*Eldovian Era 1716, 16th day of the 12th month*

Olly frowned as he watched Kit in the meeting hall. Even without Kit saying anything, it was plain to see that Kit was not in a celebratory mood as the others were. Even seeing Iah after the many months they’d been apart had not perked him up as much as it should have.

Olly elbowed him lightly, “You should ask”.

Kit shook his head, used to Olly knowing what was wrong without Kit having to mention anything, “He’ll say no”.

“You won’t know that until you ask,” said Olly.

Kit raised an eyebrow at Olly, “So you know he’ll say yes?”

Olly shrugged, “It’s a possibility”.

Kit sighed, that didn’t help. He was sixteen now, and almost as tall as Layton, yet still he was carving charms. He enjoyed the work, especially seeing as Rassa had given him and trusted him with such a burden at his age, but he could not help being envious of those who had known Rassa for far less time, yet had gained so much more.

Kit watched them interacting. They were going on holiday for a week. The entire coven. But not him. Nor Olly. Even if they had been with Moonshadow longer than many of the others. He did not understand the waiting. He was sure Rassa would have offered by now.

With a huff, Kit stood and walked from the room, “I’m going to bed”.

Olly registered a few of the Coven noticing his departure, Iah and Rassa included. Rassa watched after him a moment, then turned to look at Olly for an explanation. Olly held his gaze, his loyalty to his best friend warring over common sense, then he turned and left the hall after Kit.

The journey back to their rooms was a long one, so even when he was half-way back, it left plenty of time for Rassa to ask a question and get an answer.

“Are you going to tell me what’s wrong? As much as it pains me to admit it, I am not as skilled at reading the Mist as you are,” said Rassa.

“No one is,” replied Olly, his tone matter-of-fact.

Rassa sighed, “Then?”

“You haven’t asked him yet,” said Olly, “He, no, we, have followed you for years, have been loyal and unquestioning for years, yet you do not ask. He grows impatient”.

“And you?” asked Rassa.

Olly sighed, turning to face Rassa, “Kit is my best friend. I will stay by his side no matter his choice”.

Rassa nodded, “You should know what happens if I turn him, Order’s influence will-”

“Kit is more than strong enough to fight it,” said Olly, “But I don’t need to tell you this. Besides, it’s unlike you to hesitate like this. It’s his decision. Let him know the facts and make the choice”.

Rassa sighed, “I was also waiting until he was an adult”.

“Waiting that long…it may burden him further, and you risk losing him to his anger,” said Olly.

Rassa paused in the hallway, “You make good points, Oracle”. He sighed the continued forward, “Look after him, Olly. I’ll be back with my question at the end of the week. Enjoy your holiday”.

“We always look after each other,” Olly replied, “It’s what best friends do”.

Olly watched Rassa smile at him with a warmth that he rarely saw, then the Vampire vanished. A week. A week and he would ask.

Olly knew he would. He’d seen the thirteen figures who stood behind Rassa Moonshadow. He knew their names and their faces. Some were here already. Some were not far away, and one was far in the distance. But all would stand with him. All would carve his legacy. All would be asked and turned regardless of their background.

Olly smiled, he’d waited a long time for this, but waiting was often the best part.

***

*Eldovian Era 1716, 19th day of the 12th month*

“Why do they call is the Endless Lake?” asked Layton, “It only takes me an hour and a half to run to the other end and back again”.

“That’s like an ant thinking a city block is so big, but a human can walk it in a few minutes,” said Talo, “Exactly what is your point?”

“My point is that it’s a stupid name for a Lake,” said Layton, “If it was endless, it wouldn’t even be a lake!”

Talo opened his mouth to argue back before he frowned, then turned to Mathius, “Hey Mathius, the kid has a point, ‘Endless’ is a stupid name for a lake, who do we blame for this?”

Rassa turned his back on the Northern end of the not-so-endless lake, looking out at the expanse of desert before him. Now that, everyone was sure that was endless.

He felt Ebony come to stand beside him, “You’ve got that look on your face”.

Rassa turned to Ebony, “What look?”

“The look that says you’re about to make an outrageous suggestion that will turn into a plan that you want us to implement,” said Ebony.

Rassa shook his head, “I don’t know what you’re talking about”.

Ebony sighed, looking out at the Desolate Lands with him, “Do you really think nothing lives there?”

Rassa shrugged, “Only one way to find out”.

Iah came to stand with them, “I heard stories that there are times in the year when it freezes over”.

