Chapter 348 - The Moonshadow Trading Company Short Stories: 4 - The Dominant (III) (2/2)

”Where abouts are you?” asked Rassa

”At the docks with Talo and Will, Master, do you need me?” asked Sel.

Rassa turned towards the dock yards and proceeded their swiftly, moving up onto the loft apartment of the main warehouse where Will, Sel and Talo were all busy playing a card game with two guests that looked vaguely familiar. They stood upon his entrance, and Sel placed his communication charm away.

”What is the game tonight?” asked Rassa.

Talo huffed, ”As if you don't have enough wins under your belt, you want to take more of our wages from us?”

Rassa grinned as he sat, ”Why else would I continue to come, Talo? You make such a good Captain I fear if I pay you too well, you'll flit off somewhere with one of my sh.i.p.s and never come back”.

”Your sh.i.p.s?” Talo bristled.

”Is the symbol on the sail not indication enough?” asked Rassa.

Will snorted. Rassa turned to the two other men at the table, one an older gentleman who looked to be in his forties, and another a young man around Talo's age.

”And who do we have here? You look familiar,” Rassa admitted.

”This is Alistair and Eon, they fought with us and Aegin in the Warrior's Arena,” stated Will.

”Ah, returned from the South,” said Rassa, ”I hope your brother's burial went as planned”.

Eon nodded gratefully, ”Thank you for your well wishes, Mr Moonshadow”.

”Please, call me Rassa, I left Mr Moonshadow behind in that boring Theatre,” Rassa replied.

”That's a shame, they did come here to enquire after jobs,” said Will.

”Jobs you say? I did promise that you would have them if you came didn't I,” Rassa sighed.

”Well, there's no need to bother with it now, we-”

”Nonsense, from memory, you were a bowman, weren't you Alistair?” asked Rassa.

”A hunter, yes,” Alistair replied, his earlier protest falling silent.

”Good with your eyes then, perhaps you would do well to watch our transports on the Eldovian Mainland,” stated Rassa, ”Or you can guard the main Crafting House. I'm sure Layton is chomping at the bit to get out these days”.

”Layton? On guard duty?” scoffed Eon, ”How did you pull that off?”

Rassa extended his fangs, ”I flashed a smile and asked nicely”.

Eon's eyes widened and the table lapsed into a sudden silence before Talo, Rassa and Will all burst into laughter.

Eon relaxed slightly as he sighed, ”As long as its affective I suppose”.

Rassa grinned, his fangs retracting as he looked across at Eon, ”There is plenty to do. You can go with Alistair, or if you're the stealthier kind you can follow Sel. If you want to look at management you can follow Will, or I can ask Iah or Ebony to take you in. Considering where you came from though, I assumed you would want a more hands-on job. Talo is always looking for apprentices or crew as well, be warned though, I hear he bites worse than I do”.

Eon gave a small smile at that, ”Actually…Sel was telling me about how he went with you across Eldovia last year. And about the crafting houses you have…if any of your crafters are taking in apprentices, I should like to try my hand at that”.

”Ah,” Rassa stated, ”A visionary in the making. It's rare I meet one of those. They are all so eager to see what I come up with next that they don't dare propose much to me. If that is what you d.e.s.i.r.e to do, I shall support it so long as you promise to use your imagination. To dare to think of what more the Charms could achieve”.

”I am not a Magician though, and rumour has it that a magician is required to carve the charms,” Eon replied.

”The rumours are not wrong, but they are not entirely right either. After all, I am not a Magician,” said Rassa, ”You need only the ability to see the Mist. That can be accomplished easily should you d.e.s.i.r.e what I can give”.

They all looked over at Rassa in surprise. Rassa shrugged, ”You are, all of you, even Layton, loyal without fault, strong-willed and highly disciplined. It is likely why Aegin valued you so. It seems wrong of me not to offer. It seems even greater of a disservice to let you grow old and turn to dust with the passage of time”.

”There will be others like us,” Will interjected.

Rassa smiled, ”Perhaps. Eventually. But even with eternity there are times I grow impatient. The offer is there. Now, as Talo so elegantly proposed, I should like to take back some of your wages. So, deal out the cards. Perhaps with Alistair and Eon you may fair better”.

Talo scoffed, ”I fair just fine”.

”That's not what your wages say,” Sel sighed, ”Or should I say lack thereof?”

”Are you sure you want to bring to the table what we lack?” Talo jabbed at the Eunuch.

Sel raised an eyebrow, ”Straight to the Eunuch jokes tonight? How tactful of you”.

The group played long into the night, even after Talo lost his wages.

***

*Eldovian Era 1714, 8th day of the 12th month*

Mathius watched from the upper branches of one of the great pine trees on the edge of the estate. There was frankly nothing else you could call Ishta's home on the Island. Situated on the outskirts of Port Cresh, it was not frequented by anyone but the Golden Sands Progenitor and his immediate staff. Mathius had watched him arrive home late in the night, his arms around two young women who looked more than thrilled to attend to his every want and need. They had indeed, enough that Mathius had let him be just so he could have one last enjoyment.

