was not alone. Ebony covered her lips for a moment as she composed herself, "My apologies, do you need help?"

    Ebony raised an eyebrow in question. He continued to stare at her, dumbstruck. Ebony frowned, "Sir?"

    Still nothing. Ebony could have sworn she accidently allured him if it weren''t for the fact that his eyes told her that his mind was moving a thousand times faster and his body had yet to catch up.

    "Sir?"

    She asked a little louder this time, and he flinched, then opened his mouth, "Oh, ah, sorry to disturb you. I didn''t realise somebody was already up here. I can go somewhere else".

    "No, please, I wasn''t doing anything of consequence. I could do with the company really," said Ebony.

    She was being entirely honest. It had nothing to do with the hunt. Though the hunger inside her reminded her that that was what she was supposed to be doing. That the man before her was the perfect prey.

    "Oh, I��are you sure?"

    Ebony got the impression that he wasn''t very good with people.

    "Did you come to paint?" asked Ebony, pointing at his equipment.

    He immediately perked up, picking up his things and making his way over to where she stood at the edge of the building as he spoke, "Yes, I couldn''t sleep with all the festivities, and when I looked out the window and saw what was happening in the square I just couldn''t resist".

    They both gazed down at the lines and circles of dancers, the band in the centre never seeming to tire.

    "It is beautiful," said Ebony with a smile, "So much joy".

    Ebony sensed him turn to look at her, "It is��I��I hope this isn''t rude but��would you mind if you were in the painting too?"

    Ebony turned to him in surprise, "Sorry?"

    "I don''t mean to offend �C or seem forward �C but��you look stunning with the lights of the lamps in the background," he said.

    Ebony found herself legitimately tongue-tied. She''d been called beautiful before, but not in this way.

    "I��"

    "Sorry, a lady such as yourself must have someone waiting for you. It was rude of me to ask for something like this," he said.

    But she didn''t. She had no one waiting for her. The hunger''s thrill of the hunt pushed her voice forward.

    "Well, no, I don''t have anyone waiting for me, but I''ll admit to needing to be somewhere, and I can use some help," said Ebony, "I''ll tell you what. If you agree to help me out, I agree to stand for a portrait for you".

    He seemed legitimately surprised, "Really?"

    He then seemed concerned, "What is it you need help with?"

    "Would you walk me home?" asked Ebony.

    For a moment, he looked to be trying to determine whether or not she was kidding, then he gave a small smile, "Very well, it''d be an honour, Miss?"

    He put down his things, then held a hand out to her in greeting. She took it delicately.

    "Ebony," she said.

    "A p.l.e.a.s.u.r.e, Miss Ebony," he smiled as he shook her hand, "My name is Nolan".

    "The p.l.e.a.s.u.r.e is mine, Mr Nolan," she replied, "Shall we? I''d hate to keep you from this view for too long".

    He swept his arm to the side to guide her, his movements not that of an ordinary man. He was bred to nobility. It seemed she was not the only one keeping her name quiet. Not that it mattered.

    They walked together with pleasant company. Remarking on the festivities every now and then. She enquired about his painting. He enquired about why she was on a rooftop rather than down with the party-goers.

    "There is someone I cannot help missing," she''d replied, "In truth your arrival was a welcome distraction".

    He''d nodded, "I can understand that. There are those that I miss at times as well".

    Neither elaborated. When they finally made it to the apartment building, Ebony gave a short excuse to do with a creepy neighbour to have him pass through the foyer and up the stairs, then she paused before her door.

    "It''s quite the building," he remarked, "Owned by Moonshadow, is it not?"

    Ebony nodded, "Yes. It is".

    He nodded, admiring the architecture, "I should like to meet the one who designed it. It is exquisite. From what I have seen, all things made by Moonshadow are. It is no wonder that they hold the Bronze Token just seven years after their inception".

    Ebony nodded, "It is astounding. You should see the designs inside the apartments".

    He smiled awkwardly, "Oh, I really don''t think that''s-"

    "I insist," Ebony said, "If nothing else it could serve as inspiration for a painting".

    Ebony unlocked the door behind her and led her way inside her apartment, "Come on".

    "The view''s not bad from here either," said Ebony.

    He nodded as he came to stand beside her, "I can see why many are so intent on getting an apartment such as this. The view incredible".

    He paused, then turned to look down at her. She looked up at him.

    He leaned forward and touched his lips to hers. Ebony paused, momentarily stunned. She had not attempted to avoid it. That earlier thought of moving on still in the back of her mind. But his eyes��they were the colour of chocolate, not lavender.

    Sensing that she was less enthusiastic, Nolan pulled away, "I-sorry, that was inappropriate, I-I-I should go-"

    Ebony caught his hand, "Nolan, it''s not you. You''re a kind and honest man. And I would like you as a friend if possible, I''ll even still sit for that portrait I promised you, but��I just can''t".

    He gave her a small smile, one that seemed to tell her that he understood, "Still, I am sorry".

    Ebony shook her head, "Don''t be. I should be sorry, not that you''ll remember this".

    Nolan frowned, "Remember wha-?"

    "Nolan?" she asked, "You''re okay, I can make it better".

    Only when her gaze landed on his face, she realised with surprise that perhaps she''d pushed a bit too much calm towards him.

    He was asleep.

    Ebony sighed. She''d have to jolt him awake now, and that didn''t sound all that appealing to her. She looked at him, then her couch, then she sighed, "This is why I prefer hunting criminals".

    ***

    Rassa gave another warm smile to a passing lady who hid her alluring smile behind her fan. Still she walked on, as all the others had.

    Rassa did not lose his smile as he spoke, "Sel, I know you entered this hunt at a disadvantage, but that is no reason to lurk at my back like a spider setting a web".

    "Master?" asked Sel innocently.

    "You are ruining my prospects, Sel, beat it".

    Sel gave the slightest smile, "But Master, should I leave, you shall be unprotected?"

    "Do you plan to watch me all night, because I''m not much for exhibitionism, especially with a statue such as yourself," said Rassa.

    "Not all night, Master," said Sel.

    "Well, we are running out of night, Sel," said Rassa, "Are you planning on hunting at all?"

    "I hunted earlier, Master," Sel replied, "I find myself not in need of sustenance and so shall dishonour your offer by serving at your side".

    Rassa sighed, turning to look at the Eunuch and the small smile on his usually stiff lips, "If you think I don''t know you''re doing this on purpose, you''re mistaken".

    "I know not what you speak of, Master".

    Rassa tsked, "It''s an hour before dawn, Sel, everyone will be back by now".

    Sel nodded, "It is highly likely, Master".

    "So, can you give me a few minutes to breathe so that I might collect my prospects, then you can happily remain by my side as we return to the Apartments," Rassa said.

    Sel bowed his head, "As you wish, Master".

    Sel then stepped away. Rassa rolled his eyes. Within five minutes, a young woman approached him with a sensuous smile, "Mr Moonshadow, you are celebrating awfully late, I suppose that it is well-deserved though, congratulations are in order".

    "Thank you, Miss Dayvon, perhaps I had not noticed the time in light of tonight''s success," said Rassa, "Could I interest you in a celebratory drink?"

    She smiled, reading between the lines like all bold women could. She looped her arm through his, "I thought you''d never ask".

    ***

    Rassa stepped out of his bedroom an hour after the sun had set, his clothes that of somebody not intending to leave the house as he crossed to his lounge where the rest of his coven waited. There was a lull in conversation at his arrival, and Rassa took in Layton and Talo''s amus.e.m.e.nt, as well as the aura of pride around Sel.

    Rassa sighed, "Yes, yes, I clearly came in last for those of us who participated in the hunt last night. You may all bestow your gratitude upon Sel for extending his own handicap toc become mine as well. I am, however, more interested in who came first".

    Rassa held his hand out and Ebony deposited the note from Rida, the lobby manager, into his hand.

    Rassa dropped onto the couch beside her, crossing his legs as he opened the note, the others waiting in anticipation.

    "Last to arrive, Mr Moonshadow��blah, blah, blah, yadda yadda," Rassa uttered. His coven members chuckled, "Second last". They quietened in anticipation, "Miss Ebony, accompanied by a pleasant and kind looking young man who did not depart until��after noon?" Rassa frowned and turned to Ebony, "Did you��"

    Ebony sighed as everyone looked at her with wide eyes, "Not that it''s a big deal, but no, I did not. Frankly I''m with Iah. I take little p.l.e.a.s.u.r.e in hunts such as this. He was quite pleasant on the walk home so the fact that I did not wish to cause pain combined with my��well, in short I pushed too much calmness upon him��he fell asleep".

    Layton and Talo burst into laughter, Talo regaining enough composure to ask, "While you fed on him?"

    Ebony frowned, "From what I hear, you were with some swindler".

    Rassa nodded, "That is what it says here, ''Mr Lovisson arrived fourth accompanied by a lady of questionable reputation that was arrested when she attempted to scr.a.p.e the gold-leaf from the walls of the lobby upon her exit just after dawn''".

    They all turned to Talo, who just shrugged, "I won against her and her partner in cards. She tried to distract me with her cleavage. I guarantee that it wasn''t much of a distraction at the time, it was when I was sliding my c.o.c.k down that valley an hour later".

    Iah and Ebony both scrunched their noses in disgust at his vulgarity, as did Mathius, though it was less noticeable.

    "Third place?" asked Layton eagerly.

    Rassa turned back to the note, "Third place, ''Mr Wolfsbane accompanied by a young woman who left just before dawn''".

    Layton pouted, "You mean I did worse than Mathius? Than Iah?"

    "Don''t be a sore loser," Talo stated. Layton''s protests were cut off as Rassa continued.

    "In second place, ''Mr Silvermoon accompanied by a humble woman''. Which means in first place we have Iah who��you''re kidding".

    Talo frowned, "What?"

    Rassa raised an eyebrow, asking for an explanation as he spoke, "''Miss Iah arrived just ten minutes after Mr Moonshadow left instructions, accompanied by a young woman in humble attire who left minutes after arriving''".

    They all turned to Iah. It was Layton who spoke first, "You''re into women?"

    Sel smacked him in the back of the head.

    Iah scoffed at his question, "Not that it is your business, but Rassa did state that seduction was only one method. Seeing as that had no appeal to me, I used another".

    "What other?" asked Talo.

    Iah sighed, picking up the purse on her l.a.p and shaking it.

    "You paid someone to come with you?" asked Talo.

    They all turned to look at Rassa, as if asking if it was cheating. Rassa shrugged, "I only said that you could not allure them into coming. Not that you can''t pay them".

    "I figured that was implied," Talo grumbled.

    "Iah won, fairly," said Rassa, "Your wish Iah, what do you want?"

    Iah looked around at the others before she turned to Rassa, "Can I think about it?"

    Rassa nodded, "Sure. Have the week off everyone. I think we''ve all earned it".

    "You''ll have the week off," Ebony sighed, "The rest of us have things to do to keep your business running".

    Rassa sighed, "What good is it being the boss if I can''t tell you to take a day off?"

    "You asked for a week, not a day," said Ebony.

    "We just earned the Bronze Token, I figured a week of holiday is a good idea".

    "Unannounced? The public would skin us," said Ebony.

    "Just do it, Ebony," said Rassa.

    Iah sighed, "He''s right, Ebony, we need a break. Just a week. Will you show me around Eldovia? I haven''t gotten the chance to go north yet".

    Ebony turned to Iah, then to Rassa, then back to Iah, "Invite Neva too".

    Iah nodded, "Of course, I''ll inform everyone of the announcements".

    "Announcements?" asked Rassa.

    Iah nodded as she stood, "Ebony says you promised bonuses. A holiday and bonuses at once seems doubly benevolent of you, Mr Moonshadow. Thank you for your impeccable leadership".

    Then she vanished. Rassa sighed, "Alright, I''ll be back in a week".

    "We''ll pack up and be ready in a half hour," said Layton.

    Rassa paused, "Huh?"

    Mathius, Talo, Layton, Ebony and Sel all looked at him expectantly. He sighed, "Fine, we''re stopping at Moonshadow first though".

 Chapter 357 - The Moonshadow Trading Company Short Stories: 6 - The Bronze Token (IV)

    *Eldovian Era 1716, 16th day of the 12th month*

    Olly frowned as he watched Kit in the meeting hall. Even without Kit saying anything, it was plain to see that Kit was not in a celebratory mood as the others were. Even seeing Iah after the many months they''d been apart had not perked him up as much as it should have.

    Olly elbowed him lightly, "You should ask".

    Kit shook his head, used to Olly knowing what was wrong without Kit having to mention anything, "He''ll say no".

    "You won''t know that until you ask," said Olly.

    Kit raised an eyebrow at Olly, "So you know he''ll say yes?"

    Olly shrugged, "It''s a possibility".

    Kit sighed, that didn''t help. He was sixteen now, and almost as tall as Layton, yet still he was carving charms. He enjoyed the work, especially seeing as Rassa had given him and trusted him with such a burden at his age, but he could not help being envious of those who had known Rassa for far less time, yet had gained so much more.

    Kit watched them interacting. They were going on holiday for a week. The entire coven. But not him. Nor Olly. Even if they had been with Moonshadow longer than many of the others. He did not understand the waiting. He was sure Rassa would have offered by now.

    With a huff, Kit stood and walked from the room, "I''m going to bed".

    Olly registered a few of the Coven noticing his departure, Iah and Rassa included. Rassa watched after him a moment, then turned to look at Olly for an explanation. Olly held his gaze, his loyalty to his best friend warring over common sense, then he turned and left the hall after Kit.

    The journey back to their rooms was a long one, so even when he was half-way back, it left plenty of time for Rassa to ask a question and get an answer.

    "Are you going to tell me what''s wrong? As much as it pains me to admit it, I am not as skilled at reading the Mist as you are," said Rassa.

    "No one is," replied Olly, his tone matter-of-fact.

    Rassa sighed, "Then?"

    "You haven''t asked him yet," said Olly, "He, no, we, have followed you for years, have been loyal and unquestioning for years, yet you do not ask. He grows impatient".

    "And you?" asked Rassa.

    Olly sighed, turning to face Rassa, "Kit is my best friend. I will stay by his side no matter his choice".

    Rassa nodded, "You should know what happens if I turn him, Order''s influence will-"

    "Kit is more than strong enough to fight it," said Olly, "But I don''t need to tell you this. Besides, it''s unlike you to hesitate like this. It''s his decision. Let him know the facts and make the choice".

    Rassa sighed, "I was also waiting until he was an a.d.u.l.t".

    "Waiting that long��it may burden him further, and you risk losing him to his anger," said Olly.

    Rassa paused in the hallway, "You make good points, Oracle". He sighed the continued forward, "Look after him, Olly. I''ll be back with my question at the end of the week. Enjoy your holiday".

    "We always look after each other," Olly replied, "It''s what best friends do".

    Olly watched Rassa smile at him with a warmth that he rarely saw, then the Vampire vanished. A week. A week and he would ask.

    Olly knew he would. He''d seen the thirteen figures who stood behind Rassa Moonshadow. He knew their names and their faces. Some were here already. Some were not far away, and one was far in the distance. But all would stand with him. All would carve his legacy. All would be asked and turned regardless of their background.

    Olly smiled, he''d waited a long time for this, but waiting was often the best part.

    ***

    *Eldovian Era 1716, 19th day of the 12th month*

    "Why do they call is the Endless Lake?" asked Layton, "It only takes me an hour and a half to run to the other end and back again".

    "That''s like an ant thinking a city block is so big, but a human can walk it in a few minutes," said Talo, "Exactly what is your point?"

    "My point is that it''s a stupid name for a Lake," said Layton, "If it was endless, it wouldn''t even be a lake!"

    Talo opened his mouth to argue back before he frowned, then turned to Mathius, "Hey Mathius, the kid has a point, ''Endless'' is a stupid name for a lake, who do we blame for this?"

    Rassa turned his back on the Northern end of the not-so-endless lake, looking out at the expanse of desert before him. Now that, everyone was sure that was endless.

    He felt Ebony come to stand beside him, "You''ve got that look on your face".

    Rassa turned to Ebony, "What look?"

    "The look that says you''re about to make an outrageous suggestion that will turn into a plan that you want us to implement," said Ebony.

    Rassa shook his head, "I don''t know what you''re talking about".

    Ebony sighed, looking out at the Desolate Lands with him, "Do you really think nothing lives there?"

