Comfort and Joy

There had been a storm. It was the kind of storm that made the rain sting your face, the wind howl like a Harrowing, and ships caught in it sink beneath the waves. Now that it had passed, Karthus ventured out to patrol the beaches in search of castaways to save from their mortal suffering. Achlys was eager to follow after him, ready to help however she could and hopeful to finally be allowed to see her father perform this sacred task. After all, her ninth finding day was approaching and she thought she was a big enough girl to start helping out in different ways.

Karthus agreed and allowed her to follow alongside him as he scoured the shore, but only with the understanding that, if nobody was found on the beach, he would need to leave her to wait on the shore while he searched the waters. So when no such lost soul was found and Karthus had to glide out to investigate the forlorn reefs and sandbars around the island, Achlys was understanding.

"I can wait," she said, "There's lots of stuff I can do on the beach and I have Acheron with me, so I won't be bored or lonely."

"I will not be gone long," Karthus promised.

"I will be here."

"That's my good girl. And remember, if you find any survivors, do not approach them. Wait for me to return."

"I won't forget."

"I know you will not."

Karthus gathered the Mist to himself and floated out over the waves, leaving Achlys to play by herself. With a driftwood stick in hand, Achlys patrolled the beach. Her eyes scanned the shore for any intriguing thing that may have washed ashore after the storm. There were seashells, more pieces of driftwood, and heaps of stinking seaweed, in one of which she found the egg case to what was surely a monstrously large species of skate.

"Auntie says that some people call these 'Marai purses,' but I don't think they look too much like purses at all, but I still like it," Achlys explained to Acheron, "Please put this with the rest of the treasures."

Achlys placed the skate case atop Acheron's head so that the crystalline guardian could bring it over to the pile of the day's beach combing finds; a few colorful sea shells, the bone of some creature, a rock shaped like a heart, a coin with a serpent stamped onto it, and a piece of brown sea glass. When he returned to her, she continued her walk along the beach until she saw a group of seagulls squabbling in the distance. A mischievous smirk crossed Achlys's face.

"Acheron, race you to those birds. Ready? One, two, three, go!"

She was off like a bolt, her bare feet throwing up sand behind her as she ran shouting at the birds. Acheron glided behind her, not caring about the race so much as staying within arm's reach of his charge. At the approach of the small child and her glowing companion, the seagulls took off, screeching curses at the child that only they understood.

Achlys, panting, came to a stop before what the seagulls had been pecking at. It was a dead fish. The scavengers had torn away at its scales, revealing the pink flesh beneath. Achlys peered down at it and a bright glow from beneath the flesh caught her eye. She poked at the fish with her stick until the light grew brighter and the pattern of scales became visible to her.

"Hello," she said as she bent down and stuck her hand into it, "it looks like you are stuck. Let me help you."

She wrapped her hand around the glow and began to pull until the soul of the fish came flopping out. Achlys tossed it into the waves.

"Good-bye! I might see you later. Enjoy being a wraith fish."

The specter of the animal dipped below the waves without a sound or splash. Achlys washed her hands in the cool water before drying them on her pants. She retied the pieces of hair that had fallen from her braid as she watched the seagulls fly. They landed further down the beach.

"Do you think there are more fish with stuck souls?" she asked.

Acheron said nothing, but the construct's attention did follow Achlys's outstretched finger towards what she was pointing to.

"Only one way to find out. Ready? Three, two, one, go!"

Again, Achlys sprinted after the seagulls and again, the birds took off at her approach. This time though, there was no fish soul that needed freeing. The corpse the birds had been picking at was already mostly eaten and the piscine wraith must already be swimming in the sea. Still, that did not stop Achlys from poking around the carcass with her stick, her morbid curiosity far overpowering the stench the little corpse was giving off. Her fun was cut short though when she heard a baleful howl over the dunes.

"Acheron, did you hear that?"

A small hissing noise was Acheron's response. Whatever that noise was, it made the guardian wary and Achlys all the more curious. The sound repeated, this time accompanied by a shrieking noise.

"That sounded like a wraith in trouble. We should go check and see if it needs help."

Before Acheron had a chance to object, Achlys was in motion. She wandered down the beach in search of the source of the noise and scrambled up slippery sand dunes until at last she found it. A lone figure, fast and light on her feet, skipped around the wraith of an enraged drakehoud. The Mists had enhanced the creature, swelling the beast to a larger size than it could have grown in life and strengthening its draconic features. It slashed at its nimble foe with glowing claws and lashed its spine covered tail, but could not land a blow.

