Chapter 59: Love Story

It's bright. The colors, the sounds, the people; I know I am in the nightmare again. I know it before the dream forces me to walk through old Helia and look towards the harbor where the strange big ships and the parade of soldier are waiting. I can't control it. I just want to get it over with.

I feel my body turn and start walking towards the docks. It only seems like I've taken a few steps, but suddenly, I am there standing among the soldiers. Through the crowd, I look for Kalista and spot the big helmet feather fluttering in the wind. It's so pretty and fluffy looking. I want to reach out and touch it, but I can't. This is the nightmare and I can only do what it wants me to.

Next to Kalista, Ledros is standing and talking to her. I don't understand what they are saying, but their words sound worried.

Why can't I understand them? I can hear them normally when I am awake. Why do they sound like they are saying made up words here?

I watch as Ledros places a hand on Kalista's shoulder and she places her hand on top of his. For a moment, she holds his hand before pushing it off. They start to talk again, but then the other tall soldier comes over and they stop. This other man looks happy and he walks so confidently and even though the color of his armor is dark, it shines so brightly in the sun.

Why is he the only one that looks happy? Why does he seem familiar? I haven't seen his face on any wraith.

After talking for a little bit, the three of them split up and go in separate directions. The first time I watched Kalista go onto the ship, the second time, I watched Ledros, and this time the nightmare makes me watch the other soldier. He walked towards a group of knights and climbs up onto a huge horse faster than I climb out of my bed. He then takes his helmet, which has this big horn on it, and puts it on. When he looks out at the city, he still looks happy but not friendly anymore. I think I recognize him at last.

Hecarim?

The nightmare then turns me around to look at the ship before I have too much time to think about why Hecarim is here. Kalista is standing with her uncle, the king. He looks as unwell as I remember him looking last time. He doesn't say anything to Kalista and she doesn't try to say anything back. They are both silent.

But where is her Auntie? I keep having this nightmare and I still can't see her?

I am moved along the dock until I am standing right next to the king. Up close, I can get a better look at him. Messy hair, sunken in eyes; it's like he's sick. I keep looking at him and notice his eyes. Even though they are a little red right now, I cans see that they are a very pretty blue, like the color of the ocean. But they are also very, very sad.

I keep watching him until he turns to look back up at the ship and I am also forced to turn that way. Four soldiers are on the deck now and are carrying something between them. The king's eyes are fixed upon the thing, but I am too short to be able to see what it is. Slowly, the soldiers walk down the plank and I am able to get a better look. It looks like a bed with a sheet and –

Oh! It's covered in flowers! Blue, so pretty! The color reminds me of Gwen's hair.

The nightmare keeps me close to the king's side, so when he goes to the bed, I am right there next to him. His eyes move very quickly as he looks over it. I look carefully as well. Then, I realize something.

That's a funerary shroud. The queen is dead!

At once, everything goes dark. I don't hear the ocean or the strange words of the soldiers. I don't see Kalista or the king or anything. There is nothing. Everywhere I look, there is only darkness.

But then I hear footsteps and see a light coming from behind me. The light grows brighter and brighter and the footsteps louder until they stop next to me. I look up. A tall man is standing next me and I know he's the man with the light I have seen in my dreams before, the one I can never catch up to no matter how fast I run. Up close, I can see that the light he has is coming from a lantern.

It looks familiar.

Even with the light, it is difficult to see all his features. His coat has a big collar and with the light so close, it's covering his face with shadows. Parts of the of the coat shine in the lantern light and I can see that it is trimmed with metal decorations. Whoever this is, he must be important to have such a fancy coat.

One feature of his I can make out is his eyes. They are such a strong green color that they almost look like they are glowing in the dark.

Again I hear the sound of footsteps. The man with the lantern hears them as well and he looks up. He listens for a moment and then starts walking away. He's walking quickly, like he has somewhere he needs to be, but he doesn't start running. For once, I am able to keep up with him.

We take a few steps and the darkness begins to melt away. Now we are walking through a hall and sunlight is coming in through the windows and shinning off the polished marble floor. It looks so clean. Even with how bright it is, this place seems peaceful but I think I can hear sounds in the distance that are not.

Is that screaming?

The man with the lantern moves ahead of me. I can see long, dark hair tumbling down his back. His hair is longer than mine, but it is perfectly well kept. It looks silky smooth and is neatly tied into three long braids. I don't think a single hair isn't the way he wants it to be.

He said he had long hair in life.

Before I can think too much, the man with the lantern turns around and speaks. It sounds like he's saying two things at once; one thing in words I don't understand and another thing in ones I can.

"This way."

I try to turn around to see who he is talking to, but when I turn, all I see is darkness behind me. The black nothing is back. I turn back forward. The man and the bright hallway are also gone. Just darkness again. I turn and turn and run but I can't find anyone.

Come back!

