Gamr stood sentinel at the threshold of the Realm Between, his obsidian form contrasting sharply against the swirling mists of ethereal light that stretched infinitely in all directions. The space between the worlds was neither here nor there, a shifting expanse where the concepts of reality and spirit interwove, as space so vast it would humble most who entered. Gamr, however, was not most. The expanse, to him, was as familiar as the scent of prey to a hound, a pathway his paws had trodden since time immemorial. From the first breath of a soul newly freed from the mortal coil to the final step before eternity, it was Gamr who guarded the passage.

Shadows and light blurred in the distance, twisting into impossible shapes, while shimmering threads of essence stretched endlessly into the unknown. Some called it beautiful; others, terrifying. To Gamr, it was simply his post, as unremarkable as the changing of seasons. The souls passed by, some in quiet reverence, others in fearful whispers. They were but fleeting moments to Gamr, barely worth noting unless they strayed from their path. The real challenge, the ones that required more than just vigilance, were the gods. Not because they were powerful, but because they were, in a word, ridiculous.

“Identification,” Gamr rumbled as a figure emerged from the mists, his voice resonating through the endless expanse.

It was Passion again, all fiery arrogance and smoldering bravado. His presence was a torrent of every desire, every ambition, every fleeting obsession that had ever fueled the hearts of mortals and immortals alike. The god sauntered forward, his flames flickering in patterns that Gamr had long since stopped caring to decipher.

“Oh, come on, Gamr,” Passion groaned, rolling his eyes. “You know who I am.”

Gamr’s gaze was flat, unimpressed. “Procedure,” he said, the word as unyielding as the stone beneath his paws.

With a huff, Passion extended his essence, the air crackling with heat as he begrudgingly complied. The Hellhound barely glanced at it, his practiced eyes scanning the divine energy for any anomalies before dismissing it. It was as routine as checking off a list, and just as mundane.

“Proceed,” Gamr said, stepping aside with the slightest incline of his massive head.

As Passion strutted past, another figure emerged from the mist, her heavy footsteps shaking the ground ever so slightly. The Goddess of Labor, every inch of her exuding a no-nonsense aura that spoke of toil and relentless effort. She was burly, muscular, and covered in the soot and grime of a thousand forges, with a scowl etched deep into her face.

“Gamr,” she barked, her voice rough as gravel, “Let’s get this over with. I’ve got an industrial revolution to oversee in the Lower Planes. Ugh, why am I explaining this to you, move hound.”

The Goddess attempted to take a step forward only to have the passage blocked by some unseen force. It wasn’t Gamr’s power that stopped Her, he would be less likely to stop a God than an ant eating a star.

“Identification,” Gamr replied, his tone as steady as ever, though his gaze sharpened slightly.

The Goddess of Labor was known for being one of the more… volatile ones. Gods were concepts and he could practically see her seething beneath the surface of her divine avatar. If she wasn't flipping a city block over some slight, she was grumbling about the inefficiency of everything around her.

With a deep, theatrical sigh, Labor extended her essence, a complex weave of sweat, toil, and relentless work ethic. Gamr’s eyes flickered over it, noting a slight irregularity—a spark of something else within the divine energy. He leaned in, his voice low. “You’ve been dabbling in ambition again. Passion’s influence?”

Labor’s scowl deepened. “What’s it to you, mutt? We all need a little extra fire in the furnace sometimes.”

Gamr met her glare. “Stay in your lane, or you’ll end up in Judgment’s office. Again.”

“Stay in my lane? You are speaking to the Goddess of Labor. Hope that I don’t extend your working hours. Then again, maybe I should, maybe you will learn how to do your fucking job.”

“Yeah, sure then every time you have to come through here I will be the one that greets you. I will have a big smile on my face and the protocol book in my hands. What was section 12 subsection 13.2 again? I believe it talked about Gods using divine threats against the Hounds of Death.” Gamr clicked his tongue and shook his head slowly. “I should report this to Judgement right away. I feel like my existence is being threatened. Or you can show me your, you damned Identification.”

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Labor snorted but didn’t push the issue. The last time she’d tangled too much with another god’s domain, Judgment had made her rebuild half of an entire Plane from scratch. She didn’t need a repeat of that disaster. She muttered something about overgrown watchdogs and stomped past, her footsteps fading into the mist.

Gamr watched her go, his gaze shifting back to the endless expanse. Far off in the distance, the faint outline of the city of Valescaelum loomed—a place where some souls were allowed to loom and he and the other Hellhounds lived when they were off duty. Anubis and Cerberus were there now, likely enjoying their downtime while he held the line. The city was a necessary break from this realm’s constant flux, a place to rest before returning to the duty they had been bound to since the beginning.

