Chapter 359 - The Moonshadow Trading Company Short Stories: 7 - The Desolate Lands (II) (2/2)

Every other time Allyra had seen her, she'd been dressed impeccably in the highest fashion. Sometimes her outfits appeared somewhat scandalous, but thanks to both her and Iah Moonshadow, styles of dress for women that were easier to move around in had become more popular in high society circles at least in the Southern Isles. Allyra was sure that it was making it's rounds in Eldovia as well among the youth, but Eldovia had a lot of old noble families. Their influence was not to be underestimated.

This time though, in the safety of her own apartment, Ebony wore a simple dress that fell to her ankles, she didn't appear to be wearing shoes, as the dress was gathered on the floor around her feet. The bodice was simple as well, loose except for where it tied at her waist and around her neck, the sleeves short and revealing her pale arms. She smiled at them.

”Hello, so nice to see you again, Nolan, I apologise that it has been so long,” Ebony stated.

Nolan smiled back a little awkwardly. After all, what she was wearing could be construed as nightwear. Still, Ebony didn't seem the least bit embarrassed or bothered, so Nolan could only clear his throat.

”I understand, with the way Moonshadow has been developing it would be difficult to submit to my small and unrelated requests,” Nolan replied, ”It's lovely to see you again as well, and still looking as beautiful as ever”.

Ebony seemed amused as she turned to Allyra, ”And you must be the friend, Allyra, yes?”

Allyra nodded, ”Ah, yes, Lady Moonshadow”.

Ebony chuckled, ”Please, just call me Ebony. Come in, please”.

She stepped out of the doorway and waited for the two to enter.

The apartment was just as lavish as the hallways outside.

The walls were a mix of dark colours, painted with designs one could only see in the right angle of light. White painted columns partitioned the walls and windows, leading up to the white roof. The entrance hall passed by a kitchen that looked spectacularly clean, and a dining room that looked the same. They rounded a corner and came into a large open living area that opened onto a wide balcony. A door on the far side was closed off and must have been a bedroom of some kind.

Allyra however, found herself focused on the other figure in the room. He stood just in the shadow of the window, a hood up to cover his head and face. His clothing remarkably plain, just a leather jacket and pants and boots, all black with no designs to indicate a higher class. There, on the lapel of his jacket just catching the light, was the Evanine Moonshadow Badge she'd caught sight of a few days before.

As they entered he turned to face them, but Allyra could not quite see his features with the sunlight streaming in beside him and the hood up to cover his face. In fact, with his closed off stance, he seemed to be doing his utmost to blend into the wall behind him.

”You have a beautiful home,” Nolan spoke.

Allyra realised that he hadn't seen the other individual in the room as he placed his easel and canvas down.

Ebony smiled, ”Thank you, tea?”

”That would be lovely,” Nolan replied.

Ebony turned to Allyra upon not getting an answer. Allyra turned her gaze from the man on the other side of the room, Ebony had clearly seen her staring, but made no move the introduce her other guest. Allyra nodded, ”Thank you”.

Ebony poured the tea, which seemed to wait ready on the table among the couches.

”Now, I'm under the impression that portrait sittings take some time, so perhaps you could tell me how you would like to set up first before we move to the other matters you wish to discuss,” Ebony spoke.

Ebony had taken a seat on a lone couch in the shadows of the room, her feet in the light but her face not.

Nolan glanced at her a moment before he smiled, ”You seem to look marvellous no matter where you are seated, Miss Ebony. Though I believe sitting in the light would better highlight your-”

The man to the side scoffed in amus.e.m.e.nt, and Nolan's head snapped to him, ”Oh, I apologise, I didn't realise you had another gu-”

”Just get it over with, Ebony. The sooner they understand, the less awkward this will be,” said the man as he took a step forward, though not into the light. His face was still in shadow, but Allyra could just make out the icy orbs from beneath the hood.

Ebony sighed, ”We agreed to be tactful with this, Layton”.

The man, Layton, seemed to be amused as he replied, ”No, you said that it would be better that way, but I never agreed”.

Ebony seemed to be genuinely annoyed as she rubbed the bridge of her nose then looked up at Allyra and Nolan, ”It is your choice whether to sit down or not to hear this, though be aware that you may leave at any time without fear of retribution”.

”Fear of retribution?” asked Nolan, turning to look at Allyra in confusion.

”Then, you were the ones that erased our memories?” asked Allyra, ”Did we see or hear about something secret? How do you even have that ability?”

Ebony indicated to the couch, ”It is quite a lot to take in. I do recommend you sit down”.

Nolan did so reluctantly, and only then did Allyra follow suit, though they both sat far from Ebony and Layton.

”The ability that erased your memories,” Ebony began, ”We call it the Allure. It is quite simply, an ability that allows us access to the minds of others. We can erase memories, place suggestion, and in more complex cases, remake memories to suit our needs. It is quite difficult however, so most of the time we just put the memories concerning our true natures under a veil of darkness”.

Allyra glanced at Nolan then back towards Layton, ”True Nature?”

”Yes, we are what you would call Vampires,” Ebony responded.

Both Allyra and Nolan frowned in confusion.

Ebony sighed, as she went to elaborate, ”In this world, there are two types of power. The power that comes from Order and manifests in races such as Magicians, Elves, Dwarves, the Merfolk and various others. By nature, the power that drives these races is awakened and drawn from within. They unlock various parts of their soul in order to call upon vast amounts of power. In contrast, the other type is the power that is drawn from Chaos. For a long time, this power has been in the shadows, practically extinct thanks to a war that was fought many thousands of years ago which Order won. Chaos, by nature, builds and derives it's power by taking it from other sources. Vampires are one of the races of Chaos. We derive our power through the consumption of blood”.

