There's a somber silence hanging over the group after Iovara fades back into her soul-prison, leaving everyone with their own thoughts to process.
The gods are a massive lie, one made thousands of years ago - that one's pretty much the biggest one crossing everybody's mind, Eder's mind especially. Because he learned that he basically had a hand in blowing up a few hundred souls a few years ago. He's wondering how this knowledge would've changed things in Readceras, whether or not they'd have followed Waidwen and gone to war, and Aloth's determined that Thaos should be stopped and nobody ever take his place. Kana's going to go back to Rauatai and warn them off of going to war against the world and following the Engwithan's path. Sagani completed her task, finding Persoq, and wants to head back home to Nasitaaq and her family. And Pallegina has to face the Ducs' wrath for making up new trade agreement terms in defiance of her orders. And Cera? She doesn't really know what to think or do after Thaos is gone - go back to Caed Nua, for sure. After that? Not a clue.
They get into a massive city, and the souls Cera was granted by Galawain light the torches and wash away the darkness - revealing an Engwithan city to put all other ruins to shame. Everyone's impressed beyond words, the place is perfectly maintained…if filled with a million cobwebs and centuries-worth of dust.
They quietly walk through it, finding millions of people turned to ash exactly like in Cliaban Rilag - looks like what Cera witnessed in Cilant Lis has happened long before now. Just on a scale the likes of which they can't even fathom. Everyone is getting more and more creeped out as they make their way through the city, past dozens of ashen bodies - the only thing missing is the ghosts of those bodies, except they were likely turned into the gods.
When they get to the back of the city, they find there's an Engwithan Machine that puts all the others they've seen to utter shame. Like pebbles to a gem.
It's massive, and got a gigantic pillar of living Adra rising up from the ground in the center of it. Cera can sense the souls inside, a gigantic mass of soul energy that's impossible to pick one individual soul out from.
Aloth watches as Cera goes completely still, staring at a spot in front of the giant machine blankly. She blinks, and then quietly says "This is it. The place from my dreams, the place where it all fell apart completely. It's where Thaos goes to pray to Woedica, where he's sure she'll hear him. And nobody else will."
Eder whistles, and says "Half the Dyrwood's souls are probably in there. So, uh, how do we get them out?"
A new voice coldly says "You don't. I do." They all turn around to see Thaos standing there, a knife in each hand.
He starts interrogating everyone, of all things. Like he's got any right to question their motives when he admits to having destroyed cities, left civilizations for dead by disease and ruin, and plunged a country into despair by stealing their children before they were even born.
The fight to end all this starts, with Eder casually saying "How 'bout we skip to the part where we just kill you, seeing as we've got plans after this and all." Cera actually snickers at that, despite the stakes, and Thaos glares at him.
In the middle of the battle, the two giant statues on either side of the walkway suddenly come to life, and Sagani just manages to get out of the way of one before it crushes her. Cera stares for a split second, and then narrows her eyes in concentration - one of the two figures starts dissolving away, much to Thaos' horror. "What? No! That's impossible!"
Cera mutters "Yeah, yeah. So's getting an honest answer out of you. Or anything other than lies and trickery."
They finally kill him, Cera landing an arrow to his chest just as Aloth casts Ninaguath's Killing Bolt on him. They gather around Thaos' body, and Cera focuses on where she can feel his soul - having just been slain, he's disoriented and weak. Which means Cera can find what she's looking for.
After a long moment, she says "It's true. All of it. The gods were people once, a very long time ago. And Thaos is the one that turned the machine on, all that time ago. How he wasn't taken with, I don't know. But he's the one that actually created the gods everybody worships."
For such a reality shattering revelation, she looks peaceful about the fact - a lot more peaceful than she has while awake since Defiance Bay.
Kana whistles, and says "That's quite the achievement. And he's spent all his lives ever since making sure that secret is never discovered."
Eder says "And now he's failed. By his own doing, to. How fitting."
Sagani asks "What now? Cera, you said you can manipulate souls, to a degree, anyway. You set the dwarven souls in Durgan's Battery free…so, what about now? What do we do with a guy that's done as much as Thaos has?"
Everyone goes still, that's a tough one. After a minute, Cera says "I give my sister a neighbor. He'll never cause any more harm ever again."
It's the smart thing to do, and everyone knows it. She could try to erase his memories, but risk the chance that they come back due to an Awakening or Woedica's intervention. She's not at all sure if she can destroy a soul, as she doesn't really practice her Watcher powers on people - maybe cause an Awakening, maybe break their soul into a million pieces - but she can confine him to a cell in here for eternity.
They swear they can hear Iovara's laughter echoing through the halls, trapped as she is in the Adra cell.
Then they all turn to look at the massive pillar of Adra that's glowing with millions of souls. Eder asks "So, you only get one shot at this? Or can you take your time with this?"
Cera bites her lip, and says "Not likely."
Aloth's standing at the entrance to the whole chamber, waiting impatiently with everyone else as Cera walks up to the giant machine. Pallegina clamps one hand on his shoulder, and says "She'll be fine, Amico. None of us need to be a Cipher to know what you're thinking right now."
