32. Thyros
We were late. Very late. In my defense, Naeris had discovered the upper waterfall gardens shortly after waking beside me, and once she stepped beneath the silver cascades wearing absolutely nothing but my marks, all productive thought had ceased entirely.
Bathing in the secluded pools carved into the cliffs beneath my palace had seemed like an excellent idea at the time.
Especially when Naeris laughed after I dragged her beneath the water with me.
Especially when she wrapped her legs around my waist and kissed me like she intended to ruin me permanently.
And especially when one particularly unfortunate aquatic creature surfaced briefly beneath the glowing waters, caught sight of us, and immediately disappeared back into the depths with what I swore looked like alarm.
Naeris had laughed herself breathless over that.
“We traumatized the local wildlife,” she informed me very seriously afterward.
“They should be honored,” I replied.
She nearly drowned laughing. Worth it. Entirely worth it. Unfortunately, it also meant we arrived at the Hall of Seven embarrassingly late.
The massive celestial doors slid open as we entered the chamber hand in hand.
Every head immediately turned toward us.
Ella looked entirely too smug. Nadine attempted—and failed—to hide a knowing expression behind her palmtop.
Dravok merely looked exhausted by all of us.
Zapharos took one glance at my face and smirked like the traitor he was.
“We were beginning to wonder if you’d fallen into another cosmic anomaly,” he drawled.
Naeris' cheeks turned pink instantly. I grinned without remorse. “Something like that.”
The Hall itself was magnificent in a completely different way from my palace. Ancient and sacred.
Seven enormous obsidian thrones formed a circle beneath a vaulted ceiling filled with slowly rotating constellations.
Rivers of silver light flowed beneath the transparent floors while stars burned endlessly below us.
Three additional Arkhevari stood near the center of the chamber.
The remaining members of the Hall. All ancient.
All terrifying in entirely different ways. And all staring directly at Naeris now.
I felt her tension through the bond immediately. Mine. I stepped slightly closer to her side.
“Relax,” I murmured quietly. “If they become irritating, I’ll throw them out a window.”
“Comforting.”
"You arrived just in time. We just got the others caught up to the events leading up to yesterday," Dravok informed us.
Well, I suppose it was good that we were late then. I hadn't been looking forward to this task. I could only imagine the thousands of questions Selkaris must have had.
The first of the remaining Arkhevari approached slowly.
He was massive even by Arkhevari standards, broad-shouldered and disciplined in the rigid way only ancient soldiers became.
Silver-gold armor covered him from throat to wrist, etched with countless glowing battle marks earned over millions of years.
Valelion. Sentinel of the Luminis Verge. Guardian of the threshold between Auris Prime and the Abyss. His pale eyes settled first on me, then on Naeris beside me.
“Naeris,” he greeted her warmly, inclining his head respectfully. “It is good to finally meet the female capable of terrifying Thyros into behaving.”
“I do not?—”
“You absolutely do,” Ella interrupted immediately.
Traitors. All of them. Naeris laughed softly beside me, and satisfaction curled warmly through my chest at the sound. Valelion’s stern mouth twitched faintly before he stepped aside. The second Arkhevari approached next.
Selkaris. Arbiter of Memory. The living archive of the Arkhevari. He moved quietly despite the immense presence rolling beneath his calm exterior. Dark robes shimmered with faint silver script while ancient memories seemed to flicker endlessly behind his pale eyes.
He looked at Naeris like she had discovered the answer to a mystery he had spent eternity chasing.
“Remarkable,” Selkaris murmured softly.
Naeris blinked. “I’m sorry?”
“The Heart fragment surviving with such structural integrity after millions of years was statistically unlikely,” Selkaris explained calmly. “Yet your emotional synchronization with Thyros exceeds even the oldest Aelyth records.”
Naeris stared at him for a long beat, then slowly looked toward Nadine. “He talks like you.”
“Nadine talks like him,” Dravok corrected dryly.
Selkaris ignored us entirely, still studying Naeris with scholarly fascination.
“Incredible,” he whispered almost to himself.
I was beginning to regret introducing them. The final remaining Arkhevari approached last.
Oryzael. Herald of Dawn. Diplomat. Voice of unity.
The one who once bridged worlds while the rest of us waged war.
Smooth silver robes flowed around him while soft golden light shimmered faintly beneath his skin.
