Hollow

Chapter 22: The Hollow

Silence fills the night. The smoke still rises over the horizon beyond the mountains and trees, but all is quiet. Still, motionless as the night carries on. But the roaring of that massive creature has ceased, so they can all only assume that means one thing.

Llwell was successful.

The refugees huddle around the warmth and glow of the few campfires the scouts had set up with tents and bedrolls. They would keep going, but the people are tired and with the silence, it's safe to assume they're safe enough for now to rest until dawn.

But after all the panic and chaos just hours ago, it's unlikely anyone will be able to sleep. The cold is bad enough, but the uncertainty lingers heavily in the air.

Shivering, Bella Berrihn kneels in front of one of the campfires, a few other refugees scattered around here and there. She gasps out a breath of frost and slightly jumps when a warm fur blanket is draped over her shoulders and she quickly looks up to see Etho standing beside her.

"You are safe. The shadows and snow linger, but the nightmare has passed. Now all that is left is the night, but even that will end once dawn breaks the dark," he says softly.

The girl shows him a small smile and shakily nods. "Thank you... I'll be okay. You... should go check on your friend. And..." she looks back to the fire. "Be sure to look after yourself as well, Etho..." she says but when she looks back again, he's gone.

Etho reappears beside Dumaine just on the outskirts of the camp, out of range of the warmth of the campfires but the mage shows no signs of returning anytime soon. He just stares off in the direction of Ayiolas, even though the city is out of sight from here.

Dumaine stands with his arms crossed and the same stony expression that he's had on his face since stopping here for the night. He hardly spares Etho a glance and just stares off at the forest and mountains.

They stand there in silence for a moment, when Dumaine sighs warily. "Can you..." his eyes dodge to the boy. "Can you sense anything...?" he asks with an air of hesitancy, knowing deep down what the answer will be but a part of his mind wouldn't stop screaming until he asked.

Etho slowly looks off towards the forest with his head lowered. The subtle breeze flitters through the air with a crisp bite of winter and a faint scent of smoke leftover from the calamity over the mountains. The distant sound of a rushing waterfall a mere whisp in the night.

"Cold, quiet, still sits the mountain snow. Flakes fall in a glittery mist of haze and shadow. Uneasy rests the crumbled keep..." he lifts his head again with a vacant gaze. "Silence."

Dumaine looks away to stare off at the forest again, his heart drops more with each passing hour. The last thing any of them saw of Llwell was as they were crossing over the rise of the mountain pass, he was staring down the face of that massive beast. Then after they couldn't see him anymore, after they left, they felt the ground shake. Then nothing.

Even now, hours later, there is still nothing.

On Dumaine's other side, Rosanhi steps up with her hands crossed behind her back but her posture is less defined than usual. Her shoulders are slumped and her face is soft with a weary gaze.

"The last scout patrol turned up nothing again..." she says mournfully. "But... they reported that there's been no sign of that dragon since the keep was destroyed. Meaning it's most likely dead. At least... the body that the Vanity was possessing. But until we find the Hollow, we'll have no way of knowing what really happened."

Dumaine doesn't shake his attention away from the forest. "...You mean if we find him," he states.

Rosanhi's eyes droop and she stares at him, but she can't bring herself to say anything in protest. She just sighs and turns around, resting her hand on his shoulder. "You... should get some rest, Dumaine. We still have to keep moving tomorrow if we're going to find a new sanctuary against the horrors..." she softly recommends but the mage doesn't move. He just shakes his head slightly.