As they walked, Ronald snorted. "You made it sound like Vulkanis was some cursed tomb of nightmares. It's just a glorified wolf den."
Azrael shot him a glance. "To you, maybe. But to those who aren't welcome, it might as well be," she muttered. "I don't know when last you paid a visit to the werewolf realm but trust me, it's not a bed of roses anymore. It's been tainted with evil,"
Richard kept his voice calm. "That place was never a bed of roses to begin with. We have ties there. Winter is partially one of their own. And so am I,"
Azrael stopped at an iron-wrought gate, its bars twisted into the shape of gargoyles in various poses... watching, snarling, guarding. Beyond it, a deep staircase led further into darkness.
"This is the entrance to the Sanctum of the Stoneborn," she said. "The Obsidian Gate lies within."
She placed her hand against the gate, and the metal groaned, shifting as if alive.
"Step carefully," she warned. "The Stoneborn don't take kindly to outsiders."
Richard smirked. "Then it's a good thing you're coming with us," he said
"Yeah, you weren't really going to leave us children to walk the catacombs alone. Were you?" Ronald chimed with a wry smile.
Azrael shot them a stern glance, she contemplated for a while before letting out a soft sigh. "Very well, let's proceed. The sooner I help you reach the gate, the sooner you get out of here," she muttered. Sounding like those grumpy old woman that didn't like children.
And with that, the gate swung open, and they stepped into the shadows below.
The air inside the Sanctum of the Stoneborn was thick with age, carrying the scent of ancient stone, iron, and something more primal... the lingering presence of gargoyles long past. Torches lined the walls, casting flickering golden light over massive pillars carved with the likeness of stone warriors, their wings folded behind their backs like silent sentinels.
These pillars weren't just pillars, they were alive. And normally they wouldn't be so kind to trespassers, but seeing Azrael, they stood down and remained dormant.
They walked through the catacombs, passed by many chambers and passages, before finally reaching their destination. A large ancient chamber.
Richard's sharp gaze swept across the chamber as they stepped inside. At the far end of the sanctum, a massive archway loomed: the Obsidian Gate. Unlike the aged stone around it, the gate's surface was impossibly smooth and black, reflecting no light, as if it were a tear in reality itself.
Ronald let out a low whistle. "Gotta admit, that's a hell of a door."
Azrael moved ahead, her fingers tracing symbols along the side of the gate. Faint lines of golden energy pulsed beneath her touch, spreading like veins across the dark surface.
"This portal is ancient," she murmured. "It was forged in the early days, before the realms were fully divided. It connects to many places, but it only opens for those with the right key."
Richard raised an eyebrow. "And I'm guessing you have that key?"
Azrael turned to him, expression unreadable. "I do. But that doesn't mean I'll just hand it over."
Ronald groaned. "Seriously? After all that dramatic buildup, you're gonna play gatekeeper?"
Azrael ignored him, looking at Richard instead. "Tell me something, Immortal one. Why do you truly seek Vulkanis?"
Richard met her sapphire gaze without hesitation. "Winter is missing, and I believe she was taken there."
Azrael studied him, then sighed, crossing her arms. "Vulkanis is not kind to outsiders anymore. Even those of werewolf blood aren't always welcome. If she was taken there, you'll find no warm reception."
Richard's expression didn't waver. "We're not looking for a welcome. We're looking for answers... and blood if it comes down to that,"
A moment of silence passed between them. Then, finally, Azrael reached into the folds of her black leather armor and retrieved something small and metallic from the bunch of small and metallic items hunged on her waist.
This one was a pendant shaped like a wolf's head, its eyes glimmering with faint yellow light. Then she whispered some kind of chant and pressed it against the center of the Obsidian Gate.
The effect was immediate. The black surface shuddered, then rippled like liquid as veins of blue light spread across it. A deep, resonant hum filled the chamber, and the archway pulsed with energy.
Azrael turned back to them. "Step through, if you're ready."
Ronald cracked his knuckles. "Finally."
Richard nodded once, then without hesitation, stepped into the swirling abyss, Ronald following behind him.
The moment they crossed the threshold, the world shifted, darkness swallowing them whole.
The moment they stepped through the portal, they knew something was wrong.
Instead of solid ground beneath their feet, there was... nothing.
Richard barely had time to register the cold rush of air before...
SPLASH!
The world became a blur of icy darkness as he was swallowed whole by the raging river. The current hit like a battering ram, twisting and pulling him under. Water filled his ears, his lungs burned, and for a split second, he lost all sense of direction.
Somewhere to his right, Ronald surfaced with a loud, gasping curse.
"Azrael, you conniving harpy!" he bellowed, choking on a mouthful of water as the current yanked him downstream.
Richard broke the surface a second later, coughing and spitting out river water. The portal flickered above them for a brief moment before vanishing entirely.
Gone.
Stranding them in the middle of a goddamn river.
"That feathered snake did this on purpose!" Ronald growled, thrashing against the current.
"Shut up and swim!" Richard snapped, trying to keep himself above water. The river was wide and fast-moving, its dark waters stretching endlessly in both directions. The sky above was a dull blue with the full moon hanging in it, and the air thick with mist. Vulkanis.
