Chapter 362 - The Moonshadow Trading Company Short Stories: 8 - The Coven City of Lyserna (I) (2/2)

***

Rassa Moonshadow gently placed Phillip the Fisherman down on a bench of his boat. He'd thought he'd have to go nearly all the way to Toulle to find something to satiate his hunger after the long journey south, but he'd gotten lucky.

Still, Rassa had wanted to keep the old man alive. The soon to be grandfather didn't deserve to die after their coincidental meeting. Rassa took out a small bag of gold coins and placed them on the deck beside the old man as he stood.

Rassa glanced back at the column of rock he'd pushed up from the ground. It had become routine these past few days. He'd left Iah and Sel in the North a week ago after they'd spent several months finding the perfect location and planning construction of the city. Eventually though, Iah had expressed concerns over both a lack of materials and the fate of the rest of their Coven so far away.

The majority of the city they were building could be formed through the ice and rock and minerals that they'd found in the north, but what they could achieve was only a crude construction. If they wanted a city that would last, and one that incorporated the giant sun stones as well, they needed better artisans and professionals.

So, Rassa had told Iah and Sel to continue constructing what they could whilst he ventured south again.

Of course, to ensure that not only Rassa, but any construction teams could find their way across the Desolate Lands that separated Eldovia from the North, he'd had to get creative.

Knowing it was going to be a one-way trip, Rassa had flown instead of run. And every few hours, he'd dove beneath the ground, displaying the earth and rock enough to push up a stable totem that marked the path. By his estimates, if every totem had some kind of station built at it, he could make a Railway from Toulle, all the way to their new city.

At first, despite the fact that temperature didn't bother them, Iah had been concerned about the cold. But after several months spent there, she was one with the element.

A good thing too, considering how thick the snow was now that Winter had officially arrived. And the days in the North? Practically non-existent this time of year.

The climate was perfect for his Coven. Now all that was missing was the Coven, and a decent supply of food. Sure, they could live off of the animals there. But as the population of Vampires in the North grew, the population of animals would plummet. They needed a decent number of humans to satiate their gluttony.

Taking one last glance at the sleeping Phillip, Rassa summoned his wings and lifted off, headed across the lake towards Eldovia's northernmost city.

***

Layton stared at the cake, unconvinced of it's properties. He glanced up at Allyra, who waited expectantly opposite him, then reached forward and poked the cake.

Allyra scoffed, rolling her eyes, ”Don't poke it, try it”.

”I don't eat this,” Layton huffed as he sat back, ”Whatever this is”.

Allyra frowned, leaning back in thought, ”Is the concentration not high enough? Or perhaps because it's baked?”

”What are you on about?” asked Layton.

Allyra raised her eyebrow, ”You told me the other night that you'd never tried sweets before. That, is frankly, a crime in and of itself”.

”Not exactly the law-abiding type, if that hasn't sunk in yet. What with all the meeting at night in your deserted café and all,” said Layton.

Allyra stood, ”The sunlight strains your eyes, besides, you're not a people person”.

”Whatever gave it away?” asked Layton sarcastically.

”Your award-winning personality,” Allyra replied.

”Thought you said I wasn't an asshole,” said Layton.

”I said you weren't an asshole all the time,” said Allyra, ”Now, are you not going to even smell it?”

”I can smell it just fine from here, it smells like flour, eggs, sugar and…rust? What is that?” Layton frowned, poking the cake again as if it would reveal it's answers, ”But in short, awful, I'm not eating that”.

Allyra huffed. She took the cake and moved to throw it in the bin, ”For your information, it's not rust…it's blood”.

Layton frowned, ”Blood?”

Allyra nodded, ”I went to the butchers, it's pig's blood, but still blood. Figured that I could try to bake it into a cake, that way you might be able to enjoy some sweets”.

Layton stared at Allyra for a moment before he looked away, ”That's not-”

He stopped his expression freezing before his eyes swiftly turned towards the north-east.

”What?” asked Allyra, ”It's not what?”

”He's back,” Layton said.

”What?” asked Allyra, confused as she turned back to face him.

Layton stood, his expression softened, if not a little shocked, ”Sorry, I-I've got to go”.

Allyra raised her eyebrows, ”Oh well-”

But he disappeared before her. Allyra huffed, ”Okay, bye. Guess I'll see you later”.

Their meetings had become nearly a nightly routine for Allyra. It hadn't exactly happened because they'd arranged it either. And Allyra sensed that if she did bring it up that Layton would disappear on her. He might have acted tough, but he was as skittish as a mouse when it came to any form of relationship with another living being, Vampire or Human. He was not always talkative, sometimes he just sat nearby to watch her work in preparation for the next day's business, but Allyra never shirked his company. She sensed that, despite his initial reluctance, he'd grown attached to their meetings.

As for the intimacy that had begun their sort-of-friendship, the two had never spoken of it after Layton had returned Allyra's memories. There were initially times when Allyra had looked at him and couldn't help blushing, but Layton had either pretended not to see it, or legitimately not been able to tell. Considering his near-unparalleled senses, Allyra was inclined to think it was the former.

Three months of friendship though, and Allyra's upbringing was pushing to the surface. He had done a few things for her and never asked for anything in return. It didn't sit well with Allyra, but what exactly did you get a man who didn't eat or drink anything except blood, and had enough money to buy whatever material d.e.s.i.r.es he had? Allyra knew little of his likes and dislikes, but knew that any time Rassa Moonshadow, or any form of combat was mentioned, his eyes would light up. Getting him a weapon just seemed…inadequate though.

Then Layton had mentioned one day when Allyra was explaining her changes for the menu in the new year, that he'd never had sweets before. The thought hadn't registered to Allyra. What life must he had lived to never have had sweets? Were his parents so strict or…or was his past a whole lot darker than Allyra had imagined?

The question had motivated Allyra. If she could bake some sweets for him to try then…but he only consumed blood…

Her creative mind had a spark of inspiration. If today was any indication though, this goal of hers would be a lot harder than she had initially imagined.

”Maybe a desert I don't have to bake,” Allyra thought aloud as she turned back to her kitchen, Layton's abrupt disappearance a norm she had grown used to.