Chapter 340 - The Moonshadow Trading Company Short Stories: 2 - The Remnants of Old (III) (2/2)
”I see truth,” said Olly as he sketched, ”Illusions cannot deceive me with the Mist whispering truth always”.
Rassa turned to look at Kit who had approached, ”You'll need to master the Illusion Rune then”.
Kit took the piece of paper that Rassa offered with a frown, ”Because I can be deceived?”
”Yes,” Rassa replied.
Kit huffed, ”He'll master it eventually anyway”.
”Not as an Oracle he won't,” said Rassa, ”He may be able to understand the runes because of his connection to the Mist, but it is also because of his connection that he will fail to draw any Rune that the Mist can easily dissipate, like the Illusion Rune”.
”As an Oracle?” asked Kit, ”You say it like he'll become something else”.
”If he chooses a side he will,” said Rassa, ”But that's his choice, isn't it, Olly?”
Olly huffed, ”My choice could be the wrong choice”.
”Was it the wrong choice when you saved Kit?” asked Rassa.
Olly's eyes snapped up, ”That was different”.
Rassa shook his head, ”No it wasn't. Choices are not a bad thing. The Mist has infinite choices and takes all of them because it is the Mist. You have infinite choices, but you're only allowed to take one because you are not the Mist”.
Olly frowned, looking away, ”I won't always choose the right choice”.
”Some people live their whole life making wrong choices, that does not mean their life was a failure,” said Rassa, ”If anything, their so-called 'wrong' choices probably made their life a lot more worth living”.
Olly paused in his sketching, sitting back. He paused then reached his hand back, drawing out two other pieces of paper to hold up to Rassa.
Rassa just smiled, ”Your Cleanse and Repair Runes are done well”.
Cleanse, Repair, Illusion, Speak, Listen and Memory. Six more Runes to add to Moonshadow's Repertoire.
Rassa had had to force himself not to teach them more. There really was a danger in learning too many at once for those who did not have the power of a mind like his. His Vampiric abilities combined with his immortality had given him a mind capable of holding copious amounts of knowledge. He had the knowledge of those old ones he had consumed upon his awakening as well as their power. He'd barely scratched the surface of what he could do with all that knowledge, and it tested his patience to know he had so much time to see his visions through. When he told others of his patience, half of the time he was simply reminding himself of the fact.
Rassa sighed, ”I'll need to go away again”.
Kit looked up, ”You just got back”.
”Yes, and now that I've got the land to build upon, I need to not only gather the supplies needed but also purchase land in the major cities for Moonshadow's Charm shops,” said Rassa.
Kit huffed.
Rassa smiled as he went over to the boy Magician who was just starting to become a man, ”Miss me, do you?”
Kit looked away as Rassa's teasing, an ever so slight blush on his cheeks, ”No”.
Rassa straightened, ”Well in that case, I suppose I'll stay another day or so to work on my projects then be out of your hair, no use inviting you along”.
”I can come too?” asked Kit, his eyes lighting up as he turned back to Rassa. He seemed to realise his change in attitude was too sudden and his smile faded as he cleared his throat, ”I mean…I should like to see where the new shops will be. It'll be good to have a second pair of eyes”.
”Can a third pair help?” asked Olly from the side.
Kit turned back to look at him, ”I thought you'd be too eager to start on the new charms”.
Olly frowned, ”If you're going, I'm going too”.
Rassa sighed, ”I've got a couple of projects to work on tonight, we'll leave tomorrow afternoon. Tell Wilma you're approved for an extended break in preparation for having to teach the new Charm Crafters”.
”We���ll have to teach them?” asked Kit.
”That seems like a waste of time if we could be making runes,” Olly stated from the side.
”Ah, but in the long run, wouldn't you rather free up your own time making these small-scale runes so you could focus on more complex projects?” asked Rassa.
Kit hid a smile. Rassa had found Olly's weakness all too easily.
”More Complex Projects?” asked Olly, ”Like those projects you're working on tonight?”
Rassa nodded, ”I'm only creating protection runes with a specific purpose and long-distance communication runes for the Moonshadow Business”.
”The Projects can't be that complex then,” Olly replied.
Rassa smiled, ”Well I suppose if you haven't the free time, you'll never know. I'm going to go seek out a larger crystal from the miners, I'll see you at the first bell after the lunch hour tomorrow if you're coming”.
***
Ebony stared out of the window from her apartment as the lights of the Port City dominated the landscape.
Her limbs were beginning to ache. As if the energy was slowly being siphoned out of them. It probably was. But as she had begun to notice those aches, she realised that she'd made a fatal mistake.
