Chapter 208 – Whispers Across the World
The snow that blanketed the Hollow also spread across the world beyond its walls, though in many places it was not a sign of peace, but of silence, fear, and rumor. Kael's name carried like smoke on the wind, clinging to every court and campfire. His actions—his survival, his defiance, his alliance with King Thalren—had reached far wider than he might have imagined.
And in every kingdom, every hall, every circle of power, his deeds were being measured.
The Ocean Kingdom – King Thalren's Domain
King Thalren sat at the head of his table, his council spread before him. Scrolls lay open, scribes whispering as fresh reports were read aloud.
"The Hollow has doubled its numbers," one advisor said grimly. "Nomads and wanderers flock to Kael's banner. Already he commands more voices than any one chieftain in our history."
"And yet," another added, "their food crisis nearly toppled them. They grow stronger, but they are not invincible."
Thalren's hand tightened around his goblet. "Stronger, yes—but because they stand together. Kael leads them not by fear, but by bond. That makes them dangerous in ways you do not yet grasp."
A younger advisor scoffed. "Or it makes them fragile. His hold on them will crack when hunger or division sets in again. Better we watch than intervene."
Thalren's wife, seated beside him, spoke with quiet firmness: "And better we remember that this same man saved your life, my king. Twice. The Hollow grows, but so does our friendship. Forget that, and you will regret it."
The chamber fell silent.
The Ruined Kingdom
Far to the east, snow whistled through hollow halls. Where once proud towers had stood, only blackened rubble remained. The city that Kael had struck in his dragon form was no more than a scar on the land.
Among the wreckage, small bands of survivors huddled around fires in collapsed cellars, their voices harsh with bitterness.
"It was a demon that fell upon us," one man spat. "Scales of black fire, wings of shadow. The Hollow harbors that monster."
"They should be destroyed," another hissed. "Every last one of them. What Kael has built is an abomination."
Others shook their heads, fearful. "Destroyed? By who? We could not stop him. No army could. The Hollow will consume all who try."
And so the ruin festered—not merely as wreckage of stone, but as seedbed for resentment.
The Nomads of the West
Across the vast plains, in tents stitched from leather and bone, other voices were raised. Nomads, not of the Hollow but of scattered tribes still roaming the world, gathered around their fires.
One chieftain spoke, his words carrying to the huddled families around him. "We have heard the call. Kael welcomes all. Demons, beastkin, men, elves—it matters not. He builds a fire in the dark, and those who wish to live are drawn to it."
A woman stood, her voice strong despite her age. "My sons were slain because they were half-bloods. Branded as cursed, hunted like dogs. If this Hollow gives them sanctuary, then I will walk until my bones break to see them safe there."
The camp roared in agreement. Packs were tied, banners raised. These nomads would march, not to fight, but to join.
The Courts of the North
In cold marble halls, nobles of another kingdom whispered behind their veils.
"This Kael," one said disdainfully, "is a blight. He invites mongrels, demons, all manner of filth into his fold. He poisons the very order of the world."
"He is dangerous," another agreed. "Not only because of his dragon blood, but because his dream appeals to the broken and the unwanted. That is a dream that spreads faster than fire."
"So let us snuff it out," a third voice suggested. "Wipe his Hollow from the map, before it grows into a kingdom too strong to stop."
But others shook their heads. "Or let us go and see it ourselves. Perhaps we exaggerate his reach. If Kael is but a man, then he can be measured. And if not…" The voice trailed off. "Then we must know the truth."
The Ominous Gathering
Far from kingdoms and courts, in a cavern lit by sickly green fire, another gathering stirred. Hooded figures knelt around a pit of embers that hissed with whispers.
"Kael," one of them muttered, the name like venom. "The boy who dares to play at unity. Who dares to wake powers he does not understand."
"He grows," another answered. "But growth is nothing if the roots are severed."
The fire hissed, and a third voice rose from the shadows, deep and cold. "We will cut the Hollow from beneath him. Not destroy it—enslave it. Their strength will be ours, their unity broken and reforged into chains."
"Slaves," the chorus murmured, the word echoing like steel dragged against stone.
"And Kael?" one asked softly.
The shadowed figure leaned forward, eyes gleaming like coals. "Kael we will break last. Slowly. So that all his people see what becomes of those who defy us."
The fire roared, smoke spilling upward like black wings.
Closing
The world watched, whispered, and plotted. Some spoke of Kael as savior, others as monster. Some dreamed of joining him, others of destroying him.
But all agreed on one truth.
The Hollow was no longer just a hidden refuge.
It was becoming a power.
And powers, sooner or later, drew enemies.