6 Hell-hound's Swan Song

Standing amidst a pile of viscera, covered in fresh blood, a dark-furred monstrous figure swelled up with heaving breathes. Caleb shrieked as he nearly fell over backwards into the rear of the cart. In spite of his accelerating heartbeat, Amyna felt his mind becoming surprisingly clear and calm. Time slowed to a crawl as he analyzed the beast standing before them and considered his options.

The creature loomed over the pair in front even as they sat elevated on the carriage. He must've stood at least 8 feet tall, and each of his four outstretched arms were as muscular as they were hairy. His fang-adorned mouth was split wide in a malicious grin across his dog-like snout, and his pure-black eyes shone with glee. Before they could make their presence known, Amyna waved his hand behind him in a gesture to keep quiet. Hoping his friends understood his signal, Amyna turned his full attention to the beast that killed their horse.

"Your money or your lives!" The monster barked in delight. Caleb's wide eyes and panting breathes made it hard to focus, but Amyna didn't hesitate to pull out his wallet, throwing it to the ground.

"Take it." Amyna had no intention of getting himself or his friends killed, and especially not the innocent Amish carriage driver beside him who seemed about to wet himself.

Practically slobbering all over himself, the greedy fiend lunged for the wallet, eager to count out its contents. However, deep disappointment was etched into his features when he looked back up from peering inside. "There's not even three bucks in here!" He bellowed furiously.

"Well, what did you expect?" Amyna huffed in frustration. "You robbed a horse-drawn cart with two passengers, not a bank."

The monster waved two notes in front of Amyna's face animatedly as he raged, "I expect you to value your lives! I expect to get what I demand! I expect..." He shoved his hairy, drooling snout directly under Caleb's quivering lip while raising a hairy, clawed palm in a threatening gesture. "The rest of your money." Turning one eye in Amyna's direction the fiend continued. "Or you can expect to watch as I slowly disembowel your friend here."

"That's all of it!" Amyna protested in panic, trying desperately to think of a way to get them out of this situation.

The creature sneered and placed his hairy palm around Caleb's throat. The man aimed his terrified gaze at Amyna in a silent plea, as tears streamed down his cheeks. "Why don't I believe you?" The barking voice of the monstrous robber rumbled lowly.

"I don't fucking know!" Amyna could no longer contain his frustration and shouted at the beast. "Just what do I look like, huh? Don fucking Silver?" Don Silver was the name of a prominent former crime boss, now dead at the hands of Steel Lance.

The monster narrowed his eyes, taking a few sniffs of the air with his nose. Then, he smiled wickedly, his flabby tongue lolling out the side of his snout. "You look like a liar. There are more of you in there."

After hearing him speak, Charlie and Xavier jumped up from their crouched and hidden position, already about to burst with impatience. They were poised in something resembling a martial artists pose.

"No! Stay back!" Amyna tried to warn his friends, but his shout had the opposite effect.

Releasing Caleb, who crumbled quivering in his chair, the black-furred creature turned his attention towards the newly arrived duo. He leapt onto the carriage beside Amyna, and swiped his claws down with all four arms towards the new prey.

Time slowed once more for Amyna, who was desperately wracking his brains for a way to save his friends. As the claws in his vision drew inch by inch towards his friends eyes and throats, Amyna suddenly felt a rush of energy permeating his every cell, as if he were being tempered by a seething flame.

The sensation quickly wore off, but Amyna could tell something had changed. Everything seemed much larger. The dark haired dog monster froze in place, then stiffly turned his neck to face Amyna's position. When he caught sight of Amyna, his hackles rose, and an animalistic growl followed by a loud bark erupted from the creature's snout.

Amyna, confused by this turn of events and the beast's reaction, turned his gaze upon himself. What he saw left him stunned. He had noticeably shrunk, that much he could already tell. However, he soon saw himself covered in soft, silky fur standing on four paws with tiny retractable claws.

Trying to utter a confused, 'What the hell?' Amyna found himself instead saying, "Meow?"

