At last, the council of all gathered. They sat in a ring within the commons, the glow of Flow's currents casting shifting light across stone and skin. Goblins hunched on carved benches, the Hollow Howl lounged in half-crouches, Ylara leaned against her bow, Vael draped across his new throne of stone, and the humans lingered close to Kai for reassurance.
Kai stood at the center. His tattoos buzzed faintly, resonance holding the room in its gravity. He raised a hand, and silence fell.
"The law is simple," he said. "Above ground, order. Homes, markets, safety. Below ground, freedom. But freedom is not chaos. Any conflict here will be solved by a game of choice: duel, riddle, hunt, or gamble. Winner claims right. Loser accepts it. Cheat, and you answer to me."
His voice carried through the stone like thunder.
Draven thumped his fist to his chest. "The Hollow Howl accept. Games of claw, tooth, and chase—we live by them already."
Misk the goblin cackled. "Riddles for us! Tricks and riddles! But fair, aye, fair!"
Ylara tilted her head, frowning. "A duel I understand, a hunt too. But a riddle? A gamble? These laws are… strange."
Vael stretched languidly in his chair. "Strange is good. Strange keeps us sharp. Besides—gambling is just another form of hunger." His smile glittered with fangs.
Flow rippled in the channels, glowing brighter, as if sealing the pact.
And then the rumors began.
One human farmer whispered that Flow would judge every game, glowing bright for truth and dim for lies. A Hollow Howl youth countered that if one cheated, Velnix himself would come crawling from the ceiling to drag the offender into shadow. A goblin claimed Kai had carved runes into the walls so the stone remembered every promise, even beyond death.
Others whispered that Vael was bound here by losing a secret gamble to Kai—that his mockery was a mask for chains. Some swore Ylara had once hunted a god and carried its feather in her quiver. A Hollow Howl child whispered that the spider was not spinning cloth at all, but destiny, stringing each law like silk in its web.
The more rumors spread, the more powerful the law became.
Kai let them swirl. Stories stitched order tighter than words alone.
Then came the tick-tick-tick.
Kai turned and saw a peculiar sight at the colossal wolf-carved doors. A tiny kipper was hacking away at the stone with what looked like a toy—half a bone lashed to a stick with twine. He swung it with all the seriousness of a miner splitting mountains. Tick. Tick. Tick.
Kai's lips curved into an amused smile. He walked forward and stopped just above the kipper. "What are you doing, little one?"
The kipper nearly dropped his axe but puffed out his chest. His cheeks reddened, but his eyes sparkled with stubborn light.
"Why not use the designated kipper halls already carved for you?" Kai teased. His voice was playful, not harsh. "Why try getting into my den of predators?"
The kipper straightened, wobbling slightly, but his words rang proud. "Why, mister—we love to be part of everything! And this big door—" he jabbed his axe toward the massive gates "—it's enticing! It calls to us! We don't want to be left out. We can dig too, see?" He swung his toothpick axe with a triumphant clang against the stone.
Kai burst into laughter, genuine and loud, the sound bouncing off the pillars. "Enticing, is it? You're braver than most."
The kipper grinned wide enough to nearly split his face. "My name is Kilo, mister Kai!"
Kai crouched low, studying him, then nodded. "If I let you in there, you stay close to the water. Flow will keep watch. Food will be delivered. And you do not wander into wolf dens or vampire castles."
Kilo's whole body shook with excitement. "Yes, mister Kai! I'll be good! I promise!" He clutched his little axe like it was a king's scepter.
The cavern erupted with noise. Goblins chattered that Kilo would vanish in a week. Hollow Howl warriors joked that he'd outlive them all, tunneling through stone with his toothpick weapon. A human woman whispered that Kai had just chosen his first squire. Others swore Flow had whispered to Kilo directly, calling him into the den.
Kilo marched proudly toward the glowing stream, tapping the stone with his axe as if marking his territory. Flow burbled with joy: Yes! Yes! A tiny one joins the story!
And another rumor was born: Kilo the Brave, first of the kippers to enter the predator's den. Some said he was chosen, others swore he was cursed, but all watched to see what would become of him.
Kai rose and looked across them all—wolves, goblins, humans, kippers, even the vampire prince lounging in shadow. His lips curved into the faintest smile.
For every stone he carved, another rumor bloomed. For every law he spoke, a story rooted. And in that mixture of truth and tale, his nameless nation began to breathe.