“Yes.”
“How do you know?”
“Because that’s the same sound they made when they caught my scent before.”
“How long did it take them to find you?”
“A few hours, but I also stopped trying to lose them and lured them into an easily defensible position. I needed to figure out what I was dealing with.”
“Do you think they’ll find us?”
“Depends on how good they are at climbing.”
“That’s not very reassuring.”
“Not trying to be. Giving you a false sense of security won’t do either of us any good. It’s better if you’re prepared for the worst.”
He’s quiet for a moment and then says, “They’re a good distance away at least. However, this means we won’t be needing that wood to start a fire.”
“You could fly us to safety. Yes?”
He nods and comes closer. “Yes, but where is safe? They may be the only demons hunting us. However, I have yet to ascertain how many we might be dealing with and if anything else has escaped to breach the surface.
“What kind of demons did you face before? Do you think these are the same kind?”
“By the sounds of it, yes, they could be the very same. Part hound, part demon. About two to three feet tall. Long ears, so they probably have exceptional hearing. Thick hides, hard to kill. Their skin is ghostly and pale, but black blood can be seen running through their veins, which is the marking you’ll want to look for in any unnatural beast you come across. They have ridged backs and blazing red eyes. Sharp teeth and claws like most demons, but with protruding horns on the crown of their heads and long muzzles and canines.”
“Oh, is that all?”
He smirks then. “Let’s just call ourselves lucky that they don’t have wings”.
“How fast can they move?”
“Fast enough, and they hunt together, as if they think as one. They’ll look to herd and corner you so as to put you at a disadvantage.”
“Can they be killed?”
“Yes.”
“Fatally wound one, and it’ll die like any other beast on Earth. Heart, head, or a wound severe enough to put it down.” He’s pacing now in a slow gait, thinking, looking over at me every so often to make eye contact while answering my questions. When he stops, he exhales and says, “That’s not the same with higher levels of demons. Some can…” He runs his hand through his hair and shakes his head.
“What?”
“Some can regenerate as we do. The higher the level of demons, the more abilities they have.”
“Yes, but can the higher ones also breach the surface? These are smaller, yes?”
“If there’s a way through, I’m afraid it’s only a matter of time before the others find it as well. Heaven’s Gate, there could be more than one opening with the damage done in those quakes.”
“So what do we do? We can’t just sit here and wait for them to find us.”
“We make our way toward my brothers. You said they were in this direction.” He points east, and I nod. “We need to warn them and send Kahill after them. Put his powers to good use. It was Kahill with Pollock, yes? Not Tíarnach?”
“Tíarnach? Oh, you mean Death. Is that his real name?”
“Yes. Though he goes by many names, most are inaccurate. He’s a soul seeker, and his purpose here isn’t actually to claim dominion over life. He’s the last to cast judgment.”
More high-pitched snarls can be heard in the distance. They sound closer. As soon as they quiet down, I say, “I don’t know what that means.”
