The waves washed gently over the gray sands of Katherine's secluded cove. A breeze tossed salt up from the foam and blew it through the misty air. The boisterous call of a laughing gull could be hear up above as it searched for a safe place, devoid of wraiths to land. Today, the cove was not one of those places.
"How is the water?' Karthus asked.
Achlys, waist high in the ocean, turned back to her father and answered.
"Cool," she said, "but not too cold."
"Refreshing," Kathrine said.
The wraith stood on the shore, up to her ankles in the water. Though she could not feel the temperature of the water, she repeated what she had often heard in life.
"It's not cold, it's refreshing. That's what, that's what, umm, that's what someone would say."
Kathrine removed her heavy jacket and let the garment fall. It had faded back to mist before it had even touched the sand. Katherine appeared unbothered by this, and waded into the ocean to be with Achlys. As the water washed over her, Katherine's piscine features became more pronounced, the scale pattern on her skin glowing softly and pulsing in time with the waves.
"Are you ready to practice swimming?" she asked Achlys.
Achlys nodded and reached out to grab Kathrine's outstretched hands.
"Yes!"
Katherine led Achlys into deeper water, not stopping until they were deep enough that she would be up to her neck. Above them, Acheron hovered protectively.
"Do you remember last time? You learned how to float."
"I remember. I can do it."
To prove her point, Achlys leaned her head back and tried to float, even as she still held onto Katherine's hands.
"Slow down," Katherine chuckled, "Achlys, please. You're so excited, you don't even notice you're kicking me."
Achlys stopped moving.
"Sorry," she said.
"I do not feel pain," Kathrine replied, "so you do not need to worry, but you must be calm and listen. Will you do that?"
"Yeah."
"I'm going to let go of you Achlys, and when I do, I want you to show me you can float."
Katherine released Achlys. Taking a deep breath to fill herself with air, Achlys tilted her had backwards to begin floating. Once she was on her back, she let out her breath and began to breathe steadily. Her body rose and sank with each breath, though she was easily able to keep her head above the water. Her bright eyes were focused on Acheron above her.
"Hello, Acheron," she smiled up at her guardian.
At the mention of his name, the balefire aura around Acheron flared.
"Father," she cheered, "look! I float!"
"I see you," Karthus called back, "you are doing well."
"Very good," Katherine encouraged, "I think you are ready for the next step."
With a gentle hand, Katherine helped Achlys upright, holding her hands once more as Achlys searched for the bottom with her toes.
"I will help you onto your stomach, and then we will practice kicking and paddling at the same time."
"Okay!"
"Are you ready? Here we go," Katherine cooed as she continued her lesson.
This was another thing Karthus was grateful to Katherine for. Although the lich had known how to swim in life, to say that he was out of practice was an understatement and he severely doubted that he would have been able to teach Achlys to swim as well as Katherine was. So instead of soaking his robes in sea water, Karthus could simply wait on the beach and watch his daughter.
She was growing so fast. Months were drifting by faster than Karthus ever imagine they could. Perhaps time had always marched on like this but he was only now noticing it since he had something to watch grow. The spectacle filled him with a mixture of pride, excitement, and sorrow; a sensation that was entirely new to him. He was unsure if this was a feeling he enjoyed, but he had little doubt he would have ample opportunity to reflect on it as Achlys continued to grow.
At length, Achlys began to grow tired and Katherine had decided that it was time for their lesson to end. She guided Achlys back to the shore as she attempted to paddle her way back in. Achlys's swimming was not graceful. She splashed water everywhere, her feet breaching the water's surface and forcing her to expend way more energy than needed, but she was able to successfully get herself all the way back. Once back on the beach, Achlys let out a contended sigh and laid back on the sand, immediately covering her skin, hair, and bathing chemise in it.
Katherine emerged from the water after Achlys. No water dripped from her spectral form, nor did she leave any wet footprints in the sand. She reached down towards the ground where she had dropped her coat. Her hand closed around nothing, but still, she went through the motions of donning a jacket. As she moved to slip an arm through the sleeve, mist swirled around her, reforming her coat.
"Katherine?" Achlys asked.
"Yes?" the wraith answered.
"Who said the water is refreshing?"
"I don't remember."
"Do you want to?"
"Yes."