    Rassa shrugged, "Only one way to find out".

    Iah came to stand with them, "I heard stories that there are times in the year when it freezes over".

    "It would not surprise me," Rassa replied, "I''ve heard there are places in the world that are frozen for all time. Built of Ice and Snow".

    "They sounds terrible," said Neva, "Who''d want to live in a place that cold all the time?"

    Rassa smiled, "Perhaps those whom temperature does not have much of a hold on? Or those who see the beauty in such a deadly environment".

    The women all paused before Ebony raised an eyebrow, "You''re not suggesting that��"

    Rassa shrugged, a mysterious smile on his lips, "Maybe, one day".

    "Maybe one day?" asked Iah.

    "Maybe one day what?" asked Layton.

    "The Great Lord Moonshadow here is thinking of setting up shop in the Desolate Lands. And not just in this part, oh no," Ebony declared, "He wants to go so far north that the land is eternally frozen. This might just be his craziest suggestion yet".

    Rassa sighed, "Ebony, every land that is known, bar the Fairy Forest and a few uninhabitable islands, is claimed. Every land known is mapped and wars are fought over them. The only land that is known today that has not seen any of those mortal bonds, are the Desolate Lands. To me, that is not only vastly exciting, but it also presents an opportunity that I haven''t been able to make possible despite my power and growing influence. An opportunity that, as we grow in number, I will need to seize".

    "You''re talking about a position we can defend," Neva stated.

    "No," said Rassa, "Not just a position to defend, a home for the Coven".

    The group all stood in silence at the prospect, the possibility dancing in their eyes.

    "It''s a nice thought," Ebony stated, "But you''re forgetting one kind of important factor".

    "We may not be affected by the cold if it is indeed frozen as you say, but the humans we feed on certainly will be," Iah concluded.

    Rassa gave a simple smile, "If things work out as I want them to, that will not be a problem either. A Homeland for Vampires must, by definition, be a place where those we feed upon feel welcomed and safe as well. Not just as Prey either, but as members of a society".

    "It''s a big undertaking," said Neva, "Bigger than anything you''ve ever proposed. You''re talking about creating our own country".

    Rassa nodded, "I am, but in the end, will it not be worth it to live in a place where we can thrive as who and what we are? Perhaps one day that will be the case here as well, but not for some time. Though I sense the day growing ever-closer where we will no longer be able to wear masks over our true natures. Where the allure will not be enough to conceal our activities. We will need a home then".

    The others, though some still sceptical, nodded in agreement.

    *Eldovian Era 1716, 23rd day of the 12th month*

    Rassa sighed as he sensed the nervousness and trepidation in Kit. He looked at Olly, who had his usual stupid grin on his face. Rassa rolled his eyes then looked back at Kit.

    "I want you to know that when I ask this, I ask it because you deserve it and I d.e.s.i.r.e your presence in my Coven. But I also want you to understand why I''ve been hesitant in asking in the first place," said Rassa. Kit''s breath hitched and his nervousness seemed to fade to a glimpse of hope, "First, I did not ask because you are not yet an a.d.u.l.t. The change is painful, incomprehensibly so, and I did not want to put you through it if you are not ready, because if you cannot withstand it, you will die. Second, I did not ask you because you are a Magician".

    Kit looked confused.

    "Magicians are beings of Order. Vampires are beings of Chaos. Being already on a path, it is without a doubt a thousand times more difficult for you to switch to another. Your pain will far exceed the norm because Order''s power within you will fight for dominance over the approaching Chaos. If you do not firmly believe in your decision, you will die," said Rassa.

    Understanding seemed to dawn in Kit''s gaze before he turned to look at Olly who still bore his stupid grin. He glanced at Kit, then Kit''s lost hope seemed to re-emerge.

    "I am sure though," said Kit as he turned to Rassa, "This is what I want. What I''ve wanted for years".

    Rassa glanced at Olly, who simply nodded, "Very well then, I will return on the 29th. Until then, you need to prepare yourselves to be absolutely sure in this decision. Because once made, it will carry you through to the next life".

    Kit and Olly both nodded, then Rassa gave a small smile, "Get some rest until then".

    They both left, talking animatedly to each other. Rassa sighed. That would add two more to their number. A Coven of ten without Aegin. Ten Vampires were perhaps not much, but the Major Covens of old were at most a couple hundred. Most of the smaller ones numbered as little as seven. He would need to remain here in Moonshadow to train Olly and Kit for at least a year if not eighteen months. They were too important to the operations of the Company to simply follow him and his whims. Still, the time may pass in the blink of an eye, but it was enough time for a lot to happen.

    Talo had asked about turning some of his crew. Iah, Ebony and Neva had all shown interest in turning their subordinates as well.

    His Coven could very well grow too quickly to keep it in secrecy. The idea of a Homeland was growing ever more appealing, and necessary.

    Devina had not been seen by Elsbeth in the months after she had gone with him to the South. There were no movements from the Holy Order yet, but Rassa could not be assured that there would be none either.

    With a deep breath, Rassa stepped out onto the balcony that overlooked Moonshadow, watching the lights of one of the Rail Carriages pull into the station far below.

    He''d built something incredible here, but here was not as defensible as he d.e.s.i.r.ed. Here he was still catering to the whims of an Empire that would die out within a few decades if not sooner. Escaping the Civil War that would follow would be paramount to sustaining his Coven.

    Rassa nodded to himself. As soon as Kit and Olly could looking after themselves, he would go North. Further North than anyone had ever gone.

    ***

    *Eldovian Era 1716, 31st day of the 12th month*

    Allyra Cavahall gazed at her reflection in the mirror. Her long black hair had always been one of her most enchanting features. Her green eyes an indication of her noble bloodline. No fault could ever be found on her creamy skin. She had always been told, since before she was even old enough to understand what it meant, that she was the epitome of beauty.

    ''A pity she''s so meek''. They''d said.

    ''A pity she''s dull''. They''d said.

    ''A pity she has no talent for the arts''. They''d said.

    She was beautiful, but that was the only quality about her that others envied. She did not want beauty, when she could have been a skilled healer. She did not want an appealing face, when she could have designed clothes. She did not want her father''s green eyes when she could have been a boy so that they would not condemn her for her s.e.x. A woman could not inherit, so she''d always been the prized cow to sell to the highest bidder.

    Her father had sold her off happily. Her marriage had been set for today. She was supposed to be walking the isle to marry Damien Navou right this minute. Instead she sat here in silence, her wedding dress still on the mannequin behind her.

    Damien had insisted on a doctor inspecting her to make sure she was still pure, you see. She had walked into that room, sure that despite her d.e.s.i.r.es, she would walk out of it ready to put on her wedding dress.

    But she was not. A man had penetrated her. Yet she did not remember it.

    She remembered the thought when the marriage had been finalised. She remembered the dread she had felt, the horror of her position. She''d wondered out late that night amongst the celebrations, catching sight of couples kissing in side streets and alleyways, and she''d spitefully thought of how she should be free to choose whom she married. That if she couldn''t, then she would dishonour both her family and her future husband by not being as pure or as meek or as dull as they call condemned her to be.

    But then��nothing.

    Every time she tried to remember how she had gotten home, or whom she had met, it was but a blur, or just plain nothingness. Like a dream she''d forgotten about after she''d woken up.

    But the pain between her legs had not been imagined, neither had been the bruises on her c.h.e.s.t and waist that she had at first though were products of her clumsiness or a strange sleeping position.

    It had never occurred to her that it meant something else entirely. Not until the Doctor had declared that she was not a maiden.

    She had not drunk alcohol that night. Too horrified by her father''s decision. So, her lost memories��what had caused it? Was she happy she was free? Of course. But the circ.u.mstances of her freedom only left her with questions.

    "��I heard that the young Miss was spotted in the Cermine District just before dawn. Miss Dayvon too, though she has a��less pure reputation than our young Miss".

    Allyra tuned her hearing as she heard the maids outside. The Cermine District? That was the district half owned by Moonshadow Trading Company. It was well-known and frequented, but what would she being doing there before dawn?

    "I hear a young Mr Reinhart was seen just after noon on the same day as well," said another maid, "You don''t think it was a��scandalous gathering, do you?"

    Nolan? Allyra''s eyes widened. The Reinhart black sheep rarely left his art studio except to paint. He was antisocial and awkward. Honestly though, Allyra would have preferred marrying him over Damien Navou. Still, on the slim chance that the maids were right��

    Nolan had to know something. Besides, it was not as if her stolen chastity would not make it around social circles soon enough. She was disgraced, and staying here with her family would only make her life miserable.

    First, she''d find out what happened that night. Then��then she''d figure out the rest of her life.

    Allyra took up the scissors beside her table, clumped her long ebony hair together, then sheered it to the just below her ear lobes in one solid cut.

    She looked at the long trail of black hair on the floor. If she was getting rid of things that held her to this life, she may as well get rid of half of her so-called beauty as well.

    Dressing in her most simple dress and packing a bag with another set of clothes and a few coins, Allyra took the quiet servant''s passage down to the kitchens, then snuck out of the manor.

 Chapter 358 - The Moonshadow Trading Company Short Stories: 7 - The Desolate Lands (I)

    *Eldovian Era 1719, 7th day of the 9th month*

    Nolan Reinhart frowned as he was woken abruptly from his deep sleep. The smell of paint and the seaside greeted him, as well as the nasty kink in his neck from his awkward sleeping position. He g.r.o.a.n.e.d as he reached his hand up to rub it, sitting up straighter and stretching out his arms as he yawned.

    A loud banging sound blasted from the front door of his apartment, "Nolan! Open the door! I know you''re in there!"

    Nolan sighed as he recognised the voice.

    It''d been just shy of three years since Allyra Cavahall had shown up at his door, her deep and beautiful green eyes carrying a determined sheen that was backed by a strength he had never seen from the quiet heiress. Granted, he''d only met her a few times before then, and only at the insistence of his family. He hadn''t seen her for two years when she''d arrived looking almost as plain as a commoner. Her hair had been the biggest shock. Gone were the famous black satin locks that had made her beauty so alluring. In its place, a roughly chopped bob of soft strands that made her neck and jawline seem all the more exquisite.

    She''d demanded an answer from him immediately that day, "You came back from the Cermine District the other day, why?"

    Nolan had frowned, shocked to see her at all, let alone with her current appearance, "I��what happened to your hair?"

    She''d seemed to lose some of the fire in her eyes when she realised he was staring, "C��can I come in?"

    "Oh!" Nolan had said, pulling himself out of the shock, "I��sure, but you''ll have to excuse the mess".

    The mess, evidently, had not bothered her in the slightest. She''d spent the next six months sleeping in his apartment to avoid her family, which, seeing as Nolan was doing the exact same thing anyway, he didn''t feel all that bothered about. He was bothered by the fact that surely her reputation would be ruined if anyone found out they were living in the same space.

    It had turned out though, that it was already ruined. After Nolan heard why she was there, he''d recounted what he''d remembered from that night, which was little, and he was surprised to realise that there were patches in his own memories as well. Such a thing had made them both curious, and their only lead had been Ebony Moonshadow.

    But it was harder than one thought to contact her. After several failed attempts, during which she''d either been away on business, or far too busy to answer any of Nolan''s requests for a meeting with little more than an apology, Allyra had taken a different approach.

    By day, she ran a teahouse that Nolan had helped her open thanks to the sales of his paintings, then, whenever she was available, she scouted the Cermine District for anything remotely Moonshadow related.

    What she''d found was quite simple. The Moonshadows themselves were so elusive that they were only ever seen in public when they wanted to be seen. When the Trade Festival had occurred the year before and they had taken the Bronze Token for a second time running, it had been even more difficult to even think about requesting a meeting with them that wasn''t business related.

    Still, Allyra didn''t seem to have any plans on giving up.

    Nolan rose and headed for the door. Allyra, even with her annoyingly persistent nature, had somehow become a friend to him over the past few years, and one of the few he could tolerate interrupting him in the middle of his work.

    Opening the door, Allyra swept in without so much as a hello. Free from society''s restraints and profiting with her own business, Allyra was no longer the meek, dull girl that everyone had believed her to be. At least not around Nolan.

    "I saw him!" she said as she took off her scarf and placed it on one of his dining chairs, putting her basket on the table.

    Nolan closed the front door as she proceeded to unpack breakfast for him. She was at least courteous enough to provide such a thing when she came around unannounced.

    "Saw who?" asked Nolan.

    "Him," she insisted, "The one who��the one I spent the night with".

    Nolan looked at her, suddenly wide awake as he sunk into the seat opposite her and absentmindedly cleared a few of his paint pallets to the side, "I thought you didn''t remember him?

    "I didn''t, not until I saw him, but I''m sure it was him," said Allyra as she too took a seat, pushing one of the plates towards Nolan and unscrewing the flask that no doubt held some exquisite tea of her choosing. She had remarkable taste and was a surprisingly great chef despite her upbringing. It was why Nolan had proposed and agreed to finance the tearooms in the first place.

    "How?" asked Nolan, eyes narrowed with scepticism.

    "Well, I was down by the docks discussing the new tea shipments with the dock master when these three men in hoods all walked by at quite a quick pace," said Allyra, launching into her story as she flipped her single braid over her shoulder. She hadn''t bothered to cut her hair again in three years, but she always styled it in ways she never would have if she were still among her family, "The thing was��they drew attention, and not just because of the hoods. There was this��aura about them. Like they were powerful. Everyone just seemed to pause and watch in awe as they passed. It was when they were only a couple of metres from me that I saw the badge on the lapels of their jackets. Moonshadow badges. Badges carved from Evanine".

    Nolan frowned, "Those are��aren''t they reserved for the top members of that company?"

    Allyra nodded, "Bronze for the common workers, silver for the managers, gold for those working at the production houses and Evanine Crystal for those of the highest positions. Rumour has it that the badges are carved with a protection charm, though I could not see the rune".

    "Okay," said Nolan, "While it''s quite a sight to see three of them in one place, especially outside of the Trader''s Festival, how does this relate to you having seen the mystery man? They only started using those badges a year ago when Lord Moonshadow announced the benefits system for the company".

    Allyra shook her head, "The badges are just one of the clues. What really made me aware of the fact that one of them was that man, was because the one that was closest to me glanced at me as he passed by".

    Nolan paused, "And?"

    Allyra frowned, "He was younger than I expected, especially to be so high up in Moonshadow. I know Lord Moonshadow himself is quite young, but still. The man often seen beside him, Mathius Silvermoon, seems older by a couple of decades. But like I said, this man I saw was young. He had very pale skin, and from what little I could see of his hair it was a honey blond. And his eyes��they were the palest blue I''ve ever seen, like ice. But what really jolted my memory were the piercings".

    Nolan''s eyebrows raised in surprise, "Piercings?"

    It was quite rare. Pirates and Ruffians sometimes did it, and women pierced the lobes of their ears, but the only other instance that Nolan had heard of piercings were Barbarian Tribes in the West.

    "On his eyebrow, nose and lip��" Allyra said, "When I saw them, I had this immediate reaction. I just knew I''d seen them before. Then this image flashed in my head of this same man, without the hood, standing to the side of a great celebration, and turning to look at me".

    Nolan thought for a moment. Before Allyra urged him, "Nolan, you have to send another message to them".

    Nolan sighed, "I''ve sent many, what makes you think this one is going to get through?"

    Allyra raised an eyebrow, "Because I''m going to write it, and I''m not going to take no for an answer".

    Nolan scoffed, "I don''t see how that will make a difference".

    Allyra took a sip from her tea, "I do, you''re far too reserved and passive in your letters".

    Nolan frowned, thinking back to other letters he''d written in order to contest her claim, only to find that he couldn''t find a liable example.

    "Fine, write it," said Nolan, "I''ll deliver it later this afternoon".

    "You know how quickly they disappear," said Allyra as she fished her hand into the basket and withdrew a letter, already sealed and signed, "You need to go now".

    Nolan frowned, looking at his name on the front of the envelope, "How did you��?"

    "Your handwriting is very elegant, yet surprisingly easy to copy," said Allyra.

    Nolan rolled his eyes, "I''d appreciate you asking permission next time".

    Allyra indicated to the plate in front of him, "I brought you breakfast as an apology".

    ***

    Iah looked down at the letter with a delicate frown upon her brow. She''d seen quite a few over the past couple of years. Nolan Reinhart was a man she''d only ever come to know through his letters. He seemed soft-hearted, artistic, and elegant. The elegance was still within the script on the page before her, but the soft-heartedness and artistic quirks she''d come to admire were quite obviously absent.