In the quiet that followed, Gamr allowed himself a moment of reflection. The gods were insufferable, each one a bundle of flaws wrapped in cosmic power, but they feared the rules—the Judgment that kept them in check. It was a small consolation, but one that made his job a little easier.

As another soul drifted past, Gamr returned to his vigil. The realm between was vast, and his duties, though grand, had become trivial in his eyes. Yet, in this world of contradictions, even the trivial had its place. He was so mesmerized for a moment that he nearly missed when a soul broke off from the others in the river. It wasn’t a grand spirit or a god. It wasn’t a grand spirit or a god. It was powerful but small and fragile, like those from Elysium. He sighed; this meant it was a messenger from one of the gods above. He hoped it wasn’t from his master, but from the look of the being, he already knew it was.

“Identification.” Gamr said, without missing a beat.

The spirit form fully materialized. He was in a suit and tie less than half the height of Gamr’s ankle. He had seven heads of various animals and Gamr could already smell the scent of his master on him. The being looked frazzled as he searched his pockets for something. He had a clipboard in the other hand which he tucked under his arms. While he looked around Gamr shrank in size so that he was only a few feet taller than the man.

The spirit stuttered. “S-s-sorry, my name is–”

“Liherahsvesdehandula, current acting head of Death’s psychopomps,” Gamr interrupted. “I am going to call you Lee.”

“How did you know that?” Lee questioned.

“You are wearing your badge Lee,” Gamr said, his tone flat. “What news do you bring for me from Death?”

“Ah-yes forgive me. I was tasked with collecting you, Cerberus and Anubis,” Lee said. “There was an incident between Goddess Death and God Reincarnation.”

“Pass,” Gamr said curtly.

“Pass?” Lee echoed, nonplussed.

“Correct, pass. I am on duty, and my job is not one I can leave vacant,” Gamr said, already dismissing the conversation.

“I-I-I, uh, but, the Goddess.” Lee stuttered. “She said that, you, uh, I mean.”

The poor guy looked to be on the verge of hyperventilation, which was impressive since they didn’t need to breathe. Why had Death put this young man in charge of such a situation? The Elysium-born were an odd group of immortals.

“Lee, breathe or stop breathing, whichever will help the most.” Gamr said incredulously. “Why are you breathing anyway? Where is Juiel, did he quit?”

It took Lee a few seconds to gather himself and respond. “He’s on medical leave. That’s one of the reasons I’m here. I’m the Provisional Head of the Psychopomps.”

Gamr’s eyes narrowed. “Medical leave? From what?”

“Several psychopomps were injured and the souls they were guiding were stolen.” Lee said, getting into a stride. “And Death is drunk, and I am finding out that is a regular thing, and I don’t don’t know how I feel about the concept of death being a raging alcoholic! Now, I have to be the Provisional Head of the Psychopomps and I have only had this job for a year! A Year! This is way over my experience!”

“Of course,” Gamr muttered, rolling his eyes. “So now she is sending fresh meat to do Juiel’s job. Fantastic.”

Before Lee could stammer out another excuse, a second figure emerged from the mist. This one was a greater spirit, much like Gamr himself. The spirit was a large wolf with the obsidian scales of a dragon. Gold lined each scale in a shimmering pattern that created fractals of light in the space around him. He was the size Gamr had been before he shrunk himself to avoid giving the psychopomp a heart attack. The newcomer looked around, surprised that no one was there guarding the passage.

“We are down here Tiangou,” Lee called with surprising joviality and a wave. “Maybe he can convince you, Gamr.”

“You brought the Celestial Devourer into this?” Gamr said. “How fucked is this situation.”

“He volunteered!” Lee said cheerily. “He works in Elysium too, you know. He heard about my plight in the break room and said he’d be happy to help.”

“Ah, there you are, Lee. Gamr.” The massive dragon-wolf lowered his head in greeting as he shrunk down in size to match Gamr. “I apologize for being late. I had to inform Void that I was coming to assist.”

“And she allowed it?” Gamr asked suspiciously.

“Why yes, of course, she wants to resolve this issue between her little sister and big brother as quickly as possible.” Tiangou said. “So, how about we have a talk hellhound I am sure there is a way that you can fulfill the request of your Goddess.”

Gamr snorted. “Of course she does. The last thing she wants is to be dragged into one of their petty squabbles.”

“Exactly,” Tiangou said with a knowing nod. “So, how about we have a talk, Hellhound? I’m sure there’s a way you can fulfill the request of your Goddess without abandoning your post.”