Chapter 339 - The Moonshadow Trading Company Short Stories: 2 - The Remnants of Old (II) (2/2)

”Well, I'm sure you've discovered how ambiguous the charms can be,” stated Rassa, ”I was lost, but, now I am found”.

”Just so,” Wilma smiled, ”Can I get you anything Mr Moonshadow?”

Rassa immediately sensed how much Wilma mothered those on the site. He hoped her hand was firm when it needed to be.

”I am well enough, I'd prefer to get straight down to business,” Rassa stated as he took a seat at the table. The others followed suit, ”Now, the reason for my visit is threefold. First, I aim to teach the Craftsman a new set of runes”.

Wilma and Kei looked shocked, ”A new set? But from what I hear Mr Moonshadow, you could become one of the ric.h.e.s.t men on the continent if you continued to sell your current charms for the rest of your life”.

”Perhaps,” stated Rassa, ”But while profits are certainly a benefit, the vision I have of the world I can create through the Rune Language is a boundless one. The current charms are barely a drop in the ocean of possibilities they create, which brings me to my other reasons for coming”.

Wilma and Kei still seemed to be struggling with the prospect of Rassa's Rune Language. Kit on the other hand, had suspected that Rassa's arrival would at least in-part coincide with learning more Runes. Rassa had promised when he'd first started teaching Kit.

”My second reason, is that I plan to expand Moonshadow into Eldovia, including creating a Charm production Warehouse that is exclusively Moonshadow's. The company will no longer rely on Apple Star. Which, of course, brings me to my third reason for coming,” Rassa paused before he continued, letting his second point sink in, ”Because the Charm Production will be under Moonshadow, you will of course no longer be required to work here. If you d.e.s.i.r.e to continue working with the change in leadership, you will be the first I offer the roles to, but you will owe your allegiance to Moonshadow just as your coin will come from Moonshadow”.

There was a silence before Wilma spoke up, her eyes a little less warm, and her tone less motherly. Rassa found himself feeling pleased that she was not just warmth and smiles, ”Does Lady Startree know?”

Rassa nodded, ”I informed her of the change yesterday, she is readying herself to make preparations, including working with those in Moonshadow to compile a list of staff here who will be on the recruitment lists for Moonshadow's new base”.

”What of the mining staff?” asked Kei. The Head Miner, John from what Kit had told Rassa, tended to keep to his own office in the mine itself.

”They will remain a part of Apple Star, as will the mine,” Rassa stated, ”Apple Star will continue to provide the Evanine, it just won't have the production rights or methods”.

Kei nodded thoughtfully, ”And you planned on telling the staff here?”

Rassa nodded, ”It will take…ideally two months, for the new base to be built, then another month for the new staff to be trained, so this base will be needed until then”.

”Three months?” asked Wilma, ”That is awfully quick, it will take some time before the proper paper work can make its way between Lady Startree and I”.

”The paperwork, yes, the discussions? No, that should be done in under a month,” Rassa stated.

”But-”

Rassa looked over at Kit, ”Did you bring what I asked?”

Kit nodded, taking two small crystals from his bag and a light element tool, as well as a pair of dark protective glasses before placing them on the table.

Rassa took the items, putting on the glasses and sitting comfortably as he took up the evanine and the tool and started drawing. Wilma and Kei, who had never witnessed the process of the Evanine being carved, were shocked at Rassa's apparent lack of worry that they could both see him. The two were both worried enough to turn their backs on the process, but also curious enough that they wanted to watch, only to find the light too bright to look at.

After a moment, the light in the room dulled significantly, and Rassa tossed one of the charms to Kit.

Kit looked at the runes on the charm before back at Rassa, ”Does this do what I think it does?”

Rassa gave a knowing smile, ”Why don't you head outside and find out?”

Kit jumped up, running outside, Kei and Wilma looking between Rassa and Kit in confusion.

Rassa held up a hand, ”Wait a moment, it'll become clear”.

Kei and Wilma did as told, waiting in silence for a moment before suddenly, the charm in Rassa's hand began to flash periodically. Rassa touched the charm, and it gave a dull glow.

”Are they serving dinner yet?” asked Rassa.

”Oh my gods it works!” Kit's voice appeared in the room, originating from the charm.

”This is…” Kei trailed off, shocked as he took a seat.

”Incredible,” Wilma finished.

The stone spoke again with Kit's voice, ”Oh, the mess hall is filling up for dinner by the way”.

Kei gave a shocked laugh before he looked up at Rassa, ”How far?”

”It will depend on the size of the Charm, a set this size could cover a distance of…perhaps a city the size of Lovolon for about ten minutes before they would need to be recharged. A medium charm would cover a distance that would take about 3 days travel for the same amount of time. A large charm about a week's travel,” stated Rassa.

”Then you would need a sequence?” asked Kei, ”To reach Rouke Island I mean”.

Rassa shook his head, ”Just a large enough charm, though of course, for sales reasons, I would probably make such charms custom orders to be done at the discretion of the company for the immediate future”.

”You're talking about instantaneous communication across continents!” stated Wilma in shock.

Rassa nodded, a small smile on his face, ”And it only takes 2 runes. Imagine what I can do with an entire Language”.

Wilma sat back in her chair, her eyes wide with the possibilities, ”They really are boundless”.

”Barely a drop in the ocean,” Kei nodded in agreement.

”Come back in, Kit,” Rassa stated, then dropped the charm carelessly on the table. Anyone else would treat such a thing with utter reverence. But Rassa Moonshadow, with all his knowledge and ability, could afford to treat the charms so carelessly, ”Better head off to dinner, I'll be back in three days to teach Kit and Olly a few runes. Please pass the word along about the changes to the staff here so that they can make the decision for themselves on whether they wish to transfer to Moonshadow or remain with Apple Star”.

