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She choked and alo and leapt backwards to avoid the spear Stil tossed at it like a javelin The spearhis ar out of the ground in which it was ie Stil spun around and thrust the spear out in front just in time to intercept another bolt frorowled and snapped at Gehtly around herself so none of it draped She pulled a fairly sizable dead branch off the tree and dropped it on the hellhound It cracked in half after hitting the aniround between Stil and Ge through, turning the jab into a slash that landed squarely on its already-wounded shoulder The beast yelped and scrambled backwards Stil was about to finish the animal off with a well-placed jab when he froze He turned to face the rider before he fell to his knees, letting Gemma see the black arrow that poked out of his left shoulder

Stil fell face forward into the ground, his breath rattling in his chest

No, no, NO!

"NO!" Ge froing itself towards Stil Her entire body jarred when she hit the anih her, unleashed by the sight of Stil’s bleeding shoulder Her usual calm abandoned her like warmth in a snowstorm

Not Stil! Anything--except that!

Gerabbed the idea and used it to push her ! There was a distinct pattern to the battle, and more than the obvious tactic that the hellhound attacked while the rider shot arrows There was soht but stitching cloth together Wait, could it be…?

"Gerimaced as Geht, right?" Ge in heavy pants as her heart pounded in her throat

"What?" Stil groaned as the nightmare mount sauntered in their direction

"The rider and hellhound! They cannot abide light, right?"

"Right"

"Good," Geed itself in their direction

"What are you doing? Run, you hed

"It’s easier to take apart a piece of clothing if you rip out the sea at the cloth," Gemma said

"What?" Stil said, confused by Geers closed on what she was looking for Gemma plucked at least four starfires out and shouted "SHINE! Shine your brightest!"

The pris in light so brilliant, even Gehtht poured over their bodies, invading every crevice

Geround and turned her back to the light to pick two more starfires out of her pocket "SHINE!" she shouted when she realized she faced the blinded, injured hellhound The ani It latched down on Ges sank into the flesh of her arritted her teeth and kneed the creature in the chest, trying to o Gemma punched its head with her fist that held the starfires The aniround when one of the prisht erupted from its mouth, and the hellhound howled

"Dih that Gemma could see without stars in her eyes

It was still toothe rider, and took off, galloping through the dark woods with angry screa hellhound, her shoulders heaving as she observed the creature’s pain while light invaded it frohtened around an unlit starfire She ran towards the rider, kicking up snow "SHINE!" she shouted, grabbing the thrown rider by its cloak

The rider was evento behold than Gemma had steeled herself for Instead of a flesh-covered face it had a bare skull The rider’s jaas square and blocky to support its bloated incisors that were coated with a red so dark and rusty, it was al holes instead of eyes, and its breath reeked of sulfur and brimstone

The rider wasn’t a mindless creature--like the hellhound or the horse--nor was it crazed and en Instead it was a hole of darkness, seeking to devour everything good and righteous in its path