Chapter 336 - The Moonshadow Trading Company Short Stories: 1 - The Return to Rouke Island (III) (1/2)

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?”