The flesh hound obeys

[Ashenfury]

"The bloodthirster beckons"

"The flesh hound obeys"

The whispers swam within the mind of the half conscious ghost wolf. The blood scent was powerful. Ashenfury wrinkled his snout then bared his teeth. The wicked snarl crawled across his face. Lightning struck in the distance illuminating the low clouds and windswept rain.

Each flash stretched the long shadows of two fighting wolves across the landscape. Their visage was thin and sickly. The whispers became louder. Their tone warped into grating stones. Ashenfury looked up from the cliff with a bellowing howl lost in the wind and thunder.

Below the cliff a small glow emerged on the horizon. A small party of adventurers pointed their torches and continued onward towards the rock face. An arrow with red cloth landed with a loud 'shhoomp' by the fighting pair of wolves. They broke apart and joined Ashenfury in another howl.

From the dark sky a druid dove toward the pack. The last ember of a wet and smoldering fire flashed brightly and roared into the form of a fire elemental in time to swat the bird. The ghost wolf stood unmoving looking down at his pursuers. Another arrow landed finding it's mark in the hind of one of the wolves. It cried in pain and whimpered. The other wolf closed in on it's weakened companion snapping it's teeth menacingly.

The bloodscent had grown stronger. The whispers into bellows. The bellows into the sound of mountains crashing down. Ashenfury began to howl once more. The earth shook beneath his feet. The howl churned in his throat. The war party halted when they heard the demon's call erupt.

"The flesh hound obeys!"

The fire elemental smothered in an instant as the wind quieted and the last echo of thunder went silent. The only sound was the patter of rain. The four townsfolk hesitated before their torches smothered. They were engulfed in the maw of darkness they had hunted across the plain.