Achlys did not wait another second before jumping into action. Any further hesitation, she knew, would only risk one of the combatants being dispelled. Even knowing that they would reform, Achlys had come to learn from the other wraiths that it was still an unpleasant experience.

"Stop!" she called out, "Stop fighting! Look over here! I know you're not a bad wraith, you're just confused!"

She reached out towards the wraiths with her binding magic in an attempt to subdue the aggressive spirits. The threads of her magic wrapped around the drakehound as she focused her attention on it. The wraiths of animals, she found, were easier to bring under her control.

"Don't fight, please," she ordered as the wraith whipped its attention around to her, "I don't want to hurt you. We can be calm."

The wraith snarled and strained against the magic, but Achlys held her ground and pulled the beast towards her with her strong will. And then, she felt its will yield to hers.

"Come here," she encouraged in a softer tone, "and be still."

Obediently, the drakehound went to her side and Achlys reached down to scratch its back as though it were a normal hound.

"That's a good pup," she cooed, "you're not a bad wraith, are you? No, you're a good wraith. You like pets, don't you?"

Now with one wraith subdued, Achlys hoped that the second one would be easier to calm now that it was no longer being attacked, but when she turned her attention back upwards, her eyes went wide with surprise. It was not a wraith that the drakehound had been fighting.

"Gwen?"

Achlys stared at the sprightly young woman before her. She was just as she remembered her; hair brighter than the mist shrouded sky, eyes that shone like polished buttons, and an impossibly large pair of scissors in her hands.

"Achlys?" Gwen asked back, disbelief turning her voice to a whisper.

Achlys nodded.

"You remember me."

A moment of silence passed between them and then, Achlys ran to Gwen with arms outstretched. Gwen bent down and caught the young girl in a warm embrace.

"I knew you were real. I just knew you were real," Achlys repeated as she hugged her friend, "Gaspare said I made you up, that you were an imaginary friend, but I knew he was wrong! Gwen, I missed you so much!"

"Oh, Achlys," Gwen said, "how could I ever forget someone like you?"

Joy, pure and simple, welled in Gwen's chest as she held Achlys. There had been too many nights where she had wondered if she had done the right thing by leaving Achlys at the cathedral. Had she left her in the one place where she could have grown up safely or had she damned the girl to become the wraith that she had originally feared her to be? Oh, she had tried many times to sneak close to the cathedral but the constant presence of so many wraiths always made such trips a risky gamble, even with the Hallowed Mists protecting her. As such, Gwen had scarcely seen more than a glance of Achlys over the years. All it would have taken was one misstep and her cover would have been blown and then she would have been in the same, if not worse, mess that she was just in when Achlys had found her.

Gwen sighed inwardly as she thought about how she had come to the beach. She had spent the last few years carefully repairing an abandoned boat and navigating it from island to island as she searched for navigational equipment and any hint as to where in the world she was compared to any other civilized land. Then, she had to painstaking gather what precious little food she could find and preserve it for her voyage and then wait for the tides to be in her favor. When all these stars had appeared to align for her, only then did she set out. She had only been at sea for a day before the storm hit, wrecking her hard work and washing her back up right where she had started; on the beach of the main island.

On the misfortunes that had befallen her, Gwen did not want to dwell on anymore. She wanted a distraction from her hardships and to simply enjoy her time with her friend, but as she felt Achlys's magic brush against her skin, an intense shiver ran down her spine. It was as though someone had grabbed the back of her neck with a hand clad in chilled iron. To say she was unnerved by the sensation would be an understatement.

"Achlys," Gwen asked, "this magic. Is it yours?"

"It feels too cold," she thought but didn't say, "too dark to belong to someone like you."

"It's mine." Achlys stated with pride.

She let go of Gwen and moved to sit beside her. She gave her threads of magic a tug, pulling the wraith to her side. The drakehound plodded over and laid down beside her. Achlys began to pet its head and soon the undead beast rested its head in her lap.

"With it," Achlys explained, "I can make wraiths do what I ask them to. Usually it's just asking them to calm down, like I did with this drakehound, but sometimes I need them to carry me or get things from places I can't reach. I'm not very good at levitation magic yet."

"You can control wraiths?"

"Some of them. Mostly the smaller ones, but I'm practicing so that I can do it with the bigger ones someday."

