Chapter 12: Judgment at the Hollow
The sun hung low and golden when we reached the palisade of Elden Hollow, painting long shadows across the fields. Villagers spotted us from the walls long before we arrived; word spread fast, and by the time the gates creaked open a crowd had already gathered in the central square. Farmers leaned on tools, children perched on fences, guards stood in loose formation with spears grounded but eyes sharp. Mira waited at the front with Torv beside her, both faces unreadable until they saw the bound Warrior dragged behind Shadowmane. Then surprise flickered across their features, followed quickly by grim understanding.
Torv stepped forward first and took the rope from Shadowmane's gentle grip. "One alive?" he asked, voice low. "The rest?"
"Not alive," Lira answered simply. She kept her bow slung but hand near the string, scanning faces for any hint of threat.
Mira nodded once and turned to the crowd. "Hall. Everyone who wants to hear, come inside. The rest, back to work. We'll need supper hot and extra bread tonight." Her tone left no room for argument. People dispersed slowly, some lingering at the doors, but the square emptied enough for us to move.
Inside the hall the long tables had already been pushed against the walls, leaving an open space in the center. Lanterns burned bright against the fading daylight, casting warm pools of light on the wooden floor. Shadowmane padded to the hearth and curled up like an oversized guard dog, yellow eyes tracking every movement. Lira and I took seats near the raised platform while Torv and two guards hauled the prisoner forward and forced him to his knees. Mira stood above him on the low dais, arms crossed, braid hanging over one shoulder.
The hall filled quickly. Villagers packed the benches, murmuring in low voices. An older hunter with a missing arm sat front row, face hard. Families clustered together. Children were sent to the back but still craned for views. When the doors finally closed the room fell quiet under Mira's raised hand.
"Kael returned with a prisoner," she began, voice carrying easily. "Claims to belong to a guild called Eclipse Blades. They attacked him, Lira, and the Shadowmane in the northern ruins. Four dead. This one lives to answer questions." She looked down at the bound man. "Gag off."
Torv removed the cloth. The Warrior spat to the side and glared up at her, blood crusted on his lips from the fight.
"Name," Mira said.
"Garret," he snarled. "Warrior class. Eclipse Blades recruit."
"Why attack our people?"
"Not your people," Garret said. "The Null's a freak. Tames apex beasts. Purifies corruption. Boss says that's power we need. Said take the beast. Kill the rest if they resist."
Murmurs rippled through the hall. Someone near the back muttered "abomination" loud enough to carry. Mira's sharp glance silenced it.
"And your boss is?"
"Captain Voren. Runs a fortified camp two days east. Fifty blades already. More joining every week." Garret's eyes flicked to me. "Word's spreading about the Null who bends rules. Players want that strength. Or want it gone."
Torv leaned in. "You scouted the ruins on purpose?"
Garret nodded. "Followed rumors. Saw the tower claimed. Tracked them north. Planned to take the beast alive if possible."
Mira turned to me. "Anything you want to ask?"
I stood and walked closer. Shadowmane rose silently and followed, stopping just behind my shoulder. The prisoner's bravado wavered when the massive companion loomed.
"You said the Void is waking," I said. "Explain."
Garret hesitated, then shrugged as much as the ropes allowed. "Higher zones destabilizing. Boss sent scouts far. Found old seals cracked. Corruption leaking faster. Monsters stronger. Some players going mad from it. Voren thinks if we control the ones who can purify, we control the future."
Lira spoke from her seat. "How many guilds forming?"
"Dozens," Garret said. "Big ones east and south. Eclipse Blades growing fast because we recruit strong and don't ask questions. But others coming. Some want alliances. Some want territory. All want power before the next wave hits."
The hall absorbed that in heavy silence. Mira rubbed her chin, thinking.
Finally, she addressed the room. "This changes things. We've stayed small and quiet, trading with nearby villages, avoiding player camps. But if guilds are hunting anomalies like Kael, and if corruption is spreading, isolation won't protect us forever." She looked at me. "Kael saved lives by cleansing the apex. Brought warning instead of just bodies. His choices kept this man alive for answers. I say that earns trust."
