causing chaos and
disobedience for all. In an attempt to correct this problem, the
great demon lords traveled to the lake of fire and created the
hellhounds. They would serve to guard the gates of Hell. When they
were done, each put their hand upon the hellhound leaving their
mark—a sigil—upon it in remembrance of their great deed to both
worlds,” he explained.
She continued to examine the animal,
admiring it. It was similar to a dog but the size was more like a
donkey or small horse. She’d seen very large Mastiffs and there was
a bit of a resemblance, but this animal was still much larger. The
head alone was the size of a large medicine ball and the pads of
its paws were the size of dinner plates or bigger.
She was quite certain Hunter had ducked out
of the immediate area for a moment, but she was too intrigued by
the hellhound to concern herself with what he was doing. She walked
completely around the hound, inspecting everything she could,
admiring its muscle composition and wondering how fast it might
have run. To fight something like this, Hunter must be much
stronger than he looks , she thought.
As she made her way around the animal for a
second time, a rustle in the bushes nearby caught Summer’s
attention. She heard a tiny yelp and more rustling and crunching of
leaves. She neared the undergrowth cautiously and crouched down to
see the source of the noises. She heard another yelp and then one
red eye and one gold eye peered out from behind leaves. She fell
backwards on her butt, landing in a large pile of leaves. She
stared at the mismatched eyes. They stared back at her like two
little flashlights of red and gold peering from the underbrush,
when they suddenly blinked. Summer jumped again. The head seemed to
cock to one side and then back again and a small, black, hairy
creature took a step towards her, away from its refuge.
It stopped, midway, as if making sure Summer
was not a threat, then yelped again looking at the hellhound near
her. Summer looked at the hellhound, then back at the little
creature, and it dawned on her that this was the hellhound’s
offspring, now all alone and motherless.
“Hey, little guy. It’s okay. Nothing’s going
to hurt you,” she encouraged the pup.
It whined and trotted out from under the
brush and to its mother and sat staring, as if expecting some
reaction. The pup licked its mother and yelped again, then nuzzled
its head against her and looked once more at Summer when the mother
gave no response.
“I’m sorry, little one, about your mother,”
Summer said.
The pup stood and again cocked its head at
Summer and inched forward towards her. Soon it was close enough to
sniff her shoe and give it a lick. It moved near her knee to smell
her jeans, but remained near its mother for protection. Soon he was
within an arm’s length; she slowly reached out her hand letting him
smell it before attempting to pet him. Finally, a pet on the head
was allowed and he made himself comfortable staring at his mother,
his head on Summer’s leg while he received some much-needed love
and attention.
She guessed he was about thirty pounds. He
had floppy ears, two little horns protruding in front of his ears
and feet three sizes too big for his body. His hair was velvety
soft and stood straight up in all directions giving him a
fuzzy-ball effect—which looked hilarious with his illuminated
red/gold eyes. He had atrocious breath—definitely the source of the
rotten egg smell, but he was all puppy.
Just as Summer was getting a face full of
licks from the foul-breathed pup, Hunter emerged from the forest
once more, stunned to find Summer in the company of a hellhound
pup.
*****
“Where did that come from?”
“He was under that bush. His mother must
have kept him nearby,” Summer said, petting the pup. “Did you find
what you’d lost?”
“Yes,” he said.
She asked, “Why doesn’t the mother have hair
like he does?”
“It singes off from the heat in Hell;
eventually
disobedience for all. In an attempt to correct this problem, the
great demon lords traveled to the lake of fire and created the
hellhounds. They would serve to guard the gates of Hell. When they
were done, each put their hand upon the hellhound leaving their
mark—a sigil—upon it in remembrance of their great deed to both
worlds,” he explained.
She continued to examine the animal,
admiring it. It was similar to a dog but the size was more like a
donkey or small horse. She’d seen very large Mastiffs and there was
a bit of a resemblance, but this animal was still much larger. The
head alone was the size of a large medicine ball and the pads of
its paws were the size of dinner plates or bigger.
She was quite certain Hunter had ducked out
of the immediate area for a moment, but she was too intrigued by
the hellhound to concern herself with what he was doing. She walked
completely around the hound, inspecting everything she could,
admiring its muscle composition and wondering how fast it might
have run. To fight something like this, Hunter must be much
stronger than he looks , she thought.
As she made her way around the animal for a
second time, a rustle in the bushes nearby caught Summer’s
attention. She heard a tiny yelp and more rustling and crunching of
leaves. She neared the undergrowth cautiously and crouched down to
see the source of the noises. She heard another yelp and then one
red eye and one gold eye peered out from behind leaves. She fell
backwards on her butt, landing in a large pile of leaves. She
stared at the mismatched eyes. They stared back at her like two
little flashlights of red and gold peering from the underbrush,
when they suddenly blinked. Summer jumped again. The head seemed to
cock to one side and then back again and a small, black, hairy
creature took a step towards her, away from its refuge.
It stopped, midway, as if making sure Summer
was not a threat, then yelped again looking at the hellhound near
her. Summer looked at the hellhound, then back at the little
creature, and it dawned on her that this was the hellhound’s
offspring, now all alone and motherless.
“Hey, little guy. It’s okay. Nothing’s going
to hurt you,” she encouraged the pup.
It whined and trotted out from under the
brush and to its mother and sat staring, as if expecting some
reaction. The pup licked its mother and yelped again, then nuzzled
its head against her and looked once more at Summer when the mother
gave no response.
“I’m sorry, little one, about your mother,”
Summer said.
The pup stood and again cocked its head at
Summer and inched forward towards her. Soon it was close enough to
sniff her shoe and give it a lick. It moved near her knee to smell
her jeans, but remained near its mother for protection. Soon he was
within an arm’s length; she slowly reached out her hand letting him
smell it before attempting to pet him. Finally, a pet on the head
was allowed and he made himself comfortable staring at his mother,
his head on Summer’s leg while he received some much-needed love
and attention.
She guessed he was about thirty pounds. He
had floppy ears, two little horns protruding in front of his ears
and feet three sizes too big for his body. His hair was velvety
soft and stood straight up in all directions giving him a
fuzzy-ball effect—which looked hilarious with his illuminated
red/gold eyes. He had atrocious breath—definitely the source of the
rotten egg smell, but he was all puppy.
Just as Summer was getting a face full of
licks from the foul-breathed pup, Hunter emerged from the forest
once more, stunned to find Summer in the company of a hellhound
pup.
*****
“Where did that come from?”
“He was under that bush. His mother must
have kept him nearby,” Summer said, petting the pup. “Did you find
what you’d lost?”
“Yes,” he said.
She asked, “Why doesn’t the mother have hair
like he does?”
“It singes off from the heat in Hell;
eventually
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