*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 groaned 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 ships, 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 pleasure of devouring. And it had been a pleasure. 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 desires 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".