Rassa stood as Kit walked in, hand pointing to the other charm on the table as he passed him, ”You and Olly practice with those, I'll leave a set of runes in the warehouse for you to learn too. I'll be back in a few days”.

Kit opened his mouth to reply, but in a blast of air like a sudden wind, he turned to find Rassa gone. Kit huffed. Nearly three years, and he'd barely spoken to Rassa for an hour before he left again.

Olly probably wouldn't care. He'd gotten his new runes.

***

Rassa had said three days, but really he wasn't positive how long it would take him to find the perfect place for Moonshadow's new headquarters. His requirements were quite contradictory. He needed a place that was out of the way so prying eyes could be easily spotted and weeded out. He also needed a place that wasn't far from main trade routes, as his future plans needed a ready access to them. He needed somewhere that was not heavily populated, but could also have the basic needs of his staff supplied readily. After all, if he was going to hire these people, he needed to make sure they were comfortable wherever he placed them.

He used the night to scour the south-eastern corner of the continent, at one point he even spotted Varkevia in the distance. He'd last been there as a child. On the night he'd first realised he hadn't needed to kill to feed. It was stupid now that he thought of it. Why had the idea not occurred to him sooner? He had been a child though, too overwhelmed and suffering in his reality to think of solutions.

Rassa sighed, bringing himself back to the task at hand. He descended on a larger town not far from Varkevia to feed, deciding as he did so that anywhere within three days of Varkevia was too close to the city. He moved closer to the west.

He could have gone further east from Falla's Evanine Mines, but the coastline wasn't safe for trade, and to send everyone to Lovolon would take nearly three weeks. It already took just over two. Perhaps it would be better it he was further West, closer to the Seisin Mountain Range.

Being closer to the mountains brought thoughts of Jerrica to his mind. It had been over three years now since he'd buried the mines. He hadn't heard much about it, but then, he'd spent part of those three years running away and retreating into his own mind. Still, as he saw the mountains in the distance, he couldn't help but want to see it with his own eyes.

It was perhaps only a few minutes later thanks to his powerful wings that he appeared above the wide plateau that Jerrica had once rested at the southern end of. He descended onto the gates, noticing their abandoned appearance. Overgrown and half-torn down thanks to neglect. Rassa's eyes were cast on the crumbled remnants of the Mines themselves.

It was clearly abandoned, there was no warmth in this place, like a prison of ghosts that he'd had his fair share of adding to. Rassa sighed as he appraised it. So, this was the passage of time? Just three years, and it was already forgotten. He was certainly not the same either, but if three years could do this, what could 30 years do? Or 300? Or 3000? He had eternity. How many cities would he see rise and fall only to have something else take it's place? When he had achieved the vision he had set his mind to, because there was no doubt that he would achieve it eventually given that time was not a factor, where would he go then? What would he do? Would he be happy with what he had done?

Rassa suddenly understood completely why some of the Old Vampires had chosen to go into the sub-death willingly for years on end. When you had achieved what you wanted, and had everything you d.e.s.i.r.ed, and were left to simply watch life rise and fall around you, the weight of time would surely become unbearable. A rest, an escape, would be more the welcome, even if it meant suffering a while.

Rassa cast his gaze west, towards Fountain Ridge. His so-called 'grandfather' was probably becoming old by now. As would his remaining children. Likely too old to have children of their own even if the Kildare line wasn't cursed. He had little understanding of Order, but a curse of that scale would have needed to be paid in equal. It would not have just been that elf that died that night. Likely several of his lineage had, if not all of them. Would it be worth it? When the Empire of Eldovia crumbled in the next few decades, who would replace it?

Rassa had no interest in one Empire. At least not one that was so thoroughly established already. He would make no move to take it, though he certainly had the ability to. A thought occurred to Rassa then, one he hadn't thought of in a while.

If that offspring of his had survived, no doubt the Kildares were putting their hope on him as he was the youngest of their bloodline. If he had survived though, then the Empire was going to crumble violently. It was likely that Rassa would have to get involved, if only to dispose of the Dhampir. Though first, it would have to reveal itself. Rassa wasn't much bothered about looking for it before it went mad, that would only put a target on his back that he didn't need.

Would he survive the Kildares coming after him again? Most certainly. He was no longer a naïve little boy who thought that suppressing his true nature was the better option. But his business…that Rassa could not say with certainty would survive the weight of the Kildares and all their influence. Especially if Rassa wanted to set up shop in Eldovida. It was better to focus on his own influence first, to make it reach a point where the Kildares posed no threat to it.

Taking one last look at the crumbling ruins of Jerrica, Rassa summoned his wings once more and flew towards the Southern End of the Seisin Mountain Range.

Here, the mountains were overtaken by the Phobin Forest which stretched halfway up the western border of the mountains, then down to the southern coast of the continent. It was about half the size of Greenvale, but still vast, the land within it mostly untouched. Still, the main Trade Route between Lovolon and Varkevia passed through it, and it was also frequented by hunters. Several villages surrounded it's borders for this reason, though none rested within. On the western side there was the River Hayn, the northern end of which overflowed into Lake Starcross, the Lake that sat within the same Canyon as the Star Pavillion.

Going to the Western side of the forest though would put him within a few days ride of Lovolon. He had no d.e.s.i.r.e to be so close to the Port City. No, it seemed that his best location, at least in the South-Eastern corner of Eldovia, was along the Eastern edge of the Phobin Forest. Perhaps he could find a place that had a port of its own along the southern coastline, or at least had the potential to have one.

Sensing the oncoming sun, Rassa descended towards one of the larger villages, waking one of the innkeepers with a generous 20 silvers for a room with curtains. He then washed and slept the day away.