Ghoul had left early. The sun had not risen when he was met with the brisk chill of a late winter morning. Stars still twinkled overhead as he made his way northeast. Unsure of where he was going, he just went. Slipping Cricket off of his back and untangling himself from Mac's legs, Ghoul found himself enjoying the crisp scent of fresh air. Everything felt lovely in the morning. He could be in the quiet here. Nothing but the sound of the wind in his ears. Pleased with his choice to rise early, he enjoyed his walk until a cave's entrance caught his attention. Both ears turn as his ruby gaze lingers on the large and dark doorway. Had that always been there? His brow furrows slightly as he wanders closer to it. There was an intense scent of sulfur leaking from it. He almost coughed as a warm gust of air blasted from the depths below. Sputtering slightly, he tried to peek in farther, but he could hardly see anything except for the possibility of a light. It was dim, barely seeable, but he wondered all the more what could be down there. Fuck it. He steeled himself against the acrid scent and began to venture into the caverns. Down and down he went until the flicker of lava bubbling and popping made him pause. Lava? He hadn't seen that since he lived at the volcano. Hesitant, Ghoul slows his steps until he reaches a wide cavernous room. Water drips from the ceiling and sizzles on the warm stone around him. Globs of lava spill over onto the ground and threaten to singe him.

She had stayed at the island long enough to rest and heal from her last adventure up north. Now that her body wasn't bruised and sore, and she had a plethora of energy, she decided it was time once again to go out and travel. Perhaps she should find a new place to call home? Crossing the ocean constantly was a battle in and of itself between the frigid water and the oceans current. It wasn't the smartest idea but it was a nice secluded area, She would decide what to do later on.

Her paws brought her through sand and eventually dirt, the weather becoming ever more cold as she traveled North once again. Finally, she came to a hole in the ground. She cocked her head, eyeballing the dark hole inside and the rough edges of the rock inside. The smell that emanated from the hole was terrible. She wasn't sure if she wanted to enter the hole, it seemed... eternal. Like it went on forever and ever. Nevertheless, the woman took tentative steps forward, looking at everything around her until it became dark and she couldn't see the entrance behind her. However, there was a slight glow that got ever brighter the closer she got to it. Finally she entered an opening. What was this? A lava pool? She was entrances by the dark rock and lava that was everywhere, some even leaking from parts of the wall into the large pool in front of her. The smell, however, was unbearable, even more so than it had been at the entrance. The heat was getting to her and she started panting slightly, trying to cool herself off.

It was then she noticed another wolf here. "Ive never seen anything like this." She spoke to the stranger, hoping that maybe he could explain what this was and how it ended up here.

"She Speaks"

Equally entranced by the lava, Ghoul was unaware of the wolf's approach. Captured by the sizzle in his ears and the fanning heat that made his skin feel tight and his lungs clench. His tongue even begins to pant too as he walks a few feet around the edge. Was there a way around the pools? He looks around again and notices how they pour from the walls, seeping through the cracks, as if nothing could stop it. Fascinated by the phenomenon that was happening, he started slightly when her voice broke his concentration. Turning ruby gaze to the smaller female, he assesses her at first. Her features are not familiar, but then again, he doesn't know every wolf that inhabited Boreas. Finally, after a few seconds, he lets out a responding huff of agreeance. Ghoul turns his face back to look at the lava that pushes against the ledge. Taking a step back, he turns to face the girl. "Neither have I. This isn't normal," he comments as he steps closer to her and away from the lava. The sudden feeling of relief from being away from the heat smooths his fur and relaxes his muscles. "Hard to even breathe," Ghoul adds on as he takes another couple of steps away from the lava.