“It would not surprise me,” Rassa replied, “I’ve heard there are places in the world that are frozen for all time. Built of Ice and Snow”.

“They sounds terrible,” said Neva, “Who’d want to live in a place that cold all the time?”

Rassa smiled, “Perhaps those whom temperature does not have much of a hold on? Or those who see the beauty in such a deadly environment”.

The women all paused before Ebony raised an eyebrow, “You’re not suggesting that…”

Rassa shrugged, a mysterious smile on his lips, “Maybe, one day”.

“Maybe one day?” asked Iah.

“Maybe one day what?” asked Layton.

“The Great Lord Moonshadow here is thinking of setting up shop in the Desolate Lands. And not just in this part, oh no,” Ebony declared, “He wants to go so far north that the land is eternally frozen. This might just be his craziest suggestion yet”.

Rassa sighed, “Ebony, every land that is known, bar the Fairy Forest and a few uninhabitable islands, is claimed. Every land known is mapped and wars are fought over them. The only land that is known today that has not seen any of those mortal bonds, are the Desolate Lands. To me, that is not only vastly exciting, but it also presents an opportunity that I haven’t been able to make possible despite my power and growing influence. An opportunity that, as we grow in number, I will need to seize”.

“You’re talking about a position we can defend,” Neva stated.

“No,” said Rassa, “Not just a position to defend, a home for the Coven”.

The group all stood in silence at the prospect, the possibility dancing in their eyes.

“It’s a nice thought,” Ebony stated, “But you’re forgetting one kind of important factor”.

“We may not be affected by the cold if it is indeed frozen as you say, but the humans we feed on certainly will be,” Iah concluded.

Rassa gave a simple smile, “If things work out as I want them to, that will not be a problem either. A Homeland for Vampires must, by definition, be a place where those we feed upon feel welcomed and safe as well. Not just as Prey either, but as members of a society”.

“It’s a big undertaking,” said Neva, “Bigger than anything you’ve ever proposed. You’re talking about creating our own country”.

Rassa nodded, “I am, but in the end, will it not be worth it to live in a place where we can thrive as who and what we are? Perhaps one day that will be the case here as well, but not for some time. Though I sense the day growing ever-closer where we will no longer be able to wear masks over our true natures. Where the allure will not be enough to conceal our activities. We will need a home then”.

The others, though some still sceptical, nodded in agreement.

***

*Eldovian Era 1716, 23rd day of the 12th month*

Rassa sighed as he sensed the nervousness and trepidation in Kit. He looked at Olly, who had his usual stupid grin on his face. Rassa rolled his eyes then looked back at Kit.

“I want you to know that when I ask this, I ask it because you deserve it and I desire your presence in my Coven. But I also want you to understand why I’ve been hesitant in asking in the first place,” said Rassa. Kit’s breath hitched and his nervousness seemed to fade to a glimpse of hope, “First, I did not ask because you are not yet an adult. The change is painful, incomprehensibly so, and I did not want to put you through it if you are not ready, because if you cannot withstand it, you will die. Second, I did not ask you because you are a Magician”.

Kit looked confused.

“Magicians are beings of Order. Vampires are beings of Chaos. Being already on a path, it is without a doubt a thousand times more difficult for you to switch to another. Your pain will far exceed the norm because Order’s power within you will fight for dominance over the approaching Chaos. If you do not firmly believe in your decision, you will die,” said Rassa.

Understanding seemed to dawn in Kit’s gaze before he turned to look at Olly who still bore his stupid grin. He glanced at Kit, then Kit’s lost hope seemed to re-emerge.

“I am sure though,” said Kit as he turned to Rassa, “This is what I want. What I’ve wanted for years”.

Rassa glanced at Olly, who simply nodded, “Very well then, I will return on the 29th. Until then, you need to prepare yourselves to be absolutely sure in this decision. Because once made, it will carry you through to the next life”.

Kit and Olly both nodded, then Rassa gave a small smile, “Get some rest until then”.

They both left, talking animatedly to each other. Rassa sighed. That would add two more to their number. A Coven of ten without Aegin. Ten Vampires were perhaps not much, but the Major Covens of old were at most a couple hundred. Most of the smaller ones numbered as little as seven. He would need to remain here in Moonshadow to train Olly and Kit for at least a year if not eighteen months. They were too important to the operations of the Company to simply follow him and his whims. Still, the time may pass in the blink of an eye, but it was enough time for a lot to happen.