The monster immediately lost its composure, lunging at Amyna, who had now taken on the form of a slim calico cat. Instinctually, Amyna leapt from the carriage to the dusty surface as a course-haired palm slammed down on his prior position. Landing gracefully on four paws, Amyna darted across the arid plain beside the road, drawing the rampaging hound away from the carriage. This was the best he could do to keep his friends safe.

Charlie and Xavier looked at each other stunned before laughing with relief and delight. They had been completely preoccupied with their imminent demise, and so had failed to notice anything else until the monster turned his attention away. Only then did they see a cat standing on the carriage, before running away with the dog monster in tow. They couldn't believe their luck.

"Hey, Amyna, did you-?" Charlie started to jovially exclaim, before realizing Amyna was nowhere in sight. "Where the hell is he?"

X looked around the carriage, sighing at the sight of the still trembling Caleb. This poor farmer turned driver would most certainly be traumatized by the events of today. Seeing no sign of Amyna, and thinking about where the cat had shown up, Xavier had a passing thought.

"Could Amyna-?"

As he stared off in the direction of the creatures' diminishing silhouettes, he couldn't quite bring himself to conclude that idea. He wasn't sure he could believe it. It was just as nonsensical an idea as any of the alternatives, leaving Xavier at a loss.

...

Despite being hounded over a blistering desert by a dog-monster, Amyna could only feel thrilled and delighted as he kicked up clouds of dust behind him. He had lived his whole life under the impression he was powerless. Who cared if the power was something like turning into a cat? Having any power at all was an improvement.

They were now far out of sight of the road and the carriage, but the beast on his tail was relentless and seemingly tireless in his pursuit. Amyna tried darting up one of the sparse trees in sight, but the six-limbed monstrosity easily climbed up after; he was, after all, a person turned dog-monster, so his hands and feet still bore human characteristics. The creature frantically clawed its way towards the top branches where Amyna was perched, fuming wildly with spittle flying everywhere.

Amyna taunted his foe, uttering a sarcastic, "Meow!" as he leapt back to the ground, graceful as any cat ever was, and darted off in a new direction. He had to find a way to shake this beast so he could return home. It was growing less and less likely that he'd catch up with his friends in the carriage at this point.

The beast launched itself from the tree to where the lithe calico cat was rushing away, nearly knocking over the crooked and shriveled trunk as it titled dramatically under the force of his kick.

Landing in a heap in front of Amyna, cutting him off in the process, the monster quickly righted itself, standing like an animal on four limbs, while the two foremost arms were stretched forward menacingly.

"YOU'RE MINE!!" The fiendish dog howled, as he lunged towards his prey.

"Meow!" Amyna proclaimed defiantly, as he leapt in the air to dodge the drooling maw of the monster. However, as soon as he was in the air, Amyna felt himself snatched up by a large dark hand, and before he knew it he was already several meters to the side of the mad dog.

Looking up, Amyna spotted a handsome figure shrouded in darkness. He had a chiseled jaw with long black hair flowing from beneath a dark, wide-brimmed hat. His dark cloak billowed in the searing wind. He wore a pair of thin dark shades, which reflected the bright sunlight. They slowed to a stop after only getting a short distance away, at least relative to the speed at which they were flying.

"Meow?" Amyna questioned, receiving no answer. The mysterious rescuer set down the little cat, aiming his stoic gaze at the monster currently foaming at the mouth.

Taking a whiff of the air with his sensitive nose, the creature suddenly froze, before shaking the drool from his lips and regaining his composure.

"Why are you here, Black Glider?" The beast inquired almost reverently in his barking voice.

"You're on my turf, Hell-hound." The Black Glider finally spoke, his tone dripping with sarcasm at the mention of the dog monsters name. "The real question is... why are you here?" Drooping his head, he aimed a sharp glare at Hell-hound from under his shades. A dark aura seemed to permeate directly into the monster's soul as he fell under the piercing glare of the Black Glider.

The unfiltered terror that etched itself into Hell-hound's face was the last expression he'd ever make.