The hellhound took a few steps out of the cell and into the light. It stretched and growled, keeping its eyes locked on me. Its muscles rippled and flexed as it walked around the perimeter of the room.

I stood, knife in hand, staring back. I didn’t dare back up, lest it pounce. Every apprentice Hunter is taught to not show fear to a hellhound. Also that their teeth, sharp enough to cut steel, aren’t the most dangerous part of them. Worse than that, hellhounds are smart. They plot, plan, and scheme. It’s rumored that some can even talk. This hellhound had been caught, so it probably wasn’t the smartest one around, but that didn’t make it safe by any measure.

I could tell it was just waiting for me to show any sign of weakness. Its muscles were tense and coiled, ready to spring into action and tear my head off. But I didn’t show any weakness or really move, at all.

My mind raced, going over everything I knew about hellhounds. I’d seen a few during the Last War, mostly contracted by summoners on the other side. I’d killed a couple, too, but I’d been using much heavier weaponry than I had now, and I’d had the advantage of an army at my back. No such luck here and now.

Another growl slipped from the hellhound’s mouth, and it took a step forward.

I threw my knife at it, which embedded in its shoulder with a solid thunk. The knife buried into its hide, but the hellhound hardly seemed bothered. It pawed at the wound like it was pawing at a fly, and it knocked the knife loose. At least it didn’t take another step closer.

I pulled out another knife.

My muscles began to ache, and my Hunter’s Mark began to feel a bit warm. I wiped away the sweat from my brow.

The first knife I’d thrown clattered out of the hellhound’s shoulder, falling uselessly to the ground. The wound oozed a deep, crimson blood. I could smell the sulfuric stench from here. The hellhound growled again, knocking loose more dirt and water from the ceiling. I could see licks of fire and smoke coming out of its snout as it breathed.

It took another step forward and I did as well, staring it down. It was half as tall as me on all fours, if it stood on its hind legs it would’ve been giant.

My Hunter’s Mark began to burn, and I gritted my teeth, ignoring the pain. I took another step forward. Then another.

The hellhound came forward and suddenly we were within spitting range. It growled and leaped, but I slammed my fist into its neck as hard as I could. Its jaws snapped inches from my head as it was thrown across the room. It hit the wall and got right back up.

I threw my knife, which it dodged. I reached for another, but it saw its chance and bounded forward, snarling. I dove out of the way as it dove for me. I scrambled to my feet, and we began circling each other again.

I took off my jacket and vest, wrapping them around my left arm, keeping my eyes trained on the hellhound at all times.

It charged again and I barely managed to get my left arm between it and my neck in time. It’s teeth sunk into my arm, cutting through the clothes wrapped around it almost instantly. I bit back a scream as agony surged through my right side.

My Hunter’s Mark began to burn even hotter, sending waves of pain through my body. I ignored it and drove my thumb into the hellhound’s eye. I felt it pop and the hellhound let go of my arm, yelping. I jumped forward, wrapping my arms around its neck and squeezing as tight as I could.

The hellhound bucked, trying to shake me off, but I was bigger and stronger. I held on tight as it snapped it’s jaws at me, barely missing me. I squeezed, pain shooting through my right arm, which was dripping blood.

Suddenly, the hellhound spasmed, knocking me off of it and sending me flying into a wall. I hit the stone hard, the pain causing white spots to appear in my vision. I blinked them away and stood up.

Then, I collapsed to my knees in agony as my Hunter’s Mark sent rays of pure fire and pain through my veins. I smelt smoke as my shirt begin to burn. I struggled to get up, but my vision began to fade and I felt myself losing my balance.

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The hellhound, seeing my weakness, bounded forward. When it was just a couple of feet away, I met its eyes and the beast froze. I collapsed onto my side, barely keeping myself up with my arms, but the hellhound didn’t move any closer. Instead, it whimpered and began to back away.

I was curious about what had scared it for a second, but then the pain coming from my Mark made me forget that. I fell onto my back and screamed, my body going rigid with pain. Waves of pain that felt like a hammer striking my heart began to course through my body. Each wave was worse than the previous. My vision went blank with pain and blood began to trickle from my nose and ears.

