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Description
Out beyond a town in the middle of nowhere, beyond the fields of short, green crops that surrounded it, dry from a week with baking sun, though they now were bathed in red moonlight, reality vomited something forth.

A red and black tear appeared, offering a short view of an abyss no human could have seen without going raving mad. From this abomination a pack of Hounds leaped forth.

Each was easily the size of a horse, with reddish black fur and red eyes. Lash and claw wounds marred more than one, and all had scars from inhuman beatings. For a moment, they looked about in confusion at their new surroundings, then their eyes burst aflame. The fire held the same colour as their fur and the hellrift.

They howled, a bestial sound beyond this world. It was carried against the winds to the town, where more than one person unaware of the doom coming to town woke and looked about, chills running down their spines.

In all the town, there was one man who knew what such howls heralded. Fighting down a primal terror, the local priest went from his humble abode by the church and started pulling on the bell. It's deep gong awoke those few not already awake.

Hearing the bells toll, the Hounds of Hell gave another blood curling howl and went fully alight. Hellfire covered them as they sprinted through the fields towards town, leaving a trail of fire in their wake.

Defying the wind, the fires moved of their own accord, creating a blazing wall of black fire behind the Hounds who were rapidly approaching the outer stone walls of the city. Each had a trail of black fire behind them, connecting them to the ravaging wall behind.

A farmhouse lay in the path of one of the Hounds. A man stood there in a window, looking aghast at the apparitions running straight for him. Crouched in a corner was his wife and daughter.

Never slowing, the wall exploded, timber carrying with them black-red flames fountained outward as the Hound entered the homestead. The farmer had been blasted away with his wall, and parts of him were raining down along with it.

Going forward, the mother tried sacrificing herself for her kid. She was sent tumbling aside, deep claw wounds across her face. She would never see again. Not that again was a long time. Fire would soon consume her.

When the Hound exploded out of the back wall, never having stopped on it's mad dash, it held the corpse of a small, blonde girl in it's jaws. Her chest was crushed by it's strong jaws as fire played along her skin.

Guards had gotten onto the wall, crossbows aimed at the approaching Hounds. Quarrels flew through the air, but not one connected. All but one Hound, the largest, sped up.

Before the soldiers could reload, the Hounds of Hell had leapt the twenty foot wall. More than one man fell to his death with a Hound's jaws locked around his throat, used to cushion their landing on the hard pavement inside town.

Once it's brethren had leapt the walls, the largest, the pack leader came to them. A tremendous explosion shock the city and broken rock smashed through the houses closest to the wall. In front of the Hound, a large hole had been blasted through the wall.

Inside the wall the Hounds started rowing at random, trailing their sheaths of dark fire. No house could stand against their strength and unholy fire and more than one child met it's end in a Hounds jaws. There was such an abundance that the Hounds, used to the spare and stringy meats in Hell, gorged on the tender flesh of children, while playing with the parents.

Fleeing the fan of Hounds tearing through the city, the townsfolk fled to the gates furthest from the Hounds, only to have their hope of escape extinguished by the roaring wall of flame that now encircled the town.

After their initial carnage, the Hounds had followed the wall around and now tore into the gathered throng, leaving charred, mangled bodies in their wake.

While the Hounds gorged themselves on the throng, a few, the crafty, the centre, yet untouched, except for a few sheaths of flame cutting up the pavement, made their way to the church, it's bell ringing madly, now almost with a life of it's own.

Into the sanctuary of the church they went, barring doors and windows as best they could. A few went and took the priest in to them, his hands had been torn to shreds on the bellrope.

From outside, there were screams and cries, only broken up by the occasional explosion. In time that failed as well, and all grew silent.

Breathing sighs of relief, the survivors looked around, glad to be alive, when something massive shock the church gates. From right outside came yet another abominable howl. The last times, distance had muted it's effects, but now the full brunt of it fell on the unfortunate people.

