Higher than most houses, a rib cage rotted with maggots.
Within the woods, the dark coated beast's corpse bloated with bright hives and swarming flies by the dozens. Rats the size of dogs gnawed on tight grey flesh, eyes dark yellow with pulsing black veins.
A knock on his shield sent any stragglers away daring to approach the party.
Al loosed an arrow, skewering one through the belly, and the rest scurried into the woods.
"God," she said, rubbing her free arm, "fuck rats."
He tried holding laughter, but cracked, and she jabbed him in the belly with her elbow.
They smiled at one another for a few seconds, and he believed hell may have froze.
Along the wall was an opening standing almost as high as the wall itself. Either side, dark granite laid crumbled with gems scattered about. He took a few rubies for himself, and though the others were hesitant, they looted what they could as well.
A dozen meter high rubble separated them from the palace.
He climbed first, and saw the field awaiting on the other side.
Brown, muddy looking grounds, for at least a hundred meters or so. There were pits in the ground, similar to hatchling holes within dragonborne nests, though no smoke. No fire or brimstone, and beyond the fields were black buildings, the first tower even further, its yellow lights flickering.
Within the field it was quiet, though it reeked, similar to the tunnels as Arthur believed.
"There's livestock here too," Arthur said, nose covered, facing a pit. "Lord knows what's down there."
"Care to find out?" He asked.
Arthur forced a smile, but he could smell his dread.
Dany drew her sword, and he kept his flail ready to swing. Al, Arthur, and Nathan tayed behind them, the two cautious within a new area, though it was all unseen to them.
Claw marks and paw prints over three times the size of a horse laid about. There were bones over ten meters long, some with rotted flesh, others stripped clean. Al and Arthur covered their noses, almost gagging, as they passed by a mound of shit high as a great oak.
"What were those creatures?" Arthur muttered.
Howls echoed.
Too low to be a wolves, from within the pits, dozens of times over.
Dany froze, her sword hand stiff. He pressed on, Nathan at his side, the lad suggesting there were hounds beneath them.
"There could be dozens," Nathan muttered. "Maybe hundreds. I've never heard so many."
"Means nothing," he growled, paws skittering below.
Howls turned to whimpers, then the hounds growled.
Upon reaching the pits opening, blood curling barks sounded without pause. Several ran up, blood on their claws, large as any dyrewolf. Wild black fur, a red undercoat, and eyes like dragons, they were hounds of blood and death.
"Hellhounds!" Nathan cried, his sword shining.
Dozens more scurried up into the fields.
Well over a hundred and counting, rushing towards the party. His shield ignited, and the blood scourging mutts whined. One swing splattered at least twenty to red chunks, and the rest fell back.
They kept running circles around the party. Some barked, a mouth full of drool. Others had a foul dry breath, reeking like sour fire engulfing shit. Claws like rusty iron, at least a few inches long, and their jaws held dagger like blood dry fangs. Flesh was rotted on a handful, and their ribs showed.
Al loosed, killing several, though it made little difference.
Outnumbered at least ten to one, the waves of circling hounds increased. He kept swinging, spreading dozens at a time into a red paste. Their guts were black, slimed along the ground. Hounds fought over anything they could, intestines, lungs, hearts. Legs, eyeballs, tongues, and nostrils, it was turning into a red feast.
So long as the Embers were in one piece, he didn't stop, clearing a path for the party.
Yet Dany remained frozen.
Not until he cursed, a mouth full of steam, did she flinch.
"Move your arse! The fuck are you holding that sword for?"
Nathan grasped her shoulder, and she forced herself to move.
Hellhounds, feasting on fresh dirt covered innards, whimpered. They snatched what leftovers they could, scurrying into the pits. Within seconds the field was quiet. Nothing from the pits as the party moved on.
Within a hundred paces of a fence, black buildings with dusty windows on the other side, winds echoed of the old language.
"What is your purpose… ye of no soul…abandon this place," Nathan translated for them. "Turn back, for the sake of…"
"What?" Al asked, eyeing the alleyways with her bow up.
Dirt towered towards the sky.
Behind the party rose a beast, an overgrown hellhound same as the three he'd slain with Dany. Yet it's coat emitted flames, it's eyes shined like stars, and fire radiated within its belly. Three horns, one on the snout, two on either side its skull like a bull, it charged.
Arrows plunged between its eyes. Al loosed another into its right eye, though it didn't slow.
Arthur, Nathan, and Dany behind him, he led with his shield, charging the beasts front horn. They collided, he widened his base, then kept driving. Light shined on his shield, and it whined. He shoved, stumbling it back a few meters, then swung down. Its nostrils shattered, blood spurting across his helm. Bone splintered, its horn breaking to pieces, and it whined shuffling back.
On its hind legs its belly brightened. So much light, like a white roaring star, forced him to duck behind his shield. The others joined him, and flames rolled towards them. Over a hundred meters wide, fire engulfed all sides of them, yet his shield was firm. Nothing scorched his shield arm, and upon fiery roars fading he swung forward.
A quick spiked lash took the hounds right eyeball out.
It roared, fire brewing in its belly once more.
Al loosed arrows, and he swung again. Arrows penetrated its belly, and his flail head gored it open.
He led the others, closing in on the snarling beast. A spear skewered one side, swords sliced open the other, and his flail bashed it open. Fire roared above, escaping the wailing hounds stomach. He brought down his flail, cracking its skull.
Fire engulfed it, turning blue with wiry white smoke.
Its bones revealed as the party crossed into Eldreth palace's roads.
Wails echoed, though not of the starving dogs.