I try to shout, but no sound comes out.

Please, I'm sorry I tried to turn around! Don't leave me in the dark!

No sound from me, but I do hear something. Water. Something is moving through water. I try to figure out where the sound is coming from, but I hear something else.

I hear the woman scream.

My hands cover my ears as fast as they can but it doesn't do anything to stop the noises that follow. There is the boom like thunder and the flash so bright it makes it so the only thing I can see is white. When the colors come back, they are confused and fast and dizzy as always.

A ship on the ocean sinks and wraiths fly up from it. A woman crouches over a silver glowing flower like she's trying to protect it. Two soldiers are fighting each other even though they are wearing the same color armor. Neither beats the other. They both fall over and rise again as wraiths.

Then the Black Mist comes. It's like getting pushed over by a wave and forced underwater. I'm afraid, but I don't fight it this time. It's so cold as it wraps around me. I just want it to be over.

Please just let me wake up!

I'm crying alone in the darkness.

I hear someone else crying.

I thought I was alone. Maybe I'm not. I look around and see the strange glowing symbol. It's the end of the nightmare. I start walking towards it even though the Mist makes my body feel like it's stuck in freezing water. I reach out towards it and just like last time, I see the green eyes. This time though, they do not scare me. They aren't looking at me. They don't really look like they are looking at anything.

I pull my hand back from the symbol and take a step back. It's not just eyes above the symbol anymore. It's a whole person. He looks as pale as I do and has white hair like I do and he has Mist pouring from him like I did, though his is coming from the mark on his chest.

Does it hurt you too?

As I look at him, I focus on his eyes. They are bright green, like mine, and familiar. I know I have seen them before. They may not be blue anymore, but it is still easy to recognize who they belong to by how very, very sad they are.

"I think I know who you are."

And for the first time, I can hear my own voice out loud in the nightmare.

"You're the king. You're Viego."

It feels like something has grabbed my heart and squeezed.

Achlys lurched up in bed clutching her heart. Her cry was caught in her throat. Instead, wisps of Black Mist were being coughed up. Karthus was already at her side.

"I am here, Achlys," he said, "take a deep breath."

He placed a hand over her heart and channeled his magic to quell the Mist inside her. Her coughing ceased as quickly as it began.

"Thank you," she moaned as she slumped back in the lifeboat.

"Was it the nightmare again?"

"Yeah," she nodded, "It's the same dream but a little different each time. I don't know why I keep having it. It feels different from when I have it before a Harrowing. Maybe it's because the Harrowing is in my throat."

Karthus pulled the blankets back over her and ran a hand over her head.

"We can talk about it tomorrow," he said softly," Right now, you need rest. Go back to sleep, my dear."

"I will try," she said through a yawn, "Will you stay here?"

"I will."

Despite her doubts, Achlys was asleep in again in minutes. Karthus watched over her, making sure that her breathing was unlabored and steady and that no more Black Mist was forcing its way out of her. He reached out and placed his withered hand on Acheron, who let out a purring sound at the touch.

"Do not feel poorly," Karthus whispered, his words equally for himself as they were for Acheron, "I cannot protect her from this any better than you can."

Three nights. Three nights in a row, Achlys had been having her nightmare, and each time, she had awoken coughing up Mist. Karthus had become afraid to leave her side whenever she slept. These attacks were clearly causing her pain and Karthus knew what he needed to do, who he needed to bring her to, for his best chance at helping her get this problem under control, but he dreaded doing it.

What would she think of him? What would he think of her?

He could be unpredictable, his mood swinging from one great passion to another. Great sorrow, great rage, great excitement. Karthus believed he was just as likely to be enraged at his keeping her a secret as he was to be pleased to have another willingly servant.

Part of this, he supposed, would also be determined by how Achlys behaved, and though Karthus could not control his daughter's behavior, he could influence it. Achlys was already a kind soul. Telling her that someone needed her help was usually all it took for her to be willing to at least try and help. And who, Karthus thought, required more help than their king? His was a noble goal.

Silently, he called to members of her choir with his magic, and commanded them to bring him what he needed; blank vellum, a lectern, ink, and his quill. Once he had them, Karthus set himself to work on what would help Achlys understand the importance of who she would be meeting and what she would be expected to do.

After several more hours of uneasy sleep, Achlys began to stir.

"Good morning, Achlys," Karthus said.

"Good morning," she yawned back.

"How are you feeling today?"

"Sleepy."

She stretched with a grunt, said "good morning" to Acheron, and pulled herself from her bed. She went to go start dressing herself but paused when she saw Karthus busy writing at his lectern.

"What are you doing?" she asked.

"I'm writing a story."

"Here?"

"I said I would stay by your side while you slept, so one of the choir brought it to me."

"Oh, okay. What kind of story is it?"

"A love story."

"A love story?"

"Yes, but I am having trouble finishing it. Would you like to help me finish it?"