Achlys stood up and skipped over to Karthus. She grabbed his hand, waving it back and forth as she jumped in place.
"We're going to help Katherine," she chanted, "we're going to help Katherine."
"Of course we will," Karthus promised.
Achlys motioned for the undead to sit on either side of her and once they were all seated, she took their hands held them both. Strictly speaking, Karthus's presence was not needed for this, but since her unfortunate experience with Hecarim's knight, Achlys had become reluctant to practice this aspect of her magic without her father right by her side. Karthus did not mind though; he was fascinated by her ability and wanted to learn more about it.
"It will be like when you were a not-Katherine wraith," Achlys said, "do you remember?"
"I do not," Katherine answered, "my memory of that time is clouded, like being surrounded by fog on the open ocean."
"That's okay, you were brave then. You will be brave again today."
The eerie green of Achlys's magic began to cover her hands. As the light grew, Katherine's eyes began to glow with a similar intensity, though their gaze became less focused. For several minutes, Achlys chatted idly about the ocean, the cove, and swimming; anything that might stir a memory within Katherine. And then the wraith spoke.
She tilted her head to the sky and squinted, as if the sky were a dazzling blue, illuminated by the sun rather than obscured by the Black Mist. Her chest moved in the memory of a deep breath, taken to savor the salty air.
"I see her," she whispered, "she's only up to her knees, even though I am already floating."
"Her dress is white," Achlys commented.
"Yes."
Karthus looked curiously down at his daughter. How had she known that?
Katherine continued to speak.
"She's waving to someone on the shore. It must be my sister but I cannot see her. I hear her asking if the water is cold. It is, but that is not what she is saying. It's refreshing. It's just what you need on a hot summer day."
She paused. Her eyes were staring blankly ahead.
"Katherine?" Achlys whispered.
"They're fading. I can't feel it," she touched her cheeks, "I can't feel the warmth of the sun. And they're fading."
Achlys concentrated on her magic, letting it flow out her hands and into Katherine. But as she did, some also flowed into Karthus.
"I see her again. She's taking my sister's hand and brining her to the water."
"Her hair is blonde," Achlys stated.
"No," Katherine answered, "her hair is brown."
"Oh."
Karthus remained silent, though the woman he saw in his mind had blonde hair.
"Horatia, wait!" Karthus cried out, "I can't swim!"
"I know that," the blonde haired woman said, "that's why we're here."
Karthus looked around the river, its waters flowing gently towards the capital. Horatia had brought them upstream from the slums of the great city. It had taken them hours to walk there, but when Karthus looked at how clear the shimmering water was, he knew it had been worth the journey. Out here, the water was clean, not clogged with trash and waste. It looked so inviting.
"Alright, Karthus," Horatia said, "let's strip down and get in the water. You're seven now. It's time you learn how to swim."
"Do you think I can do it?"
"Of course. You're a clever boy and you've got the best teacher you could ask for."
"When did you become a teacher?"
"When your other sister was born. All older siblings are teachers."
"I didn't know that."
"That's because you are the youngest," she said with a smile, "the baby of the family."
"I'm not a baby," Karthus pouted.
Horatia laughed.
The flow of magic was disrupted. Achlys had released Karthus's hand and the memory began to fade from his mind. When the lich looked down, he saw Achlys staring right back up at him.
"Are you alright?" she asked, "You look sad."
"I am more than alright," he answered.
"Good! I am glad."
"So am I. Do you know why I am glad?"
"No. Why?"
"I am glad because you said you saw a woman with blonde hair, correct?"
"Correct!"
"I believe you saw my sister."
"Can I meet her?"
"Sadly, no," Karthus said, a frown crossing his face, "she died centuries ago. Her spirit is not on the Isles."
"Oh. But how did I see her?"
"I believe that, for a moment, you saw my memory."
"But it is your memory. I can't think it. How did I do it?"
"I do not know, but I know that this must be related to your purpose here."
"To help wraiths!" she stated proudly.
"To help wraiths," Karthus nodded.
"Like Katherine?"
"Yes."
"And you?"
"Yes, Achlys, to help me."
"I want to help! I will do anything to help!"
"I know you will. These Isles are blessed to have you as its daughter."
"I'm not an island's daughter," Achlys giggled, "I'm your daughter."
She leaned over and hugged her father closely.
"Your daughter!"