A few went immediately insane, their minds simply stopped working, unable to handle the pure terror carried on that howl. Those not going insane whimpered on the floor, more than one clutching bleeding ears. All, except the priest, who frantically clawed himself back towards the bellrope.

A second howl followed the first. A woman stabbed her index fingers into her ears, puncturing her eardrums. More than one followed her example as the building shock from another impact.

Outside, the Hounds were enjoying themselves. They had gorged themselves on terror and pain and the soft flesh of children and babies. More than one had torn a meal from the womb of pregnant women. And now they had found these fouls locked inside what they believed to be a sanctuary.

Inside, the priest had gotten hold of the rope. Terror made him oblivious from the pain coming from his shredded hands. As the first clang of the bell rung out there came a snarl from outside. Heavy with the promise of violence, it made the survivors huddle together, clutching their ears.

New howls came from outside, but they were not so bad as before. Obviously, to those inside, the bell, the holy bell blessed by the god, could keep this terror at bay. Outside, the Hounds were howling with laughter, when they weren't howling to terrify.

And all the while, the priest pulled on the rope.

Time went, and those inside slowly came to believe that they would make it, the bell of their god would save them. A few had gotten up, and a man had joined the priest on the rope, keeping it ringing.

After a while, the howls had stopped completely.

Looks through a crack in a window bars showed that sunrise was on it's way.

Then there was a new howl, from a single, large animal. Everyone looked up, as all the pack howled. There was no diminishing the pure terror the howl carried on it, it struck everyone inside like a physical blow, sending them back into cradled positions.

A horrendous explosion from above stilled the bell and blasted through the roof. A few red hot fragments of metal fell down, made unrecognisable by intense heat.

And looking down on the prey inside was the largest Hound, a wicked smile showing it's long fangs.

The front door collapsed under the onslaught of two more Hounds. The people shrunk back from them, except those driven beyond their mind, who wandered or crouched about.

All windows exploded inwards, several people fell with large splinters embedded in their bodies as more hounds entered the church, moving in on those who had lived. Those insane were butchered as a Hound passed them, most got a slash across the stomach. Their death would be a slow one, as they bawled in their own blood and shit.

Among the survivors were two children, maybe eight and ten years, who had been pushed towards the centre of the huddled group.

Extinguishing their flames, two Hounds pushed their way into the crowd, people getting thrown aside by their unnatural strength. Taking a child each, they carefully carried them by the neck out of the crowd.

Hope could be seen in some faces, maybe the Hounds wouldn't eat these children, though the fate that awaited them would probably be harsh.

Once outside the crowd, the Hound's flames reignited. The children, made lucid by fear, started screaming as the pack closed around them, burning them with their fire. All Hounds except the leader, who was still overlooking all from the roof, took hold of the children, sharp teeth sinking into their soft flesh.

The other survivors were sprayed down with the children's blood as they were brutally torn apart by the Hounds. A woman got hit in the face with a part of an intestine and fell to her knees, screaming. The tearing of the children lasted a long time, and by the end of it, everyone were drenched in blood.

A Hound had eaten the intestine off the woman's face, it's teeth leaving deep cuts and it's flames had set her hair alight. No one noticed as they tried getting closer together. It was to no avail, though.

The Hounds played with them, picking them off one by one, tearing them apart in front of the others, drenching them in blood and gore and brain. When they finished, the floor was floating with blood and small bits of flesh and bone. Only then did the leader jump down and enter the base of the bell tower.

No one knows what happened in there, and there was never any desire to find out. When investigators arrived a few days later, all they found were bits of flesh, some scorch marks and two eyes. Whatever had happened had left such a psychic residue in those eyes, one could see it radiating from them. A sorcerer later made an attempt to read the aura. His last sane action was to claw out his eyes.

When the sun rose, reality made another puking motion, somehow reversed, and sucked the Hounds back in. All they left behind was a a flat blastland. Where there once been a town and fields, there was nothing but scorched earth and shattered rock.

