He growled again and cowered even more.Clearly the sight of me was striking fear in his heart, making it very clear what sort of interaction he'd had with people.Poor thing.
I didn't understand how anyone could treat an animal like this, regardless of whether it was a common dog or a mythical hellhound.It was barbaric and cruel and awful.
Jacob grabbed the chart from the side, scanning the results from the initial check-up."Alright, initial blood results.Let's see.Oh, hmmm.They flagged something that needs more investigation and are requesting us to draw extra blood samples."
As if the hellhound heard us, he flattened his ears and let out the most menacing growl yet.His lips curled up to expose the full row of large teeth and he scraped his paw over the tiled ground.His nails were far too long and crackled with every scrape.
Jacob pushed my arm."Out!"
I stood still for a moment too long, watching in fascination as the hellhound's nails created a shower of sparks that set him and the vapour around him on fire.The sudden blast of heat made me brace, and I was glad that there was a good amount of distance between us because any closer, and I would have gotten singed.
The hellhound howled and shook his body in a very doglike way, spewing fire through the bay.Seconds later, the fire alarm blared deafeningly loud, and I quickly hurried out when I realised staying was foolish.
Jacob closed the door and signalled to someone to deal with the fire alarm, which was so loud, it was an assault on my eardrums.
I watched the hellhound through the window, amazed that he didn't seem affected by the actual flames.Was it not hot?Did his coat protect him or was the fire not that hot?I wanted to know but going back in was far too dangerous.
"Shouldn't we put him out?"I asked, thinking back to the time when I worked with the phoenixes."Can we hose him down?Although that seems really mean."
"No, the gas and vapour will burn up quickly and he'll extinguish naturally," Jacob said, also keeping a close eye on the hellhound."Drawing more blood without sedation is going to be tricky."
He was right.We were going to have to find a way to get close to Obie without him setting us and himself on fire.
