Chapter 349 - The Moonshadow Trading Company Short Stories: 4 - The Dominant (IV) (1/2)
Rassa sighed. He'd been woken by Mathius' Unsealing only an hour after he'd gone to sleep, and at dawn no less. He would much rather be in his bed, that was for sure. But Mathius was the first apart from himself to become a fully-fledged Vampire. It was something to celebrate, and Rassa intended to be the first to do so.
”Rassa, did you sense-”
Ebony appeared on the balcony beside Rassa and Rassa just nodded in reply.
”I will go, you stay here and get some rest. We'll celebrate this evening, once he has had some time to adjust,” Rassa smiled.
Ebony nodded, a small smile on her lips, ”I…I can't believe he actually did it. I mean, I can but-”
”I know,” Rassa replied, ”It seems almost impossible to me as well. Finally. Finally, there are others who share in my burden”.
Ebony raised an eyebrow and Rassa chuckled, ”I am not saying you are not sharing in it, but…you will understand when you come to be unsealed as well”.
Ebony sighed, ”If you say so. I'm happy for you as well as him. I don't think I've seen you smile so genuinely since Iah asked you to turn her”.
Rassa felt himself grin and accepted Ebony's hug, ”I don't know why I ever sought to walk this path alone. It just…it feels so much better when there is someone walking it with me”.
Ebony nodded, ”Then I long for the day where I can join you both”.
Rassa kissed the crown of Ebony's head, ”Aye, me too. Go back to bed. I'll see you this evening”.
Ebony pulled away and headed back to the edge of the balcony so that she could drop back down onto her own, ”Send him my congratulations”.
Rassa nodded and watched as Ebony dropped out of sight.
He turned to look over the city which had begun to be enveloped in the golden rays of the morning, then opened his mind and soul and sought the connection he had with Mathius.
He slowly turned to the north, then jumped from his balcony.
He was in no apparent hurry despite his speed. He felt nothing but calmness of resolution from Mathius, a clear sign that he was in no apparent danger, nor that he was on a rampage like Rassa had been.
Still, as Rassa crossed the Island and approached Port Cresh, he couldn't help but think it was strange. Mathius could have been on a hunt, but why all the way over here? Was he attempting to spread out any deaths that occurred so that they wouldn't be traced back to Moonshadow?
Rassa paused on the edge of Ishta's estate.
His smile faded. He continued to feel only calmness and resolution, but a sense of dread settled in Rassa's stomach. He moved, following the pull right to Ishta's bedchamber. He could feel it now, the shadows blocking him out.
Rassa's jaw locked in disappointment. He was not positive on what he would find on the other side of the door, but he was sure that he would not like it.
He closed his eyes, then took a breath before his own shadows reared up and splintered the door to pieces.
To the side, two n.a.k.e.d young women knelt and watched on, their eyes puffy with tears and wide with panic. The room as a whole was dishevelled, and blood was splattered across much of the furniture. And there, in the centre of the room, n.a.k.e.d and staring across at the door with a dead vacancy, lay the scarred and bloody body of Ishta Alamone.
Mathius sat on a chair beside the body, his boots resting on the body like it was a foot stool as he leaned back, relaxed. His bloodied claws looked over a scroll that sat laid out on the table.
Rassa felt himself freeze as he looked down at Ishta. Ishta's eyes could barely focus on him. Even if Rassa was to heal the wounds, Ishta would not survive this. He'd lost too much blood.
”Rassa!” said Mathius excitedly, ”I have it, the answer to our problems. It is done and you should worry no more!”
Mathius stood, kicking Ishta so that he rolled over, exposing his c.h.e.s.t, where the Moonshadow symbol had been carved. Rassa felt an unbridled rage fill him, and even the shadows seemed to retreat. Mathius paused, his smile fading ever-so-slightly.
”Surely you cannot be angry at me, Rassa?” asked Mathius, looking legitimately confused.
Rassa closed his eyes, releasing a breath. The shadows calmed around him and Mathius too relaxed.
”I know I may have been a little excessive, but look, I got-”
Mathius chocked on his next word as Rassa flicked his hand and the shadows shot forward, locking around Mathius's neck, torso, wrists and ankles and dragging him to the ground. Mathius seemed legitimately shocked as he failed to say anything more, and Rassa took two quiet and elegant steps forward before he kneeled down before Ishta.
”I'm sorry that this was your end,” said Rassa, ”Nobody deserves this”.
Rassa slowly leaned forward and touched a light finger to Ishta's lips. As he drew his finger away, the blood on Ishta's lips came with it, followed closely by the blood on the rest of his body, and within his body. The blood in the room lifted up into the air as well, and Rassa licked two of his fingers on his other hand as he began sealing wounds on Ishta's body. Not all of them, but enough. He then took the blood that was hovering in the air, and replaced it on the ground in a puddle beneath Ishta's body.
Rassa sighed, then stood, turning to the two women to the side, ”You will dress and leave. When you are asked of what happened here, you will say a masked assailant woke you and Ishta from your slumber, and as he tried to fight him off, he was killed. The Assailant left without touching either of you through the window”.
The women did as told, dressing and leaving in a rush, then Rassa finally turned to look at Mathius and the scroll that sat beside him. The shadow stretched out, carefully taking the scroll to Rassa's hands. Rassa read over the contents, then gave a light smirk.
”For a man who has been in business for so long, you are so incredibly stupid,” Rassa breathed out. He stepped towards the fireplace, throwing the scroll inside and taking a match from the box on the mantle, striking it and throwing it onto the scroll. It burned away to nothing quickly enough.
Mathius looked on in surprise and horror before they both heard a disturbance out in the hall. Rassa huffed, ”We are done here”.
***
A knock resounded on Rassa's apartment doors.
”Come in,” Rassa called from where he sat, looking down in disappointment at where Mathius was restrained by shadows on the floor.
The door opened and Ebony entered, stretching her hands up above her head as she yawned, ”What happened? I thought you said we weren't celebrating until-”
Ebony paused as she spotted Mathius on the floor. Iah paused behind her, both women standing in shocked as they looked from him to Rassa.
”What happened?” asked Ebony.
”Close the door, would you?” asked Rassa with a soft calmness that seemed more frightening than it was reassuring, ”And take a seat, both of you, beside me if you please”.
The girls hesitated, looking at each other, but then followed instructions, Iah sitting on his left and Ebony on his right. Now in a small circle, Rassa influenced the shadows to bring Mathius to sit in an upright position, and of course removed the shadowy gag that had been preventing Mathius from talking.
”We're going to have a trial,” said Rassa, ”Of course, I will decide upon the sentence, but so that the two of you understand the seriousness of this situation, I will allow you to have your say. As we are the only ones in the Coven, it will not run exactly the same as in the time of Chaos, but it shall suffice for now”.