Description
Out beyond a town in the middle of nowhere, beyond the fields of short, green crops that surrounded it, dry from a week with baking sun, though they now were bathed in red moonlight, reality vomited something forth.

A red and black tear appeared, offering a short view of an abyss no human could have seen without going raving mad. From this abomination a pack of Hounds leaped forth.

Each was easily the size of a horse, with reddish black fur and red eyes. Lash and claw wounds marred more than one, and all had scars from inhuman beatings. For a moment, they looked about in confusion at their new surroundings, then their eyes burst aflame. The fire held the same colour as their fur and the hellrift.

They howled, a bestial sound beyond this world. It was carried against the winds to the town, where more than one person unaware of the doom coming to town woke and looked about, chills running down their spines.

In all the town, there was one man who knew what such howls heralded. Fighting down a primal terror, the local priest went from his humble abode by the church and started pulling on the bell. It's deep gong awoke those few not already awake.

Hearing the bells toll, the Hounds of Hell gave another blood curling howl and went fully alight. Hellfire covered them as they sprinted through the fields towards town, leaving a trail of fire in their wake.

Defying the wind, the fires moved of their own accord, creating a blazing wall of black fire behind the Hounds who were rapidly approaching the outer stone walls of the city. Each had a trail of black fire behind them, connecting them to the ravaging wall behind.

A farmhouse lay in the path of one of the Hounds. A man stood there in a window, looking aghast at the apparitions running straight for him. Crouched in a corner was his wife and daughter.

Never slowing, the wall exploded, timber carrying with them black-red flames fountained outward as the Hound entered the homestead. The farmer had been blasted away with his wall, and parts of him were raining down along with it.

Going forward, the mother tried sacrificing herself for her kid. She was sent tumbling aside, deep claw wounds across her face. She would never see again. Not that again was a long time. Fire would soon consume her.

When the Hound exploded out of the back wall, never having stopped on it's mad dash, it held the corpse of a small, blonde girl in it's jaws. Her chest was crushed by it's strong jaws as fire played along her skin.

Guards had gotten onto the wall, crossbows aimed at the approaching Hounds. Quarrels flew through the air, but not one connected. All but one Hound, the largest, sped up.

Before the soldiers could reload, the Hounds of Hell had leapt the twenty foot wall. More than one man fell to his death with a Hound's jaws locked around his throat, used to cushion their landing on the hard pavement inside town.

Once it's brethren had leapt the walls, the largest, the pack leader came to them. A tremendous explosion shock the city and broken rock smashed through the houses closest to the wall. In front of the Hound, a large hole had been blasted through the wall.

Inside the wall the Hounds started rowing at random, trailing their sheaths of dark fire. No house could stand against their strength and unholy fire and more than one child met it's end in a Hounds jaws. There was such an abundance that the Hounds, used to the spare and stringy meats in Hell, gorged on the tender flesh of children, while playing with the parents.

Fleeing the fan of Hounds tearing through the city, the townsfolk fled to the gates furthest from the Hounds, only to have their hope of escape extinguished by the roaring wall of flame that now encircled the town.

After their initial carnage, the Hounds had followed the wall around and now tore into the gathered throng, leaving charred, mangled bodies in their wake.

While the Hounds gorged themselves on the throng, a few, the crafty, the centre, yet untouched, except for a few sheaths of flame cutting up the pavement, made their way to the church, it's bell ringing madly, now almost with a life of it's own.

Into the sanctuary of the church they went, barring doors and windows as best they could. A few went and took the priest in to them, his hands had been torn to shreds on the bellrope.

From outside, there were screams and cries, only broken up by the occasional explosion. In time that failed as well, and all grew silent.

Breathing sighs of relief, the survivors looked around, glad to be alive, when something massive shock the church gates. From right outside came yet another abominable howl. The last times, distance had muted it's effects, but now the full brunt of it fell on the unfortunate people.

