THREE
I accompanied Jacob to the bay the hellhound was in, surprised to find a big piece of paper taped on the door.Someone had gone through the trouble of writing a warning on it.
I looked at my mentor who was just wearing his white coat."Do we have protective gear?"
He laughed and put his arm in front of the lower half of his face."Just don't breathe in too deep."
That was a curious thing to say which made me all the more intrigued.I mimicked his movement, covering my mouth and nose without understanding why.Then he opened the door and a dense, suffocating smell wafted out that made my eyes sting.It was acrid and reminded me of sulfur, pee, and cleaning alcohol.
I made the mistake of gasping and it assaulted the back of my throat.I coughed and inhaled more and coughed until the normal air from the hallway had diluted the stench enough to make it bearable.
Jacob observed me with a concerned look."You okay there?"
I nodded even though my lungs were burning."All good.What is that smell?"
"Hellhounds have an interesting metabolism and their sweat, saliva, and pee contain high levels of alcohol and a few other noxious substances."
"Noxious is right."I wafted clean air into my face, grateful for a non-burning breath.
"We just need to wait for the gas to escape because if he sparks a fire, that could engulf the room in flames instantly."
"Is that why the fire alarm has been going off so often recently?"I asked.
"Yes, our new hellhound is to blame.It would be better if the room was properly ventilated but that's far too high tech."He stuck his head into the bay and nodded."Alright, I think it's safe for us to go in but keep the door open.And if he does set himself on fire, make a run for it."
This was certainly an unusual way to meet a new animal but I was more intrigued than worried.I followed him into the room, getting my first look at the hellhound.He was smaller than expected, but mostly because he was severely malnourished and crouched in the corner.If he stood up straight, his head would probably reach up to my elbow.Maybe even my shoulder.
His ribs and hips were poking through his skin and he was covered in dark fur.There were silver scars all over his body, some that looked relatively fresh.
"Oh, he is in bad shape," I blurted out, horrified by the sight.
The hellhound flinched at the sound of my voice and growled, baring all his teeth at me.He was trembling and shaking, clearly not used to human company or not keen on it.
Judging from the scars, my guess would be the latter.
Jacob cleared his throat."The owner of the private collection had him chained up as a guard dog.But despite their fierce looks, hellhounds aren't very aggressive.The fire is mostly for self-defence.So when our boy here tried to run away instead of attack, he got thrown in a small cage and was pretty much neglected."
Both anger and sadness curled through me.People could be so cruel, and I wanted to lock the owner of the private collection in a small cage.If he went to jail, that could come true, and I'd never wished for more.
“He’s not eating,” I noted, pointing at his food bowl that was still full of raw meat.He was also ignoring the soft bed that had been put out for him, favouring the corner instead.
“No, I think he’s too stressed to eat,” Jacob responded with a sigh.“It’s something we need to change because, as you can see, he’s skin and bones.”
"Poor guy.What's his name?"I asked.
"Gold Flame Obsidian."
"Sorry?"
"You heard me.That's what's on the paperwork."
"That's stupid," I blurted out, more anger rising up in me.That wasn't the kind of name you gave an animal you were going to love.
Jacob chuckled and nodded."I agree."
I crouched down to bring myself to eye height with the hellhound."Don't you worry, we won't call you that ridiculous name.How about...Obie?"