    That of course, was a reason for concern, but what had grabbed her immediate attention was the actual contents of the letter.

    "��a close acquaintance of mine has expressed concern about missing memories. She is sure that a highly placed Moonshadow employee with pale eyes and piercings adorning his face is, at least in part, responsible��"

    Iah sighed as she placed the letter down on her desk and leaned back in her chair. The Allure was not as all powerful as it seemed, at least when wielded by somebody other than Rassa. Erasing memories was easy, especially when they were relatively short and had occurred recently, but constructing replacements was not. To reimagine a memory, it had to have enough detail to convince the individual of what had occurred, but enough empty spaces for it to appear real. After all, human memory was so biased, any regular individual forgot half of the contents of their memories after a few minutes.

    That, however, was not the only difficulty. The details also had to cater to the individual. Did that person frequent the setting often? Did they recall scents or sounds more easily? And what of their own personalities? How would they react and interact in the constructed memory to appear natural? The rest of the Coven, apart from Rassa, showed great difficulties in constructing full replacements for memories. Though they grew better at it the more they practiced, they were still far from Rassa''s level. Iah was sure they''d never achieve what he could. The others had realised this too, which was why some, such as Layton, had elected to just stick with erasing memories.

    The more blank spots they left though, the more likely one or two would slip through the cracks and begin to question. It only took a spark for a fuse to light.

    Iah reached over and touched the communication charm on her desk, activating it.

    "Something wrong?" Rassa''s voice resonated.

    "Bring Layton with you," Iah replied.

    "I''ll be there shortly," said Rassa,

    He''d been down at the docks discussing the expansion and movements of the Moonshadow Fleet with Talo. They had two dozen sh.i.p.s, but interest in the South had spiked exponentially despite the attempts by the Holy Order to intervene. Really, Iah wasn''t sure what they were thinking trying to go up against Elsbeth.

    ***

    Layton sat backwards on the chair as he watched Rassa pace back and forth in Iah''s office. Iah had given them both the letter, which they''d proceeded to read. There had been so few women Layton had slept with over the years, but only one of them wasn''t a whore and would be friends with someone of high standing like Nolan Reinhart. Layton had taken to learning the politics of Eldovia along with Sel so that they knew how to better protect Rassa. The Moonshadow Company was becoming more and more deeply engrained into everyday life. The Reinhart family was one of the most powerful families in Eldovia, with their businesses centred in Varkevia and Toulle.

    Layton had spent several minutes recalling the little black-haired maiden he''d had the p.l.e.a.s.u.r.e of devouring. And it had been a p.l.e.a.s.u.r.e. All pure innocence until he''d gotten her between his sheets. So responsive too. If he was being honest, few had compared over the years. He was sure he''d seen her earlier that day by the docks. He never forgot a scent, and hers was like sweet tea and cakes. He''d never had much of an opportunity to be a sweet tooth, but he couldn''t deny that her scent was delectable.

    "Layton!" snapped Iah.

    Layton sighed and turned to look at Iah expectantly.

    "You weren''t listening to a word I just said, were you?"

    "I can guess," Layton replied, "You want me to find her again, then bring her to Rassa so he can replace her memories so she doesn''t question-"

    "No," said Rassa.

    Layton''s gaze snapped to Rassa, "You want me to replace her memories? There are few things I''m terrible at, but that is one of them. Unless you want me to make her go mad, I don''t see that being a liable option".

    Rassa shook his head, "No, we''re not going to touch her memories, except perhaps to replace what was there if she elects for it".

    Layton and Iah both frowned, "What?"

    Rassa paused and leaned against the arm of one of the couches, "You said the writing style is different, so we can only assume that it was Layton''s lady friend that wrote the letter this time, not Nolan. But her words do not indicate any kind of threat. She is only seeking answers".

    "So, you suggest we give them to her? Just like that?" asked Iah, "She''s from a noble family".

    "Yes, but the fact that she''s using Nolan to contact us indicates that she either has no significant connections that her family can use, or that she is estranged from them," said Rassa.

    "My money is on estranged," Layton stated.

    Iah turned to look at him, eyes narrowed, "Why?"

    Layton smirked, "She''s a little kitten. Adorable on the outside, feisty on the inside".

    Iah looked half-way between surprised and disgusted, "I don''t know whether to be shocked that you can use the word ''adorable'', or disgusted that you clearly only know that by sleeping with her".

    Layton shrugged, "Well, it''s one of the easiest ways to know someone''s true colours, if you know what you''re doing of course".

    Layton''s piercing look at Iah made her roll her eyes before she turned to Rassa, "And you''re sure that telling her is the proper course of action?"

    "I told you three years ago that it was only a matter of time before we were no longer able to hide in the shadows," said Rassa, "We''ve already proven through the size of our following within the company that humans can come to an understanding with us, it''s time we prove it with those not under a blood contract, don''t you think?"

    Iah sighed, then turned back to Layton, "And you really think Layton is the right person for the job?"

    "No," said Rassa, "He''s an impulsive asshole".

    Layton smirked like it was a compliment.

    "But he''s also the only one of us with a connection to that girl and who can restore her memories if she so d.e.s.i.r.es it, so yes, he''ll be the one doing the job," Rassa finished.

    Layton''s smirk died, "I don''t even know how to restore memories".

    "Same way you take them, but in reverse," said Rassa, "Rather than blanketing it with black, you''re pulling the veil back to reveal what you hid".

    Layton sighed, "Fine, I''ll do it tonight".

    "No, we''ll set up a meeting during the day," said Rassa, "And you''ll stay here until such a time as she makes a decision regarding this. Also, bring Ebony here, she can handle her debt to the Reinhart boy".

    Layton frowned, "I''m your guard, you can''t-"

    "I can," Rassa replied, "I''d leave Sel if he''d screwed up, but he hasn''t yet, so I''m stuck with him for the foreseeable future".

    Layton huffed and turned away.

    "You''re going somewhere?" asked Iah.

    "I''m going North," said Rassa, "I''ll probably be a few months".

    Iah''s eyes widened, "A few months?"

    "You''ll be fine, Iah, you always are," said Rassa.

    "I��can I come?" asked Iah.

    Rassa raised an eyebrow, "You want to?"

    Iah shrugged, "I''ve been stuck here for my whole life, Rassa, never leaving for longer than a few weeks. I want out. You can take it as me invoking my wish that I earned some time ago".

    Rassa sighed, he could not argue with that, "Fine, Ebony can take care of the Ruin while you''re away, unless you have another replacement?"

    "I do, it''s likely that Ebony will have to return to Moonshadow before we return," said Iah, "I''ll make the arrangements".

    "Don''t look so perky," Layton huffed. Unlike Iah, he was never left behind. This was a first for him.

    "I''ll look perky and be proud about it, you go handle your mistake," Iah bit back.

    ***

    Rassa sighed as he looked out across the ocean to the west. Not for the first time, he wished that he could get something along the lines of drunk. Still, alcohol did nothing for Vampires, and drinking it through blood only made the blood taste less pure.

    The stars high above the beach where he sat were ever watchful. The Lady Trumpeters and the Monkey Drummers showing the gateway to the West.

    "I remember when I used to enjoy your stories of the outside world," Rassa spoke softly, "About the thousand shades of red in the leaves, and the chilling in the air when summer was done".

    His eyes turned to watch the dark horizon line, "You always did your best to make sure I wasn''t dying on the inside as well as the out".

    He was wistful as he traced his finger through the sand beside him, "I tell myself always that I will never regret what I have done. That I will only live in the present and look to the future. But in truth there is one regret I have. Something that cannot be resolved by anyone but you".

    He turned back to the horizon, "Another Birthday alone this year��but when you come back, I hope you can tell me stories about the West. About the people, the land, your adventures there. I will listen to every word, and that will be gift enough for all the time we have missed, my brother".

    Rassa stood and dusted the sand from his coat, "I hope you are well and happy, Aegin, for this year, and every year to come".

 Chapter 359 - The Moonshadow Trading Company Short Stories: 7 - The Desolate Lands (II)

    *Eldovian Era 1719, 9th day of the 9th month*

    Nolan, poised and ready to finish his painting, sighed in disappointment before dropping his brush back into the water again. He turned to look over his shoulder at his anxiously pacing friend.

    "Allyra-"

    "Do you think they got the message?" asked Allyra, "I mean, it''s been two days, but we can''t be sure, right? We should send them another one".

    "We should stop creating a draft, you''ll dry my paint before I can blend it properly," Nolan huffed.

    Allyra paused, looking at Nolan''s disappointed expression. She looked away sheepishly, "Right, sorry. I''m intruding again aren''t I? I''ll just��"

    Nolan rolled his eyes, "Allyra, it''s not that you''re not welcome, I just think you''re worrying about this unnecessarily. Iah Moonshadow is always quite prompt with her replies, usually there is one within three days. As you said, it has only been two".

    Allyra bit her lip, "So we should wait until tomorrow to send another letter?"

    "How about the end of the week?" asked Nolan, "Give her the benefit of the doubt".

    "That''s three days away," said Allyra.

    Nolan nodded, "Yes, so plenty of time for a reply to come and for you to re-enquire without seeming pushy".

    Allyra sighed, "But it''s too long".

    "For the Gods'' sake, Allyra, you''ve waited nearly three years, a couple more days won''t hurt. Go and tend to the shop, it''ll keep you busy," said Nolan.

    Allyra pouted as she turned away, "I''m bothering you again, aren''t I?"

    Nolan chuckled in exasperation, "Believe me, if you were bothering me, I would have left by now. You''re a friend, no, a sister who has something she dearly cares about. With that in mind, I''m trying to teach you patience".

    "Is it working?" asked Allyra with a hopeful smile.

    "It''s better than what it was when you first showed up on my doorstep, though I can hardly take all the credit," said Nolan, "I think, from what you have achieved over the past couple of years, it''s clear that your family was holding you back from your potential. Don''t let this mystery man from Moonshadow do the same, yes?"

    Allyra nodded, "Okay".

    Nolan nodded back, watching as Allyra stood.

    "Bring some of that Banana Nut Loaf if you have any leftover for breakfast tomorrow," said Nolan.

    Allyra smiled, "I''ll see what I can do".

    ***

    Banana Nut Loaf. Layton had no idea what that was, but the sound of it was so��normal. It made him wonder if he''d gotten the wrong girl. Though, after another couple of hours of observing from a distance, he was pretty sure it was the same one. The mannerisms were too similar. And the scent��it suddenly made a whole lot of sense why she smelled and tasted so sweet.

    "I take it from the brooding silence that you have yet to approach her?"

    Layton huffed, "I''m not brooding".

    "You are," said Ebony, "So much so that you didn''t bother to stick around and see off Iah, Sel and Rassa".

    Layton bit his lip ring in annoyance, "I''ve been assigned a task, I should do it".

    Ebony nodded, "You should, yes. I''ll be sending a letter to Nolan to invite him to my apartment for the portrait sitting".

    "If you''re going to tell him too, don''t you think it''d be best to give him an escape route?" asked Layton.

    "I doubted that you would be comfortable meeting in either his or Allyra''s apartments," replied Ebony.

    Layton sighed. She wasn''t wrong.

    "I''ll send the letter now then and request to meet tomorrow afternoon. Plenty of time for you to brood," said Ebony.

    Layton rolled his eyes as he turned away from Ebony, "Out of all those I could have gotten stuck with, why did it have to be you?"

    Ebony scrunched up her nose, "If you think I relish this arrangement, you''re insane".

    ***

    *Eldovian Era 1719, 10th day of the 9th month*

    The three hooded figures stood at the Northern Point of the Endless Lake, looking out at the vast nothingness beyond.

    "You know, when you said you wanted to go north, I hoped you meant Northern Eldovia, not the Desolate Lands," Iah complained, "I haven''t packed appropriately".

    Rassa turned to her grinning, "Oh come on, you''re not the least bit excited? With our abilities we could cross this thing easily and be back in a few days. Besides, you seemed plenty excited the last time we stood here".

    "That was a moment of solidarity. I hadn''t thought it would come so soon. Besides, how do you know we can cross it in a few days? No one has ever crossed it before," said Iah, "It could take weeks even with our abilities. Is that why you said this trip would take months?"

    Rassa rolled his eyes, "Okay, so I''m not absolutely positive that we could traverse it within days, but I''d still call it a good feeling".

    "Good feeling like, ''I just had a satisfying meal'' or good feeling like ''I''ve got this business idea��''".

    Sel turned his head to hide an amused smile. Rassa caught it as he turned back to face the desert, "The second one".

    "So��can I assume that your determination that there is something there is a whim brought about by the Ancient Ones?" asked Iah, "Because I''m positive you said you hadn''t recognised any lands from their memories".

    "I hadn''t, but I think there''s another reason for that," said Rassa, "I think Star Crash Coven, where they were all from, was not in our known world".

    "So��it''s in an unknown world?" asked Iah.

    "In a manner of speaking. It could just be somewhere people haven''t been able to map in a few thousand years," Rassa replied, "Like a land devoid of any life".

    "It''s the ''devoid of any life'' part that concerns me, why doesn''t it concern you?"

    Rassa shrugged, "Because I think that that is the exciting part about this trip".

    Iah sighed, accepting that there was no way that she could change Rassa''s mind at this point. Not that she ever could change his mind.

    "We should feed before we set out," said Iah, "If we run for six days and find nothing, we turn around and come back, agreed?"

    Rassa nodded, "Agreed. Meet back here tomorrow evening".

    "Are you sure this is a good idea?" asked Allyra, "I mean, we''re both sure this is where we lost our memories in the first place. Why exactly are we back here? Why not request a public location, or-"

    "Allyra, you''ve wanted this meeting for years," Nolan sighed, "You''ve wanted your answers. If this is how you''re going to get them, you''re going to have to go in. Are you coming or not?"

    Nolan didn''t wait for an answer as he stepped inside. A middle-aged woman stood off to the side, a pair of spectacles perched on her nose as she read the papers before her. She glanced up upon Nolan''s entrance, Allyra trailing her friend.

    "Hello," she stated, "This is a private residence, do you have an appointment with one of the residents?"

    Nolan gave a warm smile. One he was adept at giving. He''d flash that smile to just about anyone and they''d do their best to help him.

    "Good afternoon, my name is Nolan Reinhart. I''m here to meet with Lady Ebony Moonshadow for a Portrait sitting?" Nolan stated.

    The woman glanced over his shoulder at Allyra.

    "Ah, this is my friend, Allyra Cavahall," Nolan stated, "Her presence was requested as well".

    The woman looked between them, then nodded, "Very well".

    She pointed towards the staircase opposite the entrance, "Fourth Floor, Apartment three. She is waiting".

    Nolan nodded, "Thank you".

    He then proceeded towards the staircase with Allyra who fell into step beside him. If they were in here now, there was no point in being hesitant anymore.

    "This place is so��"

    "It''s dripping with wealth and elegance," Nolan finished for her.

    Allyra nodded in agreement, "No wonder the Moonshadow Apartments are so highly sought after".

    The two of them climbed to the fourth floor, Allyra taking some of Nolan''s painting equipment so that they could make it up.

    Finally, they reached the top of the staircase. Unlike the other floors where they''d seen halls with at least four doors to the left and right of the staircase, on this floor there were only two doors. One to the left of the stairs and one to the right.

    Above the left was the number three, and above the other the number four.

    Allyra stepped forward and pointed at the door with the number three on it. Nolan nodded, and Allyra sighed before she knocked.

    There was a beat of silence before the door opened to reveal Ebony Moonshadow.

    Every other time Allyra had seen her, she''d been dressed impeccably in the highest fashion. Sometimes her outfits appeared somewhat scandalous, but thanks to both her and Iah Moonshadow, styles of dress for women that were easier to move around in had become more popular in high society circles at least in the Southern Isles. Allyra was sure that it was making it''s rounds in Eldovia as well among the youth, but Eldovia had a lot of old noble families. Their influence was not to be underestimated.

    This time though, in the safety of her own apartment, Ebony wore a simple dress that fell to her ankles, she didn''t appear to be wearing shoes, as the dress was gathered on the floor around her feet. The bodice was simple as well, loose except for where it tied at her waist and around her neck, the sleeves short and revealing her pale arms. She smiled at them.

