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Last Words

I can't describe how strange it felt when I finally typed the words that I always knew – from the very beginning – this story would end with:

"Siari gave him one final smile, then turned around and started walking."

That very line, that very moment, has been in my head for so long that it's almost unreal to finally type it. Unlike with the other epics, this one had its endings already set in stone when the first chapter was first written, and it's so strange to finally arrive at that point, instead of watching the story unfold as I wrote, like I did with Travels of the Chosen One and From the Underground.

After spending so much time in my head, this story is finally on paper in its entirety, and it makes me feel so weird. All these things have been forming in my head during the two years I've spent writing this, and now they're all there, black on white, for everyone to read and hopefully enjoy.

For me, though, it means having to say goodbye again, like I had to do with Lysanna and En. Falnas, Keljarn, Siari, Acrus and Roë have been a part of my life for so long it's going to be a big change to no longer have them with me. Sure, the people who are following me as an author, rather than just this story, will say I still have Katie to keep me company, but still. Five Threads took more than two years to write, which isn't surprising since it's become such a long epic of over 300,000 words. I think it blows way past "average novel" in terms of length, haha!

Before I provide some backstory and explanation about some of the elements in the story, I'd like to thank you guys with all my heart. I always write stories simply because I love writing them, but to have people with me every step of the way is just so much more fun! It was always a great feeling to see the e-mail notifications of reviews popping up in my Inbox, and to see those same names every time, knowing there were people actually waiting for the next chapters to come out. I don't think there's a bigger compliment than that, and you people gave me that compliment, so thank you, I really, really mean it!

It was fun to see how some people – everyone really – had their own preferences as to which character they wanted to see coming out on top, and everyone had a different favourite character, Hell, even douchebag Acrus had a small group of loyal fans who kept demanding I bring him back to life. It was tempting guys, but I always felt extremely unattracted to the whole "they're not really dead"-trope. I think it cheapens the drama of a character's death, so I want to avoid it at all costs whenever I write. It's a lazy, cheap and almost cheating way to evoke drama without actually losing a character, and I stay away from it.

It was also tricky to write in different ways depending on which character I was currently writing a chapter for.

Falnas' chapters had to be lighthearted, humorous, adventurous and plain fun, and they had the added challenge of keeping things small-scale and yet engaging, because huge plots of murder and violence don't befit a Thieves' Guild storyline. Falnas never kills anybody apart from Mercer at the end, and his storyline is extremely limited in violence and pure action – exactly how I intended it to be. Falnas' chapters had to be a good and fun adventure without complex emotional drama or super-powered epic battles. He was just a regular guy, trying to find his niche in a group of regular guys. There was nothing supernatural or heroic about the Thieves' Guild, and the storyline and writing style had to reflect that.

Keljarn's chapters, on the other hand, were much more direct and more packed with action and violence, with the thread of "how much is vengeance really worth" woven throughout. Falnas' story had no real morality or ethic theme running through it, but Keljarn's all the more. His story is one of vengeance and the way the pursuit of it can turn good people into evil ones. It had the strong theme of how dangerous the idea of "I only do evil things when I really have to" is. Thankfully for him, it ended on a high note, and he realized his errors just in time.

Then there was Siari. Hoo boy, I can't begin to explain the challenge of writing a mute character! Even the simplest dialogue or communication becomes an effort to narrate, but it was an effort that remained a lot of fun during the entire story! The added challenge was writing a psychopath – which she effectively was apart from the very end – when you're not really a psychopath yourself (at least, I hope, heh). Her story was one of a person discarding all conscience and emotion simply to feel a part of something. Her traumas caused her to box everything up inside and never let emotions surface, but in the end, no feelings can stay buried forever. Astrid deserved some more love too, so I took care to make her motivations more understandable, without actually changing them. Siari caused the most division under you guys, with some people demanding that I make her die horribly, and others loving her to bits.

Then there was Acrus. The guy everyone loved to hate, and yet, I consistently got readers asking me to bring him back. The fact of the matter was, while Acrus had a well-defined personality in my mind, it just made sense to have him die when he did. His redemption was what started Roë down the dark path, and the cruel irony of it just worked for me.

And lastly, of course, was Roë. From the start, I knew I'd feel immensely guilty for what I was going to put her through in the end, but like I said, the stories and their endings had been predetermined from the very beginning, and just like you guys, I had to watch as she became ever more unhinged, until it finally claimed her life. Excluding Falnas, I honestly think that of the four characters who committed serious crimes, Roë was perhaps the only innocent one. There were people who considered her overdramatic or theatrical, but I humbly think those people underestimated all the things she was going through. She'd lost her life, her friends, and finally even the only person she truly loved, and all that while being bestowed a toxic power far too strong for her to handle. Everyone despised her, everyone considered her an intruder and undeserving of her status. Dealing with such terrible things, I think everyone would lose their minds. You can feel it in the writing style too, I think. Roë's chapters were always long and explored the emotional aspects much more than the others.

And then, as the wild card who made appearances and disappearances, was Arska. Everyone enjoyed her appearances and so did I, but like I told some reviewers, she's much more complex than just being a flippant murder machine. She represents what people become when they are virtually omnipotent and are hampered zero accountability. Even the best person would gradually begin choosing the path of least resistance, i.e. violence, if he or she could simply destroy anyone and get away with it every time. She's, in a way, a representation of the one playing the actual game. The player also has to answer to anyone, and eventually (s)he too, stops caring about the many enemies, and sometimes innocents, (s)he mows down during the course of the game. The same thing happened to Arska, and that's why she's so recognizable. Of course, her peculiar sense of humour often obfuscated her moral implications, but I think Roë's final chapter does a good job of putting the spotlight on it in the end, however briefly.

Thanks so much for reading, reviewing, fav'ing, and simply showing interest in my story, whether or not you took the time to actually write a review, or you were simply there, reading the chapters as they came out, I value the readership immensely. If you're only reading the story now, after it's done, please don't hesitate to shoot me a review or a PM and let me know what you thought! For those who'd like to read more of my stuff, there's always From the Underground for the Fallout fans, or Travels of the Chosen One, though I do have to warn you of the uh, younger age your humble author had when writing the latter. I'm also currently still writing Devil Nights, which is a story in the Shadowrun setting, but don't worry, you can read and enjoy the story just fine without knowing the setting or the background, so if you'd like to waste some more time on my scribbling, you're more than welcome to follow Katie's adventures as she navigates the turbulent nights of Hong Kong, searching for answers to the strange things that happened to her that one night in Kowloon Walled City.

Not much left for me to say, much as I'd like to go on typing this forever just so I wouldn't have to face the fact that Five Threads is now officially over, so I'll just be a man and suck it up, and make the following paragraph my last.

I loved writing Five Threads immensely, and I certainly hope you enjoyed reading it to a significant extent too. I'll gladly take a bow if you feel I deserve to, and I look forward to seeing you guys later, as reviewers or just as people who want to have a chat. Those wishing to add me to their steam accounts can certainly do so, go ahead and ask for my ID in a PM, I'm always happy to chatter and play video games! That's all she wrote. Goodbye Falnas, Keljarn, Siari, Acrus, Roë and Arska, I'm going to miss you. Yeah, even you, Rijada Fireborn!