A few went immediately insane, their minds simply stopped working, unable to handle the pure terror carried on that howl. Those not going insane whimpered on the floor, more than one clutching bleeding ears. All, except the priest, who frantically clawed himself back towards the bellrope.

A second howl followed the first. A woman stabbed her index fingers into her ears, puncturing her eardrums. More than one followed her example as the building shock from another impact.

Outside, the Hounds were enjoying themselves. They had gorged themselves on terror and pain and the soft flesh of children and babies. More than one had torn a meal from the womb of pregnant women. And now they had found these fouls locked inside what they believed to be a sanctuary.

Inside, the priest had gotten hold of the rope. Terror made him oblivious from the pain coming from his shredded hands. As the first clang of the bell rung out there came a snarl from outside. Heavy with the promise of violence, it made the survivors huddle together, clutching their ears.

New howls came from outside, but they were not so bad as before. Obviously, to those inside, the bell, the holy bell blessed by the god, could keep this terror at bay. Outside, the Hounds were howling with laughter, when they weren't howling to terrify.

And all the while, the priest pulled on the rope.

Time went, and those inside slowly came to believe that they would make it, the bell of their god would save them. A few had gotten up, and a man had joined the priest on the rope, keeping it ringing.

After a while, the howls had stopped completely.

Looks through a crack in a window bars showed that sunrise was on it's way.

Then there was a new howl, from a single, large animal. Everyone looked up, as all the pack howled. There was no diminishing the pure terror the howl carried on it, it struck everyone inside like a physical blow, sending them back into cradled positions.

A horrendous explosion from above stilled the bell and blasted through the roof. A few red hot fragments of metal fell down, made unrecognisable by intense heat.

And looking down on the prey inside was the largest Hound, a wicked smile showing it's long fangs.

The front door collapsed under the onslaught of two more Hounds. The people shrunk back from them, except those driven beyond their mind, who wandered or crouched about.

All windows exploded inwards, several people fell with large splinters embedded in their bodies as more hounds entered the church, moving in on those who had lived. Those insane were butchered as a Hound passed them, most got a slash across the stomach. Their death would be a slow one, as they bawled in their own blood and shit.

Among the survivors were two children, maybe eight and ten years, who had been pushed towards the centre of the huddled group.

Extinguishing their flames, two Hounds pushed their way into the crowd, people getting thrown aside by their unnatural strength. Taking a child each, they carefully carried them by the neck out of the crowd.

Hope could be seen in some faces, maybe the Hounds wouldn't eat these children, though the fate that awaited them would probably be harsh.

Once outside the crowd, the Hound's flames reignited. The children, made lucid by fear, started screaming as the pack closed around them, burning them with their fire. All Hounds except the leader, who was still overlooking all from the roof, took hold of the children, sharp teeth sinking into their soft flesh.

The other survivors were sprayed down with the children's blood as they were brutally torn apart by the Hounds. A woman got hit in the face with a part of an intestine and fell to her knees, screaming. The tearing of the children lasted a long time, and by the end of it, everyone were drenched in blood.

A Hound had eaten the intestine off the woman's face, it's teeth leaving deep cuts and it's flames had set her hair alight. No one noticed as they tried getting closer together. It was to no avail, though.

The Hounds played with them, picking them off one by one, tearing them apart in front of the others, drenching them in blood and gore and brain. When they finished, the floor was floating with blood and small bits of flesh and bone. Only then did the leader jump down and enter the base of the bell tower.

No one knows what happened in there, and there was never any desire to find out. When investigators arrived a few days later, all they found were bits of flesh, some scorch marks and two eyes. Whatever had happened had left such a psychic residue in those eyes, one could see it radiating from them. A sorcerer later made an attempt to read the aura. His last sane action was to claw out his eyes.

When the sun rose, reality made another puking motion, somehow reversed, and sucked the Hounds back in. All they left behind was a a flat blastland. Where there once been a town and fields, there was nothing but scorched earth and shattered rock.