Hellhounds: The Legends of Doggy

2: Super-Agent Fang X, At Your Service

"There's no way in hell I'm calling you that," Lich said as they walked along, ducking behind the mouth of a cave. It was the entrance into the Ashpodel Meadows from which they'd come, jaws wide open as if swallow them whole. Dented wire crates littered the floor of the Skylos - the realm of the Hellhounds.

"Why not?" Super-Agent Fang X (aka Doggy) wilted. "It's cool! And when we talk to each other, we've got to start saying 'over and out' after every sentence. Over and out."

Lich sighed, her tail swishing. She was pretty much the most stunning creature Doggy had ever met, if he did say so himself. Tall, powerful, eyes the color of flaming rubies... what more was there to want? "The riddle talked about the Elysium," Lich said. "We're going to head there first, and see if we can find 'the flaw in the system'. Whatever that meant."

Smart, too. Had Doggy mentioned smart?

"Roger that, Super-Agent Lich. Over and out." 

Lich released a low growl, and the noise made Doggy's skin crawl. He loved the look of those pearly white teeth whenever she snarled - and luckily for Doggy, she'd been snarling a lot. "How many times do I have to tell you this isn't the Marines? And my name is Lich, not Super-Agent XYZ." 

Doggy was about to say that he liked the sound of Super-Agent XYZ a lot, actually, when a gruff bark came from close by.

"Doggy." Toad strolled towards him, muscles rippling as he scowled. "What are you doing? We need you out on the field."

Doggy had suspected his pack would need his superior nose-work before long. His super-powerful nostrils never failed to pick up on the subtlest differences, differentiating between even the smallest levels of good and evil.

"Okay," Doggy said, following as Toad led him away from his partner in crime. "Just talking about... something." He cast a glance over his shoulder, throwing Lich a wink. She rolled her eyes.

"My shift isn't until later." Lich left the area, flicking her tail behind her.

"Who's she?" Toad wanted to know, once Lich had vanished. 

"She's my new friend," Doggy looked at the spot where she'd been standing only a moment ago. "Her name's Super-Agen-" he stopped himself before he revealed too much information, spy instincts kicking in. "Her name's Lich."

"I'd stay away from her, if I were you," Toad said, nudging Doggy once they reached the iron gates. On the other side of the entry-way, souls poured into the clearing, mixing together into a sea of translucent heads. Their features were as see-through as glass, each one identical to the next. 

"What's wrong with Lich?" Doggy cocked his head. His new friend had seemed nice enough, so why wouldn't Toad approve?

Toad shrugged. "She's a rogue, and rogues are always trouble. Just are. Stick with your pack, and don't bother with dogs like her." 

With that, he thrust open the gates and shoved Doggy inside. Doggy scrambled to retain his footing, souls rushing past on all sides. The cliff dropped off only a few tail-lengths away, a thousand-foot fall into the burning  river below. Souls flooded over the cliff's edge, more emptying in by the second. Doggy would have to act fast if he wanted to manage the horde, but he'd experienced the rush of adrenaline so many times it felt like a second nature.

Muzzle lowered, Doggy allowed his nose to take control. Good and evil had blended together into soup, and it was his job to separate the ingredients. 

Doggy herded the souls reeking of purity first, as they were the easiest to recognize, leading them towards their designated gate. A pair of stern-looking Angels stood guarding the golden-barred entrance to the Elysium, ushering the Dead into a single-file line.