Her olive eyes watched the pink wolf as he moved around the edge of the lava pool. The heat from the bright orange and red lava was starting to get to her, making her feel light headed and woozy. She kept scanning the room, looking at every crack, crevice, and cranny that there was. There only seemed to be one way out of this place and it was behind them. The other wolf responded to her, obviously having a hard time breathing such as she was. She could tell the closer he got to her and farther from the lava he was relaxing slightly. It was the heat, it had to be. Even the sound of water dripping from the ceiling and hitting the rock sizzled. Her paws were starting to burn with the heat.

So he hadn't seen this place before either, huh? "I don't think anything could live in this environment." She huffed out, taking steps further away from the lava as well. She could feel the cooler air with every step and it became easier to breathe. "Maybe we should get out of here before we die or something." That would be ever so tragic, wouldn't it?

"She Speaks"

Bubbles of lava gurgled along the surface. Tension spread before finally erupting into a show of bright splatters of red, orange, and yellow. A few droplets came as far as landing on his sides and singing his fur. Ghoul audibly seethes between his teeth as he scoots away. His paws slide across the smooth and slick stone as they too are practically burning. There is no way anyone could survive down here. Stuffy, smelly, and deadly. He wrinkles his nose as he turns to look back at the girl who suggests they get out there. What a brilliant idea. He nods, saving his breath for when they are on the surface. Ghoul takes a few more steps away, back up the pathway, slightly behind the girl. After a second thought, he pauses and calls out to her. "You sure you don't want to stay?" He muses in his gravelly tones with a playful smirk. Allowing himself a few chuckles, he waves a paw at her before continuing back up the darkened pathway. Ha, who would want to live near lava anyway? Certainly not his family... Awe, shit, nope not time to think of his dead mother. Walking in silence, he doesn't stop until the fresh air on the surface fills his lungs. Sucking in a deep breath, he releases it with relief as the air around his mouth fogs. The temperature difference between above and below was drastic. "Not sure what brought me down there," he trails off as he looks back at the cave's entrance. "Felt like something wanted me down there," his brow furrows slightly as he gives his head a slight shake.

When the lava bubble that she hadn't been paying attention to until it made an audible pop, she turned instantly. She heard the noise the man made as the lava touched his fur. Oh hell no, she most definitely wasn't going to stay any longer for another bubble to pop and potentially hit her. And that was a large possibility as there were other bubbles preparing for their next victim. As they walked up the pathway, the rocks under her feet becoming immensely cooler, the man decidedly asked if she was sure she didn't want to stay. She let out a short laugh. "I mean we could but I'm pretty sure that would entail death." She chortled out, a hint of humor in her voice.

She finally exited the tunnel and her paws stepped on a very thin layer of snow that was feet away from the entrance. There wasn't much around the area of the hole, honestly it was a miracle she hadn't seen it sooner. The land around it was sparse, mostly dirt and snow the further away from the heat it got. The air was crisp and refreshing, nothing like the smothering and hot air that was down below. She decided then and there she would never go back there again. It just seemed... terrible.

"Me too, I felt drawn." It was an interesting fact, something had brought the two together down there for some reason. She cocked her head towards the man, getting a better look at the pinkish/white wolf. Apparently she was the odd one around here, being natural hues of brown. His coat was beautiful with the pink designs throughout it. "I like your fur, never seen anything like it" She mumbled to the man, decidedly laying her body down in the snow to help her body cool off a bit faster. She had stopped panting but she felt way overheated.

"She Speaks"

Ghoul watches her lay on the snow to cool off. It doesn't sound like such a bad idea, but he refrains. If he lays down now, he figures he wouldn't want to get up. Instead, he takes a few steps away to look around and make sure there aren't any predators nearby. He wouldn't be surprised if a big cat or bear lingered around here for dumb animals to fall prey to the bubbling pools of lava below. Before he has a chance to make conversation, her question catches him off guard. Turning back to the girl, his head gives a soft tilt. "Mine?" Ghoul looks down at his chest and legs. He had seen plenty of other wolves that were much more colorful than himself. How had she not? "Did you use to live somewhere else?" It was the only question that came to mind as he lifted his bright gaze back up to her.