"Yes."

Karthus lowered himself to the floor and Achlys went to sit beside him, leaning against as she had when he used to read her bedtime stories. Then, he began to read.

"Once upon a time, in a faraway kingdom, there was a young king. The king lived in a big castle, filled with sparkling treasures, beautiful works of art, enchanted items, and knights all wearing shining armor, but none of these things made the king as happy as his favorite treasure of all; his wife, the queen."

"The queen was very special. She did not come from another royal family, or a noble family, or even a wealthy family. The queen was a peasant, a seamstress, when the king met her, but he knew with all his heart that it was love at first sight and that they were meant to be together."

"She was kind and beautiful and loved by the people. The king did everything he could to make her happy and give her anything she could have wanted because when she was happy, he felt like he was a better king. Together, the kingdom seemed perfect. They loved each other with all their hearts and promised to always be together forever. They were soulmates."

"Soulmates?" Achlys interrupted.

"It means that they were people whose souls were meant to be together."

"Like ours are?"

"In a way, yes, but for now, keep listening."

"But as much as their kingdom was filled with love and happiness, there were still those within it who had wicked hearts and cruel minds and one day, one of these wicked people attacked. The king survived the attack but the queen was injured by a poisoned blade and grew very ill. The king, determined not to lose the love of his life, sent out his best soldiers to search the world for a cure and he, a devoted husband, did not leave his wife's side the entire time."

After a long and difficult search, the king's best general returned with news of a distant island that had magic that could perform miracles. The news however, arrived too late. The queen had died."

"Oh no. She didn't die on the Isles. She's not going to become a wraith."

"Keep listening."

"But the king he refused to accept that he was gone. He wanted to travel to this land of miracles. His love for her was too great to end so suddenly and so cruelly. He knew that the with the strength of his love, he may be able to create a miracle so powerful as to bring someone back from the dread. So he gathered the queen's body, his best knights to protect them, and set sail for this distant island."

"When they were arrived at the Island, the king prepared to bring the queen to the most sacred place on the island; an ancient spring filled with magical water. He formed a grand parade of soldier to protect her, placed her body on a litter, and brought her to the front of the procession."

"Was the litter covered in little blue flowers?"

"It could be. Would you like me to add that detail?"

"Yeah. I think the queen would like it."

"But there were those on the island who doubted the king. They said that it would never work, that she could never come back to life, that what he was doing was foolish. But the king did not let them stop him. He pushed past those who wanted to obstruct him and made his way to the spring. He cradled his wife and carried her into the water."

"Then, a miracle happened."

"The king's love was so deep and profound, that though she could never be restored fully to life, death itself could not keep them separated. She rose from the waters as a wraith. They embraced and the king died, he too becoming a wraith so that they could be together forever. The king was so overjoyed at their reunion, that his happiness could not be contained. His heart burst and his love poured outwards. What came from it was a blessing so that others could share in the miracle he was given, something so people would never have to lose their loved ones forever."

Achlys looked down at the only drawing on the page; the symbol on the man's chest from her dreams.

"Then it's a happy ending, right? Everyone gets to be together. I thought you said you needed help finishing the story."

"I do because it does not have a happy ending, not yet."

"What happened?"

"The magic that made the Shadow Isles and brought the blessing of undeath was incredibly powerful."

"Like thunder and lightning?"

"Yes, as powerful as a storm. The magic hurt the queen's soul. It broke her into many pieces."

"Oh no."

"And now the king is looking for her. He wants to put her back together so that they can be together."

"You should finish the story so that he does."

"I can't finish it on my own. He needs your help."

Achlys grew quite for a moment. She traced her finger along the symbol drawn upon the page.

"And did the king have a niece?" she asked.

"He did," Karthus answered.

"And the island he went to was here. He came to the Shadow Isles."

"He did."

"Then what came from the king's heart was the Black Mist."

"It was."

"And he has green eyes."

"He does."

Again, Achlys thought for a moment, and when she spoke again, her words were slow and thoughtful. The gravity of what she just realized began to sink in.

"The king is a wraith, right, and I'm supposed to help wraiths. So if I help him, I will also be helping all the other wraiths because the bigger and stronger a wraith is, the more little wraiths they can affect. And what wraith has more power than a king?"

"Will you help?"

"I will, but first I want to ask one more question."

"You may ask."

"Is the king Viego?"

"He is."

And then Karthus gathered his courage before speaking.

"I think you should meet him, Achlys. Would you like that?"

"I would."

"Then I will arrange it."

"And then I will help."

Greetings Summoners,

Well here we are, after a year teasing it, finally Viego will be in the next chapter. Not just referenced, not in a flashback, not a disembodied voice that Karthus hears in the Mist, but actually him physically there. I thank you all for your patience and hope that he will not disappoint. Until next chapter, best off luck on the Rift.

- Gwoo