"Why?"

Gwen asked the question without thinking. This magic was born from grief and madness, and to see it flow through Achlys felt wrong. Achlys was still so happy and at peace, she shouldn't be doing this, she should be – well, Gwen wasn't entirely sure what a child stuck on the Isles should be doing, but she knew this most likely wasn't it. But what else could Achlys being doing?

"I use this magic because I need to," Achlys answered, "it's my destiny, or at least that's what I've been told."

"Your destiny? Who told you that?"

"My Father. He keeps telling me that my magic is special, not the binding part, my other magic, and that I should use it to help wraiths find peace."

"You can do other magic?"

"Yeah, balefire stuff, but also my special magic," she raised her hand a conjured her powers, "it lets me see a wraith's memories and then they can remember things better and feel better, well, most of the time at least."

Achlys let out a sigh.

"Hey Gwen, can I talk to you about something that's been bothering me?"

Achlys had always found her plush companions to be some of her best confidants and well, Gwen was a doll who could talk back, so naturally, she should be the second best person for her to voice her concerns to. Her father would always be the first, but for what was on her mind, she wanted the answer of someone who wasn't a wraith.

"Of course," Gwen replied, "that's what friends are for."

"So many of the wraiths feel angry or scared when I first connect with them. I don't understand."

"I imagine that they must have been angry or scared when they died and then the Mist made it worse."

"But why would it do that? My magic comes from it and it doesn't make me worse, does it?"

Holding one of her hands before her, Achlys conjured magic to it and stared into the glow. It couldn't be making her worse, could it? No, she used it to help wraiths, it can't be bad. Although, the magic she had been learning recently wasn't entirely nice either. The stronger magic Thresh was teaching her upset the wraiths she tried to use it on; he had even described it as leaving scars on their souls. Then there was how her Father wanted her to practice making wraiths become filled with rage. And the Mist in her nightmares always seemed to be scary even though she knew she shouldn't have to fear it. Should she?

"Does it?"

Gwen could tell Achlys was upset, but what could she say? She didn't want to lie to her friend, but telling the young girl that her magic was corrupt, born of obsession, fueled by suffering, and designed to cause more of it, also didn't feel like the right thing to do. But, mercifully, Gwen also knew there were also exceptions to this suffering. Over the years Gwen had found wraiths who were bound to the Mist but had not succumbed to madness and were simply in a state of somber torpor or restlessness. Rarer still, there were also wraiths that were benevolent and used their powers to protect the weaker souls on the Isles. Perhaps Achlys's father was one of these? It would explain how she had managed to survive for so long. And judging by how Achlys had mentioned that her father had wanted her to use her magic to bring others peace, that was likely the case.

It wouldn't be easy, but perhaps, Achlys could use the magic to help others. The now peaceful drakehound resting its massive head in her lap was a sign to that. Gwen knew it wasn't a perfect comparison, but she reasoned that, just because something could cause harm didn't mean it also couldn't be used for good, just as scissors could snip a wraith to ribbons just as easily as they could help mend a dress.

"No," Gwen answered, "I don't think it's making you worse. The Mist can be scary, but you said that you are using it to help wraiths, right? I think if you keep using it help and not hurt, it won't make you a bad person. What you do with your gift is what's most important."

"I don't like hurting wraiths," Achlys mumbled.

Gwen looked down at Achlys, still lost in thought as she watched her magic flicker across her fingers. She hated the way the magic felt against her skin, but she knew what she should do to comfort her friend. A moment of discomfort would be worth it if their reunion could go back to being a happy one.

"Achlys, do you need a hug?"

Achlys nodded.

"Alright," Gwen smiled, "one big hug coming your way."

She wrapped her arms around the younger girl and hugged her close. At once, Gwen could feel Achlys's muscles relax as she leaned back into her. Achlys let out a long sigh and reached up to hold onto Gwen's arm. Then, a deep sense of warmth flowed through her.

She guides the needle through the blue fabric, careful not to prick herself with it even though she was laughing. It was a terrible joke that she had told, but he seemed to enjoy it and was also laughing. She places the ribbon she was working on down on the table as she feels his arms wrap around her from behind and rest on her stomach. She places her hands over his. Their wedding bands touch. He lets out a contented sigh. His breath is warm against her skin. She feels him place a kiss on the top of her head.

Achlys blinked. Surprise at the unexpected sensation caused her magic to dissipate, and with it went the feeling of peaceful contentment. In its place was curiosity.

