48 Chapter Forty-Eight – Let’s All Have Some Fun in the Back Yard (1/2)

It looked rather pretty, all things considered.

They probably kept it mowed with magic and weeded it frequently, but the expanse of green before me would not have been out of line on a golf course. Of course, this was Dream, so things were both more and far less perfect, and the rolling slope going down to a glittering wide river certainly looked inviting.

There were walking trails, what looked to be a Hedge Maze off to the side for fun, a pond for ornamental fish, white marble walking trails, and just a whole bunch of green to set it all off, in two flat areas between slopes leading down the river some distance away.

I looked out the windows at the oversized beech trees providing a canopy to the sides, the statues scattered here and there of fantastic beasts, the dreamy twinkling of the river, and the shockingly clear and beautiful blue skies above.

Uh-huh.

Tremble was peeking out from my hip. ”My, doesn't that look all idyllic and peaceful.”

”Yeah, not a damn thing looks threatening at all.” Except for the statues, but we both knew that.

”And when we step out the door…”

”POW! Right to the moon!” we said together.

”Shall we get it over with?” I sighed.

”Sure! What's a little dying on such a beautiful day?” Tremble agreed.

I wasn't fresh, I'd used two Vigors up, and some Healing Soul. Battle Vigor had restored a huge amount of Soak, but it was useful, and I was aware I had only the normal two-minute downtime before something happened to attack me.

I had to hop up again to grab the lever-handle to the door outside, hauled it down, kicked off the frame to open the door, and dropped down to step outside.

The path I was on earlier was off to my right, but the piles of ants were gone, and the hedgerows I'd cut down were all restored, it looked perfectly normal. I rolled my eyes as very abruptly the sight of a lot of dogs playing out in the yard were presented to me.

They hadn't been visible through the window, but now I could see a big kennel off to the right side of the lawn, tucked in behind the massive stables I had not been in yet.

There were five colors of them.

The black ones with flaming eyes and jaws were Nessian Warhounds.

The white ones with blue eyes dripping frost were Canian Warhounds.

The oily brown ones dripping acid from their jaws were Stygian Warhounds.

The yellow ones with dark bronze metallic plates were the Ironeater Warhounds of Dis.

The ones with ashen hides trailing greasy smoke were Avernian Warhounds.

There were four of each of them.

”Fudge me!” we both said, as all twenty hounds the size of small elephants turned around to look

at us at the same time.

”Hellbane format is up!” Tremble said decisively, as the Hounds of Hell broke and headed for their newest chew toy, and not to be outdone by these literally Damned Dogs, I charged out at them.

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”Huh!” I sat up, blinking and grabbing Tremble automatically, injecting Essence.

”Well, wasn't that exciting?” he murmured. ”Thanks for killing the Ironeaters first.”

”Don't mention it.” They were the most armored and the strongest, but they didn't have a breath attack, either. Carving through armor was a thing with me now, so I hadn't been all that off-put by the plates. ”Damn, that was a lot of breath attacks.”

”And strong!” agreed Tremble. ”At least they didn't have any devils riding them…”

”It's not night time,” I agreed sagely. ”Imagine if we jumped out the window at night…”

I could hear his mental blink. ”Really. We could really change things up, couldn't we.”

”Yeah, get to deal with giant bats, and vampires summoning monster rat swarms, too, no doubt.”

”It would be interesting to try it…”

”We can do that, once we find out what else is going to hit us in the back yard, right?”

”Yeah.” Unfortunately, going outside and leaving a bunch of giants alive behind us to pour out and attack us at the same time as the dogs was absolutely the height of stupidity, and wasn't going to happen. Tight quarters restricted them from using teamwork and multiple attacks, so staying inside was a much, much better option for clearing the giants out.

Damn Curse!