Sacrifice

"Sacrifice" is the ninth Beasts of Burden story and a crossover with Hellboy.

Story
Hellboy is led by a gray dog into the woods, where he meets the Burden Hill junior apprentices. They take him to an underground place that they've suspected leads to the source of their troubles, and he clears the path for them. They discover a former magical site and are attacked by skull golems, who kidnap Whitey. Following them, they find Whitey in the hands of a woman preparing a blood ritual, along with the talking skull of Karl. The woman cuts her own throat for the ritual. As the place begins to collapse, Pugsley grabs the spell book and everyone escapes.

A massive blood-powered stone golem with Karl's voice emerges from the hill and starts fighting Hellboy, who is easily able to overpower and destroy it. Pugsley reveals that he had peed on Karl's skull before leaving, which Dymphna realizes contaminated the ritual and made the golem flawed. Hellboy sees the gray dog and heads after it, mistakingly taking the spell book with him.

Miles away from Burden Hill, the gray dog, Cian, lays surrounded by fellow Wise Dogs, his heart having given out. It's revealed he had been leading a "Fetch" to try and keep Hellboy around long enough to "solve Burden Hill." The Wise Dogs lament the loss of their friend, while Pugsley laments Hellboy's departure.

Characters

 * Hellboy
 * Cian
 * Pugsley
 * Whitey
 * Jack
 * Ace
 * Rex
 * Dymphna
 * The Orphan
 * skull golems
 * sewer rats
 * Bloodletter
 * Cheryl
 * Karl Vanderburgh
 * Emrys
 * Lundy
 * Miranda
 * Brigid
 * Dempsey

Mentioned

 * the master