    "Hello, so nice to see you again, Nolan, I apologise that it has been so long," Ebony stated.

    Nolan smiled back a little awkwardly. After all, what she was wearing could be construed as nightwear. Still, Ebony didn''t seem the least bit embarrassed or bothered, so Nolan could only clear his throat.

    "I understand, with the way Moonshadow has been developing it would be difficult to submit to my small and unrelated requests," Nolan replied, "It''s lovely to see you again as well, and still looking as beautiful as ever".

    Ebony seemed amused as she turned to Allyra, "And you must be the friend, Allyra, yes?"

    Allyra nodded, "Ah, yes, Lady Moonshadow".

    Ebony chuckled, "Please, just call me Ebony. Come in, please".

    She stepped out of the doorway and waited for the two to enter.

    The apartment was just as lavish as the hallways outside.

    The walls were a mix of dark colours, painted with designs one could only see in the right angle of light. White painted columns partitioned the walls and windows, leading up to the white roof. The entrance hall passed by a kitchen that looked spectacularly clean, and a dining room that looked the same. They rounded a corner and came into a large open living area that opened onto a wide balcony. A door on the far side was closed off and must have been a bedroom of some kind.

    Allyra however, found herself focused on the other figure in the room. He stood just in the shadow of the window, a hood up to cover his head and face. His clothing remarkably plain, just a leather jacket and pants and boots, all black with no designs to indicate a higher class. There, on the lapel of his jacket just catching the light, was the Evanine Moonshadow Badge she''d caught sight of a few days before.

    As they entered he turned to face them, but Allyra could not quite see his features with the sunlight streaming in beside him and the hood up to cover his face. In fact, with his closed off stance, he seemed to be doing his utmost to blend into the wall behind him.

    "You have a beautiful home," Nolan spoke.

    Allyra realised that he hadn''t seen the other individual in the room as he placed his easel and canvas down.

    Ebony smiled, "Thank you, tea?"

    "That would be lovely," Nolan replied.

    Ebony turned to Allyra upon not getting an answer. Allyra turned her gaze from the man on the other side of the room, Ebony had clearly seen her staring, but made no move the introduce her other guest. Allyra nodded, "Thank you".

    Ebony poured the tea, which seemed to wait ready on the table among the couches.

    "Now, I''m under the impression that portrait sittings take some time, so perhaps you could tell me how you would like to set up first before we move to the other matters you wish to discuss," Ebony spoke.

    Ebony had taken a seat on a lone couch in the shadows of the room, her feet in the light but her face not.

    Nolan glanced at her a moment before he smiled, "You seem to look marvellous no matter where you are seated, Miss Ebony. Though I believe sitting in the light would better highlight your-"

    The man to the side scoffed in amus.e.m.e.nt, and Nolan''s head snapped to him, "Oh, I apologise, I didn''t realise you had another gu-"

    "Just get it over with, Ebony. The sooner they understand, the less awkward this will be," said the man as he took a step forward, though not into the light. His face was still in shadow, but Allyra could just make out the icy orbs from beneath the hood.

    Ebony sighed, "We agreed to be tactful with this, Layton".

    The man, Layton, seemed to be amused as he replied, "No, you said that it would be better that way, but I never agreed".

    Ebony seemed to be genuinely annoyed as she rubbed the bridge of her nose then looked up at Allyra and Nolan, "It is your choice whether to sit down or not to hear this, though be aware that you may leave at any time without fear of retribution".

    "Fear of retribution?" asked Nolan, turning to look at Allyra in confusion.

    "Then, you were the ones that erased our memories?" asked Allyra, "Did we see or hear about something secret? How do you even have that ability?"

    Ebony indicated to the couch, "It is quite a lot to take in. I do recommend you sit down".

    Nolan did so reluctantly, and only then did Allyra follow suit, though they both sat far from Ebony and Layton.

    "The ability that erased your memories," Ebony began, "We call it the Allure. It is quite simply, an ability that allows us access to the minds of others. We can erase memories, place suggestion, and in more complex cases, remake memories to suit our needs. It is quite difficult however, so most of the time we just put the memories concerning our true natures under a veil of darkness".

    Allyra glanced at Nolan then back towards Layton, "True Nature?"

    "Yes, we are what you would call Vampires," Ebony responded.

    Both Allyra and Nolan frowned in confusion.

    Ebony sighed, as she went to elaborate, "In this world, there are two types of power. The power that comes from Order and manifests in races such as Magicians, Elves, Dwarves, the Merfolk and various others. By nature, the power that drives these races is awakened and drawn from within. They unlock various parts of their soul in order to call upon vast amounts of power. In contrast, the other type is the power that is drawn from Chaos. For a long time, this power has been in the shadows, practically extinct thanks to a war that was fought many thousands of years ago which Order won. Chaos, by nature, builds and derives it''s power by taking it from other sources. Vampires are one of the races of Chaos. We derive our power through the consumption of blood".

    "B-Blood? As in��"

    Layton took a step forward then seemed to instantly appear before Allyra, his mouth open and his upper lip curled back in a hiss as two fangs extended down from his eye teeth. His eyes burned a bloody red. Allyra jolted back, terrified by the sudden threat before her.

    "Layton!"

    Allyra''s fear alleviated just as quickly as she continued to stare into those eyes. She knew in an instant that he had no d.e.s.i.r.e to hurt her. In fact, those eyes��she remembered them. She remembered them well. She could picture them above her, pupils blown in ecstasy. The p.l.e.a.s.u.r.e she''d felt as she''d clung to him overpowering any kind of fear she''d felt then-

    The red gaze was ripped away from her and her eyes met Ebony''s back.

    Allyra felt her cheeks warm at what she''d just been imagining, then she peeked around Ebony to find Layton on the far side of the room.

    "You''re such an asshole," Ebony scoffed.

    Layton glanced at her, his fangs retreating slowly, and his red eyes seeming to fade and give way to icy blue once more. He scoffed and turned away from her gaze, "Don''t know why you expected this to go any differently".

    Allyra frowned, "You took our blood that night, didn''t you?"

    Ebony turned to face her, stepping back from her to give her some space, "Yes, we require roughly a cup a day in order to remain healthy. The Allure is what we use to erase the small moments where we feed".

    Nolan gulped from beside Allyra, "Did I��did we��?"

    Ebony''s eyes widened, "Oh, no, that''s not required to feed. I had no d.e.s.i.r.e to do that. Well��okay, that''s a lie. I set out with the intention of taking a man to bed, but by the time we got back here I��we didn''t sleep together, no. I was just a little too forceful and you��well, you fell asleep".

    "I��fell asleep?"

    "When we feed, we can influence the feelings of our prey," Layton explained, "We can take away the pain, or give you far more of it if you deserve it-"

    "-We can also," Ebony interrupted as she frowned at Layton, a clear signal for him to shut up, "Make one feel calm��I pushed a little too much of that your way and you fell asleep from it".

    Ebony looked awkward in that moment. Not the blood-s.u.c.k.i.n.g monster that Layton had appeared to be an instant before. Ebony was clearly trying to avoid being seen as that.

    "Your speed and��and your allure, is that the only abilities you have?" asked Nolan, "Or are the Charms a part of your abilities as well?"

    Allyra turned to look at Nolan. He made a good point. If the Charms were a Vampire''s ability, it was no wonder that nobody had been capable of replicating the process of making them.

    "No, the Charms are not a Vampiric ability, anyone who can see the Mist is capable of creating them given the right tools and knowledge," Ebony admitted.

    Allyra''s eyes widened in surprise. It was��strange that she was being so forthcoming about Moonshadow''s long-kept secret, "Why are you telling us that?"

    Ebony shrugged, "The two of you are the first to openly connect the missing parts of your memory to us, it is only a matter of time before others do the same. We are a small Coven. We, at first, feared retribution from the Holy Order who were the ones to wipe our predecessors out. But we cannot stay in the shadows forever. We have enough capital now to make a home for ourselves out of the Holy Order''s reach. And our products are so ingrained and life-changing that even if the Holy Order tries to eradicate them, there will be those who still d.e.s.i.r.e the Charms. We cannot be erased easily, but with that comes the need to begin being transparent about what we are. Besides, we only have a few more years before our lack of aging becomes more apparent".

    "Lack of aging?" asked Nolan, "You��I thought you looked remarkably similar, but��"

    "No, it is a Vampiric ability. We are immortal. We will not die of old age," said Ebony, "And our other abilities, including a rapid regeneration and healing, mean it''s very hard for us to die in other ways as well".

    "Such a being��" Nolan stated, "It defies everything we''ve ever known".

    Ebony nodded, "Yes, but the world was not always as you''ve known it, and will not always be as you''ve known it, change is inevitable, and a key component of that change is Chaos. It is why this world has been stagnant for so long. With no Chaos, and only Order to rule, there is no change. No development".

    Nolan sat back, looking genuinely baffled. Allyra felt the same way, but looking at Layton who continued to look back at her, though there was no anger or arrogance there anymore, more a look of confusion.

    There was a long beat of silence before he spoke, "You don''t fear me? Us? What we can do?"

    Allyra tilted her head to the side, "The possibilities of what you can cause I admit, are terrifying. But you? You have no intention of hurting me. I can see it in your eyes, whether they are red or blue".

    Layton appeared genuinely shocked at her words before his gaze seemed to shut down all at once. He turned to Ebony, "No need for anything else then, yes?"

    Ebony opened her mouth to respond, but he was already gone, vanished in a breeze that led out of the window and out onto the balcony.

    Ebony sighed, turning to glance at Allyra, "I apologise for Layton. He''s��well, he''s a complete and utter asshole".

    Allyra said nothing. Ebony turned back to Nolan, "I understand if you''re feeling uncomfortable, I-"

    "No, not uncomfortable," said Nolan, "Curious. Intrigued. Perhaps a little scared but��I think I''d still like to paint your portrait if I could, though I have an idea that you may be uncomfortable with".

    "That I may be uncomfortable with?" asked Ebony with a raised eyebrow, "I will not be posing bare-"

    "Oh, no!" said Nolan quickly, "Rest assured, you can keep your clothes on".

    "Then," Ebony said with a small smile, "What would you like to paint, Nolan?"

 Chapter 360 - The Moonshadow Trading Company Short Stories: 7 - The Desolate Lands (III)

    *Eldovian Era 1719, 11th day of the 9th month*

    Layton huffed in annoyance. The problem had been resolved so damn quickly, yet Rassa hadn''t waited for him. Layton only knew that they''d gone north. Sure, he could pull out his Tracking Charm and find them that way, but without even seeing him, he knew that Rassa would be disappointed in his presence. In Layton''s eyes, the problem was solved, Allyra wasn''t going to talk about it. But in Rassa''s eyes, the problem would no doubt be ongoing.

    Rassa was, even without explicitly telling them, looking for a way to integrate the Coven into everyday life. So that they wouldn''t have to hide anymore. They were all sick of hiding. Even if they did not hold the demeanour of those that were hiding, that was exactly what they were doing.

    "Move it!" Will shouted. Layton glanced to the side to find a crate of goods dangling from a crane beside his head. He glared at it, then down at Will, "Don''t look at me like that, kid. You''re the one that''s interrupting my work flow, not the other way around".

    Layton looked away again before he rolled to the side. Tumbling off the edge of the mountain of crates he''d perched on to land softly on the ground.

    "Where''s Talo?" asked Layton.

    "Left yesterday for the South," Will replied as he looked down at his clipboard.

    "So, you''re telling me I''ve got to pass the next six months avoiding you and your crane?" Layton grumbled.

    Will glanced up at him, then back down at his clipboard, "I hope not, I''m not paying you for your crap work ethic".

    Layton rolled his eyes, "Well I can''t hang out with Ebony, we''ll kill each other".

    "No arguments there," Will replied as he pointed to the crates sitting waiting to be stacked as he spoke to the crane operator, "These three as well, move them to bay 3!"

    The Crane Operator gave a thumbs up, then Will began moving back towards his office.

    Layton fell into step beside him, "Could I go to Moonshadow?"

    "You''re no good at crafting is what I heard," Will stated.

    "Who''d you hear that from?"

    "Olly gave a rather descriptive account about it a few months back to explain a missing crate of Truth Charms".

    "Truth has never really been my forte," Layton excused.

    Will huffed a laugh, "You''re not wrong".

    "Mathius is too stiff, and Neva��"

    "I think Neva is lovely," Will complimented the head of Lovolon''s Moonshadow Branch

    "You think Ebony is lovely too," Layton huffed.

    Will sighed as he came to stand in his office, "Exactly what is the problem, Layton? From my understanding, Rassa left you here to solve a problem? You can''t seriously expect me to believe you''ve done that in less than three days. Unless of course it involved slaughtering a pack of wolves".

    Layton brushed off the reference to his Arena-given surname and crossed his arms, "I solved it just fine".

    "''Layton'' solved it or ''Rassa'' solved it?"

    Layton''s gaze dipped away.

    "Yeah, that''s what I thought," Will stated as he slumped down into his chair.

    "I''m not Rassa, exactly how does he expect me to solve this?" asked Layton, "I''m a warrior, not a diplomat".

    "Oh, no, you are far from a diplomat," Will agreed, "But does a warrior have to solve his problems with blood?"

    Layton opened his mouth to reply, then bit it back. He was pretty sure Will would just come up with something that contradicted what he said anyway. Layton then huffed and turned away from his old Knight friend, "You''re too stiff as well".

    Layton disappeared from the Moonshadow Warehouses.

    ***

    Gone were the skirts and the petticoats. If she were to run for six days straight, Iah knew that they would only grow to annoy her. Still, Iah was not used to dressing in such an exposing manner.

    She stood awkwardly at the Northern End of the Endless Lake, Sel beside her.

    "What do you think we''ll find, Sel?" asked Iah.

    The ever-silent eunuch tilted his head to the side at her question, as if in thought, then he spoke, "If Lord Moonshadow has any part in it, I would bet that a new world is only the beginning of what we will find by his side".

    Iah smiled. She''d never heard a statement so true before, even if it had yet to be proven in many aspects.

    "We''ll find a home," Rassa stated as he joined them, "A place that our Coven can call home".

    Rassa looked at each of them, the brush of his gaze warm as he seemed to check over them and ensure that they were ready, "Come then, let us run".

    The trio had no further reason to hesitate, and they raced forward into the Desolate Lands.

    ***

    *Eldovian Era 1719, 11th day of the 9th month*

    Allyra had stayed for a bit the night before to watch Nolan paint, but the atmosphere had grown somewhat awkward. She''d never seen Nolan so focused, and she hadn''t been able to bring herself to make conversation. Ebony had been��well, she''d been Ebony Moonshadow. Elegance with an under tone of fierceness that was now thoroughly explained.

    Allyra had left to rest early, and now, as she woke up in the early hours of the morning to begin baking for her caf��, she couldn''t help but feel that despite her newfound knowledge, nothing had really changed.

    She was still Allyra. She was still the noble woman who could not recall how she''d lost her maidenhood. Though at least now she had an idea of what had occurred. She was also determined to make her own way, and confused about Layton''s reaction to her. He''d seemed so��surprised when she''d said that she knew he wouldn''t hurt her. Like it wasn''t a response he''d ever heard from someone.

    Still, as she baked away, she could not find a reason to really, truly, care about it. Yet she did.

    So, with the conflicting emotions swirling within her, Allyra baked and decorated and cleaned until the sun began to rise.

    As she wiped a trail of sweat from her brow with a cloth, she noticed a figure silhouetted on the roof of the building opposite. She glanced up, staring back, then she blinked, and the figure was gone.

    She hadn''t been able to see him clearly, but she knew who it had been.

    ***

    *Eldovian Era 1719, 16th day of the 9th month*

    For a land that had not been charted �C at least in the thousands of years since the Fall of Chaos �C the Desolate Lands were quite accurately named. Even at the speed the three were going, and the land the three had covered, the most they saw that changed in the landscape was the odd pile of rocks or a petrified tree.

    Six days they had run now, though Iah was beginning to question if they weren''t running in circles. The stars told them every night that they were still running north. The Northern Maiden holding her vase of water aloft to signal the correct direction every night.

    As the sun began to set on this sixth night, Iah slowed, then stopped. Rassa and Sel sensed it, stopping with her, though continuing to look north.

    "It''s been six days, Rassa," Iah stated, "If we don''t turn back in the next few hours, we will starve out here".

