"Baby up, Fah?" Achlys asked from her crib, "Baby up, Fah?"
Karthus, who was deep in though as he worked to transcribe the text from a crumbling scroll, shook his head.
"No, Achlys, I cannot play with you right now."
"Poor baby."
"This is important and delicate work. I cannot have you tugging at me or the table."
"Be good," she bargained.
Karthus set down his quill.
"Do you promise to behave?"
Achlys nodded with a smile. Her grin widened as Karthus picked her up from the crib and she gave him a quick hug before being placed on the ground with her toys. For a while she kept herself entertained playing with Grim and Miss Spider, babbling conversations between the two plush critters. But their riveting debate over the best color, Miss Spider argued red and Grimm argued blue, could only keep Achlys entertained for so long. It also didn't help that she disagreed with both parties and firmly believed that the best color was purple. No longer wanting to debate the finer points of violet and aubergine to an unmoved audience, she turned to her father.
"What do?" she asked as she pointed at his work.
"I am saving this knowledge from becoming dust," Karthus answered.
"Why?" Achlys asked.
"Because knowledge is worth preserving."
"Why?"
"You never know when you may what is written here."
"Why?"
"Because someday I want to teach you more about this place."
"Why?"
"So you can help me understand the mysteries of our home."
"Why?"
"Because the Chronicler is uninterested in my research."
"Why?"
"The Chronicler collects knowledge from the Isles and records it, nothing more."
"Why?"
"I believe that in life she was a dedicated record keeper."
"Why?"
"Because when we ascend into undeath, the Mist transforms us, making us our purest selves. Her purest self is a dutiful record keeper, engrossed in her task to collect knowledge and preserve it for all time. It is an admirable use for eternity, though I wish she would use her gathered knowledge to study the magics that bless us."
"Why?"
"Because the better we understand how the Mist empowers us, the better we can guide your transformation and the better we can spread its influence. Achlys, you know this is your purpose."
The child nodded in agreement and the promptly asked, "why?"
Karthus set down his work and turned to her.
"Because it is," he said crossly.
"Why?" she demanded.
"If you keep this up I am going to put you back in your bed."
"Why?"
"Because you are not being good."
"Why?" she asked as a look of confusion crossed her face.
"You are being a distraction, Achlys. Why do you have so many questions today?"
"Want know," she explained.
"Of course you do," Karthus said with a sigh, "you are a curious girl and that is not a bad thing."
Achlys nodded.
Snapping answers at her would not satisfy her, Karthus realized. She wanted an actual conversation. It just so happened that with her limited vocabulary 'why' was turning out to be a reliable way to get a response from him.
"Why?" she asked again.
"Because you want to know more and you want to use your knowledge. Why is this important?"
Achlys thought for a moment.
"And glow?" she asked as she summoned balefire to her fingertips.
"Yes, using your knowledge to learn spells is important" Karthus said as he reached down and dissipated her summoned magic, "can you think of another reason?"
This time she was quiet for a minute as she thought about the other time she had used magic.
"Ouls?"
"Very good, Achlys. You can learn more about how to care for the souls here. Can you think of a third reason?"
"Yea!"
Achlys scrunched her brow in concentration. This gave Karthus several blissful minutes of silence to continue his work as she thought of a satisfactory answer. At last she thought of one.
"Fah-thah." She stated.
"Yes, Achlys," Karthus responded, "do you have your answer."
She nodded and pointed to him.
"Fah-thah," she repeated, "baby be Fah."
Karthus smiled softly.
"You want to be me?"
Achlys nodded.
"Yes, you could use your knowledge to become more like me," he answered with a chuckle, "but it will still be many years before you become as skilled as I am. Fortunately, I have all eternity to spend with you."
"Ever and ever?"
"Forever and ever. That is the blessing of undeath, Achlys. Our souls will never have to say 'farewell' to each other."
"Yay!"
Karthus turned down to look at his daughter, but for a moment, in her face were fragments of the visages of three other girls. Karthus shook his head and looked again. Achlys's face was wholly hers again.
"What?" Achlys asked as Karthus stared at her.
"I thought I saw someone," he replied slowly, "someone from a long time ago, but it must have been a trick of the shadows."
He knew those faces. They were his sisters, their expressions frozen in the moment of death. But if they looked so peaceful, then why did these memories cause him a pang of pain? It was their deaths that were the catalyst moment of his life. Why grieve the moment when they were freed of their suffering and he was set on the path to divinity?
But part of Karthus knew why the memory ached. If he had the power then that he did now, his sisters would be with him still. He could have transformed them, freed them from their sickness and made them as he was. Then their souls would be together still. But they were all gone. The Kindred had taken them, and he had followed the Eternal Hunter's tallymen back to their temple.
"Baby up Fah-thah?"
Achlys's voice snapped Karthus out of his thoughts. Although the scroll still sat untranscribed, the memories of his sisters were enough to soften his temper.
"Of course, my dear," he said as he bent to scoop her up, "but I still have work to do. You may sit on my lap as long as you behave."
"Be good," she promised.
Karthus picked up his quill in one hand and wrapped his other around Achlys to hold her tightly to him. Achlys let out a contented sigh and watched the letters he wrote in fascination.
Here was one soul, Karthus promised himself, that the Kindred would not take from him. Even if it meant that he would have to face the Lamb's arrows and the Wolf's fangs by himself, he would not let his daughter's soul pass. He and his daughter belonged to the Isles forever and ever.
Greetings Summoners,
So, things have taken an interesting turn with Viego's launch. I have had to discard a lot of my notes in order to adapt to the new lore seeing how we now know what the "will of the Mists" is. I'm debating whether or not to go back and make some changes to old chapters to reflect the new lore. Let me know what you all think. As always, feedback is appreciated, especially now as I work to figure out how the Ruined King will influence this story. Best of luck on the Rift.
-Gwoo