When you phase into the portal, your body starts to tremble from a scorching hot wave of air that bursts into your snout. You smell sulphur, rotting meat, and decay. As a lion, you get used to the latter two, but the sulphur makes you feel a bit dizzy. Your eyes slowly adjust to the darkness, making you realize that you are deep within the Earth, inside a rocky tunnel with a faint red light far away at the end of it.

You walk slowly, feeling a gentle sizzling under your paws. It's like the stone is reacting to your much colder pawpads, though oddly nothing seems to be burning . It is only when you are already halfway down the path that you notice the walls are made of fossilized human bones and skin. It looks very creepy.

The tunnel leads towards an opening. If there was a cave big enough to hold all of the land you've ever explored, this would fit twice as much space - almost like a world within a world. It's dark and cold, with fires and rivers of lava glowing softly as they flow through the chambers. You expected Hell to be much more infernal and hot; instead, it resembles a cold death at first glance.

It looks like a kingdom, and your eyes notice chambers and dens formed out of rock and fossilized bodies. The ceiling is covered with a dense fog, where screeching, flying creatures stir up swirls with their bat-like wings. A long, deep breath behind you sends shivers down your spine.

"[NAME]."

You hear a slow, Demonic whisper, like this creature is tasting the sound of your name. It is roughly your size, crouching to be on your eye level. You have never seen a being like this before - covered with scaly spikes, like the body is crystallized from centuries of being underground, just as precious gems would be shaped by time and the pressure of rocks.

You look the beast in its eyes, which are glass-like and reflect the fire that kindles within the Demon. The fires are like infernal sources of energy, fueling each beast down here. Now you understand why they are infernal beings, but the world they live in is colder and not as... on fire as you expected.

"I am a Demonic being, but you shall not know my name. To know a Demon's name is a great privilege you have not earned yet. You seem to have more conscience than would be advised in order to come here. This place might be too rough for you."

The Demon speaks slowly, like this language is foreign to its species - its tongue slithers between its lips and fangs, struggling to find the proper sounds.

"Come," it snarls, standing up on its hind legs. It invites you to go down the hill.

Follow

"I am a Demonic being, but none shall know my name unless I lay my respect upon them. To earn my respect, you have to give a little bit of yourself through your deeds in the Mortal World."

The Demon speaks slowly, like this language is foreign to its species - its tongue slithers between its lips and fangs, struggling to find the proper sounds.

"Come," it snarls, standing up on its hind legs. It invites you to go down the hill.

Follow

Never in your dreams could you have imagined a place so grim and full of pain. You pass dens of torture, where dark beings punish lions in the most horrific ways. You are pretty sure the poor souls appear to you as lions only because you are a lion yourself. Perhaps if you were human, they would appear human to you, so that you could feel empathy. Well, do you?

"[NAME], I need you to punish Angels for their audacity. Once you prove yourself to be loyal to our cause, we will ask you to expand our ranks with loyal slave warriors. A Demonic Whip is something every Demonic prince dreams of... mainly because it means we can walk the land with Mortals and defile every last piece of their souls." The Demon grows excited as it speaks.

The Demon pauses, almost offended that you dared to speak before it finished talking.

"You must find Angelic beings on Earth. Ever since you contacted us, many started appearing due to your changed, devious eyes. Defeat them and gain Nepheline Feathers as proof of your might. Do daily deeds for us, and once you gain enough reputation with us, you will be worthy of wielding a Demonic Whip." You look at him, wondering if the Demons are lying and trying to manipulate eager lions like you.

"I see doubt in your eyes, [NAME]. It's okay, the time will come. Come back after October 10th - if you defeat enough Angelic beings, you will be chosen as the Adversary."