Tyna led him down a dark cave as she held a flickering torch in her right hand. The dim torch was their only source of light. As Matheus looked to the rock walls, he spotted dark markings all along the sides. He knew they held warnings and messages for people, but they were pictures and hardly any words. Even with the torchlight, it was still much too dark for him to clearly make out the symbols and scenes written on the wall.

Tyna noticed him looking at the images.

"The marks of the moon. Symbols so ancient that no-one is quite sure of where they came from. Some say a demon wrote them, others say an angel wrote them as both a blessing and a curse, to warn unwelcome travelers of the dangers within this cave, " she stated.

"What's so dangerous about this cave again?" asked Matheus.

"This cave is where you will be transformed into the Huntsman, and holds immense power. These markings tell the story of the history of the world and describe in perfect detail, some lesser-known events of the world, such as the war between humans and demonic beings, eons ago, and the day that humans took their very first steps on this world, and their very first breath of air to add onto that, " replied Tyna.

"Who do you think wrote it?" asked Matheus,

Tyna gave a chuckle and said, "There are things even gods do not know, and this is one of the few secrets of the universe that I do not know."

That only caused Matheus's curiosity to grow stronger.

After a few more minutes of walking in silence, they came to an opening, and within it, were the telltale signs of a pond with a small waterfall that made itself known to them.

"Water?" asked Matheus.

Tyna nodded.

"Yes, this is the pool of the ancients. A pond that never fills fully, but never empties, it is imbued with vast and ancient knowledge. It is vital that you enter this pool and survive your encounter if you are to become the huntsman," she said glancing over at him.

"Survive?" Matheus echoed.

"It is extremely powerful and dangerous, none who ever enter it's waters remain the same. Only the strongest or luckiest, can survive its power," replied Tyna.

"Are you always this cheerful?" asked Matheus.

"I have my moments," she said chuckling.

"Lovely..." Matheus muttered before taking a few steps forward.

"The time has not yet come upon us. Only at the stroke of midnight, will the moon shine down on the water and awaken its ancient power," Tyna gently grasped his arm as she spoke.

Looking back, he sighed and turned around before asking, "Tyna..gods regenerate too right?"

Tyna nodded sensing his possible questions.

"Are there other species that regenerate as well?" he asked

"Yes, dear, mostly just immortals, but the main species of creatures that appear to have this ability, to my knowledge, are demons," she replied.

"demons?" asked Matheus.

"Yes, demons. Unholy beings and the opposite of angels. Most have inhuman and unearthly appearances and possess immense power. Never make a deal with demons, as most will always betray you. Always be on the lookout for demons, where there's one, there's almost always another somewhere nearby."

"Are there any good demons?"

"Hmm...no demon is innately holy and good, but some can suffice as anti-heroes or at least loners. Recently it has been brought to my attention that demons that lack sufficient blood-lust like most of their demonic siblings are less likely to cause harm. Regardless, it isn't wise to trust them, but they can make powerful allies. The loyalty of a demon is something few can gain-and those few who do have it gain an immortal and powerful friend and ally and even protector."

Matheus nodded and said slowly, "I see..."

"Anything else you wish to ask? it is nearly time to start, however," Stated Tyna.

Matheus thought about it, then shook his head, "No, I'm good for now."

Tyna nodded satisfied at this and said, "Now prepare yourself, it is just about time."

Boiuna then spoke up in his mind, "Be careful of this event..it will be a painful moment in your life as you transform," stated the snake.

"Lovely..more pain," sighed Matheus.

"Suffering is a part of life, unfortunately, " replied Tyna.

Just as she finished speaking, the moon began to shine through a hole in the roof of the cave and the water in the pond began to glow white-ish silver.

"Go gently. Do not anger the spirits, but do not resist their actions either," said Tyna sternly.

"Even I cannot help you," she added unhelpfully.

Matheus gulped and took his first few steps forward.