Suddenly, it was over. I took a heavy, ragged breath, and then another, and another, and then I tried to sit up. My vision swam and I felt dizzy, but I managed to get up. I wiped the blood from my nose and ripped off the burned mess that used to be my shirt. My undershirt had been burned too, half of it gone and the other half covered in soot, ash, and char. I flung that off too and pressed my finger to my Hunter’s Mark. It felt cold to the touch.

I hauled myself to my feet, using the wall to balance myself. I saw the hellhound, which was still backing away from me. I took a step toward it and it flinched and turned, running back into its cell.

I limped forward, the pain mostly gone but a deep soreness that soaked through my muscles and nerves replaced it. Eventually, I got to the cage where the hellhound was cowering. I reached up for the bars and tugged them downward. I felt resistance, so I yanked them down harder. Chains snapped and the bars came clattering to the ground, again sealing the hellhound off.

The bars were rusted, but thick, and Barkley had trusted them enough to come down here, so I figured they’d hold.

I wanted to lie down and sleep for another three days, but I knew I couldn’t. I limped back over to the door and tried to turn the handle. It was, as I knew, locked.

I let out a sigh that sounded like bones rattling in the wind. Gods above, I was tired. I pulled on the handle a bit harder, and it popped out of the door in my hand. I growled and grabbed the door from each side.

My left arm was covered in dried blood, but the wounds on it had closed, leaving only faint burn scars behind.

I pulled on the door and felt the metal buckle and strain against its hinges. I gritted my teeth and blinked the sweat out of my eyes. My muscles strained and I took a deep breath, pulling even harder. I heard one hinge snap and then the rest gave way.

I flung the door to the side and groaned as the stairwell stretched out before me. I muttered curses under my breath and began walking up it, each step making my legs ache more and more. The older I got, the more I realized my true enemy wasn’t any monster or evildoer, it was stairs.

What seemed like an eternity later, I got to the top. I tried the handle to the wooden door there and what do you know, it was locked too. Aren’t I lucky? I gritted my teeth and kicked it down.

The door went flying, catching a guard on its way out. He yelped in surprise as he was thrown, with the door, into the opposite wall.

I stepped out into the hall and looked around me. Besides the unconscious guard who’d been hit by the door, there were two guards I’d caught by surprise standing beside the doorway.

I grinned and grabbed one by the throat. I picked her up and threw her into the other. They went tumbling down the hall and I ran forward before leaping into the air and landing feet first onto them.

I heard the sound of wind being pushed out of their lungs and of a couple ribs crack. I hopped off of them and punched the one on top. The one under her began to scramble away from me, but with my other hand, I grabbed his leg and flung him into a wall.

He collided against the wall with a crash, going through the drywall completely. I saw a couple more confused guards through the hole I’d made. It looks like they’d been enjoying their dinners. I growled and turned back to the guard I’d been punching.

She was getting up, but I solved that by hitting her in the stomach, hard. She groaned and collapsed.

“Stay down,” I said. She muttered something under her breath but didn’t get up, so I took that as agreement.

The guards whose dinner I’d interrupted had figured out what was going on by now and were all running toward me. Some were taking the door, some were going straight through the hole I’d made. All of them were ignoring their friend lying unconscious on the floor.

I rubbed my aching spine and cracked my neck. I raised my fists as one guard swung at me. Dodging to the side, I punched him in the throat. He fell to his knees, gripping his throat and gasping for air.

Another one screamed and rushed me, but I grabbed her by the shoulders and flipped her over my back, into the floor. The impact cracked some floorboards and sent waves of pain through my spine.

I groaned in pain and rubbed my back again. I’d done that move a thousand times when I was younger and it hadn’t hurt then. That’s getting older for you.

Down the corridor, the guards that had taken the door were rushing toward me. I looked down the hall the other way and saw more guards coming that way too.

I raised my fists and did my best to ignore the sharp pain in my back and the burning in my muscles. No rest for the wicked.