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 desire 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!

For him.

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 desire 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 richest 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 pleasure?”

Rassa gave a small smile, in looked somewhere between indulgence and amusement.

“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”.