Hellhounds: The Legends of Doggy

7: Never Bargain With A Dead Guy

Lich's breathing rattled her body, heart pounding against her rib-cage. She dove to the left as the ball of energy flew at her, skimming her ear. A burning sensation erupted at the area of impact, and Lich forced down a whimper.

Eldritch Hunt wheeled around and ran. 

"Get him." Lich hurdled after the runaway fugitive, Doggy by her side. She lunged into the air, grabbing his staff. The weapon shook as Hunt made a mad attempt at dislodging her grip. Lich curled herself into a ball, tucking in her hind legs. A moment later she kicked them out again. They caught Hunt in the torso.

The soul doubled over, clutching the spot which Lich's back claws had pierced. Doggy dug his teeth into Hunt's foot, pulling him down. The staff fired once more, bullet sailing harmlessly over Lich's head. She wrestled the stick from Eldritch Hunt's fist.

The dead man thrust out his leg, knocking into Lich. She stumbled backwards, ribs aching. The golden stick clattered against the marble. He rushed to scoop it up, black eyes wide. Eldritch Hunt raised the staff, going in for the final blow...

"No!" Doggy leaped in front of Lich, shielding her. Hunt hesitated for a split second. It was all the time Lich needed to slip away. 

"Thanks," she said through pants.

A grin spread across Doggy's muzzle. "Roger that."

Lich jumped, twisting onto her side. Her spine connected with Eldritch Hunt's stomach. He was sent careening into the wall, back slumping. The dead man fell to his knees.

Doggy curled his teeth around the staff, yanking it away. He kept the tip glued to Hunt's chest.

"Look." Lich released a low growl, creeping towards Hunt. She refused to draw her gaze from his see-through frame - he'd caused enough trouble already. "This entire building is surrounded. There's no way out."

Eldritch Hunt's eyebrow arched. "Let me guess. You want me to answer your questions?"

Lich gritted his teeth as the soul flipped through a copy of 'The Complete Guide To Rules In The Elysium (Edition 1)' , which had somehow ended up on the floor. Didn't the guy have any sense of urgency? 

"That's right," she said. "We want you to tell us everything you know about the crown of Hades."

Eldritch Hunt chuckled, an inhuman noise which tingled the back of Lich's neck. "You two dogs think you're treasure hunters, don't you?"

"Yeah." Doggy chased his tail in a circle, tongue lolling. If only he'd quit that stupid habit. "We're the best treasure hunters ever to live, and we're going to find the crown and take over the entire Underworld." He puffed out his chest. "Right, Lich?"

Sure, the scruffy mutt had come close to saving her life a few times, but that didn't mean she found him any less annoying. All the same, something pricked at Lich's heart as Doggy looked to her expectantly. She could humor him just this once, couldn't she?

"Right." 

Doggy's eyes shone, the flames in his irises dancing. 

"Sure you are." A hint of a sneer tugged at Eldritch Hunt's lips. "But that doesn't give me any reason to help you."

Lich's mind raced, searching for any incentive she could give Hunt to comply. "The moment you're caught, you've got a one-way ticket to Tartarus." She drew closer to the soul, fangs barred. "In case you don't know what happens in Tartarus, we can give you a reminder."

Doggy jumped in, tail wagging. "They'll chop off your head." He trailed a nail across his neck in demonstration. "Then they'll glue it back on, and chop it off again! And after that, the Demons will cut you up into lots of little pieces and feed them to the giant furry monster who eats the souls who misbehave."