Dark Tarot (Dark Carpathians)

Malignant red-and-yellow eyes appeared and disappeared in the thick mist as if giant heads bobbed up and down. Hooves thundered on the ground, and heavy bodies smashed into bushes and tree trunks as the hounds drove forward toward their targets. The scent of burning and smoldering grass added to the noxious smell of the beasts as they rushed forward, but the forest was far too wet to catch fire.

The first one emerged out of the gray mist, an enormous, massive beast, running full out, faster than one would ever conceive, pounding toward Sandu. He was already covered in hyssop oil from his hair to his boots, and as the creature from hell with its gigantic teeth and claws came straight at him, he let loose an arrow straight to its left eye and then another to its right. The hound skidded in the leaves and debris, howling, snapping at the air as black blood ran down its face and jaws, mingling with the thick ropes of saliva that were already streaming to the ground. The hellhound shuddered and his legs gave out. He went down, sides heaving.

At once the beetles began clacking, and they swarmed over the hound, their claws shredding him open, ripping and tearing at his body to spill his insides out onto the forest floor. They crawled inside him, eager to get at the riches there.

Tell the others not to allow the carcasses to touch the ground, Adalasia said.

Sandu was already relaying that message, although the guardians had each found out for themselves, not trusting the beetles’ reaction to the fallen hellhounds. Like Sandu, they sensed there was more at work here than the attack on them, as they had felled several of the hellhounds as well.

I can counter what she is doing, Sandu. You have to let me do my job.

Hellhounds came from all directions, coming at the five Carpathian hunters with blurring speed. The beetles, with ravenous appetites, consuming the five carcasses Sandu and the others had first killed before incinerating the dead bodies as quickly as possible in midair, began to keel over, bloated beyond their ability to walk. Sandu couldn’t keep an eye on the beetles and the hellhounds at the same time. He had to trust his partner.

Don’t touch the ground, he cautioned her. And don’t look into the eyes of these beasts.

I’m actually well versed in demons, she answered, a little snippy note in her voice.

He wished he had time to appreciate her sassiness, but a particularly large hound was approaching with blurring speed, one with three heads. The heads undulated continuously. It ran at him accompanied by two other hounds on either side, each with two heads that also moved like snakes.

He let loose two arrows fast, hitting two of the eyes on the right and left head of the center hellhound. The two eyes geysered black blood, and then the heads dropped heavily, but the middle one remained malevolently staring at him as the beast thundered toward him. The heads flopped macabrely against the black fur with every step the hellhound took. The two other hounds kept up, rushing with the first one, straight at him.

Danutdaxton emerged out of the cloudy mist, letting two arrows loose at the beast on his left, targeting both heads, hitting one in the eye and the other in the nose as it swung the head toward him. The beast snarled its rage, the red eyes rolling as it looked at the newcomer, but it continued toward Sandu.

Haven’t shot a bow in centuries, Dax said and let loose another arrow at the swinging head. He followed it up with two more.

Don’t allow the carcass to hit the forest floor, Siv cautioned. Incinerate it. If you leave it in the air, the spiders jump on it, or the ants build a bridge to it. The beetles get it on the floor.

Sandu couldn’t take his eyes off the approaching hellhounds to check to see if the spiders and ants were tearing into the carcasses the way the beetles had.

Welcome to our fun, exciting world, Dax, he greeted as he let an arrow fly at the beast to his left. He hit to the side of the eye as the heads swung away from him. He instantly shot several arrows into the hellhound’s throat. It staggered and stopped abruptly, shaking both heads repeatedly, giving him time to concentrate his shot on the middle hound.

That hellhound’s remaining head was up, the malevolent eyes boring into him. The creature was so close to him, he could feel its foul breath as it snorted and blew noxious air out. Up close, the teeth looked serrated, the canines wicked and sharp. Long strings of thick saliva dripped from its mouth.

Who did you piss off in hell? Dax asked as he released his arrows.