*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 ships 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 ships. Tigin nodded to the Yilish ship out in the bay, “Are we travelling in style?”

Aegin reached into his pocket and withdrew the little blue charm that had remained dormant for so long.

“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”.

***

Rassa Moonshadow sat on the balcony railing, his legs dangling above the dizzying drop to the courtyard far beneath him. He remained unbothered by it though, observing the city, his city, in action. It never grew old. Rassa supposed that was what it was supposed to feel like when you were truly proud of your achievements.

“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…”