I stepped lightly through the knee high weeds, my every sense on high alert. It was very possible my wards had begun to break down and mana had suffused and twisted the entire graveyard. I could feel my worn jeans soak with the early dew of the night. The air seemed to ring with silence, my every step like thunder in my ears. The hidden headstones fallen in the grass was a constant worry should I need to run. Thorns pulled at my legs like so many hands that reached for life once more.

I could feel the tug of power that pointed directly towards my grimoire. My concern not for the trip in, but the trip out. The iron plates levitated just over each of my shoulders. I was on edge ready to lash out at the slightest sign of an enemy. I could see the mausoleum in the dim moonlight. From behind a family headstone a pair of glowing red orbs rose. I froze at the sight. They stopped at eye level and I was glad to have been prepared. I propelled one of my shields at the eyes like it was a cannonball. The eyes sank as the missile sailed over its head. The orbs took off it looked to be circling me. I launched my other plate to watch what I could see seem to leap over it. My plate shattered one of the many monuments before I could call them both back to me. I pulled my rod and channeled power into it forming the spell before I released it with a shout, “Achrann!” Lightning flashed as I caught my first glimpse of the beast. It was a massive black dog. I had not managed to hit it but I saw the ivory teeth gleaming in the momentary light and the long dark fur that flowed like shadows behind it. The glow I could see came from its eyes. I was tracking it for another bolt of lightning when it disappeared behind a headstone. It didn’t reappear on the other side. I turned quickly trying to see where it had gone only to see teeth and gaping jaws. Both my shield plates rocketed into the creature and I watch as it melted into smoke. The smoke passed me by like a stone in a river and I heard paws hit the ground before the sound faded into the distance.

“Well, shit.” I muttered. If it lost physical form for a moment that greatly narrowed down what it could be, although most of those options were flavors of hell hound. It might be any kind from the dozens of hell planes so my best bet was still the use of magic until it either left on its own or died.

I felt claw slam into my back. I was launched forward but my wards held. I rolled as I hit the ground and the impact that shook the earth beneath me told me that I had narrowly avoided its pounce. I rose to my feet quickly to see the black dog crouched where I landed. It growled furiously as it glared at me with its luminous red eyes. My levitating shields finally returned as we squared off. I could feel the wards I had set up years ago so I was close to my goal, if I could just get there I could use my old spell to fend off this enemy.

There was one way I could make it there while this hound pursued me and I did not like it without the proper tools, but I doubted I would make it before my personal wards failed and I was torn apart. I started to run electricity through the steel plates in my boots. The hound could feel it as I worked a spell and charged. I jumped back moving my shield plates to the bottom of my boots. I felt them slam together,magnetically attracted before I reversed the polarity. I was launched away and towards the mausoleum that was my destination. I could see the dog gain on me as I my momentum carried me through the night air. I pointed my blasting rod and shouted, “Achrann!”

Lightning slammed into the specter dispersing it for a bare instant. I channeled power through the tool and produced a stream of lightning that tore through the dog and the ground beneath it. I roared as I felt my back slam into something solid. My wards flared saving me from serious injury and I felt a familiar power at my back. I focused my will on the power and commanded it to expand. Teeth filled my vision as I pulled my legs towards my chest. I could feel hot breath on my face as I stared down the throat of the black dog that I had narrowly avoided. The massive jaws where held back by a translucent purple field that ripples under the onslaught.

I made it and not a moment too soon. There wasn’t much power left in my coat and I could feel the fire that had begun to consume my blasting rod. I had channeled to much power through it and it had broken under the strain. I could still feel my shield plates but I could retrieve them later. My heart hammered in my chest as I regained my breath. I felt like I had been a low speed car crash after that impact and my whole body had begun to ache.

The dog still glared angrily at me but when it realized it could no longer reach me it sat down outside the barrier. Carefully I got up I only just stood a bit taller than it from where it sat a few inches away. It was strange if it was a hellhound like I thought it should still be trying to kill me but it just looked at me.

I looked closer from behind the barrier. Long dark fur seemed to float weightlessly on a nonexistent breeze. Angry, intelligent eyes followed my every move. It huffed after a moment of observation and began to lick the barrier, gentle sparks rolled off with the contact. That was certainly odd behavior I had never seen from some kind of spirit creature. I turn my attention to the wards, I felt through the loops and swirls of power before I realized that the wards were far worse off than they should have been. My best guess had them fail by weeks end. I looked the the dog and asked, “Have you been eating my wards?”

The dog tilted its head in response.