Talo had asked about turning some of his crew. Iah, Ebony and Neva had all shown interest in turning their subordinates as well.

His Coven could very well grow too quickly to keep it in secrecy. The idea of a Homeland was growing ever more appealing, and necessary.

Devina had not been seen by Elsbeth in the months after she had gone with him to the South. There were no movements from the Holy Order yet, but Rassa could not be assured that there would be none either.

With a deep breath, Rassa stepped out onto the balcony that overlooked Moonshadow, watching the lights of one of the Rail Carriages pull into the station far below.

He’d built something incredible here, but here was not as defensible as he desired. Here he was still catering to the whims of an Empire that would die out within a few decades if not sooner. Escaping the Civil War that would follow would be paramount to sustaining his Coven.

Rassa nodded to himself. As soon as Kit and Olly could looking after themselves, he would go North. Further North than anyone had ever gone.

***

*Eldovian Era 1716, 31st day of the 12th month*

Allyra Cavahall gazed at her reflection in the mirror. Her long black hair had always been one of her most enchanting features. Her green eyes an indication of her noble bloodline. No fault could ever be found on her creamy skin. She had always been told, since before she was even old enough to understand what it meant, that she was the epitome of beauty.

‘A pity she’s so meek’. They’d said.

‘A pity she’s dull’. They’d said.

‘A pity she has no talent for the arts’. They’d said.

She was beautiful, but that was the only quality about her that others envied. She did not want beauty, when she could have been a skilled healer. She did not want an appealing face, when she could have designed clothes. She did not want her father’s green eyes when she could have been a boy so that they would not condemn her for her sex. A woman could not inherit, so she’d always been the prized cow to sell to the highest bidder.

Her father had sold her off happily. Her marriage had been set for today. She was supposed to be walking the isle to marry Damien Navou right this minute. Instead she sat here in silence, her wedding dress still on the mannequin behind her.

Damien had insisted on a doctor inspecting her to make sure she was still pure, you see. She had walked into that room, sure that despite her desires, she would walk out of it ready to put on her wedding dress.

But she was not. A man had penetrated her. Yet she did not remember it.

She remembered the thought when the marriage had been finalised. She remembered the dread she had felt, the horror of her position. She’d wondered out late that night amongst the celebrations, catching sight of couples kissing in side streets and alleyways, and she’d spitefully thought of how she should be free to choose whom she married. That if she couldn’t, then she would dishonour both her family and her future husband by not being as pure or as meek or as dull as they call condemned her to be.

But then…nothing.

Every time she tried to remember how she had gotten home, or whom she had met, it was but a blur, or just plain nothingness. Like a dream she’d forgotten about after she’d woken up.

But the pain between her legs had not been imagined, neither had been the bruises on her chest and waist that she had at first though were products of her clumsiness or a strange sleeping position.

It had never occurred to her that it meant something else entirely. Not until the Doctor had declared that she was not a maiden.

She had not drunk alcohol that night. Too horrified by her father’s decision. So, her lost memories…what had caused it? Was she happy she was free? Of course. But the circumstances of her freedom only left her with questions.

“…I heard that the young Miss was spotted in the Cermine District just before dawn. Miss Dayvon too, though she has a…less pure reputation than our young Miss”.

Allyra tuned her hearing as she heard the maids outside. The Cermine District? That was the district half owned by Moonshadow Trading Company. It was well-known and frequented, but what would she being doing there before dawn?

“I hear a young Mr Reinhart was seen just after noon on the same day as well,” said another maid, “You don’t think it was a…scandalous gathering, do you?”

Nolan? Allyra’s eyes widened. The Reinhart black sheep rarely left his art studio except to paint. He was antisocial and awkward. Honestly though, Allyra would have preferred marrying him over Damien Navou. Still, on the slim chance that the maids were right…

Nolan had to know something. Besides, it was not as if her stolen chastity would not make it around social circles soon enough. She was disgraced, and staying here with her family would only make her life miserable.

First, she’d find out what happened that night. Then…then she’d figure out the rest of her life.

Allyra took up the scissors beside her table, clumped her long ebony hair together, then sheered it to the just below her ear lobes in one solid cut.

She looked at the long trail of black hair on the floor. If she was getting rid of things that held her to this life, she may as well get rid of half of her so-called beauty as well.

Dressing in her most simple dress and packing a bag with another set of clothes and a few coins, Allyra took the quiet servant’s passage down to the kitchens, then snuck out of the manor.