If you had told Renny he would one day find himself in a place with a rothound by his side, it would have sounded like nothing but a terrifying dream. Yet here he was, moving through a deep, dark cave without a torch or even fire on a stick. How quick life changes, he thought. Had he truly gotten braver through all the trials and difficulties? Perhaps. But he would only know for sure once Oliver's family was rescued, and hopefully, that would be the mission of this memory. If so, then he would finally receive his reward.
What unsettled him now was the silence. The absence of any rothound presence gnawed at him. They hadn't been attacked once. No claws scraping in the dark, no growls echoing from the tunnels. Not even the faint trace of lingering presence. Could it be they were in the wrong cave?
As they pressed on, Oliver sniffed repeatedly, its pace quickening as if it had picked up something Renny couldn't sense. Then it broke into a run.
"Oliver... stop!" Renny bolted after him. Running through a pitch-black cave was hardly wise. The fact they hadn't met resistance yet didn't mean they should invite it. Or maybe, he thought, maybe charging forward was the better choice. Better to meet danger head-on than wait for it in the dark.
So instead of pulling Oliver back, he kept close behind, ready for a confrontation.
But what they found was different.
Oliver had discovered one of his siblings, same size, same orange coat, battered and frail just as Oliver had been when Renny first found him. Perhaps this one had also tried to escape.
Renny scanned the shadows around them, demon eyes sharp, but still found nothing lurking. He knelt to check the sibling's wounds quickly, hands steady, thoughts racing.
And then... snap. The sound of a rope being cut.
A cage dropped from above, iron bars crashing against the stone. The impact jolted them off their feet, slamming them back onto a cold, solid underplate.
All three of them, Renny, Oliver, and the wounded sibling were trapped.
Renny threw his weight against the bars, muscles straining, but the cage didn't so much as rattle. What was this thing made of? Was he still too weak, or was this some hell-forged rock beyond his reach? His breath came sharp and ragged as he tried again, fury building.
Beside him, Oliver barked and snapped at the stone, teeth grinding uselessly against the bars. No use. They were trapped .Renny stilled, mind turning. Then the pieces fell into place. The wounded rothound hadn't just been unfortunate prey, it was bait. Its scent of blood had been enough to send Oliver charging blindly, and Renny right behind. Panic had done the rest. Still, it didn't make sense. Why all this effort for one smaller rothound? Unless… had they expected him too?
Renny let out a bitter laugh. "So this is it… caught in a cage. By animals." The thought stung. Hell really knew how to twist the knife.
His demon eyes flicked upward, searching for what would come to collect their prize, then it landed. A blue rothound dropped from above, heavy and deliberate, right before the cage.
Understanding hit him in a rush. "So that's how you slipped past my gaze…" he muttered.
The cage jolted, dragged forward by a long iron bar hooked at its front. The blue rothound pulled with ease, hauling them through the cavern until they emerged into a vast, open chamber where pale firelight licked at the walls.
And there they were.
Dozens of blue rothounds, five feet tall and hulking, perched on rocky ledges all around in a perfect circle. Their growls thundered together, low and venomous, like a court of beasts waiting to pass judgment.
A rothound, older than the rest, stepped forward. Its blue fur was faded, scars laced across its body like trophies. It woofed to the pack, a guttural command Renny understood clearly. The missing rothounds had been captured, along with an intruder who bore the Ezra mark. Judgment was to kill them all. But first, tear Renny apart, limb by limb, so every rothound got a share.
One of the rothounds crept close, claws screeching against stone as it raked at the bars. It clawed and bit until the cage cracked open, metal groaning before it gave way. Dozens of glowing eyes fixed on the three trapped inside.
Renny turned to Oliver. "Watch your brother. Nothing will happen to him. I'll keep you both safe."
Then he stepped out. Slow, steady. Dagger in hand. He had already studied the pack, counted their numbers, measured their positions. There was no way... no fucking way... he was ending as lunch for a bunch of hell mutts.