Chapter 352 - The Moonshadow Trading Company Short Stories: 5 - The Birth of Moonshadow Coven (III) (2/2)

Rassa chuckled, ”No, you don't claim any rights to it. I brought it two years ago”.

”From a man who had no right to sell it in the first place,” Leiv stated with narrowed eyes.

”That may be the case,” Rassa admitted, ”But it is not I that got cheated in that deal. That falls on your shoulders alone. I believe you would have read what I offered, it is more than enough for you to purchase a home of your own and fully furnish it. You may even staff it as you wish. It was my understanding that most Magicians prefer the company of their Guilds. Though, I will admit you are an exception to most Magicians”.

Leiv's eyes narrowed at the reference to his half-blood nature. Most of the time it was malicious, but that did not seem to be the case when Rassa Moonshadow said it, ”Then you will not give me the land that is mine by birthright?”

The floor boards below them seemed to shudder, but while Carnaby and Katie seemed shocked, Rassa looked completely unbothered. Amused even.

”Little Magician, you may have the blood of elves in you to drive your power just that little bit higher than your peers, but I can guarantee that you will lose if you pick a fight with me,” Rassa warned. His eyes flashed a crimson red, and he let Leiv see for just the slightest second, the power that dwelled within him. Leiv held his gaze for a moment before he turned away with an annoyed scoff.

”Jane was wrong about you,” he said, ”You are not kind nor caring. You are arrogant and greedy”.

Rassa laughed, ”It's been a decade since I've seen her. Nobody remains the same in that time, least of all those who have been through a dramatic change. I am kind and caring to those I call my own. I am arrogant because I have earned every right to be. As for greed, I think you have misunderstood my impulses. I am not greedy, Little Magician, I am gluttonous. And if you so bait me, I will be more than willing to consume you and all you hold dear”.

The table was tense for a moment before Rassa stood, ”Ensure Leiv gets what I promised him, Carnaby, and have more maps sent to my office”.

Carnaby stood quickly, gulping before he bowed his head respectfully, ”Yes, Lord Moonshadow”.

Leiv watched the five of them stand and leave, not having touched anything on their plates.

Ever since his Magician Team had returned from their mission, they had heard everywhere of the changes that Moonshadow had induced in Eldovia's everyday life, and they were thoroughly impressed. Right up until they heard the name Rassa Moonshadow.

Jane had been shocked, and then she had seemed to retreat within herself. The friend she had thought was dead for a second time, was in fact, still alive. And thriving better than any of those from her childhood ever would. The Team, without Jane to hold them together, had applied for some time off and returned to their homes for a long overdue holiday. Leiv had not expected to find Moonshadow having set up shop on the land he'd been sure his mother had promised to him.

He'd wanted to show Jane that Rassa was not all she had pictured him to be. That he may have been alive, but he was still just as normal as the rest of them. But that was far from reality.

Now, he wondered whether or not he should tell Jane about meeting Rassa at all.

***

*Eldovian Era 1715, 21st day of the 8th month*

Having to wait ten days in Varkevia for the Moon Voyager to arrive gave Rassa plenty of days to plan for his new endeavour in Eldovia. He'd proposed it to the other branch heads, who had all agreed readily that it was a revolutionary idea that would help immensely in keeping production up with demand.

Rassa planned not just the route from Varkevia to Moonshadow, but also Routes between the cities and towns that were the best locations for stops. Moonshadow had no problem building it, or purchasing the land to build the stations on, it was the land in between that would be cause for concern. This was still Eldovia, still an Empire ruled over by an Emperor, and Rassa was loath to ever speak with the Imperial Family. In fact, he wanted as little to do with the governing of the Empire as possible. Having the perspective of knowing that the line was bound to die out some time within the next 30 years meant that Eldovia was on a sure route to civil war. Ensuring that his business and plans would not become a victim of that war was paramount.

Still, Rassa did not wish to explain this to anybody else. The only one that knew was Aegin, and he…well, there was no chance of him returning anytime soon if he was still feeling so resentful even after two years.

”Rassa, if you don't get permission from the Emperor to build something of this scale, you're going to end up becoming a victim to his wrath,” Ebony huffed through the communication crystal, her transparent form standing unhappily behind her seat, ”I thought your plan was to not draw attention to yourself? You can pretty much guarantee that this will mean the exact opposite”.

”I'm not entering that snake's den willingly,” Rassa frowned like a petulant child.

Iah sighed, ”Rassa, I have to agree with Ebony on this, it's not something you can ask through correspondence. You're talking about Empire-wide infrastructure that could mean a new age for trade and industry. It needs to be discussed and negotiated in person”.

”This will propel the entire Empire forward generations in development,” Rassa huffed, ”He can't say no”.

”He can if it means that one company unaffiliated with the crown controls the entire network,” said Iah.

”That's why I suggested investments, that and the station control crystals,” said Rassa.

”I don't get why you would give the man the ability to cut off your own supply network,” Ebony pointed out, ”From what you're saying, those control crystals will essentially make any track cart within three days ride of the cities inert”.

”And the way I have the lines set up, it won't matter if he chooses to make the Capital go dark. He'd be an idiot to do so, really,” Rassa replied, ”He'd cut himself off from the network with no feasible way to request for immediate back-up and no way to reactivate, it'd be suicide”.

Rassa chuckled at the thought, then realised the rest of the meeting room was quiet. He raised an eyebrow, ”What?”

”Are you telling the Emperor this?” asked Iah.

”Ah, no?” Rassa said. The room looked divided. To undermine the Emperor like that…

Rassa stood, ”Look, I'm not giving that man absolute control over these transport routes. In three years, they could be a predominant way of transport on the continent, and giving him control over it is essentially giving him the power to suppress his people. But if I tell him that's a possibility and hand over the means for him to use it on his own city, then if he does end up using it, whatever befalls him afterwards is his own stupid fault”.

”You've really got some double standards there,” Ebony frowned, ”Because who will actually have the power to cripple the entire system?”

”No one,” said Rassa.

Ebony's eyes widened in surprise, ”You're not keeping such a crystal to yourself?”

Rassa rolled his eyes, ”Ebony, there are better and less crippling ways to deal with insubordination than destroying my own supply routes”.

Rassa caught Iah hiding a smile out of the corner of his eye and Ebony just glared at him, ”You've still got to talk to him to get this whole plan of yours underway before we leave for the South in five days”.

Rassa sighed, ”I'm not talking to him. I'll have a letter sent. That's final”.

Ebony turned away from his glare before Rassa waved his hand, ”We'll reconvene tomorrow, meeting dismissed”.