Mathius looked down at the contract scroll he'd had written up, clutching it tightly. This was it, this was the thing that would sway Rassa and make him the strong-willed, visionary leader he'd always been once more. Mathius was sure of it, and he was more than willing to do what it took to ensure it.

Consequences? They were Vampires. Those who walked a path of Chaos, what need did they have to adhere to Order's rules? To not seek revenge nor take what they d.e.s.i.r.ed? It was ridiculous to even contemplate otherwise. This was what they were, what they would always be.

Mathius s.u.c.k.e.d in a breath suddenly as he felt something click deep within him. For a second he felt nothing, then in the next, he could feel an entire world just beyond a final barrier, just waiting for him to do the right thing. No, to speak the right words.

They came to him now like the answer to all of his problems, ”I hereby consent to allow my being to be changed wholly. My body, my mind, my soul, all shall be rewritten. I submit to the grace of Chaos, and in turn shall relish in its darkness. Marr my body, mind and soul with your Seal, and from the time of my acceptance, let its power fill me. So shall it be, so shall I never regret”.

The barrier broke like a dam and power thrummed through Mathius, along his Life Lines and through his body, circulating with a thrumming power as his fangs extended. His claws followed suit, and Mathius caught the tree branch beside him to catch himself as he felt the muscles beneath the skin of his back shift and grow before power filled them, and two huge wings burst forth, through his skin, shirt and jacket, tearing them to shreds.

Mathius g.r.o.a.n.e.d, somewhere between an initial thrill and pain, then the itching of his skin as it stitched itself back together.

Mathius looked towards the East where the sun was on the verge of rising as he began to straighten. He looked out before him towards the manor, breathing deeply as he came down from the initial high of his abilities, then he dropped from the trees, the shadows shifting beneath him before they swallowed him whole.

The shadows were just as blood thirsty as he, just as chaotic and aggressive. Mathius was thrilled at it, and he pushed them to take him where he wanted to go. It was strange, but the way he called and it responded felt so right. So normal.

Mathius emerged from the shadows in a lavish bedchamber. Ishta Alamone lay sprawled, n.a.k.e.d on the huge bed, his arms around two equally n.a.k.e.d women. Mathius reached his shadows for the door, blocking out the sound. He had no d.e.s.i.r.e to be disturbed here. He had a job to do.

Mathius approached the bed, his claws dragging along the mahogany surface of a dresser and drumming along it before they flicked a glass vase. The tinkling sound caused the humans in the bed to stir, and one of the women let out a low m.o.a.n of protest as she opened her eyes. They scanned the room before they settled on Mathius, first in confusion, before it quickly flitted to terror as she opened her mouth to scream. Mathius felt the power within him as he lifted a finger to his lips.

”Sshh”.

She froze, her hand rising to her throat as if realising she could not make a sound. Her frantic actions quickly woke Ishta.

”Urgh, leave if you're not going to be useful,” he g.r.o.a.n.e.d as he began to roll over. His movement woke the other girl, who upon noticing the first woman's terrified miming, turned to Mathius and received the same treatment.

”Get out of the bed,” Mathius uttered. The women moved, responding to the Allure immediately as Ishta sat up in surprise upon hearing the other man's voice in his bedroom.

Ishta turned to Mathius, his eyes narrowing as he looked between the women and Mathius, then slowly his expression morphed to fear as he took in Mathius' appearance.

”What do you want?” asked Ishta, ”I have already made a deal with Rassa, I-”

”Yes, a deal,” said Mathius, ”But Rassa Moonshadow should not have to make deals with lowly humans such as yourself. He has grown hesitant over time, and that is never a quality one of his calibre should have”.

”I don't understand what-”

Mathius threw the scroll onto Ishta's bed, ”I'm here to correct that”.

Ishta looked at Mathius, then turned to the scroll, he lifted it as he sat back, barely bothering to cover himself as he began to read the scroll. Mathius knew he was barely halfway through it before he scoffed and chucked it aside, ”This is ridiculous, I'm not signing this. Moonshadow hasn't the right nor the means to overtake Golden Sands”.

Mathius spread his arms, ”Yet here we are”.

Ishta scoffed, ”I'd like to speak with Rassa-”

Mathius moved forward, and was before Ishta in an instant, ”That is Mr Moonshadow, to you. And you do not request for his presence, if you are lucky, he deigns to request yours”.

Ishta hesitated, his eyes hardening as he spoke, ”Rassa Moonshadow is powerful, but he is no King”.

Mathius grinned, ”It would have been easier if you'd agreed, but oh so boring”.

Ishta frowned, ”Wha-”