As the moon took pride in its light, he started to feel the power of the water from merely five-feet away. He could feel a presence watching him-no multiple sets of eyes watching him as his foot placed itself into the water.

The result was immediate, power unlike any other he ever felt flew through his body. He clenched his teeth before stepping fully into the pond. The water quickly reached his waist.

After a few moments, he glanced behind him towards his godly grandmother and she nodded in confidence.

He actually felt like this wasn't gonna be that bad.

Then he felt it.

What felt like two pairs of hands wrapped around his ankles and knees before figures started to rise out of the water.

They were tall. Easily equal in terms of height to himself and had long black hair that reached below their lower back. Blue robes covered them, leaving only their head exposed, but even that was covered by their black hair.

Their most striking feature to him, however, was their eyes.

Their eyes had no pupils, no Iris; they were just a single color, blue.

Their eyes were glowing blue orbs, unblinking and emotionless as they stared at him, taking on his form and appearance. The two that had grabbed his legs also rose out of the water. They looked exactly the same as the two before him. They formed an X formation around him.

For the next few moments, it was silence, the spirits stared at him in an emotion he couldn't quite process, was it Anger? Amusement? Disgust? Awe? He couldn't quite tell and their features displaying motion appeared to change rapidly, fast enough to become a blur. He started to wonder if they were scanning him, looking into his mind to see if he was worthy or not of their attention.

Suddenly, the spirits reached forward and gently grasped his forearms, and shoulders. Without a word, began to pull him down further into the water.

He cast one last fearful and surprised glance at Tyna who only nodded to continue, and Boiuna said softly in his head.

"Do not worry Matheus, they are the spirits who will guide you through your transformation, do as they say and indicate, but do not resist their actions if at all necessary, to do so is an act of immense disrespect," warned the Snake.

Matheus gulped before nodding faintly, as the spirits gently pulled him into the pond. The cool water rose above his ears and covered his head.

He was surprised that he could still breathe normally underneath the water. He came to a stop in what seemed to be floating in an abyss of sorts.

The spirits were now gone and nowhere to be seen.

"Are we allowed to speak during this trial?" Matheus asked Boiuna in his mind.

"As long as it's not excessive or unnecessary, they do not mind, after all they understand that you're still technically a child and will likely have questions," replied the snake without a word outside of his body or mind.

"Alright then.." he replied.

Taking a few breaths in and out he opened his mouth and said slowly, "Hello..?...where am I?"

"You are in our domain, Matheus. You will be transformed for the ritual of the huntsman, and you will remain in our domain until it is done, " replied a soft-yet watery voice that oozed with age and experience.

In front of him, one of the four spirits materialized in front of him, like a ripple. He seemingly just willed himself into existence.

But now he finally got a good and true look at the spirit.

It had the same appearance as it did above the surface, very long black hair that was now flowing slowly. Blue robes covered his chest and upper body, glowing blue orbs for eyes and dark shadowy skin.

But at his waist is where the humanoid self ended and the monstrous side began.

Below his waist instead of legs was a very long snake-like tail. The end of it was nowhere in sight as it vanished into the deep watery blue abyss.

Matheus felt his eyes widen as the spirit took no move to stop him as the three other spirits joined him in circling him.

The second spirit to appear was exactly the same as was all four of the spirits, except this time his eyes were a bright yellow, and below his waist was the body of a massive crab-like creature, floating in the murk, he watched as a pair of massive crab-like claws crossed over themselves and seemed to be waiting for the other two.

The third spirit had the lower body of a large creature with small spikes covering its body with four large whale-like flippers flapping slowly This spirit's eyes seemed to be more purple and violet rather than blue now.

Finally, the fourth spirit had a large shark-like set of limbs below his waist and had black eyes on his face, that glowed with an unearthly dark glow.

The four watched him in silence a moment longer before the one directly in front of him spoke.

"Matheus, you have completed the trials necessary to become the huntsman, you also have been chosen by fate itself to bear the title, and we are here to assist you in completing that task," he said. His voice stayed flat and even.

