*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 desire 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.

As they approached the house, there was a sudden flash of light from the warehouse, then two, then a muffled pop before the windows began spewing a slight bit of smoke. The warehouse door burst open, and a middle-aged woman in Magician robes stumbled out coughing as she did so.

“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 desired 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 Ships 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, amusement 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 pleasure, 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.