Anger

Karthus had decided that it was time to intensify Achlys's magical training. Her latest venture into Helia was proof enough of that. It seemed that no matter how well prepared he thought she was, Achlys always found some unexpected way to put herself in danger again. This time it was stumbling into the path of a battle between greater wraiths.

In truth, Karthus held no ill will towards Ledros. In fact, he pitied the wraith, and prayed that someday he would know the peace that came with accepting what the Isles offered. However, Ledros seemed determined to not let himself be at peace, choosing instead to suffer the agonies of failure again and again and again for ceaseless centuries.

How Ledros chose to spend his eternity was not Karthus's concern at the moment though. His attention was needed by Achlys. She had been rattled by witnessing the fight on the beach, but mercifully, she was not paralyzed with fear as she had been after her first encounter with Vengeance. She was more saddened by the experience than afraid.

Achlys had told him how disappointed she was that she couldn't help Ledros, she didn't find Charis, and that Acheron had attacked one of Hecarim's knights. If Karthus was being honest, the news that Acheron had attacked the knight didn't displease him in the slightest; it meant that her guardian was doing what he was intended to do. Now he just needed to get his daughter better at defending herself.

Achlys held tightly to Karthus's hand as she walked alongside him to the field where they practiced magic together. Acheron bobbed along before them and several members of Karthus's choir trailed behind. With her other hand, she clutched Grimm, finding comfort in the small plush as though he were a second guardian. Despite being surrounded by those who brought her comfort, doubt still clawed at her mind.

"Are you mad at me?" Achlys asked.

"Mad?" Karthus said, "Why would I be mad at you?"

"Because you trusted me to be good in Helia and I still got into trouble."

"What happened was not your fault, but my own. I should have searched the city more thoroughly for dangers."

"Dangers? Is Ledros a bad wraith?"

"No, he is not."

"Oh, does that mean Hecarim is a bad wraith?"

"Hecarim is," Karthus paused, considering his response carefully, "a troublesome wraith. He can be dangerous, but he also fights very fiercely to keep the Isles safe."

"But he was attacking Ledros and Vengeance. This is their home too."

"Violence is a part of each of them. In life they fought each other, and now in death they continue to do so, even though we should all be on the same side. You can be angry with them, you can be afraid of them, but remember, every wraith has a chance to be a good wraith. Remember how some of the wraiths you helped tried to hurt you at first? That was not because they were bad, but because they were confused. Some need time to work through their confusion on their own, some need guidance from people like you or me, and others, who may not be confused, simply need to find ways to use their gifts in more constructive means."

"I think I understand," she sighed, "And you're sure you're not mad at me?"

"I am not mad at you. You tried to use your gifts to help another. That is what you should be doing, but in the future, I think it would be wise for you to avoid Ledros as well as Hecarim and Kalista."

"I'll try."

Once they had reached the field, Karthus had Achlys release his hand and go stand several paces from him.

"There is nobody around that you can hurt and nothing that may accidentally break," he said, "so you do not need to hold back while we practice today."

"Okay." Achlys nodded.

"Show me what you can do. Please, let me see how talented my daughter is."

"Which spell do you want to see?"

"Start with the first spell you learned. Conjure balefire."

Achlys nodded and held her hand out before her. The cold, green glow of balefire enveloped her hand. Second by second, the flame grew until she held a fireball the size of her head. It did not blaze out of control as it would have when she was younger, but maintained a steady shape, pulsating ever so slightly in time with her breathing. She inhaled sharply, the magic flickering excitedly, and then she sent the balefire soaring forward. It flew swiftly through the air before dissipating in a shower of cold embers.

"It travels further with each year," Karthus said approvingly, "I am proud."

The soft pink of a blush stood out starkly on Achlys's pale cheeks.

"Thank you," she said.

"And have you been practicing sharing your magic with Acheron?"

"We have. Acheron likes it," she responded as she beckoned her guardian down into her hands, "Come on, Acheron! Let's show off."

Achlys held her guardian in her arms. She could feel the magic within him, like the soft pull of a river when you dip your fingers into the water. She let her magic flow into him, causing his fiery aura to grow. Once he was glowing brilliantly, she released him into the air.

"Follow my directions," she ordered as she raised her hand.

Achlys traced patterns in the air and Acheron followed them: up, down, left, right, figure eights, and a star. At last though, she called him to hover over her head. Raising her arms towards him, she stoked their shared magic to a scintillating flare.

"Okay, Acheron," she called to him, "Fly!"