"W-who are you?" Matheus asked, trying to sound respectful.

"We are the four seas. We are among the most ancient of all spirits and thus beings, we were old by the time the Virth and humanity were even dreamed of, we are the embodiment of countless, wishes, desires, emotions, and thus we are truly eternal and can never be destroyed," said the third spirit whose voice was soft and smooth like silk much like a female's voice.

"Unlike other being's we answer to very, very few individuals, and almost none hold or even rival us in our power. This domain is of our own making, and we reside in this realm keeping watch overall," said the second spirit in a gruff, harsher voice that was very easy to identify as male.

"Are you..the endless?" asked Matheus.

This time the fourth spirit spoke, this one's voice was also female. Two male spirits and two female spirits. It spoke in a soft voice that sent chills down his spine, like an army of ants moving as one.

"No. we are not. We are something else entirely. We have existed almost as long as the endless themselves. While it's easy to get us confused with them, we do not share their origins. We also do not share the same-albeit similar tasks, however, we are original beings, and have no counterparts," said the shark-spirit.

"Then...what are you...if I may ask..?" asked Matheus slowly.

The Crab-spirit took on a face of annoyance but before he could speak he was silenced by the snake-spirit.

"We are many thing's humans..demons..spirits..gods...but we are the not just the embodiment of emotions, we are the souls of the very ocean's themselves, the life-force of the water is everlasting and eternal, thus we can never be destroyed, " answered the snake-spirit.

"We've used up enough time, we must commence with the ritual before sun-rise," said the Mosasaur-spirit.

The other three nodded.

"Very well..let us begin," said the snake-spirit.

The spirits then as one raised their hands, exposing dull, grey, and bony hands, but they moved with a purpose and a steadiness that few could ever hope to match.

"Creator of fate, hear our words, this human has completed the tests of the hunt, and by decree of our most ancient law, is to be the bearer of the power of the huntsman for all eternity until he passes the title onto the next willing and worthy being," chanted the blue-eyed spirit.

After a few moments --Matheus not daring to even move-- their eyes began to glow.

The glow became almost blinding as they began to chant in an incomprehensible language.

It sounded like a rapid-speaking of the word "Kamchatka".

Before they abruptly stopped and went silent.

For a few seconds, nothing happened.

Then, oh did it happen.

Pain flared all over his body. It felt like every bone-no every fiber in his very being was being ripped apart and thrown back together roughly.

"Whatever you do..don't scream," said Boiuna. She lacked any and all softness that she previously had before.

After five minutes straight of constant agony both inside and outside, the pain finally began to subside and scenes flashed through his mind.

He had never seen these things before in his life, as he began to feel a connection to every single one of them.

His thoughts and mind felt calmer, peaceful even, and began to move at a higher rate, giving him a better sense of thought.

After a few more moments of this sensation, all feelings slowly began to crawl away from him and a certain type of peacefulness entered through his mind.

The four seas lowered their arms and crossed them.

The snake-spirit nodded and said, "It is done."

He stumbled to say the right words when a phrase suddenly surfaced from the depths of his brain.

"You may have many names but..you have an original name that few know," replied Matheus and to his surprise, his voice sounded rougher, older, and above all, deeper.

The snake-spirit nodded and said, "yes, part of the process wasn't just physical. A part of it was also internally changing you. You now have knowledge of many things, including us-as well. We allowed you to enter our domain, and become the huntsman after all didn't we?"

Matheus made a noise that might be considered a chuckle, "Yes..your name is-Nordsjon-the spirit of the Northern Sea."

Nordsjon nodded.

He then looked to the other three and locked eyes with the yellow-eyed spirit and said, "your name is Skornek-the spirit of the Western Sea."

Skornek nodded with a hint of begrudging respect.

He then turned to the purple-eyed spirit and said, "you are Itameri, the spirit of the Eastern Sea."

Itameri gave a small smile and nodded.