”B-Blood? As in…”

Layton took a step forward then seemed to instantly appear before Allyra, his mouth open and his upper lip curled back in a hiss as two fangs extended down from his eye teeth. His eyes burned a bloody red. Allyra jolted back, terrified by the sudden threat before her.

”Layton!”

Allyra's fear alleviated just as quickly as she continued to stare into those eyes. She knew in an instant that he had no d.e.s.i.r.e to hurt her. In fact, those eyes…she remembered them. She remembered them well. She could picture them above her, pupils blown in ecstasy. The p.l.e.a.s.u.r.e she'd felt as she'd clung to him overpowering any kind of fear she'd felt then-

The red gaze was ripped away from her and her eyes met Ebony's back.

Allyra felt her cheeks warm at what she'd just been imagining, then she peeked around Ebony to find Layton on the far side of the room.

”You're such an asshole,” Ebony scoffed.

Layton glanced at her, his fangs retreating slowly, and his red eyes seeming to fade and give way to icy blue once more. He scoffed and turned away from her gaze, ”Don't know why you expected this to go any differently”.

Allyra frowned, ”You took our blood that night, didn't you?”

Ebony turned to face her, stepping back from her to give her some space, ”Yes, we require roughly a cup a day in order to remain healthy. The Allure is what we use to erase the small moments where we feed”.

Nolan gulped from beside Allyra, ”Did I…did we…?”

Ebony's eyes widened, ”Oh, no, that's not required to feed. I had no d.e.s.i.r.e to do that. Well…okay, that's a lie. I set out with the intention of taking a man to bed, but by the time we got back here I…we didn't sleep together, no. I was just a little too forceful and you…well, you fell asleep”.

”I…fell asleep?”

”When we feed, we can influence the feelings of our prey,” Layton explained, ”We can take away the pain, or give you far more of it if you deserve it-”

”-We can also,” Ebony interrupted as she frowned at Layton, a clear signal for him to shut up, ”Make one feel calm…I pushed a little too much of that your way and you fell asleep from it”.

Ebony looked awkward in that moment. Not the blood-s.u.c.k.i.n.g monster that Layton had appeared to be an instant before. Ebony was clearly trying to avoid being seen as that.

”Your speed and…and your allure, is that the only abilities you have?” asked Nolan, ”Or are the Charms a part of your abilities as well?”

Allyra turned to look at Nolan. He made a good point. If the Charms were a Vampire's ability, it was no wonder that nobody had been capable of replicating the process of making them.

”No, the Charms are not a Vampiric ability, anyone who can see the Mist is capable of creating them given the right tools and knowledge,” Ebony admitted.

Allyra's eyes widened in surprise. It was…strange that she was being so forthcoming about Moonshadow's long-kept secret, ”Why are you telling us that?”

Ebony shrugged, ”The two of you are the first to openly connect the missing parts of your memory to us, it is only a matter of time before others do the same. We are a small Coven. We, at first, feared retribution from the Holy Order who were the ones to wipe our predecessors out. But we cannot stay in the shadows forever. We have enough capital now to make a home for ourselves out of the Holy Order's reach. And our products are so ingrained and life-changing that even if the Holy Order tries to eradicate them, there will be those who still d.e.s.i.r.e the Charms. We cannot be erased easily, but with that comes the need to begin being transparent about what we are. Besides, we only have a few more years before our lack of aging becomes more apparent”.

”Lack of aging?” asked Nolan, ”You…I thought you looked remarkably similar, but…”

”No, it is a Vampiric ability. We are immortal. We will not die of old age,” said Ebony, ”And our other abilities, including a rapid regeneration and healing, mean it's very hard for us to die in other ways as well”.

”Such a being…” Nolan stated, ”It defies everything we've ever known”.

Ebony nodded, ”Yes, but the world was not always as you've known it, and will not always be as you've known it, change is inevitable, and a key component of that change is Chaos. It is why this world has been stagnant for so long. With no Chaos, and only Order to rule, there is no change. No development”.

Nolan sat back, looking genuinely baffled. Allyra felt the same way, but looking at Layton who continued to look back at her, though there was no anger or arrogance there anymore, more a look of confusion.

There was a long beat of silence before he spoke, ”You don't fear me? Us? What we can do?”

Allyra tilted her head to the side, ”The possibilities of what you can cause I admit, are terrifying. But you? You have no intention of hurting me. I can see it in your eyes, whether they are red or blue”.

Layton appeared genuinely shocked at her words before his gaze seemed to shut down all at once. He turned to Ebony, ”No need for anything else then, yes?”

Ebony opened her mouth to respond, but he was already gone, vanished in a breeze that led out of the window and out onto the balcony.

Ebony sighed, turning to glance at Allyra, ”I apologise for Layton. He's…well, he's a complete and utter asshole”.

Allyra said nothing. Ebony turned back to Nolan, ”I understand if you're feeling uncomfortable, I-”

”No, not uncomfortable,” said Nolan, ”Curious. Intrigued. Perhaps a little scared but…I think I'd still like to paint your portrait if I could, though I have an idea that you may be uncomfortable with”.

”That I may be uncomfortable with?” asked Ebony with a raised eyebrow, ”I will not be posing bare-”

”Oh, no!” said Nolan quickly, ”Rest assured, you can keep your clothes on”.

”Then,” Ebony said with a small smile, ”What would you like to paint, Nolan?”