She pointed to a location and, at once, Acheron threw himself towards it. He crashed into the ground, leaving behind an impact that smoldered with balefire after he returned to Achlys. Karthus gave a nod of approval. As he looked at the impact Acheron left, he could almost imagine the ringing noise the helmet of Hecarim's knight must have made when Acheron collided with it. It was not an unpleasant thought.

"And your levitation magic," he asked, "have you been practicing that?"

"Yeah," she answered, "but I'm still not good at it."

"Wraiths can become weightless, Achlys. You still have a body of flesh and bone. It is understandable that this magic will take longer for you to master."

"Is there anyone with flesh and bone I can learn from?"

"Perhaps," Karthus answered, before swiftly continuing on, "but right now, I want you to show me what you know. We can worry about teachers another time."

"Oh, okay," she said with a nod.

Achlys furrowed her brow as she attempted to levitate herself. Both Karthus and Thresh had been attempting to teach her this skill, and though their metaphors to describe the magic had been drastically different, the sensation they described her as needing to feel was the same; being lifted from the inside.

She envisioned ribbons being wrapped around her feet and pulling herself up by them. She felt her magic coursing through her legs down to her toes. Her muscles tensed and she did a small hop to get herself into the air. It was less than her hand's width, but Achlys was able suspend herself in the air for a few seconds. Afterwards, she stumbled back to the ground, flailing her arms out to keep balance.

"Ta-dah," she said without much enthusiasm.

"Though it may not feel like much to you," Karthus said, "I can see that you have improved."

Achlys gave a weak smile.

"And now," Karthus continued, "I want you to tether one of the members of my choir."

"But they are bound to you."

"For what I want to teach you, I believe it would be safer if you practiced with a member of the choir rather than a wandering spirit."

"Is it dangerous magic?"

"It should not be, but you are precious to me and I do not wish to take any risks."

"Okay," she agreed.

Achlys placed her hands on the shoulders of the wraith beside Karthus. Her magic wound itself into the wraith with little resistance. She could feel her father's presence on the wraith's soul, comforting like a familiar song being hummed.

"I think I remember you," she said, "Your name was Fito, right? You haven't regained your full form yet, but that's okay, we will have time for that."

At the sound of his name, the wraith's form quivered beneath Achlys's touch.

"Follow me, Fito," she ordered as she tucked her hands behind her back and led the wraith away from Karthus.

"Achlys," Karthus said, "the magic I want you to practice is one that you already have performed before though I do not think you remember it. When you were a baby and you became upset, you would cry and the wraiths near you would also become upset."

"But now I am controlling my emotions," she interrupted, "I don't want to, what did he say, be led around by an emotion like a beast on a leash."

"Did Thresh say that?"

"Yeah, how did you know?"

"He has distinct manner of speaking."

"Is that a bad thing?"

"It is neither good nor bad."

"But you sound upset."

"His words simply sound unfitting coming from you."

"Oh."

"Do not worry about him anymore today. Focus on your magic right now."

"Okay."

"As I was explaining, your emotions influence the emotions of wraiths around you. You already know this, and that is why you have been learning all these years to calm yourself and avoid fighting wraiths. Now, I want you to do the opposite."

"What? Why?"

"In case you ever need to fight. You and Acheron are strong, but you can be stronger if you fight alongside others. Remember, you said that Hecarim was accompanied by his knights. Even he understands that you have a better chance of winning with more wraiths on your side."

"I ran away from Hecarim."

"You did, and I think it was the right thing to do, but someday there may be a fight you cannot run from. When that happens, make every wraith with you angry. Make them so furious that they will not flee but fight for you without hesitation. You will want them to hurt your enemies."

"This sounds like a bad thing."

"It is not pleasant, but it is not bad. Even I need to do it at times."

"You do?"

"Yes. When I leave for a Harrowing, sometimes the people I want to aid fight me."

"They are confused? Like how wraiths can be?"

"Exactly. You are so clever, I knew you would understand. Yes, they are confused and they attack me. The members of my choir help protect me and free them, but first, I must make them feel frenzied."

He held out his hands towards the other members of the choir that had followed him. In an instant, they howled as their forms grew brighter. They paced restlessly around the lich, hollow eyes searching for something to attack. Achlys could feel their bloodlust rolling off them, sending the tickle of adrenaline through her. It was like being struck by a wave. Then Karthus lowered his hand and they grew calm once more.

