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"You said it was an army!"
Erlang swirled his cup, not sparing the amber liquid the slightest glance as he fiddled restlessly with the cup before tossing it back in a single go and reaching for the bottle to refill the shot.
Nothing came out. Empty.
He went to toss it aside but paused, the flickering awareness of the existence of soft paws. Gently, painfully so, he placed it onto the counter and pulled another from beneath the bar.
Popped off the top. Poured. Tossed it back. Poured.
"You said it was an army!"
Tossed it back.
Claws scraped at the door of his cabin.
"Xiaotian Quan," he scolded.
The loyal hound he did not deserve let out a soft whine.
Erlang sighed as he relented. He stood, reaching out for a lantern to light.
The reflection of flames danced in wide and terrified eyes of the children cowering behind-
Who needed lanterns?
Erlang stumbled to the door. Managed not to step on Xiaotian's paws. Fumbled at the doorknob with drunken hands. The metal was hard under his hand, scratches in the metal uneven like the careful engravings across the surface of a breastplate held so tightly in his fingers that even celestial metal creaked.
"You said it was an army!"
The door clicked. Pushed open with a creak. Xiaotian wandered out, even an immortal dog set to sniff at every little thing and take an eternity to go.
Erlang stumbled out onto the porch and sank into his chair. It was beginning to show its ages already. He would have to build another soon.
The moon shone brightly in the dark sky, stars shining cheerfully across the canvas of night.
The glow of fire across dark fur, fangs gleaming, trembling with terror and fury as Erlang lifted his spear to bring it down on the monster-
Erlang looked away from the sky to watch his dog mosey slowly around. His hound had to have smelled everything in the vicinity countless times, did Xiaotian expect it to change in the brief time inside?
Something cried out behind the demon, terrified chirps and cries of demon children and infant monkeys alike, so small beneath their protector, staring up with terror at...
The monster.
The wood creaked and snapped beneath his hand. New chair it would have to be.
Xiaotian's ears twitched. The celestial hound's head came up, golden eyes looking his way.
"It's okay, Xiaotian."
His celestial hound let out an unimpressed huff.
Couldn't even fool a dog.
"You said it was an army!"
"Erlang Shen, calm yourself!"
"They're civilians!"
"There was an army, and they would have been raised to join it! Please, calm yourself, your uncle's orders-"
"My uncle tricked me into killing children!"
"Erlang-!"
"He can burn, too! You can all burn!"
Erlang took a deep breath. Stood.
Xiaotian was still standing in place, ears up, looking into the forest.
Erlang called for his dog and was ignored.
Without a single glance back at him, Xiaotian took off into the woods, disappearing quickly in the darkness of the night.
Erlang stared into the dark for a long moment.
"You said it was an army!"
Quietly, he returned inside and poured another shot.