    They had not flown because summoning their wings took more energy, though Iah was sure they could have traversed further. Still, if there was nothing out here, what would be the point?

    Rassa frowned, clearly disappointed at their lack of findings. Sel remained silent, awaiting orders.

    "There is something out there," said Rassa.

    Iah closed her eyes, sensing his hope was still strong, but had come into question. It was not often that Rassa Moonshadow questioned his own decisions, not since��not since before he''d come back with Ebony.

    "I don''t mean to sound negative, Rassa, but we have yet to see that there is something out there," Iah said, "And if we continue on and find nothing��we will starve, and nobody will have the means to come after us, at least not for some time".

    And some time could be months, or it could be centuries considering the development that the world was undergoing without Rassa''s influence.

    Iah could sense it as Rassa accepted her words, but instead of turning to run back, he sat down on the ground facing north.

    "Rassa?" asked Iah.

    "Give me until midnight. If nothing changes, we go back," said Rassa.

    Rassa closed his eyes, and then Iah felt the unmistakable brush of his power as it expanded outwards.

    Iah looked at Sel, concerned. Using his power like this��he was taking a risk. Iah knew that he had more self-control than the rest of them, but that didn''t mean he wouldn''t starve faster if he did this.

    As Rassa spent his time using his power to search the land, Iah and Sel stood as sentinels to nothing but the breath of wind that passed by them. At least the wind was refreshing after all that running. They often went so fast that they were cutting through the air, making their own wind trails.

    Iah breathed it in, then paused. A frown adorning her face. Temperature didn''t bother her, but that didn''t mean she couldn''t sense it. And now��it was quite cold. Cold enough to��

    Iah glanced up, seeing the clouds overhead.

    It was Autumn and yet��

    As Iah stood and watched the clouds, she saw them unmistakably open up, and drops of delicate snow begin to fall.

    "It''s snowing," Iah observed, "But��" She turned to Sel, who seemed confused also. The weather was too warm at this time of year to do that, and yet here they were. What had changed?

    Sel then tilted his head, "Have you noticed?"

    Iah raised an eyebrow.

    "The day��it was shorter than normal".

    The day being shorter, and the weather colder.

    "Why has that changed?" asked Iah.

    But more importantly, was it significant?

    Rassa''s eyes snapped open, "There is something there".

    Iah looked down at him, "How much further?"

    Rassa hesitated before he spoke, "Three days".

    "Life?" asked Iah.

    Rassa hesitated, but nodded, "But no humans".

    Blood was blood when you were starving.

    "Then do we go forward, or not?" asked Iah, "This weather, and the shorter days, it concerns me".

    Rassa stood, "It shouldn''t".

    Iah raised an eyebrow to him.

    Rassa just shrugged, "The further north you go, the shorter the days, to the point where there could be several months of darkness. Such little sunlight to warm the place, of course it would be cold".

    Iah''s eyes widened, "This is something the Ancient Ones taught you?"

    Rassa nodded, "The word is shaped like a ball, if you travel in one direction for long enough, you will eventually come back to your starting point".

    Iah turned to Sel, who seemed equally surprised.

    "Come, we go forward. I''m not leaving without finding something".

    ***

    *Eldovian Era 1719, 20th day of the 9th month*

    Rassa was not doubtful that he would find something out here. Never was he doubtful of it. He knew he would find something. The question was not if he would find anything, but what he would find.

    So when, after nearly ten days of running, he finally saw something odd on the horizon among the increasingly dense fields of snow and ice, he couldn''t help but grin in triumph.

    Summoning his wings, Rassa lifted off the ground just so he could reach the peak faster, Iah and Sel feeling his excitement and following his lead.

    He came to rest on a ledge that overlooked both the lands they had just passed through, and those further north beyond the mountain.

    Beyond the mountain, the land was no longer a flat expanse of nothing. There were many mountains, valleys, hills and the like. Frozen rivers and what appeared to be forests of sorts, only just managing to survive in the bitter cold. Because it had grown much colder, the days much shorter too.

    "Oh, thank the gods!" Iah cried, Rassa followed her line of sight to a large white bear on the expanse of ice.

    He smiled,

    "Hunt what you can and return here, it seems we''ve got a lot of ground to explore," said Rassa.

 Chapter 361 - The Moonshadow Trading Company Short Stories: 7 - The Desolate Lands (IV)

    *Eldovian Era 1719, 1st day of the 11th month*

    Six weeks since the last time they''d officially met, and yet, Layton had yet to miss a morning of watching over her from the building opposite as she baked her goods for the day.

    On the one day she did not open in a week, she could sense him watching over her bedroom window instead. Perhaps Allyra should have felt terrified given what he was, but knowing he was there gave her a sense of calm. A feeling like she was protected.

    It was probably why, when a ghost from her past had come to haunt her that morning, she had not felt all that bothered by it.

    "Allyra Cavahall," her ex-fianc��, Damien Navou, stepped inside her caf��, a woman Allyra recognised immediately holding his arm. Isla Beckett, a woman Allyra had once called friend, "I didn''t believe it when I heard it in the circles, but now that I see it before me, my how the mighty have fallen".

    Allyra smiled apologetically to the woman she was handing a cake to then stood tall and approached them, "Welcome to my caf��, Master Navou, Miss Beckett, can I offer you a table?"

    The two of them, who before had been smiling widely like a game was about to be played, seemed to blanch for a moment in surprise at Allyra''s professional response before they fixed their expressions, Isla talking this time, "It''s Lady Navou, now".

    The woman purposely displayed her wedding ring, but contrary to expectations once more, Allyra smiled, "My, I see, congratulations are in order then. I apologise for not being aware sooner, perhaps I can offer a complimentary cake in celebration?"

    "Just a cake?" asked Damien, "Surely a marriage of our scale would amount to a full meal".

    "Oh? You think so? From the age and style of the ring I would say the marriage is not a recent thing, not to mention your wife''s clear pregnancy, I suppose I can offer some tea to her as well to celebrate that, something good for the baby," Allyra smiled.

    Isla looked surprised. Allyra''s gaze said it all. Yes, she had not been in society''s circles for some time, but that did not mean she was not well aware of the styles and trends of the upper class. She had to cater to them often thanks to her business.

    Damien cleared his throat, "Yes, we are quite proud, perhaps when the child is born your own can be a play mate".

    Allyra raised a confused brow, "My own?"

    Damien''s grinned turned ever-so-slightly malicious, "Surely you jest Allyra, how could you forget the bastard you surely conceived on the eve of our wedding? I certainly cannot".

    The entire caf�� turned pin-drop silent. Allyra was enraged. How dare he bring up such a thing in her shop. In her livelihood! He was clearly out to ruin her. They both were, Allyra thought as she saw Isla hide her own victorious grin.

    Very well then, if they would ruin her, she had no problem ruining them. Besides, she had enough money now that she could go elsewhere to set up shop if need be.

    "I think there is some misconception here," Allyra stated, "I do not deny that I slept with a man who was not you when we were not yet married, however, the reason and the outcome are far more simple than what you are implying. The reason, I had no d.e.s.i.r.e to remain a pretty bird in a cage for you to take out and pet when you d.e.s.i.r.ed. So, when my father refused my will, I took matters into my own hands. And the outcome? I was ousted from my family, stripped of my inheritances, and, perhaps the greatest relief of them all, I did not have to bind myself to you. Those were the only consequences that came from the loss of my maidenhood. If anything, I would say that singular night was more pleasurable than anything you ever gave me, or ever will".

    Allyra had the thought the caf�� had been silent before.

    Just when the atmosphere in the room began to grown awkward, Allyra, and everyone else, heard the unmistakable sound of a woman chuckling. All eyes were drawn to the dark-haired beauty who sat at a table among friends. Allyra knew who she was right away, as did many others.

    "Lady��Startree?" asked Isla. The woman was a fashion icon, and held the closest ties out of anyone to the Moonshadow Business. There were few who did not know her name.

    Falla Startree gathered herself, then stood, strolling across the room with her party close behind. She paused beside Allyra, "Miss Cavahall, thank you for the divine food and soothing tea as always. As for the entertainment��that was quite unique, though your co-actors were a little dry. I shall be back the same time next week".

    Allyra nodded, gratefully with a smile, Damien and Isla all but forgotten as the woman left with her party.

    Allyra turned back to them though, "Shall you dine with us today?"

    Damien huffed and turned away, "I could ruin you before she comes back".

    "Thank you for your warning, but I don''t believe you have such power. You are, after all, second in line to your father''s businesses. Nothing but the spare, really".

    The door slammed shut behind them, and an elderly woman beside Allyra spoke from behind her fan, "I would not have married him either, his gait is so inelegant I doubt he could tell his left foot from his right".

    Perhaps it was because most of them were regular customers. Or perhaps because Allyra had proven herself time and again to be capable without a husband. But no one made another comment about her exposed scandal, and in the week following, no threat to her business ever arose.

    ***

    "Is it true that you were kicked out because of me?"

    The question scared her out of her wits. Her basket tumbled to the ground outside of her caf��, and Allyra placed a hand over her heart as it calmed, her eyes coming to rest on where Layton stood beside the door.

    "What?"

    Layton frowned, "The night we spent together, is it true that your family ousted you because of it?"

    Allyra frowned. She was pretty sure he never watched her during the day. Still as she retrieved her basket and the items that had spilled out, she found herself replying.

    "Yes".

    Layton was silent for a long moment before Allyra stood once more, meeting his gaze.

    "I''m so-"

    Allyra shook her head, "I don''t want your apology. You have nothing to be sorry for".

    Layton tilted his head in question.

    "If anything," Allyra stated as she went to step around him, "I should be thanking you. Without my encounter with you, I would have been stuck in a loveless marriage, forever catering to the whims of an arrogant and entitled asshole".

    "Instead, you slept with a regular asshole," Layton huffed.

    Allyra just smiled as she paused looking back over her shoulder at him, "I wouldn''t call you regular, you seem too different for that��but then, I wouldn''t call you an asshole either".

    Layton raised an eyebrow, "It''s what I am".

    Allyra shrugged, "And I am a fallen noble woman who lost her standing, and her v.i.r.g.i.n.i.t.y to a stranger. But that isn''t all that I am. Just like there is something more to me, there is something more to you too. You just tend to hide that part of yourself".

    Layton frowned, seemingly offended by the statement. Before he could speak though, Allyra continued, "Thank you, for showing me these past six weeks, that you''re not just an asshole".

    Layton''s eyes widened a little, but he showed no further reaction as she turned away to walk to her apartment.

    "Allyra?"

    Allyra turned back to Layton, who took a few steps towards her, then he cupped her face as he met her gaze, his eyes turning red.

    Allyra became utterly entranced by his ruby-like eyes for just a few seconds, then, just as suddenly as he''d grabbed her, he released her, stepping back as his eyes became icy blue once more.

    "What��?"

    "It seems wrong at this point to continue to hide it from you," said Layton.

    Then he was gone. For a moment, Allyra had no idea what he was talking about, but then, all at once, the memories of their night together pushed to the surface. They were no longer foggy or clouded or mismatched. They flowed in one long, l.u.s.tful event.

    Allyra''s hand rose to cover her mouth in shock.

    Gods above, the night really had been��

    ***

    The wind tore through Rassa''s clothes. Anyone else would have frozen stiff or been blow away by now, but he was not so easily moved. Still, as Iah struggled in the cave behind him with Sel, she could not help but think he may have gone insane.

    They''d been traversing the cold and increasingly dark terrain for well over a month, and had found little of consequence. It had it''s own strange sense of beauty, all that white, and the life that they found to feed on was more abundant than it appeared, and hardy to survive such extreme weather.

    Still, even if there were no humans here and nobody to threaten them, it didn''t seem to meet whatever requirements Rassa had been looking for.

    "Rassa!" Iah called over the howling wind.

    A snow storm was well and truly blowing in. Rassa turned back and stepped into the cave, the wind dying down almost immediately even if it was still howling.

    "Looks like it''ll last a few hours at least," Rassa stated, looking into the darkness of the cave.

    Iah sighed, taking the maps she had started drawing out of the shadows she''d stored them in and placing them on the ground between them.

    "We''ve scoured over most of the southern part here," said Iah, "At least what''s south of those twin peaks in the north".

    After all, they weren''t entirely sure how far north they could go at this stage.

    Rassa looked at the map for a moment before pointing towards the West, "We''ll go here next".

    "Are you sure that''s wise, Sel said that it appeared to be ice fields in that direction, we''re not sure how thick it is and it''s even more inhospitable than this place," said Iah.

    They''d split up for a week or so before to see how far the land went before returning. Iah had gone East, Sel to the West, and Rassa to the North.

    "All the more reason to go that way first, what you described seemed like an endless mountain range. We''ll explore what we expect to be the shorter direction first," Rassa reasoned.

    Iah conceded to his reasoning. Even if she struggled to see Rassa''s vision for this place, she still felt somewhat of a thrill to be exploring somewhere new. To be the first to step here after so long, maybe ever considering the lack of evidence they''d found here.

    "We''ll just have to wait out-"

    A rumble from above that turned to thunder. Snow trickled in front of the entrance.

    "Avalanche!" Rassa shouted over the roar above them and the shaking of the cave. Then, before they could react further, the thick snow thoroughly covered the entrance of the cave, casting them all into darkness.

    As the shaking began to subside, Iah could not help her head dropping in disappointment. Great. Now they had to suffocate.

    "We can get through that, right?" asked Iah.

    "Probably," Rassa sighed.

    "Probably?" asked Iah, rolling up the map.

    Rassa shrugged as he turned to her, "Least we''re in the cave and not buried beneath it".

    Iah opened her mouth to respond, but closed in silent admittance that that was in fact better.

    "Where is the light coming from?" asked Sel.

    Iah frowned, "What li-"

    But now that he''d asked, Iah realised that she wasn''t relying completely on her sharp vision to see. There was a light. So dull that they hadn''t noticed it before. She turned to find the source, looking into the depths of the cave where, in a tiny crack in the floor, light seemed to seep out from below. She wondered over to it, kneeling down to glance at it.

    "Why would light be coming from inside a mountain?" asked Iah.

    Iah''s claws extended, swiping at the rock beneath so that she could find the source faster.

    "Wait, Iah-"

    Too late, the crack abruptly widened, and Iah felt the ground disappear beneath her before she plunged down.

    Gasping, she barely had time to orient herself before Rassa''s shadows caught her. And not a moment too soon either. There, before her nose, reaching so high up that it appeared like a mountain itself, was a giant, glowing Evanine Crystal.

    Iah had never seen anything like it before, and it entranced her in an instant like she was under an Allure.

    She heard flapping, and called out her own wings to aid in her descent to the ground far below, catching sight of several more glowing Evanine Crystals. Their light was not overwhelmingly bright. More like the light of a full-moon, or perhaps slightly brighter, but no where near that of a sun.

    "This is it," said Rassa with a grin as Iah and Sel landed beside him among the huge Crystals, "Sun Stones".

    "Sun��"

    Iah looked at where Rassa was tracing his fingers, finding runes burnt into one of the Crystals.

    A circle around a crescent moon, and another circle with several lines branching out from it on the outside, all connected by a rune that seemed to weave around and between them.

    "Protection from the sun and eternal moonlight within," Iah interpreted.

    Rassa grinned, "Not just the sun. It''s original purpose was that, but this rune here". Rassa pointed to the circle with lines branching off, "This rune grew to mean more than just the sun. It grew to mean outside".

    Iah''s eyes widened as she looked around at the other enormous crystals, "You mean, these Charms��"

    "If we surround our new home with these charms, we''ll be able to create an internal environment that is unaffected by what happens outside of the barrier," said Rassa, "Just like the Covens of old that were hundreds if not thousands strong".

    "How��how did you know these were here?" asked Iah, "Did they tell you?"

    Rassa shook his head, placing his hand on the huge charm, "I took a gamble. If I wanted to find Evanine Crystals like this, let alone Charms, I''d have to go some place that had been untouched for thousands of years".

    Rassa turned to Iah and Sel, "I wanted to find a mine so that we could be self-sustaining, and if my senses are telling me anything it''s that we''ve most certainly found it".

    Iah paused, then looked down at the ground beneath her. Beneath her feet, for hundreds if not thousands of metres, were veins upon veins of Evanine Crystals.

    She looked back up at Rassa, who was grinning. Iah sighed, "I won''t deny that this is our new home, but you better damn well hope I don''t have to live in a snow storm for eternity".

