Chapter 956 — The Rumor of Dragons
The Hollow's war table glowed with a quiet intensity — a constellation of flickering crystals that mapped out the known world in spectral light. Kael stood at its center, eyes shadowed beneath the shifting reflections. Around him, his council stood in tense silence, each member watching as the newest reports unfurled in holographic shimmer.
The courier's words still echoed in the chamber.
A dragon has been sighted on the western front.
The moment those words had been spoken, the temperature in the room seemed to drop.
Kael's hand, still resting on the table's edge, curled into a fist so tight the metal rim creaked beneath the pressure. His eyes burned like molten amber — barely-contained chaos glinting in their depths.
"A dragon," he repeated slowly, his tone so low it was nearly a growl. "A true one, they said?"
Selene nodded, her voice careful, measured. "That's what the Ironside scouts are claiming. It was captured by the Kingdom of Evermere — the same side that enlisted the hero. They're saying they mean to use the creature in battle, as a weapon against the opposing armies."
Kael's jaw locked. "Captured?" The word hissed from his lips like venom. "You don't capture a dragon."
Lyria, seated beside him, watched him with quiet concern. "You think it's true."
He didn't answer immediately — just stared at the image hovering over the table. A great winged shadow outlined against a field of fire and smoke. It was crude and distant, but enough.
Kael's voice trembled slightly when he spoke again. "There is only one true dragon left who would ever involve herself in this world." His hand rose slowly, trembling despite his efforts to still it. "If it's true — if they've taken her — then it's my aunt."
The words hit the room like a hammer. Even Zerathis, who had seen Kael command legions and face monsters beyond comprehension, faltered.
"Your… aunt," Varik echoed carefully.
Kael nodded once. His throat tightened before he spoke again. "My mother's sister. A dragon of the old brood — pureblooded. She vanished long before I was born. My mother said she had gone into self-imposed exile to sleep through the ages, to let the world mend itself. I freed her from our dungeon nearly a year ago and she went of into the world alone... If Evermere's men found her…"
He trailed off, shaking his head.
Selina folded her arms, her tone heavy with disbelief. "Even if this rumor is true, Kael, there's no way they captured her by force. They'd need technology or magic far beyond what's known. Maybe even chaos-infused weaponry."
Kael's aura flared, faint but hot — a ripple of crimson energy that crackled against the edges of reality. "Then they're using my magic," he snarled, "or what they stole from it."
Eris's voice came from behind him, calm yet tinged with quiet unease. "It may also be the hero's doing. If he truly has divine favor, perhaps the gods aided in binding her."
Kael's head turned slightly, his eyes sharp. "If they did, then they've overstepped again."
Silence fell for several moments — the kind of silence that came before storms.
Finally, Kael straightened, his posture rigid but controlled. "Zerathis. Serenya."
Both daemons snapped to attention.
"You're going west," Kael ordered, his voice regaining that cool, unshakable authority. "Confirm the report. I want proof, not whispers. If Evermere has her — if this dragon is truly my aunt — I need to know if she's still alive, or if she's bound by force. Don't engage. Don't draw attention. Observe, report, and return."
Zerathis nodded sharply, though his crimson eyes flickered with concern. "Understood. But if it is her—"
Kael cut him off, his tone soft but dangerous. "If it is her, I don't know what I'll do."
The room fell still. The admission — quiet, raw — felt heavier than any order he'd given.
Lyria stepped closer to him once the council began to disperse, placing a hand gently on his arm. "Kael… if it's truly your aunt, we'll find a way to help her. You don't have to bear this alone."
He exhaled slowly, his chest rising and falling in a rare moment of visible strain. "You don't understand, Lyria. She's not just family — she's ancient. She was born in the first fires. She was power before the gods claimed it. If she's bound or controlled, the world isn't ready for what happens next."
Eris's voice slid into his mind, soft as thought.
You fear her.
Kael closed his eyes briefly.
I fear what they'll make her do.
He turned his gaze back to the glowing map, eyes reflecting the moving lights. "Zerathis and Serenya will bring word soon. Until then, double our border patrols. And prepare the scholars — if this is real, I'll need every ounce of knowledge we can gather on dragonkind."
As the council moved to obey, Kael remained alone at the table. The holographic projection flickered again — the silhouette of wings against fire, distant but undeniable.
He whispered under his breath, barely audible.
"Aunt… what have they done to you?"
Eris lingered nearby, silent. For the first time since her creation, she felt something close to dread — not for herself, but for Kael. Because she could feel it in him too.
This wasn't anger alone.
It was fear.
And Kael, Lord of the Hollow, was not a man who feared often.