The vivid taste of fear and iron flooded her senses as Elise plunged her fangs into flesh. The body was still warm, the victim having died only minutes earlier. He had tried to run and in their zealous pursuit, her spiderlings had bit the man dozens of times until he dropped dead of the poison. Elise had scolded them for this. She always preferred to claim the kill herself. It ensured the sweetest first bite.
A spindly limb pushed aside part of the dead man's silken funerary shroud so that her fangs could sink deeper into the flesh. Around her several spiderlings skittered, looking for openings in the cocoon so that they could join in the feast. Venom oozed from their fangs and began to dissolve the body; skin, muscles, and tendons alike, reducing it all to a slurry that was easier for her spider-like anatomy to devour. It was a repulsive way to eat, Elise knew, but this was preferable to chopping up the flesh and cooking it in a way that would appeal to her human form. This way it was also easier to convince herself that this was not cannibalism. But oh, even if she despised the hunger, the taste and the power that came with these predations was well worth it.
The combination of her venom, blood, and slurried proteins warmed her as she ate, but as engrossed as she was in her meal, she was not so consumed that she failed to notice the presence of another in the tree line moving steadily to her. Elise spun around and stood protectively over the corpse. Her fangs, ruby red and dripping burning venom, were bared and she called out defiantly.
"Stop skulking around," she hissed, venom sputtering as she spoke, "Show yourself, Thresh!"
Thresh stepped out from behind the gnarled husk of a magic-blasted tree and into the main path. At the sight of him, Elise's spiderlings grouped up behind their matron. They bared their fangs and raised their front limbs threateningly, but none charged forward. They awaited her command.
"Forgive me," he said in a relaxed tone, "I did not wish to interrupt your meal. You so looked like you were enjoying yourself. This one is seconds, is it not?"
He looked down at the ground before him where another corpse entangled in silk crumpled. The body was completely unrecognizable, shriveled to a husk and covered in puncture marks from where Elise and her spiderlings had bit.
"These people followed you here willingly and you returned their devotion with venom," he mused aloud with a chuckle.
With the tip of his boot, Thresh pushed up the corpse's head so he could get a better look at its expression, bloodless skin shriveled tightly and making the frozen expression of terror all the more wretched to behold.
"That is cruel."
"Condemnation is laughable coming from you," Elise scoffed.
"Condemnation? My dear Elise, I do not care what you do with your followers. I merely find it amusing. Personally though, I prefer to inflict my cruelties in a different manner than with deceit. I enjoy a more direct approach, one where they know a monster is hunting them the whole time. But, if deceiving your flock and offering them up to your god is how you entertain yourself, I will not stand in your way."
"Then leave."
"When I have finished my business, I shall."
Elise glared at him with glistening ruby eyes. She despised the boldness of this specter and how he ventured so close to her god's lair and spoke in such a casual manner to his devoted chosen. But he had existed on the Isles for even longer than had and understood that after feeding, Vilemaw would succumb to torpor and would rather sleep and digest than chase off trespassing wraiths. And at the moment, undisturbed digestion was also something Elise desired, so she tried to move along her meeting with Thresh in a hastened manner.
"Then let us conduct our business," she hissed, "what have you brought for me? I do hope it is something more interesting than last time. She was not impressed by your last gift."
"I never made a bargain with your Pale Woman," Thresh said with a shrug, "so what she thinks about the items I give to you is of no concern to me. The bargain I made was with you and you alone Elise, no other members of your order. Furthermore, I had never promised that each item I would offer would be some long lost treasure of Helia. I had simply promised items that may interest or aid you. I believed that charm I had plucked from that scavenger would be useful to you. Age may not touch your body, but it is still living. You still need air and that charm was made for diving. You can hold your breath for much longer with it. Longer, but not indefinitely."
A cruel smile crossed his face as a dark memory crossed his mind.
"But what I brought for you today is far more interesting than a simple trinket."
"What is it?"
"Knowledge."
From the inside folds of his coat, Thresh produced a small book only slightly larger than his hand. It was bound in dark leather the color of rain soaked earth with vellum pages stained by time. Elise could not read the words on the cover, but she noticed that the pattern stamped on its binding resembled spider webs. Thresh held the book outward, lowering it to be eye level with Elise. He had opened it to a page that showed an illustration of a robed woman kneeling before the entrance of a cave and the massive spider dwelling within. The creature was monstrous in size but there was something about how the ancient illustrator had drawn it that showed a nobility about the beast; its alert posture, how its fangs were politely tucked, and the gleam of intelligence in its many eyes. This spider was no monster, but a teacher.