    Rassa chuckled, "Not eternity, no. Look, I''ll even let you pick the spot".

    Iah smiled at that.

 Chapter 362 - The Moonshadow Trading Company Short Stories: 8 - The Coven City of Lyserna (I)

    *Eldovian Era 1722, 3rd day of the 12th month*

    Phillip the Fisherman had grown tired of others encroaching on his hunting grounds. His little boat did not hold much, but catching ten fish for the day was a haul that would give him some decent money. He was a veteran, and had always fished in the same spot on the Endless Lake, just off the south-western shore. In the last few weeks though, other Fisherman, with larger boats and younger crews, kept creeping closer to his area.

    Finally, Phillip had had enough of them in his space. His daily haul was dropping, and with a grandchild on the way, he needed the money a series of good days could get him. So, with a quick word to his wife, Phillip made the decision to take a trip to the furthest parts of the Endless Lake.

    The Northern End of the Lake was rarely travelled to, mostly because it was at least a 3-day trip to make it there and back in favourable winds. Still, if the fish further north were not used to fisherman such as himself, he would surely get a better haul than he would in the south of the lake.

    So, Phillip''s wife ensured his boat was stocked with food and water, and Phillip prepared his bait and tackle, then at the dawn of the previous day, he''d sailed north along the waters of the Endless Lake.

    A few hours in, and it became clear why the Lake had been named as such.

    The waters were relatively calm, allowing for smooth sailing. And the lake itself was sandwiched in between the two halves of the Northern Mountain Range. With the great peaks rising up on either side, and the stretch of water both in front and behind him for hours on end, one could quickly feel that the imposing scenery was indeed endless.

    Finally, as the sun was beginning to set on the first day, Phillip could see the vast expanse of the Desolate Lands in the distance before him. He took his boat as close to the Northern Shore as he dared, then dropped the anchor and settled in for the night, determined to spend the following day fishing.

    But the draw of the Desolate Lands proved to be a lot more alluring than he''d anticipated.

    Unable to quench his curiosity enough to sleep, Phillip had made his way ashore in the early hours of the morning and watched the silent and dry lands under the light of the full moon. His eyes were getting old, but such a well-lit night with such plain and flat scenery made it easy for even him.

    There was a strange beauty in it, the Desolate Lands. The line where Eldovia ended, and the desolate and unclaimed plains beyond began was clear to see. Apart from the occasional rock, nothing changed the flat horizon line of what lay before him. It was like staring at the end of the world, Phillip thought. Like if he proceeded to walk forward, eventually it would just end, and he would fall off the edge.

    Such a thought made him shiver, and with that, he turned to go back to his boat.

    Just then, like the world was truly ending, a large dark arrow-like shadow shot down from the sky and pierced the ground a few kilometres out into the expanse. Phillip''s eyes were enraptured by the sight, and seconds passed before the keen whistle of the object piercing through the air hit him, shortly followed by the earth beneath his feet shaking from the impact.

    Phillip''s eyes widened. What, by the gods, was so powerful that it would have such speed and strength as to fall from the sky and cause the ground to shake. It wasn''t��it wasn''t a god itself, was it?

    As Phillip contemplated the legitimacy of his thoughts, the ground''s shaking returned, and grew stronger. Enough to cause Phillip to stumble and the water in the lake behind him to slosh against the shore. Phillip looked up, and not far from where that shadowed thing had hit the ground, the ground itself seemed to rise up in a long, tall column.

    And it rose. And rose. And rose.

    Finally, when it was high enough that Phillip was sure it was twice as high as the carved city walls of Toulle, it came to a shuddering halt with a boom, the dust around it scattering and the ground stopped it''s shaking. The land descended into silence and stillness once more.

    Phillip c.o.c.ked his head to the side, what, by the gods, was it? What was it''s purpose? Who had-

    A shadowed figure broke through the earth at the huge column''s base, then rose slightly into the air before changing directions and aiming right towards where Phillip stood.

    Instincts flared within Phillip. They told him immediately to run and hide. That what was coming towards him was powerful, and not at all something he stood a chance against. But the niggling curiosity of wanting to know made him hesitate, and suddenly, it was too late anyway.

    The dark shape was before him, a giant��no, a man, with huge, dark bat-like wings that looked as if they''d been dipped in blood. The man, with pale skin and dark hair, was young, only in his twenties, perhaps the same age as Phillip''s son-in-law. The man''s eyes though��Phillip could not help but feel the weight they bore as they looked at him. Could not help but think that those eyes had seen far more than he ever could on the Lake fishing every day.

    The man righted himself, gave an almighty flap of his wings to slow his descent, then dropped several metres to the ground. The wind momentarily blinded Phillip. He coughed, brushing it away before he looked up to find the young man before him, a simple black jacket and pants, though they were clearly well-tailored. Phillip could swear he saw the glint of some kind of gemstone beneath the man''s sleeve though.

    Had Phillip imagined the wings? He can''t have. Yet they were clearly not there now.

    "Apologies for the disturbance, I didn''t expect anyone this far north," said the man.

    His voice��it seemed quite calm, gentle even. Phillip found himself shaking his head at the apology, "No��I��What��" Phillip had no idea what to say, then he pointed to the column that had just risen out of the ground, "Did you do that?"

    The man glanced over his shoulder, "Oh? Yes, I had to mark out my path you see. Be sure to find my way back. Had to make it nice and big so that I could plainly see it from above".

    He pointed to the sky with a smile.

    So, the wings hadn''t been imagined.

    "Are you out here alone?" asked the young man.

    Phillip nodded, "Fish-" Phillip cleared his throat, "I''m fishing".

    The young man nodded, "Ah, I see. I didn''t know that there were those who came so far North for that".

    "Too many sh.i.p.s encroaching on my usual waters," Phillip grumbled, relaxing into the conversation despite what he''d just seen, "My daughter''s expecting, I need better coin".

    The young man smiled, "My congratulations to you and her then��I will compensate you for the meal, by the way".

    Phillip raised an eyebrow. The meal? Such an insistent attitude was quite rude, but he''d been polite thus far. Maybe he was noble and was used to getting his way.

    "Well, my wife has not packed much spare food but I''m sure I can share-"

    "Oh no, you misunderstand," said the young man, "You will not need to share your food, I am quite capable of procuring my own".

    Phillip frowned but nodded, "Oh, right��then��apologies, but I don''t understand why I would need to be compensated?"

    The young man simply continued to smile, "What is your name, sir?"

    "My name? Phillip".

    The young man seemed to pause for a moment, as if somewhat surprised, then his easy smile returned, "I see��well, Phillip, I will be compensating you for your time. After all, I am quite hungry, and I would hate for your grandchild to suffer because of my hunger".

    Phillip, still quite confused, opened his mouth to reply, but paused in shock as the young man''s eyes turned blood red.

    "Wha-"

    The young man was suddenly behind him, holding him in a grip like iron with his head to the side before Phillip felt two needle-like points pierce his neck, followed by a mouth enclosing over the skin around it. The initial pain and shock were replaced almost immediately by a calm serenity that had Phillip''s protests dying before they even reached his lips.

    He couldn''t move, and as he felt the young man taking something from inside him, Phillip found himself not wanting to protest even a bit. The calm serenity of the vastness he was still staring out at was the last thing he remembered before he succ.u.mbed to darkness.

    ***

    Rassa Moonshadow gently placed Phillip the Fisherman down on a bench of his boat. He''d thought he''d have to go nearly all the way to Toulle to find something to satiate his hunger after the long journey south, but he''d gotten lucky.

    Still, Rassa had wanted to keep the old man alive. The soon to be grandfather didn''t deserve to die after their coincidental meeting. Rassa took out a small bag of gold coins and placed them on the deck beside the old man as he stood.

    Rassa glanced back at the column of rock he''d pushed up from the ground. It had become routine these past few days. He''d left Iah and Sel in the North a week ago after they''d spent several months finding the perfect location and planning construction of the city. Eventually though, Iah had expressed concerns over both a lack of materials and the fate of the rest of their Coven so far away.

    The majority of the city they were building could be formed through the ice and rock and minerals that they''d found in the north, but what they could achieve was only a crude construction. If they wanted a city that would last, and one that incorporated the giant sun stones as well, they needed better artisans and professionals.

    So, Rassa had told Iah and Sel to continue constructing what they could whilst he ventured south again.

    Of course, to ensure that not only Rassa, but any construction teams could find their way across the Desolate Lands that separated Eldovia from the North, he''d had to get creative.

    Knowing it was going to be a one-way trip, Rassa had flown instead of run. And every few hours, he''d dove beneath the ground, displaying the earth and rock enough to push up a stable totem that marked the path. By his estimates, if every totem had some kind of station built at it, he could make a Railway from Toulle, all the way to their new city.

    At first, despite the fact that temperature didn''t bother them, Iah had been concerned about the cold. But after several months spent there, she was one with the element.

    A good thing too, considering how thick the snow was now that Winter had officially arrived. And the days in the North? Practically non-existent this time of year.

    The climate was perfect for his Coven. Now all that was missing was the Coven, and a decent supply of food. Sure, they could live off of the animals there. But as the population of Vampires in the North grew, the population of animals would plummet. They needed a decent number of humans to satiate their gluttony.

    Taking one last glance at the sleeping Phillip, Rassa summoned his wings and lifted off, headed across the lake towards Eldovia''s northernmost city.

    ***

    Layton stared at the cake, unconvinced of it''s properties. He glanced up at Allyra, who waited expectantly opposite him, then reached forward and poked the cake.

    Allyra scoffed, rolling her eyes, "Don''t poke it, try it".

    "I don''t eat this," Layton huffed as he sat back, "Whatever this is".

    Allyra frowned, leaning back in thought, "Is the concentration not high enough? Or perhaps because it''s baked?"

    "What are you on about?" asked Layton.

    Allyra raised her eyebrow, "You told me the other night that you''d never tried sweets before. That, is frankly, a crime in and of itself".

    "Not exactly the law-abiding type, if that hasn''t sunk in yet. What with all the meeting at night in your deserted caf�� and all," said Layton.

    Allyra stood, "The sunlight strains your eyes, besides, you''re not a people person".

    "Whatever gave it away?" asked Layton sarcastically.

    "Your award-winning personality," Allyra replied.

    "Thought you said I wasn''t an asshole," said Layton.

    "I said you weren''t an asshole all the time," said Allyra, "Now, are you not going to even smell it?"

    "I can smell it just fine from here, it smells like flour, eggs, sugar and��rust? What is that?" Layton frowned, poking the cake again as if it would reveal it''s answers, "But in short, awful, I''m not eating that".

    Allyra huffed. She took the cake and moved to throw it in the bin, "For your information, it''s not rust��it''s blood".

    Layton frowned, "Blood?"

    Allyra nodded, "I went to the butchers, it''s pig''s blood, but still blood. Figured that I could try to bake it into a cake, that way you might be able to enjoy some sweets".

    Layton stared at Allyra for a moment before he looked away, "That''s not-"

    He stopped his expression freezing before his eyes swiftly turned towards the north-east.

    "What?" asked Allyra, "It''s not what?"

    "He''s back," Layton said.

    "What?" asked Allyra, confused as she turned back to face him.

    Layton stood, his expression softened, if not a little shocked, "Sorry, I-I''ve got to go".

    Allyra raised her eyebrows, "Oh well-"

    But he disappeared before her. Allyra huffed, "Okay, bye. Guess I''ll see you later".

    Their meetings had become nearly a nightly routine for Allyra. It hadn''t exactly happened because they''d arranged it either. And Allyra sensed that if she did bring it up that Layton would disappear on her. He might have acted tough, but he was as skittish as a mouse when it came to any form of relationship with another living being, Vampire or Human. He was not always talkative, sometimes he just sat nearby to watch her work in preparation for the next day''s business, but Allyra never shirked his company. She sensed that, despite his initial reluctance, he''d grown attached to their meetings.

    As for the intimacy that had begun their sort-of-friendship, the two had never spoken of it after Layton had returned Allyra''s memories. There were initially times when Allyra had looked at him and couldn''t help blushing, but Layton had either pretended not to see it, or legitimately not been able to tell. Considering his near-unparalleled senses, Allyra was inclined to think it was the former.

    Three months of friendship though, and Allyra''s upbringing was pushing to the surface. He had done a few things for her and never asked for anything in return. It didn''t sit well with Allyra, but what exactly did you get a man who didn''t eat or drink anything except blood, and had enough money to buy whatever material d.e.s.i.r.es he had? Allyra knew little of his likes and dislikes, but knew that any time Rassa Moonshadow, or any form of combat was mentioned, his eyes would light up. Getting him a weapon just seemed��inadequate though.

    Then Layton had mentioned one day when Allyra was explaining her changes for the menu in the new year, that he''d never had sweets before. The thought hadn''t registered to Allyra. What life must he had lived to never have had sweets? Were his parents so strict or��or was his past a whole lot darker than Allyra had imagined?

    The question had motivated Allyra. If she could bake some sweets for him to try then��but he only consumed blood��

    Her creative mind had a spark of inspiration. If today was any indication though, this goal of hers would be a lot harder than she had initially imagined.

    "Maybe a desert I don''t have to bake," Allyra thought aloud as she turned back to her kitchen, Layton''s abrupt disappearance a norm she had grown used to.

 Chapter 363 - The Moonshadow Trading Company Short Stories: 8 - The Coven City of Lyserna (II)

    Rassa could not help the lazy smile that adorned his face. Nothing had changed, his quarters kept clean for whenever he decided to drop in. He took off his coat, ready to rest after a day of travel, not to mention the stops he had made on the way to his other coven members. Mathius in Barday, Ebony, Kit and Olly in Moonshadow and Neva in Lovolon. He had to let them all know in person. He had to tell them that he had found it. He had found a place for them to call home.

    Talo, he''d been told, was currently in the south, but he''d be back within a fortnight.

    Rassa turned to find Layton just inside the entrance of his balcony, down on one knee with his head bowed.

    "Welcome back, Master".

    Rassa tilted his head as he looked at Layton, something was different. He smelled like��like baked sweets. The corners of Rassa''s lips turned up.

    "We have found a home, Layton. It will take time to build it of course, but from this place, we will never have to run," Rassa stated.

    Layton looked up, his icy eyes shining, "Then I can come this time?"

    Rassa could not help the chuckle that escaped his lips, "Layton, I admire your loyalty and your commitment, but have you not found something you d.e.s.i.r.e for yourself in the few months I have been away?"

    Layton frowned, "I��nothing worth pursuing, Master".

    Rassa raised an eyebrow, but sighed as he turned away, "If you want it, Layton, take it. We may live forever, but that does not make the existences around us any less unique. Though, I concede that it is not my place to pry into your personal affairs. I think I will rest now, Layton, it was quite a long journey. Coordinate as best you can with Ebony, Mathius and Neva in making the preparations".

    "Of course, Master".

    Rassa closed his bedroom doors behind him as Layton slowly stood once more, eyeing the doors a moment longer before he turned away and walked back to the balcony, his expression suddenly not as thrilled.

    Was he excited as the prospect of his Master''s return and the news he brought? Of course! Rassa had always said that the ultimate goal was for their Coven to build their own home, away from human influence and without the restrictions of Order''s Laws. A dream that had quickly become that of the rest of his Coven, and even those within Moonshadow who knew of the true nature of their leaders. But now that Rassa had brought it up��now that he was facing the prospect of returning in perhaps a decade or two from now when Allyra had grown far older��the thought made him frown.

    Was he��did he like her company that much? Not just a human, but a human who had never witnessed the slaughter nor depravity he had grown up facing. She had grown up noble for the gods'' sake. Noble and cherished and meek. Everything Layton had not been, and would never be. Had she changed in her exile? Of course. Heck, she was cooking with blood for him. Blood!

    Layton shook his head with a scoff. What an utterly ridiculous thought that had just come to him. So what if she aged? That''s what humans did. And in forty, fifty or perhaps even sixty years if she was particularly lucky, she would die and leave this world forever. But a whisper in his eternal existence. One he had no need to pay attention to, nor care for.

    Layton jumped from Rassa''s balcony to the street below, intent on hunting before turning in like his master.

    ***

    *Eldovian Era 1722, 4th day of the 12th month*

    "So, you''re saying that not only do we need the resources and populace to support an entire city in a climate that for most of the year is frozen, but we''ll also need to build rail tracks that span the same distance from Toulle to a day''s travel further than our base on the Southern Continent, plus several resupply points that will likely become towns in the future?" asked Ebony.