She should have fed that first night, and every night since. Her fear had cornered her now, until she was left with the option that had been what she feared in the first place.
When she fed this time, she would have no choice but to kill her meal. There would be no stopping it. Animal or human. She needed blood, and lots of it.
Even worse, she knew Iah had started to notice something was wrong. She'd set Mathius on her like a wolf on entrails. Ebony had been so focused on her hunger she hadn't noticed at first. She'd just thought that he'd been warming up to her. But then she'd sensed him watching her as she walked home.
Mathius could do nothing to her, and neither could Iah. But Ebony could do a lot to them if they got too close. Especially now.
Ebony hugged her legs close to her c.h.e.s.t as she stared out at the moon, her eyes watering at her failure.
”Rassa,” she mumbled, ”I'm sorry I didn't listen. I need help…I don't want to kill them”.
The Moon only stared back, no pity or remorse in its gentle silver light. Just an aura of knowing, as if it was saying, You chose this, exactly what did you expect?
”I'm sorry,” Ebony sobbed, ”I'm so sorry”.
She said it so many times but by the time she fell asleep from exhaustion, she didn't quite know who she was apologising to. Rassa, those she was going to kill, the moon, or herself.
***
*Eldovian Era, 1713 6th day of the 10th month*
As the bell Rassa had designated rang out, Kit looked around for the hooded figure. The sun was still up, so it would be the hood he saw and not Rassa's dark locks and pale skin. Olly stood just a few metres away beside the Mess Hall wall, his foot scuffing the ground in a demure gesture that demonstrated his d.e.s.i.r.e to come along just as much as his d.e.s.i.r.e to not admit that he'd been drawn in by the prospect of experimenting with more complex runes. Kit couldn't help the amused smile on his face.
”Good, you're both here,” said Rassa, practically appearing beside them as a short breeze followed him, ”Where to first, north or south?”
Kit was surprised, ”You're letting us pick?”
Rassa shrugged, ”I'll have to cover all the major cities anyway, may as well just let the guests pick. It won't make a difference to me”.
Kit accepted this answer before he thought about it, his and Olly's suitcases both disappearing into Rassa's shadows. Kit turned to ask Olly, but the young man just shrugged, indicating he didn't care where they went first either.
”Then…Varkevia. I heard the night market is one of a kind,” Kit grinned.
”Varkevia it is,” Rassa said.
Then a large crate, about two thirds of Olly's height, rose from one of the shadows, long chains attached to the sides.
Kit frowned, ”What's this?”
Rassa swept his hand towards it, ”Hop in”.
Kit looked from Rassa to Olly then to the box, ”Seriously?”
Rassa smirked, ”As much as I like you kid, I'll not have you riding on my back for the flight there. I'll hoist the box, though take-off might be a bit rough, so hop in if you're coming”.
Olly strolled over without delay. Kit paused another moment, making sure Rassa wasn't playing some kind of joke, then followed after Olly.
The two watched as Rassa grabbed the chains, lifting them easily as two huge, bat-like black wings seemed to emerge from his back, streaks of red along the edges. Kit marvelled, they had to be at least 3 metres long each.
Rassa nodded towards the box, ”Hold on tight and try to be sick over the side if you need to, the ascension up will be rough”.
Kit's eyes widened as he realised what Rassa meant, and he and Olly barely had time to grab the ropes inside as handholds before Rassa's wings lifted and he pushed into the air as he brought his wings down. The box jolted up violently, and Kit gasped in shock. There was a pause, during which they seemed to start falling and he felt weightless as his insides flipped within him. Then the jolt came again. This happened several more times before the box tilted slightly and the ride became much smoother.
Kit didn't want to open his eyes, but a tap on his knee from Olly had him opening them up to see Olly grinning.
Kit didn't like that grin, but before he could chastise anyone, he caught a glimpse of the clouds above looking a whole lot closer than before. He stood slowly, his eyes slowly turning to look down at the huge expanse of land beneath them.
”Wow!” he exclaimed, ”The Mine looks like an ant hill from up here! Is that the ocean?! Ah! I think I see the Seisin mountains over there in the distance! This is amazing!”
A chuckle came from above him, ”Glad you enjoy it. We'll be able to go faster at night with the shadows but for now our progress will be somewhat slow. We should arrive in Varkevia around dusk though”.
Dusk was only a few hours away. A journey that should have taken at least two weeks, would take just a few hours. Kit's eyes strayed up to Rassa.
”Will this be what all travelling is like in your vision?” asked Kit.
Rassa gave him a small smile, ”We'll see”.
Kit grinned as he turned back to the view, and caught Olly looking just as excited beside him.