They had arrived, receiving a wet welcome courtesy of Azrael. But that was the least of their problems.
Because they were not alone in these waters.
The first sign was the unnatural silence.. no birds, no insects, nothing but the roar of the current.
Then came the movement beneath them.
Something large.
Something ancient.
Richard felt it before he saw it... a shadow, massive and shifting, moving beneath the surface. His instincts screamed, every nerve in his body tensing.
Ronald saw it too.
"Tell me that's just a big fish," he muttered.
The water rippled.
Then, without warning, the river exploded.
A colossal shape surged upward from the depths; a serpentine horror, easily the size of a ship. Its body was covered in dark, glistening scales, and its jagged fins cut through the water like knives. The creature's head was monstrous, lined with rows of needle-sharp teeth, and its fierce eyes locked onto them with hungry intelligence.
A Leviathan.
It let out a bone-rattling screech, and the river churned violently as it lunged straight for them.
"Yeah, that ain't a fish," Ronald muttered.
The river roared around them as the Leviathan lunged.
Richard barely had time to react before his instincts... not human instincts, but something else entirely, kicked in.
A pulse of power surged through his body, and suddenly, everything changed.
His skin darkened into a sun-kissed tan, his muscles flexed with newfound strength, and his breath no longer came in gasping, desperate gulps... it flowed smoothly, as if he belonged in the water.
His hair, once black, turned pure white, billowing in the current like sea foam.
And his eyes...
They weren't dark blue anymore. They glowed light blue, the same hue as the ocean under moonlight. Blue energy flared in his hands as he prepared to fight for his life.
For the first time since hitting the water, Richard wasn't drowning.
He was breathing.
And he wasn't just moving... he was gliding.
He felt faster, stronger, sharper. Every motion came effortlessly, as if the water itself answered his command.
Richard was no longer human, He was Homo mermani.
The Leviathan struck, but Richard dodged with inhuman speed, weaving through the water like a spear thrown by the gods.
With a flick of his hand, the light blue energy manifested a trident, glowing and humming with raw power. It felt natural in his grip, an extension of his will.
The Leviathan turned, its jagged teeth gnashing, its monstrous tail creating tidal waves.
Richard didn't hesitate.
He shot forward like a torpedo, the trident crackling as he aimed for its underbelly.
BOOM!
The weapon pierced through the beast's scales, sending a shockwave of energy rippling through the water. The Leviathan screeched, writhing in pain, but it wasn't finished yet.
Its massive tail lashed out... And slammed directly into Ronald.
Ronald was sent hurtling through the water, his body flipping like a ragdoll. But before he could crash into the jagged rocks downstream, he twisted mid-spin, his aura flaring crimson.
A blood-red chain shot out from his palm, wrapping around an unseen anchor point beneath the river. He yanked hard, stopping himself just in time.
"You slippery bastard!" Ronald growled, shaking off the impact. His fingers clenched, and suddenly, his crimson aura shifted, solidifying into a harpoon.
With a savage grin, he hurled it.
The harpoon shot through the water, piercing one of the Leviathan's massive eyes.
The beast roared in agony.
But it wasn't done.
It twisted its enormous body, wrapping the entire river in its coils, constricting the space like a serpent preparing to crush its prey.
Richard narrowed his glowing blue eyes.
No. He wasn't letting this thing win.
He lifted his trident, and the water around him obeyed.
A whirlpool formed, violent, crushing, relentless.
It pulled the Leviathan in, forcing it into the vortex's core. The beast thrashed, trying to break free, but Richard was in control now.
With a final thrust of his trident, the whirlpool imploded, sending a shockwave that blasted the Leviathan upward.
Straight out of the river.
The colossal beast was launched into the air, its massive body breaking free of the water's hold. Then...
CRASH!
It slammed down onto the rocky shore, it's head going directly into a large, pointy rock. And just like that, it was dead.
The river went still.
Ronald let out a deep breath, shaking off the last remnants of the fight as he floated back toward Richard. "Alright, well… that was annoying."
Richard spun his trident once before dissolving it into blue mist. He cracked his neck. "Tch. Would've been easier if you didn't take a direct hit like an idiot."
Ronald scoffed, flipping his wet hair back. "Oh, my bad. Next time, I'll just phase through a giant sea monster's tail, huh?"
Richard smirked. "Wouldn't be impossible if you actually trained that blood-shadow technique more."
Ronald rolled his eyes, muttering under his breath. "Always nagging…" He swam up onto the shore, his crimson aura still pulsing slightly as he stepped onto the wet rocks.
Richard followed, his transformation fading the moment his feet touched dry land. His skin returned to normal, his inner gills disappeared, and his white hair darkened once more.
"Alright," Ronald said, wringing out his shirt. "That was fun. Now where the hell are we?"
Richard glanced around.
The river stretched behind them, vast and misty, flowing through dense forests on both sides. The air smelled rich, wild... primal.
Vulkanis.
The land of the werewolves.
Richard exhaled, looking up toward the towering mountain range in the distance. "We're here."
Ronald snorted. "No shit."
Before they could take another step, a deep, guttural howl echoed through the valley.
Richard's eyes flicked to the treeline. He could feel them.
They weren't alone.