    Rassa nodded.

    The holograms around him all looked understandably shocked.

    "Rassa, that''s more resources than we''ve managed to collect and build since Moonshadow''s opening twelve years ago," Ebony stated.

    The others voiced their agreement, with Logan, the head of his Fountain Ridge base since it''s inception speaking up, "And to do it in just a year?"

    "Rassa, you''ve proposed many unbelievable and impossible plans but this��we simply don''t have the manpower even if all of us Evanine Badges work together," Mathius reasoned. The others nodded in agreement.

    "I admit it''s probably one of my more ambitious plans, but you all d.e.s.i.r.e a home away from watchful eyes, do you not?" asked Rassa.

    The others, especially the coven members among them, gave several indications of agreement.

    "Then I suggest we develop a way to move this plan forward together," said Rassa, leaning forward and clasping his hands on the table before him, "I am open to suggestions".

    After a moment of silence, Ebony sighed, "We can all continue our individual preparations and draw up a few ideas each. We''ll meet again at the same time tomorrow with the goal of drawing up a detailed plan, agreed?"

    The others turned to Rassa who nodded at the proposal. They quickly disappeared, all except for Neva.

    Rassa raised an eyebrow, "Yes?"

    "I travelled to the Capital, as you requested," Neva reported. It had been something Rassa had proposed on a whim before he''d left. Regularly the company had been getting requests for co-operations from the Imperial Family, and Rassa had ignored them for some time much to everyone''s confusion. Eventually though, Ebony had convinced him that even if he had no plans to ever bow to them, and that they were going to leave anyway, for the present he should at least hear what they had to say. Rassa wasn''t going there though. Neva had volunteered seeing as she was taking a break anyway.

    Rassa sighed, "Yes?"

    "You are aware, aren''t you?" asked Neva. Rassa continued to stare at her, waiting for her to say it, "About that��thing in the Palace posing as the Crown Prince?"

    "Crown Prince, huh?" Rassa chuckled, "I suppose the Capital is rather bloody".

    Neva''s eyes narrowed, "Why haven''t you dealt with it? You''ve clearly told us before how those��Dhampir��are uncontrollable".

    She spat the name. Disgusted by it''s very existence.

    Rassa looked away, "Call me spiteful, Neva, but I did not participate in it''s making willingly, and even now I feel that those who forced me should reap what they sowed. I will deal with it once it has dealt with them. It should not be long now".

    Neva was quiet for a long time before she spoke, "It wants to meet you".

    Rassa turned back to look at her, meeting her eyes for a long moment before he stood, "It expects me to call it son, does it?"

    Neva sighed, "I��the whole Capital felt��just wrong, Rassa. Like a storm cloud was descending upon it but never releasing it''s wrath. Just biding it''s time. As if the city is just amusing it for the time being until it gets what it wants. The Chaos there was so pure but so��hungry".

    Rassa said nothing more on the topic, "Thank you for going in my place, Neva".

    Sensing that her Master was closing himself off once more and leaving the Capital to it''s doomed fate, Neva too pulled her emotions back, "Of course, Lord Moonshadow. In regards to the company and the Imperial family, my understanding was that they wanted shares in Moonshadow or they would close the railways to the capital".

    "Let them," Rassa waved his hand dismissively.

    "I too thought that move idiotic," Neva agreed, "Do they not know that the capital and surrounding towns are probably the only ones they still control absolutely? The other cities only listen when they feel like it. Besides with the track that bypasses the Capital to go straight from Fountain Ridge to Toulle, it should not pose any problems for our business, just those that frequently use the Capital Route. Should we prepare alerts of this?"

    "Wait for the Imperial Family to respond first. The last thing we need is for them to think I''m making a play for the throne," said Rassa.

    Neva raised an eyebrow, "So it''s true then?"

    Rassa''s eyes flashed red and Neva averted her gaze, "Whether it''s true or not holds no bearing on me or this company. That family lost their rights to call me a son of their blood before I was even born, let alone reborn".

    "Understood," Neva replied.

    There was a long silence before Rassa sighed, "I''ll speak to you tomorrow, Neva".

    "Of course," Neva replied before she too disappeared and the Communication Charm''s pale light faded.

    Layton huffed from behind him, "Well, I suppose that explains your passive-aggressive attitude towards the Kildare Trading Company".

    Rassa sighed, "Do you have a mildly good proposal for us moving forward, Layton?"

    Layton sensed the underlying anger in Rassa and decided to speak no more on the matter, "Well, whenever my masters wanted something done, they bought or stole more slaves".

    "Sla-"

    Rassa looked up at Layton, somewhat shocked that the young man who thought of little more that battle could propose such a cost-effective business plan.

    "What?" asked Layton, then he registered Rassa''s expression, "Did I say something?"

    Rassa, despite his allegiances, did not approve of slavery. But this��this could not only solve his labour problem, but also what would undoubtably become a population problem in the future.

    "Layton, I am shocked to tell you that perhaps you actually have a brain".

    Layton''s expression dimmed, "I''m not an idiot".

    "No, but you tend to think with your fists and fangs more than your head".

    Layton could say nothing more to that as Rassa vanished. Layton was left to close the door behind himself and follow after his Master.

    ***

    Layton had not returned in the day following his abrupt departure. Rumours had swirled the island that the head of Moonshadow had made a reappearance though. Was that what Layton had been talking about before he left? It seemed the most likely option.

    Still, Allyra kept faith that he''d be back as soon as he''d dealt with whatever business he had with Rassa Moonshadow. After all, he''d kept her company for at least an hour every night for several months as she cleaned up her store after a day of business.

    He arrived just after the sun went down and stayed to ensure she got home safely before he disappeared into the night. He rarely walked beside her on the way home, but Allyra was always positive he was there somewhere in the shadows. It was like she could feel his presence.

    Yet, as the sun dipped down again and the lamplighters did their work along the streets, there was no sign of Layton for a second night in a row.

    Allyra looked at the little cakes she''d baked, this time a cold desert rather than one she had baked so that the blood was still somewhat fresh.

    With a sigh, she picked up the tray of cakes and threw it in the bin, washing the tray before she picked up her basket and scarf, heading for the door.

    She opened it, then turned and locked it. Pocketing the key, she turned again to head home only for a figure to meld out of the shadows before her, speaking her name.

    "Allyra Cavahall".

    Allyra knew those maroon eyes, pale skin and dark hair instantly. For being one of the ric.h.e.s.t men on the continent, Rassa Moonshadow certainly didn''t show it off. His clothing, though made from the finest materials, was plain black with hints of red and silver. The Evanine Necklace badge of his company hidden in the labels of his jacket, a simple silver bracer embedded with a moonstone visible beneath the sleeve of his left wrist.

    "Rassa Moonshadow," Allyra spoke, gathering her courage, "To what do I owe the p.l.e.a.s.u.r.e?"

    Rassa gave a small smile, in looked somewhere between indulgence and amus.e.m.e.nt.

    "What is it you want, Allyra?"

    Allyra raised an eyebrow, "Sorry?"

    "From your life, what is it you want?" asked Rassa, "I admit you have done well for yourself since your family banished you. You have your own shop, a respectable enough social life despite it being beneath the circles of your birth, but, it seems to me that you don''t appear to be going anywhere despite your clear talent and newfound independence".

    "And may I enquire as to why a man of such high esteem and so beyond my ''circles'' as you call them, is even interested in what I want?" asked Allyra.

    Rassa smiled, "Our circles may be closer than you think, so indulge me".

    Allyra raised an eyebrow, "And you think I would give such information for free?"

    Rassa chuckled, "You are a loss for your family".

    "Besides, what makes you think I even want something beyond what I have?" asked Allyra, ignoring his statement.

    Rassa raised an eyebrow, "Because you spent three years looking for a man from a fragment of a memory that was stolen from you. Seeing as I am interested in your answer, I will answer one question from you in return".

    Allyra raised an eyebrow, contemplating his deal, then she spoke, "What I want? I want to be beside someone who will challenge me to be more than the meek young lady I was raised to be. I don''t much care in what capacity or form that is, so long as they don''t allow me to retreat into the shell of a girl I once was".

    "Am I correct in thinking that Layton is that individual for you?"

    Allyra said nothing for a moment, "I answered my question, now you answer, the same question".

    Rassa pulled a charm from behind his back, tossing it to Allyra who caught it. She looked at the rune. A truth charm. Was he testing her? He turned away from Allyra, gazing up at the moon in the sky, "My people are both very old and very new in this world. It is my duty to protect them and build a world where they are not seen as merely monsters. That is what I want".

    Allyra frowned as she felt the warmth in her hand, "You''re lying".

    Rassa raised an eyebrow, "Am I? Charms are quite ambiguous things. Did you want to hear my truth, or yours? Or perhaps you didn''t want to hear either answer?"

    Allyra stared at Rassa for a long moment before he turned away from her and walked off down the street, "It was nice speaking with you, Allyra Cavahall".

 Chapter 364 - The Moonshadow Trading Company Short Stories: 8 - The Coven City of Lyserna (III)

    *Eldovian Era 1722, 5th day of the 12th month*

    "And you''re saying Layton came up with this idea?" asked Ebony, her voice filled with what most in their coven considered an appropriate amount of disbelief.

    "Careful with your tone there, Ebony. One would think we were dismissing a perfectly good idea just because I said it," Layton huffed from beside Rassa. He would rather not be sitting at the table, but Rassa didn''t give him much of a choice.

    "Wouldn''t be the first time," Ebony glared at him.

    Rassa rolled his eyes, "The use of slaves to build the railroad and to populate the city is well-founded. And from your expressions I can tell that none of you came up with better ideas".

    No one spoke up to rebuke him.

    "Very well then, we buy as many slaves as you see fit, make sure they are fit for labour. While you''re at it you can advertise the building project to the commoners, I''m sure there are plenty that would make their way up there regardless. I''ll need Ebony to work on both the building supplies and transport of the slaves to the Northern end of the Endless Lake, which one might want to think about renaming when we''re done with it. Also, Neva, you handle supplies such as food, clothing and temporary housing for the workers. Mathius, you start working on the long-term handover of our Eldovian Bases. By this time next year, I want Eldovia to be a place we only come to for business and holidays. Our home is in the North, beyond the Desolate Lands, a place no Emperor, Army nor Holy Order can hope to touch or interfere in our way of life. We leave the wills of humans behind and build our home in the Coven City of Lyserna," Rassa proclaimed, "Begin your preparations. I''m off to go and alert Talo and Elsbeth".

    Rassa reached out and touched the communication charm, turning to Layton.

    "So, we''re going South tonight?" asked Layton.

    "I''m going South," said Rassa, "You have unfinished business here".

    Layton frowned, "I''m your guard, Rassa. I admit last time I deserved to be left behind, but this time-"

    "This time, you have a connection that you should at the very least say your goodbyes to," Rassa replied.

    "You told me you weren''t going to pry," said Layton.

    Rassa nodded, "I did. Then I found a little human girl making deserts out of blood and waiting for two hours only for nobody to show up".

    Layton frowned, the thought clearly bothering him.

    "I''ll fly out an hour after sun down, if you''re by my side, so be it. If you decide that you want to stay here a few more weeks, I will not hold it against you," said Rassa, "Our life may be longer, but we only get one of them, Layton, and when you start out-living those whom you have grown to care about, you will understand".

    "From what I hear, you''re not that much older than the rest of us," Layton snapped.

    Rassa smiled, "Oh? Well, if you think I am wrong, forget I said anything".

    Layton frowned after him, "I know what you''re trying to do!"

    Rassa smirked, "I have no idea what you''re talking about Layton, I''m only a few years older than you, I couldn''t possibly out-scheme you".

    Layton let a snarl escape, and Rassa spun, flashing red eyes at him, "I will play with you if you want me to, Layton, but snarling is not a way to ask for a fair fight".

    Layton extended his claws, his anger at Rassa pouring over his well-constructed boundaries.

    His Sire''s eyes narrowed at the challenge to his authority, "Very well, you asked for it".

    Rassa pulled on the shadows, and Layton felt himself pulled away from the Charm room and into darkness. He emerged just as quickly, on a little uninhabited island north of Rouke. As soon as he felt the ground beneath his feet once more, Layton pulled his whip from the shadows and snapped it at Rassa.

    Rassa''s hand snapped up, catching the end of the whip and gripping it before snapping it back.

    Layton, not one to be overpowered in a weapon he had trained with for over a decade, pulled the whip back. Rassa''s feet left the ground and Layton ducked under him as the whip coiled over the top of his body. Rassa snagged the branch of a tree and withdrew a short sword.

    "What, one?" Layton growled, "Don''t you dare hold back!"

    "If I didn''t, you''d die, Layton".

    Rassa lunged forward, Layton''s whip springing up from the ground with a flick of his wrist. Rassa raised his sword, letting the whip coil around it before he sent the sword flying into the trunk of a nearby tree, continuing on his path to Layton.

    Layton rolled forward, sweeping his leg around as Rassa landed. Rassa barely even touched the ground before he flipped back onto his hands then drew his other short sword, landing on his feet and pausing his blade just as it cut into Layton''s neck.

    Layton s.u.c.k.e.d in a breath as he met Rassa''s red gaze.

    "Is that all the Warrior''s Arena gave you, fancy ribbon skills and the guts to snarl?"

    "The snarling was all you!" Layton whacked the blade away from this neck and cut through the air with his extended claws as he stood. Rassa stepped back as Layton withdrew his own twin blades from the shadows. Rassa smirked, calling on the shadows to return his other sword to him as he stood opposite Layton. Of course, Layton didn''t give him the time to retrieve it, launching forward at Rassa.

    Rassa parried Layton''s first blade, dodged his second. His spare hand grabbed the hilt of his second blade as the shadows passed it to him and he launched forward in an attack. The two clashed with enough strength and speed that the blades couldn''t withstand it, shattering at the immense force before the two Vampires began sparring with their claws instead.

    They fought for an hour, perhaps two. Both of them focused on the fight for different reasons. Layton trying to prove his will was enough. Rassa waiting for the drive in his opponent to run low. Finally, Rassa saw Layton falter. It was just a flicker in his gaze, but it was enough. Enough that Rassa knew Layton had realised how utterly pointless this battle was. That he wasn''t going to win.

    Rassa drew another blade from his shadows and threw it at Layton. The blade skewered Layton straight through the shoulder and into a large fallen tree that had taken significant damage in their battle.

    "Ah, f.u.c.k!" Layton growled at the pain. He reached up to remove the blade, only for another to pin his free arm down.

    Layton swore again, red eyes turning to Rassa as he stood several metres away, brushing down his vest and fixing his collar, "Alright, I f.u.c.k.i.n.g concede! I''m sorry I snarled at you".

    Rassa barely even flinched as he glanced up at Layton then approached him, standing before him. He placed his hands on Layton''s temples, "I am your Sire and Head of the Moonshadow Coven. If you d.e.s.i.r.e to leave, I am not keeping you, but when you stay, you stay under my rule. When I give you advice, do not throw it aside like an old rag. I give it for good reason".

    Layton kept Rassa''s gaze for all of a second before he turned away in submission, "Yes, Lord Moonshadow".

    "I''m going to give you a memory, Layton Wolfsbane. A memory of one like us who lived long before either of us were a whisper in the wind. A memory of a Vampire who fell in love with a human".

    "I do not love her," Layton replied.

    "If you didn''t you would not be so reluctant to leave," Rassa replied.

    Layton briefly met Rassa''s gaze again before he turned away, then Rassa pushed the memory to Layton.

    Layton had never experienced anything like it. It was as if he was a ghost. Observing all life as it moved around him but unable to interact with it or change anything. He watched the female vampire as she travelled from one great Coven City to another on a Trade Mission. He watched as she indulged herself amongst mortals and found herself a talented bard. He watched as she found herself entranced, and spent a passionate night with the bard before she left, promising to return.

    She did, five years later. The bard had not aged much, but while he had waited for a few months, nothing had come of it, so he had moved on. Met and married another woman who had been lost in childbirth. The child was only young now. Still, seeing him alone and still with that enchanting voice, the Vampiress again coaxed him to her bed and promised to return.

    And so, the cycle repeated on her Trade missions, until she arrived one day to find him far older than she expected, his daughter already grown and married to a husband of her own.

    "I''m only human, Francesca, I''m supposed to grow old and die".

