The Divine Wolf...or?

Waking up the next day, no time was wasted as Thufrat and Alenia hurried on their way to the capital of Geotopia. The capital of Geotopia was called Liverance, and even though neither of them had ever seen it, they both had high expectations. Geotopia seemed like a paradise compared to other kingdoms they had passed through so far, and their expectations for its capital were naturally higher because of that.

Unlike all the other days when they usually spent a lot of their time talking, Alenia seemed to be in a bad mood today. Thufrat was a little worried about her, but he didn't stick his nose in her business, if she wanted to talk about it, then she naturally would. The weather was almost like any other, cold harsh winds kept ȧssaulting their bodies as they traveled, yet the gentle beams of sunlight that covered the hills and forests they passed kept creating pleasing sights for their sore eyes. The kingdom they had passed through earlier had been through war not long ago, and in comparison was a lot less aesthetically pleasing.

Asking the nice villagers for directions every now and then, they were on good track towards the capital. After only a couple of hours, the landscape around them was starting to change a little. The trees grew sparser and villages and towns grew further in-between as more and more small hills started appearing. After noon had passed, a large mountain appeared in their view. They had seen this mountain on the horizon for a while now, but seeing it up close was spectacular, to say the least.

A large waterfall cascaded down the mountain, all the way from the top. Thufrat had never seen such a mountain before, it was truly a peculiar sight. The mountain wasn't pointy at all, and on the top was a large crater. This crater was the home to a large lake, which was what created the waterfall. The weirdest part of this mountain was the fact that the lake seemed inexhaustible, as it had never run dry for over 500 years. Due to these peculiarities, the mountain was aptly named the Everspring Mountain.

On the bottom of the mountain, the waterfall was fȯrċɨbŀƴ split apart by a protruding rock formation, before it flowed into a river. This rock formation actually looked like a giant dragon's maw. Inside of the dragon's maw was a majestic castle, one that looked like it came straight out of a fairytale. Nine narrow, round towers are scattered in a seemingly random pattern, but have been built for an ideal defense and are connected by huge, wide walls made of black stone.

Refined windows are scattered here and there around the walls in fairly symmetrical patterns, along with symmetric crenelations for archers and artillery. A moderate gate with enormous wooden doors, a draw bridge, and various artillery equipment guard the inhabitants of this castle. It's not the only way in, but it'll be your best shot if you wish to conquer this castle.

Statues of kings are lined up outside of the castle gates, serving as reminders of the past.

On the sides of the mountain were two large hills, almost big enough to be called mountains themselves. This created a spectacular looking valley where the river flowed through. This was where Liverence was located. Thanks to the awe-inspiring and sky-high silver wall blocking off the valley, entering Liverence without permission was harder than ascending to heaven.

On the other side of the wall, tall and small houses alike were all crafted meticulously and with great craftsmanship. If a house wasn't elegant enough, then it had no place in Liverence. The streets of Liverence were all made out of chiseled stone unless you entered the noble district, then some roads could even be made out of white jade.

Like a place out of dreams, the lush green grass and fields of yellow flowers that stretched along the sides of the valley created a beautiful and dreamy atmosphere. The river that flowed through the city was not only a great source of both water and energy but also something that breathed life into the city. In the middle of the city was a giant black tower. The black tower seemed to pierce even the heavens as it disappeared above the clouds, giving the otherwise vibrant and beautiful city some gloominess.

Thufrat and Alenia were flabbergasted by just the silver wall when they first arrived. But after getting permission to enter the city and paying the fee, shock was too mild of a word to describe what they were feeling. Alenia's bad mood disappeared as quick as the wind could suddenly change direction in this place, replaced with a giddy and excited mood as they browsed the streets.

As they looked around, another quite shocking fact hit them out of nowhere. No matter where they looked, they could not see a single beggar or poor soul, even in the darkest of alleyways. Usually, in big cities like these, people were only happy on the surface, whilst others suffered in the deep and dark corners of the city, but this place seemed different. Thufrat was, of course, happy at the notion of this, he knew what living a life of poverty was like, and he wouldn't wish that upon any innocent soul.

The rules of the noble district were a lot less strict in Liverence compared to most places as well. Commoners could actually enter the noble district as they wished, but they could not try and peddle goods or settle down there, they were only allowed to either visit or pass through. Even entering the noble district in other places usually required you to be either a noble or a servant to a noble. If Thufrat had to choose a place to live amongst all the places he had been to so far, then this place was currently at the top of his list. He had no plans to settle down anytime soon though.

After walking around for a while, they ended up outside of the ginormous black tower. The entrance to the tower was a seemingly inconspicuous door, without any guards in sight. Above the door hung a banner with the insignia of a majestic claw mark. This was the insignia of The Heavenly Beast Master! Thufrat and Alenia gulped when they saw this, they had naturally asked around about how to find The Heavenly Beast Pavilion, but standing right in front of it like this, they couldn't help but shiver...