With cautious steps, she approached. Though she and Thresh had both benefitted from their arrangement, she was always warry that one day the specter would tire of it and she would have to fight for her life. Years in the Noxian upper class had taught her that the best way to survive was to assume the worst of everyone, plan for betrayal, and be pleasantly surprised if it never occurred. But the desire to look at the book urged her forward.
"This is,"
"Something to entertain your curiosity," Thresh completed.
Elise reached out to turn a page but Thresh snapped it shut. The sudden movement made Elise leap back a step and raise her front two limbs to either attack or defend. Her spiderlings rushed forward and circled around her ready to fight. Thresh's face curled into a smirk but he made no comment about her jumpiness.
"Curious?" was all he said.
"What is it you want in exchange?"
"What I want this time is not a thing, but for you to take action. Oh, do not look at me with such suspicion. I believe you will agree with what I ask of you. It concerns little Achlys."
"Achlys?"
"Yes, her growth and safety to be exact."
"Is she in danger?"
"Imminently, no. But she is learning that the world she is living in is a dangerous one. She wants to learn to protect herself."
"As she should."
"I knew you would agree. Unfortunately, Karthus does not."
"Doubtful."
"Oh, he cares about her safety but he objects to how I was teaching her to defend herself."
"Since when have you cared about the lich's opinion of you?"
"Very recently unfortunately."
Elise cast Thresh a curious gaze but he did not elaborate.
"He insists that she know the basics of balefire manipulation but that in a fight, she should bind other wraiths to herself and command them to fight instead," he continued, "Achlys however, wants to know more than this. She wants to defend herself without others if need be. Karthus may have forbid me from training her, but he has not forbid you. Teach her to fight."
"Teach her to fight? That cannot be all you after in exchange for that book."
"You are correct. There is one more thing I want you to do. Give her this."
Thresh held out a small bundle wrapped in dark cloth.
"Take it," he ordered.
Crimson mist swirled around Elise, concealing her body as it bent and warped back into the shape of an alluring woman. Transformation complete, she reached out, took the bundle, and began to unwrap it. Her spiderlings, remaining close by, kept their cautious eyes on the specter as their matron's attention was on the bundle. Thresh didn't try to stop her, but simply warned her.
"Careful, it's sharp."
A dark sheath rested in her palm. It was simple in design, bearing no decoration. The dagger it held however, was more decorated. Though its handle was made of a similar dark metal, the pommel at the end was made of a lighter material and was carved with decorations that represented victory in a kingdom long vanished from the world.
Elise pulled dagger from its sheath. One side of the broad blade tapered down to a point and glimmered with a wicked sharpness. Thresh held out his hand expectantly and Elise handed the weapon to him. At his touch, the dull silver of the blade glowed green and balefire flickered across its surface.
"This dagger absorbed some of the energy of the Ruination," Thresh explained, "and it is possible to channel magic through it. The magic will allow her to slice into a wraith as easily as you could slice into mortal flesh. The perfect weapon for little Achlys."
This made Elise chuckle.
"You believe Karthus will allow her to keep this cursed thing?"
"Would he throw out one of the gifts she received from dear Auntie Elise?"
"He may."
"Then it is up to you to think of a good reason for him to not."
"Why is this my responsibility?"
"Because you are not fluent in the Helian language, which this book is written in. I have translated it into Noxian and you may take the book today, but I will not part with the translation until you uphold your half of the bargain. I want to see that dagger still in her possession a month from now."
"Conditions, conditions. You are cruel."
"I know."
Thresh returned the weapon to its sheath and bound it in fabric once more before handing it and the book over to Elise.
"Tell me," Elise said as she took them, "what is your goal with all this? I know this is not altruistically motivated. I adore the girl and even my actions are tinged with selfishness. I know you do not care about her as I do."
"You are correct; my actions are entirely selfishly motivated," Thresh responded, "Simply put, Achlys amuses me and I think it would be entertaining to watch her develop a taste of violence."
"So that is it? Amusement? Do you want to turn her into a miniature version of yourself?"
"Hah! No, no. I feel as though that is a question I should be asking you."
"I do not want her to be a miniature version of myself. I don't want the competition."
"Karthus does want her to be a copy of himself though, and I refuse to let that happen. I can only stomach so much zealotry. A touch of cruelty would at least make it palatable to watch."
"That is terribly petty."
"Do you care?"
"No. Learning a little cruelty would be good for her. She'll need it to survive."
"So you will give her the dagger and teach her not just how to stab with it but how to twist it in the wound as well?"
"I will."
"Then our business is concluded."
Thresh turned and departed, leaving Elise with her now cold meal.