"Gwen," she asked, "did you feel that?"

"I think so," Gwen replied, though she sounded just as confused as Achlys.

"That felt like a wraith's memory, but it couldn't be. You're not a wraith and I've never had that spell work on a living person before. And you don't have a ring, do you?"

Gwen held out her hands before Achlys.

"No rings," she said, "only gloves and bows."

"Then who's hands did we see?"

"You saw something? I only felt warm and heard laughter."

"Two people with rings. I only saw their hands though. Oh, and one of them was sewing. She was making a bow that looks like yours, but a lot smaller."

"You saw my Maker?"

"Maybe?"

"But how is that possible? Even I don't know where she is."

"I don't know. I'm sorry. There's a lot I don't know about my magic. Maybe it's getting stronger. I don't know."

The two looked at each other, completely unsure of what to make of what just happened.

"It felt nice though," Achlys said, "whatever memory that was."

"It did."

"So I'll keep using my magic for stuff like that. Good things."

"I think that's a splendid idea."

A renewed sense of peace flowed through Achlys. She gave the drakehound a pat, silently ordering it to stand, and then pulled herself to her feet.

"So what do you want to do, Gwen? I know I didn't bring any toys with me to the beach, but I wasn't expecting to see you. I'm so happy I did though. There's so much we could do together. I'll be happy with anything you pick; make believe, skipping stones, sandcastles, anything!"

With her worries put behind her, Achlys was more energetic than she had been all day. It was an energy that Gwen was quick to pick up on and she too jumped up to her feet.

"You sound like you want to do everything," Gwen said with a smile.

"I do! It's not that Katherine isn't fun to play with but usually she's the only one I get to play with. It's nice to have someone different to play with and make the same things feel different. You understand, don't you?"

Gwen nodded. She did understand. The way Achlys was feeling was how she herself had felt all those years ago when she had first met her; a reprieve from a loneliness she didn't realize she had. And because she understood that feeling, Gwen wanted nothing more than to indulge every little thing Achlys wanted to do in the time they had together.

"How about we skip stones?" Gwen suggested, "I don't have much experience with sandcastles, but I have skipped plenty of stones."

"Okay, but I'll have to teach you about sandcastles later."

"Sounds like a promise."

They walked along the shore, collecting as many flat stones as they could hold in their hands, before going to stand by the water's edge. Achlys was first to go. She flicked her stones out over the water, watching as it skipped three times before sinking below the waves.

"Only three," she commented, "My record is five. What's yours?"

"I don't know," Gwen responded as she sent her stone skipping, "I've never kept track."

Her stone went for four bounces before sinking.

"Now it's four," Achlys stated.

"I suppose it is."

They each had a few more turns, counting aloud as the rocks splashed across the water. By her third attempt, Gwen had broken both their records, with seven skips from a single toss. As this long bouncing stone sank, Achlys's eyes trailed further up to look at the horizon.

"What do you think is out there Gwen?"

"A big wonderful world filled with other kingdoms and other people."

"I can't wait to see it someday."

"Me neither."

"Where would you go first? I'll probably go to Noxus because I know the most about that place and I really want to go there, but one the wraiths in the choir is from a place called Shurima. He said there was a big desert there, filled with so much sand. It sounds like the biggest beach. I bet I could find all sorts of neat things in the sand. Can you imagine how many pretty seashells would be on a beach that big?"

"That sounds fun. Hmm, now if I got to pick where I went first, I think I would try and find my old home. The only problem is I don't know where that is. I was just a doll then, so my memories are fuzzy."

"Then I will go with you and we can look for it together."

Gwen looked over at Achlys with a gentle smile. The thought of leaving these Isles with her friend was a wonderful one, but one that, in the bottom of her heart, she knew was still many years away. She knew she was not yet capable of caring for them both. Either she or Achlys would need to get stronger first, and that would require time. For now, whatever wraith was raising Achlys had access to food, water, and shelter that Gwen did not, and was capable of teacher her magic, another thing Gwen could not do. As much as she hated to admit it, this meant that in the clutches of this wraith was still the safest spot for Achlys to be.

"Someday," Gwen responded aloud, words more so to comfort herself than the other girl, "we will go, and it will be a most joyful adventure."

"We'll fight monsters, make new friends, find your home, and get to meet your Maker! It will be the best!"

"I look forward to it!"

"I hope we also find treasure on our journey."