Unlike the rest of us, there was something almost deceptively gentle about him.
At least until one looked into his eyes.
Ancient power rested there. The kind capable of moving entire civilizations with words alone.
Oryzael’s gaze settled on Naeris with immediate understanding. Then softened.
“Ashera would have loved you deeply,” he said quietly.
The simple statement hit Naeris hard enough that I reflexively tightened my grip on her hand. Emotion flickered openly across her face before she steadied herself.
“Thank you,” she whispered softly.
A reflective silence settled briefly across the Hall afterward.
I stared at the surviving Council of Seven.
Trying to take it all in. The returned Aelyth.
The end of the oldest war in existence. And somehow, we were all still standing.
Well, all but Nythor, and no great loss there.
The Oracle had become far too unhinged in recent memory.
Zapharos exhaled heavily and straightened from his throne.
“Well,” he muttered grimly. “Now comes the difficult part.”
The mood shifted instantly. Because survival was no longer the question. Now we had to decide what came next. How to guide the surviving Arkhevari. How to deal with the remnants of the Mmuhr’Rhongs still scattered throughout the galaxy.
And perhaps hardest of all, how to live in a universe finally free of the Harrowed One. For the first time in millions of years, the discussions no longer revolved around survival. No battlefront reports. No containment breaches. No orders of witnessing the Abyss consuming another world.
Now the Council spoke of rebuilding. Of healing. Of the future.
It felt strangely unreal.
Zapharos stood near the center of the chamber, hands clasped behind his back while projections of the galaxy shimmered around us in silver light.
“The remaining Mmuhr’Rhong nests will need to be hunted down systematically,” he summarized. “Without the Harrowed One they are weakened, but still dangerous.”
“Especially the older broods,” Valelion added grimly. “Some evolved partial independence before the Harrowed One fell.”
Selkaris nodded slowly. “The Arkhevari will need our guidance now more than ever. But now there is hope that each one of us will find their Aelyth.”
I didn't like the look he sent towards Naeris, and judging by the scowls on Zapharos' and Dravok's features, neither did they. Especially not after what happened with Nythor, but Selkaris wasn't Nythor. I couldn't blame him or the others for yearning what the three of us had found.
Oryzael sighed softly. "It will take many years."
Before the conversation could continue, Dravok straightened. “I need to go to Auris Prime.”
The Hall quieted instantly. Dravok’s expression sharpened into the calm ruthlessness that had once made entire civilizations fear the Warden of Shadows.
“The Sythari side of the universe remained isolated for millions of years. We need to figure out why,” he continued.
“We also need to find out if the Umbrians survived, we know almost nothing about what became of them after the Fracture.”
“Their empire is unstable,” Naeris warned quietly beside me, meaning the Sythari. I felt old anger flicker through her instantly at the thought of them. “They’re dangerous.”
“Exactly.” Dravok’s gaze darkened. “I intend to gather as much intelligence as possible and determine whether they pose a future threat.”
Nadine immediately nodded. “And while we’re there, I need access to the gravitational shear telemetry surrounding the post-Fracture barrier systems.”
The Hall collectively blinked at her. Nadine's smile faltered for a moment when she realized that she just went way over all our heads. She added detail, "The collapse of the Harrowed One altered the subspace lattice structure connecting the separated halves of the universe.”
Excitement brightened her entire face now. “Do you understand what that means? The astrophysical implications alone are extraordinary.”
Ella stared at her. “You’re excited about reality breaking less.”
“Yes.”
“That’s deeply concerning.”
“I’m aware.”
Dravok looked entirely unsurprised by any of this.
Zapharos rubbed a hand over his jaw thoughtfully before nodding once. “Very well.”
Then his gaze shifted toward Ella. “Ella and I will return to Earth.”
Warmth softened his voice almost immediately. “I’ll speak with the Pandraxian Superior Commander personally to ensure Earth’s protection while monitoring Sythari activity from this side of the barrier.”
“And,” he looked down with a besotted grin at his Aelyth, “Ella may conduct all the archaeological excavations she desires.”
Ella gasped. Actually gasped. Then let out a squeal loud enough to echo through the Hall. “Yes!”
The sound startled several nearby Arkhevari guards. Zapharos looked entirely too pleased with himself over causing her happiness.