He finally then turned to the final of the four spirits and said, "and your name is Brezno-the spirit of the southern sea"

Brezno merely nodded blankly.

"Good...very good, the ritual was successful, but now that you have entered the body of the huntsman, you must now learn how to control your vast reserves of magical power. You will be able to call onto us for assistance or council when necessary, during which you must wait till the next full moon, and meditate for an hour so your soul can enter our realm and summon us. Now go, rejoin Tyna, and assist her in her first task for you. The next full moon is tomorrow, then you will be able to return to us, but we are aware of Ravina, Rapido, and Boiuna within your mind, they will remain with you, perhaps even after you pass on the title of Huntsman to the next host. Take council in them. They know about many things and can even be summoned for assistance in battle. They are immortal guardians, it's..let's just say that they are hard to kill," said Nordsjon.

Matheus nodded.

"And it's a given that the triad of the amazon is now yours to command, given now that you have a form capable of withstanding their energy and power," said Itameri.

Matheus sighed in relief. He had been curious about the triad for a while now.

"Now, our time of business is over for today, Huntsman Beware, even after you claim your revenge, you will be needed to heed the call of nature once more, when a visitor from a land-long forgotten will come for you," said Brezno, her voice lacking emotion.

"Can you tell me who they would happen to be?" he asked

The four spirits shook their heads in perfect unison.

"No. we cannot, the creators of fate prevent it, if we were to say it, we would be erased from existence, permanently. Thus we regrettably must let nature take its course as it always does," said Skornek.

"Well..that's a valid reason not to do so," commented Matheus.

The four nodded and then they said in unison, "Now, return to Tyna, return to the mortal realm you call your home and complete her task. You will have your revenge, now go huntsman. We will meet again."

Just before he left their domain --by the four-spirits lifting their arms and hands again and their eyes glowed brightly--, he caught sight of dozens of other beings behind Nordsjon, each was similar in appearance to the four spirits before him, some seemed to have fish tails, like mermaids, while others had the lower half of an octopus or squid, some even seemed to have the lower ends of a lobster or even further more-crocodiles.

Their eyes shone in every color imaginable as they too raised their hands and chanted.

"Huntsman."

A countless number of both female and male voices, chanting, lured him until his vision went white. Then, he heard nothing.

Tyna merely sat by the edge of the pool, taking her sweet time humming an ancient tune while she twiddled her thumbs around each other. He had been gone for twenty minutes now, she hoped he didn't offend the ancient spirits and get eaten by them-.

Her answer came roughly twenty-thirty seconds later when she sensed a shadow appear under the surface of the pond's water.

Glancing over, she saw a large-but-human hand reach up and break the surface of the water. It landed on the edge of the pond and grasped the side firmly before a large human pulled himself out of the water.

It took Tyna a few seconds, but she realized that this individual wasn't just anyone-it was Matheus, his ritual seems to have been a complete success, and at that thought, she smiled-there was still hope after all.

"Ah, Matheus...it's good to see you're still alive," she stated proudly gazing up at him.

Where Matheus used to be around 5.8 feet tall-he now stood roughly seven feet tall. His chest and arms now rippled with well-maintained muscle, his already longer black hair swept down past his shoulders and over his bare chest, his eyes were different. If you looked closely you could still see his pupils, but his formerly darker eyes were now dominated by a brilliant Jaded green which gave off a faint glow that glowed with power and wisdom.

"Yes, Tyna. I have returned alive. I met the ancient spirits, hard to believe they exist after all.." he mused stepping out of the pond as the moon's light finally disappeared from the cave's open rooftop.

However, as he took his first few steps in his new form, he noticed thing's he never saw before, the markings on the wall for one- were fully able to be seen by Matheus, he could see them without issue. He also felt a connection to everything around him, from the smallest pebble to even the power of the pond just a few feet behind him, brimming with power-the pattern and heartbeat of the world.

Turning back to Tyna he smiled and said, "So, what's the task?"