"I think the friends we make along the way will be the best treasure, but I also wouldn't mind finding some pretty new fabrics to make things from. I suppose those two things can go hand in hand; new friends and making new clothes for them."

"Make sure everyone has pretty ribbons!"

"Oh course!"

"I hope I can find sea glass of every color. I usually only find a few colors on the beach, but Father told me that some building have things called stained glass, which can be any color. That must mean that there is a chance that sea glass can be any color. So I'm going to find them all and then learn how to make them into necklaces like mine."

"Your necklace is sea glass?"

"Yeah. Here, take a closer look."

Achlys took off her necklace and handed it to her friend. Gwen held up pendant to the misty sky so the dim light could shine through the glass. Against the bleak backdrop, she admired the soft blue sheen the sea glass gave off.

"What a beautiful color," Gwen commented, "I think it suits you, Achlys."

"Thank you. I got it from a friend."

"Is your friend a wraith?"

"All my friends are wraiths, except for you, and Acheron I guess. He looks like a wraith but Father says he was made from a golem so I guess he's just a very small golem. Oh, and Auntie isn't a wraith either, but she's an Auntie and that's different than a friend but still important."

"I understand, I think I remember my Maker mentioning something about the importance of aunt-niece relationships."

"I hope I get to meet your Maker someday. She sounds nice."

"She is. She's kind and warm and caring and wonderful. I hope we find out what happened to her so you get to meet her. I just know you two would get along."

Achlys smiled.

At length, Gwen's attention turned to the ocean. The tide was coming in and she had yet to find even a single board of her doomed boat. She needed to start searching again before the waters submerged any of her gear that may have washed up alongside her.

"No, think positively," Gwen thought to herself, "the tides aren't coming to hide your stuff; they'll be bringing it in on the waves. You won't be stuck here forever. That's the spirit! Oh, that does mean saying good-bye to Achlys again. No, I don't like that at all. Maybe you could take her with you?"

"Gwen, you can hardly take care of yourself. How would you also take care of her? Achlys is a capable child, but still a child. Oh, and if she had been with me during the storm, she surely would have drowned and become stuck as a wraith. No, that won't do. I need to become better before I can take her from this place. I'm sorry Achlys, I can't bring you with me now, it would not be what is safest for you, but someday, I promise we will go together. Until then though, I will do better than last time. I won't just leave you with a bunch of wraiths again, not without something."

"Achlys," Gwen said, "I will need to be going soon. I have to keep looking for my boat and find shelter."

"Oh? Why don't you stay with me? I can ask my Father. I don't think he would mind."

"I don't think that would be a good idea."

"Aww, why not?"

"You live with many wraiths, correct?"

Achlys nodded.

"Well, wraiths don't like me very much. Most of them attack me on sight."

"I'll just tell them not to. I did it with the drakehound."

"That's very kind of you, but I don't think it would be right of me to upset these wraiths in the first place. You live with them. I don't want to bring conflict into your home."

Gwen knew from experience that even the more benign spirits on the Isles seemed to become agitated around her. It was as if simply being near the Hallowed Mist stirred something within their souls.

"It would not be fair for me to do this."

"I understand," Achlys sighed, "but I'm still upset."

"I wish I didn't have to leave you either, but I believe this is what's safer for us both."

Achlys nodded and made a weak whimpering noise in acknowledgement.

"I'm going to give you something before I go," Gwen continued, "it isn't much, but I want you to wear it whenever you feel lonely."

Gwen pulled out a length of thin navy ribbon. With a bit of her silvery thread, she quickly stitched a simple pattern down the center of the ribbon. When she was done, she held out the ribbon to Achlys, who took it. The young girl's eyes lit up as she watched as the shimmering thread reacted to her magic and shine with a soft blue glow.

"It's so pretty," Achlys gasped, "just like yours."

"But this one is just for you. It's going to look so lovely with your necklace."

"Thank you, Gwen! Thank you!"

Achlys threw her arms around Gwen's waist.

"You are most welcome. Now, would you like me to tie up your hair?"

"Yes please."

Achlys handed the ribbon back to Gwen and turned around. With gentle fingers, Gwen undid the loose braid Achlys's hair hand been in, careful not to create any snarls as she brushed it as best she could. Then, she gathered up as much of her hair she could and tied it up in a high ponytail before adjusting the tails and loops of the ribbon so it looked like the ones she wore in her own hair.