"Try this with Fito," Karthus instructed, "think of something that angers you. Focus on it and let that anger flow into him. He may become difficult to control, but that is why you are practicing with a member of the choir. If you cannot control him, I can. He will not harm you, so do not worry. Get yourself as angry as you need to pass that emotion onto him."

"I'll try."

Achlys turned and took Fito's hand, grasping it tightly in hers as threads of her magic wrapped him.

"I'm sorry," she whispered to him, "I'll help you calm down again after, okay?"

Fito stared back emotionlessly at her.

"Here we go."

Achlys did not like being angry, but now her father was asking her to be. In silence she searched her mind, looking for thoughts that made her angry. A few things came to mind quickly; stubbing her toe, having to stay inside on a rainy day, when she wasn't able to get a wraith to listen to her. But as she tried to get angry from these thoughts, she found that she couldn't. These things were just frustrations, little more than inconveniences that could upset her but rarely did they leave her angry for long. She needed something stronger.

She thought about how Gaspare would scoff at the notion that Gwen wasn't an imaginary friend. She thought about how Auntie kept talking about Noxus but how she wasn't allowed to visit the place. She thought about how Thresh kept telling her to be patient, he couldn't take her soul out again so soon. She thought about how Hecarim would call her a coward.

The faintest flickers of anger began to stir within her. Fito sensed it. The wraith let out a long, low hiss. Acheron sensed it as well and his aura of balefire began to burn brighter.

Achlys's thoughts remained on Hecarim. She envisioned the way he would sneer down at her, the mocking comments he would make about her bravery, strength, and growth, and how dreadful the noises he made were as he stormed across the Isles. She thought of how his wrath burned, hot and wicked enough to be felt on the souls of those bound to him. She remembered how roughly he had handled her when her father had left her with him, how her head pounded as she was carried away, and how eager he had been to make her bare witness to violence. Even if he was not able show it to her, the mere thought that he had wanted to, despite knowing how timid she was, was upsetting.

Her anger was mounting. Achlys could feel her heartrate increasing and her muscles becoming tense. The grip she held the wraith with tightened. Fito began to struggle in her grasp as restlessness overcame him. His jaw opened and a low growl came out as he flashed his fangs.

Achlys thought back to the other day. Ledros was so desperate to help Kalista that she couldn't ignore it. He needed help. Kalista needed help. She could have helped. But Hecarim interrupted them. She had just gathered all her courage to approach the wraith that frightened her the most and then the horseman who had always mocked her for her weakness had shattered her chance to face her fears. Now Kalista was lost as Vengeance and Ledros was still hurting. Achlys was furious.

As her anger flared it was keenly felt by both Acheron and Fito. Both lashed their heads about, looking for the source of Achlys's unrest. Seeing nothing, Fito began to strain against Achlys's hold so that he may go out and hunt for something, anything, to attack. But Achlys held firmly to the struggling spirit. He was under her control and she refused to let him go. She may have not been strong enough to face Hecarim, but Achlys knew she was more than strong enough to keep this wraith in line. But she was not able to keep her own emotions fully in line, and as she recalled the image of Kalista, Ledros, and Hecarim locked in combat, and her anger boiled over.

"I just wanted to help her!" she shouted, "I just wanted to help her and he ruined it!"

Then, as quickly as her rage flared, it dissolved. Achlys had realized something. She didn't like Hecarim. He made her angry. Very angry. Angrier perhaps than anything else on the Isles did. The emotion was exhausting to hold but, she told herself, this anger was a tool like any other part of her magic, which meant that she could practice it and learn to control it. The thought was a small comfort.

"Achlys," Karthus's calm voice cut through her angry thoughts, "you've done it. Well done. You may calm down now."

She let out a shuddering sigh.

"Okay," she nodded.

After a few calming breaths, she ran her fingers over Grimm. Her breathing grew steady again and both Acheron and Fito became still.

"I didn't like that," she said, "I hope I don't have to use that magic a lot."

"I also hope you never need to use it, but I would rather have you be prepared to defend yourself."

Achlys rubbed a few frustrated tears from her eyes and leaned against Karthus. He placed a hand on her shoulder and hugged her to him.

"Was that Kalista you were talking about?" he asked, "Did you want to help her even though you are afraid of her?"

"Yeah. I'm supposed to help wraiths and she's a wraith too."

"I'm proud of you, Achlys. That was very kind and very brave of you."

"I want to be. Do you ever think I will be able to help her so we can all be on the same side?"

"If your magic keeps getting stronger, I have no doubt you will someday."

"I hope so."