Disclaimer: I don't own anything except the plot and other characters.
WARNING! Weird demon names in second paragraph – I completely forgot the original names that were chosen.
Legendary Werewolf
Chapter 10: Rescued from the Fiery Land
The next day…Lucifer played with his chew toys on the library's floor, biting and wrestling the stuffed animals happily as he imagined them as wolf pups like himself. Daddy's not far from him – Kouga sat at the huge oak table, flipping and scanning through pages; looking for a solution to rescue Ayame from Hell. Just as he was about to reach for another book, he found what he was looking for.
"Once every century, the Elite Demons venture out of Hell and onto Earth in search of powerful souls to increase their strength," Kouga read mentally, "There are five in total, in respective order from highest to the lowest in terms of rank – Demonicus, Minotusa, Lithian, Rimetaur, and Hydronus." As he looked at the sketches of the Elite Demons, he noticed that the last one was what his wife fought with last night – therefore, he found the demon responsible for stealing her soul. He also noticed that Hydronus is the smallest and weakest compared to the other four. Looks like I have to 'go to Hell' literally in order to get her soul back, he thought as he searched for a book that could tell him how to do such a thing. Lucifer stopped playing and stared curiously at his father before growling playfully and grabbing the Alpha's leg. Kouga immediately looked down and chuckled as his pup tried to wrestle him to the ground with futile attempts. He then picked him up and carried him on his shoulders. Still being very playful, Lucifer tugged on his daddy's ponytail while keeping his balance.
Ignoring Lucifer for a while, Kouga went back to scanning the shelves. He finally found the book he was looking for; Lucifer couldn't help staring at it himself, even as he was being eased back to the ground. That particular book was raven-black, but when brought under the bright lights of the library, its surface glinted like a polished black gemstone. The blood-red title says 'Traveling Through Realms' and it seems to have been printed on by blood-dripping claws. A shiny silver latch is fastened to one side, locking the book with a matching lock in the shape of a tiny skull. But what fascinated the little werewolf was the way glittering flames appeared and disappeared on the front cover as the book gets turned around in Kouga's hands, like an invisible 2-D hologram.
Kouga examined the lock and looked back at the shelf, searching for a key. He also couldn't help wondering how an old book such as this stayed in excellent condition – it's as though it was never even toughed, and this book was supposed to be burned to cinders several centuries ago; all the copies were considered to be demonic property and were ridden from this world. Looks like only one escaped its fate and still exists today, he thought as he ran his hand along the shelf. Unable to find the key, Kouga set the book on the table, wondering if she should break the lock instead.
Out of curiosity, Lucifer poked the skull lock between its jaws – click. "Daddy, look!" he exclaimed as the lock separated and opened on its own. Kouga chuckled. "You're smart for a baby werewolf," he commented as he picked him up and set him on his lap as he searched for instructions about opening a portal to Hell. It was easier than he thought when he found what he was looking for – all he had to do was etch a pentagram into the ground, drawing it exactly as it was shown in the book, mutter some Latin words, and a portal will appear. "Lucifer," he said after he finished reading, "Daddy will be gone for a while. Just stay in your room and play with your toys until I come back, okay?" His son agreed, unaware of Daddy's rescue plans…
Minutes later…Kouga – disguising himself in a plain black hoodie – walked down a stony path, ignoring the demons as they stared at him. Hell didn't look as he thought it would be – the sky was a mix of hazy red and orange; even though he doesn't see a sun, the place seemed illuminated by light, making it look – and feel – like summer all-year-round. He nearly jumped out of his skin as fire suddenly shot upwards from the ground in front of him, like a miniature volcano. Then again, he feels as though she's inside a real volcano – burning materials, brimstone, and even the heat made the Alpha Wolf curse under his breath. The sooner I find Hydronus and get outta here with the pendant, the better, he thought as he walked into a tavern – which seemed to have been carved entirely out of stone and molten lava surrounds it like a castle's moat.
As he seated himself at the bar, Kouga snarled as a female demon tried to seduce him into having 'fun' with her. Ignoring her flirty comments, he asked the bartender, "Can I ask you a personal question?" By now, the female demon left Kouga as she gave up trying to get his attention. "Sure, go ahead," replied the bartender as he cleaned out a broken glass. "I'm looking for someone – Hydronus, to be exact," said Kouga. At the mere mention of the Elite Demon's name, the entire tavern suddenly went silent. Ignoring them, he continued, "Could you tell me where I could find this demon?" The bartender replied, "Hydronus…is most probably at the arena, mortal. If you're lucky, maybe you could 'bump' into him." The other demons snickered. "And where can I find this arena?" asked Kouga, unaffected by the intense stares of the demons behind him. The bartender simply pointed behind Kouga. Turning, he saw a huge structure out the window – it looked like a 100-storey building without windows; completely made out of stone bricks stacked unevenly. Without another word, the Alpha Wolf strode towards his new destination.
How can something this big keep standing without any support? he wondered as he looked closely at the arena's building structure – no mortar holding the uneven stone bricks, no ropes/chains holding the building steady, and no building foundation at the base! It's sanding steadily on its own, even if the demons in it are on a rampage. So much for obeying the laws of gravity, he thought as he walked in, fearing the building might collapse and trap him within the debris.
He eventually found himself in the Elite Demons' locker room. Strangely – but luckily – enough, it was empty. "Now to find Hydronus' locker and steal that pendant," he said to himself. But there's a huge problem – all the lockers look the same, and there are hundreds of them! Knowing the owners of these lockers might come back any second, Kouga ran past each locker, hoping he could find the correct one on time. Luck's on his side – Hydronus' pendant gave off a bright red glow, illuminating the locker door's edges. He hastily tore open the door and threw it away, letting it crash to the stony floor and ignoring the clanging metal as it bounced for a while before screeching to a halt. "Gotcha…" he said as he held the pendant before throwing it down to the floor, smashing the red jewel. Almost immediately, Ayame's soul floated before him like a translucent ghost; she was smiling in relief. "Let's get outta here," he said.
It wasn't long before the couple heard ear-shattering shrieks and thundering roars as hundreds of demons began chasing them, hot on their tails. Kouga suddenly made a wrong turn and ended up in an alley, trapping themselves. He looked apologetically at Ayame, who gave his a smirk in return. Even as a soul, Ayame could cast magic as though it's nothing to her. And it just so happens that she knows a spell to create a portal back to Earth without a pentagram. As the demons closed in on them, Ayame muttered some simple Latin words; the couple escaped before the demons could grasp them; the portal closed almost immediately, leaving the demons howling in anger.