"When you wear this, Achlys," she said, "remember that even though we can't always be together, I'm still your friend and we will see each other again. Hopefully someday, we may not even have to worry about wraiths being around to bother us."

"Or maybe I'll be so strong that I can get all the wraiths to do what I tell them to. Then you won't have to worry about them attacking you ever again."

"Maybe. There, your hair's all done. You look as pretty as a princess."

Achlys twirled back around and gave a little courtesy.

"Thank you," she smiled, though her smile quickly faded, "You need go to now, though, right?"

"I'm afraid so."

"I'm going to miss you."

"I'm going to miss you too."

"Can I have one more hug before you go?"

'Of course."

They wrapped their arms around each other and hugged. Achlys squeezed as tight as she could. Hugging Gwen was wonderful. It was not as though she didn't also love hugs from her Father or Katherine, those were also wonderful in their own ways, but Gwen's hugs had something the others didn't. They were warm, filled with something nobody else on the Isles seemed to have. Achlys couldn't quite place her finger on it, but as she held Gwen, a desire to simply remain like this, basking in the love of her friend and the faded joyful memory resting just below the surface, grew. The desire seemed to reach down to her soul. She did not want to let Gwen go. But she knew she had to. So with a reluctant final squeeze, Achlys released her.

"We'll see each other again, right?" she asked as she stepped back.

"I know we will, in fact, I promise we will!"

Gwen's assuredness brought a faint smile to Achlys's face. They were only words, but her promise made the parting easier. With a final wave, Gwen turned and began making her way further down the beach.

Achlys stood on the beach, waving her hands until her friend was out of sight and then another minute after that. Only when her arm finally grew tired did she let it, and the rest of her body, droop. She let out a long sigh and went to call the drakehound back to her side, but before she could do that, she felt a cold tickle scratching her throat.

Achlys coughed. The icy sensation crept up her throat, coating it with a thick chill. She coughed more, but it didn't dislodge the cold from her throat, so her body continued to cough. It was not until she was doubled over and trembling from the effort of coughing, that she was finally able to spit up the cold that coated her. A tendril of Black Mist slipped from her lips and went billowing away.

A pained groan left Achlys as she massaged her cold throat. She was used to that happening after a nightmare but not during the day. It was a tiring sensation and she decided that she was ready for a nap. Leaning on the drakehound for support, Achlys returned to where Karthus was to meet her. She laid down in the sand, leaned against the drakehound as a furry, but cool pillow, commanded Acheron to patrol around her for hostile spirits, and fell asleep.

She woke at the feeling of boney hands cradling her shoulders. Her green eyes slid open and looked up to see Karthus over her.

"Achlys," he asked, "are you well?"

"Mm-hmm," she responded with a yawn, "just got sleepy. I made friends with a drakehound."

"I can see that, and you were able to maintain control even while sleeping. Your magic is getting stronger."

Achlys nodded.

"Were you able to find any souls to help?" she asked.

"Not this time."

"Aww."

"There will always be more Harrowings that I can use to go liberate more souls."

He reached down and helped her back to her feet. As he did so, his attention was drawn to the ribbon proudly tied into her hair. It was definitely not one of the ones Elise had given her.

"Achlys, where did that ribbon come from?" he asked, "I don't remember that one."

Achlys was about to answer him that she just got it from her friend, but she paused. Gwen seemed convinced that all wraiths didn't like her, but Achlys believed that her Father would be different. But what if he wasn't? What if he also wouldn't like Gwen? Gwen had not wanted to cause conflict for Achlys, so the least she could do in return was try and not cause conflict for Gwen. So she answered as truthfully as she was comfortable with.

"I found it on the beach. Isn't it pretty?"

Karthus nodded.

"It is nice color."

"Father, can I go home, I'm still a little sleepy."

"Was beach combing that eventful today?"

"It was busy."

"Then let's get you to your bed. Release the drakehound and gather what you want to keep."

Achlys nodded, and did as she was told, gathering up her treasure and leaving a secret on the beach.

Greetings Summoners,

Getting ready for an exciting weekend at PAX East. If anyone is going, let me know, I would love to meet you. The wonderful spouse and I will both be, appropriately enough, cosplaying a set of Shadow Isles characters. Because I have been so busy getting ready for this con, the next chapter of Prelude to Ruin, for those of you who read it, will not be out next Wednesday, but I will do my best to get it out before the month's end. Until next time, best of luck on Rift.

- Gwoo