Hollow Prophet

The first Hollow Prophet was found standing in a dry riverbed, mouth open, eyes empty. He had no memory, no name, but when he spoke, he recited the final thoughts of riders who had died in the storm weeks before. He described their last moments with perfect clarity. The herd realized he wasn’t speaking his own mind—he was channeling the dust itself. When he finally collapsed into a pile of ash, they knew he had been hollow all along.

Its body is unnaturally light, as if mostly air. It casts no shadow at noon, and fire refuses to burn it. When it speaks, its voice comes from multiple directions at once, and listeners report hearing whispers in their own voice. It does not eat or sleep, but occasionally fills its mouth with dust, which it later exhales in the shape of names. Its heart does not beat—it vibrates, like a tuning fork.

Stands where the trail ends. Speaks with the voices of those the dust claimed.