    Layton felt it when he passed with her at his bedside, and the heartbreak that ensued.

    He gasped, coming out of the memory as Rassa withdrew the blades from him.

    Layton collapsed to his knees, and Rassa squatted down before him as the younger vampire drew in deep breaths, his skin, muscles and bones tingling as they knitted back together.

    "Our body heals quickly even if the wounds are grievous," Rassa said, "Our power keeps us young and stronger than any mortal can ever claim to be. Our instinct draws us to blood like a moth to flame. But none of those will carry us through eternity sane. For that we need something more, and when you find it, you would be foolish to let it slip through your fingers".

    "How are you so sure that she is it for me?" asked Layton.

    "I can''t be," Rassa said, "I''m just saying that you would be foolish not to find out for yourself".

    Layton stayed on that island, deep in thought, for many more hours. When the sun finally set, he moved back to Rouke Island, and found himself on the building opposite that little tea shop rather than at the pier where Rassa waited.

    He watched as she baked, mixing pig''s blood into the cakes. And when he watched Rassa''s line rapidly begin to fade as it moved south, he pocketed the tracking charm and found himself knocking on the door of her little shop.

    "Layton," Allyra said, then she gave a warm smile, "Come in".

    Layton''s eyes were drawn to that smile. The way it lit up her face. The way her eyes were so genuine in joining it. No one looked at him like that. He was too good at evoking fear. It was all he had ever been good for after all. But here��

    Layton stepped inside, "You baked again��with blood".

    The little cold red cakes on the tray next to the window were too obvious to miss. Besides the fact that he''d watched her bake them.

    "Yes, well, you know how last time I baked them in an oven, this time I decided to try a cold desert so that the blood was more��raw," said Allyra, she glanced between the cakes and Layton, "Do they��ah��smell okay?"

    Layton tilted his head to the side as he slumped into the seat beside the tray, "Better than last time, I can still smell a lot of��other things though".

    Allyra frowned, "Bugger. I was afraid of that".

    Allyra sighed, slumping into the seat opposite him as she glanced out the window, "So��how was Rassa?"

    Layton sighed, "Full of new plans".

    "By this stage, I shouldn''t even be surprised," said Allyra.

    There was silence between them before Layton spoke again.

    "How old are you, Allyra?"

    Allyra frowned, "Is that really a question you have to ask. It''s quite rude-"

    "Please," Layton said, "Just answer".

    Allyra raised an eyebrow before she replied, "24. Why?"

    Layton sighed, "I met you when you were 18".

    "Yes, you did," Allyra replied, "Are you okay?"

    "Did you know I should have turned 27 this year," said Layton.

    Allyra raised an eyebrow, "You look��younger".

    Layton nodded, "I look 20. And I''ll look 20 for decades, perhaps centuries to come if I don''t lose my head first".

    Allyra was silent for a long moment before she sighed, "What''s brought all this sentimentality on, Layton? It doesn''t suit you".

    "Neither does Companionship, but here we are," said Layton, "The truth is that I didn''t ever think I needed somebody else in my life. I had brothers, perhaps a couple of sisters, all of them chosen rather than born. But nobody who could look at me and see me as something beyond a mad and blood-crazed child".

    Layton said nothing more, and it was silent for a long moment before Allyra spoke again.

    "What do you want, Layton?"

    Layton huffed, his gaze turning from the night outside to the cakes on the tray.

    "Right now? I really want you to keep trying to make me these stupid blood deserts forever," said Layton.

    Allyra didn''t move for a long moment before she leaned forward and placed her hand on the table with a soft knock. Layton''s eyes went to the sound as she removed her hand, revealing a truth charm.

    "You can ask me the same question, if you want to," said Allyra, "Though I''ve been told it works a lot better if you want to know the answer".

    Layton rolled his eyes, "Rassa spoke with you".

    "He asked me what I wanted," said Allyra.

    Layton turned to Allyra, "And what did you tell him?"

    Allyra tilted her head in confusion, "You aren''t going to pick up the charm to make sure I''m telling the truth?"

    Layton, "Your eyes are so clear you can''t possibly lie to me".

    Allyra sighed, huffing a laugh, "I suppose they are".

    She turned away a moment before she looked back at him, "I told him that I wanted someone by my side who would challenge me to be more than the meek and docile lady I was raised to be".

    Layton stared back a long moment before he spoke, "Truth, I think I''d really hate losing you, Allyra Cavahall".

    Allyra smiled, "Truth, I think I''d really hate losing you too, Layton Wolfsbane".

 Chapter 365 - The Moonshadow Trading Company Short Stories: 8 - The Coven City of Lyserna (IV)

    *Eldovian Era 1722, 12th day of the 12th month*

    "A city for your Coven," Elsbeth spoke, "I suppose I always expected it, though didn''t think I''d still be alive when you finally did it. After all, how many of you are there, 15? 16?"

    "21 including the Western Branch," Rassa replied.

    "Even with 21 of you, an entire city will feel fairly empty," said Elsbeth.

    "Even in a Coven City, you should only find 1 Vampire for every 100 humans, or else there would be a severe food shortage," Rassa sighed.

    "A little over 2000 is still just the population of a small town, Rassa, are you planning on expanding?" asked Elsbeth.

    Rassa stood from his seat, looking out over the courtyard of the Southern Moonshadow Branch, his hood down low to shield his eyes from the burning sun.

    "Down here, under the watchful eyes of those who conscript to the Order of the world, those of Chaos find themselves forced to blend in or face retribution for simply being," said Rassa, "When we have a place of our own, we can simply be. Not as rampant bloodthirsty beasts like the populace tends to believe we are, but as members of our own thriving society. As powerful as we are, Elsbeth, I will not allow my Coven members to kill without cause, and in a city that is their home, they will not feel the need to. Perhaps at first there will be hostilities, nervous humans tend to be that way, but give it a decade, maybe two. Give the humans long enough to get it out of their systems and they will learn. Hatred and Fear are awfully tiring emotions to cling to, no?"

    Elsbeth sighed, "I suppose I can agree with you there. Do make sure to build me a retirement home, will you? I am getting on in my years and am already well on my way to training my replacement".

    Rassa smiled, "Of course. If there were such things as honorary Coven members, you would be one of the first on the list, Elsbeth. It would be just as much an honour to have you live the twilight years of your life among us".

    Elsbeth chuckled, "Don''t ever stop weaving those honeyed words, Lord Moonshadow. Nor should you let your claws and fangs grow blunt. If there is such a thing as reincarnation, I hope we meet again".

    Rassa nodded, "I don''t know, I think one Elsbeth is enough for a few lifetimes at least".

    "Good thing you''ll live through those and then some," Elsbeth finished the wine in her glass before she stood, "Come, if you have so much to build no doubt you have plenty of materials you''ll need, I''ll help you source and transport what I can. No doubt Talo will help with that too".

    Rassa nodded, "Much obliged, Elsbeth".

    ***

    *Eldovian Era 1722, 20th day of the 12th month*

    Ebony stepped gracefully through the rows of cages at the slaver''s market. Her green eyes appraising the numbers, her nose appraising their health. The cages were eight metres long and two metres wide, housing between 20 and 30 slaves in each. Most were divided by age rather than s.e.xes.

    "Are there any that catch your eyes, Lady Moonshadow?" asked the Slaver who walked by her side, his stride a lot clumsier than her own. Ebony did not reply as she calculated the numbers in her mind.

    "Perhaps if you told me what you were looking for-"

    "There are roughly 4000 slaves here, considering at least 400 of them need urgent medical attention and another 1000 are too young, too old or too lame to work hard labour, I will pay 10,000 gold, for all of them," said Ebony.

    The slaver tripped over his own feet, "10,000��All of them?"

    Ebony nodded, "Yes, all of them, is that a problem?"

    The slaver''s eyes widened, "I, no, Lady Moonshadow, I''ve just never had an order of such magnitude before, I-"

    "You need not worry about transportation, tomorrow several trains have been rescheduled to transport them, you need only ensure that they are at the station on time. My assistant, River, will handle the details," Ebony said, pointing to the young man behind her before she turned and continued walking down the aisle towards the exit.

    The slaver''s market in Barday was one of the largest in Eldovia, though Port Lovolon got it''s fair share as well. She''d already been there the day before though, Neva having already procured the needed supplies and sent all but those needed for the journey north. Mathius had diverted the trains for the week it would take to transport them all north.

    Word had spread quickly thanks to both the trains and the communication crystals. The last she had heard, there were 20,000 slaves and free men in search of work headed north to Toulle.

    The building supplies were harder to procure in time, but Kit and Ollie had been flying back and forth between the supply sites and the northern end of the Endless Lake. Talo was due soon enough with several supplies as well.

    With such an enormous labour force and movement of supplies, the whole continent had been shaken by the power that Moonshadow wielded but had never put to use. Ebony could not wait for them to see the city itself. She had yet to lay eyes on the site, but she had seen the trail of monoliths that Rassa had built on his journey back, marking the way north through the Desolate Lands.

    Ebony smiled, the humans truly had no idea what they were capable of.

    Just as she was about to exit through the market gates, Ebony paused, turning at a scent that was so familiar to her, but that she could not quite place.

    Her eyes scanned the slaves in their cages, zeroing in on one with several older slaves. She scented the air again briefly, and found her eyes focusing on a woman with her long, dirty white hair tied on top of her head with a strip of fabric. Her dress simple and like a uniform that all the slaves were wearing. Her skin perhaps not so wrinkled, but old and stressed from years of work none the less. Ebony frowned at the familiarity she felt towards the old woman.

    Then, the woman turned ever so slightly glancing up and revealing emerald green eyes.

    Ebony froze on the spot.

    She''d been a child last time she''d seen her, and even then, their encounters had been few thanks to their individual work. Ebony had never expected to see her again, let alone recognise her. Yet those eyes were unmistakable because they were the same ones that had always looked back in her own reflection.

    Ebony turned away, leaving the market with the knowledge that among the slaves she had just purchased, was her own mother.

    ***

    *Eldovian Era 1722, 31st day of the 12th month*

    Iah used the shadows to lift and set the stone into place. She and Sel had been working on Lyserna''s City Wall for an over a month now. The wall, though, was far grander and more impenetrable than anything Iah had laid eyes on before.

    Thanks to the setting in of the winter, the wall froze just as quickly as she and Sel could put it into place. A concerted effort was needed from the both of them to not only place the stone correctly, but also to ensure that it was stable so that in the warmer months, the wall would not crumble if one knocked into it too hard.

    Lyserna was situated on the North-Eastern side of the Mountain in which they had found the Sun Stones. There, a deep valley dipped towards the north, Lyserna situated at the Eastern end on a slightly elevated plateau. This Plateau had been gradually expanded and flattened by Rassa, Iah and Sel as they created the foundations of the city they were building.

    The wall was step two. It circled an area of approximately 10,000 square kilometres, the enormous mountains and plunging valleys making it an expansive beacon. The area inside the wall, on the plateau, looked to be a barren wasteland at this moment.

    "Exactly how many people are you hoping to house in this city?" Iah had asked when she''d realised the scale at which Rassa was building.

    "When it is fully active and at capacity, I wouldn''t be surprised if it could house at least 10 million," Rassa had replied.

    Iah had only felt shock at that number, "That''s only slightly less than the entire population of Eldovia. Where do you suggest we get all these people from?"

    "Once they are happy, safe and provided for, humans tend to breed quite freely," Rassa replied, "It will take a shorter time to reach such a population than you might think".

    "Oh, with just making sure they are safe and provided for?"

    Rassa sighed, "Let''s imagine that we start with a population of 20,000. We need to assume a few things, first that there is an equal distribution of the population between birth and 70. Second, that only those between a certain age will reproduce, let''s say 18 and 35. It will take 18 years for maturity, and finally we''ll assume there are, say, 2,000 deaths a year. Obviously, if there are no changes, for the first 18 years, the population will only increase by a very small increment every day, a few hundred maybe. But by the time the first birthed here started to have children of their own, there''ll be some changes. Of course, assuming that the death rate remains the same, a quarter of a century after that next generation reaches maturity, the population would have grown by nearly 5 times. In other words, in less than half a century we could be looking at 100,000 people rather than the initial 20,000, and that number is from birth rates alone, not from migration. What''s more, the higher the population gets, the faster it will increase".

    Iah had had to pause to wrap her head around the thought.

    "Can we really create such an environment in such a cold and desolate place though?" asked Iah.

    Rassa had smiled, "That''s were the Sun Stones come in. Not only do they filter light, they filter weather, too. The Sun Stones, when connected and functioning, will create a barrier that is set to emit a 12-hour cycle of light and darkness. With that comes heat. Light in general generates heat. Of course, it''s not a God, in can''t generate a stable environment consistently forever, but it will certainly be a lot better than outside of the barrier they create".

    At this stage, Iah was beginning to question if Rassa would ever run out of these insane ideas. After the memories he had shown her and Sel of the old Covenant City Walls and designs, Iah wasn''t sure he would. With so many lost things, surely he could recreate and improve upon them for centuries to come.

    The walls that Iah and Sel had been building from the stone they had carved from nearby quarries, were fifteen metres thick at the base, and five metres thick at the top for the majority of the wall. The walls were on an incline mainly to mirror the mountain itself, but also to ensure that any snow that landed on them slid off easily. The wall was thirty metres tall, and the internal structure housed multiple tunnels and guard stations as well as room for sanitation pipes and pipes for the distribution of clean water.

    At six equally distributed points around the perimeter was an even wider section of the wall known as the sun towers. These were mostly hollow, and built so that they would house the sun stones when Rassa returned and was able to put them into place.

    "Well, if anyone needs to build a wall in the future they know who to come to," Iah huffed, "It''s got to be the new year by now, don''t you think?"

    The constant darkness made it hard to tell. Iah and Sel had not seen the sun in several weeks.

    "I''m sure he will return soon, Iah," Sel replied, sensing the worry in her tone, "Come, we''ll return to the castle".

    Aye, Castle. They''d built that first, it put Moonshadow to shame. It reached many times further into the sky and was built both into and out of the side of the mountain. The home of the Moonshadow Coven. Thanks to the structure being largely carved from the mountain side, there were many Evanine veins still within it''s structure. It made the castle glitter when the sun hit it, for however briefly that was. In the darkness though it appeared the looming shadow that Rassa had no doubt wanted it to be.

    From habit, Iah found herself not just returning to the castle, but checking the communication crystal in the southernmost tower. Sel followed behind, ever vigilant. They''d been the only company the other had for the last month and had reached a sort of tacit understanding and routine.

    To their surprise, the crystal was not dormant.

    Iah rushed forward and activated it, she found herself staring at two familiar faces.

    "Ebony?" asked Iah with a smile, "And Neva?"

    The two women smiled back, "Oh good, we were starting to wonder if we were too far out".

    Iah quickly lost her smile, "Where is Rassa?"

    "He is monitoring construction of the first outpost along the railway from Toulle. Mathius and Layton are with him," Neva replied.

    "He sent the two of us on ahead along with a multitude of materials in order to begin construction of the city itself," Ebony replied, "Halfway through our supplies you two are to return, and Rassa will come to Lyserna with Layton. We''ve worked out a rotation process in order to monitor construction at both ends as well as the transportation of supplies and the management of Moonshadow itself".

    "He has paired us?" asked Iah.

    "Yes, Talo and his band will handle supply transportation to the first outpost, Kit and Ollie are managing Moonshadow for the time being, and the remaining six of us will rotate between Lyserna and the Outposts. Ebony and I are currently at what Rassa told us was the halfway point. He built a Communication Outpost here to ensure faster communication between Eldovia and Lyserna," explained Neva.

    "So, you''re on your way to us now?" asked Iah.

    "From what we understand, we''re 3 days out," Ebony replied, "What should we look out for when we arrive, and are the days always this short this far north?"

    Iah smiled, "Sel and I haven''t seen the sun in weeks, Ebony, there isn''t day at all where we are. As for what you should look for, it''s the only structure here, you won''t miss it".

    Neva and Ebony looked at each other before turning back to Iah and Sel, "If you say so, we''ll be with you shortly".

    "Can''t wait to welcome you," Iah smiled, then the communication crystal dimmed.

    Iah spun to face Sel, "What do you think? Yeti for dinner?"

    Sel chuckled at her suddenly lighter attitude, "Lead the way".

    *The First Vampire will continue in The Ruin of Eldovia*