He opens his mouth to answer, and then suddenly they all hear and feel a massive concussive wave of force as Cera fulfills their bargain to Galawain. "Cera!" He can see her crumpled form lying in front of the now-dark Adra pillar, and runs over before anyone can stop him. She's still breathing when he gets to her, but shows no signs of waking any time soon when he shakes her shoulder a little.
Cera wakes up and the first thing she notices is the silence. Not of thoughts, they're still buzzing at her mind - the whispers she's been trying to ignore ever since waking up in Cilant Lis are finally gone!
At first, she savors the sweet silence, the lack of voices screaming in agony at her or begging her to stop - and then she takes a breath in and breathes in stale air and remembers that she can't lie around as much as she would like to and never again take for granted not going crazy.
She sits up, expecting and thoroughly pleased by the lack of a wave of dizziness, and sees Aloth sitting next to her. The look on his face when she first sits up is priceless, and she hears I must be dreaming, Cera was sleeping so deeply we couldn't even tell if she was dreaming or not.
In response, Cera says "If this is a dream, it's definitely mine. Because I don't see anybody else around and I'm not hearing whispers anymore."
The next thing she knows, he's literally crushing her to his chest and saying he scared him far closer to the Wheel than that time in the Endless Paths and to never fall unconscious and sleep for that long ever again.
After a minute, about halfway through the whole speech, she thoroughly interrupts him by kissing him and saying "You were worried. I got that loud and clear, Aloth."
After a moment, he sighs in relief and says "You ever scare me like that ever again, I swear-"
She chuckles, and says "I plan on living the quiet life for a while, no need to worry there. There's Caed Nua to run, after all. And then the party Eder suggested."
"You heard that?"
"It was a stone corridor, how couldn't I hear it?"
Aloth swears his face is burning bright enough to rival a torch, and the burn doesn't really fade at Cera's chuckle.
"Relax, Aloth, I think it's a great idea! And besides," she sits down next to him and leans into his side, "we can see Kana's famous dance from Rauatai."
Aloth snorts, and says "Yes, the one kids apparently learn directly after learning to walk. Whatever you do, don't suggest that we dance it - I learned a few dances, but none from Rauatai."
Cera chuckles and says "Exactly the same with me. I was taught some formal dances while growing up, but I've never actually danced with anyone outside of those lessons and they were years ago. Though I did learn to play several instruments during my travels."
Aloth actually laughs for a moment at that, and asks "How?! According to you, you never stayed in one place long enough to learn an instrument, much less several!"
"I traveled with some musicians for a few months, ones who were quite good at the art of getting music out of their instruments. And, well, I'm a Cipher. I can learn something just by being around someone who does it long enough."
Aloth gets a sly grin, and asks "So, say ye wanted to learn a few-" He claps a hand over his mouth, and Cera hears Iselmyr, don't you dare finish that question.
I's a fair question, laddie! And we did pass tha' place in the city plenty o' times.
Cera goes bright red when she realizes exactly what Iselmyr was asking about, and stammers "Well…yes…but I don't actually have a reason to do that! I'm not just going to stand outside the Salty Mast for a few hours to pick up a few tricks!"
She swears she's lighting up the whole room, and Aloth says "Yes, and I'm not asking you to. Iselmyr, I swear…"
They're both still bright red when the others get back to the camp from wherever they were in the ruins - apparently, Kana decided it was a fantastic idea to go exploring, Eder went with him, and then they got lost so Sagani and Pallegina went to track them down.
Cera immediately says "So, about that party I heard Eder mention…"
Eder's face lights up, and he asks "Really? You're already good for it?"
"Well, we did just save the Dyrwood and stop Thaos for good. That deserves some kind of celebration."
Kana looks excited, but says "I honestly thought you'd be a little harder to sway than this."
"I'm a lot more fun when not sleep-deprived and going crazy. Even in Gilded Vale, I was sleep-deprived."
Eder smirks hugely, and says "I didn't really take you for a party-type, Cera. You know, what with your parents and all…"
Cera shrugs, and says "Well, maybe when I'm not forced to play the part of a polite noble-girl in a ridiculous dress pretending I can't hear a bunch of complete strangers' thoughts, it'll be more fun. Especially considering most of their thoughts were about me and how to get my father to marry me off to their heir. Or, with said heirs, how they'd like to get me into bed. And I always had to hope nobody picked up on my utter disgust."
Eder and Kana start giggling, Aloth's expression turns horrified, Sagani's is sympathetic, and Pallegina says "The way of politics. Trying to get an edge, any way they can. One of the reasons I stick to following orders instead of giving them."
AN: Alright, Thaos is dead! Yeah, I figured saving the Dyrwood from Thaos and a newly-empowered Woedica would call for a celebration - why not? I get people having responsibilities and all, but most of them don't really require them to head off immediately! And as for Caed Nua, it seems to run just fine while they're running all around the Dyrwood getting into ancient ruins and all. Quick update on, well, updates: my schedule's going to be really packed this semester, full of homework and lab-writing. I'm going to have to postpone starting to post my next story until after something is finished - hopefully a lab, as they do tend to take a while and come with a lot of writing. Sorry! Anyway, only two more chapters after this one and it's done! They're going to be mostly fluffy stuff, since Cera's no longer going insane and there's no world-ending crisis to avert. Anyway, enjoy! I'll do my best to get the rest of the story posted!