The old hunter stood slowly. "He's proven himself twice over. Tower secured. Apex threat ended. Now warning of war. I say we stand with him."
Nods spread. A woman near the front added, "My boy patrols safer because of the Shadowmane. We owe debt."
A few voices grumbled dissent, but they stayed low. No one challenged openly.
Mira raised her hand again. "Decision time. We vote as always. Three choices. One: execute the prisoner as raider. Two: ransom him back to his guild for coin or information. Three: keep him prisoner here and use what he knows to prepare."
Hands rose slowly. Execution gained a scattered few. Ransom more. Keeping him longest. Mira counted carefully, then nodded.
"Prisoner stays. Torv, secure him in the root cellar. Guards double. He'll work the fields under watch until we decide long term."
Garret sagged slightly but said nothing as guards hauled him away.
Mira turned to practical matters. "Kael, Lira. The ruins. What else did you find?"
I described the chamber, the fractured Void Shard, the purification, and the knowledge fragments about the Third Wave's failure. Lira added details about the murals showing past arrivals, class selection, and eventual infighting over anomalies.
Faces grew grim. The old hunter spoke again. "Means we're not the first. And not the last unless we do different."
Mira unrolled a larger map on the table, one that showed neighboring villages and rumored player settlements. "We send riders tomorrow. Warn others. Offer alliance to any who'll listen. Start training harder. Smith works overtime on arrows and blades."
She looked at me. "Tower remains yours. But I ask you stay close for now. Train willing villagers. Shadowmane scares off most threats just by existing."
I nodded. "Agreed. We'll scout closer zones. Look for more shards or signs."
Text appeared quietly in my vision:
Deed recorded: Warning delivered and alliance strengthened through mercy and truth.
Reputation upgraded: Elden Hollow (Revered).
Skill unlocked: Basic Leadership (Passive).
Title gained: Hollow's Protector.
Lira saw it over my shoulder and smiled faintly. The meeting broke into smaller talks. Villagers approached us with questions, offers of food, requests for Shadowmane to visit patrols. Children finally got brave enough to pet the beast under careful watch. He tolerated it with surprising patience, even rolling for one bold girl to scratch his belly.
Later, after a hot meal of venison stew and fresh bread, Lira and I walked the palisade wall with Torv. Stars wheeled bright overhead in unfamiliar patterns. The air carried woodsmoke and cooling earth.
Torv leaned on the railing. "Never thought we'd face player wars this soon. Thought starter zones safe longer."
"System's desperate," I said. "Earth ended fast. Maybe others did too. It's rushing the cycle."
Lira nodded. "Ranger bestiary updating daily now. New corrupted entries. Higher levels spawning wrong."
Torv grunted. "Then we prepare. You two rest tomorrow. After that, training starts. I'll put strong backs under your lead."
We agreed. Back in the small house Mira had assigned near the hall, Lira and I sat by a small fire. Shadowmane stretched across the doorway like a living barrier.
"Guilds already," Lira said quietly. "Feels too fast."
"Power vacuums fill quick," I replied. "Especially when survival's on the line."
She poked the flames. "My brother. If he's out there, bigger settlements might have word."
"We'll reach them," I said. "One step. One deed."
She met my eyes across the fire. "Found family already growing."
I smiled. "Better than going blank alone."
Outside, the village settled into watchful quiet. Guards walked circuits. Dogs barked once at distant howls, then fell silent. Inside, the fire burned low. Deeds continued to stack. Allies deepened roots. Threats gathered on horizons. But for tonight, Elden Hollow stood stronger. And the Null Path carved forward, unpredictable as ever.
Somewhere far off, in a fortified camp flying an eclipse banner, Captain Voren received word of five missing blades and one failed raid. The Game listened closer. The board widened. And the blank slate prepared for war.
*****
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